Things to Do in New York City: Top Attractions & Activities

New York City has more ticketed attractions, free public spaces, and live performance venues than any other city in the United States. The challenge is not finding things to do — it is deciding what to cut. We have organised this guide by type of activity, with specific venues, current admission prices, and opening hours as of 2026.

Iconic Landmarks

Central Park is the obvious starting point. At 843 acres it is larger than Monaco, and a full circuit of the main loop path is 6.1 miles. No admission charge. The Conservatory Garden (Fifth Avenue at 105th Street) is the park’s only formal garden and is far less crowded than the Bethesda Terrace area. Rowboat rental at the Loeb Boathouse runs approximately $20 for the first hour (open April–November, weather permitting).

Brooklyn Bridge costs nothing to walk and remains one of the most satisfying experiences in the city. The pedestrian path is on the upper level, separated from vehicle traffic. Access from Manhattan at Centre Street/Park Row, or from Brooklyn at Tillary Street and Washington Street in DUMBO. The walk takes approximately 25–30 minutes one way. For the classic view of the bridge, go to Brooklyn Bridge Park (Pier 1 or Pier 6) on the Brooklyn side.

The High Line is a 1.45-mile elevated park built on a disused freight rail line. Free entry, open 7am–10pm daily (until 11pm in summer). Access at Gansevoort Street (southern end), 14th Street, 16th Street, 20th Street, 23rd Street, 26th Street, 28th Street, and 34th Street (northern end). The best section for public art is typically between 14th and 20th Streets.

Times Square is worth seeing once, briefly. The energy is real even if the experience is tourist-centric. Best viewed on foot between 10pm and midnight when the light show is at full intensity and foot traffic has thinned slightly. Avoid the character performers unless you plan to tip.

Museums

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Avenue) is one of the largest art museums in the world. Suggested admission approximately $30/adults, $17/seniors, free for NYC residents under 12 as of 2026. Open Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 10am–5pm; Friday and Saturday 10am–9pm; closed Wednesday. Do not attempt the entire museum in one visit. Focus on the Egyptian Wing (including the Temple of Dendur), Greek and Roman Galleries, or European Paintings, depending on your interests.

MoMA — Museum of Modern Art (11 West 53rd Street) holds Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, and an exceptional design and architecture collection. Approximately $30/adults as of 2026. Open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday 10:30am–5:30pm; Friday 10:30am–8pm; closed Tuesday. Book online to avoid the ticket queue.

American Museum of Natural History (200 Central Park West) covers 45 permanent halls. Admission approximately $28/adults, $21/children 4–12 as of 2026. Open daily 10am–5:30pm. The Hall of Ocean Life (with the 94-foot blue whale model) and the dinosaur halls on the fourth floor are the headline attractions; the Rose Center for Earth and Space runs regular planetarium shows (separate ticket, approximately $18/adults).

The Whitney Museum of American Art (99 Gansevoort Street, Meatpacking District) focuses exclusively on American art from the 20th and 21st centuries. Approximately $25/adults as of 2026. Open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 10:30am–6pm; Friday 10:30am–9pm; Saturday–Sunday 10:30am–6pm; closed Tuesday. The building’s location at the foot of the High Line makes it easy to combine both in a single morning.

The Frick Collection (1 East 70th Street, Upper East Side) reopened in its renovated mansion in 2024 after a four-year renovation. Approximately $30/adults as of 2026. Open Thursday–Saturday 10am–6pm, Sunday 11am–5pm, closed Monday–Wednesday. The Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Velázquez paintings are the major draws; the indoor garden courtyard is worth the visit alone.

Observation Decks

Empire State Building (20 West 34th Street) — Main 86th-floor deck approximately $44/adults, top 102nd-floor deck approximately $77 as of 2026. Open 10am–midnight daily. Book timed-entry in advance; evening visits between 8pm and 11pm offer a clear skyline with the city lit up.

One World Observatory (285 Fulton Street, Lower Manhattan) — Approximately $42/adults as of 2026. Open 9am–9pm daily. The view south over the harbour and the Statue of Liberty is better here than from the Empire State Building. The Sky Portal floor element is a gimmick, but the 102nd-floor deck itself is uncrowded compared to the Empire State.

Top of the Rock (30 Rockefeller Plaza) — Approximately $40/adults as of 2026. Open 9am–midnight. The view of the Empire State Building and Central Park from here is one of the best in the city, precisely because the Empire State is in the frame. Worth doing at sunset.

Edge (30 Hudson Yards) — Approximately $36/adults as of 2026. Open 9am–midnight. The triangular glass floor extends over the street 100 floors below. The view west over the Hudson River and New Jersey is distinctive and different from the other decks.

Neighbourhoods Worth Exploring

DUMBO (Brooklyn) — The area under the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges on the Brooklyn waterfront. Best reached by walking the Brooklyn Bridge or via the F/A trains to High Street-Brooklyn Bridge. Independent bookshops, galleries, and some of Brooklyn’s best coffee.

Chinatown (Manhattan) — Centre Street, Mott Street, and Canal Street. Open-air produce and seafood markets, traditional bakeries, and dozens of restaurants serving Cantonese, Fujianese, and Shanghainese food at prices far below anywhere in Midtown.

The West Village — Bleecker Street, Christopher Street, and the side streets between Seventh Avenue and the Hudson River. Some of the best wine bars and Italian restaurants in the city, and the street grid becomes pleasantly irregular here.

Harlem — 125th Street is the commercial corridor; the side streets contain some of the most architecturally impressive brownstone blocks in Manhattan. The Apollo Theater (253 West 125th Street) hosts live events throughout the year; check the schedule at apollotheater.org.

Live Performance and Sport

Broadway shows run Tuesday through Sunday, with matinees on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Ticket prices range from approximately $70 for rear-orchestra seats to $250+ for premium. TKTS booths at Times Square and South Street Seaport sell same-day tickets at 20–50% off; arrive 30–40 minutes before the booth opens to get the full selection.

Madison Square Garden (4 Pennsylvania Plaza) hosts the New York Knicks (NBA, October–April), New York Rangers (NHL, October–April), and major concerts. Ticket prices vary widely; NBA upper bowl seats start from approximately $40, floor seats from several hundred dollars. Book via msg.com or StubHub.

Yankee Stadium (1 East 161st Street, the Bronx) — Baseball season runs April through early October. Upper deck seats from approximately $20; field-level from approximately $70 as of 2026. Reach the stadium via the 4, B, or D trains to 161st Street-Yankee Stadium.

Day Trips from NYC

The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island — Ferry departs from Battery Park. The ferry ticket (approximately $24/adults as of 2026, including Ellis Island) is operated by Statue Cruises; book well in advance, particularly for the pedestal and crown access tickets (crown requires booking months ahead). Ellis Island’s immigration museum is the more historically substantial experience.

Coney Island — Free to reach via the D, F, N, or Q trains to Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue (approximately 50 minutes from Midtown). Luna Park (open April–October, hours vary) charges per ride or via an all-day wristband from approximately $45. Nathan’s Famous hot dogs at Surf Avenue are a New York institution.