The 15 best lesser-known NYC attractions

The hyphen in the name of the New York Historical Society isn’t a mistake, but a reference to the way the city spelled its name when the museum was founded in 1804. The collection of more than 1.6 million artifacts focuses on city lore and includes exhibits on everything from women’s history to original Tiffany lamps. 

Time Out tip: Don't miss out on the Women's Work exhibition - although provoking look at women's contribution to American civilization.

Sitting just a ferry ride away from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, this former home for retired sailors is still something of a secret. Spread across 83 acres, the area boasts an enormous botanical garden and cultural center surrounded by cobblestone streets and Victorian and Tudor homes. One of the most popular attractions here is the Chinese Scholar’s Garden, fitted with magnificent rocks meant to resemble mountains inspired by the poetry and paintings of Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist monks, as well as a bamboo forest path and koi pond.

Time Out tip: Sure, you could go to Whole Foods, or you could enjoy locally harvested produce from the Heritage Farm - open  every Thursday.

Housed in what was once a military residence at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, this small museum pays homage to the historical significance of the former shipbuilding center—which, at its peak during World War II, employed close to 70,000 people. History buffs can geek out over permanent exhibits on the building of ships such as the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor and the Pearl Harbor casualty USS Arizona and explore the previously unheard stories of women and people of color who toiled on repairs of battleships and carriers.

Time Out tip: If you fancy hanging at the Navy Yard after the exhibit, grab some food to go from the neighbouring vendors and head to daily taproom Transmitter Brewing. The vibe there is relaxed and industrial. 

A century ago, this site vied with Niagara Falls as New York State’s greatest tourist attraction. Filled with Victorian mausoleums, cherubs and gargoyles, Green-Wood is the resting place of some half-million New Yorkers, among them Jean-Michel Basquiat, Leonard Bernstein, and Boss Tweed. But there’s more to do here than grave-spot: Check out the massive Gothic arch at the main entrance or climb to the top of Battle Hill, one of the highest points in Kings County and a pivotal spot during the Battle of Brooklyn in 1776.

Time Out tip: What makes Green-Wood even better is that it's free entry 365 days a year. If you're around April 8th, head over to catch the Solar Eclipse event from 1.30 - 5 pm. 

This city-owned garden in the Riverdale section of the Bronx retains the same horticultural traditions as when it was a private estate. You’ll find an elegant 19th-century mansion surrounded by meticulously groomed gardens, featuring abundant wildflowers and shady pergolas. The area offers sweeping views of the river and the New Jersey Palisades. Wake up early to take advantage of free admission between 9 am and noon every Saturday during select months of the year.

Time Out tip: Wave Hill runs a series of free exhibitions, and one we've got our eye on is Nature Finds a Way, full of tropical murals and inspired by the Bronx.

The history of this beautiful estate dates back to the 17th century, when Thomas Pell signed a treaty with the Siwanoy Indians to purchase about 50,000 acres of what is now the Bronx. Located within today’s Pelham Bay Park, the current house was built between 1836 and 1842 and sold to the City of New York in 1888. Re-opened as a museum in 1946, it now offers tours of its furnishings, carriage house and formal gardens.

Time Out tip: In June the museum is hosting a garden luncheon, and we hear it's going to be a pretty fancy soiree. 

Part museum, part spy training ground, Spyscape offers aspiring intelligence agents the opportunity to test their mettle. First, visitors can read up on real-life spies like Alan Turing, the mathematician who cracked the Enigma code, and Virginia Hall, the one-legged operative who helped escaped POWs travel to safety during World War II. Then it’s time for your assessment: After you sneak through a hallway peppered with laser beams, submit to a lie detector test and test all kinds of other Bond-style skills, the museum uses a profiling system developed by a former British Intelligence officer to grade your performance.

Time Out tip: Swing by Joe's Pizza on 8th for the best pies of your life.

This museum explores Jewish life before, during and after the Nazi genocide. The permanent collection includes documentary films, thousands of photos and 800 artifacts, many donated by Holocaust survivors and their families, while the Memorial Garden features English artist Andy Goldsworthy’s Garden of Stones, 18 fire-hollowed boulders embedded with dwarf oak saplings. Special exhibitions tackle historical events or themes. The new Keeping History Center brings the core collection to life with interactive displays, including “Voices of Liberty,” a soundscape of émigrés’ and refugees’ reactions to their arrival in the U.S., which is made all the more poignant juxtaposed with the museum’s panoramic views of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

Time Out: Dine at the on-site Lox at Cafe Bergson, serving Jewish, Danish, and Russian favorites, like matzoh babka, borscht, and a Danish Smorgasbord. 

Located aboard a refurbished 1914 Lehigh Valley Railroad barge, The Waterfront Museum is dedicated to preserving New York's maritime history, with classes, performances, photos, and vintage objects that harken back to the city's nautical heyday as the most important port in the country.

Time Out tip: While you're in Redhook, visit Baked Brooklyn for a sweet treat and stunning views overlooking Manhattan. 

Clear Comfort, 19th-century photographer Alice Austen's family home, is also one of New York's oldest buildings, dating back to 1690. It now houses a large collection of her work, as well as frequent exhibitions of contemporary shutterbugs.

Time Out tip: Don't miss the Anthotype Emulsion workshop for a chance to create your emulsions for photographic prints.

In 1986, artists and activists created this 4.5-acre city park over an abandoned landfill. Now, it hosts large-scale sculpture exhibits year-round and is one of the few locations in the city specifically designated for artists to create outdoor works. The splendid Queens space looks out over the Manhattan skyline and is open 365 days a year, with a Greenmarket, free yoga, and tai chi classes, outdoor movie screenings, and more.

Time Out tip: In summer you can catch the We Are Nomads, We Are Dreamers exhibition featuring a range of soft sculptures inspired by the artist Suchitra Mattai's Indo-Caribbean ancestors. 

What better place to learn about Jewish culture and history than the first synagogue built on the Lower East Side? Check out the museum’s expansive collection of ritual objects, Yiddish street signs, immigration documents and other artifacts collected from the Jewish community. The exhibits aren’t the only draw, either: Architecture fans will geek out over building’s splendor. And after a recent $20 million restoration, the National Historic Landmark’s Gothic facade, oak pews and stained glass windows are looking better than ever.

Time Out tip: If you're looking for some good eats on the Lower East Side, You have to try Kopitiam and order the butter toast followed by the Chilled Spicy Sesame Noodles, and Pulit Inti sticky rice. 

It’s only natural that a city so well represented in film and TV would have its own museum dedicated to the industry. Cinephiles will love spending an afternoon at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, where you can watch classic films in a state-of-the-art cinema, play 14 retro arcade games and examine props and artifacts from real-life film sets. The latest addition, "The Jim Henson Exhibit", includes more than 47 puppets from The Muppet Show and tons of archival footage.

Time Out tip: The museum also hosts indie movie screenings FYI. 

All the rules go out the window at the Museum of Food and Drink. Ok, not all the rules, but the one that says "don't touch" has been flipped on its head. Here visitors are expected to not just touch the exhibits, but to really get to know them. Have a sniff, try a taste even. Whether you're one of those people who loves to cook, or prefers the eating part more, you'll find your fancy at the Museum of Food and Drink. Their current exhibition for 2024 is Flavor, which looks at food as a sensory experience. 

Time Out tip: Don't come here on an empty stomach.