Tourist Attractions & Monuments New York (Manhattan)

Timetable

The vast majority of New York City's attractions and museums are open every day of the week, usually from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., throughout the year, with the exception of certain holidays, including December 25, January¹ and Thanksgiving. When museums that usually charge admission offer free admission, expect crowds. Otherwise, since New York is overrun with tourists year-round (except for the months of January through March, when visitors cool off a bit), there are no really busy or slow days.

To be booked

For certain tourist attractions, it is strongly recommended to make a reservation on the website well in advance. For example, the crown and pedestal of the Statute of Liberty are not part of the standard tour and must be booked separately. For the crown, you need to book at least 3 months in advance.

The same applies to New York's iconic skyscrapers with observatories, including Top of the Rock, One World Trade Center, Empire State Building and Summit. To regulate the number of visitors, you need to choose the day and time of your visit when purchasing tickets online. If you buy your tickets well in advance, you'll be able to choose the time that suits you best, especially for sunset.

Budget & Tips

Let's face it: in New York, sightseeing is expensive, very expensive. The city's must-see museums, including MoMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim, charge US$25 for admission, while climbing to the skyscraper observatories costs a minimum of US$35. That's a lot of money, which is why it's a good idea to buy a pass to visit New York's must-sees at unbeatable rates.

In our opinion, the best-value pass is the CityPass(www.citypass.com/new-york). It gives access to 5 attractions for US$154, a discount of around US$108. There are many other passes, including the New York Explorer Pass, the Sightseeing Pass and the New York Pass. Do the math and see which one works best for you!

The other way to save money while taking advantage of New York's huge cultural offer is to visit museums when they're free: check the website of the museum you're interested in, which is indicated in the rates section.

Main events

No matter when you visit, there's always something going on in New York!

In spring, the city emerges from its torpor, budding everywhere, with neighborhood festivals celebrating the blossoming of Japanese cherry trees, Shakespeare in the Park, and if it rains, the best independent films at the Tribeca Film Festival. Then there's Governors Ball, the must-see music festival on Randall Island.

In summer, it's one thing after another: free movies in the parks, open-air concerts at Lincoln Center, "Warm Up" parties at MoMA PS1, where you can dance to the sounds of famous DJs. And don't forget to head to Coney Island, for the Mermaid Parade in June and the biggest hot dog eating contest on Bastille Day! On July 4, you can also stay in Manhattan to watch the incredible fireworks over the river..

Then autumn arrives, and we try to ignore the fact that night is falling faster by watching the best films of the year at the New York Film Festival. Halloween finally arrives, with its parade of dogs in fancy dress in Tompkins Square Park, followed by the parade of humans in terrifyingly wacky costumes! The New York Marathon attracts thousands of visitors, as does the giant balloon parade organized by Macy's for Thanksgiving.

Finally, winter sets in, with its bevy of lights for the festive season; Fifth Avenue, with its decorated shop windows, sparkles with a thousand lights. The highlight is the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in early December. On December 31, if you're really motivated and the freezing temperatures don't stop you, head for Times Square, where you'll join the million people who have turned out for the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball Drop.

Guided tours

In Manhattan alone, there are over 50 neighborhoods, each with its own history and identity! To see as much as possible in the shortest possible time, hop on a red double-decker bus from Big Bus Tour(www.bigbustours.com), and you'll be able to tour Manhattan without getting tired, and with the benefit of the guides' commentary.

You could fill a phone book with all the themed guided tours in New York! For the sporty, there are guided bike tours from Bike the Big Apple(www.bikethebigapple.com) or running tours from City Running Tours(www.cityrunningtours.com); for foodies, there are food tours from Foods of New York(www.foodsofny.com); for fans of the big and small screens, there are guided tours from On Location Tours (www.onlocationtours.com) that will take you to iconic filming locations. And if you're more at home in French, let yourself be guided by the French-speaking expatriates and Big Apple connoisseurs of New York en Français(www.new-york-en-francais.fr) or New York Off Road (www.newyorkoffroad.com). They offer themed guided tours, often off the beaten track, to help you discover New York in a different way. Finally, there's the unclassifiable Big Apple Greeter(www.bigapplegreeter.org), which connects New Yorkers eager to show off their city with visitors on the lookout for real local tips . The tours, led by volunteers, are totally free!

Smokers

All parks in New York City are smoke-free. But don't expect to find signs that indicate it everywhere: for New Yorkers, who are overwhelmingly non-smokers, that goes without saying! The absence of signs will therefore be a very poor defence against being caught. Smoking is prohibited in museums, including when they have an inner courtyard, but also on beaches, playgrounds, stadiums and in some tourist areas. This is the case in Times Square, Herald Square and the area around the World Trade Center. Sometimes, the law even prohibits smoking within 4.5 metres (15 feet) of the entrance to a building, such as a hospital or certain office buildings.

Tourist traps

If someone approaches you in the street and tries to sell you tickets for an attraction, don't be fooled! Either the tickets are fake or they are offered at a cheaper rate than the real price. Near Battery Park, in particular, there are dozens of street vendors offering tourists tickets to see the Statue of Liberty. Let's face it, the only organization authorized to take visitors to Liberty Island and Ellis Island is Statue Cruises(www.cityexperiences.com/new-york/city-cruises/statue/). Tickets for the tour can be purchased online or at the official Battery Park kiosk.