358 Best Sights in New York City, New York

Occupying almost an entire city block between Broadway and Riverside Drive East on 155th Street in upper Manhattan, the Hispanic Society Museum & Library, a repository of an extraordinarily rich collection of more than half a million items relating to the art and cultures of the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking world, opened to the public for the first time in six years in early 2023. Founded in 1904 as a museum for Spanish and Portuguese art, with Goya’s Dutchess of Alba (1797) as a major draw of the collection, the museum reopened with a mission to connect the Society to the art of the 20th and 21st centuries and to its Latino neighborhood of Washington Heights. The Dutchess of Alba is still here, and still a big draw in the arcaded, Spanish Renaissance--style Main Court, which features luscious terra-cotta details. Other highlights include the Sorolla Vision of Spain Gallery housing 14 monumental paintings from the Valencian master painter Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, and the Upper Terrace, an open-air space that looks out over the bronze equestrian statue of El Cid and other fine sculptures. Renovations to the museum continue and will include a visitor center and an education center.

New York City's only living-history museum is like a small-scale version of Virginia's Colonial Williamsburg. This 100-acre village, constructed from the 1670s to the early 19th century, was the site of Staten Island's original county seat. Thirteen of the site's 30 historic buildings (28 landmarked) are open to the public. During Open Village season (May–August), you can wander town to encounter historical interpreters in period dress demonstrating Early American crafts and trades such as tinsmithing, broom making, and basket making, or talking politics in the village tavern. During the cold months when most reenactors are on hiatus, guided tours are still available for a few buildings, along with the Historical Museum, built in 1848, housing thousands of Staten Island artifacts within the nine galleries.

Run by Kathy Grayson, the art-world It girl and former director of the highly influential Deitch Projects, this contemporary-arts gallery usually hosts several shows a month. The artists lean more toward the up-and-coming rather than the establishment, and it's pretty much always worth stopping in to the space for a short but entertaining stroll.

It's hard to miss the giant mural on the northwest corner of Houston Street and the Bowery, though the artwork itself is constantly changing. It started back in 1982, when Keith Haring, along with his pal Juan Dubose, painted what is believed to have been Haring's first large-scale work. Real estate developer and arts visionary Tony Goldman (he's responsible for Miami's Wynwood Walls) acquired the wall in 1984 and used it for advertisements until 2008, when he and art curator Jeffrey Deitch commissioned a tribute to Haring for what would have been the artist's 50th birthday. Since then, an internationally recognized cast of artists have used the concrete as canvas—including Shepard Fairey and Kenny Scharf in 2010, French artist JR in 2011, and Banksy in 2018.

Founded in 1974 by photojournalist Cornell Capa (photographer Robert Capa's brother), ICP continues to put on exhibitions that explore the timely social and political aspects of photojournalism. The institution, which has moved its collection of more than 150,000 original prints—spanning the history of photography, from daguerreotypes to large-scale pigment prints—several times, finally has a permanent home with both education and exhibition spaces. The new building's spacious, second- and third-floor galleries really allow the exhibits to shine. There's a gift shop and small café on the ground floor. It's pay-what-you-wish ($5 minimum) on Thursday night 5 pm–8 pm.

This 7,000-square-foot museum in the heart of Little Italy focuses—as you'd guess from the name—on the Italian American experience and history. There are exhibitions on Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, the first European to sail into New York Harbor (in 1524), and on Italian immigration to New York in the late-19th and early-20th centuries—with some nods to famous Italian Americans along the way. 

After being established in 1984 in Washington, D.C., the Jack Shainman Gallery moved to New York's East Village and then SoHo, landing in Chelsea in 1997. The original 20th Street space has recently been augmented by a massive TriBeCa gallery on Lafayette Street as well as a vast former schoolhouse in New York's Hudson Valley. The galleries all show emerging and established artists such as Nick Cave, El Anatsui, Carrie Mae Weems, Tallur L. N., and Kerry James Marshall.

Atop Lighthouse Hill sits this replica of a tranquil Tibetan monastery so impressive, it's listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Founded by an American collector of Tibetan art, it's partly a museum comprising a temple and a garden, holding her formidable collection of Tibetan and Himalayan sculpture, paintings, and artifacts. It's also an active community center for visitors to mediate, practice yoga or tai chi, or attend other events posted on their website's calendar. Views from their terrace truly transport you to another place, far from an urban center.

This mezzanine-level gallery represents some lofty artists. In addition to tapestries by modern masters like Joan Miró, Sonia Delaunay, and Alexander Calder, this gallery's specialties include works by late-19th- and early-20th-century modern artists like Fernand Leger and Marc Chagall. It is also one of the first gallery dealers for Pablo Picasso's ceramics in the United States. There's also an exhibition space in the neighborhood at  330 East 59th Street. Check the website for seasonal hours.

The stylish, serene lobby of the Japan Society, renovated by renowned artist Hiroshi Sugimoto, features interior gardens with large bonsai trees and Sugimoto sculptures, all complemented by a second-floor waterfall. The 1971 building is a city landmark thanks to its Japanese modernist design by architect Junzo Yoshimura, and its second-floor gallery exhibits works by well-known Japanese artists. Past shows have celebrated contemporary masters including Takashi Murakami, Yoko Ono, and Daido Moriyama. The society's annual performing arts season shares works by established and emerging artists in dance, music, and theater. In July, the museum hosts a film festival, Japan Cuts, showcasing contemporary Japanese cinema.

This popular green space that runs along the East River is undergoing large-scale renovations as the City of New York, in conjunction with the federal government, work on a project to reduce the risks of flooding from storms and sea-level rising. Sections of the park, with its spectacular views of Brooklyn and the Manhattan Bridge, will remain open, but check the website for changing access points. The NYC Ferry dock, located at Corlears Hook, will also remain accessible.

A five-story cast-iron building from 1870, 101 Spring Street was the New York home and studio of minimalist artist Donald Judd. Although SoHo used to be home to many single-use cast-iron buildings, this designated historic building is one of the few that remain. Judd bought it in 1968, and today, guided 75-minute tours (book online, as early as possible, since tours sell out weeks in advance) explore his living and working spaces, offset with art installations arranged prior to his death in 1994. Note that climbing five flights of stairs is required and photos aren’t allowed.

John Oliver's weekly satirical news program on HBO tapes on Saturday, ahead of its 11 pm Sunday air time. Apply early for your preferred date: tickets are released by lottery at 3 pm the Tuesday prior, with preference given to those who have never sat in an audience before. If you miss out on tickets, get in the standby line starting at 3:15 pm. You must be 18 or older to sit in the audience.

Saturday Night Live alum Seth Meyers took the reins as host of Late Night on NBC in 2014, when former host Jimmy Fallon departed for The Tonight Show. Tickets are available online up to two months in advance. Tapings typically run from 4 to 5:15 pm, with check-in starting at 2 pm. On the day of taping, go to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, take the 50 West 50th Street entrance, and proceed up the Grand Stair to the check-in desk. Guests must be 16 or older to be in the audience.

After hosting The Late Show for 22 years, David Letterman passed the torch to former Colbert Report host Stephen Colbert in 2015. Although Colbert's fictional conservative persona did not follow him to his new gig at the Ed Sullivan Theater, his loyal audience did, so expect competition for tickets. The show is usually taped daily at 4:30 pm; check the website and the show's social media for updated details and new ticket releases. You must be 16 or older to sit in the audience.

The highlight of this 26-acre space in Prospect Park is the pair of all-season open-air rinks—for ice-skating when it's frigid, and roller skating otherwise. Walkways, a lakeside esplanade, and the Music Island nature reserve—all part of the original Olmsted and Vaux plans—contribute to this area of the park that's a pleasant place for a stroll, bike or pedal-boat ride, bumper car session, or a bite at its Bluestone Cafe. In the summer, kids can cool off at the splash pad by day, while DJs spin at theme roller-skating nights on weekends by night.

Founded in 1969 in a basement on Prince Street, the museum has its roots in the collection of its founders, Charles Leslie and Fritz Lohman, two lifelong champions of LGBTQ+ artists. The well-curated exhibits in the spacious first-floor galleries are usually photographic (and sometimes sexually charged), though the museum's impressive archive leads to new exhibitions in various media as often as six times a year.

There's no doubt you can find Japanese restaurants and shops all over Manhattan, but the area roughly bounded by East 10th and St. Marks Place (aka East 8th Street), between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, is home to what might be the highest concentration of Japan-style goods and dining spots. You can shop for Japanese groceries, snacks, and prepared food at specialty store H Mart ( 39 3rd Ave.); stop in at tiny storefronts like Cha-An BONBON ( 238A E. 9th St.) for fancy Japanese desserts and teas; and dine at a variety of Japanese curry, ramen, soba, and sushi spots. There's even karaoke at Sing Sing ( 9 St. Marks Pl.).

Sparks fly on this morning program, which books an eclectic roster of guests to chat with hosts Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. Tickets are available online about six weeks in advance. Standby tickets become available weekdays at 7 am at ABC Studios. Children under 10 are not permitted in the audience.

For the last 28 years of his life, the famed jazz musician lived in this modest three-story house with his wife, Lucille. Take a 40-minute guided tour (reservations required in advance; departs on the hour, last tour at 3 pm), which are limited to 10 guests per tour. Note the difference between the rooms vividly decorated by Lucille in charming mid-century style and Louis's dark den, cluttered with phonographs and reel-to-reel tape recorders.

This small city park makes up for its little, albeit picnic-friendly lawn with a scenic pier, offering an unobstructed view of the Statue of Liberty, plus the cargo ships cruising up and down the Hudson River.

Much of the fun here comes from photo opportunities—you're encouraged to pose with and touch the more than 200 realistic replicas of the famous, infamous, and downright super. Croon with Tina Turner and Taylor Swift, swoon to your favorite heartthrob (be it Justin Bieber or Justin Timberlake), strike a fierce pose with RuPaul and Heidi Klum, or enjoy a royal chat with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, aka William and Kate. 

The Marvel 4-D Experience includes wax likenesses of heroes like the Hulk, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, and Thor, as well as a short animated movie shown on a 360-degree screen. Other interactive options include a karaoke café, a celebrity walk down the red carpet, and a Sports Zone where you can see how you measure up to legends like Serena Williams and Lionel Messi. Note that closing hours vary during peak seasons, but the last tickets sold are always one hour prior.

The benches of this elegant, tree-filled park afford great views of some of the city's oldest and most charming skyscrapers—the Flatiron Building, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Tower, the gold-crowned New York Life Insurance Building, and even (to the north) the Empire State Building—and serve as a perfect vantage point for people, pigeon, and dog watching. Add free Wi-Fi, Shake Shack, temporary art exhibits, and free summer and fall concerts, and you realize that a bench here is certainly a special place to be.

New York City's first baseball games were played in this 7-acre park in 1845. On its north end, an 1881 statue by Augustus Saint-Gaudens memorializes Civil War naval hero Admiral David Farragut. An 1876 statue of Secretary of State William Henry Seward (the Seward of the term "Seward's Folly," coined when the United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire in 1867) sits in the park's southwest corner, though it's rumored that the sculptor placed a reproduction of the statesman's head on a statue of Abraham Lincoln's body.