James Douglas wrote:

Is there any freq where unlicensed operators can play with cw?

You may be thinking of the Novice license. That license was pretty easy
to get (20 easy multiple choice questions, and a 5 WPM code test). It
enabled you to get on the air with limited privileges to get experience
and improve your code speed. Many hams entered the ranks as Novices.
Alas, it is no more.

Art N2AH