Is the weather keeping you inside this week? Sometimes we all need a little break from the outdoors. Lucky for us, New York City has no shortage of indoor activities. Check out our top indoor recommendations below!
Broadway Shows
Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome to New York! Broadway is an experience unlike any other in the world. If you’re a fan of theater, Broadway is the pinnacle of the art form. As one of the top indoor tourist attractions in the country, it has inspired people to travel thousands of miles just to see a show. If you’re in the city and have the opportunity to get tickets, nothing comes more recommended by us. While you can view the full list of Broadway shows currently running here, we’ve named a few iconic shows for you to check out below:
The Oldest Broadway Theatre
Lyceum Theatre, currently playing: Oh, Mary!
The Largest Broadway Theatre
Gershwin Theatre, currently playing: Wicked
The Longest Running Broadway Show
Ambassador Theatre, currently playing: Chicago
The Most Tony Nominations for a Single Production
Richard Rodgers Theatre, currently playing: Hamilton
The Best Family-Friendly Broadway Show
Minskoff Theatre, currently playing: The Lion King
The Most Tony Award Wins of 2025
Belasco Theatre, currently playing: Maybe Happy Ending
Performing Arts Spaces
Outside of Broadway shows, New York City is home to some of the most impressive performing arts spaces in the world. If plays aren’t your only interest, consider spending an evening indoors at the opera, ballet, symphony, or just about any art form you could dream of.
The Metropolitan Opera House
The Met Opera is for true patrons of the arts. Serving as a landmark at Lincoln Center, the Met is known for its soaring chandeliers, grand productions, and lavish environment. If you’re looking for an upscale date night (or maybe just an excuse to wear that one pair of gloves), this is definitely a bucket-list stop for fans of performing arts.
New York City Ballet
The New York City Ballet, located in the David H. Koch Theatre in Lincoln Center, is one of the world’s leading ballet companies, often serving as the American ambassador of the art form. Home to a renowned George Balanchine–centric repertory, both ballet newcomers and true bunheads can expect perfection and pure power and elegance from an evening spent here. They are exceptionally popular during the winter holidays with people flocking from all over to see their annual production of Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is one of the most famous concert venues in the world, boasting near-perfect acoustics and its ability to define an artist’s career. The legendary hall plays host to everything from symphonies to performances by pianists and jazz legends and modern icons. The only thing required from performers here is sheer excellence.
New York Comedy Club
If you’re looking for an adult night out that you can only find in New York City, consider rounding up some friends for an evening at one of New York Comedy Club‘s three Manhattan locations. Many of the world’s greatest comedians got their start here, so if you’re a true fan of the craft, this is the bucket list venue to check out. Their historic venues offer an intimate setting with limited seating, candlelit tables, and nightly shows on the iconic brick-wall stage.
Museums
New York City boasts one of the most impressive museum scenes in the world. Whether you love fine art, extensive literary archives, vintage subway cars, or legendary Broadway costumes, the city offers a museum for every kind of curiosity.
The most notable NYC museums consist of:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Met is one of the largest and most influential art museums in the world, hosting incredibly vast collections that span thousands of years of history across many cultures. Some of the most recognizable artists included in their collections include Rembrandt, van Gogh, Monet, and Picasso. Side note: Admission is on a pay-what-you-wish basis for NYC residents and their parties, so if you’re a local and have a friend visiting, this is a very budget-friendly option.
Museum of Modern Art
MoMA is a leading institution that is dedicated to modern and contemporary art as opposed to a more historical collection. It houses an incredible collection of paintings, design, photography, film, and other media. If you’re looking for Warhol and Pollock pieces, this is the museum to check out.
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History is a world-renowned scientific and educational institution famous for its immersive exhibits, impressive collections, and groundbreaking research. Visitors are most often excited to see things such as the Hayden planetarium, the Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, and the life-size blue whale model that hangs from the ceiling of Milstein Hall.
The Museum of Broadway
Calling all Broadway fans! On your way home from the theatre, consider stopping at The Museum of Broadway for an immersive, interactive experience that gives visitors the chance to pull back the curtain on the history, artistry, and craft of Broadway productions. Here you can see collections of original costumes, set pieces, and multimedia exhibits.
Museum of the Moving Image
The Museum of the Moving Image, located in Queens, is a media-forward museum dedicated to the exploration of film and television creation. With hands-on exhibits about animation, sound design, effects, history, and past performances, the MMI is perfect for a visitor who enjoys museums but is less interested in traditional art mediums.
The Morgan Library and Museum
This is for the true bookworms. The Morgan Library and Museum is a seriously underrated gem in the NYC museum world. Its collection of extraordinarily rare books, manuscripts, and other literary treasures is sure to impress. Additionally, the library itself is an architectural marvel. Feel like you’re stepping into a scholar’s dream when visiting!
Heritage and Cultural Spaces
New York City has always been a melting pot of people hailing from different backgrounds, countries, and cultures. Take the opportunity to immerse yourself in new cultural spaces, celebrate your own heritage, or learn more about the diverse and beautiful history of New York City at any of the incredible organizations available to tourists and locals alike.
El Museo del Barrio
El Museo del Barrio is a cultural institution with roots in East Harlem. With an expansive collection of Latinx and Caribbean visual, folk, and contemporary art, El Museo del Barrio is dedicated to preserving history, providing educational programs, and celebrating community. If you’re looking for an enriching afternoon, take a train uptown to view these impressive exhibitions and multimedia installations.
Museum of Jewish Heritage
If you’re open to a moving, educational activity, the Museum of Jewish Heritage is a widely recognized living memorial dedicated to sharing the stories of Jewish life before, during, and after the Holocaust. The museum offers a powerful learning opportunity through emotional exhibitions, personal artifacts, photo galleries, and stories. If you have the time to stop by, it is absolutely worth the trip.
The Tenement Museum
Immigrants, we get the job done! New York is a city built on immigration and opportunity. At the Tenement Museum, take a second to step back in time and appreciate the city’s history by taking guided tours through preserved apartments of real immigrant families, migrants, and refugees who lived on the Lower East Side. Take the chance to hear real stories of people from all over the world across the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Africa Center
The Africa Center is a cultural institution that aims to connect with communities through rotating exhibitions, performances, talks, and public programs. They celebrate the art, history, and global influence of Africa and people of African descent. They are another wonderful learning opportunity and resource available to both locals and tourists, and we encourage you to explore their events and all they have to offer.
Japan Society
Located in Midtown East, Japan Society is a nonprofit organization that has set out to promote a healthy relationship between Japanese culture and American audiences across New York and the world for over 100 years. With events, installations, a language center, films, performing arts, and more, Japan Society provides visitors with an immersive, enriching experience that is sure to leave you feeling inspired.
Family-Friendly Activities
Traveling with family, or perhaps trying to start a new hobby? Whether you’re just looking for a way to move your body, tire out the kids, or provide yourself with a new, fun challenge, there are plenty of indoor outings in New York that are fun for the whole family (and don’t require heavy reading or silence).
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Chelsea Piers
Looking for something to do that’s a little bit more physical but still keeps you out of the cold? Whether you have kids who need to expel some energy or perhaps you’re looking to take on a new hobby as an adult, there are tons of options at Chelsea Piers. From year-round ice skating and open gymnastics to rock climbing and batting cages, this indoor sports complex has every type of court, range, field, pool, and gym you could hope for, and classes are available for all ages.
Empire State Building
Did you know that the Empire State Building offers interactive exhibits alongside the world-famous views? Before or after your visit to the (completely enclosed and rain-free) viewing platforms on the 80th and 102nd floors, immerse yourself, and your family, in New York City history. Open to all ticket holders, the 2nd and 80th floor exhibits offer historic displays, interactive technology for kids, original elevators, and even set pieces from movies such as the 1933 classic King Kong.
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Ferox Playground and Park
Ferox Athletics boasts two awesome locations in Brooklyn: Ferox Ninja Park in Greenpoint and Ferox Ninja Playground in Dumbo. Fully equipped with trampoline parks, zip lines, parkour, racing, obstacle courses, foam pits, arcades, and more, either of these facilities is sure to provide an afternoon of fun for both kids and adults. With different booking offerings from free play, adult classes, and birthday parties, people of all ages can spend the day here, whether they’re training to be the next American Ninja Warrior or just looking for something to do on a rainy day.
Escape Rooms
Challenge your brain and spend some time with friends by stepping into unique scenarios you wouldn’t otherwise find yourself in. Take a stab at defusing a bomb, exploring an ancient tomb, or escaping a haunted house at one of the many escape-room establishments across the city. A few of our faves include The Escape Game, which has multiple locations in Midtown, and MyssTic Rooms.
