The best things to do in NYC this weekend

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.

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

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

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

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

This annual international-music showcase takes over three stages with represented genres including Cambodian, Moroccan, Spanish Flamenco, Ukrainian, Tropical Latin and much more. This year's lineup includes: Al-Qasar, Dale Watson & his Lone Stars, David Rivera & La Bámbula, Maria Mazzotta, Nidia Góngora, Raiatea Helm, The Naghash Ensemble, Vopli Vidopliassova and more. 

This year is the 23rd anniversary of GlobalFEST, which will happen across three stages at Lincoln Center’s newly-renovated David Geffen Hall on Sunday, January 11 as part of Lincoln Center Presents.

GlobaFEST's mission is to encourage attendees and artists to network and build a global network as well as deepen cultural understanding—a mission that resonates particuarily strongly these days. To check out their full programming, visit GlobalFEST's website. 

Oedipus is not really about the fall of a great man; rather, it’s about a great man coming to realize that he has already fallen. It is election night, the TV screen blinks with news, and Oedipus (Mark Strong) is surrounded by his family: his studious daughter Antigone (the lovely and sympathetic Olivia Reis); his twin sons, the sweet Polyneices (James Wilbraham) and the rakish Eteocles (Jordan Scowen); his sturdy old mum, Merope (Anne Reid, tasty as a crust of bread), whom Oedipus keeps blowing off. And above all there is his wife, Jocasta, who—as played by the great Lesley Manville—is a creature of effortless fascination: confident, worldly, intelligent, practical, passionate, sexually frank and a touch narcissistic, with a hint of Sphinxlike inscrutability to shroud the trauma behind her drive. Oedipus seems untouchable. But as an onstage clock ticks down to his landslide win, the earth gives way beneath him.

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

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

During the typically bleak post–New Year’s Eve concert lull, Winter Jazzfest promises a bright spot on the city’s calendar. The annual event showcases new talent performing a broad spectrum of musical styles all under the banner of jazz. Year after year, the crowds grow attracting both avid jazz fans along with new listeners, plus industry professionals. 

This year's fest runs Thursday, January 8, 2026 to Tuesday, January 13, 2026, with immense "Marathon" events in Manhattan on Friday, January 9 and in Brooklyn on Saturday, January 10.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Theater, they say, is the fabulous invalid, regaling visitors with tales of past glory as it sinks into its deathbed; conversation, they say, is another dying art. But don’t tell that to Bess Wohl’s Liberation, which has just moved to Broadway, with its exceptional cast intact, after a much-discussed run at the Roundabout earlier this year. A searching and revealing drama about the achievements and limits of 1970s feminism, Liberation weaves different kinds of conversation into a multilayered narrative—and, in doing so, serendipitously restores the very word conversation to its roots. As an adjective or noun, converse denotes opposition or reversal. As a verb, however, it stems from the Latin term conversare, which means “turning together.” In other words: Conversation may involve disagreement—and in Liberation, it often does—but it is not at its core adversarial. It’s literally about sharing a revolution. 

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 until February 22, 2026. 

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

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

The mural will be available for viewing at Martos Gallery through January 15, 2026.

In New York Botanical Garden's wildly popular diorama, more than a dozen model railway trains traverse an incredibly detailed New York City scene with 200 tiny buildings, including landmarks such as the Empire State Building and Radio City Music Hall, made of natural materials such as leaves, twigs, bark and berries.

Each year, artist Laura Busse Dolan and her team at Applied Imagination work on the awe-inspiring structures using plant materials to build "botanical architecture." It's been a beloved tradition since 1992. This year's model adds a botanical replica of the new Delacorte Theater in Central Park, surrounded by other park landmarks.

As if a miniature plant-based New York City wasn't cool enough, 25 tiny trains will snake along the entire space, including some on overhead towering bridges. Don't expect them to look like your standard subway car, either: the tiny modes of transportation include replicas of American steam engines and streetcars from the 1800s, so there's something for fans of every commute era. 

This year's holiday train show is new on view through January 11, 2026 at the Bronx destination. Also check out Holiday Train Nights, lively after-dark celebrations with seasonal cocktails and mocktails.

When Studio Museum opened in 1968, it was the first Black fine arts museum in the country, and it remains the place to go for historical insight into African American art and the art of the African diaspora. The museum reopened in 2025 after a seven-year closure for construction. The new space, located on the same footprint along 125th Street, doubled space for the groundbreaking exhibitions the museum is known for. 

The abstract, towering building is centered around a sleek stone staircase, which stretches throughout the building like a spine. At the bottom, there's a community hangout area called the stoop. At the top, a lush garden with skyline views will no doubt become a popular space in warmer weather. Throughout, exhibitions fill each floor, drawing pieces from the museum's collection of 9,000 pieces and highlighting works by artists-in-residence over the years.  

If you found your jaw dropping over the jewelry in the blockbuster films Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), then you've got to check out this exhibit at Museum of Art and Design in Columbus Circle. Called "Douriean Fletcher: Jewelry of the Afrofuture," the show features the jewelry Fletcher made for Queen Ramonda and the Dora Milaje, displayed with a selection of the films' costumes by Academy Award–winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter. The exhibition offers a behind-the-scenes look at how adornment defines character, advances world-building, and represents Black sovereignty on screen.

Treat your eyes to these pieces in brass and gold featuring semi-precious stones. With bold, sculptural designs, this jewelry is meant to articulate Black identity and embody spiritual meaning. Expect to see 75 works from the artist’s collection, which tell Fletcher's story of growing from a self-taught metalsmith to an influential designer. It also explores how her practice exemplifies the ethos of Afrofuturism, a cultural movement that reclaims Black identity and history while envisioning egalitarian futures.

It's on view through March 15, 2026.

Self-described "mad potter" Jonathan Adler, known for the quirk and charm in his stunning ceramics works, gets the spotlight at this new exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design in Columbus Circle. The exhibition, The Mad MAD World of Jonathan Adler, combines Adler's own work with some of his favorite pieces from the museum's collection. You'll see more than 150 pieces of ceramics, metal, fiber and more that help to tell the story of Adler's 30-year career. It's on view through April 19, 2026.

No matter your personal taste, there's bound to be something in this exhibition you wish you could take home. Perhaps it's the adorable fox with a twisty tail or the erotic vase decorated with breasts or the psychedelic spin on a Delft blue container reading "shrooms." Every piece is exquisitely crafted, of course, but it's Adler's signature quirk and charm that takes the show to the next level. How often can you say a ceramics show will make you chuckle? Adler's will. 

Think of it as a thematic tour of Adler's fascinations. For example, the Authentica section celebrates the sleek forms of mid-century modern ceramics, while the Optimistica segment embraces exuberance in all its forms. Each section feels like gazing into a beautiful shop window—and that's by design. Legendary window dresser Simon Doonan, also Adler's husband, designed the exhibition. 

The show is a full-circle moment for Adler, as he sold his first pots in the museum's store back in 1993, helping to kickstart his success.

Leave the gray of the city behind and step into a colorful world of Korean folktales at Genesis House in the Meatpacking District. The venue just launched its latest immersive installation, this one called CHROMA: Tales Between Hues.

The exhibition was inspired by the Obangsaek color spectrum, Korea's traditional palette representing the five cardinal directions, elements and cosmic balance—and it's an absolutely transfixing sight to see. The team at Genesis collaborated with actress and singer Ashley Park who brought her own Korean heritage and her passion for storytelling to the exhibition.

See CHROMA: Tales Between Hues for free at Genesis House (40A 10th Ave. in the Meatpacking District) through December 14. It's open Tuesday to Sunday from 11am-7pm with no reservations required.

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

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

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

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. 

Grand Bazaar is one of NYC's oldest and largest marketplaces where you can buy vintage treasures, antiques, clothing and more goodies from more than 150 local merchants. Photographers, jewelers and furniture designers sell their best on Sundays between 10am and 5pm on the Upper West Side (77th Street at Columbus Avenue), rain or shine.

Each week offers a different theme, from featuring women-owned businesses to focusing on handmade items to spotlighting international wares. The market runs both indoors and outdoors each week all year long.

As a testament to the beloved Grand Bazaar's staying power, the market is celebrating 40 years in 2025. Grand Bazaar also has a mission to give back with 100% of its profits from booth rentals supporting four local public schools, helping with everything from school supplies through teaching assistants.

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

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

See it until February 1, 2026. 

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. 

In the year 2025, how we dress is still the highest form of free self expression—and the role that gender plays in fashion has broken norms, especially in the last decade. In a new exhibit from The Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology, the road to this gender fluid fashion is examined, beginning in the 1900s. 

Explore body image, dreams, desires, sexuality and the unconscious in almost 100 items of dress as part of the new, free exhibition "Dress, Dreams and Desire: Fashion and Psychoanalysis" on view through January 4, 2026. This work explores the history of designers such as Azzedine Alaia, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, Willy Chavarria, Bella Freud, John Galliano for Christian Dior, Vivienne Westwood, Gianna and Donatella Versace, Alexander McQueen and more. 

Many New Yorkers know about the Harlem Renaissance, but a new exhibit 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.  

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.

For New Yorkers, the National Parks of the U.S. may seem far away. But 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.

For over 60 years, American artist John Wilson created powerful and poetic works that reflected his life as a Black American artist and his ongoing quest for racial, social and economic justice. Until February 8, 2026, The Met on Fifth Avenue will host his first-ever solo museum show with more than 100 paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures and illustrated books.

To start, the exhibition showcases work Wilson made while at art school in Boston, where his subjects included the horrors of Nazi Germany and American racial violence, as well as portraits of his family and neighborhood. Wilson happened to be a traveler, and work from his time in Paris, Mexico City and New York will also be on view. Finally, the exhibition concludes with Wilson’s return to Boston and his focus on portraiture. Wilson's sculpture of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the United States Capitol and the monumental sculpture Eternal Presence, two of his most celebrated works, will be on display.

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" is on view 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. 

On a cold winter day in 1921, artist Man Ray placed some of his glass equipment on top of an unexposed sheet of photographic paper he found among the prints in his developing tray. This "mistake" produced something the artist would later dub a "rayograph," and was essentially a photo taken without a camera. The works' transformative nature led the Dada poet Tristan Tzara to describe rayographs as capturing the moments "when objects dream," and you can see those pieces on display at The Met until February 2026.

Drawing from the collections of The Met and more than 50 U.S. and international lenders, the presentation will include more than 60 rayographs and 100 paintings, objects, prints, drawings, films and photographs to highlight the central role of the rayograph in Man Ray’s  practice.

The Phantom of the Opera has ended its 35-year Broadway run, but you can't keep a masked man down for long. The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical—adapted by the composer and Richard Stilgoe from Gaston Leroux's 1910 horror novel—is already somehow here again, and in a surprising new form. It's now an immersive experience, à la Sleep No More, in which audiences are led en masque through multiple locations in a complex designed to evoke the 19th-century Paris Opera House where soprano Christine Daaé is tutored and stalked by a serial killer who lives in the basement.

Six groups of 60 spectators at a time enter at staggered 15-minute intervals; each group gets its own Phantom and Christine, but the other roles are played by one to four actors each; to help sustain the atmosphere, audience members must wear black, white or silver cocktail or formal attire—and, hopefully, comfortable shoes. (Masks are provided for those who do not bring their own.) 

Wrap yourself up in the artistry of quilts at this new exhibit. The American Folk Art Museum has launched 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.

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.

When slavery is taught in an educational setting, perspectives are often erased or overlooked. Marcus Brown, a New Orleans-based artist with enslaved African ancestors, aims to share the stories of enslaved people with four free Augmented Reality (AR) exhibitions across New York City opening July 25 and running through July 2026.

As part of the city's Arts in the Park initiative, Brown's "Slavery Trails" takes historical sites that are tied to slavery and crafts them into digital memorials using sculpture and AR that visitors may access via mobile device. Manhattan will house two exhibitions while Brooklyn and Queens will showcase one; "merging technology, music and history into public memory spaces that honor the enslaved and challenge contemporary narratives," according to a press release about the exhibition.

In the shadow of the Empire State Building, a nine-foot-tall gorilla gazes toward the iconic skyscraper. A few steps away, a massive brown bear raises its head curiously, and a polar bear lifts a paw into the air. These gigantic sculptures newly placed along Park Avenue look remarkably lifelike—and incredibly cute. 

They also raise important messages about the beauty and vulnerability of the natural world, especially endangered species. The sculpture collection by renowned French artist Michel Bassompierre titled "Fragile Giants" is on view along Park Avenue between 34th and 38th Streets. This open-air gallery is free to visit through May 11, 2026.

City Climb—which is the highest external building climb in the world on the Western Hemisphere's tallest observation deck, Edge—tethers brave thrillseekers to a secure trolly along the outside of the building and open, edged platforms and stairways. Two cables will keep you secure on a path that leads up 32 steps to “The Cliff,” an outlook 1,190 feet in the sky and to “The Stair,” which consists of 151 steps on a 45-degree incline. “The Apex” is where they can lean out and hang over the platform at 1,271 feet. Are your knees buckling yet? Here’s what it was like to climb it. It all finishes with a victory lap on Edge's outdoor viewing area on the 100th floor (and a celebratory medal for inaugural guests).

Three colorful figures are now brightening up the intersection of 124th Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem: Called "Aunties," these figurative sculptures by local artist Fitgi Saint-Louis honor the women who passionately nurture and embolden the Harlem community.

As the artist puts it, "Aunties is an ode to the collective of women, builders, leaders, caretakers, changemakers and creatives who transform Harlem and beyond all while having impeccable style." You can visit the artwork through April 2026.

What does it mean to be American? That's the question a new immersive art exhibition in Manhattan seeks to answer. 

Called "Path of Liberty: That Which Unites US," this installation takes over six acres in Midtown East with massive screens sharing the voices of 50 Americans from across the nation. You'll hear their thoughts on democracy, liberty, freedom and unity. Path of Liberty is free to visit with reservations available here. The exhibition opens as America approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, which will be celebrated in 2026.  

Find "Path of Liberty: That Which Unites US" on Manhattan’s East Side from 38th to 41st Street along First Avenue. It's open free of charge every Thursday through Saturday from 8-11pm.

When in need of a mental break, get yourself to Madison Square Park to walk along a new meditative spiral pathway aptly dubbed "Gardens of Renewal." Located across the park’s Redbud and Sparrow Lawns, the new path is a beautifully landscaped spiral that invites reflection while highlighting the political urgency of the climate crisis.

As visitors walk through, they’ll encounter a planting palette made up of increasingly rare—and nearly disappearing—native species. Artist Lily Kwong (you may remember her from her gorgeous orchid show a few years ago) collaborated with the Madison Square Park Conservancy to create the destination, which will be accessible through Labor Day. 

There’s a sculpture on the High Line right now that’s causing some folks to question the content of their Instagram feeds. Mika Rottenberg’s “Foot Fountain (pink)” sits in all its weird glory at the 30th Street entrance, sputtering out water from its rather phallic top, through May 2026.

“Foot Fountain (pink)” is a giant pink foot and lower leg that stands 10 feet tall and is peppered with tongues that stick out of lipsticked mouths. Its toenails are splashed with red nail polish, too. But the real kicker is the sculpture’s function: the working sprinkler on top can be activated by moving a set of pedals nearby, surprising or delighting passersby.

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.

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. Seven sculptures invite you to weave in an 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," per the Alliance. 

See it through February 2026.

The Brooklyn Museum is celebrating a big birthday. As the museum turns 200, it’s marking the occasion with a sprawling exhibition that celebrates the museum's history, showcases artists from the borough and highlights new gifts in the collection. The massive show highlights hundreds of paintings, sculptures, and photographs pulled from the impressive museum’s full collection of 140,000 items. 

“Breaking the Mold: Brooklyn Museum at 200” is now open through February 22, 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. We'd recommend 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. 

If space is looking pretty good to you right now, there’s a chance to escape to the wide expanse even if only for an hour. INTER, the experiential, multi-sensory museum in Soho, has been reimagined to be an immersive intergalactic adventure.

From the creative minds behind the Museum of Ice Cream and photography center Fotografiska, INTER, inside the old First National City Bank of New York, first opened in a beta version in November 2022 but officially opened in May 2023, with abstract digital art of images evoking natural phenomena like earth, fire and water, its own floral tunnel, an infinity room and a water installation.

But now, it has more than 10 immersive exhibits using light, sound and digital projection to transport you to another galaxy.

The New Yorker, one of the most revered New York-based publications in the country, is officially turning 100 years old, and the New York Public Library is stepping in to celebrate the occasion.

The library has debuted a new exhibit titled “A Century of The New Yorker” showcasing the magazine's history from its 1925 launch to the present, highlighting the stories and ideas that have defined it throughout the years. The exhibition will be mounted for a full year.

Attendees will have the opportunity to view old covers, rare manuscripts, photographs, founding documents and, of course, an archive of cartoon art that defines the magazine's aesthetic. 

After a four-year renovation, The Metropolitan Museum of Art has reopened its galleries dedicated to the arts of Africa, the Ancient Americas and Oceania. These historic galleries, housed within the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, are packed with 1,800 artworks spanning five continents and hundreds of cultures. 

Inside the galleries, you’ll find several objects on view for the first time, including new acquisitions of contemporary African works and new commissions by Indigenous artists for the Oceania galleries. Also don’t miss a gallery dedicated to light-sensitive ancient Andean textiles, which is the first of its kind in the United States. 

Want to feel like you can practically defy gravity? You can do just that at Lush Spa with their Wicked-themed book-a-bath experience. 

In partnership with Universal Studios, the Upper East Side spa is completely decked out with Wicked vibes. There's vivid green and glimmering gold decor, including taper candles and even wallpaper that says Oz. During the bath, you’ll get to enjoy a pink-and-green bath bomb, a soap shaped like the Emerald City, and a cleanser picked for your skin type. Instrumental versions of the Wicked soundtrack will play while you relax in the tub. 

It's bookable now for $75 with appointments through late 2025.

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.

On October 27, 1904, New Yorkers dressed in their finest clothing and hosted dinner parties to celebrate the big news of the year. After four years of messy, sometimes controversial construction, a subway had opened in New York City. Officials didn't know if people would show up for its debut, but more than 100,000 people descended beneath the ground that evening to traverse the system's 9 miles and 28 stations. The next day, a Sunday, more than 1 million people showed up on the subway's first full open day. 

It may not seem like a big deal to us now, but the subway was revolutionary—and it still is. A fascinating new exhibit at the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn digs into the history and the future of our underground rail system. Titled "The Subway Is...," the exhibition brings together artifacts, photos, multimedia installations, old advertisements, train models and more to tell the story of our city's subway system. 

This sprawling 16,000-square-foot space in Bushwick, designed to double as a concert venue and nightclub for up to 1,200 people, is the city’s first new wooden roller skating rink in over a decade.

Xanadu is decorated with a giant black-and-white photo of a group of young Black skaters taken over 40 years ago, a model for the energy in the room today. There’s also a rinkside bar, serving drinks with names like Skaterade and Purple Rain with direct sightlines of all the action on the wood. And in the bathroom, a surprise DJ spins a soundtrack for patrons to dance to as they wash their hands, a cheeky setup Kataria calls, “Club Flush.”

Need a laugh? The Second City—the renowned comedy club with locations in Chicago and Toronto—just opened in Brooklyn, and you will definitely laugh out loud there. The New York City venue, which opened on the legendary club’s 65th anniversary, offers hilarious live comedy every single night of the week.

The club has debuted "The Second City Presents The Mainstage Revue 1: Ruthless Acts of Kindness," a completely original NYC revue, which has been created in conversation with the audience over the last ten-weeks.

Some of the funniest names in comedy got their start at Second City. Just a few Second City alumni include: Bill Murray, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Amber Ruffin, Keegan-Michael Key, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, and Aidy Bryant. You might just see the next comedy star on this stage.

The venue offers sketch shows and improv performances, along with a great restaurant and no drink minimums in a beautiful venue. Tickets start at $39.

Puttery is an adults-only mini-golf and nightlife destination that just opened at 446 West 14th Street by Washington Street in the Meatpacking District and is backed by, among others, Irish professional golfer Rory McIlroy.

The first location of its kind in New York, Puttery spans 24,000 square feet over five levels that feature an underground lounge and a total of three bars, including a rooftop one that will be open year-round (yes, there will be heat lamps on site). 

Beautiful, buoyant, beguiling bubbles are back at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) in Queens. The beloved bubbles exhibit, which had been closed for five years, has returned 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.

"How you doin'?" If you read that in Joey Tribbiani's voice, then you've got to get yourself to "The FRIENDS Experience: The One in New York City." The immersive, walk-through experience in the Flatiron District features photo ops, props from the show, and Easter eggs at every turn.

There’s a chance to pose with the "Pivot" couch, a backdrop that looks like the Vegas chapel, and a photo opp with Phoebe’s grandma's taxi. You can even pose on top of Pat the Dog, snap a photo with the giant poking device and take a selfie in Monica's apartment. Using high-quality cameras, staff take photos at each spot, which you can purchase at the end. But staff will also take free photos with your cell phone if you ask. 

It's not just a selfie museum, though. There's a fascinating display featuring the show's costume designer Debra McGuire where you'll learn about her sartorial choices for each character. Another exhibit spotlights artist Burton Morris, whose Pop art pieces decorate Central Perk. Other display cases feature set designs, signed scripts and a statement from the show's producers, Marta Kauffman and David Crane.

Here's our full review.

Wild Captives, the nation’s first female- and LGBTQ-owned archery studio, is now open. It's a place where everyone can "be their own superhero." The studio in Brooklyn’s Industry City offers empowering and fun hour-long introduction to archery classes every weekend for $45/person. 

Each intro class includes a chance to learn about different parts of the bow and safety requirements. After the lesson, each participant gets a chance to shoot the bow trying to pop a balloon pinned onto the bullseye. Intro-to-archery classes are available each Friday, Saturday and Sunday, bookable online for anyone over age 12.

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 available now; 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.  

With a full restaurant, craft cocktails, comfy reclining seats and even more bells and whistles, this new movie theater in Hell's Kitchen elevates the movie-going experience. LOOK Dine-in Cinemas is now open in VIA 57 West, the pyramid-shaped building located at West 57th Street and 11th Avenue. 

With a 15-year lease, LOOK's operating in a 25,000-square-foot venue that used to house Landmark cinema until it closed in 2020. This is the company's first New York City location. At this fancy theater, you can relax in a heated seat while ordering dinner directly to your seat in the theater. 

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. 

On a typical tour of Manhattan, the big tourist attractions—Times Square, the Empire State Building, Central Park—get all the attention. But on these new walking tours by a local author, you'll see fascinating historical sites that you won't find in a typical guidebook. 

K. Krombie's Purefinder tours, "Death in New York," "The Psychiatric History of New York" and "Hell Gate," explore the city's darker side through meticulously researched and theatrically presented historical narratives.

Each tour covers about 2.5 miles in about two-and-a-half hours. “Death in New York” and “The Psychiatric History of New York” are offered weekly, while “Hell Gate” is offered twice per month. Tours cost $32-$34 per person; you can book one here.

From amazing costumes to Broadway history to fun photo opps, this long-awaited new museum is a must-see for theater buffs.  

You can expect the new museum to highlight over 500 individual productions from the 1700s all the way to the present. 

Among the standout offerings will also be a special exhibit dubbed "The Making of a Broadway Show," which honors the on- and off-stage community that helps bring plays and musicals to life multiple times a week. 

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 are often added, 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.

Part visual splendor, part olfactory wonder and part ooey-gooey sensory fun, Sloomoo Institute’s slime museum is worth a visit for kids of all ages. This captivating playground welcomes all ages to its home in SoHo—or “SooHoo,” in Sloomoo parlance (see what they did there?).

Here are five things not to miss at Sloomoo, including a chance to get slimed and a DIY slime making activity.

A bucolic 1920s English country golf club is on its way to NYC's concrete jungle! But with a twist. Swingers NoMad, a "crazy mini-golf course" and entertainment complex straight from London brought with it 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. Plus, there are plenty of food options to pair with your drinks.

Every Saturday night, two piano men battle it out to prove who is truly the master of all 88 keys, with a playlist decided entirely by the audience. Whether you’re in the mood for Billy Joel, Christina Aguilera or current chart toppers, these pianists are up for the challenge. But they expect you to do your part by singing along, but from home. Grab a ticket and request songs in advance.

Every day, our staffers are eating, drinking, partying, gigging and generally appreciating their way throughout this fair town of ours. Which makes pinning down the most essential New York activities kinda…tough. We need to include the classics, naturally—art museums in NYC, stellar New York attractions, killer bars and restaurants in NYC—but also spotlight the more recent or little-known gems that we truly love. Consider the below your NYC Bible.