New York City sits atop the list of travel destinations for many people traveling throughout or into the United States. With an abundance of exciting things to do, it might be hard planning your next trip to the Big Apple.
From world-class museums to swooping skyscrapers and parks at almost every corner, there is so much to explore. For that reason, Musement, the digital discovery and booking platform for travel activities and experiences around the world, conducted a study to find out the most popular attractions by category in New York City. Musement analyzed the city’s attractions in Google Travel* and produced a map with the results to help guide your way through the Empire State.
So, whether you love attending museums, going for a stroll at the park, or enjoy seeing a city from different heights, here are the top attractions in New York City that are worth a visit.
- Map infographic (untitled): https://blogimages.musement.com/2021/11/New-York-City-Top-Attractions-Map.png
- Map infographic: https://blogimages.musement.com/2021/11/New-York-City-Top-Attractions.png
- Additional info on the top attractions: https://blog.musement.com/us/most-popular-attractions-in-new-york-city/
New York City is filled with a countless number of entertainment activities to take part in. Particularly during this time of the year, Rockefeller Center transforms into a winter wonderland, drawing tremendous crowds. With its ice-skating rink, enormous Christmas tree and decorated store front windows, a stop here is a must.
Keep walking a few blocks west and you will arrive to Times Square, the study’s most popular entertainment attraction. Here you can experience the “bright lights, big city” motto or catch a show on Broadway.
Just a stone’s throw from Rockefeller Center, history buffs will want to make their way to the iconic St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The Gothic Revival style church ranked the second most popular attraction in the history category.
Visiting the Statue of Liberty should also be on one’s “to-do” list. The gift from the French, representing the freedom and democracy of the US, has been standing since 1886.
Museum lovers will not want to pass up an opportunity to see the city’s top-ranked museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. With over two million pieces including mummies and medieval art works, you are in for a real treat.
Visit the touching 9/11 Memorial & Museum and pay your respects to those whose lives were lost 20 years ago.
Although it is not included in the map since it ranked third in the Museum category, the captivating works at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) are also worth a visit.
If you are looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple, there are plenty of parks located throughout the city. The urban oases Bryant Park and Central Park offer a completely different scenery from New York’s concrete jungle. Here you can explore the Central Park Zoo, the second highest ranked zoo according to the study. Otherwise, head to the Bronx Zoo and visit one of the largest zoos in the US.
For family-friendly attractions, the Brooklyn Bridge and the High Line ranked one and two, respectively. The Brooklyn Bridge allows visitors to capture the beauty of Manhattan and its iconic landmarks from a different angle, while the High Line displays the city’s beauty up close from the old elevated railroad.
Take your city experience to another level and enjoy stunning views of the Manhattan skyline from the Top of the Rock or the Empire State Building observation decks. The One Vanderbilt observation deck just opened last month so it does not have many reviews but it is a diamond in the rough and should not be missed.
*Methodology: To determine the most popular attraction in New York, each attraction was searched in Google Travel (source: https://www.google.com/travel/things-to-do). The attractions were placed into different categories based on topics (Ex: Parks, Museums, Zoo, etc). The top two attractions with the highest number of Google reviews were chosen as the most popular.
About Musement
Musement is the digital platform that allows you to book more than 55,000 travel experiences in over 140 countries around the world. The service was created to help travelers discover and book things to do – from museum visits to city tours, food and wine tastings, sports events and wellness activities – wherever they go, with the goal of enriching their every trip.
The digital booking platform is now available in nine languages: English, Italian, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Russian, Dutch and Polish, with Scandinavian languages to be added soon. The service is available through various digital touchpoints: the Musement B2C website and apps; the specialized platform for travel agencies; while platforms and integrations have been carried out with countless online distribution partners, including some of the world’s leading OTAs, tour operators and travel companies.
Musement is headquartered in Milan and has offices in Hamburg, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dubai, London, Munich, New York, Orlando and Paris. It has been certified as a Great Place To Work® and listed among the top 25 Best Workplaces® in Italy (within the 150-499 employee subgroup). In September 2018, Musement became part of TUI Group, the world’s leading tourism group, joining its Tours & Activities division known as TUI Musement.
