840 Best Sights in New York, USA

Every August you can watch giant puppets and imaginative spectacles unfold before the Esopus Creek in Tina Chorvas Waterfront Park. You'll be dazzled once the sun goes down and local puppeteers transform the park into an otherworldly extravaganza.

Started in 1940 as an attempt by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia to corral street pushcarts and vendors (and thereby get them off the streets), the Essex Street Market was defined early on by the Jewish and Italian immigrants of the Lower East Side and went through several incarnations. The latest and most exciting is the wholesale move from its original location on the northeast corner of Delancey and Essex Streets, across the street to the southeast corner, trading in a windowless and cramped space for one spread over three levels, including a light-filled atrium and plenty of seating. Although many of the vendors selling meat, fish, cheeses (vegan and dairy), produce, bread, pastries, and coffee, tacos, and tajines remain—as does the eccentric Shopsin's restaurant—there are many new shops and restaurants.

Jackson Pollock and Andrew Wyeth works are part of the collection of more than 8,000 objects at the Everson, which was designed by architect I.M. Pei. Kids have their own gallery.

The 10 acres on which this museum is set have been dedicated to farming in one way or another since the days of James Fenimore Cooper. Stone structures that were once part of an actual farm now contain permanent and changing exhibits on agriculture, homemaking, and other aspects of farm life. Docents in period costumes mill about a village created with buildings that date from the 18th and 19th centuries and were moved here from several upstate communities. You can also inspect the livestock in the barns, wander through vegetable patches and herb gardens, and play with such historic toys as stilts and hoops and sticks. The museum celebrates a harvest weekend every year around mid-September.

It's a museum now, but this Federal Hall is monumental as the "birthplace of American Government." George Washington was sworn in here as the first president of the United States, in 1789—you can even view the bible Washington used to swear his oath (on the first floor). The museum covers 400 years of New York City's history, with a focus on the life and times of what is now the city's Financial District. You can spot the building easily—it was modeled on the Parthenon, and a 12½-foot-tall statue of George Washington stands proudly on its (south-facing) stately steps.

With its imposing mix of sandstone, limestone, and ironwork, the Federal Reserve looks the way a bank ought to: strong and impregnable. The gold ingots in the subterranean vaults here are worth roughly $350 billion—reputedly a third of the world's gold reserves. Tours of the building's museum and gold vault are open only to school groups as of this writing, but check the website for updates.

Native, folk, fine, and decorative American art is displayed in a brick neoclassical mansion that dates from the 1930s. Paintings of landscapes and everyday scenes enlighten you on what this country was like in the 19th century. Sculptor John H. I. Browere's (1792–1834) bronze busts were made from life masks, so they truly depict such luminaries as Thomas Jefferson and Dolley and James Madison. Furniture, portraits, other artifacts shed light on James Fenimore Cooper and his family. Traveling exhibits are eclectic: one that explored the history of high-heeled shoes was held concurrently with another that had paintings of America's Western frontier. Photography and modern works by contemporary artists have been showcased, and so have Norman Rockwell illustrations. There's also an ever-changing roster of lectures, specialty tours, and book signings. The café, open during museum hours, serves tasty salads, soups, and other light fare.

Reuben Fenton, governor of New York from 1865 to 1869, had this brick Italianate mansion built in 1863. It contains Victorian period rooms (some quite ornate) and exhibits showcasing the history of Chautauqua Lake, the life and career of Lucille Ball, and Jamestown's Swedish and Italian communities. Also of interest are the archival and genealogical library and the Civil War exhibits.

The limestone-and-shale Fillmore Glen State Park, 17 mi south of Auburn, has five waterfalls and a stream-fed, stone-walled swimming pool. Named for the nation's 13th president, the park also has a replica of the cabin where Millard Fillmore was born. (The actual site is 5 mi east.)

The Finger Lakes Wine Center, on the Sonnenberg Gardens' grounds in a building near the parking lot, has a tasting room with a rotating selection of wines and sells wines and specialty foods from throughout the Finger Lakes region.

The 168-foot-tall lighthouse—Long Island's tallest—marks the western end of the Fire Island National Seashore. The black-and-white-striped beauty, built in 1858, replaced the original 1826 lighthouse which, at 74 feet tall, was deemed too short to be effective. Tours of the tower are offered; call for tour times and reservations. On clear days Manhattan skyscrapers are visible from the top of the lighthouse, a climb up 192 winding steps. Many events are held here throughought the year, including family adventures and scavenger hunts, nature walks, ghost tours in October, and flying Santa in December. To get to the lighthouse, park on the east side of Field 5 of Robert Moses State Park and then walk ¾ mile following the marked trail.

Stretching 32 miles from the Fire Island Lighthouse, the seashore is accessible via a boardwalk from Robert Moses State Park in the west to Smith Point County Park to the east. A barrier island on Long Island's South Shore, Fire Island National Seashore offers endless opportunities for sightseeing, hiking, and wildlife viewing on nature trails as well as sunbathing or swimming on its long stretches of pristine sandy beaches. Barrett Beach/Talisman, a quiet, secluded beach around the midpoint of the island, is accessible by private boat or charter.

Outdoor education programs, ¼- to 2-mi hiking and skiing trails, a wildlife garden, and an exhibit center with animals are at this 400-acre preserve 10 mi southwest of downtown. You can picnic on the grounds.

stretches for 1,600 feet on Northport Bay and includes a boardwalk, playground, and summer lifeguards.

You may walk along peaceful woodland trails lined with native flora and fauna at this National Historic Landmark and important archaeological site. The fort dates to at least the early 1600s and is largely intact. At the visitor center a volunteer can explain exhibits about the Native American Corchaug tribe, who built the fort, and the early colonial settlers. Family and children's events are held here regularly.

Some of Auburn's most famous residents are buried at Fort Hill, an outstanding example of the parklike burial grounds resulting from the rural-cemetery movement of the early 1800s. Rising over a middle-class residential and commercial neighborhood near downtown, Fort Hill is a great place for a quiet walk under giant trees and for views of the city. Among those buried here are William H. Seward, who served in the cabinets of two U.S. presidents; Harriet Tubman, who liberated hundreds of slaves; and Captain Myles Keogh, who fought (and died) alongside General George Custer at Little Big Horn.

Scene of a 1777 Revolutionary War battle for the Hudson River, this fort (well, its foundation at least) is still visible on the 14½-acre site, which is on a cliff with stunning Hudson River views. The museum holds artifacts, weapons, a 15 minute film, and large-scale models reenacting the historic battle. To get to the site from New York City, take the Palisades Parkway north to Route 9W north and proceed just over ½ mile. The parking area is on the right.

In 1758, during the French and Indian Wars, the British built a fort here to protect the strategic Oneida Carrying Place—a 1-mi-long area between the Mohawk River and Oneida Lake where boats had to be carried. It was part of the route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. A path here allows you to walk part of the Oneida Carrying Place. The British eventually abandoned the fort, which the American rebels took over at the start of the Revolutionary War. The fort came under attack by British forces, Tories, and their Indian allies for three weeks in August 1777, but the rebels were able to fend off the siege. The structure you see today is a reconstruction of that fort, which suffered a major fire and destructive floods after the Revolution.

The fort, built alongside Lake Champlain by the French (in 1755–58), was originally named Fort Carillon. It was captured by the British in 1759 and renamed Fort Ticonderoga. The colonists took over in 1775, but only until 1777, when the British managed to place cannons atop Mt. Defiance, which overlooks the fort. You may drive up to the summit of Mt. Defiance and take in the views of the fort, the valley, and Lake Champlain. The fort presents living-history demonstrations, including cannon drills, musket firings, and fife-and-drum performances in July and August. Permanent exhibits include weapons and Revolutionary War artifacts. Thirty-minute guided tours with costumed interpreters are available. The grounds also encompass several gardens (open daily 10–4 from June to Columbus Day).

A former military site, this section of the Rockaway peninsula is still dotted with intriguing detritus. Two brutalist concrete batteries—Battery Harris West and Battery Harris East—are covered in graffiti and overgrown plant life, making for astonishing sights and choice photo backdrops. There are also two other batteries buried beneath the sand, as well as an underground missile silo, but you'll largely have to imagine what those looked like as they're blocked by a tall chain-link fence. Thanks to its relative inaccessibility (you really need a car, or be prepared to take a long subway ride followed by a bus), the beach itself remains blissfully empty for much of the year. Amenities: toilets. Best for: swimming; solitude.

Turned over to the National Park Service in 1994, this 226-acre historical military site on the Narrows of New York Harbor was on defense from the Revolutionary War to World War II. Today, it's the starting point of the New York Marathon each November, and makes for a relaxed summertime hangout, with views of Battery Weed and the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Tours and events are ongoing but irregular, so make sure to check their website's calendar beforehand.

Join New Yorkers cyling, strolling, playing tennis, picnicking, and in summer, partying in droves on the lively and scenic stretch of park that runs from West 155th Street alongside the Hudson River under the George Washington Bridge (G.W.B.) and up to Dyckman Street in Inwood. The park offers unique views of Manhattan, and spectacular views of the bridge and the tree-filled cliffs of New Jersey Palisades across the way. The Little Red Lighthouse, a beloved local icon (and popular photo op) made famous in a children's storybook—The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge, written by Hildegarde Swift and Lynd Ward in 1942—is the island of Manhattan's last remaining lighthouse.  If you don't want to walk along the river from 155th Street and just want to visit the lighthouse and linger in the park under the G.W.B., enter the park at 181st Street. You can also grab a CitiBike on 181st Street.

The "fort" here is actually a reconstruction of the 1755 original, which was built by the British, used in the French and Indian War, and written about in James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans. The complex encompasses barracks, dungeons, and an example of an Iroquois longhouse, as well as artifacts recovered from the original fort site, which is nearby. Tours, led by guides dressed in 18th-century military garb, start on the hour; demonstrations include the firing of muskets and cannons. Ghost tours of the museum and Lake George are also available on Friday and Saturday nights.

Some of the region's best wines are produced at this winery, opened in 1990 in a converted Civil War–era dairy barn on the shores of Seneca Lake. All the wines are winners, but the Rieslings, gewürtztraminer, and dry reds are particularly notable. In 2008, Fox Run was the first New York State winery in 22 years to be chosen as one of the top 100 wineries in the world by Wine and Spirits magazine. Tours are given every hour on the hour (weather permitting) until 4 pm. A café serves homemade soups, salads, and sandwiches, prepared fresh daily by the CIA-trained chef; all of Fox Run's wines are available by the glass in the café. Note: it has an address in Penn Yan, but is actually closer to Geneva.

Vassar was the first college in the United States to have an art gallery, and that gallery eventually grew into the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, housed in a 1993 Cesar Pelli building. The center's collections include more than 19,000 works, from Egyptian and Asian relics to 19th- and 20th-century paintings. Highlights are the Warburg Collection of Old Masters prints and several significant Hudson River School paintings donated by Matthew Vassar.

The contains galleries large enough for oversize works and innovative installations, a 150-seat presentation room, and multimedia classrooms for lectures and film screenings. The rooftop is the setting for summer concerts.

With a walking and biking path extending from Fort Wadsworth 2½ miles southwest to Miller Field, this Atlantic Ocean–facing city park is one of New York City’s four spacious beachfront areas. Not just for sunbathing or a dip in the ocean on a hot summer day, it also has a skate park, a seasonal snack stand, a fishing pier, and numerous sports fields. About three-quarters of the way down—easily accessible by seasonal bike rental—the Turtle Fountain at Midland Beach is a fun stop for photos.

Designed by Louis Kahn, this triangular-shaped park, at Roosevelt Island's southernmost tip, is a public memorial to FDR and honors his 1941 State of the Union address emphasizing the universal freedoms of speech, worship, and freedom from want and fear. A large stone inscribed with this portion of his speech and a bronze bust of the president by sculptor Jo Davidson are on view here. Venture up a 100-foot-wide staircase or along the linden-tree aligned paved walkways going toward a three-sided open-air chamber. Here, the skyline views of Manhattan and Queens's Long Island City neighborhood are rewardingly photogenic.