Things to Do in Manhattan, From the Battery to the Cloisters

Our roof is stop 12 on this map, and we've been up there since 2015. Prices are for one adult. Hours move with the seasons, so follow the link before you leave the hotel. For what's open at this exact minute, use the live board.

The island, south to north

Prices and hours from each place's own site, checked November 2026. Where a site doesn't post a price, we don't give one.

Downtown: the harbor and where the city started

1. The Battery and the ferries

The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island share one ferry. Statue City Cruises is the only authorized seller, and an adult ticket is $26. The Park Service charges nothing for its museums, so that ticket is all you pay. It warns about aggressive sellers near The Battery who overcharge or sell fakes, so buy in advance on the official site or at the Castle Clinton office. The operator says entry after 2pm won't leave time for both islands. Ferries don't run on Thanksgiving or Christmas.

The crown and pedestal need a separate reservation, and the operator says those often sell out months ahead.

The Staten Island Ferry is the free alternative. It runs 24 hours, takes about 25 minutes, and passes the Statue on the way. It doesn't stop there. You don't need a ticket, and the city warns that people selling one are scammers. Castle Clinton itself is a free National Park site in The Battery. Subway: South Ferry (1), Whitehall St (R, W) or Bowling Green (4, 5).

2. The 9/11 Memorial and Wall Street

The memorial pools are free and open daily from 8am to 8pm. The museum is $36 for adults, 9am to 7pm from Wednesday to Monday, plus select Tuesdays, with last entry at 5:30pm. Free Monday tickets go online at 7am that day, first come, with last entry at 5:30pm. Federal Hall is a national memorial where the inside isn't always open, so check first. The National Museum of the American Indian is free daily from 10am to 5pm except December 25. Subway: the E from 50 St runs straight to World Trade Center.

3. The Brooklyn Bridge

Finished in 1883, and at the time the longest suspension bridge in the world. With its approaches it's 6,016 feet, about 23 minutes on foot. City counts put 28,845 people a day on the promenade in 2024, and on a nice afternoon you'll feel every one of them. Start on the Brooklyn side so that you walk toward the skyline: take the A or C to High St. The city says the promenade stays open at all times, but part of it may be narrowed for repairs.

4. Chinatown and the Lower East Side

Come hungry, and come for the streets. The sight to book is the Tenement Museum, where you see restored apartments of immigrant families and you can only go in on a guided tour, so buy that ahead on its own site. The Museum of Chinese in America is $15 and open Wednesday to Sunday. Subway: Canal St (6, J, N, Q, R, W, Z) or Delancey St-Essex St (F, J, M, Z).

The Village up to 34th Street

5. Greenwich Village

No big ticket here, which is why it's a good afternoon. Walk from Washington Square Park west to Christopher Street, and stop at the Stonewall National Monument visitor center, which is free and open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Subway: Christopher St (1) or W 4 St (A, B, C, D, E, F, M). From our door it's about 51 min on foot.

6. The Whitney, the High Line and Little Island

Three things on one corner. The Whitney is $30, closed Tuesdays, open until 10pm on Fridays, and free from 5 to 10pm those nights. The High Line starts next door: a free park on an old rail line that runs north to W 34th Street, open 7am to 10pm through November 30 and 7am to 8pm from December to March. Little Island is a free park on the river at Pier 55, open until 9pm in November and December. Subway: 14 St (A, C, E) or 8 Av (L).

7. The Empire State Building

The classic view, on W 34th Street at Fifth Avenue. The building says it's open 365 days a year, and hours and prices depend on the date you choose. Subway: 34 St-Herald Sq (B, D, F, M, N, Q, R, W). On foot from our door it's about 32 min.

8. Hudson Yards

Edge is an open-air deck on the 100th floor with a glass floor, from $42 plus a $2 fee. It's usually open until 10pm, but some days close early for events. The Vessel, the climbable sculpture, reopened in March 2026, with timed tickets from $10. The High Line ends here too. It's about 18 min on foot from our door. Subway: 34 St-Hudson Yards (7).

Midtown: the postcards

9. Bryant Park and Grand Central

Bryant Park's rink is free to skate on from October 28 to February 28 if you bring skates and reserve a time, and rentals start at $18.72. Next door, the New York Public Library lists free tours at 11am and 2pm, Monday to Saturday. Grand Central is a 9-minute walk east and stays open until about 2am. Look up at the ceiling. Subway: 42 St-Bryant Pk (B, D, F, M), 5 Av (7), Grand Central (4, 5, 6, 7, S).

10. Times Square and Broadway

It's free to look and expensive to linger. We wrote a block-by-block guide with a map. The Red Steps are about 15 min on foot from our door. Subway: Times Sq-42 St (1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W, S).

11. Rockefeller Center and MoMA

Rockefeller Center is the plaza, the rink and, from December 2, the Christmas tree. The tree is free to see, and the rink and the Top of the Rock deck are paid. MoMA is three blocks north at $30, and free for anyone 16 and under. Subway: 47-50 Sts-Rockefeller Ctr (B, D, F, M) or 5 Av/53 St (E, M).

12. Hell's Kitchen and the Hudson piers

Our side of town, which most short visits skip. The Intrepid is an aircraft carrier with a space shuttle on deck, $38, about 6 min from our door. Pier 84 has a lawn and a free sunset, about 7 min away. Our Hell's Kitchen guide has the rest. Subway: 50 St (C, E), about 13 min from us.

Uptown: the park and the big museums

13. Central Park

Free, open 6am to 1am every day of the year, with free bathrooms apart from the zoo's. It's much bigger than it looks: Bethesda Terrace is about 39 min on foot from our door, and the park keeps going for another 2 miles past that. Subway: 59 St-Columbus Circle (A, B, C, D, 1).

14. The Upper West Side museums

The American Museum of Natural History has the dinosaurs and the big blue whale. New York State residents pay what they wish, and everyone else pays the price on its site. Next door, New York Historical covers the city's own past. Subway: 81 St-Museum of Natural History (B, C).

15. Museum Mile

The Met is $30, closed Wednesdays, and open until 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. New York State residents and students from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut pay what they wish. The Guggenheim is $30, open daily from 10:30am to 5:30pm, with pay-what-you-wish on Tuesdays and Sundays from 4 to 5:30pm. The Frick, a few blocks south, is $30 too, closed Tuesdays, and pay-what-you-wish on Wednesdays from 1:30 to 5:30pm. Subway: 86 St (4, 5, 6), then walk west.

16. Harlem

The Studio Museum in Harlem opened its new building on W 125th Street in November 2025. It suggests $16, it's free on Sundays with a ticket, and it's closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Down the street, the Apollo Theater runs tours, but its historic hall has been under renovation, so check what's open before you go up. Subway: 125 St (A, B, C, D).

17. The Met Cloisters

The far end of the island, and the reason to ride all the way up: a museum of medieval art in Fort Tryon Park, with views of the Hudson. Closed Wednesdays. Adult admission is $30, the same as The Met. The museum's directions: take the A to 190 St, use the elevator, then walk about 10 minutes north or take the M4 one stop. It closes at 4:30pm in the winter, so don't leave it for late afternoon.

How to plan a day

• Stay in one zone. Crossing the island takes longer than people expect: one long avenue block is about 3 to 4 minutes on foot, and the east-west trip on the subway usually means a transfer.
• Mix indoors and out. Do the park or the bridge in the morning, and save the museum for when your feet hurt. If it rains, flip it.
• Check the closed day first. Our first-visit guide has a grid of who's closed when.
• Watch the sun. It sets around 4:30pm in December and 8:30pm in June, and that changes which deck or bridge makes sense at the end of your day.

Where we fit in

We're stop 12, on the far west side, and that cuts both ways. You're a long way from most of this map, and about 13 min on foot from the nearest subway. But the river is right there, and the Intrepid and the piers are minutes away.

If you end the day at this end of the map, we do Mexican food and a live DJ at 605 W 48th Street. Tuesday to Thursday 5pm to 11pm (last reservation 10pm), Friday 5pm to 3am, Saturday 12pm to 3am and Sunday 12pm to 9:30pm. Closed Mondays.