Choose from 159 Fun Things to Do in New York City
American Museum of Natural History
- The American Museum of Natural History is a must for families.
- Leave large bags, luggage, and selfie sticks at home, as they are not allowed in the museum.
- Download the AMNH Explorer App on your smartphone to help you navigate.
- The museum is fully wheelchair accessible.
- A food court can be found on the museum’s lower level, while cafés are situated on the first and fourth floors.
Columbia University
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Flatiron Building
Adirondacks
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Carnegie Hall
Along with seeing the show and touring the building visitors can peruse the Rose Museum, which tells the story of Carnegie Hall’s history and showcases artifacts like photographs, concert programs, manuscripts and more. There is also a gift shop selling souvenirs like apparel, posters, CDs, DVDs and books.
Ticket prices vary by show, although you can tour the building without seeing a performance. To reach Carnegie Hall by subway, take the N, Q, R to 57th Street-Seventh Avenue; F to 57th Street; B, D, E to Seventh Avenue.
American Express 11 Tears Memorial
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Coney Island
- Coney Island is a must for fans of kitsch and Americana.
- Public bathrooms can be found at the beach.
- The boardwalk is wheelchair accessible, as is the beach. Beach mats are set up at West 33rd Street, Stillwell Avenue, and West Fifth Street.
Brookfield Place (World Financial Center)
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Alexander Hamilton US Custom House
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Columbus Circle
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Bowling Green
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Bronx Little Italy
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Bronx Museum of the Arts
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9/11 Tribute Museum
- Wear comfortable shoes if you plan on doing the walking tour.
- While the museum’s exhibits are not graphic, they can be emotionally taxing and some may find them overwhelming.
- Entry to the 9/11 Tribute Museum is included in the New York Sightseeing Pass.
- The museum is wheelchair accessible.
Conservatory Garden
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Apollo Theater
The Apollo Theater in the heart of Harlem is one of the world’s most famous live music venues. Some of the biggest names in contemporary music have played the Apollo, including Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and the master of soul, James Brown.
Hear jazz, blues or R&B, or come along on a Wednesday evening for the long-running Amateur Night. Stars who first flexed their talents as amateurs on the Apollo’s legendary stage include Michael Jackson and Lauryn Hill.
Informative and entertaining daily tours highlight the history of the Apollo and the performers who've played there.
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The Apollo Theater is on West 125th Street, between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) and Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Eighth Avenue). To get here, catch the subway to 125th Street.
Broadway
- It's best to plan ahead and purchase tickets well in advance.
- Plan to arrive with a full stomach (or go for a meal right afterward); food is not allowed in the theaters.
- Dress code is smart casual.
- Plan to arrive to your chosen show early to find your seat well before the curtains go up.
- Most theaters are required to be wheelchair accessible.
Brooklyn
- The Brooklyn Bridge spans about 6,000 feet (1,830 meters), and the walk across from Manhattan takes about 20 minutes.
- For a shot of Brooklyn's most popular photo op—a slice of the Manhattan Bridge between red-bricked buildings—head to the intersection of Washington and Water streets in DUMBO.
- Top views of the Lower Manhattan skyline can be seen from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.
Bloomingdale's
Within a few years this area would become home to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, streetcar service and a wealthy clientele, inspiring the brothers to open their flagship department store on 59th Street and Lexington Avenue. Encompassing an entire city block, the building was reconceived in the Art Deco style in 1930 by architects Starrett & Van Vleck, who also designed the flagships for Bloomingdale’s competitors Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor and more.
Known as the home of the “Big Brown Bag,” Bloomingdale’s offers seven-and-a-half floors of luxury goods, sportswear, accessories, jewelry, and home wares, as well as a ground-floor Visitor’s Center where you can consult a shopping concierge, check your coat and packages, receive a $50 gift certificate to be used in the store, and arrange to have your purchases delivered to your lodgings. Home to six different eateries, including an outpost of New York City’s famous Magnolia Cupcakes, you can easily spend half a day or more in this enormous shrine to shopping.