Archive for the NYC family attractions category
June 26th, 2009 by admin
Of course the perfect warm spring day or crisp November weather can make a great trip to New York City even better. But because so much of the city revolves around indoor activities, bad weather does not have to mean a bad time.
First piece of advice: try to stick to public transport, and ideally the Subway. Despite the fact public transport gets crowded in bad weather, it is still beats fighting for a cab. Many attractions are located near subway stops — and sometimes you can connect to your destination with out stepping out into the weather.
Second piece of advice: if you have kids along, try to go to places with plenty to do. Getting from point A to point B is going to be the worst part of coping with the bad weather, so try to mimimize that part of your day.
A great example of a kid friendly place with plenty to do is The American Museum of Natural History. Located on the West Side at 79th Street and Central Park West (there is a stop at 81st street right next to the museum and the 1 train stops two blocks away on 79th), the museum has a famous collection of stuffed animals grouped by their continent of origin. These animals are displayed in dioramas that have been a favorite for New Yorkers and visitors alike for decades. The dinosaur collection is another long time favorite that will delight any dinosaur fan.
Also at the Museum of Natural History is the Rose Center for Earth & Space and the Hayden Planetarium. These have been a top draw for the museum ever since they first opened in 2000. One word of caution: the Museum of Natural History is a favorite escape for local New Yorkers to let their kids get out of the apartment on rainy days – so go early if you want to get a jump on the crowds.
On the other side of Central Park is the Metropolitan Museum of Art. One of the top museums in the world, the Met has something for everyone — kids included. The museum covers 5,000 years of culture. At the Met, art is not just something that hangs on walls. For example, the collection of arms and armor is among the best in the world, with mounted knights on display giving a sense of what it would have been like to see one of these medieval tanks headed your way.
The Met’s Egyptian galleries not only have a wide range of artifacts — including a large number of mummies – but also boasts an entire temple: the The Temple of Dendur. Saved from the rising waters of the Nile’s Aswan Dam, the temple was taken apart and transported to its new home inside a dedicated space in the Met.
Even if armour or Egypt are not your things, the Met probably has something for you. American Painting, Medieval religious art, Asian art, Greek and Roman artifacts, Islamic Art, Byzantine artifacts – the list goes on. And the displays often use architectural elements from the period that give the visitor a sense of actually being there. Even though the Met is probably New York’s most visited attraction, it never feels quite as crowded as the Natural History Museum, but if you are with kids you will feel a need to keep a slightly tighter rein on them at the Met than at the NHM.
If you are looking for something a little less overwhelming than the Met, the Brooklyn Museum of Art is well worth the trip and it has it’s own subway stop. Like the Met, it covers a vast sweep of history with a great breadth and variety of exhibits. The Brooklyn Museum is ideal if you are in the mood for sampling a lot of things vs going deeply into a number of topics (something the Met is ideal for). That said, the BMA is still one of the largest museums in the U.S., so it passes the test of being able to keep you entertained and out of the weather for a while. And if the weather does clear, the adjoining Botanic Garden is a nice addition to your visit.
The New York Explorer Pass features all of these sights — and lets you skip the line at the Met — and many more options for both rain and shine. No matter what the weather does, you can save money on the best things to do in New York. See the full list of included attractions, as well as the dinning and shopping discounts that come with the pass.
Planning a trip to
New York City?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
New York City Explorer Pass.
June 10th, 2009 by admin
Say “New York” to many people, and the images that come to mind are entirely from a relatively tiny slice of this sprawling and diverse city. But there is a lot more to New York than Manhattan. One area that a growing number of visitors are discovering is Brooklyn.
For sometime now native New Yorkers have been enjoying the continuing renaissance of this storied part of the city. Even Manhattanites are embracing what Brooklyn residents have known all along: Brooklyn has something for almost anyone. Increasingly out-of-town visitors are following along to experience the many wonderful sights (and tastes) of Manhattan’s most accessiable neighbor.
New York is nothing without its neighborhoods, and this is as true in Brooklyn as anywhere else. Featuring the picturesque row-houses of Brooklyn Heights, the vibrant DUMBO neighboorhood along the river with its fun and funky bars and restaurants (and some of the best pizza in the city), the posh Park Slope area, the Russian ambiance of Brighton Beach, Williamsburg’s art scene, not to mention Coney Island (hot dog anyone?), Brooklyn is — as Borough President Marty Markowitz says – ”a must-visit for tourists looking for a hip, historic, authentic and diverse experience.”
A personal favorite is the Brooklyn Museum. With a wonderful collection of art and artifacts from around the world and across eras, this museum lets the visitor sample a wide variety without overwhelming with any one theme. And the adjoining Botanic Garden is a beautiful spot to take a break from the hustle of the City. The museum has a number of good restaurants in the area and is just a short subway ride from Manhattan (and has its own stop) or on weekends grab the free shuttle from Manhattan.
Another thing worth checking out is a Chassidic Walking Tour in the Crown Heights neighborhood. You’ll get to experience a slice of New York that is both iconic and a bit off the beaten path (plus get a free deli lunch in the process). There is a great video available on the Chassidic Welcome Center’s site to give you a sense of what you’ll experience on the tour.
If you are going to New York, definitely add Brooklyn to your visit. It is easy to get to — just walk across the historic Brooklyn Bridge (with great views of the City and the River) or take your pick from many of the subway lines to get you into any and all of the neighborhoods. A New York Explorer Pass covers a number of the top things to do in Brooklyn, including those mentioned above, as well as a bike tour of the waterfront and key bridges or a City Sights bus tour of the Borough.
Planning a trip to
New York City?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
New York City Explorer Pass.
May 12th, 2009 by admin
The Empire State Building Observatory is now part of the NYC Explorer Pass. The newly-renovated visitor’s area at the Empire State Building Observatory is one of the most visited attractions for visitors to New York City and represents an important addition to the popular NY attraction pass.
The NYC Explorer Pass offers the ultimate in convenience, cost savings and flexibility for visitors to the city. Customers choose three, five or seven attractions at a low, pre-paid price. The pass serves as a ticket to any of the 40 participating NY attractions. Customers have the freedom to use the pass at anytime of the day or night and can take up to 30 days to use the admissions on the pass, making it ideal for out-of-towners and locals alike. The pass also provides discounts at popular restaurants and shops and the ability to skip the lines at many attractions. Each Explorer Pass also comes with a color-printed, pocket-sized guidebook full of maps, travel tips and itineraries for New York City.
“With millions of visitors from around the world, the Empire State Building is the ‘must-see’ attraction in New York City,” said Jean-Yves Ghazi, Director of the Observatory at the Empire State Building. “We have recently renovated our 86th and 102nd floor observatories with aesthetic and modernization improvements. By joining with the NYC Explorer Pass, we encourage people to get the most out of their visit to the world’s most famous office building.”
Among the top attractions included in the NYC Explorer Pass are Metropolitan Museum of Art, Top of the Rock™, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Ferry, and Madame Tussauds. In addition to the Empire State Building Observatory, in 2009 Smart Destinations also added a Harlem Walking Tour, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex, Bodies…The Exhibition, the Museum of Sex, and an entire Brooklyn section with attractions including the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, and more.
“Offering a product that saves the two most precious commodities of any vacation – money and time – is extremely relevant in today’s economy,” said Cecilia Dahl, founder and President of Smart Destinations. “We’re very excited to make that value proposition even stronger with the inclusion of the Empire State Building Observatory in our New York City Explorer Pass.”
The New York City Explorer Pass also includes transportation, such as the City Sights “hop-off” double-decker bus tour and other attractions including On Location’s Sex and the City Tour, NY TV and Movie Sites Tour, a Guided Biking Tour of Central Park and a shopping tour of Soho. The pass also offers a multilingual city tour given in Spanish, German, Italian and French.
Planning a trip to
New York City?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
New York City Explorer Pass.
March 3rd, 2009 by admin
The Great White Way is going pedestrian only — or at least parts of it are. In an effort to eliminate traffic snarls caused by Broadway’s diagonal bisection of midtown Manhattan’s grid layout, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is shutting down key sections of the street and turning it into a pedestrian zone.
The shut-down begins on Memorial Day and is planned to run through the end of 2009 — and perhaps become permanent thereafter if all goes well. For the heavily congested Time Square area, this will be a blessing for visitors on foot. Navigating over-crowded Broadway sidewalks in Times Square between 42nd and 47th streets will soon be a much easier proposition. Similarly, Herald Square further South (the area around 34th Street) will also be reserved for pedestrians.
The city is not stopping at simply shutting the streets and taking down the railings. It further plans to add benches and tables to allow people to enjoy their new found elbow room.
So starting the Memorial Day, enjoy the extra room and take your New York City Explorer Pass along for the walk as you visit a number of attractions that will be in or adjacent to the new pedestrian zone such as Madame Tussauds, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and a tour of Madison Square Garden. To see the Department of Transportation’s graphics of what the changes will look like, go to their site for links to images for both Times Square and Herald Square.
Planning a trip to
New York City?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
New York City Explorer Pass.
December 2nd, 2008 by admin
This December 3rd will see the traditional lighting of the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center. 2008 marks the 76th annual lighting of the famous tree which is hand selected to ensure the proper shape and quality of the 65 foot (or higher) tree. This year the ceremony will run from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm and typical involves appearances by celebrities and a variety of musical acts.
The setting is spectacular with Rockefeller Plaza all decked out for the Holidays, including the world famous skating Rink at Rockefeller Center. While the ice gets pretty banged up, its an amazing experience to skate in front of a crowd of onlookers with the tree in the background. If you miss the Tree Lighting Ceremony itself don’t worry, a tree that big tends to stick around for a while. This Holiday you will be able to see the tree until January 9th, 2009.
It is illuminated each day from dawn until well into the night (5:30 am until 11:30 pm), so there are plenty of opportunities to get just the right photo – although it does get crowded, so you may want to drop off any shopping bags at your hotel before you go. While you wait for it to get dark to see the tree lights at full effect, use your NY Explorer Pass to visit sights in the surrounding area like the Top of the Rock Observation Deck or take the Rockefeller Center Tour.
Planning a trip to
New York City?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
New York City Explorer Pass.
April 30th, 2008 by susan j
Photo courtesy of
Sports buffs of all ages will want to check out New York City’s newest museum. The Sports Museum of America at 26 Broadway in Manhattan opens one week from today and already the museum is generating some major media buzz in places like The New York Times, Yahoo! Sports, and The Dallas Morning News.
The first and only interactive, multimedia all-sports experience in the country, the Museum covers baseball, football, basketball, figure skating, extreme sports, and other sports with more than 800 artifacts, 1,100 photographs, and 20 original films. It’s also the new home of the Heisman Trophy and the Billie Jean King International Women’s Sports Center, including the first ever women’s sports hall of fame.
The Sports Museum of America will be included with the New York City Explorer Pass starting on May 7, 2008, when the museum officially opens.
Planning a trip to
New York City?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
New York City Explorer Pass.
April 22nd, 2008 by susan j
NBC Studio Tour sign photo uploaded by
If you’ve ever wondered where shows like Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Conan O’Brien were filmed then, the NBC Studio Tour is for you. This seventy minute tour takes you inside NBC’s historic New York studios. Tours are led by NBC pages. Regis Philbin, Michael Eisner, and Ted Koppel all served as pages in their younger years, so you never know what up-and-comer might be showing you around the studio!
First stop is the NBC/Sharp History Theatre to learn about NBC’s early days in radio. Other highlights include NBC’s most famous studios (subject to filming schedules), including those used for The Today Show, Dateline NBC, NBC Nightly News, and others.
TV and movies buffs might also enjoy these tours:
New York TV & Movie Sites Tour
Central Park Movie Sites Tour
Sex and the City Hotspots Tour
New York TV & Movie Sites on the Water
Sopranos Sites Tour
Planning a trip to
New York City?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
New York City Explorer Pass.
April 18th, 2008 by susan j
Union Square Greenmarket photo uploaded by
Now that the weather finally is warming up, a visit to one of New York City’s greenmarkets is the perfect way to explore the city’s neighborhoods. You’ll find organic produce, farm fresh dairy, and homemade goods. Several of NYC’s outdoor markets, including Union Square Greenmarket, operate year-round, but others (like the Borough Hall Greenmarket and Sunnyside and Astoria Greenmarket) are open seasonally.
In celebration of National Garden Month, you can also stop by the 2008 NYC Grow Garden Festival in Union Square Park on April 27 for more on local produce and gardening.
Planning a trip to
New York City?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
New York City Explorer Pass.
April 2nd, 2008 by jamie a
Milkshake at Johnny Rockets Photo uploaded by
While you’re in the Big Apple and faced with a plethora of dining options, you want to find something that’s going to please adults and kids alike. There’s so many wonderful places to check out that don’t begin with T.G.I…
Time Out New York recently put together a list of the , focusing on dishes that kids constantly ask for. This list outlines the tastiest kids’ food out there, from chicken fingers to macaroni and cheese and hot fudge sundaes.
In addition to listings of restaurants to check out, there’s also lists of the best burgers in the city, ethnic eateries where eating with your hands is encouraged, dinner theatre destinations, plus an article where chefs discuss pleasing their toughest critics (their kids!).
Planning a trip to
New York City?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
New York City Explorer Pass.
March 12th, 2008 by susan j
Bike New York City Photo uploaded by
Spring is a great time to visit New York City: couples stroll through Central Park, buskers entertain passerby, and visitors flock from all over the world to experience NYC’s unique combination of grit and grandeur. Here at Explorer Pass, we’re gearing up for an exciting spring, including of the addition twelve new New York City attractions to our New York City Explorer Pass.
We’ve got tons of exciting NYC sights, from Madame Tussauds New York to Madison Square Garden. You can also take a guided bike tour of Central Park or explore the Guggenheim Museum (as of April 1). Explorer Pass also gives you at tons of stores and restaurants around NYC. To celebrate, we’re offering 15% off all New York City Explorer Passes from now until Thursday, March 20. What’s your favorite NYC attraction? Leave a comment and let us know!
Planning a trip to
New York City?
Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the
New York City Explorer Pass.
