The best things to do in NYC this week

MoMA is opening a grocery store where absolutely nothing is edible—and that’s the point. Launching on January 7, 2026, MoMA Mart is a limited-time pop-up from the MoMA Design Store that turns the mundane task of grocery shopping into a visual prank. Shelves are stocked not with snacks, but with objects that look like food at first glance and then reveal themselves as lamps, clocks, candles, stools and sculptural décor.

MoMA Mart will run from January 6 through March 29 at both MoMA Design Store locations—SoHo (81 Spring Street) and Midtown (44 West 53rd Street)—and will also be featured online, where people will be able to shop for the various items. Consider it grocery shopping for people who already have snacks—and could use a tomato lamp instead.

Don't expect Bryant Park to virtually shut down once the holidays are over—at least not this year. Post New Year's, the park is shifting into full-on winter Olympics mode as Bank of America Winter Village becomes a hub for Winter Olympics–inspired fun.

Bumper cars on ice return from January 9 through February 28, letting visitors bump, spin and slide across the rink in 10-minute sessions that feel more like a carnival ride than a traditional skate (plus you're already seated, so no embarrassing tumbles).

A big dose of digital magic is on its way to Tribeca. Onassis ONX—the Onassis Foundation’s lab serving artists working in XR, AI and immersive performance—is packing up its midtown digs and heading downtown, where it will double in size with a 6,000-square-foot studio at Broadway and Walker Street. The new space will open to the public in January, marking a big move for an organization that’s fast become a power player in the city’s experimental art scene.

The first show to christen the new studio will be TECHNE: Homecoming, set to run January 9–18, 2026. The exhibit will bring together six artists to explore identity and kinship, including Björk collaborator Andrew Thomas Huang and VR pioneer Tamiko Thiel. Visitors can expect video environments and “phygital” installations—a mash-up of real, tangible objects with interactive tech.

Under the Radar, consistently one of the most exciting theater and performance festivals in New York City since its launch in 2005, will take place in over 20 venues across the city from January 7-25, 2026.

In keeping with the festival’s eye toward the best of U.S. and international experimental performance, it will continue to explore dance, music, theater, film, opera, conversation and stagecraft through works by NY-based artists Narcissister (in her first-ever proscenium presentation), The HawtPlates, Kaneza Schaal, Lisa Fagan and Lena Engelstein, as well as European virtuosos Cherish Menzo and Mario Banushi.

A brand new double-decker carousel is set to spin holiday cheer throughout the season in Greeley Square at 33rd Street and Broadway on November 21, offering rides through January 6, 2026.

The two-story swirl of lights, music and storybook creatures will spin from 10am to 10pm daily, offering plenty of opportunity to catch a ride before, during or after your holiday shopping. Tickets cost $7/person.

Speaking of shopping: the carousel will be in the perfect location. It will sit just steps from Macy’s Herald Square, where the holidays are already in full swing.

During the typically bleak post–New Year’s Eve concert lull, Winter Jazzfest promises a bright spot on the city’s calendar.

The annual event showcases new talent performing a broad spectrum of musical styles all under the banner of jazz. Year after year, the crowds grow attracting both avid jazz fans along with new listeners, plus industry professionals. 

The week of rollicking fun takes over venues across the city, from Nublu to Roulette and much more. Plus, the signature "Marathon" nights are back offering buzzy, multi-stage shows that always add up to one of the best concert experiences in NYC. The Marathon shows aren't individually ticketed, so your pass grants you access to any of each night's gigs—as long as a given club doesn't hit capacity. It’s a model that encourages sampling and venue-hopping. The event also requires patience and an open mind: If your preferred show is full, just head to one of the nearby spots for something unexpected.

The fabulous holiday icon of NYC, The Rockefeller Christmas Tree is a must-see for both locals and visitors during the holiday season, whether you’re visiting before ice-skating on The Rink at Rockefeller Center or just passing through.

More than 50,000 multi-colored LED lights wrap around the branches. It’s topped with a three-dimensional Swarovski star that weighs 900 pounds and sparkles in 3 million crystals.

The tree is lit up daily through mid-January. On Christmas Eve, the tree is lit for 24 hours and on New Year’s Eve it is lit from 5am to 9pm. 

Escape the chilly weather with some Southern-style, yee-haw-worthy fun in midtown. The Professional Bull Riders organization will take over the World's Most Famous Arena (a.k.a. Madison Square Garden) for a three-day stint from January 9-11. 

Don a cowboy hat and cheer on ace studs from across the country as they attempt to stay atop bucking bovines—which can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds—for more than eight seconds. As a bonus, this stop on the Unleash the Beast Tour includes a PBR Monster Energy Team Challenge event on Friday night, featuring a must-watch showdown between the New York Mavericks and the Florida Freedom.

The New York Transit Museum is giving the time-honored subway swipe a proper sendoff with a new exhibit called "FAREwell, MetroCard" (see what they did there?), opening on December 17 in Brooklyn.

The exhibit covers the full journey of the little yellow card that changed how the city moved. When the item launched in 1994, the goal was simple: retire the cumbersome token for something more fitting for the modern era. The show explores how that idea grew from clunky magnetic stripe prototypes into the systemwide rollout that reshaped the daily commute. Through early pilot brochures, SubTalk ads and photos of the first activated turnstiles, you'll realize how much work went into convincing riders to trust the new system.

Within Grand Central Terminal, find the New York Transit Museum's 21st annual Holiday Train Show, an ode to all kinds of locomotives. You'll feel positively giant while wandering around the 34-foot-long display, festooned with miniature versions of city landmarks such as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building. Watch as Lionel model trains depart from a miniature replica of Grand Central. Then they travel over the river (the East River, to be exact) and through the wood to reach their final destination, the North Pole.

The Holiday Train Show will be on view at Grand Central Terminal through February 2026. The free show is open Monday-Friday, 10am-7:30pm; Saturday-Sunday, 10am-6pm; and closed major holidays. Find it in the shuttle passage on 42nd Street and Park Avenue, adjacent to the Station Master’s Office.

Sid Gold’s Request Room is the premier live piano karaoke bar in the country, with iconic locations in New York, Detroit, Nashville and Washington D.C. Known for its magical, one-of-a-kind experience, the audience becomes just as much a part of the show as the singer on stage. With a songbook of over 1,000 titles, Sid Gold’s pianists don’t just play—they coach, harmonize and cheer you on, giving even the shyest voices the confidence to shine.

Every other Tuesday (including this Tuesday, January 6), Sid Gold’s very own John Khoury will be hosting a special karaoke night at Time Out Market New York, Brooklyn. Bringing his extensive repertoire, Khoury is well versed in the music of Frank Sinatra, Chappell Roan and everything in between. Performing now in the shadow of his beloved Brooklyn Bridge, John is ready to make Time Out Market the city’s newest stage for unforgettable sing-alongs.

The event starts at 7pm and is free to attend.

Get your tickets here. 

New Yorkers rush past bodegas, take-out joints and dry cleaners a hundred times a week without really seeing them. But at "Pedestrian," the new exhibition by Brooklyn artist Charis Ammon at Sargent’s Daughters in Tribeca, those everyday facades get the kind of attention usually reserved for landmarks. She often photographs a storefront for months, sometimes years, waiting for the right moment. A thrift store near her apartment became a long-term muse. (“I’ve walked by that place for over two years, taking pictures,” the artist said.)

Other works lean into what Ammon calls “disruption,” like Bodega Melt, the Bushwick shop with the flickering LED watermelon sign. “Disruption in a window or on a surface speaks to story,” she said. To her, those breaks, in the form of a shadow, a reflection or a smear of light, mirror the moments that interrupt our own routines and the ones that make us pay attention.

"Pedestrian" runs December 12–January 24 at Sargent’s Daughters in Tribeca.

Train aficionados of all ages are certain to be transfixed by the scenic components of this show, featuring model trains, toy stations and miniatures from the Jerni Collection at The New York Historical. The dispaly illustrates the design evolution from the early 20th century to the era of World War II. 

Lighting and accompanying music make for an immersive experience on the first floor of the Upper West Side museum. This year, families can explore the objects on view with a special scavenger hunt and train-themed storytimes on select dates. 

The exhibit's on view from November 21 until February 22, 2026.

A century ago this fall, Robert Rauschenberg was born in Texas. He went on to become a Pop art pioneer and one of the most renowned American artists of this era. Now, museums and galleries across the globe are planning shows that honor the late artist's expansive creativity, spirit of curiosity and commitment to change.

For its part, Museum of the City of New York is highlighting the artist's time in New York City. "Robert Rauschenberg’s New York: Pictures from the Real World" explores Rauschenberg’s integration of photography and found objects into his art, reflecting his deep engagement with "the real world" and his complex relationship with urban life in NYC. He was a photographer with a bold creative vision which was essential to his art making, and this exhibition celebrates that. 

One of Keith Haring’s most significant public works is returning to view in New York this fall.

Martos Gallery on Elizabeth Street in downtown Manhattan has mounted a rare presentation of 14 of the original 30 panels from Haring’s FDR Drive mural, originally created onsite in 1984 along a 300-foot stretch of the highway facing the East River. Long thought lost, fragmented or scattered, the panels now appear together again in a gallery setting—still hung roughly 4.5 feet from the ground, just as they were when drivers, cyclists and dog walkers first encountered them in real time 40 years ago.

The mural is on view at Martos Gallery through January 15, 2026.

The Met's first major exhibition of Egyptian art in over a decade is on its way. From October 21 until January 19, 2026, "Divine Egypt" will focus in on images of gods in ancient Egypt. The exhibit considers how these physical tools brought the gods to life for daily worship, offering ancient Egyptians a vital connection between the human and divine worlds.

Spanning more than 3,000 years, the Egyptian people's belief system grew to include more than 1,500 gods with many overlapping forms and traits. At the exhibit, expect to see statues and small elegant figurines that represent 25 of ancient Egypt's main deities. Look for subtle visual cues, like what a figure wore, how they posed or the symbols they carried to help identify each one.

"The ways in which the ancient Egyptian gods were depicted are vastly different from the divine beings in contemporary religions and therefore are intriguing to modern audiences," said Diana Craig Patch, Lila Acheson Wallace Curator in Charge of Egyptian Art in a press release about the exhibition. "The identity of an ancient Egyptian god may at first seem easy to recognize but looks can be deceiving, as one form can be shared by many deities. Across more than 3,000 years of history, gods, attributes, roles and myths were rarely dropped from use, yet the Egyptians of the time had no difficulty understanding and accepting the resulting multiplicity. Through hundreds of spectacular objects, 'Divine Egypt' will allow visitors to understand the complex nature of these deities and help translate the images that were needed to make the inhabitants of the celestial realm available to ancient Egyptians."

The exhibition will conclude with artifacts relating to the transition to the next life. 

Many New Yorkers know about the Harlem Renaissance, but a new exhibit opening this fall explores a more unknown facet of the era—the Gay Harlem Renaissance. The New York Historical will host a new exhibit examining the Black LGBTQ+ artists, writers and performers vital to the Harlem Renaissance and everyday Black gay life in the early 20th century. 

"The Gay Harlem Renaissance" runs until March 8, 2026. This unique exhibit traces queer creativity, friendship circles and mentorships that once flourished in Harlem's salons, social clubs and thriving nightlight. The show also highlights specific Harlem Renaissance poets, novelists and artists—many of whom were gay or bisexual.  

A century ago this fall, Robert Rauschenberg was born in Texas. He went on to become a Pop art pioneer and one of the most renowned American artists of this era. Now, museums and galleries across the globe are planning shows that honor the artist's expansive creativity, spirit of curiosity and commitment to change.

For its part, NYC's Guggenheim Museum on the Upper East Side will host a major show called "Robert Rauschenberg: Life Can't Be Stopped," running through April 5, 2026. The show will feature more than a dozen historic pieces, including Rauschenberg's monumental painting "Barge," all which reflect the artist’s radical legacy. 

When Louis Armstrong sang the inimitable lyric "I hear babies cry, I watch them grow," he was referencing the kids in his neighborhood of Corona and East Elmhurst, according to Regina Bain, executive director of the famed musician's namesake museum. And a new oral exhibit this fall will give a voice to his Queens community, highlighting the people who grew up next to Louis and Lucille Armstrong. 

Titled "The Corona Collection," the new exhibition at The Louis Armstrong House Museum is on view through March 2026. Throughout, hear the voices of the Armstrongs' neighbors as they recount cherished memories, share heartfelt stories and dig into neighborhood histories. These oral histories offer an intimate look into the couple's life and their deep community connection. 

It's hard to imagine today when we're constantly barraged with algorithm-selected content in the palm of our hands, but until the 1960s, the concept of turning on the TV and seeing images of Count Dracula one second and then the Vietnam War the next moment was incomprehensible. For the first time, people were seeing images of political assassinations, the oppression of protests and the carnage of war in their living rooms. 

Artists made sense of this surreal new reality—or tried to, at least—through sculpture, painting and collages. A new exhibit at The Whitney titled "Sixties Surreal" highlights the work made by more than 100 artists between 1958 and 1972, including a soft toilet, a phallic chair, an uncanny camel and feminist sculptures. 

The exhibition brings together famed works by artists including Yayoi Kusama, Andy Warhol, Romare Bearden and Jasper Johns, along with some more obscure pieces. See it all through January 19, 2026. 

For those who have long romanticized the floating city of Venice, the Brooklyn Museum's new exhibit will only stoke those desires. Featuring a rare reunion of Claude Monet's iconic Venetian paintings, visitors are encouraged to "travel" to this dreamy destination and immerse themselves in art inspired by the city's timeless beauty. 

"Monet and Venice" engages audiences through multi-sensory elements, including an original symphonic score inspired by Monet's Venice paintings by the Brooklyn Museum's composer in residence, Niles Luther. The collection marks New York's largest museum show dedicated to Monet in over 25 years, featuring 100 artworks, books and memorabilia, including 19 of Monet's paintings of Venice. It's the first dedicated exploration of these pieces since their debut in 1912.

See it until February 1, 2026. 

Renoir’s sketchbook is moving into the spotlight. The Morgan Library & Museum is about to do something no New York institution has attempted in more than a century: dedicate an entire exhibition to Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s works on paper.

“Renoir’s drawings reveal an artist of tremendous sensitivity and range,” said Colin B. Bailey, the Morgan’s director and curator of the show. And he’s not exaggerating. Renoir Drawings will bring together more than 100 works—pastels, watercolors, prints and even a plaster sculpture—offering a rare chance to see the Impressionist master beyond his sun-dappled oils.

The last time anyone staged a show like this was in Paris in 1921, which makes the Morgan’s exhibition a bona fide art-world event. Renoir Drawings runs October 17, 2025, through February 8, 2026, at the Morgan Library & Museum.

For New Yorkers, the National Parks of the U.S. may seem far away. But now through February 22, 2026, Poster House is bringing the parks to us in "Blazing A Trail: Dorothy Waugh’s National Parks Posters." It's the first exhibition dedicated to Waugh's parks campaign.

"Blazing A Trail" features 17 travel posters designed between 1934 and 1936 by landscape architect and highly trained artist Dorothy Waugh, created for the National Park Service’s first ever poster campaign.

Before Waugh came along, it was actually America’s railroad companies who were the main source of advertising for the National Parks Service in the 1870s. Their posters were, yes, attractive, but very conventional. Waugh was the first to advocate for the bureau to produce its own poster campaign, along with styling and messaging, separate from the railroads. Waugh continued this work for the rest of the 20th century, leaving a legacy that endures today.

Wrap yourself up in the artistry of quilts at a new exhibit this fall. The American Folk Art Museum is launching a new exhibition, "An Ecology of Quilts: The Natural History of American Textiles" as part of its Lincoln Square reopening. 

The exhibition features approximately 30 quilts spanning the 18th to 20th centuries and weaves together the relationships between the environment and traditional quilting practices. The show, curated by Emelie Gevalt, promises "a groundbreaking exploration of the natural history of American textiles." It will take an ecological perspective into the many facets of global material culture that emerged in the early American republic through the 20th century.

The exhibit will be on view until March 1, 2026.

Most people associate the sari with its South Asian origin. The New York Historical adds another layer to the garment's story by unearthing how the sari—and those who wear it—made New York City its home in a new exhibit opening soon. "The New York Sari: A Journey Through Tradition, Fashion, and Identity" runs through April 2026.

This exhibition traces the path of the sari from the Indian subcontinent to NYC, going from exotic object of trade to a tradition embraced by many communities. The sari holds many different identities; whether it be within consumer empires, dance and performance or explorations of gender and identity, museum officials explained. 

In a society constantly fearing "fake news" and manipulation by any prominent voice, there is nothing more important than education against persuasion. "The Future Was Then: The Changing Face of Fascist Italy" at Poster House will run until February 22, 2026 to ensure that powerful history is not forgotten.

The exhibition follows the rise of Benito Mussolini's fascist regime—and how art played an important part. See 75 pieces from the world-renowned Fondazione Massimo e Sonia Cirulli in Bologna, Italy. This expansive exhibition chronicles the length of Mussolini’s regime, focusing on the often blurred line between propaganda and art.

Lose yourself in immersive digital art, evocative soundscapes and custom-crafted scents at the new Arte Museum. The museum promises "a multi-sensory journey beyond time and space" with dazzling installations inspired by the beauty of nature. The experience is heightened by soundscapes from acclaimed composer Young-gyu Jang and custom-crafted fragrances by master perfumer Marianne Nawrocki Sabatier. 

After the experience, you can unwind at Arte Cafe, offering fusions of tea as well as media art. From beginning to end, it's packed with Instagrammable moments. 

Expect to spend about an hour-and-a-half at this experience at 61 Chelsea Piers.

What are you doing at 10pm on a Thursday night? Sleeping? We have a better idea: Brolesque at Balcon Salon in Hell's Kitchen.

This weekly—and did we mention free—strip revue, Fortunes of Love, was created by Lockhart Brownlie (Katy Perry's Super Bowl choreographer) and is a night full of tarot cards, choreography and plenty of skin. Whether you're just looking for an early start to your weekend or you're celebrating a birthday, bachelorette/bachelor party or anniversary, this sip-and-strip is for all.

"We created Brolesque to celebrate queer desire, movement and connection without apology," said Brownlie in a press release about the event. “Bringing Fortunes of Love back to Balcon Salon feels like coming home—we’re thrilled to continue building something bold with one of NYC’s most exciting venues.”

The current New York cast features Christopher Patterson-Rosso, Felipe Ocampo, Gabriel Reyes and Jason Carroll.

The Brooklyn Museum has gotten a major dose of calm. Visitors can now enter a Tibetan Buddhist shrine room with ritual horns, butter lamps and the hum of chanting monks, courtesy of a long-term loan from the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art.

The Rubin Museum Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, one of the institution’s most beloved installations, will be on view inside the Brooklyn Museum’s Arts of Asia galleries as part of a six-year collaboration between the two museums. Entry is included with general admission, which the museum offers on a pay-what-you-wish basis. 

Let internet boyfriend Pedro Pascal be your guide on a tour of the universe. The famous actor is the narrator for a new space show at the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium titled Encounters in the Milky Way. 

Encounters in the Milky Way takes a 20-minute voyage through outer space with stunning visualizations of dazzling stars, constellations and planets. Stirring music complements Pascal's narration, and you'll even feel your seats move as if you could blast off to space yourself. 

The foxtrot, lindy hop, salsa, hustle and vogue all have roots in New York City, whether they were born here, shaped here or popularized in the city’s clubs. A new exhibit at Museum of the City of New York turns the museum into a dance floor as it digs into the fascinating history and important role of these dances and more.

“Urban Stomp: Dreams & Defiance on the Dance Floor” celebrates 200 years of social dance in New York City. It highlights the city’s dance floors as sites for connection, creativity and joyful rebellion. You’ll get to see everything from 1800s-era ball gowns to Louis Armstrong’s trumpet to Celia Cruz’s shoes to Big Daddy Kane’s outfits. Plus, digital screens throughout the exhibition offer dance lessons—and it’s nearly impossible not to move your body when the music starts.

Grab your dancing shoes, and go see it now through February 22, 2026 in East Harlem.

If Da Vinci had the technology we do today, what would he have created?

That’s the question being asked at Mercer Labs’ newest exhibit, “Maestros and the Machines,” featuring sound by Timbaland. The exhibit investigates: what could’ve been created if past artists, musicians and geniuses had technology as we know it today.

The new exhibit, which showcases an immersive atmosphere with cutting-edge digital tools, soundscapes and more, is conceived and directed by artist and Mercer Labs founder Roy Nachum. (You might recognize Nachum’s name because he designed Rihanna’s Anti album cover.)

Sure, you can learn about the American Revolution in history books. Or you can experience it in real life—in the actual place where history was made—during this exhibit at Fraunces Tavern Museum in Lower Manhattan. 

The museum is set to debut “Path to Liberty: The Emergence of a Nation” in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. Find the exhibit inside Fraunces Tavern, a historic building that served as a meeting place for the Sons of Liberty, hosted Washington's farewell to his officers and even was hit by a cannonball during the Revolutionary War. 

As part of the nation's semiquincentennial (a.k.a. 250th) celebrations, Fraunces' exhibition will offer a chronological, multi-year experience telling the history of the American Revolution from 1775 to 1783, with a distinctive focus on what occurred in New York State and the surrounding areas.

After a five-year closure, the Frick Collection is now open once again inside its historic Gilded Age mansion at 1 East 70th Street by Fifth Avenue.

Visitors will get to experience even more of the museum's extensive collection by stepping inside restored spaces on the first floor while also walking around a new roster of galleries on the mansion's second floor, open to the public for the very first time.

The second floor used to be the Frick family’s private living quarters, but later became staff meeting rooms and administrative offices. So yes, you’ll be able to walk into the original bedroom of Henry Clay Frick.

Midtown’s Garment District has been home to creativity and invention for decades and, now it’s home to a massive metal sculpture that seems to be “growing” out of the cement.

Titled “New York Roots,” the installation by Steve Tobin is the Garment District Alliance’s latest public exhibit on the Broadway plazas between 39th and 40th Streets and 40th and 41st Streets. It involves seven sculptures that invite you to weave in and out of their roots and “reflect on relationships, families and communities coming together for a shared purpose—just as roots intertwine to strengthen a tree,” the Alliance said in an official press release. See it through February 2026.

It's hard to imagine now in our globalized world, but many of the young American soldiers who headed onto massive ships like the USS Intrepid during World War II had never even seen the ocean before. They’d soon be navigating the Pacific, launching planes off of aircraft carriers and battling Axis enemies. 

Now, the stories of those military members are on display in a new permanent exhibit at the Intrepid Museum, the historic aircraft carrier docked along the Hudson River in Hell’s Kitchen, which served from 1943 to 1974. The new 10,000-square-foot exhibit includes 50 never-before-seen artifacts, crew member oral histories, videos and photos showcasing the ship's history.

Plus, you’ll get to see the museum’s newest WWII aircraft acquisition, a legendary fighter-bomber called the FG-1D Corsair. Planes just like it often flew off of Intrepid’s flight deck during the war.

Tucked away on Bridge Street in an old factory basement, this two-story playscape for kids and adults contains ample room for fun, including laser tag, mini-bowling and arcade games.

Laser tag games are comprised of three 10-15-minute matches, where you bob and weave around rustic columns and obstacles Area 53 has set up. Across an hour-and-a-half, you and your friends will be giggling and screaming as you "shoot" each other's guns to gain points. It's not for the faint of heart—running to avoid lasers is a workout, but a super fun one. Checking out its "After Dark" laser tag and mini-bowling for those 18+ on Thursday nights.

Area 53's mini-bowling allows for up to six people to knock down pins across 25 minutes and its arcade has traditional games, from basketball shooting games to racing games and claw machines. 

Blast off to another planet at INTER's new interstellar experience. Inside this Soho space, expect to see more than 10 immersive exhibits using light, sound and digital projection to transport you to another galaxy.

Walk through a mirrored hallway with moving light, then find yourself on an alien terrain. Stroll through a tunnel of bioluminescent flowers, bounce around in a netted space called “The Vortex,” and get swallowed by a black hole in an infinity mirrored room. All of it is certainly fodder for your Instagram feed.

But it’s not just about looking around. INTER asks you to … interact. There are multiple generative art installations that react in real-time, like donning a space suit in the interstellar research lab and forming new constellations via motion-tracking technology.

Get ready for an electrifying night every Wednesday with the renowned Soul in the Horn, which will host “Soul Records Laboratory" at Time Out Market.

This weekly music series will feature hot and up-and-coming DJs who'll spin jams so you can dance all night with views of the NYC skyline, enjoy specialty cocktails by Grey Goose and eat good food.

Some 4,500 years ago, ancient Egyptians built the Great Pyramid of Giza—the greatest pyramid the world had ever seen. Sure, you can read about this incredible civilization in history books, but you can now walk through their pyramid without ever leaving New York City. A new virtual reality experience called Horizon of Khufu offers a chance to travel miles away and back in time. 

You'll get a chance to wander around the pyramid, then look in awe at the intricate tombs of Pharaoh Khufu and the majestic Giza Necropolis. Eventually, you'll board a ship for a journey across the Nile, attend a mummification ceremony, and experience the somber occasion of King Khufu's final rites.

As the Revolutionary War came to a close, British Loyalists and soldiers evacuated the colonies in droves. But the evacuation was more complicated for Black Loyalists, some of whom joined the British cause in response to offers of freedom. 

In 1783, the new government formed a special committee to review the eligibility of some Black Loyalists to evacuate with the British Army, and that committee met at Fraunces Tavern in Lower Manhattan. A new permanent exhibit at the Fraunces Tavern Museum explores this important moment in history. 

The exhibition first opened last year, and officials are now moving it to a larger permanent gallery within the museum. The new space will offer a chance to include recent new discoveries of significant information concerning the identities of individuals participating in the Birch Trials and their inclusion in the Book of Negroes.

Need some writing inspo? Gather with fellow writers for this unique writing prompt series that takes place every Tuesday in the back of Pete’s Candy Store.

The event kicks off with a guest lecturer who reads a piece of literature meant to inspire and serve as a springboard for writers. Everyone has 30-45 minutes to write and can share what they come up with if they want to. 

The free event meets at 5pm every Tuesday.

You may just miss Hell’s Kitchen’s latest lounge. Tucked away off 52nd Street and 8th Avenue, you’ll find a red light and a blue door marked with red graffiti of a martini and a piano. Once the light flicks on, duck inside to find the city’s latest piano bar and supper club. Follow the red light to So & So’s Piano Bar. A part of the Romer Hell’s Kitchen hotel, the piano bar and supper club is an ideal escape for locals and theater industry vets alike. Illuminated by stunning marquee lights, the stage will host up-and-coming local acts alongside Broadway legends, and has already been graced by Darren Criss and Noah Cyrus.

If you’re on Foodie-Tok, chances are that you’ve come across a video of The Lavaux, a romantic Swiss restaurant and wine bar in the West Village that has some of the best Swiss cheese offerings in the city. But recently, it’s gone viral on TikTok for its “Secret Message Party,” where they encourage strangers to send each other anonymous notes on Tuesday nights.

The note-passing party is the baby of general manager Christian Stemmer, who got the idea two years ago while traveling through his native Switzerland and ate at a restaurant where people were sending notes to other tables. He decided that something like that would probably do very well in New York, where most of us are starved for deeper human connection. “New Yorkers are all about new experiences,” Stemmer tells Time Out. 

Beautiful, buoyant, beguiling bubbles are back at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) in Queens. The beloved bubbles exhibit, which has been closed for five years, will return bigger, better and bubblier than ever.

The Big Bubble Experiment encourages kids of all ages to experiment and discover through the joy of playing with bubbles. That includes blowing, stretching, popping and looking closely to see what happens at each move. 

The exhibit features 10 stations, each one with different tools and methods for exploring bubble solution.

Eighty years ago, as World War II raged on, Danish citizens worked together to ferry 7,000 Jewish people to safety, keeping them out of concentration camps. 

Now, New York City’s Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is commemorating that anniversary, known as one of the most effective examples of mass resistance in modern history. "Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark," the museum’s first exhibition developed for elementary-age students, is now open.

The exhibit focuses on themes of separation, bravery and resilience to help children ages 9+ reflect on the dangers of prejudice and on their own potential for courageous collective action. 

On a typical visit to the Museum of Modern Art, crowds surround the most precious paintings, and it can be tough to squeeze your way in for a photo, let alone to admire the artwork’s brushstrokes. But now, thanks to these new exclusive tours by GetYourGuide, you can get in before the museum opens for a guided tour of amazing artwork. 

The new MoMA Before Hours Tour with Art Expert is now available. Tickets are on sale here for $99/person. Few New York City experiences compare to the absolute thrill of gazing at famed works of art uninterrupted for as long as you like.  

Find your latest read at The Free Black Women’s Library, a new free library in Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy neighborhood, which also serves as a social art project, a reading room, a co-working space and a community gathering center. The library "celebrates the brilliance, diversity and imagination of Black women and Black non-binary authors." All 5,000 books in the library's collection are written by Black women and non-binary authors.

Here's how it works: Anybody can visit the space to read, work or hang out. If you want to take a book home, simply bring a book written by a Black woman or Black non-binary author, and you can trade. Whether you decide to bring the book back after you're done reading or keep it for your collection is up to you.

The library is currently open four days per week (Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday) at 226 Marcus Garvey Boulevard. In addition to offering a space to read or work, the library has also hosts a book club, art shows and workshops on topics like writing, drawing, poetry, painting and sewing. All are welcome. 

New York City is full of free outdoor art that you don't even have to go to a museum to see. Sculptures, murals and photographs can be found in its parks, sidewalks and on its buildings! 

An outdoor artwalk makes for a perfect fall activity, and there's no shortage of art to check out right now. Best of all, it costs you nothing to pay a visit.

The New York Public Library dug through its expansive and centuries-spanning archive to stage an impressive free exhibition filled with cultural artifacts. "The Polonsky Exhibition of New York Public Library’s Treasures" spans 4,000 years of history and includes a wide range of history-making pieces, including the only surviving letter from Christoper Columbus announcing his “discovery” of the Americas to King Ferdinand’s court and the first Gutenberg Bible brought over to the Americas.

New treasures were just added to the exhibit this fall, including a signed, first edition copy of "Passing" by Nella Larsen, a selection of manuscript pages from "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot, and a miniature early 19th-century Qur’an, produced in Turkey.

Swingers NoMad, a "crazy mini-golf course" and entertainment complex straight from London, offers three nine-hole golf courses across 23,000 square feet under 20-foot-high ceilings.

"Crazy golf" is a British spin on mini-golf, but it's for a 21-and-over audience since craft cocktails are served by caddies on the course. Take your pick from six cocktail bars with signature classic cocktails, as well as 12 cocktails created specifically for Swingers NoMad. Plus, you can rent private rooms, check out an opulent clubhouse and enjoy four gourmet street food vendors—Sauce Pizzeria, Miznon, Fonda and Mah Ze Dahr Bakery.

For the holiday season, Swingers is offering a fun twist on the festivities: Spin a Naughty-or-Nice Prize Wheel to decide whether you're ordering the "Naughty" Sex on the Green shot or the "Nice" Festive Dessert. In addition to the game, there's also seasonal decor and even more holiday drinks.

Join Josh Johnson (Comedy Central's The Daily Show), Lucas Connolly (Comedy Central), and Brittany Cardwell (Drule, New York Comedy Fest) for stacked lineups of top comics from NYC and beyond every Wednesday at 7:30pm. 

Plus you can enjoy free beer from 7:30 to 8pm and there's a pizza raffle if you RSVP. What's not to love? Show up to Two Boots Williamsburg for the show.

Descend into The Django (l2 6th Avenue, The Roxy Hotel, Cellar Level) and you’ll feel like you’ve entered another world. The subterranean jazz club, with its vaulted ceilings and exposed brick walls, was modeled after the boîtes of Paris. The venue consists of two cocktail bars, an open dining space, and a stage for live performances with a state-of-the-art sound system. The Django offers a full dinner menu and handcrafted cocktails, all partnered with a brilliant entertainment lineup. Check out the schedule here.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's "Date Nights" give visitors an opportunity to become acquainted with artwork with informal drop-in gallery chats, listen in on gorgeous live music and sip on yummy cocktails.

"Date Nights" are held every Friday and Saturday night in the American Wing Café from 5pm to 9pm. Make it a night out with The Met's buy-one-get-one drink special and snack on light bites in the American Wing Café. More details can be found at metmuseum.org/datenight. 

There's literally no excuse not to go—the date nights come with museum admission, which is always pay-what-you-wish for New York State residents and NY, NJ, and CT students with valid ID. And this time, advance tickets are not required. 

The luxurious Italian wellness spa QC NY has opened to the public, bringing the elegance and rejuvenation of a European spa to Governors Island, but with New York City flavor. It's immediately clear when you enter the spa that it was made to feel like home. From its cozy reception area decorated with custom-made furniture from Italy to its welcoming relaxation spaces with plush leather chairs and massive pillows you can sprawl out on, it feels like you're staying at a retreat with New York Harbor views. Since it's on the edge of the island, a short walk from Soissons Landing, looking out the windows offers gorgeous blue water views and glimpses of the city skyline. Because of its layout, the spa feels secluded from the rest of the island. Click through to read more about the new spa.

A new audio tour by the Brooklyn Public Library seeks to explore the lives of the characters and authors that call the borough home in fiction and in real life. From Patti Smith to Biggie Smalls, Howard Zinn to Tanwi Nandini Islam, the guide covers a total of 16 writers over eight miles of Brooklyn. You can also expect to stop at important public libraries the likes of Washington Irving and Clinton Hill, which, according to an official press release, "played an important role in the lives of the featured author[s]." Expect the entire tour, which can virtually start off from anywhere in Brooklyn, to take at least two hours to complete, depending on how many stops you wish to make along the way.

The sun will come out—eventually! Our guide to spring in NYC details flower shows, outdoor fests and cultural musts.

Want to know what’s happening in New York today, this weekend or in the coming months? Use our NYC events calendar for 2025 as your guide to find the best things to do around town.