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| | The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is housed in a bowl-shaped building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and is full of contemporary art. |
| The American Folk Art Museum has a stunning collection of art by Americans who never went to school to learn how to make it. |
| The American Museum of Natural History is one of the best and oldest (at 125 years) museums in New York. Halls of fantastic dioramas, a life-size model blue whale, displays of giant natural crystals, a planetarium, and the Imax movie theater are only some of the treasures awaiting you here (hint: this is a good place to bring kids). |
| The Frick Collection has a small but fantastic collection of 19th century and earlier European masters, sculpture, and furniture; while it’s not a particularly child-friendly place, serious art lovers will feel like kids again wandering these neo-classical halls. |
| The Neue Gallerie focuses on German and Austrian art and design; try the excellent Café Sabarsky downstairs for a traditional Viennese lunch. |
| El Museo del Bario contains exhibitions of Hispanic art and culture. |
| The Studio Museum in Harlem has excellent new work by contemporary artists. |
| At the very tip of the island of Manhattan in Fort Tyron Park find the Cloisters, a satellite of the Metropolitan Museum of Art specializing in medieval art. |
| The Brooklyn Museum has changing special exhibitions and a diverse permanent collection of American and African art. |
| The South Street Seaport Museum has a history of the port and many maritime artifacts. |
| The National Museum of the Native American has a beautiful collection of Native American art as well as informative displays on the history of many tribes. |
| The Museum of Television and Radio has an awesome collection of television shows you thought you’d never see again. |
| The New York Historical Society has entertaining painting galleries, rotating temporary exhibitions, and an extensive archive. |
| Madame Toussaude’s, the chain wax museum, has all your favorite celebrities cast with incredible fidelity in wax. |
| The Museum of Jewish Heritage is a maze-like display of Jewish history. |
| The New Museum of Contemporary Art is a good venue for brand-spanking new and sometimes shocking art; probably not a good place to bring the kids. |
| The Guggenheim Museum Soho has a slightly disappointing 1-floor exhibition space, but it’s a lot less crowded than the uptown alternative. |
| The Cooper-Hewitt Museum has diverse design-related exhibitions. |
| The Asia Society has rotating exhibitions related to the art and culture of Asia. |
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the finest museums on the planet; you will need at least two days to see everything here. |
| The Museum of Modern Art recognizes that modern and contemporary art originated in the exploration of the ideals and interests generated in the new artistic traditions that began in the late nineteenth century and continue today. That modern and contemporary art involve all forms of visual expression, including painting and... |
| The Museum of Chinatown can be hard to spot because of its single small sign, but has a unique exhibit on the history of Chinese culture in New York. |
| The Jewish Museum has excellent displays on Jewish history, culture, and art. |
| The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is not wheelchair accessible, but it is (partially for this reason) an authentic recreation of a 19th century immigrant living space; it will change your perspective on Manhattan. |
| The Whitney Museum has an excellent collection of modern art. |
| The Museum of the City of New York has a movie theater with a giant revolving apple, a dollhouse collection, and displays which chronicle the city’s history. |
| The Museum of Modern Art grew from an initial gift of eight prints and one drawing; along with many masterpieces, it has a collection of 14,000 films. |
| The Statue of Liberty, on Liberty Island, was a gift from the French in 1886, in celebration of mutual democracy. While the torch and crown are no longer accessible to the public, you can still climb to the base observatory for a pretty view; bring photo id and expect delays from National Security precautions. The Circleline ferry leaves Battery Park daily 9:30am-5pm for Ellis Island and Liberty... |
| Be sure to check out the Empire State Building where you can ride to the 86th floor of this 1931-built, 1,454-foot tall, 102-storey structure for an 80-mile view on a clear day. Bring a photo id and expect delays for security procedures. |
| Ellis Island is the former immigration point through which 17 million immigrants passed from 1892-1954; 40% of all people living in the U.S. have ancestors who arrived at Ellis Island. The Museum which stands on the island today has an exhaustive collection of artifacts related to immigrants and immigration, as well as a haunting audio tour and documentary film. The Circleline ferry leaves... |
| The Chrysler Building is a monument to the heyday of the automobile industry; constructed in 1930, it was for a few months the tallest skyscraper in New York, until it was superceded by construction of the Empire State Building. |
| Stretching 2.5 miles from 59th St. to 110th St., and _ mile across, Central Park is the saving grace of Manhattan, a little bit of real wilderness in the middle of the urban jungle. Wollman Skating Rink is accessible at 62nd St. Find the Central Park Zoo, Children’s Zoo, and the charming Children’s Carousel at 65th St. Strawberry Fields, of Beatles’ fame, is at 72nd St. The statue of Alice in... |
| The Brooklyn Botanical Garden is another great New York sight, with numerous greenhouses and fantastic groves and flowerbeds. |
| The New York Stock Exchange has free tours every day. |
| The Dakota, Central Park West at 72nd St., gained fame recently as the building outside of which John Lennon was assassinated; built from 1881-4, it was one of the first major housing developments in upper Manhattan. The name, “The Dakota,” honors the building’s initial isolation (and emphasizes doubts that it would ever be inhabited). By the beginning of the 20th century, the Dakota had become... |
| The New York Public Library and its graceful backyard, Bryant Park, were constructed in 1911 and are still a great places to go for some peace and quiet at the center of the city. |
| Grand Central Terminal and its very beautiful constellation ceiling-fresco are open and free to the public. You can, of course, also catch the subway here. |
| The U.N. Building provides a little insight into the pros and perils of international cooperation. The building is situated on the only portion of land in New York City not under the sovereignty of the United States government. |
| Rockefeller Center has a massive 24-acre underground mall with 35 restaurants, an ice rink, and that giant Christmas tree at the right time of the year. |
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