New York's top attractions: The greatest sights in NYC
Whether you're a tourist, a local, or a wannabe-either, make the most of NYC with our guide to the truly unmissable New York attractions.
Whether you're planning your first trip to NYC or you've lived here for decades, you'll find endless things to do at New York's top attractions. In this guide, we've picked the best of the best, from the iconic Statue of Liberty to a gorgeous graffiti haven, from the brand-new Barclays Center to the newly essential High Line. Click through for complete venue information and a guide to what's on at each.
The High Line
- Rated as: 4/5
- Critics choice
- Free
RECOMMENDED: 50 best New York attractions There’s something uniquely New York about this aerie. Built on an abandoned railway track, the space is ingenious in its use of reclaimed industrial detritus, a necessity in footage-starved Manhattan. But what we like best is how the pathway takes you above
- Washington St at Gansevoort St, to Tenth Ave at 30th St
Governors Island
- Critics choice
- Free
A seven-minute ride on a free ferry takes you to this seasonal island sanctuary, a scant 800 yards from lower Manhattan. Thanks to its strategic position in the middle of New York Harbor, Governors Island was a military outpost and off-limits to the public for 200 years. It finally opened to summer
- Governors Island
Brooklyn Bridge Park
- Rated as: 4/5
- Critics choice
- Free
RECOMMENDED: 50 best New York attractions Some city parks—Central and Prospect, most obviously—were built to replicate rustic fields and preserve serene woodland. Brooklyn Bridge Park, however, was not—and that’s precisely why it has become so popular in the almost three years since it debuted. The
- Main St, at Fulton Ferry Landing, 11201
5 Pointz Aerosol Art Center
- Rated as: 4/5
- Critics choice
- Free
RECOMMENDED: 50 best New York attractions This Long Island City warehouse, treated as a 200,000-square-foot canvas, is one of the world’s best places to see the full spectrum of spray-paint art. Ride a Queens-bound 7 train past the Hunters Point Ave stop for an elevated, panoramic view of the names
- 45-46 Davis St, at Jackson Ave
BLDG 92
- Rated as: 4/5
- Price band: 1/4
- Critics choice
RECOMMENDED: 50 best New York attractions Located in a former military residence on the grounds of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, this small museum chronicles the mighty history of the former shipbuilding center—which, at its peak during World War II, employed close to 70,000 people. Permanent exhibits
- 63 Flushing Ave, at Carlton Ave
Central Park
- Rated as: 4/5
- Critics choice
- Free
For your stroll, head to the 38-acre wilderness area on the west side of the park known as the Ramble. The area has a storied history (as a gay cruising spot dating back to the turn of the last century, among other things), and it was even proposed as a recreational area in the mid-'50s.
- 59th St to 110th St, between Fifth and Eighth Aves
The Cloisters
- Rated as: 4/5
- Price band: 2/4
- Critics choice
RECOMMENDED: 50 best New York attractions Set in a lovely park overlooking the Hudson River, the Cloisters houses the Met’s medieval art and architecture collections. A path winds through the peaceful grounds to a castle that seems to have survived from the Middle Ages. (It was built less than 100
- Fort Tryon Park, 99 Margaret Corbin Dr
New York Botanical Garden
- Rated as: 4/5
- Price band: 2/4
- Critics choice
RECOMMENDED: 50 best New York attractions Among the diverse specimens found in this urban Eden are banana trees, moth orchids, the largest collection of New World palms in captivity and a 50-acre tract of pristine forest.
- Bronx River Pkwy, at Fordham Rd
South Street Seaport
- Rated as: 4/5
- Critics choice
RECOMMENDED: 50 best New York attractions This historic harbor is home to the former Fulton Fish Market, the Seaport Museum, the country's largest privately owned fleet of historic ships and a shopping mall with retail stores and restaurants. It hosts outdoor concerts during the summer, as well as
- 19 Fulton St, at Front St
Discovery Times Square
- Rated as: 4/5
- Price band: 2/4
- Critics choice
The Discovery Channel is one of the sponsors of this new large-scale exhibition center, which will offer limited-edition runs of exhibits from across the globe. The 60,000-square-foot space is housed in the former New York Times building, and includes a learning center, a space for special events
- 226 W 44th St, between Seventh and Eighth Aves
