The best things to do in NYC this week

Somewhere between the commuter crush and the celestial ceiling, Grand Central Terminal is about to get unexpectedly romantic. On Friday, February 13, the landmark station will host its first-ever speed dating event, “One Stop to Love: Speed Dating” at Grand Central, running from 5–7pm inside the historic Biltmore Room. The timing alone couldn't be better: Friday the 13th, Valentine’s-adjacent and staged in a space that once literally existed to manage public displays of affection.

Speed dating is the RSVP-only portion of the evening, featuring two 40-minute rounds with just 16 participants per round. Attendees will enjoy free wine and small bites, with hosting duties handled by photographer and digital media expert Jacques Morel and music by Luna Rosa. It’s a short, structured window to meet a few strangers with no pressure and no marathon small talk.

The rest of the evening, however, is designed to spill well beyond the dating pool. From 3–7pm, the Biltmore Room will also host a Valentine’s Day Market that’s open to the public with no registration required. The lineup includes live poetry, DJ sets, pop-up performances (including a Broadway teaser) and vendors ranging from Jacques Torres Chocolate and Doughnut Plant to Murray’s Cheese, Jet Set Candy, Lovepop, Shake Shack and Damselfly Flowers.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Black History Month. In celebration of the milestone, The Paley Center for Media is hosting a conversation with Black culinary trailblazers who have shaped television, media and American culture as we know it. 

On February 17, join The Paley Center for Chef’s Night: A Culinary Tribute to Black History, featuring an iconic lineup of chefs and tastemakers gathering to discuss culture, community, and share their legacy through food. Panelists include Emmy-winning host, chef, author and restaurateur Kardea Brown; celebrity chef and founder of Harlem's Fieldtrip, JJ Johnson; James Beard Award-winning executive chef of Michelin-starred Saga, Charlie Mitchell; James Beard Award-winning chef, author, restaurateur and culinary pioneer, Alexander Smalls; and chef and owner of Melba’s, Melba Wilson. Producer, actress and host, Nia Renée Hill will be moderating the evening. 

Tickets are $20 for members, $25 for general admission. Buy your ticket 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.

Follow your heart to the Cloisters for a special after-hours Valentine's Week event — on Thursday, February 12 from 6-9pm, you and your artsy beau can stroll the galleries and enjoy intimate gallery chats with curators, listen to medieval love songs performed live by Alkemie, and explore a fragrance experience created by Mythologist Studio, inspired by the scents of the Middle Ages. The evening is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Spectrum of Desire: Love, Sex, and Gender in the Middle Ages, and you can get creative yourself with  hands-on activities, from making medieval manuscript–inspired Valentines to crafting wire rings to gift someone special.

You might not think a fish market is the most romantic setting for an intimate Valentine's Day experience but the Fulton Fish Market is here to change that. On February 14, the 203-year-old seafood emporium opens its doors after hours for "Absinthe & Oysters: A Forbidden Valentine’s," a one-night-only immersive dining experience staged directly on the market’s working selling floor.

Hosted by culinary historian Justin Fornal, the aphrodisiac-filled evening will feature overflowing seafood towers, Hidden Fjord salmon and paella, live Latin jazz, bountiful wine pours, and a guided absinthe ritual inspired by New York’s historic waterfront. Get chilly while dining in the refrigerated 400,000-square-foot space? Opt for a premium experience ($1,900) for up to 4 guests, with drinks and dining in a heated hot tub.

New York has seen pop-ups, stunts and “for a limited time only” everything—but this one genuinely raises an eyebrow. Starting next week, the city is getting what’s being called its first fully free grocery store. That means no loyalty cards, no sign-ups, no checkout screen asking you to tip. Just groceries, for nothing.

It’s called The Polymarket and it opens February 12 at noon. The concept comes from Polymarket, the crypto-based prediction market that lets users bet on everything from elections to economic data. But this time, instead of odds and outcomes, they’re offering pantry staples.

According to the company, the store will be fully stocked and open to all New Yorkers, with “no purchase required.” Polymarket says it signed a lease, built out a physical retail space and plans to operate the store through Sunday, February 15. As of now, the exact address hasn’t been publicly announced.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a soulful celebration of the best of R&B at this loved-up New York Pops concert. Taking place at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage on Friday, February 13, the show will feature timeless love songs, empowering anthems and enduring hits made famous by Barry White, Al Green, Carole King, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, and many more. Led by conductor Steven Reineke, the orchestra will be joined by singers Aisha Jackson (Broadway’s The Great Gatsby) and Avery Wilson (Broadway’s The Wiz) for romantic renditions of “Let’s Stay Together”, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, “Ordinary People”, “I Have Nothing” and more.

Valentine's Day and chocolate is an obvious pair, but this intimate in-store atelier hosted by La Maison du Chocolat is digging deliciously deep into that sweet connection. Led by Hello French founder Cécilia Jourdan, this February 14 workshop will blend cultural insight, conversation, and, of course, tasting, placing chocolate "at the center of French traditions surrounding love, generosity, and savoir-faire." As you learn about French expressions of love and Valentine’s Day traditions, enjoy a curated tasting of La Maison du Chocolat creations (accompanied by a glass of non-alcoholic champagne, hot chocolat, coffee or tea), and take home a personalized heart-shoped gift box by artist Lucy "Clare" Spooner for that special someone. 

What's the best time of year? Christmas season? Maybe. The coming of fall? Perhaps. Pancake Month? Yes—this one gives us reason to celebrate. 

February marks the return of Pancake Month at Clinton St. Baking Company. The classic Americana restaurant and bakery on the Lower East Side will be griddling up pancakes of all kinds, doling out exciting flavors each week. Snag a table and sink your fork into inspiring creations such as the triple berry pancakes with rapberries, blueberries and strawberries accompanied with a meyer lemon curd (February 4-6), an apple pie variety ladled with caramelized apples with a cider glaze (February 9-11) and cinnamon roll pancakes with a cinnamon brown butter streusel, vanilla cream cheese glaze and a few shakes of cinammon sugar (February 18-20). As if that wasn't enough, the eatery is whipping up wild-card flavors on the weekends. 

And if you aren't in Manhattan, you can swing over to their Brooklyn location in Time Out New York, Brooklyn. The market locale is running its own line-up of specials, including key lime coconut pancakes with key lime curd (February 9-13) and raspberry chocolate chunk with a raspberry-caramel sauce (February 16-20).  

Check out the full lineup of eats below. Keep in mind: the restaurant will not serve these flavors at brunch. 

Lower East Side calendar

February 2-3

It's the most romantic time of the year. Well, not for everyone. Maybe you're on a break after a streak of unremarkable Hinge dates. Or maybe you've sworn off dating because the last person who had your heart royally screwed you over. Instead of stewing this season, channel that energy into a voodoo-making workshop. 

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Time Out Market New York, Brooklyn, is hosting two voodoo doll-making workshops. Partnering with Brooklyn Craft Company, the hands-on class will guide you step-by-step on how to make your own voodoo doll. To really get the creative juices flowing, the class will also include complimentary glasses of Prosecco and a spread of charcuterie. And if straddling the spirit world has worked up an appetite, the vendors of Time Out Market are more than willing to fill your soul. The modern craft store will be supplying all the materials—just bring yourself and your adventurous spirit.

Classes will be held on Friday, February 13 from 6-7pm or Sunday, February 15 from 5-6pm or 6:30-7:30pm. 

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.

The most romantic day of the year is almost here. But looking past the commercialism of it all, the tragically large Teddy bears, fake roses and chalky candy hearts that are downright disgusting (my opinion, of course), we want to bring Valentine's Day back to the basics—celebrating the day with the one you love. If you are looking for a casual night out with a touch of romance, Time Out Market New York, Brooklyn, is here for you and your sweetheart.  

On Valentine's Day, Time Out Market is bringing the love: a section of the Market will be sectioned off for you and your sweetheart, made more intimate with candlelit tables and music from award-winning violinist Mapy, the Violin Queen. Guests can sip on complimentary glasses of prosecco and dine on a variety of delicious options found in the Market.

Tickets are $6 and include one glass of prosecco. Seats are limited, so be sure to RSVP today.

A new ticketed attraction called i Candy NYC is opening inside One Times Square, turning the iconic building beneath the New Year’s Eve Ball into a candy-colored, multi-floor adventure through the city itself.

The experience, which opens on February 13, spans three interactive levels, each inspired by a different slice of New York City: Central Park, the city’s neighborhoods and its hidden underground world. As guests move through the space, they’re encouraged to play, explore, snap photos—and, crucially, collect candy. Every visitor receives a branded i Candy NYC bucket at the door, which doubles as a map and souvenir, and gets filled with themed treats along the way. There are also interactive games, photo ops designed for Instagram and bite-sized bits of city history tucked between the displays.

Timed-entry tickets are on sale now and the attraction officially opens this Friday, just in time for Valentine’s Day, school break crowds and anyone who thinks Times Square could always use a little more candy.

Here's no more classic date than dinner-and-a-movie and Metrograph is taking care of both for Valentine's Day. On February 14, you'll find a four-part series of "carnal, combustible films": Gus Van Sant's Mala Noche (35mm) at 4:40pm, Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch Drunk Love (35mm) at 6:30pm, Leos Carax's The Lovers on the Bridge at 8:30pm, or a late-night 11pm showing of Andrzej Żuławski's Possession (35mm). To go along with those romantic flicks, the theater's Commissary will be offering a special V-Day prix fixe, with three courses (options include beef carpaccio, beet salad, spaghetti pomodoro, roasted chicken, red velvet cake and brownie à la mode, among others) plus a complimentary glass of prosecco for $85 per person. Reservations are available on Resy. 

Comedian Brandon Collins brings his one-of-a-kind, booze-fueled deep dive into Black history back to Brooklyn.

First up, Collins and friends will be head over to the Bell House for "Drunk Black History: 100 Years of Black History Month" on Friday, February 13. The special-edition show will find Collins as well as improv group UCBLK, Akilah Hughes, Meka Mo and Nikole Hannah-Jones, among others, as they recount the stories of overlooked figures and moments in Black history, all while hilariously tipsy. Along with the funny commentary and educational exploration of Black historical figures, this special Black History Month edition will also include audience giveaways.

On February 26, the critically acclaimed show will return to Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD). In collaboration with the 2026 Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest, the event will highlight unsung Black pioneers in the culinary and hospitality industries. Tickets include access to the current exhibition at the museum, Street Food City, and two drink tickets. 

This Valentine's Weekend comedy night at City Vineyard features a unique twist: The entire comedy lineup is presented “blind date” style, meaning the audience won’t know who’s performing until each comedian steps on the stage. Hosted and curated by Miss Lissa and Jasmine Dorothy Haefner, the February 13 show will blend interactive audience moments, flirty games and a social atmosphere with pre-show happy hour specials (from 5:30-7pm) and festive V-Day decorations. Even if you don't spark a new flame, you'll surely fall for the punchlines.

Through March 7, ACA Galleries will display its newest exhibition, Continuum: Over 100 Years of Black Art, celebrating paintings, drawing and sculptures by African American artists from the 19th century to the present. Works by Romare Bearden (including a rare 1981 Jazz collage), Benny Andrews, Edward Bannister,Winston Branch, Elizabeth Catlett, Robert Colescott, Robert S. Duncanson, Sam Gilliam, Clementine Hunter and more will be on view. “By featuring works that span nearly a century, this presentation offers a glimpse into artistic excellence, resilience, and innovation,” ACA Galleries representatives said. “The show invites viewers to consider the enduring impact of these artists within the broader history of American art.”

Want to tie the knot at the Crossroads of the World? You actually can. The Times Square Alliance is once again holding its "Love in Times Square" wedding event, where couples can register for for a chance to get hitched on Valentine’s Day in a romantic — and, yes, very public — ceremony right in the heart of Times Square. Lovers will also get to surprise their partners with marriage proposals under the iconic Everest (formerly American Eagle) screen, or renew their vows on the Red Steps. These real-life love stories will unfold in front of a new sculpture presented by Times Square Arts.

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. 

New York City Restaurant Week is among the five boroughs’ best food holidays. Traditionally, New Yorkers (and a few lucky tourists) clear their dining schedules and make reservations at the city’s best special occasion spots, high-profile newcomers and all-time favorite restaurants for deals unseen the rest of the year. Hundreds of destinations participate citywide, with menu prices below their typical tabs. (This winter's price tiers are set at $30, $45 and $60 price tiers for two- and three-course specials during Restaurant Week Winter 2026.)

The campaign will run from Tuesday, January 20 to Thursday, February 12, 2026. That's nearly a month to choose from oodles of NYC classics and recent culinary additions. Don't feel like thumbing through 600-plus restaurants? Check out our top picks here.

From chosen fragrance to natural pheromones, smell is important in a relationship, acting as a substantial and often subconscious marker of attraction and compatability. And this Valentine's Day dating show is tapping right into that fact, using scent as the ultimate matchmaker. Taking the stage at Caveat at 9:30pm on February 14, "Smells Like Love" is the brainchild of comedian, matchmaker and perfume expert Emma Vernon, and updates the classic dating game with an on-the-nose twist. With each round, the stakes grow higher and the smells stronger as contestants vie for a shot at love, all based on how they smell. Apply here by Feb. 5 if you'd like to participate; if you'd rather just watch, there will be perfume giveaways galore.

The holiday may be over but winter is very much still doing its thing in New York—and Bryant Park is leaning into it. One of the park’s most popular cold-weather diversions—iceless curling—is officially returning in February, and this time it’s dropping the reservations and price tag entirely.

After several seasons as the reservation-only Curling Café, Bryant Park is rebooting the experience as a free, first-come, first-served activity focused purely on the game. There are now no bookings, no food-and-drink minimums and no pressure to linger longer than your competitive spirit allows.

From February 6 through February 26, 2026, iceless curling lanes will pop up just east of the skating rink as part of Bank of America Winter Village. The lanes will be open daily from 11 am to 7 pm, welcoming anyone who wants to try their hand at sliding stones toward the bullseye, Olympic-level finesse not required.

A staple of Jewish-American households, Manischewitz is expanding into the soup space and the iconic 130-year-old brand is celebrating with an entire free exhibition centered on, you guessed it, soup. Open to the public from February 6-10 at 155 Suffolk Street, "SOUP" explores Jewish cuisine, memory and identity through a thoughtful curation of contemporary art and photography work from participating artists including Dan Weinstein, Rosemarie Gleiser and Ohad Romano. 

Just in time for Valentine's Day, the CJ Hendry Flower Shop is popping up at Grand Central Terminal from February 1-15 for all of your bloom-buying needs this lovey-dovey season. Open from 10am to 6pm daily, the floral concept will fully focus on — what else? — roses (red and white, of course). All flowers are $10 but the tenth is yours free. And whether you're buying for a lover, a Galentine or simply as a self-care gift for you, don’t skip out on the free V-day flower carriers and ribbons. 

It’s a bonafide holiday for theatergoers when NYC Broadway Week rolls around. Broadway Week in NYC is a ticket deal offered twice a year by Broadway producers and the municipal marketing bureau New York City Tourism + Conventions. From January 20 through February 12 this year, it lets you buy two tickets to Broadway shows for the price of one—including the best Broadway shows and many Tony Award winners. The program is designed to stimulate sales during weeks when Broadway attendance traditionally dips, so everybody wins: The productions get full houses, and savvy audiences get cheap Broadway tickets.

The most popular shows sell out fast, so the earlier you buy your seats, the better chance you have of seeing your first choices. Visit the Broadway Week website to buy tickets and peruse the list of participating shows. Aim for 10am on the first day if you can, and make sure your accounts are up to date on Telecharge and Ticketmaster are up to date to make the process as fast as possible. You’ll need to use a special code to get the discount; the Broadway Week website has FAQ guidelines on exactly how to enter your discount code with each ticket vendor.

NYC Tourism + Conventions has officially opened sales for NYC Must-See Week as part of the broader NYC Winter Outing 2026 and the headline offer is simple and tough to beat: you can score two-for-one tickets to nearly 80 of the city’s top museums, attractions, tours and performing arts venues.

The savings window runs from January 20 through February 12, giving you a three-week excuse to finally cross a few things off your “one day” list, without paying full freight. The list includes things like Empire State Building Observatory views, Jazz at Lincoln Center shows, Yankee Stadium tours, Carnegie Hall concerts and cultural heavy-hitters like the Metropolitan Opera and the Museum of the Moving Image, all suddenly twice as tempting when you’re only paying for one ticket.

For Must-See Week, the range of participating spots is impressively broad, including both big-name attractions and niche finds. (Alice Austen House Museum on Staten Island, Mercer Labs in Lower Manhattan or Like a Local Tours are underrated favorites, but even classic splurges like the rink at Rockefeller Center and QC NY’s spa experience get a rare moment of financial mercy.)

For a sweet, low-key and family-friendly alternative to your usual Valentine's festivities, Minuto Bauli is hosting free Romeo & Juliet-inspired puppet shows out of the bakery's Union Square location (866 Broadway) on February 7 and February 14 beginning at 3pm. In "Stories from Verona," the classic Shakespeare romance — famously set in Verona, Italy, the birthplace of Bauli — has been playfully retooled for the kiddos using hand puppets. Each performance is free with any same-day in-store purchase, such as the café’s signature Italian sweet buns.

Think pink at Watermark, the classic American restaurant on Pier 15 by the Seaport, which is turning into an immersive pink wonderland this month. It's just in time for the peak of New York winter and for Valentine's Day celebrations.

The 10,000 square-foot outdoor bar and restaurant will be lit up in pink hues and be decorated with red flowers, heart installations and mesmerizing twinkling lights. Pink Pier will be open from January 9 until March 1.

The Union Square Partnership (USP) is graciously adding some light and liveliness to the darkest time of the year with its new interactive art installation, "Patterned Behavior" by MASARY Studios, on view every evening (dusk to 10pm) from now through Tuesday, February 17. 

Located at Union Square Park’s North Plaza and Pavilion on 17th Street between Broadway and Park Avenue South, “Patterned Behavior” acts like an urban musical instrument, using architecture as a structure to “play” with sound production. Each evening’s illumination is shaped by the thousands of pedestrians that pass through Union Square every day, turning the footsteps and rhythms of passersby into a dynamic audio-visual composition with infrared sensors triggering synchronized light displays that depict how people come together in the area.

What makes you a New Yorker? Thanks to Project Luz and The Noguchi Museum, you can explore that very inquiry with a free Spanish-language image making workshop, held at the LIC museum on Sunday mornings from January 18 through March 8. Open to adults (16 and older), the class will take inspiration from the Noguchi’s New York exhibition, letting participants document their daily NYC experiences through photography, "capturing both the familiar and unseen aspects of the city." Two sessions will take participants beyond the museum walls for off-site field trips; you just need to bring your smartphone camera and a notebook. 

The Drunk Texts is kicking off its 2026 season at The RAT NYC with a little Valentine’s Day gift: (Not Another) Romeo + Juliet on Friday, February 14. From 9-11pm, bring your sweetheart to hear how the Bard’s classic tale of star-crossed lovers gets the Drunk Texts treatment. That means drinking games, improvisation and audience participation peppering a live performance of William Shakespeare’s most famous romance. "Celebrate Valentine's Day like the Groundlings of the Bard's day would have — rowdy and under the influence!" organizers promise. But rest assured: the bar won’t be serving any fast-acting, relationship-ruining poisons up in 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.

Boppn is game-ifying your Valentine's Day plans: On February 14 at 6:30pm, the interactive platform is hosting a singles mixer slash scavenger hunt where 200 New Yorkers will compete against each other in ridiculous, NYC-specific activities in hopes of finding a cute date along the way. Forget about small talk — instead, you'll make connections and build chemistry by tackling tasks like having a drink with someone who has accent (6 points), Lady and the Tramp-ing a mozzarella stick from Ray's with a teammate (5 points), writing a love letter on a postcard from Essex Card Shop (5 points) or getting a bartender’s number (3 points). Teams of six to eight people will try to rack up the most points (logged in the Boppn app) and take home an array of gift cards to date-night staples around town. The festivities will begin and end (with a private after-party) at Rumpus Room on the Lower East Side. 

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.

Skip the apps this Valentine's Day and experience Brooklyn's most exciting singles event: The Match.Box Valentine's Party at Time Out Market New York, Brooklyn. Designed for singles in their 30s and 40s, this curated matchmaking night will use real conversations and Match.Box's algorithm to pair you with people who actually click. 

Here's how it works: when you arrive, you'll check in and grab your Match.Box card. There, you will answer a few fun questions to spark compatibility. Throughout the night, you'll mingle in small groups guided by our matchmaking hosts. By the end of the night, you'll find your No. 1 match. 

The event will be held on February 12. Tickets are $28. Register here. 

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

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

"It's like Sex in the City with a Muslim spin," says organizers of HALALish, a one-woman show written, produced and starring Pakistani-American actress Rudaba Zehra Nasir. Taking the stage at the Tank for four dates this February (Feb. 14, 15, 21 and 22), the deeply personal show chronicles the journey of the Muslim immigrant and sex-deprived hopeless romantic through love, loss, labels and (potentially) getting laid on Valentine's Day. Over chai and memories, Rudaba invites the audience into her living room and bares it all with humor, heart, music and more. 

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. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The free event meets at 5pm every Tuesday.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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