Things to do in New York (State)

Visit SUMMIT, situated at the top of the iconic modern landmark One Vanderbilt. Discover a place which changes our relationship with cities, environment, and ourselves through immersive, multi-sensory experiences. Head off the main concourse of Grand Central Terminal, to learn the story behind its creation. Learn all about an attraction designed with the intention of transcending everyday existence, and engage with space in a fascinating new way. Begin with a sensory stimulating elevator ride to the 91st floor. Be transported into SUMMIT AIR, a new way to see and interact with space designed by Kenzo Digital. Layered with two floors of floor to ceiling mirrors, AIR offers a new perspective as the Manhattan skyline reflects all around you. Next, test your limits at SUMMIT LEVITATION and enjoy the rush of stepping out over the city on two glass ledges suspended 1,063 feet above Madison Avenue. Watch your image float in the clouds across a multi-media screen and get in touch with your playful side in the silver balloon AFFINITY room. Once you reach the 93rd floor, take in the sights and sounds of NYC from another vantage point on the outdoor observation deck. For a more intimate, adult-friendly evening experience, choose to visit SUMMIT during Air at Night. Guests can enjoy access to all areas of the attraction, an LED light show with accompanying vivacious music, and cocktails for purchase at the 93rd floor bar.

Choose between a General Admission ticket to the 86th floor outdoor observation deck or a Combination Ticket with access to the newly renovated 102nd floor, showcasing floor to ceiling windows. You can also upgrade your experience with an Express Ticket. The New Empire State Building Experience not only gives you access to the legendary New York City landmark, allowing you to soar 1,054 foot (320 meters) high and enjoy magnificent 360-degree open-air views of New York City and beyond. You'll also see Grand Staircase with a two-story architectural model of the building and newly renovated interactive galleries that take you on an incredible journey from the building’s construction to its current place in pop culture. Explore the site in the 1920s, Construction, Opening Day, Modern Marvel, Otis Elevators, World’s Most Famous Building, King Kong, and Celebrity exhibits. The 80th Floor also features a range of exciting art exhibits. Be sure to see the building's iconic Art Deco Fifth Avenue lobby. The Empire State Building's 86th Floor Observation Deck is the highest 360-degree open-air observatory in New York, outfitted with heaters to keep the cold at bay. The Empire State Building is more than a spectacular view - it is the most Instagrammed landmark in the USA. Your entrance also includes a downloadable multimedia experience, available in 9 languages. This app also includes videos, image galleries, quizzes, and maps showing nearby points of interest. Be sure to see the building's iconic Art Deco Fifth Avenue lobby as you exit this remarkable building.

Take a 60-minute boat ride to within 100 feet of the Statue of Liberty. Cruise right under the Brooklyn Bridge and see the most famous skyline in the world. Your live English guide will point out the sites as you journey along the river including the Empire State Building, the new Freedom Tower, the Manhattan Bridge, Governor's Island, and more. Make use of both the indoor and outdoor seating, along with large open windows for your viewing pleasure. Get within touching distance of "Lady Liberty" and then move on to Ellis Island to take photos of the famous entry point to New York City. Marvel at the skyline of Manhattan and its famous skyscrapers, including the new One World Trade Center. Glide down both the east and west sides of Lower Manhattan on this roundtrip cruise, and purchase drinks and food from the concession stand aboard the boat. 

Take in a 360-degree panorama of New York from 850 feet (260 m) in the air at the Top of the Rock. Explore 9,500 square feet of unobstructed outdoor viewing space, the most of any New York observatory. Take in the daytime scenery, see the sunset, or admire the city sparkle by night from new heights.  Upon arriving at 30 Rockefeller Center, take time to admire the stunning, shimmering Swarovski chandelier on your way to the mezzanine level. Here is an exhibit where you can see historic artifacts and a short film about Rockefeller Center’s construction during the Great Depression. Head up to the Top in less than 1 minute with a ride up 850 feet (260 m) on the Sky Shuttle. Explore 2 floors with expansive indoor and outdoor viewing areas. Finally top off your visit with breathtaking views of Central Park, Empire State Building, downtown Manhattan, One World Trade Center, and multiple bridges from the completely open-air deck on the 70th-floor.

Pre-book your timed admission and skip the ticket lines to New York City's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), one of the world's most celebrated art museums. The Museum of Modern Art is a place that fuels creativity, challenges minds, and inspires. With extraordinary exhibitions and the world's finest collection of modern and contemporary art, MoMA is dedicated to the conversation between the past and the present, the established and the experimental. MoMA offers a panoramic overview of modern and contemporary art, from the innovative European painting and sculpture of the 1880s to today's film, design, and performance art. Six floors of art galleries in midtown Manhattan include highlights such as Monet's Water Lilies, Van Gogh's The Starry Night, Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, Matisse's Dance (I), and Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans, as well as contemporary work by Elizabeth Murray, Cindy Sherman, Ai Weiwei, and many others. Enjoy exploring the traveling exhibits. From February 20 to July 2, visit the Project of Independence. This exhibition explores the ways modern architecture in the region gave shape and expression to idealist societal visions and emancipatory politics of the post-independence period. From March 13 to August 13, enjoy the Frédéric Bruly Bouabré exhibit, the first in-depth study in the US of this Ivorian artist who used drawing as a critical tool to invent a writing system. Henri Matisse: The Red Studio is available from May 1 to September 10 and focuses on the genesis and history of Matisse. From July 16 to January 2, 2023, visit Barara Kruger: Thing of You. I mean Me. I Mean You, a large-scale site-specific commission that will envelop the Donald and Catherine Marron Family Atrium. From October 30 to March 4, 2023, enjoy the Meret Oppenheim: My Exhibition, the first transatlantic exhibition to survey this visionary Swiss artist's career. To help you enjoy the collection better, use the free MoMA app or mobile site to listen to free audio guides available for download to your mobile device. Free WiFi is available throughout the museum. The MoMA Stores offer a wide selection of books, design objects, jewelry, furniture, clothing, and more.

Benefit from contactless entry to the National September 11 Memorial Museum with your pre-purchased timed-entry ticket. Enjoy complimentary access to the 9/11 Memorial, the Survival Tree, and the Memorial Glades The 9/11 Museum The museum displays over 10,000 monumental artifacts linked to the events of 9/11 and is made up of three permanent exhibition sections: • The Historical Exhibition has three parts: the Day of 9/11, Before 9/11 and After 9/11. It tells the story of what happened on 9/11, including the events at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and the story of Flight 93.  • The Memorial Exhibition "In Memoriam", commemorates the lives of those who perished on September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993 and provides visitors with the opportunity to learn about the men, women and children who died. • The Foundation Hall is a room of massive scale, which houses both the last column and the slurry wall.  The 9/11 Memorial (Free Entry) The “National September 11 Memorial” is a tribute of remembrance and honor to the nearly 3,000 people killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon, as well as the six people killed in the World Trade Center bombing in February 1993.  The memorial’s twin reflecting pools are each nearly an acre in size and feature the largest manmade waterfalls in North America. The pools sit within the footprints where the Twin Towers once stood. The names of every person who died in the 2001 and 1993 attacks are inscribed into bronze panels edging the memorial pools.

Walk through the pink doors of the Museum of Ice Cream and enter a world of pure imagination. Satisfy your inner child and your actual kids with exhibitions featuring various installations designed to engage and delight children of all ages. Time your visit the museum on a weekday for a more peaceful experience. Once inside, explore imaginative, multi-sensory exhibitions that bring to life your most delightful dreams. Savor the sweetest treats on a magical floating table, slide down an epic three-story slide, take a celestial ride on a pink Museum of Ice Cream subway, and follow the buzzing sound to a giant "Queen Bee" hive. Taste the museum's signature flavors and ice cream treats along the way, before taking a dive into the world's largest sprinkle pool. Take all the Instagram-worthy pictures that your heart desires. When you finish your experience, be sure to explore the museum's whimsical shop. The Museum of Ice Cream is not a traditional museum — every installation is interactive, meaning touching isn't only allowed, it's encouraged. Alternatively, grab your partner, friend, or family member for an exclusive Night at the Museum experience at The Museum of Ice Cream. Start off the night with a signature cocktail and ignite your senses through a theatrical experience. After hours, enjoy a full tour of the museum's 13 magical installations, along with special activities and treats designed to celebrate love in all its forms. Satisfy your sweet tooth with a pink super-cone.

Get entry tickets to Edge, a marvel of architecture, engineering, and technology, suspended in mid-air over 1100 feet above the ground. Get the feeling of floating in the sky and take in the entire Manhattan skyline from Edge's unique vantage point on the western side of Midtown Manhattan. Begin your journey on Level 4 of The Shops at Hudson Yards, where you will enter into an immersive multimedia experience explaining the design, construction, and sustainability of Hudson Yards. Then, head up over 1100 feet to the Observation Deck, and then 80 feet out into the air on the Outdoor Sky Deck. Here, frameless glass panel walls are boldly angled outwards to allow you to feel the thrill of leaning out over the edge with the busy city below. Next, stand on the glass floor and look over 100 stories straight down to the city streets below your feet. At Edge's furthest point, The Eastern Point, there's space for one person to stand alone, surrounded by glass, air, and sky—you will never have had a picture quite like it. The upper level also features the Skyline Steps, where you can look out over the top of the glass panels and past the edge of the deck. Have a seat and hang out in the sky with your friends and family, or head indoors and sip champagne or a signature cocktail at the Champagne Bar. When you leave be sure to visit Hudson Yards' centerpiece, Vessel, or enjoy a bite to eat or a shopping experience at The Shops and Restaurants at Hudson Yards.

See world-class art, fascinating science, important history, and incredible views—from the sky AND the sea and save up to 40% with the New York CityPASS! New York CityPASS includes admission to: 1. The Empire State Building: With iconic views and a new museum, the Empire State Building provides breathtaking 360-degree, open-air views from the 86th-floor observatory. 2. American Museum of Natural History: Explore human cultures, the natural world, and the universe with a visit to one of the world’s most famous natural history museums. 3. Top of the Rock OR Guggenheim Museum Top of the Rock: Experience incredible 360-degree panoramic views of New York City and beyond from interior and exterior decks on the top three floors of this legendary art deco skyscraper, 30 Rock.   Guggenheim Museum: Frank Lloyd Wright’s mid-century masterpiece of modern architecture, located alongside scenic Central Park.  See collection highlights, including works by Manet, Picasso, Van Gogh and more. 5. Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island OR Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island: Experience the beauty and history of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island Immigration Museum with Statue Cruises.   Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises: Take in the world’s premier skyline with up-close and magnificent views of the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, One World Trade and 101 NYC sights.   6. 9/11 Memorial & Museum OR Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum 9/11 Memorial & Museum: Pay your respects to the victims of the 9/11 attacks at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.  Examine the history and impact of the events and learn the stories of loss and recovery within the Museum.   Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum: Get an up-close look at the space shuttle Enterprise and 28 aircraft, including the world’s fastest jet.

Ascend via SkyPod to the top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere in less than 47 seconds at 28 mph. SkyPod provides a virtual time-lapse visual experience showing how New York City has changed from the 1500s. Skip the ticket line and even opt to also skip the elevator line. At the observatory, elevate your senses as you take in the iconic sights, surrounding waters, and panoramas of the Manhattan skyline and beyond. Then look toward the horizon and feel the city’s invincible spirit while taking in the stunning views.  Engage with City Pulse and One World Observatory's global ambassadors as they share stories of this amazing city. Step onto the expansive Sky Portal and take a walk high above the streets of New York. Dine or drink at the café, bar, or restaurant. Upgrade to Combination or All-Inclusive Tickets and enjoy skip-the-line access to the elevators. Access expedited security via the priority security line. The Digital Skyline Guide, an interactive, virtual reality iPad guide to New York City, is also included.