Fodor's Expert Review Museum of the City of New York

The city's present, past, and future are explored through visually engaging exhibits on subjects such as architecture, fashion, history, pop culture and politics in a Georgian Colonial-Revival building designed for the museum in the 1930s along 5th Avenue's Museum Mile. The award-winning, ongoing exhibition New York at Its Core explores the sweeping and diverse facets of the city's 400-year history through artifacts, photographs, archival film, and interactive digital experiences. Don't miss Timescapes, a 28-minute media projection that innovatively illustrates New York's physical expansion and population changes (free headsets available with translations in French, Spanish, and Mandarin), or Activist New York, an ongoing exploration of the city's history of social activism. You can also find New York–centric lectures, films, family programming and self-guided and curated tours here. The on-site Chalsty's Café serves sweet treats, savory snacks, breakfast, and lunch, and the Museum Shop is a great place to pick up a Big Apple souvenir. After your visit, cross the street and stroll through the Vanderbilt Gate to enter the Conservatory Garden, one of Central Park's gems.