New York City is a multicultural hub with dozens of museums, hundreds of parks and millions of people. The number of potential things to see and do can feel overwhelming, but NY1 has you covered with some of the highlights taking place this weekend across the five boroughs.
The Orchid Show at NYBG
Open through April 26
New York Botanical Garden, the Bronx
More information here
“The Orchid Show: Mr. Flower Fantastic’s Concrete Jungle” is now open at the New York Botanical Garden.
The garden says the exhibit is where “orchids collide with concrete in a dazzling reimagining of the Big Apple.” The aesthetics of the city are fused with the beauty of thousands of flowers.
Lunar New Year at The Met
Saturday, Feb. 7 from noon to 5 p.m.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Manhattan
More information here
The Met is celebrating the Year of the Horse on Saturday with a festival honoring Lunar New Year traditions from across Asia.
The event will feature workshops, performances and interactive activities suitable for all ages.
First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum
Now through Aug. 1
Brooklyn Museum
More information here
A tradition for more than 25 years, the musuem calls First Saturdays one of “Brooklyn’s hottest events.”
On the first Saturday evening of each month now through Aug. 1 (with the exception of July), attendees can take advantage of the event’s “free art, music, dancing, films, talks, readings and creative outlets. Plus: signature cocktails.”
Black History Month is the focus of Feb. 7’s event from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
‘Noguchi’s New York’
Open through Sept. 13
The Noguchi Museum, Queens
More information here
To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the Noguchi Museum in Long Island City has launched “Noguchi’s New York.”
The exhibit focuses on the relationship between Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi and New York City.
New Yorkers may recognize some of his works like the Red Cube at 140 Broadway and Liberty Street and the Sunken Garden at Chase Manhattan Bank Plaza in Lower Manhattan.
(Courtesy of Miguel de Guzman and Rocio Romero)
NYC Restaurant Week
Offers available through Feb. 12
Across the city
More information here
The city’s biggest dining event is back, with deals available at restaurants across the city through Feb. 12.
Two-course lunches and three-course dinners are priced at $30, $45 and $60. Find a participating eatery here.
‘Paper Jane: 250 Years of Austen’
Open through Feb. 14, 2026
The Grolier Club, Manhattan
More information here
An exhibition celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen, “Paper Jane: 250 Years of Austen” includes a “kaleidoscopic mix of 110 objects,” organized chronologically at 50-year intervals.Â
The timeline moves from 1825 to 2025, and includes “rare first editions, manuscripts, popular reprintings, movie posters, illustrations and theater playbills,” among other items.
(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)
‘The Future Was Then: The Changing Face of Fascist Italy’
Open through Feb. 26
The Poster House, Manhattan
More information here
An exhibition at The Poster House explores how the fascist government of Italy under Benito Mussolini influenced the art of the period.
The exhibit features 75 pieces that chronicle Mussolini’s regime, and focuses on “the often blurred line between propaganda and art.”
Bumper Cars at Bryant Park
Open through Feb. 28, 2026
Bryant Park, Manhattan
More information here
“Bumper Cars on Ice” is back at Bryant Park’s Winter Village.
The parks says the activity is for ages 7 and up, and recommends reserving a time slot in advance.
Holiday Train Show at Grand Central
Open through February 2026
Grand Central Terminal, Manhattan
More information here
Another train show for the holiday season, the New York Transit Museum at Grand Central’s offering is smaller than what’s on display at the New York Botanical Garden, but no tickets are required.
The exhibit features model trains running through a 34-foot-long display — departing from a miniature Grand Central and passing by other iconic New York City landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building. The Transit Museum’s collection of model trains includes Metro-North, Polar Express and vintage subway train sets.
‘Urban Stomp’
Open through February 2026
Museum of the City of New York, Manhattan
More information here
An exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York, “Urban Stomp: Dreams & Defiance on the Dance Floor,” guides visitors through a rich history of social dances born, shaped or popularized in the city.
There are around 30 video tutorials teaching the steps of dance styles like the foxtrot, Lindy Hop, salsa, hip-hop, breaking, hustle and vogue, with related cultural artifacts on display.
Ice Skating in Manhattan
Open through March 2026
Rockefeller Center, Manhattan
Wollman Rink, Central Park
Rockefeller tickets here
Wollman tickets here
Ice skating is open for the season at The Rink at Rockefeller Center and at Wollman Rink in Central Park.
Rockefeller Center’s website calls skating on its rink of the city’s “quintessential winter activities.”
Skip the cabin fever. Take your family for a spin on The Rink at Rockefeller Center Presented by Chase Freedom. pic.twitter.com/CjDEpNSsCd
— Rockefeller Center (@rockcenternyc) February 28, 2025
MoMA Mart
Open through March 29
MoMA Design Store, Manhattan
More information here
A pop-up at the Museum of Modern Art’s Design Store is made to look like a grocery store — but nothing is edible. The products may look like croissants, tacos, mustard and milk, but they’re actually everything from lamps and candles to stools, bags and timers.
The exhibit is an exploration of food as form, with all items available for purchase.
‘Empire Skate of Mind’
Open daily until April 12, 2026
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
More information here
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum has transformed its rooftop terrace into a retro rink described by organizers as a nod to the Empire Roller Rink that lasted in Brooklyn from the 1940s until 2007.
Tickets are required for the all-ages celebration. Skates, helmets and wrist guards are provided.
100 Years of the Schomburg Center
Open through May 3
Schomburg Center, Manhattan
More information here
To celebrate 100 years as an institution dedicated to research in Black culture, the Schomburg Center in Harlem has 100 rare items on display celebrating the history of the African American diaspora.
A 1948 Brooklyn Dodgers baseball, signed by legends Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella, and Malcolm X’s briefcase are just two of the gems available to see.
The library has also released a special book list of Black-authored books from the past 100 years titled, “100 Black Voices.”
(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)
’45 Years of Pac-Man’
Open through May 31
Paley Center for Media, Manhattan
More information here
The Paley Center for Media is celebrating 45 years of the iconic arcade character with two floors of Pac-Man memorabilia.
Visitors will see items dating back to his creation in Japan in 1980, including Pac-Man lunchboxes, mini-games and Pac-Man-inspired products like Oreos, Krispy Kreme donuts and ramen noodles. There will also be plenty of opportunities to play the game itself, according to the Paley Center.
‘FAREwell, MetroCard’
Now open
New York Transit Museum, Brooklyn
More information here
After more than three decades in use, the MetroCard is retiring. A new exhibit at the New York Transit Museum invites visitors to learn about its history, including its debut in 1994, the technology behind it and its lasting legacy.
At Chelsea Market in Manhattan, art made from MetroCards is hanging on the walls near the Ninth Avenue entrance, including framed creations of cats, the five boroughs and a school bus.
Street Food City
Open Thursdays to Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.
Museum of Food and Drink, Brooklyn
More information here
A new exhibit at the Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) in Brooklyn is dedicated to the city’s smallest food businesses and the immigrant entrepreneurs who have shaped the city’s flavor and culture.
Organizers say Street Food City “traces the challenges faced by street food entrepreneurs of the past to today’s fight for vendor rights.” The exhibit’s curator, Catherine Piccoli, and MOFAD president Nazli Parvizi also joined NY1 to discuss the exhibit.
Studio Museum in Harlem
Open daily 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
144 West 125th St., Manhattan
More information here
The Studio Museum in Harlem has reopened after being closed for nearly eight years.
The museum, which is dedicated to presenting and collecting the work of Black artists, returns with a variety of exhibits on display.
(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)
‘Impact: The End of the Age of Dinosaurs’
Now open
American Museum of Natural History, Manhattan
More information here
A new exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History looks at the impact of the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
The exhibition also explores how the Earth recovered from the event, including how it paved the way for new species.
(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)
‘Encounters in the Milky Way’
Now open
American Museum of Natural History, Manhattan
More information here
“Encounters in the Milky Way” is a new show at the Hayden Planetarium that gives visitors a “front-row seat to spectacular moments in our solar system’s past and future.”
Narrated by Pedro Pascal, the show takes viewers through the paths of stars, comets and other interstellar debris. It’s part of the Rose Center for Earth and Space’s celebration of 25 years since its opening.
🚀A new Hayden Planetarium Space Show, narrated by Pedro Pascal, is opening June 9! In Encounters in the Milky Way, you’ll get a front-row seat to spectacular moments in our solar system’s past and future, including the paths of stars, comets, interstellar debris, and more. pic.twitter.com/jZtZLeaHFq
— American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH) May 20, 2025