The best things to do in NYC this week

Folks flock to this annual floral-filled exhibition at Macy’s Herald Square, where jaw-dropping arrangements are on display for two weeks. The theme for this year's installment is "Homegrown," part of the nationwide celebration of America's 250th birthday, "expressed through flowers, fiber and timeless handicrafts," per Macy's. From Thursday, April 23 through Sunday, May 10, explore greenhouse-inspired installations, breathtaking bloom-filled planters, decorative stained-glass garden panels, sculptural fabric birds, yarn-wrapped trees and more in the immersive spring spectacle. 

MoMA PS1 just opened "Greater New York 2026," its sprawling, building-wide exhibition that doubles as a snapshot of what artists across the city are actually making right now. Running now through August 17, the show features 53 artists and collectives working across pretty much every medium you can think of.

This isn’t the type of show you can power through in 45 minutes, though. It takes over the entire museum with more than 150 works, including large-scale installations, new commissions, performances and pieces that, in many cases, have never been shown publicly before. There’s painting next to animation next to scenography next to something you’re not entirely sure how to categorize and that’s entirely the point.

There’s also a full slate of live programming. A performance series runs through May and June, featuring eight artists debuting new works, plus artist talks throughout the run. The best part? Admission is free, which makes this one of the most ambitious—and accessible—art shows in the city right now.

New York is hitting pause on traffic, at least for a few hours. On April 25, from 10am to 4pm, the New York City Department of Transportation will once again transform more than 50 streets across the five boroughs into pedestrian-only zones for its annual Car-Free Earth Day.

This year’s edition promises car-free corridors, public art, live performances and environmental education, all designed to spotlight the role city streets play in combating climate change. The day also features interactive programming. The DOT’s Art program will roll out new installations, including Frahydel Falczuk's The Plastic Sea, a large-scale piece exploring ocean plastic waste, and Duy Hoàng's An Indicating Cycle, a sculptural book highlighting climate-sensitive species. And NYC Art Stop Letters will also return with an original design by illustrator Molly Magnell.

There’s also a practical perk: Thanks to Lyft, Citi Bike will offer unlimited 30-minute rides on classic bikes for 24 hours, making it easier than ever to cruise between neighborhoods without a car.

After a long winter of wistfully eyeing empty courts, pickleball is officially making its return to Central Park. Starting April 21, the iconic Wollman Rink will once again swap skates for paddles as CityPickle rolls back in for its fourth season, turning the space into a sprawling, 14-court pickleball hub right in the heart of the park.

The setup runs daily from 8 am to 9 pm through early fall, with programming that includes open play, clinics and private lessons for every level.

The courts can host hundreds of players each day and reservations open on a rolling basis one week in advance, meaning you’ll need to plan ahead if you’re hoping to snag a prime-time slot. One of the biggest draws remains the $5 community play sessions, which run for several hours each day and include complimentary paddle rentals, making it one of the more affordable ways to spend an afternoon in Central Park.

The inaugural Downtown NYC JazzFest brings five nights of live music to Lower Manhattan from April 22–26, taking over The Django, Roxy Bar and Club Room at Soho Grand. Expect a mix of rising talent and marquee acts, including Shayna Steele, Mark G. Meadows and Brian Newman, all celebrating downtown’s long-standing jazz legacy, where tradition meets experimentation in some of the city’s most atmospheric spaces. Tickets vary in price based on venue, from free Saturday and Sunday afternoon sets at Roxy Bar to $40 performances at The Django.

For six nights in April, a Barcelona cocktail institution known for turning drinks into full-on performances is taking over at a prime spot on Madison Avenue. From April 23 to 28, MAD Bar & Lounge will hand over the reins to Paradiso.

If you’ve ever tried to get a seat at Paradiso’s original location in Barcelona, you’ll know this is no small thing. The bar has built a global following for cocktails that arrive smoking, glowing or hidden inside unexpected vessels. It’s mixology with a sense of humor and theatrics, but with serious technique behind it. For this takeover, that same team will be working behind the bar in New York, bringing a bit of their world directly to Midtown.

The takeover runs from 7pm to 11pm each night, with a tight 90-minute seating policy to keep things moving. MAD Bar will lean into Paradiso’s design-forward style, with live music layered in to match the rhythm of the drinks.

The cocktail menu has been created specifically for this residency in partnership with Tequila 1800. Tequila takes the lead here, but not in the predictable ways. Paradiso’s approach tends to take ingredients into new territory, so you might see familiar spirits paired with unexpected textures, aromas or presentations, all highlighting the craftsmanship found at Paradiso.

If you’ve walked through Times Square lately and spotted a suspiciously long line for donuts, you already know: I’m donut? is having a moment. This week, it’s also having a very good deal. To celebrate its first anniversary in New York City, I’m donut? in Times Square is offering its signature “nama” donuts for just $1 each on Tuesday, April 22, from 10am to 3pm. 

While the donuts are actually $1, naturally, there’s a small catch: only 500 of the shop’s original nama donuts will be available at that price, with a strict limit of two per person. Plus, it’s first-come, first-served, which means this could very easily turn into one of those blink-and-you-miss-it situations.

On Wednesday, April 22 from 11am to 6pm, book lovers can head down to Broadway between 36th and 37th Streets outside Gotham Hall and find "On the Road: A Bookmobile Block Party," an open-air and open-to-the-public literary event presented in partnership by House of SpeakEasy and the Garment District Alliance. That's a fun change from your favorite local bookstore, no? 

The block party will feature a free book distribution, complimentary lemonade served by the Garment District Alliance and live literary programming throughout the day, bringing House of SpeakEasy's "mission to the streets of Manhattan and inviting the public to experience the transformative power of reading," per organizers. 

The event will also mark the debut of House of SpeakEasy’s new fleet of three Bookmobiles, each designed to bring free books directly to the communities that need them most:  The flagship box truck Bookmobile is themed “We the People” in conjunction with the 250th anniversary of American independence;  an all-electric pop-up Bookmobile will feature the artwork of beloved illustrator Richard Scarry; and the new House of SpeakEasy Sprinter Bookmobile sports the artwork of acclaimed author-illustrator James Yang. 

For two weekends only, the Winter Garden at Brookfield Place is getting a full tropical makeover, complete with palm-lined seating and a breezy, laid-back vibe as it hosts Movies Under the Palms.

Running from April 24 to May 2, this free pop-up series turns the space into a cozy cinema where the only thing more inviting than the films is the setting itself. This is movie night, but with soft lighting, rows of seats tucked beneath swaying palms and an atmosphere that makes you want to settle in and stay awhile. And the lineup is pure comfort viewing that will be fun for all ages.

The lineup features a mix of nostalgic throwbacks and sing-along favorites, with audience participation encouraged. It kicks off with Hook the first Friday evening, followed by Ratatouille on Saturday afternoon. The second weekend shifts into musical mode, with Annie and The Wizard of Oz inviting audiences to hum, sing or go all in.

New York’s sweetest 4/20 freebie might also be its most iconic. This year, Housing Works Cannabis Co. is teaming up with Magnolia Bakery to give the first 50 customers through the door a serving of the bakery’s legendary banana pudding, because why be high when you could be high and indulging in a beloved dessert?

"Puff, Puff, Pudding" comes as New York’s legal weed scene continues to evolve just five years after legalization and a few years into the rollout of licensed dispensaries. Housing Works Cannabis Co., the city’s first adult-use dispensary and the only 100 percent charity-focused one, has been at the center of that shift, funneling proceeds into healthcare, housing and social services for New Yorkers.

On April 20, the shop leans into both celebration and community with a full day of activations. Alongside the Magnolia giveaway, customers will find in-store pop-ups featuring brands like Dank, Curaleaf and Electraleaf, plus ongoing April promos including a raffle tied to Space Poppers popcorn purchases and limited-edition swag bags for new loyalty members.

Cafe La Trova is a landmark bar in Miami that "channels the romance of Havana’s golden age." And we aren't the only ones who think so: the drink-throwing, towel-waving and overall raucous good time has consistently ranked as one of Miami's finest and one of the best in the U.S.—the bar currently sits at number 13 on North America's 50 Best Bars list. For one night only, the theatrical bar is coming to one of New York's finest speakeasies.

On Sunday, April 26, Cafe La Trova will be taking over the simultaneously buzzy speakeasy, Employees Only. Andy Cabrera and Elizabeth Diaz of Cafe La Trova will be tending bar, stirring and shaking (and hopefully throwing) a lineup of their classic drinks, including daiquiri classico and the presidente, courtesy of Casa Lotos Sotol and Planteray Rum. Giving the full effect of the shaking good time down south, there will be a live band playing Cuban music. So come thirsty (and ready to dance)! 

Cafe La Trova will be popping up at Employees Only from 7-10pm. Entry is free.  

We can't quite think of a more Jane Fonda move: the award winning actress and climate activist is set to star in the premiere of Dear Everythng: A Musical Uprising for the Earth at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) for one night only on April 22—which is actually Earth Day. 

Written by Tony Award winner V (formerly Eve Ensler) and directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus, the production is a folk-pop musical that will take over the venue's Howard Gilman Opera House "as an artistic response to our climate emergency," reads an official press release. 

The story focuses on a fictional small town, where teenager Sophia rounds up friends to stop the adults from sacrificing nearby forests for money. Fonda will be narrating the production. Tickets for Dear Everything: A Musical Uprising for the Earth, which start at $35, are currently available right here.

Smorgasburg returned the first weekend of April for its 16th season, bringing back more than 70 food vendors with one of the most globally diverse lineups the market has seen yet.

This year’s edition of the beloved open-air food market features 74 vendors across its two flagship locations (at Marsha P. Johnson State Park in Williamsburg, and at Breeze Hill in Prospect Park) this year. That includes 22 newcomers serving everything from Korean shaved ice and Fuzhounese dumplings to Mexico City-style tacos and Colombian grilled meats. 

Both markets will run weekly from 11 am to 6 pm through October.

The Big Umbrella Festival at Lincoln Center returns with another year of programming aimed at neurodiverse audiences of all ages, from babies to adults. From immersive productions that take audiences on a journey to Antarctica to an ASL Baby Slam aimed at promoting language acquisition, the festival is teeming with events that welcome audiences across the Lincoln Center campus from April 10 through 26. Most shows are pay-what-you-wish, so families can feel free to map out their own singular experience.  

If your spring calendar is still looking a little… indoorsy so far, here’s a quick fix: take your movie night to the roof.

Rooftop Cinema Club has returned to midtown with a lineup focused on crowd-pleasers and date-night classics with just enough nostalgia. The concept is simple but effective: open-air (well, technically enclosed and heated for spring), skyline views, wireless headphones and a rotating schedule of films.

April’s theme, “Don’t judge a book by its movie,” brings a literary twist to the programming, with adaptations like Pride & Prejudice, The Great Gatsby (2013) and Breakfast at Tiffany’s anchoring the schedule. But if you’re less into period drama and more into emotional chaos or blockbuster escapism, there’s plenty of that too—The Notebook, Crazy Rich Asians and The Hunger Games are also in the lineup.

The cinema sits on the Skylawn rooftop of the Embassy Suites on West 37th Street, with views that stretch across midtown, including a peek at the Empire State Building if you time it right. It’s fully enclosed and heated for spring, so there’s no gambling with the weather and the whole thing is designed to feel more like a low-key lounge than a typical theater.

Step back in time at Before New York: A Traveling Pop-Up Exhibition at the New York Botanical Garden, where the city’s original landscape becomes the focus. This immersive display from ecologist Dr. Eric W. Sanderson and colleagues reconstructs the area as it was on September 12, 1609, just before Henry Hudson landed. Before New York explores the region’s original ecosystems and Indigenous histories, inviting visitors to imagine Manhattan as it once was: lush, wild and teeming with life. It’s a fascinating, thought-provoking complement to the Garden’s living collections and environmental mission.

The Queens Night Market is returning for its 11th season for a sneak preview this Saturday, April 25. The longstanding, open-air food market will once again take over New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, attracting thousands of hungry souls to “The World’s Borough.” Over its decade-plus run, the market has featured cuisines from over 100 countries, launched 500 new businesses and has attracted over four million people to Queens.  

Over 60 vendors will be in attendance this year, serving bites and drinks from Nepal to Peru. You'll get to nosh on Filipino silog from Sampaguita Eats, Nigerian meat pies and moi moi from Soronko Kitchen and Bakery, Dominican quipes and orejita fritas from Baez Flavor Co. and so much more. And, despite our current economic uncertainty and rising costs overall, the market is extending its $6 price cap for one last year, thanks to its sponsors Citizens and Citizens Philanthropic Foundation. 

To celebrate the upcoming release of The Devil Wears Prada 2, Grey Goose is bringing a series of chic, on-the-go pop-up carts across Manhattan, serving a fashion-forward twist on the espresso martini. Called “The Devil’s Roast,” the drink riffs on Miranda Priestly’s famous coffee order but, this time, it comes with vodka and a side of gold-dusted popcorn.

The limited-time carts will pop up at Hudson Yards, Zuccotti Park and Manhattan West Plaza on April 14, 21 and 23. They’ll be open twice daily, from 12pm to 2pm and then again from 4pm to 6pm, making them perfectly timed for both a power lunch detour or a post-work pick-me-up. As for the tipple itself, the cocktail is made with Grey Goose vodka and finished with three gold-dusted coffee beans, a nod to both the drink’s fashion-world pedigree and the espresso martini's resurgence.

Experience art and music at Voices of Memory, an intimate evening at the Tenri Cultural Institute on April 25. At 7:30pm, the program begins with a gallery viewing of paintings by Lizi Budagashvili, followed by a live performance from musicians Sendi Vartanovi, Taisiya Losmakova and Aleksandr Bolotin performing Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Debussy and more. The evening ends with more time to linger amidst the art. Seating is limited to 70 guests, so reserve tickets in advance.

On now through April 27 across two floors of the SculptureCenter in Long Island City, Pat Oleszko: Fool Disclosure is the artist's first New York City solo presentation in 35 years, spotlighting her signature inflatables as well as posters, postcards, photographs, costumes, hats and moving images, among others, all of which are rooted in Oleszko's "humor, sharp social commentary and the defiance of all forms of authority," says the museum. 

Feast your eyes upon the best selection of contemporary and vintage jewelry designers at the NYC Spring Jewelry and Object Show. Held from April 24-26 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea (125 W. 18th St.), the showcase provides a platform for jewelry collectors and enthusiasts to buy and check out unique jewelry all in one place. Tickets are $23.18 in advance and $25 at the door.

Two-time James Beard Award-winning author, speaker and culinary historian Adrian Miller has told the stories of Black barbecuers, pitmasters and restaurateurs (Black Smoke) to tracing the lineage of African American chefs in the White House (The President's Kitchen Cabinet). Last year, Miller continued to detail the stories of those who cooked for our First Families, honing in on Asian chefs with roots in China, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. Working alongside Deborah Chang, the two detail the stories and recipes of Asian chefs in their latest book, Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History: Cooking to the President’s Taste. 

On April 23, Miller and Chang will be at The Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) to discuss their award-winning book. The conversation will give insight into the stories of chefs who have cooked for the president—whether it be at the White House kitchen or on presidential yachts—and how their work helped to define American cuisine on a national scale. The evening will be moderated by Ernabel Demillo from CUNY-TV. 

Tickets are $25; $50 for a bundled ticket with the book. Reserve your ticket here. 

Timed to the United States’ 250th anniversary, the American Folk Art Museum's Folk Nation: Crafting Patriotism in the United States exhibition explores how vernacular art has shaped national identity. Using the museum’s collection, the show delves into the meanings of “folk,” “nation” and “patriotism” at the 2 Lincoln Square gallery. It offers a thought-provoking look at who is represented in American stories and how those stories change. The show runs April 10–September 13, then reopens October 8 and runs through February 28, 2027.

New York’s outdoor food festival season is about to get a delicious jumpstart. JAPAN Fes, one of the city’s most beloved street food events, is returning this month to celebrate a major milestone: its 10th anniversary in New York City.

The festival officially launches its 2026 season on March 28 at Astor Place in the East Village, bringing dozens of Japanese food vendors to the streets for a full day of snacking, sipping and exploring. If you miss that first event, another festival will follow the very next day on March 29 on 40th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in Midtown.

If you’ve never been, imagine a block party devoted entirely to Japanese street food. Vendors serve everything from teriyaki chicken skewers and crispy karaage to onigiri, ramen, takoyaki and yakisoba. Sweet treats like matcha shaved ice and bubble tea also make frequent appearances, along with Japanese snacks, crafts and cultural booths.

A bright red, swing-filled installation has taken over the plaza at Lincoln Center and you’re absolutely allowed (encouraged, even) to climb in and give it a go. Called "Mi Casa, Your Casa 2.0," the interactive piece is now open to the public as part of Lincoln Center’s Big Umbrella Festival, which runs through April 26. Designed by Mexico-based studio Esrawe + Cadena, the installation draws inspiration from the bustling mercados of Latin America.

The concept is simple but, in execution, surprisingly charming. Scattered across the plaza are a series of open, house-shaped frames painted a punchy red, each one just big enough to step inside. Inside, a swing—and not a metaphorical one. There are eight of these mini houses in total, each roughly 8 feet wide and nearly 10 feet tall, arranged to create a kind of open-air neighborhood you can move through at your own pace. Visitors are invited to wander from “casa” to “casa,” taking a seat and swaying as the installation reacts around them. When a structure is empty, it glows softly white, like a quiet invitation. Step inside and the light brightens, signaling (at least in this tiny world) that someone’s home.

The installation is free, no tickets required and designed for all ages, making it one of the easiest drop-in activities on the Lincoln Center campus right now. You’ll find it on Josie Robertson Plaza for most of its run, with a brief mid-festival move to Hearst Plaza from April 15–21.

“Raphael: Sublime Poetry” will be on view through June 28, pulling more than 170 of the Renaissance star’s works from museums and collections around the world. The show follows the artist’s entire career, from early days in Urbino (where he was born in 1483 to a painter-poet father) to his rise in Florence, where his peers were Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, and finally to his years in Rome as the go-to artist for the papal court.

There are heavyweights—like “The Alba Madonna,” which is on loan from the National Gallery of Art, and the Louvre’s “Portrait of Baldassarre Castiglione,” considered one of the finest portraits of the High Renaissance—but the exhibition also sheds light on Raphael’s processes. Finished works are shown alongside preparatory drawings, sketches and studies, giving a glimpse into his obsessive dedication to composition, anatomy and emotion.

That behind-the-scenes angle runs throughout the show, which unfolds chronologically, weaving in themes like his approach to storytelling, his experiments across media (from chalk to tapestry) and his evolving depiction of women, including both idealized Madonnas and more complex figures.

On April 18, 19, and 25 at the Broadway Comedy Club, veteran magicians Jim Vines and Carl Mercurio perform a comedic set of tricks and illusions that is especially tailored to delight young audiences—though the rest of the family is likely to enjoy it, too. And at just $25 a ticket, this is a surprisingly affordable Times Square outing for a larger group.

For the first time in five decades, a retrospective spotlighting the radical modern works and revolutionary readymades of Marcel Duchamp is coming to North America and, more specifically, New York’s Museum of Modern Art. On view from April 12 to August 22 in partnership with the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Marcel Duchamp will feature nearly 300 pieces spanning six decades and all mediums, from his Cubist masterpiece Nude Descending a Staircase (No. 2) to his “portable museum,” The Box in a Valise. 

A new public artwork has landed—well, technically, it’s hovering—over the Lullwater in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Think a flock of neon-pink birds, suspended midair, with wings fluttering in the breeze.

The installation, dubbed The Journey, by Brooklyn-based artist Risha Gorig, is now on view along the shoreline near the park’s historic Boathouse through August 31. Presented by NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program and the Prospect Park Alliance, the piece turns a quiet stretch of water into something both thought-provoking and surreal.

Set 15 feet above the ground, the kinetic birds catch the wind and move in loose formation, meant to symbolize migration. It’s not just a pretty spectacle, though. Gorig’s work considers the deeper meanings of the act, as it relates to a shared human experience shaped by movement, displacement and the search for stability.

The Guggenheim's iconic spiral rotunda gets a colorful transformation courtesy the works of Geneva-born, New York-based artist Carol Bove, in the first museum survey of her sculptural pieces. Running from March 5 through August 2 and charting more than 25 years of work, the career-spanning show displays the wide range of her inventive practices, "from assemblages of paperback books and intimate paper collages to towering steel sculptures," per the museum. 

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.

Opening March 16 at the New York Transit Museum’s Grand Central Gallery & Store, "Inspired by MetroCard" explores how the humble fare card evolved into a creative canvas for artists, designers and institutions across the city. The free exhibition pulls from contemporary artworks and the museum’s own collection to show how MetroCards have been transformed into fashion pieces, sculptures, paintings and collages, as well as limited-edition cards.

Rather than treating the MetroCard solely as transit technology, "Inspired by MetroCard" presents it as an accessible design object, one handled by almost every New Yorker and that material artists repurposed in strikingly personal ways. The show includes rare art MetroCards, fashion collaborations and works created from expired or discarded cards. Among the highlights are works by artists as different as Nina Boesch, Barbara Kruger, Nina Vishneva, Thomas McKean and VH McKenzie, who have turned the cards into everything from mosaic tiles to canvases and even a wedding dress.

Your new monthly ritual has arrived. Join us every third Saturday for a late-night soundtrack curated by Mike Medium of the Heavy Hitters and Hot 97, alongside special guest DJs bringing nonstop heat to the dance floor. Expect the best in hip-hop, R&B, reggaeton, throwback jams and more surprises throughout the night.

Sip on specialty cocktails courtesy of Patrón, vibe with the crowd and dance like it’s a Saturday in NYC done right. Whether you’re coming for the music, the cocktails or the energy, this is where Saturday night lives.

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.

Two of Mexico's most beloved artistic and cultural icons—Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera—will be rightfully celebrated in a new MoMA exhibition presented in conjunction with the Metropolitan Opera and its production of El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego (May 14–June 5, 2026). On view from March 21 through September 12, 2026, the exhibit will showcase five paintings and a drawing by Kahlo and over a dozen works by Rivera pulled from MoMA's collection, in an elaborate installation designed by Jon Bausor, the set and co-costume designer of the opera.  Photographic portraits of the artists by the likes of Lola Álvarez Bravo and Leo Matiz will also be on view.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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.