840 Best Sights in New York, USA

The Durham Reservoir, 20 mi of trails, and a series of ponds make this park a favorite place for such warm-weather activities as picnicking, swimming, fishing, hiking, and biking. In winter, cross-country skiers, snowshoers, and snowmobilers hit the trails, and ice-skaters take to the frozen water. The park is off Route 2 east of Troy.

You can't enter this private park, but a look through the bars of its surrounding wrought-iron fence and a stroll around its perimeter are worth your time. The beautifully planted, 2-acre park—designed by developer Samuel B. Ruggles and flanked by grand examples of early-19th-century architecture—dates from 1831 and is permeated with the character of its many celebrated occupants.

When Ruggles bought the property, it went by the Dutch name Krom Moerasje (little crooked swamp). He drained the swamp and set aside 42 lots for a park to be accessible exclusively to those who bought the surrounding lots in his planned, London-style residential square. In 1966, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated Gramercy Park a historic district. The park is still owned by residents of the buildings surrounding it (who have keys), although neighbors can now buy visiting privileges.

Grand Lady Cruises offers two- and three-hour cruises on the upper Niagara River above the falls. Lunch, dinner, and themed cruises also are available, beginning in May, as are charters.

The Federal-style house was completed in 1816 by Gideon Granger, postmaster general for presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. It contains what's known as a flying staircase, and its nine rooms have hand-carved woodwork and many of the original furnishings and paintings. Free guided daily tours are available. The carriage house displays 93 horse-drawn vehicles, including an undertaker's hearse. The many annual events include a Civil War encampment in September and a Festival of Trees in November and December. The museum runs 45-minute narrated carriage tours of Canandaigua on Friday and Sunday, June through September. The trips cost $20, and reservations are required. Weather permitting, sleigh rides are offered on Sunday at 1 pm, January–March.

The centerpiece of the 8½-acre Graycliff estate is the two-story main house, built circa 1926. Its cantilevered balconies take advantage of its position atop a 70-foot-cliff overlooking Lake Erie. The estate is undergoing an extensive multiphase, multiyear restoration. The property is about 18 mi south of Buffalo.

Sagamore Lodge and the 26 adjoining buildings that make up Great Camp Sagamore were built in the late 1800s by William West Durant, a prominent Adirondack figure. Designed in a Swiss-chalet style, the lodge was built with native spruce, cedar, and granite, and its rustic style set a precedent among the well-heeled set with retreats in the area. Bought and expanded by the Vanderbilt family in the early 1900s, Sagamore is now owned and run by a nonprofit organization that sponsors meetings, seminars, and classes, and rents rooms by the night or week. Classes and activities include canoeing, rustic furniture making, mosaic twig decoration, and mountain music. Tours (reservations required) take you to a blacksmith shop, furniture shop, icehouse, and livestock buildings, as well as to the main lodge. The camp is about 30 mi southwest of Blue Mountain Lake.

Six roller coasters are among the 125-plus rides at this theme park. The water-park area (open Memorial Day through Labor Day) includes labyrinthine slides, a 25,000-square-foot wave pool, and a raft ride with waterfalls and water bombs. Shows include a high-dive act.

The truly great 14-acre oval has endured billions of footsteps, thousands of ball games, hundreds of downpours, scores of concerts including regular events by the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera, the annual Global Citizen concert of superstars, and even the crush of people attending one papal Mass. The lawn and adjoining Turtle Pond are located on the site of a former reservoir for the 19th-century Croton Aqueduct system, which was filled in early in the 20th century. Yet it's the stuff of a suburbanite's dream—perfectly tended turf (a mix of rye and Kentucky bluegrass), state-of-the-art drainage systems, automatic sprinklers, and careful horticultural monitoring. The area hums with action on weekends and most summer evenings, when its softball fields and picnicking grounds provide a popular and much-needed outlet for city folk (and city dogs) of all ages, just as the Sheep Meadow does a bit farther south in the park. Although Central Park is dog-friendly, dogs must be on a leash.

This small urban oasis gives off a sense of tranquility with a 25-foot-high cascading waterfall set within sculpted granite blocks, a grouping of honey locust trees, evergreen plantings, a raised terrace, an outdoor café, and seating areas. When needed, the park's attendants gives reminders of such visitor rules as no smoking, tripods, bicycles, or pets allowed. The park, which opened in 1971 and was designed by landscape architect Hideo Sasaki, is closed during winter months.

A single-story board-and-batten farm building constructed with logs from the property contains a sap house and cider mill. You can buy tangy apple cider, cider doughnuts, homemade pies, and maple syrup. If you bring your own apples, the Powell-Wagner family will happily custom press them for you. You can tour the premises by calling ahead.

Landmarked in 1982, this historic district is lined with beautiful town houses. The area extends roughly from Calyer Street north to Kent Street, between Manhattan Avenue and Franklin Street. The brick homes date from the 1850s, when Greenpoint was a hub for shipbuilding and manufacturing. Walking along Franklin Street on a quiet morning is like stepping into an Edward Hopper painting.

Pick your own asparagus, peas, berries, apples, and pumpkins at this local farm spread across 100 acres of rural farmland. The Hudson Valley Farmer's Market, where you can get local produce, baked goods, cheese, meats, and wine is held here every Saturday from 10 to 3, from early May to mid-October.

A tour of the vineyard and winery includes the Greyton H. Taylor Wine Museum, which focuses on 18th-century wine-making equipment.

More than 200 sculptures by prominent local, national, and international artists are displayed in a variety of natural settings at this 400-acre park. Kids enjoy touching and climbing on the pieces, which actually is allowed here. About 10 mi of hiking trails vein the park, which is 7 mi north of Ellicottville. Ask for directions at your hotel or bring a map of the area, as it's a bit off the beaten path.

Changing exhibitions at this fine-arts museum and cultural center focus on regional artists, and the museum offers an array of childrens programs and educational programs for all ages. The John Drew Theater presents several stage productions a year, and also hosts concerts, film festivals, lectures, and readings.

Catching Hamilton on Broadway isn't the only way to learn about the famed Founding Father. Alexander Hamilton and his wife raised eight kids in this Federal-style country home, which he called his "sweet project." Once located on Hamilton's 32 acres, the Grange, named after his father's childhood home in Scotland, has moved three times since it was built in 1802. It now stands in St. Nicholas Park and gives a lesson in Hamilton's life, from his birth in the West Indies and his appointment as the nation's first Secretary of the Treasury to his authorship of The Federalist Papers and his death following a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr. The house's ground floor, formerly servants' quarters, hosts an interactive exhibit that includes a short film on Hamilton's life. Tours include views of the parlor, study, dining room, and two guest rooms. Note the beautiful piano, which belonged to his daughter, Angelica.

To envision this neighborhood's Harlem Renaissance days, walk down tree-lined Convent Avenue and cross over to Hamilton Terrace to see a time capsule of elegant stone row houses in mint condition. One of the neighborhood's most beautiful blocks, it's popular with film and TV crews. The Hamilton Grange National Memorial, founding father Alexander Hamilton's Federal-style mansion, is located at the southern end of the block, on 141st Street. Turn west and continue down Convent Avenue to see the looming Gothic spires (1905) of City College. Next, head east to visit Strivers' Row.

An 1846 red barn overlooking a millpond was purchased in 1860 by David Josiah Hanford, who developed it into a working sawmill and gristmill. By 1898 the mill was supplying East Meredith with electricity, and it remained in operation until 1967, when it became a museum. The still-functional mill, powered by a waterwheel, is open for daily tours. The grounds include nature trails, a gallery space, and a picnic area. You can try your hand at ice harvesting during the annual Winter Ice Harvest, when period tools are used to cut ice from the frozen pond. The ice is then loaded onto a bobsled and stored until July 4, when it's used to make ice cream.

Overlooking the track is this museum and hall of fame dedicated to harness racing. Exhibits include a three-dimensional racing simulator, prints, and paintings. Original track stables house some of the displays.

Now part of the National Park Service's Harriet Tubman National Historical Park, the property's simple white clapboard house is where, beginning in 1890, Harriet Tubman tended to elderly African-Americans; the adjacent brick house served as her primary residence. Before Emancipation, Tubman led more than 300 slaves to freedom in the North. At the encouragement of William Seward, an abolitionist who served in two presidential cabinets, she settled in Auburn in the late 1850s. Seward and his family lived on the same road, a mile closer to town. The grounds are open for self-guided tours; house tours are given twice-daily (reservations are not required but are encouraged).

The vast 36,000-square-foot space is an ideal venue for sprawling exhibits and large-scale art projects, unlike its narrow Upper East Side town house or spare SoHo space. Some of the contemporary artists, both established and emerging, include Amy Sherald, George Condo, Cindy Sherman, and Mark Bradford.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the home of First Colonial Congress member William Havens was built in 1743. The Shelter Island Historical Society maintains a museum here—seven rooms with period furnishings, as well as a barn with antique fishing equipment. Kids’ programs are hosted here, and there's a Saturday morning farmers’ market.

The museum, a wonderful example of beaux-arts architecture two blocks from downtown Huntington, houses more than 1,800 paintings, sculptures, and drawings. The permanent collection spans more than five centuries of European and American art, including Georgia O'Keeffe's Machu Picchu (Peruvian Landscape) and contemporary work by artist Olafur Eliasson. The museum also hosts impressive traveling exhibits. It's on the grounds of pleasant Heckscher Park, which has a playground, pond, tennis courts, and a band shell.

An institution on the North Fork since 1976, this casual yet lovely restaurant (definitely more than a snack bar) offers beautifully prepared authentic Greek specialties and fresh, local fish such as fluke—and the homemade lemonade is heavenly. The appetizer platter overflows with favorites like spinach pie, souvlaki (kebabs), and tzatziki (a yogurt-cucumber based sauce). Try the saganaki (broiled Greek cheese with lemon), for something different. For dessert, try the hard-to-pronounce but delicious galaktobouriko (custard pie with phyllo pastry). It's open from 7 or 8 am and closes at 9, 9:30, or 10 pm, depending on the day and season.

If you eat outside, you may want to bring bug spray.

Within the visitor center is the which presents various shows and lectures. The star-sighting program, an interactive show, is held the second Saturday of each month at 1 pm.

Cornell University's I.M. Pei–designed Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art houses more than 30,000 works of art: American and European impressionist paintings, some contemporary pieces, and an extensive collection of Asian art and artifacts. But the most stunning sight here may well be the unforgettable views of Cayuga Lake. The museum is open 10–5 Tuesday through Sunday; entry is free.

Upstairs at the 1834 is a large dollhouse assemblage.