Things to Do in Times Square

Bright lights, big city: gaze up at the ever-changing neon billboards and soak up that iconic New York energy.
By Kirsten McCroskrie

From technicolor adverts to enigmatic street performers, Times Square is a great place to get acquainted with the razzle-dazzle of New York City.

With its larger-than-life billboards, scrolling ads, flashing lights, and bustling crowds, it's no wonder Times Square is one the top attractions in NYC.

Times Square is a great place to start your trip to New York City. There’s a ton of fun things to do in Times Square, so right off the bat, if you're wondering what to do you’ll get to see some of the city’s most popular attractions right here in the Square.

Be sure to take a souvenir photo right in the heart of Times Square with the flashing billboards and advertisements in the background – you might just have to wait for a crowd to pass to get a good shot. As such a busy hive of city action, Times Square a popular spot for street performers to set up shop as well, so you’ll get to see some of the most talented performers while you’re there, too.

There’s no shortage of things to do in Times Square, and these top attractions on your New York Pass should be top of your bucket list!

Big Bus Tours

 

A hop-on hop-off bus tour is one of the best things to do when you arrive in New York City. Start your city tour in Times Square and get a professionally-narrated overview of all of Manhattan.

Stay on for the whole tour and hop back off in Times Square to explore the area more or hop off at another location you want to explore more.

Your onboard tour guide will direct your attention to lots of top landmarks you’ll see along the way, including the Empire State Building, Chinatown, the Broadway Theatre District, and more, depending on which route you take from Times Square.

Madame Tussauds

The world-famous wax museum chain is one of the most popular things to do in Times Square - it’s a must-see and the only way to guarantee a “celebrity sighting” in the city!

Pose with all your favorite TV and movie characters, sports heroes, superheroes, musicians, and more – all under one roof. Walk through themed rooms and check out some of their featured exhibits, too, including King Kong, Ghostbusters, MARVEL Super Heroes 4D, and more.

In addition to seeing some of your favorite celebrities, you’ll gain a new appreciation for the labor-intense artistry and skill that it takes to create these lifelike wax figures.

The Ride

See the streets of New York City transform into multiple stages on this entertaining and interactive moving theater experience.

Sit back as your two comedian hosts narrate your bus ride and take you to see several street performances around the city. You’ll have unobstructed views from the custom bus design’s stadium-style, sideways-facing seats that offer panoramic views of the streets below through the bus’ large windows so there are plenty of things to see.

Tip: be sure to arrive early as tickets are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis and often sell out.

Why limit yourself to seeing only a few of New York attractions? With New York Pass you get the above and much more, so the more you see, the more you save!

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Statue of Liberty
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Top 9 Things to Do Near the World Trade Center for Tourists

9/11 is one of the most important events in New York's recent history and visiting Ground Zero is a must-do. To help you plan your day, read our round-up of the best attractions in the area.
Casey Makovich
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Video Games Set In New York

NYC’s a pretty famous place, so it’s not hugely surprising that many a video game has taken place there. And what better way to experience all the fineries the city has to offer than from the comfort of your own room, in the dark, alone. Just how nature intended. So don’t get dressed. Don’t shower. Don’t even brush your teeth. Use your eyes and join us on a reading journey through some of the many video games set in New York. Die Hard Trilogy Yippee ki yay. If it isn’t New York’s favourite fictional cop John McClane with his own trilogy of ‘maximum adventures’ (according to the box art). Die Hard Trilogy was a classic for the PS1 back in the late Nineties. Three films (we don’t talk about the other two) translated into three very different gaming experiences. The first had you playing McClane in third person, as you ran around Nakatomi Plaza, disarming threats. Die Hard 2 was an on-rails shooter akin to Time Crisis or House of the Dead (and special editions even featured a bulky plastic light gun). And finally, Die Hard With a Vengeance saw you drive around NYC in a taxi, stopping criminals. Those who played it will no doubt remember the windscreen wipers. Brutal. Max Payne Hardboiled cop Max Payne had it pretty rough. He lost his wife and daughter and was framed for his partner’s death. So what did Max Payne do? He donned his best leather jacket, that’s what. Oh, he also enacted justice on the perpetrators while wielding the uncanny ability to slow down time. The Max Payne series is often credited as the game that popularised ‘bullet time’ in the game industry, with its inspirations firmly based in Hong Kong action cinema. It’s a technique still used nearly 20 years later in all sorts of different game genres. Followed by two sequels that delved further into Max’s psyche and his decent into alcoholism, this brutal noir trilogy still holds up today as one of the best action spectacles around. They’re only surpassed by the cinematic tour-de-force that is the Max Payne movie. Lol. 50 Cent: Bulletproof The Noughties were kind to 50 Cent. ‘Get Rich Or Die Trying’ the movie, anyone? But did you also know that he starred in not one, but two video games? Thank you, whoever greenlit these. Thank you so much. In 50 Cent: Bulletproof, you play Fiddy. You run, you fight, and you throw out uninspired one-liners and edgy curse words. Inspiring stuff. When aliens eventually find the remnants of our species in a few million years, we hope that they find the very pinnacle of human achievement - this game. Marvel's Spiderman Just when you thought Marvel were content with cornering the cinematic and comic book markets, here comes the first game in another potential ‘universe’. When will they end? Thankfully, this new universe starts with a bang (pun intended, as all puns are). This fantastic game sees you take up the well-worn mantle of Peter Parker. However, unlike the high school antics of the Tom Holland-fronted movies, this is an older take on The Webslinger. You’ll swing through the city, stopping street crimes while facing off against some of Spiderman’s greatest adversary – full time employment. You can even take selfies, like an insufferable millennial. This video game set in New York is actually well worth a play. Grand Theft Auto IV No list of video games set in New York would be complete without a mention of Rockstar’s behemoth, Grand Theft Auto. Three games in the series have taken place in Liberty City, Rockstar’s fictional recreation of the Big Apple, but perhaps its most well-known is GTA IV. Players control Niko Bellic, an Eastern European immigrant who arrives on Liberty City’s shores to meet his “COUSIN!” Roman, in pursuit of the American Dream. Niko starts off small-time, helping out his idiot cousin in many of his schemes, but soon finds himself doing jobs for the criminal elite, and even working for a shady undercover government organisation disguised as a paper company. You’ll drive, and fight maniacally through 40+ hours of open-world goodness, and eagle-eyed players can even find a beating heart in the Statue of Liberty. Sadly, she doesn’t have one in real life. Don’t believe us? See for yourself. Def Jam Vendetta What do you get if you bring some of rap’s biggest names together for a video game? Pro-wrestling, obviously. With NYC as the backdrop, you can pick from a huge roster of established rap stars like DMX, Method Man, and Ludacris and...sigh...wrestle other rappers. Or you can take on the game’s story mode, which sounds hilarious. Grapple for street cred, pin your expectations on the mat, and choke-slam your disbelief as you vendetta your way to saving your girlfriend from a wrestling promoter or something. How do games like this exist? The Noughties. That’s how. Them’s just some of the many video games set in New York City. If you didn’t like this list then you are wrong, but please feel free to tell us which games you would have picked instead in the comments below! Fancy exploring New York IRL? We've got plenty of inspiration for you.
Dom Bewley
Blog

The Best Museums In New York City

We all know that New York City is full-to-the-brim with things to do, see, and experience. There’s a reason it’s the city that never sleeps, after all. So whether it's the day after a night out and you want to relax and soak up the scene, or you're a verified culture vulture, we’ve got you. Here are some of the best museums in New York City. The Statue of Liberty Museum New York’s most iconic sight, and one of the most recognized structures on the planet, The Statue of Liberty needs no introduction. However, after a five-year wait, the Statue of Liberty Museum opened recently, which gives culture-seekers the chance to experience a side of the statue they’ve never seen before. Discover the events that led up to its creation, experience over 130 years of the statue’s history, and even touch a copper replica of the Lady Liberty’s face. The Guggenheim Museum The world-famous Guggenheim Museum is a great place to start. Home to great works from artists like Picasso, Monet, and Gaugin, it’s one of the finest collections of art on the planet. Take a walk up the Museum’s iconic grand spiral, and experience exhibitions, galleries, performances and even film screenings. Don't miss their newest exhibit, Artistic License: the museum's first ever artist-curated exhibit. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Right in the heart of Manhattan, the MET is the largest art museum in the country. Within its huge walls, you’ll be treated to more than 2 million works of art spanning the last 5000 years, from famed artists like Leonardo Da Vinci and Vincent Van Gogh. It doesn’t really get any more cultured than this. Over 7 million people visit the MET every year, so if you’ve never been, what are you doing?! And even if you’ve been before, with so many works of art on display, you’re sure to see something new. It's definitely one of the best museums in New York City. Whitney Museum of American Art If you like your art with a strong dose of Freedom, then the Whitney Museum of American Art has an amazing collection of around 15,000 pieces from American artists. If you want to see works from national powerhouses like Georgia O’Keeffe and Jasper Johns, all housed in architect Renzo Piano’s stunningly designed indoor and outdoor spaces, then what are you waiting for? American Museum of Natural History Experience your own 'Night at the Museum' at the American Museum of Natural History. Though, if any of the exhibits come to life, you may still be suffering from the night before. Come face to face with a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, be perplexed by the size of a blue whale (yes, it’s 94 feet long), and explore a wealth of fossils and artifacts from millions of years ago. Our planet was – and remains – a fascinating place, and the American Museum of Natural History houses the very best that Earth has to offer. The Museum of Modern Art If you’re looking for something more modern, the Museum of Modern Art is the one for you (the clue is in the name). See works from over 70,000 modern artist superstars like Lichtenstein, Warhol, and Kahlo. A steady rotation of exhibitions means that even if you’ve already been, there’ll be something new for you too. And when you’ve soaked up enough culture, sit and relax in the museum gardens. To celebrate their 90th anniversary, the museum have deconstructed their space, opening stunning new galleries and spaces for performance and events while showing their collection in new ways. Image courtesy of The Museum of Modern Art Museum Of The Moving Image For cinephiles everywhere, the Museum of the Moving Image is a must-see. It’s the only museum in the country that’s entirely dedicated to film in all its forms. Within, you’ll explore the origins of film technology, all the way through to modern digital solutions. They also have screenings of cinema classics as well as contemporary films, and you’re even able to attend discussions with some of the brightest minds from film and television. And when you feel like you’ve soaked up enough culture for one day, they also have an on-site cafe where you can buy food and beverages, and a shop if you fancy taking home any merch. International Centre of Photography Museum Containing over 20,000 prints ranging from the early days of photography all the way up to today, the International Center of Photography Museum is likely to make anyone stop and rethink their many albums of food photos. Explore the origins of the photo, and see how technology has changed the way we take and share photos over the last century and beyond. And not a hashtag in sight, we hope. And there you have it, just some of the best museums in New York City. Are there any of your favorites that we missed? We’d love to hear your suggestions and comments on our Facebook page!
Dom Bewley

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