If you are about to take your very first trip to New York, there are a number of tourist attractions that you should not, under any circumstances, miss out on a visit to. Some of these iconic attractions have been a part of the lure of the Big Apple for generations and continue to draw tourists from all over the world. If you’re visiting NYC this year, compare flights to New York online first to find the best deals on flights.
American Museum of Natural History
Covering the entire history of the land of the free, the American Museum of Natural History gives you the opportunity to learn all about the USA. With a rolling programme of visiting exhibitions, the museum always has the opportunity to show you something new about the past. Permanent exhibitions include fossils of giant dinosaurs, exhibits featuring marine life and the evolution of humanity.
Central Park
It is simply impossible to visit New York City without taking a walk through Central Park. The setting for many iconic scenes from numerous films, this park has been a part of New York life since opening around 150 years ago. With a range of events taking place in the park throughout the year, it is a great place to go and experience something new, as well as a place to go and relax, taking in some quiet time away from the bustle of the big city. Take a guided tour, play a game of chess, fish in the Harlem Meer, or simply take time out with a cup of coffee from one of the many cafes and relax with a good book.
Ellis Island Immigration Museum
As featured in the film, Hitch, the Ellis Island Immigration Museum commemorates the spot where the many millions of people who took a boat to the New World in search of a better life landed in the United States. Whilst the boats stopped rolling into Ellis Island, the shore has been preserved and turned into a museum, where you can learn all about the people who came in search of a new life and the places they left behind.
Empire State Building
King Kong climbed it, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan fell in love at the top of it and you must visit it when you are in New York City. The Empire State Building is possibly one of the most well-known and beloved skyscrapers in the world. Although it is now dwarfed by 21 other buildings across the planet, the Empire State Building was the largest building in the world for more than 40 years from when it was completed in 1931.
Statue of Liberty
Famously a gift of friendship from the French, the Statue of Liberty remains a fantastically popular part of New York City. Opened in 1886, the statue was painstakingly restored on its centennial in 1986 and is a symbol of both freedom and democracy. Get up close with both the statue and Ellis Island by taking a ferry cruise around the islands.
Whether you are visiting New York City for business or pleasure, it is simply impossible to not take in at least some of these essential attractions.