Things to Do in Midtown Manhattan & Midtown NYC

By Shashia Mitchell

Looking for things to do in Midtown Manhattan?

As home to world-famous Times Square, Fifth Avenue, and many of the city's most popular skyscrapers and landmarks, there are a lot of fun and entertaining things to do in Midtown Manhattan and it’s one of the most frequented spots in the city for visitors.

Midtown Manhattan is considered the area between 60th Street and 14th Street. Stretching nearly 50 blocks within the middle of the Manhattan borough, its packed with popular attractions, historic landmarks, some of the world’s best restaurants, shopping, and more.

Guided Tours in Midtown Manhattan

Often a quick and easy way to view as much as possible, Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off Tours and The Ride are popular ways to get a guided over tour of the city and you can start both right in Midtown.

Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus Sightseeing Tours plays chauffeur to large groups, taking them around the city to all of the most notable landmarks like Rockefeller Center, Madison Square Garden, the Empire State Building, and many more.

Not only can you take a comfy journey through midtown on the double-decker Big Bus, you also have the option of touring Manhattan’s Uptown and Downtown routes, in addition to the Midtown route, with your same ticket.

The Ride features a unique way to experience the city with tons of entertainment along the way. The interior design of the bus allows groups to sit sideways and take in the view of Midtown’s beautiful skyscrapers as well as the action-packed streets of Manhattan, where you’ll get to see 5-7 performances by street talent throughout the city.

While in New York, it would be a shame not to spend some time touring and admiring the amazing architecture that exists in the city. The Highlights of Midtown Architectural Tour will take you to the famous NYC buildings like the Chrysler Building, Ford Foundation Building, and even Grand Central Station, where you can take the self-guided Grand Central Terminal Audio Tour and gain insight to GCT’s history and interesting facts about the design of the building.

Another great Midtown tour is the Madison Square Garden – All Access Tour which allows you to visit the world’s most famous entertainment arena. While touring, you can step foot inside of the locker rooms of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers.

Further uptown, you can take the Rockefeller Center Tour and learn about the Rockefeller family and history of the plaza. After the tour, use your pass for the building’s observation deck experience, Top of the Rock, where you’ll get a stunning, 360-degree panoramic view of the entire city.

Museums in Midtown Manhattan

No trip to New York City is complete without experience the museum-going culture that NYC is known for. Manhattan is home to some of the world’s most famous art museums, many of which can be found right in Midtown.

Tourists and native New Yorkers alike love to view the creative exhibits on display at museums like the MoMA and the Whitney Museum of Art just as much as they enjoy seeing the lively figures of famous celebrities shown at Madame Tussauds.

If you’re more a fan of the sciences, another great museum experience in Midtown is the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum which is held on a real ship docked on the Hudson River with installations and exhibits you can explore in the ship’s interior.

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Attraction of the Week - Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

[caption id="attachment_573" align="aligncenter" width="1197"] The Guggenheim (photo by F11 Photo)[/caption] [spacer height="20px"] Art enthusiasts fly in from all over the world to experience the historic and cultured art scene of New York city. One of the main attractions for visitors is the one of a kind 1950's structure, the Guggenheim museum. Although Frank Lloyd designed this beauty about 6 decades ago, the 5th avenue museum is still a futuristic monument in appearance. The outside landscape of the Guggenheim is just the tip of the ice berg Inside of the museum is home to historic and cutting-edge exhibitions throughout the year. Some of the biggest names in the art world have graced the walls of the Guggenheim for all of New York to see. Legends like Warhol and Marc Chagall have had their pieces admired in the museum and even George Lucas has unveiled a film inside of the museum. New exhibits take residency at the Guggenheim year round so visiting today can be completely different from visiting in a month. Thus, over a million people visit the Solomon R. Guggenheim museum each year to see what's new. The Guggenheim recently opened Visionaries: Creating A Modern Guggenheim, an exhibit dedicated to the the visionary pieces from the museum's collection, which helpded propel the museum into stardom in the world of modern and contemporary art. For a full list of current an upcoming exhibitions, please visit Guggenheim's website. The Guggenheim is open Friday - Wednesday 10am - 5:45pm (7:45pm on Saturday) and is located along the Museum Mile at 1071 Fifth Avenue (at 89th Street).
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Cold Weather Activities in NYC

Manhattan enveloped by snow is a scene from dreams. However, as beautiful as the city is on a cold winter day, it is not always pleasant to walk around outside. Luckily, there are dozens of fun things to do in the city while staying warm, inside. Visit New York Hall of Science New York Hall of Science[/caption] 47-01 111th Street, Queens, NY 11368 Inquisitive minds love visiting the New York Hall of Science. NYSCI gives us the opportunity to get up close and personal with the elements of the world around us. Many of the exhibits at the Hall of Science are interactive and can prove to be a load of fun for the whole family. Take a tour of Radio City Music Hall Since 1932, Radio City Music Hall has been at the center of the entertainment world hosting events for some of the biggest stars. Visitors are able to get an exclusive tour of the Music Hall and even meet a Rockette! If you prefer sports over showtunes, check out the All Access Tour of Madison Square Garden. Shopping at Century 21 Department Store No matter the weather, you can always find a way to fit in some shopping. The shopping options in New York City are limitless but our favorite way to spend our hard-earned dollars is at the Century 21 Department Store, a 4-story beast full of discounted designer goods, clothes, shoes and much more. Go Bowling Bowling is one of those tried-and-true winter activities everyone will enjoy. If you're up for an afternoon (or night) of fun, try Bowlmor Lanes in Times Square, a huge bowling alley right in the middle of everything. Grab a Beer at Heartland Brewery Heartland Brewery[/caption] Multiple locations Feast on mouth-watering burgers while sipping on a pint of golden suds at one of Heartland Brewery's locations. Nothing warms the heart more than spending quality time over a delicious beverage and a hearty meal. Indulge at the Chocolate Room Hot chocolate at The Chocolate Room | Photo via Yelp![/caption] 269 Court St. and 51 5th Ave in Brooklyn, NY This heavenly place has two locations in Brooklyn and offers a variety of hot chocolate and coffee beverages made from ethically sourced Belgian chocolate and Varhona cocoa, alongside decadent chocolate deserts. If you're 21 and above and feeling it, you can get your cup or chocolatey goodness with a shot of booze. With so much to see in the city, you don't want the cold weather slowing you down. Try to make the most of your trip and visit indoor locations like the ones above. Luckily Winter ends on March 20th, and hopefully Spring will bring a more favorable weather. To prepare, check out Top Things to do in NYC this Spring. Get lost at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Much to nobody's surprise, one of the world's largest museums boasts with an impressive collection of art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is so big that you you can easily get lost here for hours without seeing 10% of the space. It's been said that if you look at every piece of art at the Met for a minute, it would take you 3 years to see the whole museum.
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Attraction of the Week - Highlights of Midtown Architectural Tour

[caption id="attachment_1095" align="alignright" width="6155"] Midtown Manhattan Skyline[/caption] [spacer height="20px"] Get acquainted with some of the landmarks that are synonymous with New York City, such as Grand Central Terminal or the Chrysler building with the Highlights of Midtown Architectural Tour. This walking tour takes participants through Midtown Manhattan and allows them to view some of the remarkable and iconic structures that were built here in the 20th century. These are some of the sights highlighted in the Midtown tour: Times Square When you come to New York, you're probably expecting everything to be like Times Square. This area has been a tourist favorite forever and why wouldn't it be? There's always something happening and the lights are always bright. Grand Central Terminal Easily one of the most famous train terminals in the world. People around the globe know of New York's busy midtown travel hub. Once home to art galleries and musical performances, Grand Central is still as busy as ever as New Yorkers and visitors commute through, visit the Grand Central Market or simply come to admire the beautiful architecture and the mesmerizing Astronomical Ceiling on the main concourse. United Nations Headquarters The elegant Midtown East complex designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer is home to the organization known as the UN. Needless to say, some very important discussions take place in the UN building and its right here in New York! New York Public Library This historic structure came to be in 1895 and still today is the second largest public library in the entire country. The New York Public Library is a staple in the city's literature, education and technology. New York's Theater District Home to the vibrant scene of Broadway shows and theater performances in New York. The Theater district extends from West 40th to West 54th street and is usually jam packed for new showings with the biggest stars. Chrysler Building Towering over midtown, the 1928 structure of the Chrysler Building is just waiting to be captured in your photos. For 11 months before the construction of the Empire State Building, this iconinc art deco skyscraper was the tallest building in the world. Daily News Building Another 1920's landmark is the skyscraper located at 220 East 42nd street. The name comes from the Daily News TV broadcast that was once hosted inside of the building. Along the Highlights of Midtown Architectural Tour, you will learn about these landmarks and a whole lot more. Midtown Manhattan is the area most densely populated with landmarks and tourist attractions, ranging from historical buildings to modern attractions in Times Square. Check out some of the other walking tours available in the New York Pass.
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