Trips Experiences Courses Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Experiences Courses Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
All United States New York State New York City

The Atlas Obscura Guide To New York City

749 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in New York City

Updated September 19, 2023

From the Times Square Hum to George Washingtonʼs dentures, the Big Apple is full of wonders big and small. It was the home of Atlas Obscura for many years, so weʼve scoured the city for hidden wonders, and itʼs possible to see many of them in a single afternoon.

Email

Boroughs

City Hall Station
Manhattan
Brooklyn
Queens
The remains of Riverside Hospital at North Brother Island
The Bronx
A Japanese nonna makes gyoza at Enoteca Maria.
Staten Island
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Stories
Lists
Hotel Deals

Unusual Attractions in New York City

City Hall Station

New York, New York

Old City Hall Station

A beautiful and abandoned New York subway station from 1904, complete with chandelier.
Taxidermy and insect displays

New York, New York

The Evolution Store

A terrific purveyor of natural history objects and curios.
Interior of the Dream House

New York, New York

Dream House

La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela's "Dream House" will immerse you in an ever changing world of sound and light.

New York, New York

Roosevelt Island Smallpox Hospital Ruins

A crumbling hospital from the 1850s on Roosevelt Island.

New York, New York

The Elevated Acre

Amid the bustle and noise of the Financial District hides a secluded garden oasis above the city streets.
Mmuseumm

New York, New York

Mmuseumm

A tiny museum housed in a New York freight elevator specializes in the "overlooked, dismissed, or ignored."
The fireplace adorned by elephant tusks.

New York, New York

Explorers Club Headquarters

A treasure trove of artifacts, books, and artwork from the "golden age" of exploration.
Lexington Candy Shop

New York, New York

Lexington Candy Shop

The oldest family-run luncheonette in New York, last renovated in 1948, still serves food and drinks the old-fashioned way.
See All 749 Things To Do in New York City

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in New York City

Lexington Candy Shop

New York, New York

Lexington Candy Shop

The oldest family-run luncheonette in New York, last renovated in 1948, still serves food and drinks the old-fashioned way.
Entering the vault!

New York, New York

Trinity Place Bank Vault Bar

This lower Manhattan bar is set up in an old bank vault that rests beneath a skyscraper that hides even more historic splendor.
Ice cream cone from the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory.

New York, New York

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

Order scoops of pandan, lychee, and black sesame at this family-run institution.

New York, New York

Goldbar

A hip bar decorated with walls of golden skulls.
See all 10 Places to Eat in New York City
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In Partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

From catacombs by candlelight to speakeasy drinks and prohibition tours.

Discover Experiences

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

The Resilience of New York in 10 Remarkable Sites

New York has been described as a playground for the rich and powerful, but the state's history is full of ordinary people who have overcome extraordinary struggles. What if Seneca Falls, the village that launched the fight for women's suffrage, were as famous as Niagara Falls? What if Weeksville, the historic free Black community in Brooklyn, were as well-known as Williamsburg? From immigrant sanctuaries to the Survivor Tree, here are sites where New York has shown its resilience.

View Itinerary
The Museum at Eldridge Street Synagogue has a past full of stories and struggles.

Explore New York City

Architectural Oddities 72
Art 65
Shops 64
History 52
Museums And Collections 45
Cemeteries 40
Unique Restaurants & Bars 38
Sacred Spaces 37
Hidden 36
Homes 35
Music 33
Abandoned 32
Places To Stay 7

Recent New York City Activity

  • L

    lc200804

    wants to go to Studebaker Building

  • L

    lc200804

    wants to go to Bomelstein's Jewelers Clock

  • L

    lc200804

    wants to go to Park Slope Plane Crash

  • L

    lc200804

    wants to go to Columbia Street Waterfront District Sculpture Garden

  • L

    lc200804

    wants to go to Stuffed Animal Tree of Bergen Beach

Stories About New York City

Kebaya is the first restaurant in New York to focus on Peranakan food.

A Secretive Food Culture Enters the Spotlight

Peranakan cuisine is a feast of complexity.
by Samantha Chong
September 19, 2023
Designed by English sculptor Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, models of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals were destined for Central Park's never-realized Paleozoic Museum.

The Bizarre True Story of Central Park’s Doomed Victorian Dinosaur Museum

For centuries, the infamous Boss Tweed was blamed for destroying its dino-models—but what really happened is even weirder.
by Sarah Durn
August 3, 2023

Podcast: Spaces for Spies

Where real-world American espionage comes to life.
by The Podcast Team
July 25, 2023
Amadou Ly at ALF Bakery.

Meet the West African Baker Reshaping French Pastry

Amadou Ly is working wonders in laminated dough.
by Diana Hubbell
June 8, 2023
Left to right: Tahirah Baksh, Jiniya Azad, and Sameen Choudhry hope to drive business to halal restaurants with their blog and social media accounts.

Meet the Women Mapping New York City’s Halal Food

It's a constellation of birria, noodles, and fried chicken sandwiches.
by Sam Lin-Sommer
May 26, 2023
The Gocta Waterfalls in northwestern Peru are the subject of one of our favorite recent Atlas Obscura Podcast episodes.

7 Recent Atlas Obscura Podcast Episodes You Just Have to Hear

For our two-year pod-iversary we're headed back to some of the coolest places we've taken you recently.
by April White
March 22, 2023
A rainbow of pelmeni.

Meet the Women Behind the Heritage Food Revival

From Ukrainian pelmeni to Appalachian fried fish, these innovators are drawing on generations of culinary wisdom.
by Diana Hubbell
March 20, 2023

Podcast: NYC’s Most Beautiful Public Bathroom

You've gotta go.
by The Podcast Team
March 14, 2023

Lists Featuring New York City

Book Corner.
The Final Cross
Edward Dean Adams Power Station
Clifton Hill

The 11 Best Places to Visit Near Niagara Falls for Curious Travelers

11

Including Book Corner, Prophet Isaiah's Second Coming House, and Edward Dean Adams Power Plant

Conjurer Jason England teaches a card trick.
Keen's Steakhouse
The New York Herald Monument.

The 11 Best Things to do Near the Empire State Building for Curious Travelers

11

Including Tannen's Magic Shop, The Conjuring Arts Research Center, and Keen's Steakhouse

The crostata, with the storefront in the background.

7 Extraordinary Jewish Restaurants Around the World

A global map of diverse delights.

7

Including Pasticceria Boccione, Gottlieb's Restaurant, and Nahoum and Sons

The Geographic Center of NYC is located on a traffic meridian on Queens Boulevard.
Vale of Cashmere.
Underneath the entrance to the nature walk is a small separate garden (Michelle Enemark CC Attribution Share Alike)

30 Unexpected Places to Have a Joyful Adventure in New York City

Sponsored by Volkswagen
30

Including Geographic Center of New York City, Vale of Cashmere, and Marie's Crisis

Phyllis Diller
Detail of the Texaco map terrazzo mosaic tile floor of the New York State Pavilion (Tent of Tomorrow), 2009

18 Places to Discover Innovation in Roosevelt Island and NYC

Sponsored by Graduate Hotels
18

Including Holographic Studios Inc., Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, and Patent Pending

Blockhouse No. 1
Manhattan schist
Barrow Street Garden

The Quietest Spots in America’s Loudest City

Keep calm and immerse yourself in New York's urban arcadia.

10

Including The Elevated Acre, Blockhouse No. 1, and Hallett Nature Sanctuary

The Nostalgia Train.
REACH: New York
The secret entrance to the Knickerbocker Hotel (detail)
Track 61

10 Secrets of the New York City Subway

Stand clear of the closing doors, please.

10

Including Holiday Nostalgia Train, REACH: New York, and The Secret Entrance to the Knickerbocker Hotel

Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
View from the pier

11 Surprisingly Romantic Places in New York City

We heart New York on Valentine's Day.

11

Including Albertine, Deno's Wonder Wheel, and Brooklyn Botanic Garden

See Fewer Ads

Become an Atlas Obscura member and experience far fewer ads and no pop-ups.

Learn More

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube Twitter Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Puzzles
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Trips Blog
  • Art & Culture Trips
  • Food Trips
  • Hidden City Trips
  • History Trips
  • Wildlife & Nature Trips
  • FAQ
  • Experiences
  • Online Courses
  • Online Experience FAQ
  • Online Course FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2023 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.