The 80 best New York City attractions that should be on your list

The opulent residence that houses a private collection of great masters (from the 14th through the 19th centuries) was originally built for industrialist Henry Clay Frick. The 1914 structure boasts an 18th-century European style, with a beautiful interior court and reflecting pool. Permanent collections include world-class paintings, sculpture and furniture by the likes of Rembrandt, Vermeer, Renoir and French cabinetmaker Jean-Henri Riesener. 

After a five-year closure for renovations, the Frick Collection reopened in spring 2025 with a completely retooled space. For the first time, visitors can walk around a new roster of galleries on the mansion's second floor—once the Frick family's private quarters. That means you can walk into the original bedroom of Henry Clay Frick!

Read more on The Frick's incredible new offerings, including a new 218-seat auditorium, an airy class room, an expanded reception hall, new state-of-the-art conservation studios and the museum’s first cafe.

Beyond the iconic, show-stopping displays—the grizzly bear in the Hall of North American Mammals, the 94-feet long blue whale, the prehistoric Barosaurus skeleton rearing up as if to scare the adjacent Allosaurus skeleton—is an expertly curated, 150-year-old museum that fills visitors of all ages with a curiosity about the universe.

Whether you’re interested in the world below our feet or the cultures of faraway lands or the stars light-years beyond our reach, your visit is bound to teach you a few things you never knew. With four floors filled to the brim with artifacts, you could spend a whole day just looking at the taxidermied animals and studying ancient cultures.

Don't miss the new wing called the Gilder Center, which houses a butterfly vivarium, an insectarium and a 360-degree immersive experience, in an architectural masterpiece.

Not only does it have the trippiest elevator in the city, One World Observatory is also a fierce contender for best views in the city. Ride up to the 102nd floor surrounded by a VR-like film, then admire the 360-degree views at the top of the tower. Standing at 1,776 feet, One World Trade Center is the tallest building in the United States. 

Gawk at the entirety of Manhattan and the Empire State Building on one side and the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges on the other. 

Sure, it’s a tourist attraction, but that doesn’t make the sights any less amazing. 

Is it possible to visit New York City without catching a show on Broadway? We're not sure it is. It's one of the best ways to experience NYC in all of its live(ly) authenticity and as there are so many wonderful shows to catch, we rate you'll be pretty spoiled for choice. From emotional dramas to belly-laughing comedies, there's a show on Broadway for everyone. Get dressed up and head on down to the theater district. The lights are calling your name.

Central Park is made up of 843 acres in the center of Manhattan. It includes sprawling lawns, rural woodlands, babbling brooks, and several lakes. The park also features running paths, walking trails, baseball fields, a skating rink, a zoo, formal gardens, theaters, a concert venue, and lots of commemorative art. 

You can really choose your own adventure at Central Park. Whether you have just 20 minutes for a quick stroll on your lunch break or hours to meander on a weekend, it's all possible at Central Park. If you want to loop around the entire park, budget at least three hours. Biking is another great way to see the park and to cover ground more quickly.

For over a hundred years, this transit hub has funneled thousands of daily commuters (over 700,000 a day) through its expansive halls and concourses. Though technically a passageway for those looking to go elsewhere, the building is certainly a destination in its own right.

With its grandiose Beaux Arts framework, the terminal is a spectacle of both form and function. Familiar features include the vaulted, constellation-adorned ceiling and the four-faced opal clock topping the main information booth, both located in the Grand Concourse. Above the 42nd Street entrance find symbolism of Mercury, the god of travel (naturally), and an ornate Tiffany-glass timepiece. 

Some things get better with age. The Empire State Building—now approaching its 100th birthday—is definitely one of them. 

The Empire State Building became an icon when it opened in 1931 as the world's tallest building. Though the landmark may have lost its No. 1 height status, it's remained a beloved destination with incredible views of the city. Thanks to recent updates, it's not just about the views anymore. The building now spotlights art, architecture, and history; plus, it offers a slew of cool events and excellent dining options. 

Tourists tend to make the Empire State Building their first stop upon arriving in New York City, and they're onto something—it's worth a visit, no matter if you're a lifelong New Yorker or just passing through town. 

Sprawling doesn’t even begin to describe this Manhattan institution: It’s one of the few spots in the city where you could spend literally an entire day and see only a fraction of the holdings. Behind the doors of its iconic neoclassical facade lie 5,000 years of art history from pre-history to the present, boasts 36,000 objects, including 2,500 European Old Master, Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, as well as the greatest collection of Egyptian art and artifacts outside Cairo—among them, the full-scale Temple of Dendur.

In addition to the trove of permanent exhibitions, The Met also stages special exhibits, including its annual fashion exhibition in connection with The Met Gala.

When the weather is pleasant, there’s nothing quite like walking the High Line. NYC’s elevated park is certainly one of more popular New York attractions everyone needs to check off their list. To give you a bit of history, the High Line was once a railway line, in use until 1980. In 2009, the 1.45-mile-long strip was transformed into what is now considered one of the most unique parks in NYC.

The urbanite playground features wildflowers, greenery and outdoor art installations in addition to killer views of New York’s skyline. The High Line runs from Hudson Yards to the northern edge of Chelsea.

Lady Liberty—or Liberty Enlightening the World, as she’s officially known—was a gift from France on America’s 100th birthday. A universal symbol of freedom that welcomed over 10 million immigrants sailing past to Ellis Island during the turn of the 20th century, the copper-plated sentinel stands 305 feet tall from the bottom of her base to the tip of her torch.

The National Park Service offers daily tours of Liberty Island as well as neighboring Ellis Island, which served as the first stop for more than 12 million immigrants between 1852 and 1954. While admission to both parks is technically free, visitors must buy ferry tickets to get there. Be sure to book online well in advance, as day-of tickets tend to sell out quickly—especially in the summer months.

The century-old main branch of the NYPL is about as regal a setting for reading—either on your laptop or those old dusty things called books—as you’ll find in the city. Two massive Tennessee-marble lions, dubbed Patience and Fortitude, flank the main portal and have become the institution’s mascots.

Once inside, check out the cavernous Rose Main Reading Room, spanning almost 300 feet and outfitted with chandeliers and stunning ceiling murals. Free guided tours (at 11am and 2pm) stop at Rose Main Reading Room and the Bill Blass Public Catalog Room.

Don't miss the permanent Polonsky Exhibition, featuring a true treasure trove of more than 250 unique and rare items culled from the library's various research centers—we're talking Thomas Jefferson’s handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence, the stuffed animals that belonged to the real-life Christopher Robin and inspired the Winnie-the-Pooh stories, and more. 

This fascinating museum—actually a series of restored tenement apartments at 97 Orchard Street—is accessible only by guided tour. Tickets are sold at the visitors’ center at 108 Orchard Street; tours often sell out, so it’s wise to book ahead. Tours give glimpses into the daily lives of immigrant clans that called the building home over the decades.

You can actually look forward to going to JFK International Airport because of this gorgeous, completely renovated TWA Terminal, which serves as a hotel, food and drink, and convention destination. The interior of Eero Saarinen’s landmark 1962 building exudes 1960s chic with 512 guest rooms that offer views of JFK’s runways, a Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant, a rooftop pool, and an observation deck. 

Whether you go for a day trip or overnight, it's a fabulous journey back in time. 

The Oculus is one of the world’s most expensive train stations, serving 12 subway lines and the PATH train, with a beautiful mall inside of it. Its wild exterior designed by Santiago Calatrava, which resembles the skeleton of a whale, has white metal-clad steel ribs that reach up and out which actually symbolize a hand releasing a dove.

The structure is a lasting reminder of the attacks of September 11, 2001 — it is in alignment with the sun’s solar angles on each September 11, from 8:46 am, when the first plane struck, until 10:28 am, when the second tower collapsed. Its central skylight fits this alignment and washes the Oculus floor with a beam of light. The shopping center inside boasts stores like the Apple Store, Aesop, Cole Haan, Golden Bar, Moleskine, John Varvatos and others. Dining includes Eataly, Gansevoort Market, Wasabi Sushi & Bento and more.

The 9/11 Museum, located where the Twin Towers once stood, explores the history of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The museum houses artifacts, historical records, firefighting equipment and a memorial exhibition. Tours with expert guides are available. 

Outside the museum is the memorial, which honors the 2,977 people killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center site, near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon, as well as the six people killed in the World Trade Center bombing on February 26, 1993. The Memorial’s twin reflecting pools are each nearly an acre in size and feature the largest man-made waterfalls in North America. 

Times Square in NYC—New York's most crowded attraction—is a global icon in its own right. It's the "center of the world" and the epicenter of NYC tourism with the best Broadway shows and photo opportunities with The Naked Cowboy and even those creepy mascots. Its fabled days of grime and crime are a distant memory, thankfully, but it still has much to experience, especially during the holiday season. 

This Madison Avenue institution began as the private library of financier J. Pierpont Morgan and is his artistic gift to the city. Building on the collection Morgan amassed in his lifetime, the museum houses first-rate works on paper, including drawings by Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Picasso; three Gutenberg Bibles; a copy of Frankenstein annotated by Mary Shelley; manuscripts by Dickens, Poe, Twain, Steinbeck and Wilde; sheet music handwritten by Beethoven and Mozart; and an original edition of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol that’s displayed every yuletide.

Also keep an eye out for literary-themed special exhibitions. 

Take on the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere at Hudson Yards. The bird's-eye attraction dubbed Edge is well worth a visit—that is, if you’re not afraid of heights. The building’s outdoor terrace takes you onto the highest public balcony in NYC. The deck not only features panoramic views of our city’s skyline but a killer vantage point below. Brave souls can stand on a large, see-through glass floor and wave to passersby 1,100 feet beneath. 

In our collective trips up there, we’ve had our heart racing just from peering through the glass. Through a program called City Climb, we’ve even climbed the side of it, which you can do yourself.

Though it’s likely that the only natural wildlife you’ll see at Coney Island is seagulls eager to scoop up whatever boardwalk snacks you leave behind, those intrigued by the ocean can immerse themselves in aquaculture at the New York Aquarium.

A sea lion pool, penguin habitat, recreated reef, shark exploration and more live sea creatures (and occasionally their handlers) offer an up-close-and-personal look at both Atlantic and Pacific Ocean life. Touching pools let you feel the slick surfaces of some animals, and the entrancing tanks are relaxing enough to stare at for hours on end. With a dedicated mission of conserving the oceans and oceanic life, the New York Aquarium—the oldest continually operating aquarium in the country—will leave you with an enhanced and renewed passion for natural preservation.

Sure, the Brooklyn Bridge serves a practical purpose as the means for millions of commuters to travel from lower Manhattan to Brooklyn, but it is also one of the most iconic structures in the city. You can walk and bike over it, but beware, the crowds are serious! Go early in the morning or late at night to avoid the hustle and bustle.

A true feat of 19th-century engineering, this 1.3-mile long steel-wire suspension bridge was designed by famed civil engineer John A. Roebling in 1869 (who, subsequently, would be the first of over 20 deaths caused by the construction of the bridge after a tragic accident involving a docking ferry). When the bridge officially opened 14 years later on May 24, 1883, it was the world’s largest suspension bridge and immediately became a sensation as over 150,000 people crossed the bridge on that day alone. 

Perched atop the One Vanderbilt super-tall just west of Grand Central Terminal, you'll enter this Instagram-worthy experience underground before ascending to a mirrored infinity room. The immersive room, called "Air," reflects the sky and city views over and over, making you feel like you're walking in the sky or on another plane of existence.

Next up is "Levitation," a series of transparent glass sky-boxes that jut out of the building at 1,063 feet above Madison Avenue. Here, you can stand over the street with just glass between you and the ground. It's certainly not for the faint of heart.

When Madame Tussaud first started creating wax figures in Europe in the late 18th century, she immortalized figures from the bloody French Revolution. Now two centuries after her death, Tussaud’s legacy lives on with museums in major cities around the world, yet few can compare in either size or popularity with the five-story Times Square edition.

A favorite among tourists and young, culture-obsessed visitors, this quirky venue is packed with 200-plus wax figures, which include various movie stars, singers, athletes and politicians. Each model is painstakingly made by teams of artists through the use of precise measurements, photographs, casts and oil paints. The result is so uncanny that the picture you take next to President Obama or Jennifer Aniston might just look real enough to trick your friends on social media—which alone might be worth the admission price.

History buffs will love this Upper West Side institution. Built in 1804, it's the oldest museum in New York City. The New York Historical features more than 1.6 million works that explore the history of the city and the country, including exhibits, art and historical artifacts.

The Patricia D. Klingenstein Library has more than three million books, newspapers, maps, photographs and more from our nation’s founding through slavery and Reconstruction and beyond. The museum is also home to the Center for Women's History, which unearths the lives and legacies of women who have shaped and continue to shape the American experience. And don't miss floor four with a glowing gallery of 100 beautiful Tiffany lamps.

New York’s ever-changing skyline acquired another sky-high attraction for Gothamites to climb in 2019: Vessel. The 60-ton sculpture, located at sleek cultural destination Hudson Yards, resembles a honeycomb, although some New Yorkers say it looks like a waste can. Others say the larger-than-life art installation designed by British architect Thomas Heatherwick is New York’s version of the Eiffel Tour. As for what we say?

It looks like a good excuse to exercise and Instagram. We climbed the spiral staircase made up of 154 interconnecting staircases, almost 2,500 individual steps and 80 landings—the various outlook points offer sweeping views of the Hudson River that will appear mighty dreamy at sunset.

Bonus: New Yorkers can visit for free on select days; here's how.

We won’t argue if you want to call this glimmering pinnacle of Art Deco architecture NYC’s most eye-popping skyscraper. With its steel sunburst crown, the Chrysler Building is the pinnacle of the art deco era and one of the world’s most recognizable skyscrapers.

Despite its historic significance, no public tours are offered of the tower. But during business hours, visitors can explore the elegant lobby with Moroccan marble walls and embellished Sienna marble floors. Since the public observation deck closed in 1945, there has been no official way for tourists to admire the view from the triangular windows of the Chrysler Building’s iconic crown…but there is a dental office located on the 54th floor. So the best way to enjoy a breathtaking view of the NYC skyline is by getting a root canal.

You'll find a smorgasbord of New York sites in this distinctive, multi-block complex—in fact, the ground level alone is home to the bronze Atlas statue, the "Today Show" plaza, and a bevy of restaurants. During wintertime, Rockefeller Center's iconic ice-skating rink and Christmas tree draw major crowds. Higher up, Top of the Rock rivals the Empire State Building in panoramic city views.

While enjoying the Art Deco architecture, don't miss the triptych above the outdoor entrance to 5 Rockefeller Center or the rinkside Prometheus statue; both purportedly contain secret Freemason symbols.

Urban visionaries Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, who most famously designed Central Park, also put their stamp on bucolic, 526-acre Prospect Park. Amenities like the Long Meadow and Nethermead offer plenty of space to pull up on a patch of grass and indulge in some people-watching, and the woodland expanse of the Ravine is a towering forest within bustling Brooklyn. 

Also don't miss the park’s kid-friendly offerings, including the zoo and LeFrak Center at Lakeside, where roller skating and ice skating goes down.

Brooklyn's premier institution is a less-crowded alternative to Manhattan’s bigger-name spaces, though the innovative and impactful items found inside are just as important as anything you'll find in the city.

The museum, found on the edge of the sprawling Prospect Park, has a large holding of Egyptian art as well as the famous feminist piece, The Dinner Party, by Judy Chicago. Works by such Impressionists masters as Cézanne, Monet and Degas are also included in the collection along with prime examples of Early American Art, period rooms and so much more.

The Whitney made contemporary American artists its main focus immediately upon opening in 1931—a then quixotic proposition at a time when New York’s art scene was considered provincial compared to those of Paris and the rest of the Continent. But it is a tribute to the vision of the museum’s founder, Gilded Age heiress Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, that her namesake institution’s mission has grown to succeed beyond her wildest imagination.

Still, the museum’s reputation rests mainly on its temporary shows, particularly the Whitney Biennial. Held in even-numbered years, the Biennial is among the most prestigious (and controversial) assessments of contemporary art in America. 

New York's Guggenheim is as famous for its landmark building—designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and restored on its 50th birthday in 2009—as it is for its impressive collection and daring temporary art shows. The museum owns Peggy Guggenheim’s trove of cubist, surrealist and abstract expressionist works, along with the Panza di Biumo Collection of American minimalist and conceptual art from the 1960s and ’70s.

In addition to works by Manet, Picasso, Chagall and Bourgeois, the Guggenheim holds the largest collection of Kandinskys in the U.S. Keep an eye out for temporary exhibitions as well, often featuring contemporary artists.

Every city park offers its own brand of verdant escapism, but this lush expanse in the Bronx goes beyond landscaped flora. In addition to housing swaths of vegetation—including the 50-acre forest, featuring some of the oldest trees in the city—the garden cultivates a rotating roster of shows. Don't miss the annual orchid show every spring.

Among its many amenities is a gallery devoted to art exhibitions, usually of work related to flora and the natural world.