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New Yorkers are spoiled for choice when it comes to things to do. From massive museums to quirkier options, you’d have to visit a different cultural institution every weekend to scratch the surface. But here at Time Out, it’s our job as professional culture vultures to visit every single one to discover what’s new and what's outstanding.
We’ve journeyed across the five boroughs to bring you our list of New York City’s best attractions, freshly updated for August 2025. And we’re coming at you with a brand-new number one that you must add to your list.
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Right now, the top attraction in New York City is The Frick Collection, which houses an awe-inspiring assemblage of art from the 1400s to the 1800s. It's the only NYC attraction where you can see an impressive collection of Renaissance art inside the palatial home of the art collector, and that alone would earn it the top spot—but it also houses a five-star restaurant.
This opulent Upper East Side mansion-turned-museum had been closed for five years, and it reopened this spring with the addition of 10 new galleries inside the formerly off-limits second story. Before it was a museum, the entire mansion was home to the family of Henry Clay Frick, a steel magnate from Pittsburgh.
Even after Frick bequeathed the building and his vast art collection to the public, the second floor of the building remained closed. This area, which previously served as the family’s private quarters, included bedrooms, a breakfast room and several sitting rooms.
Now, you can pretend to live like a Frick as you wander from room to room imagining what it was like to live in this resplendent home. Despite the incredible wealth that practically drips from floor to ceiling, the mansion doesn’t feel stuffy. Instead, the space feels warm and inviting—like you’re visiting a benevolent, rich uncle’s house.
On the second floor, don’t miss two period rooms designed to look as they did in 1935. There’s the Boucher Room, a fancy sitting room with decorative wall panels and a grand fireplace. Also visit the Breakfast Room, adorned with blue wallpaper and filled with Barbizon-style art said to remind Frick of his Southwestern Pennsylvania roots.
In addition to opening up the second floor, the renovation restored existing galleries on the first floor as well. You’ll find pieces by world-class artists, including Rembrandt, Vermeer, Renoir, Monet, Manet, Degas and so many more. Sculptural pieces dot each room as well, along with ornate furniture.
The ground floor is home to a reflecting pool, which draws crowds for photos. It’s the only place in the museum where photography is allowed.
Also don’t miss dining at Westmoreland, which is less of a museum cafe and more of a full-scale restaurant in a museum. Our restaurant reviewer gave it five stars, calling it ‘precisely the elevated, straightforward spot you need to rest after a day spent among the art.” Be sure to make a reservation.
When I visited The Frick Collection recently on a pay-what-you-wish afternoon, a line snaked around the front entrance, and the energy inside was buzzy. We New Yorkers and tourists may have never gotten an invite to a ball at the Frick’s mansion, but shuffling through the home’s hallways is the next best thing. And right now, it’s the best thing to do in NYC.
Hours and pricing
The Frick Collection is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:30am to 5:30pm. It'’ also open on Fridays with extended hours from 10:30am to 8:30pm.
Adult tickets cost $30 per person. Pay-what-you-wish admission is available on Wednesdays from 1:30 to 5:30pm. No matter when you visit, you’ll need to book tickets in advance.
Time Out tips
Remember when we said that visiting is kind of like dropping by an rich uncle’s house? Well, that comes with rules—a lot of them. It’s best to know the rules in advance, so there are no surprises.
Here are a few things that aren’t allowed: kids under age 10; food and drinks; carrying coats (you must wear or check your coat); and the use of pens or colored pencils. Most difficult in this day and age: no photography. The only place you can take photos is in the Garden Court and other public spaces outside of the galleries.