U.S.
Travel — New York New York City
New York City
Attractions NYC Fun
Top 20+ FUN Things To Do
in New York City
— Spring,
Summer, Fall & Winter
We've put together some of our favorite Things To Do in
New York City anytime of the year. Watch the video above to get an overview (click on bottom right of video screen to see larger version). Then click on a link below for more info. Have FUN!
1. Double Decker Bus Tour Take a New
York City "Hop-On
Hop-Off"
Double-Decker Bus Tour on the first day of your trip so you can see everything — then
go back to the places that
you want to spend more time visiting. The tour gives you the option of staying
on the bus, or hopping on and off at your leisure.
2. Top of the Rock Wait til you see
the NYC views from the "Top
of the Rock" Observation Deck. Try
to get there before the sun goes down, so you can see the city
go from sunset to twilight and have the skyline light up before
your
eyes — WOW!. The "open-air"
deck is located on the 70th Floor at Rockefeller Plaza.
Rockefeller Center
Afterward visiting Top of the Rock,
walk around Rockefeller Center — the
popular year-round attraction is a fun place for eating, shopping
and people-watching. During winter months, the famous sunken
plaza Ice-Skating Rink is filled with ice-skaters — spectators can watch from
above. While you're in the area, cross the street and visit St. Patrick's Cathedral.
3. Central Park You can spend
a few hours, a full day, or several days seeing
everything
there is to see in Central Park, depending
on your schedule — and most of it's FREE!
If your time is
limited, enjoy a cocktail at the Waterfront
Bar & Grill, overlooking Central
Park Lake, trees, rowboats and city skyscrapers— it
has a lovely European feel to it.
Bryant Park & Free Ice-Skating Bryant Park is a fun place to visit
year-round. During winter months, New Yorkers and visitors flock
to The
Pond at Bryant Park — it's Manhattan's only FREE admission ice-skating
rink. People
come here during the holidays to see the annual lighting of the
tree, featured entertainment and the Holiday Shops — a
European-inspired open-air market.
4. Museums & Art Galleries Visit one or more
of New York's amazing Museums — it's
educational, FUN and a great way to keep cool on hot summer
days. Some of NY's most popular museums include the American
Museum of Natural History, The Guggenheim, and The Metropolitan
Museum of Modern Art.
We also recommend
a visit to The Paley Center for Media (formerly the Museum of Television & Radio) — watch
the unaired Star
Trek pilot.
See classic performances on The Ed
Sullivan Show — Elvis Presley's 1956 debut
and the
Beatles 1964 U.S. debut — which incidentally
are the two most requested shows in the museum. Listen to
Abbott and Costello's famous radio broadcast of Who's on First.
5. Empire State Building The Empire State
Building is one of the most famous buildings in the world. Get
great New York City views from the building's 86th floor Observatory. If
you're thinking of "popping the question," it's a fun place
to propose :)
6. Statue of Liberty
& Ellis Island
If this is your first visit
to New York City, be sure to visit the Statue
of Liberty — one of the world's most recognizable
icons. Note: On July 4, 2009, the crown at the Statue of Liberty
re-opened to the public for
the first time since 9/11.
Buy the NY Explorer
Pass and Skip the Ticket Line in Battery
Park before you board the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and
Ellis Island —
the lines can be extremely long on weekends, holidays and during
peak season!
7. Manhattan Island Cruise
Enjoy a three-hour cruise around Manhattan
Island — see amazing views of the NYC skyline, cruise
by the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island... FUN for the whole family!
8. Greenwich Village Greenwich Village is a fun place to
explore on foot — its tree-lined streets are dotted with
historic townhouses, quaint little cafés, neighborhood restaurants,
nightclubs and specialty shops.
9. Chinatown & Little Italy
New York's Chinatown is a FUN place to explore, eat, shop, and people-watch! Enjoy Dim Sum and Peking Duck — the area is dotted with little restaurants, dim sum parlors, tea houses, fruit and fish markets... there's even a famous Ice Cream Factory!
Little Italy is within easy walking distance from Chinatown — it's home to cozy outdoor Italian restaurants and cafés. New York City's biggest and longest-running outdoor festival, the "Feast of San Gennaro" takes place in the heart of Little Italy every September.
10. Times Square
and Pedestrian Plaza Times Square is a FUN place to visit anytime of
the day or night! If your time is limited, go at night — there's nowhere in the world quite like it! Several sections of Times Square are now closed to traffic... all year round. The popular Pedestrian Plaza has little red tables and chairs dotted about the area (and permanent bleacher seats) — it's great for people-watching!
14. NYC Sports Games
Yankee Stadium... and more!
New York City is a FUN place to see a Sports Game. Get tickets in
advance of your trip before the games sell out
15. Brooklyn Bridge Brooklyn Bridge is New York's
oldest and most famous bridge — and one of the most photographed
bridges in the world. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge anytime of
the year — it's FUN and it's FREE! And the Manhattan skyline
views are absolutely spectacular.
16. South Street Seaport South Street Seaport is a thriving waterfront
community with magnificent old sailing ships and a multilevel complex
of shops, outdoor cafés and restaurants, live entertainment, and a summer food market — popular with New Yorkers and tourists alike!
17. Shopping & Flea Markets
New York City is one of the planet's GREAT Shopping destinations
— people come here from around the world just to
shop! Don't miss Bloomingdale's and Barney's. Go "bargain-hunting" on
Canal Street in the Lower East Side and get designer discounts
at Century 21. Head over to Times Square and South Street Seaport
for Souvenir shopping. FAO Schwartz and Toys R Us (the world's
largest toy store) are well worth a visit — FUN for kids
and big kids too!
18. Grand Central Station & Market Grand Central is so much more than just a train terminal — the New York City landmark is a fun destination for tourists and locals... and definitely worth a visit if you haven't been there yet. The massive station houses a large food court, a wonderful gourmet food market, numerous stores and specialty shops, and a variety of fun restaurants and bars. On December 9, 2011, Apple opened one of its biggest stores at Grand Central, overlooking the historic main concourse of the terminal.
19. Staten Island Ferry
If you don't have time to visit the Statue of Liberty or take a
three-hour harbor cruise, take the Staten
Island Ferry. The
5-mile, 25
minute
ride is a FUN way to see lower Manhattan's
harbor, bridges and skyline and get great views of the Statue of
Liberty and Ellis Island — for FREE.
20. TV Show Tickets
If you're planning a trip to New York City, and have extra time,
get FREE Tickets to your favorite
TV Talk, Comedy or Cooking Shows, including;
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Late Show with David Letterman
The View
Anderson
Rachel Ray Show
Dr Oz
We've seen several shows and it's a lot of FUN. Be sure to carry
valid ID.
Selected TV Show Tickets are sometimes given out free of charge,
following the NBC Studio Tour.
21.
Concerts & Special Events
— Madison Square Garden
— Radio City Music Hall
During your visit to New York City, see a Concert at Madison
Square Garden.
Enjoy FUN Shows and Stage Door Tours at Radio City
Music
Hall.
22. St. Patrick's Cathedral St. Patrick's Cathedral, an iconic NYC national landmark, is visited by over five million people annually. Enjoy a Free Guided Tour of this stunning cathedral, located at 5th Avenue (between 50th and 51st Sts), across from Rockefeller Center.
23. National 9/11 Memorial & Museum — and One World Trade Center
The National 9/11 Memorial opened on September 12, 2011. Visitor passes are free and can be reserved up to six months in advance. The 8-acre Memorial Plaza will feature over 400 oak trees surrounding the Memorial pools — and an interactive Memorial Museum (slated to open in 2012). One World Trade Center (a 1,776-foot-tall skyscraper
at Ground Zero) is currently under construction — its 104 floors will make it the tallest skyscraper in New York.
24. Fun NY Sightseeing Tours, Harbor Cruises, Private & Custom Tours, Walking Tours, Biking Tours, Day
Trips & Excursions
Save time, money and hassle. Book FUN Guided NY
Sightseeing Tours,
Harbor Cruises, Day Trips & Excursions prior your trip — before they sell
out!
New
York Explorer Pass
Sightseeing Discount Card Save up to 40% or more compared to buying individual
tickets with the New York City Explorer Pass: Choose up to 7 Great Attractions!Skip the lines on major attractions — lines can
be extremely long on weekends, holidays and peak season!
The
New York Explorer Pass is your ticket to the best things to do
in New York. For One Low Price,
take your pick from 40 NYC Attractions — it's the
only ticket you need, saving you up to 40% or
more compared to buying
individual tickets.
