New York City Attractions

The New York Hall of Science is a place for everyone to explore, question and learn. It is the number one New York's hands-on science and technology center. It occupies one of the few remaining structures of the 1964 New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the borough of Queens in New York City, easily accessible by public transportation or by car.
NYSCI promotes science and technology as important tools that help us understand ourselves and the world we live in. Join this unforgettable visit where learners of all inclination and ages can touch, manipulate and interact with more than 450 permanent exhibits, including the award-winning Science Playground, Preschool Place, Life Beyond Earth, Sports Challenge and the new Rocket Park Mini Golf. From mini-golf to microscopes, no matter how you like to learn, you will find opportunities at NYS. In addition to the permanent exhibits, NYSCI features a dynamic schedule of feature exhibitions, events, programs and workshops. NYSCI both creates exhibitions that travel, and hosts exhibitions from other institutions. NYSCI exhibitions have traveled nationally and internationally. NYSCI also offers many opportunities to bring fun-filled learning experiences into your classroom! NYSCI has events down to a science, offering space and services for Birthday Parties, School Events, Private Parties and more, transforming ordinary events into extraordinary experiences.

The particular cleft is the valley and brook between Emerson and Grymes Hills. This valley was deepened by the glacier 20,000 years ago. The brook which ran through the valley originated in Clove Swamp and ran to the Kill Van Kull. The damming of this brook over the years created the different lakes and ponds in the area.

Flushing Meadow Corona Park is one of the greatest places in New York City. It has become the keystone park of Queens and a recreation and cultural hub for the region; yet, it was once just a dusty wasteland, "a valley of ashes" as F. Scott Fitzgerald dubbed it in the Great Gatsby. Its poetic, phoenix-like transformation from ash dump to oasis was driven by Queens' residents, the City and 1939 and 1965 World's Fair held in this park. These fairs put this park on the world's stage, and it has stayed there, hosting the United Nations General Assembly for five years, three baseball World Seres at Shea Stadium, and the U.S. Open.

A new ice rink offering public skating 7 days/week and skating classes for all ages and levels throughout the winter season!

Family Fun and Open Skate Hours

ConstructionKids introduces new builders to a broad range of materials and tools. Kids here study the natural and man-made world around us, while learning to work individually as well as part of a team. ConstructionKids' goal is to share the joy of building, revising, and repairing. Your child will love to explore everything ConstructionKids has to offer - sign up for a class or summer camp today!

New York Aquarium - where the City meets the Sea. As the only aquarium in New York City and part of the largest network of metropolitan wildlife parks in the country, the New York Aquarium holds a special place in the mission of the Wildlife Conservation Society - To save wildlife and wild places around the globe.

At the core of Kaufman Astoria are seven column-free stages including a mammoth 26,000 square foot stage - the largest east of Hollywood. Our newest addition is Stage K with over 18, 000 square feet. In addition, there are two stages over 12,000 square feet each, and smaller stages of 8,000, 4,000 and 3,000 square feet. Support facilities are located just steps from each stage for efficient flow of crew and materials.

Let your wild side reign free as you explore the many faces of some very unique creatures at this Brooklyn museum of life. Venture deep into the jungle as you see the animals up close. Dare to spend the day with the valor of a lion roaming with his pride. A family spending time together, appreciating nature in all its ferocious glory is what this NYC museum is all about. Take the children to the discovery center where they can try their hand at some basic veterinary skills while conducting check-ups on real live animals. Then, head over to the young naturalist camping area, cook food on a "campfire", and explore using field guides for animals that one might see on a camping trip. Feeling the urge to feed some of the animals’ springtime is the perfect time to head over and feed the sea lions - they just love the attention too. Weekends are an ideal time to visit as you can chat live with the zookeepers and learn how they care for the animals. Maybe even find out what your favorite animal does when you're not there. Overall, this taste of the wild offers a wide variety of things to do, see and learn. Spring/Summer 2012 is a great time to come see this gem.

2013 Winter/Spring Season. Based on The Suit by Can Themba, Mothobi Mutloatse, and Barney Simon Direction, adaptation, and music by Peter Brook, Marie-Hélène Estienne, and Franck Krawczyk The renowned Peter Brook—whose 1987 production of The Mahabharata inaugurated the BAM Majestic Theater (now the BAM Harvey Theater)—returns with a music-filled adaptation of South African writer Can Themba’s piercing tale of simmering resentment and tragedy, The Suit. A wife caught in the act, her lover fleeing the scene, a suit left behind. It’s the perfect recipe for a husband’s punishing, humiliating decree: go on with business as usual, he says to his spouse, but take your lover’s suit everywhere you go as a ghostly reminder of your betrayal. Using an innovative staging that integrates live musicians directly into the action, Brook makes Themba’s volatile work sing. A hummed “Strange Fruit,” African melodies, and Schubert lieder thicken the tense, poisoned air of this apartheid-era summer in which a shared wound was not allowed to heal.
Dating from its first performance in 1861, BAM has grown into a thriving urban arts center that brings international performing arts and film to Brooklyn. The first BAM facility at 176-194 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights was originally conceived by the Philharmonic Society of Brooklyn as a home for its concerts. It housed a large theater seating 2,200, a smaller concert hall, dressing and chorus rooms, and a vast "baronial" kitchen. BAM presented both amateur and professional music and theater productions. Performers included Ellen Terry, Edwin Booth, Tomas Salvini, and Fritz Kreisler.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden, called “the premier horticultural attraction in the region” by The New York Times, is New York City’s natural wonder, where no matter what the season, something is always in bloom. Stroll the many gardens within the Garden. Enjoy the serenity of the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, tour the fragrant Cranford Rose Garden, bring the family to explore the children’s Discovery Garden, or visit the Steinhardt Conservatory, containing the world famous C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum. Visit the Terrace Café and Garden Gift Shop.

The Staten Island Zoo is the place to learn to love living things. Animals, educational programs summer camp and much more available to the public. Offering a traveling zoo for school classroom programs.

Staten Island holds in its heart 2,800 acres of nature's rugged beauty - The Greenbelt. Discover woodlands, wetlands and meadows; a wonderful place to observe nature's bounty while taking a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Opportunities for simple relaxation and contemplation abound for Staten Island residents and visitors.
Most of the Greenbelt is New York City park land featuring natural areas as well as traditional parks. LaTourette, Willowbrook and High Rock parks dot the Greenbelt's perimeter. Visitors can enjoy active recreation such as golf, archery, baseball, hiking, birdwatching in the W.T. Davis Wildlife Refuge, and enchanting carousel rides. The Greenbelt also hosts environmental education programs, summer camp sessions, special events and concerts throughout the year.

Wolfe’s Pond Park contains mature upland woods, swamp forest, open marsh, ponds, and shoreline on Raritan Bay, making it one of the most diverse parks in the city. This large park is a refuge for scores of native plants and animals in a rapidly developing area of the city. The beach is part of the shoreline strand that runs continuously from Ward’s Point in Conference House Park, north through Mount Loretto and Lemon Creek Preserve, to Wolfe’s Pond Park.

From its inception, Bargemusic has been committed to attracting local audiences and enhancing the cultural life of New York by offering frequent, year-round performances of chamber music in a fittingly intimate setting—the type of setting in which chamber music is meant to be heard. To make that unique musical experience available to as many people as possible, Bargemusic presents 220 chamber music concerts annually—four days a week, 52 weeks a year—and offers free tickets to a variety of groups every week, plus a monthly free concert open to the community.

Yesterday…A place where thousands of young artists have stepped out into the spotlight and launched their careers. A place "where stars are born and legends are made." The legendary Apollo Theater is so much more than an historic landmark - it is a source of pride and a symbol of the brilliance of American artistic achievement. From 1934 when the Apollo first introduced its world-famous Amateur Night which launched the careers of legendary artists like Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Michael Jackson, D'Angelo and Lauryn Hill, the Apollo has maintained its position as the nation's most popular arena for emerging and established black and Latino performers.

The Bronx is a microcosm of the story of America. The only one of New York City's five boroughs that is actually part of the mainland. The Bronx is home to 1.2 million people with a rich diversity of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Since colonial days, The Bronx has stood at the crossroads of American History.
The Bronx County Historical Society was founded in 1955 to preserve the heritage of this thriving community. The Society administers the colonial era Valentine-Varian House, which serves as the Museum of Bronx History; The Bronx County Archives; an extensive Research Library; and Poe Cottage, the final home of America's great 19th century poet and author, Edgar Allan Poe. Both historic houses are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Rockefeller Center was envisioned by John D. Rockefeller to be the grandest plaza in all New York- a place where business was transacted and communities congregated. Conceived on the verge of the Great Depression, Rockefeller financed the Center personally. Upon its completion, it was the largest private building project in modern history and a collection of buildings unrivaled in their artistry and Art Deco nobility.
Today, Rockefeller Center is one of the world’s great crossroads, filled with boutiques, fine dining, and home to the most famous ice rink and Christmas tree on earth. Architecturally profound, culturally diverse, and commercially vital, Rockefeller Center is the true plaza of the people.

The city’s youngest bridge, and the hemisphere’s longest, spans New York Harbor from Bay Ridge to Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island’s eastern shore. The public works genius Robert Moses was 75, and the master bridge designer Othmar Ammann 85, when the Verrazano-Narrows opened in 1964.

The New York Public Library (NYPL), one of three public library systems serving New York City, is one of the leading libraries in the United States. The other New York City public systems are those of Brooklyn and Queens.
The Public Library's main building on Fifth Avenue (image, right) is the crowning achievement of the Beaux-Arts architectural firm of Carrere and Hastings. Its status as one of the world's leading libraries is confirmed by its possession of (for instance) a Gutenberg Bible and a Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica. Source

Chat with Mario - live at Nintendo World! Take a break from your holiday shopping to stop by and chat with Mario until January 6th. Ask Mario what his life is like in the Mushroom Kingdom. Check the calendar for dates and times of Mario's appearance in the store.
In the heart of Manhattan, right in Rockefeller Plaza, people flock from all over the globe to visit, play, and shop at this one of a kind Nintendo World Store, a 10,000 square foot gaming paradise. Guests have a compelling in-store experience when they take a tour conducted by one of their Ambassadors, who are very enthusiastic Nintendo fans, always happy to share their knowledge with the visitors. The store staff can guide you through each of the interactive gaming areas, provide hands-on gaming demonstrations, show you their selection of Pokémon merchandise, help you find the right sized Nintendo-themed t-shirts and provide a bit of history by explaining the items in the store, absolutely free of charge. Come talk to Mario about Life in the Mushroom Kingdom; ask an Ambassador to demonstrate how AR Cards work; meet Sean, the resident Pokémon Trainer; bring your Nintendo 3DS and join up to six players in local or online multi-player battles when you participate in the Kid Icarus Tournament; take a picture with a life-sized Mario; take a look at the store selection of exclusive youth, ladies and men’s apparel, featuring your favorite Nintendo characters. Check out their schedule in advance to participate in the activities listed above to experience endless entertainment. By Ruth Cohen.

An open space with a tradition of nonconformity, the park's fountain area has long been one of the city's popular spots for residents and tourists. Washington Square has been a center of the cultural life in New York since the middle of the 19th century. Artists of the Hudson River School, the country's first prominent school of painters, settled around Washington Square at that time. Samuel Morse and Daniel Huntington were tenants of the old University Building. (New York University once rented out studio space and residential apartments within the "academic" building.) Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, Herman Melville and Walt Whitman contributed to the artistic climate, having notable interaction with the cultural and academic life of the university.

Saturday, December 29. 12:15 p.m. and 3 p.m. Every day fearless courier Wilee (Joseph Gordon Levitt) dodges death while weaving through traffic on his custom featherweight bicycle with one gear and no brakes. He always delivers his packages on time, but today's rush delivery could be his last. With a mysterious envelope clutched close and a crooked cop (Michael Shannon) chasing him through the streets of Manhattan, Wilee must pedal for his life. [PG-13] Directed by David Koepp. Running time: 91 mins
Explore exciting NEW exhibits in a dynamic, state-of the art facility that brings technology and creativity together to make learning experiential, entertaining and fun.
Located in mid-town Manhattan, SWTL inspires creativity in a high-quality, engaging, and family friendly learning environment.

Located in New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty was a gift of international friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is one of the most universal symbols of political freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886 and was designated a National Monument on October 15, 1924. The Statue was extensively restored in time for her spectacular centennial on July 4, 1986.

The Staten Island Ferry provides 20 million people a year (60,000 passengers a day not including weekend days) with ferry service between St. George on Staten Island and Whitehall Street in lower Manhattan.
The ferry is the only non-vehicular mode of transportation between Staten Island and Manhattan. NYC DOT operates and maintains the nine vessel fleet as well as the St. George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island, Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Manhattan, the City Island and Hart Island Facilities, The Battery Maritime Building and all floating dock building equipment. 1

Governors Island, in the heart of New York Harbor, is only 800 yards from Lower Manhattan, and even closer to Brooklyn. It is a world unto itself, unique and full of promise. For almost two centuries, Governors Island was a military base - home to the US Army and Coast Guard. Due to changing needs in operations, the Coast Guard closed and “mothballed” the Island in 1996. New York’s leaders recognized the Island’s potential, and in 2003 the federal government sold most of the Island to the people of New York for one dollar. Today, the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC) oversees 150 acres of the Island, while the National Park Service manages the balance, the 22-acre Governors Island National Monument which includes two 1812-era forts.

At the beginning of the 2009 Major League Baseball season the new Yankee Stadium opened its doors when the Yankees hosted a workout day in front of fans from the Bronx community. The first game at this brand new ballpark was a pre-season exhibition game against the Chicago Cubs, played on April 3, 2009, which the Yankees won 7-4. The new Yankee Stadium is located in the Bronx, across the street from the original Yankee Stadium. It is built on a 24 acre area and has a price tag of $1.5 billion, which makes it not only the most expensive baseball stadium ever built but also the third-most expensive stadium of any kind.
Have the time of your life when you participate on the Yankee Inside Experience program, where fans are treated to a game day like never before. Guests attending the program are provided with an opportunity to meet with a player on the Yankees current roster followed by a guided stadium tour and buffet lunch. The day culminates with each guest being provided with a ticket to the game and hopefully another Yankee win!

This non-profit center encourages environmental and educational awareness. A Long Island oasis, it advocates sustainable environmental policies and practices. Entrance and parking are free! The nature trails have many environments to be explored. Some of these include ponds and salt marshes where one can see shore birds and many small animals. Alley Pond Park, in which this New York attraction is located, also features a children’s adventure course; New York City's largest ropes course, a zip-line, a rock-climbing wall, and balance platforms in a beautiful woodland setting. There are many places to BBQ, run, bike and watch birds. The park itself sits on a beautiful 657 acres. Easily accessible from virtually any neighborhood in the city by car, bicycle or public transportation, there is every reason to come and spend a day relaxing, learning and exploring in this sublimely serene setting. A slice of paradise right here in Queens, it is home to the tallest tree in New York City, known as the “Queens Giant”, a tulip poplar approximately 350-450 years old and a stunning 133 feet tall. You can also dip your toes in Oakland Lake, 15,000 year old glacial pond fed by underground springs. It’s easy to lose the cares of the day in the beauty of this vast, colorful and unique Queens natural attraction.

Although widely known for its beautiful pool, the oldest and largest in the city, Astoria Park offers more than aquatic pleasures. Outdoor tennis courts, a track, a bandstand, multiple trails, basketball courts, playgrounds, and baseball diamonds lure visitors from the five boroughs and beyond. And the views! Sitting on the edge of the East River and resting between the Triborough Bridge and Hell Gate Bridge, the park offers shoreline sights and sounds that make the benches along its perimeter popular spots year-round.

On selected weekend afternoons, Long Island City Community Boathouse, in partnership with Socrates Sculpture Park, offers free walk-up paddling on the sheltered waters of Hallets Cove, from the beach at Vernon Blvd. at 31st Ave.
The mission of the all-volunteer Long Island Community Boathouse is to provide western Queens residents, employees, and visitors with educational and recreational paddling programs. Our programs raise awareness about estuary ecology with the goal of restoring the natural beauty and health of New York Harbor for today’s and future generations.