Things to See in New York City

New York packs more famous sights into a few square miles than almost anywhere on earth. This page lists the ones worth your time, what makes each one special, and how to see them without wasting half your day in a queue.

Iconic landmarks

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

The statue has welcomed arrivals into New York Harbor since 1886. You can visit the island by ferry, which means a security line and a half-day commitment, or see her up close from the water on a sightseeing cruise that takes about an hour door to door. Ellis Island, just behind her, processed twelve million immigrants and is now a museum of that story.

Empire State Building

Still the most recognizable building in the skyline. The 86th floor open-air deck is the one people remember; the 102nd floor is enclosed and higher. Go early in the morning or after 10pm to avoid the longest waits.

Brooklyn Bridge

Walking across takes about 30 minutes from City Hall to DUMBO. Do it toward Brooklyn so the Manhattan skyline is in front of you, and go early if you want photos without crowds.

One World Trade Center and the 9/11 Memorial

The memorial pools sit in the footprints of the twin towers and are free to visit. One World Observatory, 100 floors up, looks north over the whole island.

Rockefeller Center and Top of the Rock

The observation deck here has the view the Empire State Building cannot give you: the Empire State Building itself, with Central Park behind it. In winter the plaza below holds the ice rink and the famous tree.

Grand Central Terminal

Free to walk into, and worth it for the main concourse ceiling, painted with the constellations. The lower level has a food hall and the whispering gallery outside the Oyster Bar.

Parks and public spaces

Central Park covers 843 acres. The stretch from the Mall to Bethesda Terrace and the Bow Bridge takes about an hour and covers most of the park's best known spots. The High Line is an old elevated rail line turned into a 1.45-mile garden walk on the West Side, ending at Hudson Yards and Little Island, a park built on flower-shaped concrete piles in the Hudson.

Museums and galleries

The Metropolitan Museum of Art needs at least half a day and rewards a full one. The Museum of Modern Art is more manageable in two hours. The American Museum of Natural History suits families, and the Guggenheim is worth seeing for the Frank Lloyd Wright spiral alone.

The best places to take photos

• From the water: the full skyline in one frame, which is why cruise photos always look better than street-level ones.
• Top of the Rock: the Empire State Building with Central Park behind it.
• DUMBO, Washington Street: the Manhattan Bridge framed between brick buildings.
• Gantry Plaza State Park, Long Island City: the Midtown skyline across the East River, best at sunset.
• Brooklyn Bridge Park: Lower Manhattan, the bridge and Lady Liberty in one view.

How to plan your sightseeing

Group sights by neighborhood rather than by how much you want to see them. Midtown holds the Empire State Building, Grand Central, Rockefeller Center and Times Square within walking distance. Lower Manhattan covers the 9/11 Memorial, Wall Street, the Seaport and the harbor cruises. Book timed tickets for observation decks, and leave one afternoon unplanned, because walking between sights is half the experience.

Ready to book? Browse all attractions, or see things to do in NYC for tours, shows and food.