The best things to do in the winter in NYC

The idea of climbing into your swimsuit when it’s freezing outside might not sound appealing, but hear us out. These winter spas in NYC make it worth it to brave the cold (briefly) in your swimwear.

With Scandinavian-inspired ethos and design, The Winter Pool House at The Rockaway Hotel and the Winter Spa at The William Vale will help you get into the Nordic hygge spirit for a relaxing escape.

Whether you abstain from alcohol year-round or simply committed to the month-long run that is Dry January, nonalcoholic cocktails—sometimes sectioned on menus as "zero-ABV," "spirit-free," "mock-" or "soft cocktails"—have almost reached ubiquity at NYC bars. 

These are the best places in town to grab a drink, dry or otherwise, from an N/A Irish Coffee to a beet-infused drink.

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

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

Lightscape, Brooklyn Botanic Garden's gorgeous, after-dark illuminated spectacular promises a glittering winter wonderland where you'll feel like you're strolling through an enchanted forest. More than 1 million lights combine to form illuminated trail of art by local and international artists.

Don't miss the iconic Winter Cathedral, where you'll definitely want to snap a selfie. Plus, expect firefly fields, glowing bluebonnets, flocks of luminous birds and a reimagined Sea of Light.  

As always, a curated playlist of music brings the light art to life, and there will be food concessions along the trail that offering seasonal treats like hot cocoa, hot cider, and mulled wine as well as light bites, cookies and sweets.

Tickets are now on sale for the event, which runs through January 4, 2026. This year’s show offers off-peak and peak pricing, ranging from $29-$44 for adults and $15 to $28 for kids.

Smoke Jazz Club proves that New York City's golden age of jazz is still swinging. The Upper West Side jazz club recently celebrated its 25th anniversary of offering straight-ahead jazz to New York City. 

Located at the junction of 106th and Broadway (aka Duke Ellington Boulevard), Smoke Jazz Club is one of New York City's premier live music venues. Renowned for offering top-notch programming of accessible, timeless jazz featuring legendary performers, modern masters, and rising stars, Smoke stands apart with its candlelit dining room, stellar acoustics, and classic American cuisine. An evening there offers a chance to hear modern-day jazz legends while dining in a supper club.

At Sip & Stitch, create your very own custom handbag with the guidance of purse pro Anthony Luciano. As a longtime handbag artistan and a fashion expert, Luciano will share tips and tricks for making a handbag that's perfect for your personal style. 

The lively workshops are held in Luciano’s Garment District studio, which is packed with vintage ephemera, beautiful decor, and plenty of purses to spark your inspiration. Even if you’re not a crafty person, Luciano and his team will make sure you leave with a handbag you’re proud to carry. 

Prices start at $175, depending on which workshop you choose.

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!

Best of all, it costs you nothing to pay a visit. From a massive pigeon to chairs perched in the sky to a giant rapping robot, here's our guide to making a DIY art crawl.

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 will take place through January 11, 2026 at the Bronx destination. 

Steve Cohen, billed as the Millionaires’ Magician, conjures high-class parlor magic in the marble-columned Madison Room at the swank Lotte New York Palace. Audiences must dress to be impressed (cocktail attire is required); tickets start at $125, with an option to pay more for meet-and-greet time and extra tricks with Cohen after the show.

But if you've come to see a classic-style magic act, you get what you pay for. Sporting a tuxedo and bright rust hair, the magician delivers routines that he has buffed to a patent-leather gleam: In addition to his signature act—"Think-a-Drink," involving a kettle that pours liquids by request—highlights include a lulu of levitation trick and a card-trick finale that leaves you feeling like, well, a million bucks.

Carreau Club, the nation’s first pétanque bar, has added an indoor location to its ranks with more space to get your game on while sipping a drink.

The indoor venue at Brooklyn's Industry City makes for great night out with a full bar, craft beer, wine and cocktails, plus a small deli counter. For the uninitiated, pétanque (pronounced puh-TONK) is a bocce-ball style French boules sport gaining popularity in the U.S., starting here in NYC. 

This "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. 

For those new to the game, "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. In addition to the cocktails, the course offers a little more edge — think wild routes, obstacles, windmills and more. Plus, cocktails and food options abound.

Get your game on at a board game cafe near Union Square.

Filled with 500 games, Hex & Co.'s latest location is located just south of Union Square at 801 Broadway (Broadway and East 11th in Greenwich Village) and ready for gamers of all fandoms. 

This is the third location for Hex & Co., joining fellow board game cafes in the Upper West Side and Upper East Side. It also joins sister stores The Uncommons in Greenwich Village and The Brooklyn Strategist in Carroll Gardens. All of them make for an excellent place to spend a gray New York afternoon.

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.

It's almost time to toss 2025 to the curb and ring in the new year right with the best New Year's Eve events in NYC. No matter how you’re hoping to ring in 2026—sloppy, sober, laid-back or buckwild—we’ve got the NYE celebration for you. 

So don your festive getups and get ready for a night of New Year’s Eve fireworks, amazing dinners and more first-of-the-year festivities with this roundup of the best attractions and events for ringing in the New Year.

Martin Luther King Day has served as a reminder to honor the doctor's legacy to the causes of civil rights, nonviolent opposition and community service since it was first observed nationwide in January of 1986. If you plan to celebrate, NYC hosts many events and tributes honoring the man with a dream.

Hope for snow, and if the flakes actually fall, pretend your a kid again and go sledding! Some of the best NYC parks (in all five boroughs) offer great hills for thrill seekers. After having a playful day throwing snowball fights and sliding down those slippery slopes until you become a snowperson, take us up on our recommendations for watering holes where you can grab a drink and warm up afterward.

This time of year, when sweaters replace ceiling fans and we’re already eyeing our coats, gathering around a contained flame sounds more idyllic than ever. Whether they’re in a dive, a cocktail spot or a cold weather rooftop, these are the best fireplace bars in NYC.  

Ice skating in NYC is one of the city’s most beloved seasonal traditions. While some skating rinks are open year-round, ice skating in the winter — especially around the holidays — is a special treat that will warm your soul with the spirit of the season. The iconic rink at Rockefeller Center and the Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park are bursting with holiday cheer (and fab food and drinks), while low-key rinks offer a more chill experience. 

You'll want to spend a couple of hours inside the NYPL to see every item of its collection within "The Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures." The artifacts on view span 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...just wow! 

Tucked away inside New York’s top-notch restaurants, bars and coffee shops are some of the best nooks to relax in. From fancy drinks dens with warm, winter cocktails to neighborhood bars with roaring fireplaces, these are the coziest bars and restaurants in New York. Leave the cold behind.