Best Things to do in NYC Today with Free Events, Concerts and Art (2024)

Broadway shows are practically synonymous with New York City, and the wordBroadwayis often used as shorthand for theater itself.Visiting the Great White Waymeans attending one of 41 large theaters concentratedin the vicinity ofTimes Square,most of which seat more than 1,000 people.

The most popular Broadway showstend to bemusicals, from long-runningfavoriteslikeThe Lion KingandHamiltonto more recent hits likeHadestownandMoulin Rouge!—but new plays and revivals also represent an important part of the Broadway experience. There’s a wide variety of Broadway shows out there, as our complete A–Z listing attests.

Our list of NYC’s 50 best restaurantsoffers a catalogue of all the places we wish we were at right now. They don’t have to be the newest or the most famous (though some are), just places that we want to return to again and again, and that we think that you will, too.

New York City is full offree outdoor art thatyou don't even have to go to a museum to see. Sculptures, murals andphotographs can be foundin its parks, sidewalks and on its buildings! Locations such as the High Line, Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum Of Art, Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn,Socrates Sculpture Park in Queensand other NYC locales all haveawide variety of pieces awaiting you, from massivesculptures to eye-popping murals and graffiti.

We rounded up the best outdoor art you can go see right now.

Forseveral years, anybody who has walked, run, or biked along the Hudson River trail in Hell’s Kitchen has had to squeeze past barriers and a shrouded fence. At last, the barriers are starting to come down as the park at Pier 97 progresses.

Though it's not complete yet, parts of the park are now open for visitors. The Pier 97 park, located across from West 57th Street, has been a long time coming. Empty since its reconstruction in 2013, renderings were unveiled in 2019, with plans to open the park in 2022. Obviously, that didn’t happen, but signs at the site say it should fully open soon.

The park currently features a blue turf field, a shaded pergola area with benches, and loungers with skyline views.

New York's summertime smells tend to get a bad rap: hot garbage, sweat, vape smoke and other olfactory offenses. But there's one place in the city where you can go this summer to breathe in the delightful herbal aroma of lavender.

Catch a ferry to Governors Island where you'll find the NYC Lavender Field in all its purple glory. The field is free to visit and definitely worth adding to yoursummer in NYCbucket list.

Unsurprisingly given the city's landscape, theNYC Lavender Fieldis the only lavender field in the city. When you visit, you'll get a chance to strollalong gravel paths through dozens of lavender bushes.More than 500 plantseruptin an ombre wave of color—royal purple, pastel gray, brilliant grape and bluish silver.Every single one is gorgeous.

Sometimes you’ll feel very tall, sometimes very small, and sometimes in awe of it all at this newNew York Botanical Gardenexhibit that celebrates the magic ofAlice's Adventures in Wonderland. With a variety of botanical and artistic exhibitions throughout the Bronx garden’s 250 acres, “Wonderland: Curious Nature” encourages visitors to get “curiouser and curiouser” around every turn.

See a massive white (well, actually green) rabbit made entirely of plants; explore an enchanting English garden with delightfully weird flora; climb through a rabbit hole; hang out in a house made of mycelium bricks; and much more at this sprawling exhibition.Wonderland: Curious Natureis now open throughOctober 27, 2024, and will evolve with each season.

Though it's now more than 150 years since the first publication ofAlice's Adventures in Wonderland,the delightful story with itsheroic protagonist feels just as fresh as ever—especially at New York Botanical Garden with itsenchantingscientific and artistic twist on the story.

When Vivian Maier died in 2009 at the age of 83, ashort obituaryin theChicago Tribuneidentified her as a "photographer extraordinaire" but left it at that. Herphotographs had never reached the mainstream; in fact, much of her work remained undeveloped.

By chance, artist John Maloof stumbled up on a box of her negatives at an auction house and eventually realized there was something special about them.He shared the images with photographers and gallerists, and eventually Vivian Maier's work started getting the attention it deserved. At last, Maier is now considered one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century, and you can see herevidence of that in "Unseen Work," an incredible new show at Fotografiska in the Flatiron District through September 29.

The Fotografiska show is the first major retrospective of Maier’s work in the U.S., and it’s packed with 230 photographs and video clips thatexplore the late artist’s extraordinary talent. The imagesrange from the early 1950s to the late 1990s, documenting post-war America and the facade of the American dream.

It’s hard to imagine anything else at the site of the iconic Rockefeller Center. But 200 years ago, long before the famed skyscraper was built, this land was home to a lushgreenspace called Elgin Gardens—it was America’s first botanical garden.

A new immersive art experiencewill now explore that beautiful history in Rockefeller Center. HERO,which opened inside Rockefeller Centerlate last year near the ice rink, has debuted"BLOOM: The Secret Wonders of New York’s Forgotten Eden." See it now through the summer.

At the all-ages exhibit, expect to walk through eight interactive experiences that promise to engage your senses with acaptivating soundscape, changing scentscapes, interactive digital components, and light and video installations.

In theresonant words of A$AP Rocky, "The nails, the kilts, the pretty-boy swag, the pearls—I think it's just being comfortable. I just express myself with fashion, and what's fly is fly." What's fly is "Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry" at the American Museum of Natural History, a new show that features dozens ofincredible necklaces, rings, watches, chains, and more worn by some of the biggest names in music.

A few highlights include T-Pain's Big Ass Chain necklace, Ghostface Killah's eagle arm band, Nicki Minaj's Barbie pendant,Beyoncé's nail rings, Cardi B's nipple covers, and Slick Rick's crown. While the pieces are a sight to behold up-close, the exhibit carries a much deeper meaning, especially as New York City wraps up its50 years of hip-hop celebrations.

Seethe exhibitnow at the American Museum of Natural History with general admission, which is pay-as-you-wish for New Yorkers.Find it in the Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals on the first floor.

The glitz and glamour and hedonism and heartbreak ofMoulin Rougeare coming to the Museum of Broadway for a special exhibit celebrating the 10-time Tony Award-winning Best Musical.

The new exhibit, createdexclusively forThe Museum of Broadway, invites fans to step into the glamorous underworld of Belle Époque Paris. “Moulin Rouge! The Musical: Spectacular, Spectacular” runs throughSeptember8, 2024; it’s included with museum admission.

Expect tosee dazzling costumes while learning how costumers transformed sketches and swatches into eye-catching gowns and bodices fit for the Sparkling Diamond herself. You'll also see set installations—and even get a chance to sit on Satine’s luxe chaise lounge. Before you go, leave your personal mark on a heart-themed wall.

“We choose to go to the Moon,” President John F. Kennedy’s voice booms through speakers welcoming visitors to the massive new Space Race-themed exhibit at the. With archival speeches, historic documents, and incredible space equipment, the exhibit whisks visitors back to the 1960s, an era when humanity first ventured into the unknown.

"Apollo: When We Went to the Moon" is now open at the Intrepid Museum (that's the gigantic aircraft carrier in Hell's Kitchen along the Hudson River) through September 2. At 9,000 square feet, it'sthe largest temporary exhibit in the museum's history. Tickets are inlcluded with museum admission.

Balloon Story, a "balloon wonderland," has taken over the Park Avenue Armory with a whopping 600,000 inflatables set up across different exhibit rooms.More than anything, the artistry involved in crafting monuments out of balloons will leave you amazed.

On display through August 24 (tickets are available righthere), Balloon Story offers patrons interactive activations—a balloon maze, for example, and a jungle ball pit—but it's the actual recreations of iconic landmarks and figures that are the highlight of the production: you'll find yourself staring at each one wondering, how, exactly, they were built.

The show is split into sections that range in theme but not in scope: the subjects are different but they are all built using “environmentally friendly” natural rubber.

For more than 30 years, the Tenement Museum shared stories about the people who once lived in the building it now owns. But that meant that some groups—particularly Black New Yorkers—were excluded, as there's no record of a Black family living in theapartment buildingat 97 Orchard Street.

Now, with an aim to explore the full breadth of immigrant and migrant experiences,the Lower East Side museum is highlighting the stories of a Black family for the first time with a newtour titled "A Union of Hope: 1869."The exhibition tells the story of the Moore family who lived in Soho during and after the Civil War. Reserve tickets herefor $30/person.

It's been eight years since formerPresident Barack Obama designated the Stonewall Inn and the surrounding area a national monument, making it the country's first national parktohonor theLGBTQ community.

After nearly a decade of having no official visitor center attached to it, Pride Live and the National Park Service announced that after several years of construction, Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center hasfinally opening its doors.

The visitor center will be located at 51 Christopher Street, which is attached to The Stonewall Inn bar and encompass 2,100 feet of space.

From amazing costumes to Broadway history to fun photo opps, this long-awaited new museum is a must-see for theater buffs.

You can expect the new museum to highlight over 500 individual productions from the 1700s all the way to the present.

Among the standout offerings will also be a special exhibit dubbed "The Making of a Broadway Show," which honors the on- and off-stage community that helps bring plays and musicals to life multiple times a week.

Digital art and poetry combine for a dive into Afrocentricity and Afrofuturism at this new immersive exhibit in Chelsea. "Aṣẹ: Afro Frequencies" is now open at ARTECHOUSE and runs all summer.

The digital art exhibition promises a "vibrant reflection upon the past, present, and future of the Black experience." It's told through the perspective of London-based Afro-surrealist digital artist Vince Fraseralongsideevocative poetryby ursula rucker.

Both artists workedto honor the legacy, struggles, and complexities of the Black experience in their work. Even the exhibition's title, "Aṣẹ"stems from a powerful mantra, affirmation, and philosophical belief held by the Yoruba people of West Africa, meaning "so will it be." (By the way, that's pronounced as AH-shay.)

For more than a century, the Statue of Liberty has offered inspiration as a beacon of freedom, equality, and democracy. And for just as long, she has also served as an inspiration for tattoo artists.

A new exhibit at City Reliquary, a jewel box of a museum in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood, features vintage State of Liberty tattoos.Asthe first show devoted to Lady Liberty ink, it also traces tattooing history in NYC since the 1800s. "Liberty the Tattooed Lady: The Great Bartholdi Statue as Depicted in Tattooing" is now open through January 12, 2025.

The exhibition spotlights antique flash, vintage photographs, drawings, and otherephemera that show how Lady Liberty has been apopular subject in tattooing for as long as she’s stood in New York Harbor. You'll even get to see vintage tattoo art that's never been on display before.

Sure, New York attractions are known across the globe, but what about the lesser-known, secret NYC spots? Thanks to us, you don’t have to do much digging.This is a classified list of buzzyspeakeasies in NYC. Cheers!

A grove of citrus trees growing in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District would be unusual enough. But a grove of live citrus trees growing inside a Meatpacking District museum is even more surprising.

Astonishingly, 18 citrus trees are now in bloom inside the Whitney Museum of American Art, and you can walk through the grove on the museum’s eighth floor through January 1, 2025. The exhibition, “Survival Piece #5: Portable Orchard,” was conceived in 1972 by Helen Mayer Harrison and Newton Harrison. This groundbreaking eco-art project is on view at a museum for the first timesince its debut more than 50 years ago.

Ocean noise, chemical pollution, climate change and sea level rise are words that often appear in the news. But these importantconcepts can be hard to make sense of—or to understand at all.

That's where artist Jenny Kendler comes in. Her new exhibit,Other of Pearl, confronts these pressing environmental issues in ways that feel more accessible with stirring whale songs, incredible pearl sculptures, a crystalline whale eye cast with human tears, and more.You can seethese powerful works for free on Wednesdays-Sundays from 10am-5pm now through October on Governors Island.

Seven intimate, delicate works are displayed in the cavernous, subterranean magazine of historic Fort Jay, a star-shaped fortification built on Governors Island between 1775 and 1776.

There’s only one constant in New York City: Change. A new exhibit at the New-York Historical Society explores the rapiddevelopment of the city and what’s been left behind.

The exhibit, titled Lost New York,transports viewers to a time when pigs roamed the streets, shopping was a radical act, and New Yorkers used to brave polluted waters for a swim. The exhibition also documents long-gone landmarks like the original Penn Station, Met Opera House, Chinese Theater, and Croton Reservoir. See it at the Upper West Side museum now through September 29.

Take your movie-going experience to the next level this summer at Rooftop Cinema Club. The experience offers a chance to watch a movie on a Midtown rooftop with vegan popcorn, classic theater candy, and craft co*cktails.

The cinema is located high above Midtown's streets onthe Skylawn rooftop of the Embassy Suites Hotel on West 37th Street where the skyline serves as an incredible backdrop. Don't worry about background noise, though: You'll get yourown set of wireless headphones that block out street noise, and you can adjust the volume as needed.Get tickets here.

The views at Edge, the highest sky deck in the western hemisphere, are always stunning,but now they’re even more beautiful thanks to an eye-catching new activation.

This highly Instagrammable exhibit called “SHADES”features transparent colors in both the indoor and outdoor areas of Edge. On the outdoor deck, see how the perspective changes as you look through the clear glass versus the colorful panels. Inside, peekthrough colorful panels that make an adorable photo-op. “SHADES” ison view through September and is included with admission.

Even for longtime New Yorkers who have seen the skyline thousands of times, the experience offers a fresh perspective on the city.

The New York Philharmonic's home has been transformed into a state-of-the-art hub for classical music and a more welcoming space for New Yorkers.Go see at show at the newly redesigned David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center.

Here's the full scheduleof performances, andhere's a peek inside the new theater.

After nearly a decade of planning, designing and building, the massive new wing at the American Museum of Natural Historyis now open. The architecturally stunning, 230,000-square-foot Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education and Innovation is a sight to behold.

Scientific wonders—including a butterfly vivarium, an insectarium and a 360-degree immersive experience—fill every inch of the space.

Part visual splendor, part olfactory wonder and part ooey-gooey sensory fun,Sloomoo Institute’s slime museumis now openagain after a renovation. This captivating playground welcomes all ages to its home in SoHo—or “SooHoo,” in Sloomoo parlance (see what they did there?).

Here are five thingsnot to miss at Sloomoo, including a chance to get slimed and a DIY slime making activity.

Experience the tastes of Japan without ever leaving Brooklyn. The new50 Normanin Greenpointhas broughta Japanese multi-retail and dining mini-complex to the neighborhood. Here's what's inside.

The luxurious Italian wellness spaQC NY (by QC Terme Spas and Resorts) brings the elegance and rejuvenation of a European spa to Governors Island, but with New York City flavor.

When you check in, you're given everything you'll need—a bag containing flip flops, a towel, a robe and a key for your locker—and a chance to sign up for a25-, 50-, or 75-minutemassage ($100-$250). Then, you are set free to roam the spa, which is full ofrelaxation rooms (each with its own meticulously curated personality, scent, and music), themed saunas, Vichy showers, infrared beds, foot baths, hydro jets, steam baths and other amazingly lush experiences.

It's a treat no matter the season.

The Brooklyn Paramount is open once again following millions of dollars and years of renovations led by Live Nation. Before restoration began a couple of years ago, the iconic venue—which first opened in the 1920s as a movie theater before itbecame a concert hallfor acts likeElla Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington—was a basketball arena and classrooms for Long Island University.

Now, for the first time in 60 years, the theater is hosting concerts again in one of the most stunning live event settings anywhere in the city. Check out the list of upcoming showshere.

Visit Budgie Landing, an immersive experience that lets you commune with 1,000 boisterous birds known asbudgerigars or “budgies” at the Bronx Zoo. The experience, which is part of zoo admission, surrounds you by these small,talkative parrots that get to fly freely through the exhibit. Inside, you can feed seeds to the birds from a handheld stick. The budgies that acceptyour offering will no doubt be an unforgettable up-close interaction, the zoo says.

Every day, thousands of people walk through Times Square,rushing to catch the subway, heading to work, meandering through shops—manyof them unaware that they're stepping overa revolutionary art project that's been a part of the city for decades.

Purposely unmarked, it's easy to miss this piece of auditory art becausetruly experiencing it requires tuning into a specific frequency in the most cacophonous place in America. The late artist Max Neuhaus's installationcalled "Times Square" sounds like the echo of a bell ringing. It's hard to place this droning tone among all the othernoises there, especiallybecause the sound emanates from a typical grate right beneath your feet.

Here's the backstory — and the intel on how to find it.

Imagine waking up to the sound of gently swaying trees and chirping birds, sun peeking into your window which looks out across a canopy of golden leaves. It's an experience that is totally attainable, thanks to Airbnb.

There are plenty of gorgeous treehouse rentals near NYC just waiting for you to visit, and they range from low-fi elevated cabins to more luxurious options with hot tubs and extensive vinyl selections to play at your leisure.

The New York Public Library dug through its expansive and centuries-spanning archive to stage an impressive free exhibition filled with cultural artifacts. "The Polonsky Exhibition of New York Public Library’s Treasures"spans 4,000 years of history and includes a wide range of history-making pieces, including the only surviving letter from Christoper Columbus announcing his “discovery” of the Americas to King Ferdinand’s court and the first Gutenberg Bible brought over to the Americas.

New treasures rotate into the exhibit regulary, so it's worth visiting more than once.

Believe it or not mahjong—yes, the tile game that was developed in 19th century China—is making a comeback in New York. No one is more tapped into this trend than the Chop Suey Club, a Chinese-owned store in Downtown Manhattan that just opened its own mahjong room in the store’s lower level on Hester Street.

The vibey room, which includes two tables and an option to play with an instructor, seats two parties at a time, and every booking will include a copy of a mahjong for beginners pamphlet written and designed by the creative mind behind the Chop Suey Club, Ruoyi Jiang.

Whether you want to play with friends or simply want to learn how to play, there’s something for you. From room reservations to classes, you book your tablehere.

The Rubin Museum is offering a unique exhibit that delves into the power of difficult emotions and how to turn them into positive ones—something many of us would benefit from these days.

On the third floor of the museum, the Mandala Lab uses fun and interactive tools to explore jealousy/envy, attachment, pride, anger and ignorance and shows visitors how to turn them into wisdom of accomplishment, discernment, equanimity, mirror-like wisdom and all-accommodating wisdom, respectively.

The gong orchestra is a fun and beautiful way to get yourfrustrations out—by taking a mallet and hitting one of eight gongs, you can express anger and then watch it dissipate by submerging the gong into a pool of water. The gongs themselves were designed by musicians like Billy Cobham, Sheila E., Peter Gabriel, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Sarah Hennies, Huang Ruo, Shivamani and Bora Yoon.

Buy ticket

New York's Roaring '20s 2.0 are back on with the first whiskey distillery to open (legally) in Manhattan since Prohibition. Designed with the decadence of the era in mind,Great Jones Distilling Co.isManhattan's first and only legal whiskey distillery in over 100 years.

The 28,000 square foot venue features a fully functioningdistillery, a tasting room, fascinating tours andseveraldrinking and dining venues, including an underground speakeasy and full restaurant.

Since its opening in Times Square back in 2000, Madame Tussauds has become part and parcel of the character of the city. Sure, the famous wax museum is a tourist magnet, but New Yorkers have also come to appreciate the art form, welcoming new celebrity clay figures joining the roster of 200-or-so sculptures always on display at the museum.

A mere walk through the giant space at234 West 42nd Street by Seventh Avenue is sure to catch you off guard: the wax figures are, to put it simply, life-like, almost identical to their human counterparts.

For the first time ever, Madame Tussauds is offering museum-goers the chance to take a peek at the process: the museumis nowleading behind-the-scenes tours twice aday on Mondays through Fridays.

See California sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters and African penguins at the New York Aquarium. Plus, there's a new climate change exhibit called "Sea Change."

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