840 Best Sights in New York, USA

Take a 1½-hour sightseeing cruise around the Great South Bay on this 149-passenger paddlewheeler. The boat features an air calliope with player piano, so you can cruise with a tune. Reservations are recommended.

The star attraction at Deno's is the towering 150-foot-tall Wonder Wheel, a New York City landmark. The Ferris wheel first opened in 1920, making it the oldest ride in Coney Island, and the spectacular views from the top take in a long stretch of the shoreline. Higher speed thrills come from the Phoenix, the harrowing, inverted steel-track roller coaster. For the tots, there's the Pony Carts and a brightly painted carousel. Older kids will appreciate Stop the Zombies, a virtual-reality arcade game.

Once the grounds of the Domino Sugar Factory, this riverside park tastefully incorporates clunky metal remnants of its refinery past, including its Artifact Walk, an elevated walkway with Manhattan skyline views. There's also a playground, a garden, dancing fountains, and Tacocina, a walk-up eatery from Danny Meyer of Shake Shack fame. You’ll see locals at the bocce court or playing with their pooches at the dog run, but most of all, you’ll marvel at a truly spectacular view of the Williamsburg Bridge, seemingly right above your head.

Many consider Dr. Frank's the best wine in the Finger Lakes. The winery, overlooking Keuka Lake, was started in the early 1960s and is run by the grandson of the founder. A Ukrainian immigrant, Dr. Frank was a pioneer in growing classic European grapes in the region. Cabernet francs, Rieslings, pinot noirs, and chardonnays (all European, or vinifera, varietals) are among Dr. Frank's offerings. The Rieslings are excellent, and the pinot noirs are really coming into their own. Also look for rkatsiteli (ar-kat-si-tel-lee), a spicy wine made from an Eastern European grape.

At this nonprofit organization, the focus is on drawings—contemporary and historical. The frequently changing exhibits often push the envelope on what's considered drawing so there's usually some thought-provoking material. Many projects are commissioned by the center.

Drew Barrymore’s upbeat talk show launched in 2020 and covers everything from lifestyle segments to celebrity interviews. There are often tickets available last minute, making it one of the easiest TV shows to attend without advance planning. Reserve online for one of two tapings—10 am or 2 pm—Tuesday to Thursday. Audience members must be 18 or older; 16 years or older if attending with a parent or legal guardian.

A Normandy-style château sits on 56 acres of grapevines here. Special events include live music, either on the patio overlooking the vineyard or in the tasting room, on weekends in summer and fall, as well as complimentary hot mulled wine on December weekends. If you like sweet wine, try the Aphrodite late-harvest for a real treat.

Look under and around the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn–Queens Expressway (near the staircase to the Brooklyn Bridge walkway) for colorful murals by the likes of Apolo Torres, Craig Anthony Miller, and Sophia Dawson—all sponsored by the DUMBO Improvement District and the NYC Department of Transportation Urban Art Program.

A beacon in the dark since 1826, this lighthouse still operates every night, using a Fresnel lens dating from an 1875 update, when the brick surround was built. (The 1826 structure is still intact inside.) On the first floor of the keeper's house are nautical history exhibits and rooms showing how the keeper and his family would have lived; the second floor is the veterans museum. Coast Guard boats on display include a 45-foot buoy tender. You can take a guided tour up to the tower.

The 150-acre park, on a bluff overlooking Niagara Gorge, is dedicated to the performing and visual arts, but also has historic sights, such as an American Indian burial mound dating from AD 140. You can fish, hike, and picnic in the park. Summer brings a slew of family-oriented events and activities.

A former Long Island Rail Road passenger terminal contains exhibits about lighthouses, ships, East End shipbuilding, and yacht racing. The museum also hosts events, including the annual Maritime Festival. Several times throughout the season, for an additional fee, you can take a 6-hour day cruise or a 3- to 5-hour sunset cruise passing by 4 to 6 lighthouses and stopping to visit the historic "Bug" lighthouse. There's also a separate 1½-hour excursion that goes only to the "Bug."

Keeping history alive and thriving in East Hampton, the society operates several local museums near stately Main Street. The society's headquarters are in the circa-1740 Osborn-Jackson House, a period museum. The 1784 Clinton Academy (tours scheduled upon request) was the town's first preparatory academy for young men and women. Dating from approximately 1731, Town House is the only remaining town government building from colonial times. It's also the oldest surviving one-room schoolhouse on Long Island. The circa-1680 Mulford Farm, complete with a farmhouse and barn, hosts several wonderful programs each year, including a Colonial Kids Club, A Day in 1776, and various colonial reenactments. Each year the farm plants Rachel's Garden with heirloom flowers and vegetables. The Marine Museum has three floors of exhibits devoted to East Hampton maritime history, including the eerie Shipwreck Hall. The tiny and elegantly restored Hook Schoolhouse, a Georgian frame building, has been moved around the village since its construction almost two and a quarter centuries ago. It was saved from destruction by the society and now sits behind town hall. Call the society or visit the website for a complete list of activities at all the sites.

Cherished by residents for its grassy knolls and superb Manhattan views, this park contains vestiges of the 19th-century dock that once occupied these 7 acres. On Saturday, more than a hundred vendors sell artisanal goods at the Smorgasburg open-air market (see Chapter 8, Park Slope and Prospect Park, for full listing). The park can get crowded on summer weekends, so don't be surprised if you find yourself scavenging for an open patch of grass.

Although American author and poet Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, his final home was a cottage in the village of Fordham—now a neighborhood of the Bronx—where he lived with his young wife Virginia and her mother Maria Clemm. The 19th-century cottage has since been moved to a small green space now known as Poe Park, where it was restored and opened to the public in 2011 for literary and history buffs. You can learn all about the macabre writer who popularized the word "nevermore" with an audio tour by the Bronx County Historical Society.

Opened in 2020, Edge is the gleaming observation deck at the Hudson Yards development, and at 1,131 feet, it is the highest outdoor sky deck in the western hemisphere. Its angular floor juts out 80 feet from the tower's summit, wrapped in a clear wall, with a section of clear floor to watch the street traffic 100 stories below. The views here are a 360-degree panorama overlooking Central Park, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and beyond. A staircase connects Floors 100 and 101, home to a gift shop and champagne bar (you can take your beverage outside and sit on the observatory's steps). Floor 101's posh Peak restaurant and cocktail bar is spectacular for a magical dining experience, with an outstanding menu; plus deck access is included for dining guests. Weekends bring special lounge DJs nights and live performances. Besides regular adult timed tickets, there are packages with extras, such as the Flex Pass ($60), which includes flexible-arrival-time tickets and a digital souvenir photo. For $185, courageous visitors can harness in and join City Climb, an outdoor aerial-walk experience that leans out over the 1,200-foot-high edge.

The impressive stable of 20th-century photographers represented and shown here includes Sally Mann, Robert Polidori, Bill Brandt, Lalla Essaydi, Herb Ritts, Mona Kuhn, and Elliott Erwitt. The gallery also has prints by masters Dorothea Lange and Diane Arbus. Along with focusing on vintage photographs from 1917 to 1939, the gallery has extended to featuring an exclusive circle of contemporary photographers such as Annie Leibovitz.

El barrio, Spanish for "the neighborhood," is the nickname for East Harlem, a largely Spanish-speaking community; the museum, on the edge of this neighborhood, focuses on Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean art. Founded in 1969, the museum's permanent collection of more than 8,500 objects is highlighted through evolving themes, including women, African and Indigenous artists, Latinx representation and more. Art and crafts from Latin America are prominent. One highlight is the over 300 santos, carved wooden folk-art figures from Puerto Rico. El Teatro, formerly the Heckscher Children's Theater, has stunning 30-foot murals and stained-glass roundels. The museum's events include lectures, films, festivals and parties for Latin and Caribbean holidays, including a Three Kings Day parade.

A 1910 Craftsman bungalow contains furniture, glass pieces, books, and other items related to the Roycroft movement and its founder, Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915). A writer and frequent lecturer, Hubbard died along with his wife aboard the Lusitania.

An unpretentious cottage, Val-Kill was first a retreat and later the full-time residence for Eleanor Roosevelt. A biographical film, First Lady of the World, is shown at the site. The property encompasses 180 acres of trails and gardens. It's also the location of Val-Kill Industries, Eleanor's attempt to prevent farm workers from relocating to the city for employment; reproductions of early American furniture, pewter, and weavings were produced here.

Meander through the terraced sculpture garden, past the babbling brook, several inspired birdhouses, and other delightful art objects to the studio of Elena Zang and Alan Hoffman, creators of minimalist functional pottery. Down the hill is the gallery space, where blond-wood floors and an infusion of light set off the contemporary art on the walls.

The meticulously restored Elizabeth Cady Stanton House is where one of American feminism's most important leaders shaped social reform as she raised seven children. Stanton's feminist colleague, Susan B. Anthony of Rochester, was a guest in the house. A tour helps you to understand Stanton's charisma and power. The house, a mile east of the Declaration Park and visitor center (across the canal), is open early March through mid-December, with tours daily at 11:15 and 2:15 and more frequently in summer.

One of the most unexpected attractions in the Catskills, this darkened 56-foot grain silo houses an enormous walk-in kaleidoscope (certified the world's largest by the Guinness Book of World Records) designed by award-winning kaleidoscope artist Charles Karadimos with the imagery-based video designed by psychedelic artist Isaac Abrams and his son Raphael. After you take in the visual and sound experience at the silo, wander through the gift shop where you can purchase a kaleidoscope of your own, and then out to the cobblestone courtyard of this retail complex, where upscale boutiques sell clothing, furniture, and antiques.

Cruise through aviation history via dioramas, models, photos, and interactive displays at the Schenectady County Airport, near the spot where Charles Lindbergh landed in 1928. Take a ride in the simulated-flight reality vehicle, or get an up-close look at dozens of restored aircraft, which are parked all around the 27-acre site and include an F-14A Tomcat. In September, a museum-sponsored air show roars over the city.

Highlights at this water park include a tidal-wave pool and a multiperson tube ride called the Amazon. The Black River waterslide and the Bombay Blaster chutes have you gliding through darkness. The complex includes traditional amusement rides and themed areas such as Story Book Lane for the younger set. Circus shows are offered twice daily.

Canal-history tours aboard the Lil' Diamond, a 36-passenger motorboat, take you from the docks at the Gems Along the Mohawk retail complex through Lock 18 and back. The tour takes about two hours, and the season runs from May to early October.

Orient yourself to Syracuse and the region by watching the introductory film in the museum theater. Then make your way to a replica canal boat in a circa-1850 building where real canal boats were weighed when the Erie was a major player in U.S. commerce. A re-created general store, an 1800s canal office, and a postal area are interspersed with exhibits about Syracuse musician Libba Cotten and others who shaped the region.