The best things to do in NYC this week

What does American art look like right now? According to the 2026 Whitney Biennial: complicated. Opening on March 8 at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the exhibition gathers 56 artists navigating everything from AI belief systems to climate grief and geopolitical power.

Co-organized by Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer, the exhibition spans most of the museum’s galleries and extends into performance and public programming. The curators resisted the urge to build the show around a tidy thesis. “Rather than coming to our research for the Biennial with a preconceived container, Marcela and I let our conversations with artists guide us,” Sawyer said during an official preview. 

The participant list reflects that breadth. In addition to artists working across 25 states, the Biennial includes artists from Afghanistan, Chile, Iraq, Okinawa, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Vietnam—“places marked by the reach of U.S. power,” as the museum noted. The definition of “American art” here feels elastic and deliberately complicated.

The ultimate blonde bombshell and a movie star like no other, Marilyn Monroe is the subject of a new film series at the Museum of Modern Art, in celebration of the actress's 100th year. From March 12 through 25, "Marilyn Monroe: Celluloid Dream" will spotlight some of the performer's most indelible roles—including the 1953 Howard Hawks classic Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the 1955 Billy Wilder-directed comedy The Seven Year Itch, and her final completed film role, 1961's The Misfits—as well as titles that drew direct influence from her iconography, including David Lynch's Mulholland Drive. Check out the full screening schedule here. 

Stone Street's St. Patrick's Day celebration is pretty legendary—outside of the official parade itself, it's New York's biggest annual Paddy's party. And this year, the spirited street festival is spanning Friday, March 13 through Tuesday, 17 with live Irish bands, traditional bagpipers, DJ sets and more, keeping the fun going from noon to 10pm daily. A dozen outdoor bars will be set up along the block and selling both food (classic Irish pub specials, Mexican street food, Caribbean treats and more) and drinks, including beer on draft (Guinness, duh), green “Shamrock” margaritas, green jello shots and other specialty drinks, as well as non-alcoholic options.

After a sold-out 2025 run, Edge and live-event producer Fever are bringing back their Candlelight Evenings series, this time with a string quartet worthy of Lady Whistledown.

Bridgerton Candlelight Evenings at Edge will take place from 8pm to 9pm for just five nights (February 28, March 1, March 6, March 7 and March 13). Expect standing-room-only indoor pop-up performances featuring classical takes on the show’s swoony pop covers, all set against 360-degree views of the Manhattan skyline from 100 stories up. Thousands of candles will illuminate the space, transforming the sleek observation deck into something closer to a royal ballroom in the clouds.

The experience is open to all Edge ticketholders, meaning you can pair your concert moment with a wander onto the outdoor sky deck with its glass floor, angled glass walls and skyline steps spanning the 100th and 101st floors. During non-performance windows, all guests can take part in Bridgerton-themed photo ops, including an 8-foot wisteria arch and a Victorian-inspired gold-framed mirror.

Sure, you've heard of wine pairings. But what about books and burlesque pairings? For this balmy spring show at Caveat on Saturday, March 14 at 9pm, award-winning authors will read excerpts from their new books. Then, a burlesque or drag performer will present a spectacular new act they created that was inspired by the book pairing. 

This literary evening of "lore and allure" boasts an excellent lineup featuring: Elizabeth Gurly Flynn: The Rebel Girl, Democracy and Revolution by Mary Anne Trasciatti paired with a performance by Rosie Tulips; The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram by Dr. Ethelene Whitmire interpreted by performer Chestnut Belafonte; a performance by Fortune Cookie (who also produces and hosts the event) coupled with Kevin Nguyen's novel My Documents; a reading of the Cleyvis Natera novel The Grand Paloma Resort paired with Saida Exit; and Mizzaddy's take on Don't Step Into My Office, the debut novel by David Fishkind.

Local bookstore Book Club Bar (197 East 3rd Street) will sell signed copies of all the books featured at the show.

New York’s ongoing matcha obsession is getting a serious carb-forward upgrade this spring. Starting March 5 through the end of the month, Breads Bakery is rolling out a limited-time, matcha-packed menu that leans just as heavily into pastries and desserts as on cafe classics.

The brewed lineup includes a classic matcha latte, available hot or iced and made with your milk of choice, plus a straight-up whisked matcha for purists who want the full grassy, bold flavor without distractions. The real headline, though, is the baked menu. There's now a playful green twist on some of the bakery’s signature formats, including the Matchalach, a flaky laminated take on rugelach filled with creamy matcha, as well as matcha brioche buns stuffed with smooth pastry cream. A velvety matcha pound cake brings understated sweetness and crisp shortbread cookies with dark chocolate chips lean into the tea’s slightly bitter edge.

The limited-time lineup will be available at Breads Bakery locations across Manhattan—including Union Square, Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center, the Upper West Side and the Upper East Side—so consider this your cue to lean fully into green tea season while it lasts.

Yes, we're all still thinking about Heated Rivalry. And if you, too, can't quite leave the cottage behind, you can get your Shane and Ilya on at a special themed skate night at Xanadu. On Thursday, March 12 from 6pm to 8:30pm, head to the Brooklyn-based roller rink for "HEATED RIVALSK8," a lively celebration of big-screen edits of the show's buzziest moments, queer anthems, #Hollanov-themed drinks, and "all-night love for the drama of rivalries." Skates and safety gear are available to rent on a first-come, first-served basis. 

A new pop-up photo exhibition at the St. George Ferry Terminal is turning the transit hub into an open-air gallery, showcasing powerful portraits of immigrant New Yorkers and the lives they’re building across the city. The installation is part of the third annual “New York Proud” campaign, organized by the New York Immigration Coalition in partnership with Photoville. The public art initiative turns busy public spaces into storytelling platforms that highlight the experiences and contributions of immigrants across the five boroughs. 

This time around, the portraits have landed in Staten Island—right where thousands of commuters, tourists and ferry riders pass through every day. Photographed by Venezuelan documentary photographer Oscar B. Castillo, the exhibition features immigrant New Yorkers in the places where they work and create, like kitchens, studios, clinics, stages and street corners. The subjects range from fruit vendors and chefs to playwrights and doctors, offering a glimpse into the many roles immigrants play in keeping New York running.

On Saturday, March 14 at 2pm, 7th Street Burger is teaming up with Bronx Native to host a Bad Bunny lookalike contest at the Bronx burger joint with a serious cash prize. So if you resemble Bad Bunny, even a little, show up with your best looks. The winner walks away with $500 in cash, which in this town translates to a solid night out and then some.

What counts as a resemblance is up for interpretation. Maybe you’ve got the curly hair and the perfectly groomed stubble. Maybe it’s the oversized fits, the confident slouch or the sunglasses worn indoors like there's no other option. Maybe others think you look like the pop star, or maybe you just embody his unbeatable vibe.

But even if you're the complete opposite of the Puerto Rican icon, you'll want to roll up and show up early. The first 50 attendees will score a free burger, and we all know 7th Street Burger does it right with smash-style, crispy-edged patties on soft potato buns. You'll want some serious fuel while judging the throngs of strong jawlines and smoldering gazes.

You've heard of Night at the Museum but what about Night in the Library? On Saturday, March 14 kicking off at 7pm, the Brooklyn Public Library is bringing back its overnight festival inviting after-hours attendees to its central branch for talks, panels, workshops, and performances that celebrate the free flow of ideas in the company of others. Given that it's Pi Day, the theme of the evening will be, duh, The Philosophy of Mathematics, exploring truths, proofs and other paradoxes alongside less overtly math-y topics like poetry, psychology, nature and dreams. Among this installment's illustrious lecturers are filmmaker Werner Herzog, renowned psychologist Jamieson Webster, The Hours author Michael Cunningham and artist Paul Chan.

Running from March 13 through April 12 at La Mama Galleria, JEWESS is the ambitious new exhibition by Brooklyn-based artist Danielle Durchslag, exploring three powerful Ashkenazi characters who meet "at the crossroads of Jewish ritual, politics, and fashion," per organizers. Visually inspired by 1960s glamour, Tudor court dressing and early London punk, the personas are Elizabeth Taylor, Queen Elizabeth I and a rebellion Angel of Death, all reimagined with the Jewish holidays of  Passover and Shabbat in mind. During the exhibition's run, there will be three free and open-to-the-public events: Two guided tours of the exhibit by the artist herself on March 21; a concert by NYC Jewish punk band Theophobia on March 22; and  a conversation between Durchslag, designer Isaac Mizrahi and comedian Negin Farsad about Jewish glamour on April 5.

Last year, Samuelsson launched "Subway Series,” a monthly pop-up where up-and-coming BIPOC chefs took over his glittering FiDi restaurant, Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson, for a night. This month he is doing it yet again, but this time, the marquee showcases an impressive lineup of female chefs. 

For the spring rendition of Subway Series, four stellar female chefs (Fariyal Abdullahi of Hav & Mar, Mavis-Jay Sanders of Community Kitchen, Lana Lagomarsini of Restaurante Garzon and Roshara Sanders of Red Rooster Harlem) will be popping up at Metropolis, in celebration of Women’s History Month. Each Friday beginning at 5pm, a different chef will take the lead, cooking up a menu that reflects their individual heritage, experience and cookery. 

The annual Flamenco Festival returns for its 25th edition, showcaing a wide range of variations on the Spanish form at a dozen New York venues (New York City Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub, etc.) from February 25 through March 15. A delegation of over 80 participants from 16 companies, including singers, guitarists, dancers, and technicians, will present their latest creations across the Atlantic for this year's programming — artists such as Manuel Liñán, Eva Yerbabuena, Sara Baras, Olga Pericet, Andrés Marín, Rocío Márquez, Ángeles Toledano, Dani de Morón, Gerardo Núñez, and Antonio Rey, among many others, will headline the New York edition. Information and ticketing for all shows can be found on Flamenco Festival's Spanish-language website.

From March 11 through 16, Mathnasium Learning Centers is teaming up with New York's Museum of Ice Cream for a limited-time-only Pie Day takeover, transforming the sweet venue into an interactive, math-meets-dessert playground. During the activation, kids and kids at heart can build Pi digit sequences in a reimagined Pi Magnet Room, calculate the circumference of a “pie” to determine the perfect scoop of ice cream, participate in a museum-wide Pi Day Challenge with branded trivia cards and interactive prompts throughout the space and, of course, enjoy dessert in the form of the limited-edition “Mathnasium’s Ice Cream à la Pi,” created exclusively for the celebration. 

New York’s unofficial streak of lookalike contests is continuing this month and this time the inspiration is one of the city’s most enduring icons: John F. Kennedy Jr. On Sunday, March 15, a second JFK Jr. lookalike contest will take over the West Village nightlife venue The Parkgate, promising a nostalgic night inspired by the 1990s-era Manhattan social scene that Kennedy himself helped define.

Hosted by Bumble and The Parkgate's owner, Ciaran Harrison, the contest is designed to be part tribute, part singles mixer and part throwback party, all banking on the popularity of Ryan Murphy's new limited series Love Story, about the JFK Jr. and his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. The goal, according to organizers, is to recreate the kind of social energy the city once thrived on, before dating apps and smartphones became the default way to meet people.

Expect contestants channeling Kennedy’s signature look—think clean-cut prep, easy confidence and maybe a pair of aviators. The evening will feature a live DJ set by Jenny Boo, with a panel of judges evaluating contestants and crowning the top three. (The top contestant will take home the night’s to-be-announced grand prize, of course.) Competitors and spectators can RSVP online ahead of the event. Just remember: the hair helps, but confidence might matter even more.

On March 12 from 6pm to 8pm, the Abrons Arts Center will continue Kinstillatory Mappings in Light and Dark Matter, its long-running series of monthly ceremonial fires created and held by choreographer Emily Johnson and artist Kai Recollect. Taking place in the center's newly renovated Harold Steinberg Plaza, these gatherings center Indigenous protocol and knowledge, with stories and performances shared in honor and protection of the land, water, and air of Lenapehoking. The March 12 fire will feature DJ CURLY and "foreground anti-colonial Indigenous, feminist, and gender-expansive care ethics and practices," say organizers. And if you miss it, don't worry: The next ones will take place April 2, May 21, and June 25.

Queens' own Robert Mapplethorpe is the subject of an expansive (literally) new photography exhibition at the Gladstone Gallery. From March 5 through April 18, the West 24th Street space will display 16 new large-scale, limited-edition photographs by the American photographer, organized in collaboration with the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Most of the pieces will be presented in sprawling 60x60 inch format, ranging in subject from florals to female nudes to famous folks (Grace Jones, Patti Smith) and much more. Altogether, the works "demonstrate Mapplethorpe’s obsession with perfection, which he employed in his practice as a whole," per the gallery. 

NYC kids are so cool, they even get their own film festival. Running through Sunday, March 16, the New York International Children's Festival is back for its 30th edition, taking over venues like the IFC Center, the School of Visual Arts and Scandinavia House with three weekends full of kid-friendly programming. Highlights on this year's lineu include the opening spotlight film, Disney and Pixar’s all-new animated comedy adventure Hoppers; the centerpiece screening of Remaining Native, a live-action doc about college-hopeful track superstar Ku Stevens; and the U.S. premiere of the award-winning animated short My Life in Versailles.

Throughout March, Brooklyn Public Library is celebrating Indie Press Month with a special series spotlighting local indie publishing culture and the authors, editors and publishers who make up that community. There will be a set of free and open-to-the-public talks dotted throughout borough branches, including but not limited to: "A Brooklyn Indie Story: Brooklyn Noir and Akashic Books" with Tim McLoughlin, Johnny Temple and John Chrastka on March 4 at the Red Hook Interim Library; "The Brush Live in Translation with Archipelago Books" on March 17 at Bushwick Library with poets Eliana Hernández-Pachón and Natasha Tiniacos; and "The Editorial Instinct with Other Press" on March 26 at the Williamsburgh Library with psychoanalyst Judith Gurewic and writer Michael Greenberg.

Can you believe Survivor has survived 50 seasons? The iconic show is back on February 25 and the Paley Center is celebrating the milestone. If you're a fan of Survivor, you won't want to miss "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast: Celebrating 50 Seasons of Survivor." Running now through May 31, the exhibit is an immersive, nostalgia-heavy tribute to the CBS juggernaut. It will feature some of the show's most memorable moments and will give visitors the chance to step into the winner-takes-all world of Survivor.

The exhibit celebrates 50 seasons with actual items from the show and plenty of behind-the-scenes photos. There will be authentic outfits worn by Jeff Probst and castaways, immunity idols and necklaces and a torch snuffer. View original sketches for logos, sets and props. There’s even a chance to snap a pic with the iconic torch and sit at a replica Tribal Council. While the museum hasn't revealed exactly which iconic wardrobe pieces will make an appearance, fans are hoping for the infamous Q skirt, Boston Rob Mariano’s Red Sox hat or perhaps Angelina Keeley’s jacket. In addition to the artifacts, the exhibit will include plenty of photos and videos spanning all fifty seasons, plus screenings of classic episodes in the Paley Museum’s Bennack Theater.

The celebration peaks on February 24 with a red-carpet event titled "The Tribe Has Spoken: An Evening with Jeff Probst and Survivor 50 Castaways." Attendees will get an extended sneak peek at the three-hour Survivor 50 premiere a full day before it airs, followed by a conversation with Probst and members of the new cast. Before the screening, there’s a reception featuring returning fan favorites Aubry Bracco, Cirie Fields, Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, Ozzy Lusth and Benjamin "Coach" Wade.

Over five weeks at venues like BAM, The Joyce Theater, New York Live Arts, New York City Center and more, the Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels Festival presents performances and public workshops exploring dance across generations, geographies and styles. International choreographers and dance companies featured range from seminal figures such as Merce Cunningham and Trisha Brown to contemporary voices including Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Benjamin Millepied, (LA)HORDE, Noé Soulier, Leïla Ka and Hervé Koubi. The seies will also include more than 20 public workshops taught by artists featured in the festival, held for the first time at the New York Center for Creativity & Dance.

On June 30, 2015, Misty Copeland made history as the first Black American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre's 75-year history. That historic decade-long run came to an end when Copeland retired in 2025, and a new photography exhibit at the Leica Gallery New York — fittingly entitled "Ballet" — will feature never-before-seen photographs of the dancer in her final ABT performance. Running through March 29, the group show will display stunning snaps from photographers Henry Leutwyler, Diana Markosian and Kylie Shea and explore "the discipline, vulnerability, and transcendence of dance through three distinct photographic practices, united by a shared devotion to movement," per the gallery. A free opening reception will be held on February 19, followed by a moderated panel discussion with the artists on February 21 with special guest Misty Copeland.

Having won a Tony Award for Merrily We Roll Along, Daniel Radcliffe returns to make more magic in the Broadway premiere of Duncan Macmillan's interactive dark comedy about a British man who makes lists of the world's good things, at first to ease his mum's depression and later to temper his own. The show ran Off Broadway in 2014 with Jonny Donahoe, who also contributed to the script; this version is co-directed by Macmillan and Jeremy Herrin (Wolf Hall). It's theatrical candy cane: slim and sweet, tempered by sharpness and striped with bright nostalgia.

Nearly two decades after The Sopranos ended with that excellent and polarizing series finale, the HBO series remains an enduring television masterpiece. And the Museum of Modern Image will celebrate the groundbreaking drama with a new exhibition, Stories and Set Designs for The Sopranos, drawing from showrunner and series creator David Chase's personal archive. From February 14 through May 31, 2026, fans of the show will get to peruse scripts, notes and research material chronicling the series' story arcs and character trajectories, as well as delve into the designs of four principal sites from the show, including Dr. Melfi’s office, the Soprano home, the Bada Bing strip club, and Satriale’s Pork Store via concept art, ground plans and more. MoMI will also present three special screenings featuring David Chase and cast members from The Sopranos, February 26–28; find more info here. 

Fashion has been explored as an expressive tool by numerous artists, from Salvador Dalí to Sonia Delaunay to Scott Barrie, a fact beautifully portrayed in the new exhibition Art X Fashion at the Museum of FIT. Running from February 18 through April 19, the stylish display will feature more than 140 objects, including garments, accessories, textiles, photographs, and original artworks drawn from MFIT's permanent collection. "This exhibition will garner strong opinions and spark lively dialogue, but whether you decide that fashion is art or not, fashion's strong and mutual relationship with fine art is undeniable," says Dr. Elizabeth Way, curator of costume and accessories at MFIT.

The Orchid Show at The New York Botanical Garden exhibits thousands of species of beautiful blossoming orchids, making it one of the best NYC events in February and one of the best things to do in the Bronx. NYBG’s orchid show has been running for more than two decades and has only gotten better year after year.

The Orchid Show this year will explore the connection between natural flora and the concrete jungle "in a dazzling reimagining of the Big Apple, from stoops and slice shops to the subway itself."

NYBG’s Orchid show runs from February 7 through April 26, 2026 at the New York Botanical Garden (2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx) inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.

“He Built This City: Joe Macken’s Model” brings a sprawling, handmade replica of New York City to the Museum of the City of New York, just steps from Central Park. The exhibition marks the first time the viral model, famously constructed by Queens-born truck driver Joe Macken, has been presented in New York City itself.

Macken began the project in 2004 and stuck with it for the next 21 years, quietly recreating the five boroughs by hand in his upstate New York home. Built from everyday materials like balsa wood, cardboard and glue, the finished model measures roughly 50 by 27 feet and is made up of more than 300 individual sections. It captures the city’s skyline, neighborhoods and landmarks with obsessive detail, from Midtown towers to outer-borough blocks.

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. 

Lace up! The terrace at Time Out Market Union Square has transformed into an ice skating rink, open for all your triple axel attempts from now through March 31. Whether you’re planning a group outing, a family skate, or a fun date night, enjoy gliding in the rink with cozy bites and drinks just steps away.

Skate Rink Reservation Hours:

Monday–Wednesday: 4pm–9pm (last reservation at 9pm)
Thursday–Friday: 12pm–9pm (last reservation at 9pm)
Saturday: 10am–8pm (last reservation at 8pm)
Sunday: 10am–6pm (last reservation at 6pm)

Reservations begin at the top of each hour and last 40 minutes.

Reservation Pricing:

$15 per 40-minute session (includes skate rental)
$10 per 40-minute session (BYOS – Bring Your Own Skates)

Book your session here. 

If you ever lost an afternoon chasing ghosts, the Paley Museum has your next field trip lined up. The midtown mainstay is celebrating one of gaming’s most beloved icons with a new exhibit, “45 Years of PAC-MAN,” opening Friday, January 16 and running through May 31.

The show traces how a simple yellow circle dreamed up in Japan in 1980 by designer Toru Iwatani grew into a global pop-culture heavyweight. From early arcade cabinets to living room consoles and far beyond, PAC-MAN redefined what video games could be, while still welcoming in first-time players.

At the exhibition, visitors can jump straight into the action with classic Pixel Bash arcade cabinets, competitive rounds of PAC-MAN Battle Royale Chompionship and newer titles like PAC-MAN WORLD 2 Re-PAC. There’s also a chance to tackle what the museum bills as the world’s largest PAC-MAN.

The shuttered Macy’s in downtown Brooklyn has been rebade as a living light installation that pulses, flickers and shifts in time with the everyday sounds of the street outside. The project, called In Every Transition, A Pattern, takes over the block-long windows of the former department store, transforming a retail void into something closer to a public artwork. It runs through March 16 and is best experienced after dark, when the glass comes alive with kaleidoscopic patterns.

Designed by Boston-based sound and installation artist Ryan Edwards and his team at MASARY Studios, the installation doesn’t just sit there looking pretty. Every shift in color and geometry is triggered by audio recorded on Fulton Street itself, whether it be traffic rumbling past, snippets of conversation, subway noise, pigeons, crosswalk signals or devotional music drifting in from Brooklyn Tabernacle down the street. There are no speakers, so you never hear the soundtrack. You just see it translated into light.

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 7 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.

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.