Christmas in New York: 70 best things to do for a magical time this holiday season

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree (NYC’s pride and joy) is a beaming and brilliant symbol of the holiday season. Tourists and native New Yorkers alike sure do love this towering tree.

The tree will be lit daily from 5am to midnight. On Christmas Eve, the tree is lit for 24 hours and on New Year’s Eve it is lit from 5am to 9pm. The tree goes dark for the season in mid-January.

More than 50,000 multi-colored LED lights wrap around the branches. It’s topped with a three-dimensional Swarovski star that weighs 900 pounds and sparkles in 3 million crystals.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden's gorgeous, after-dark illuminated spectacular is back this holiday season. Lightscape, an illuminated trail of art from local and international artists, features the iconic Winter Cathedral and a larger Fire Garden—all set to over a million lights, color and music.

As always, a curated playlist of music brings the light art to life, and there will be food concessions along the trail that will still offer seasonal treats like hot cocoa, hot cider, and mulled wine as well as light bites, cookies and sweets.

See it from November 22-January 5.

You’ll get a kick out of this holiday stalwart, which still features Santa, wooden soldiers and the dazzling Rockettes. In recent years, new music, more eye-catching costumes and advanced technology have been introduced to bring audience members closer to the performance.

In the signature kick line that finds its way into most of the big dance numbers, the Rockettes’ 36 pairs of legs rise and fall like the batting of an eyelash, their perfect unison a testament to the disciplined human form. This is precision dancing on a massive scale—a Busby Berkeley number come to glorious life—and it takes your breath away.

In this charming New York City village, Santa drives a taxi, a nutcracker runs a hot dog cart and snowmen hang out at the Snoball Fight Club. The local cafe sells North Pole Holiday Blend hot chocolate, polar bears run the neighborhood bagel shop and the I Want a Hippopotamus Gift Store does a bustling business. This is GingerBread Lane, a confectionary creation by Jon Lovitch who holds the record for the world’s largest gingerbread village.

You can step into Lovitch’s whimsical world inside The Shops at Columbus Circle. Find this four-tiered gingerbread village on the second floor of the mall. It’s free to visit and will be on view through January 5, 2025. If you want to learn to make your own gingerbread house, Lovitch is hosting classes for $35 per person; you can grab a ticket here.

No matter which side of it you fall on, the most festive drinking event in Gotham has to be SantaCon NYC. This major, mid-December celebration brings thousands of folks dressed up in red suits, elf hats, and antlers to midtown bars for a daylong celebration.  

Hordes dress up for this boozy crawl on Saturday, December 14, from 10am-8pm, across Midtown.

Before you even see these gingerbread creations, you’ll smell their sweet-spicy aromas wafting through the halls. Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off has taken over the Museum of the City of New York once again bringing holiday cheer with 20 stunningly beautiful gingerbread structures.

Each one emulates an iconic part of the city, from the Wonder Wheel to the Prospect Park Boathouse to a bodega (complete with a bodega cat, of course). Feast your eyes upon them this holiday season.

Within Grand Central Terminal, find the New York Transit Museum's 20th annual Holiday Train Show, an ode to all kinds of locomotives. You'll feel positively giant while wandering around the 34-foot-long display, festooned with miniature versions of city landmarks such as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building. Watch as Lionel model trains depart from a miniature replica of Grand Central. Then they travel over the river (the East River, to be exact) and through the wood to reach their final destination, the North Pole.

The Holiday Train Show will be on view at Grand Central Terminal through February 2025. The free show is open Monday-Friday, 10am-7:30pm; Saturday-Sunday, 10am-6pm; and closed major holidays. Find it in the shuttle passage on 42nd Street and Park Avenue, adjacent to the Station Master’s Office.

Panettone, the holiday pastry that originated in Milan, might look like a giant muffin to the uninitiated, but in reality, it is a multi-layered, coveted Italian delicacy that involves an extensive, days-long proofing process.

If you've never tried panettone or are feeling nostalgic for some this holiday season, you should definitely visit this month's panettone festival in the U.S. from December 13 to 15.

The panettone festival this year will take place at 5241 Center Boulevard in Long Island City, Queens, roughly a 20 minute walk from the Court Square subway station. Although the extravaganza is scheduled to be held daily from noon to 6pm, the organizers warn that the event may end earlier if the panettone runs out (we wouldn't be surprised!).

Austin McCormick and his risqué neo-Baroque dance-theater group Company XIV present a lavish erotic reimagining of the classic holiday tale, complete with circus performers, operatic singers and partial nudity.

The word nutcracker has customarily conjured innocent wonder; now be ready to add glitter pasties, stripper poles and comically large stuffed penises to the toys in wonderland. Definitely leave the kids at home. 

As Andy Williams croons in the iconic song, "It's the holiday season. And Santa Claus is coming 'round." But you know what else is coming 'round? STRESS. Finding gifts for everyone on your list. Baking dozens of cookies. Mailing greeting cards. The list goes on. 

This holiday season, Chelsea's ARTECHOUSE strives to create a space of calm amid the chaos with their newest immersive exhibit. Tingle Bells: An ASMR-Inspired Holiday Special will debut Thursday, November 21, and run through Sunday, January 5; general admission tickets start at $25. Equal parts wonder and calm, the experience blends nostalgic holiday warmth with cutting-edge digital art. 

Tingle Bells was inspired by the powers of ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response), which is known for eliciting tingling sensations through auditory and visual stimuli. It's designed to be, "oddly satisfying," as event organizers explain. 

Coney Island isn't just a summertime destination anymore. Luna Park's Frost Fest is home to a 35-foot tree sure to get you into the holiday spirit, plus photo opps with Santa and a holiday market.

New in 2024 is the Candy Cane Chute rapid slide that you are sure to want to ride down endlessly. Don't forget that the iconic Coney Island Cyclone will also be open during select days this season, so make sure to save some time to experience the thrilling ride as well.

Frost Fest will take over Coney Island from November 23-January 1, 2025 on select weekdays and holidays, plus Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Read more about the offerings right here.

The Tianyu Lights Festival has made its debut Citi Field and it’s got the glowy magic we all want in a light show. It differentiates itself by merging traditional Chinese lantern-making with modern technology (using steel, LED lights, and other colorful fabrics) to create sculptures is the storyline that inspires the entire festival.

All the sculptures tell a story called "Koda’s Adventure," which explores the Amazon rainforest. Even cooler, there are live performances of traditional Chinese plucked string instruments the guzheng and pipa, the peakcock dance and artwork using traditional Chinese styles.

The Tianyu Lights Festival is open every day from 5 to 10pm (the last entry is 9pm), except for December 9, December 16, December 20, January 6 and January 13. You can snag tickets at tianyuculture.us/nyc, which start at $22.

NYC is packed with holiday markets every fall with holiday spirit and unique gifts. While fancy Christmas window displays may entice you, NYC's holiday markets offer a chance to shop local. With everything from clothing to holiday ornaments to artwork, there's something for everybody on your holiday shopping list.

Shopping for the perfect gift doesn't have to be stressful; make it fun at these holiday markets.

The Meatpacking District will be packed with holiday lights this year, perfect for some photo opps. Sparkling lights, larger-than-life snowpeople, glowing dandelions, geometric photo frames and neon decor will take over the neighborhood's streets starting on December 11. 

See it all along Ninth Avenue between 14th Street and Gansevoort Street. If you want a taste of pristine nature without having to step foot ouside of the city, check out the debut of the enchanting “Gansevoort Forest,” in which over 100 deciduous and evergreen trees of various shapes and sizes up to 25 feet will be spread throughout Gansevoort Plaza in tadem with the spectacular holiday lights. 

Back in 1987, an art amusement park—featuring works from Keith Haring, Salvador Dalí, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and more—delighted visitors in Germany. There were plans for a world tour, but it never happened, and the art was abandoned. Until now, that is.

Now, you can walk through Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy, a wonderland featuring a Basquiat Ferris wheel, a Haring carousel, a Lichtenstein labyrinth, puppets and other immersive experiences in this limited-time installation at The Shed. Luna Luna is, hands down, the coolest art exhibition to open in New York City this year, and it's on view through February 23, 2025 with tickets starting at $44/person.

The Dyker Heights Christmas Lights display has definitely earned its stripes as one of the best New York attractions. What’s not to love about all that razzle-dazzle to get you in the Christmas spirit?

The Brooklyn neighborhood is home to the most over-the-top Christmas light decorations with life-size Santas, sleighs, snowmen and some houses even bump Christmas carols from loudspeakers. Crowds of all ages flock to the Kings County neighborhood to wander down the multiple blocks and avenues.

Train aficionados of all ages are certain to be transfixed by the scenic components of this show, featuring trains and toys from the Jerni Collection dating all the way back to 1850. With its unique, handcrafted and hand-painted pieces, the collection epitomizes the golden age of toy manufacture and transportation.

This year's Holiday Express features a preview of the museum's new permanent train gallery, "All Aboard!" Highlights include an unusual German elevated station from 1895 with a raised track and platform and a rare Onion Dome station, featuring a bulb-shaped dome inspired by Mughal, Eastern European, and Middle Eastern architecture. Also keep an eye out for a toy plane version of a luxurious Pan Am Stratocruiser, a toy shop with miniature toys made in Germany in the early 1900s and a toy monorail made for the Leland Detroit Manufacturing Co. in 1932.

Lighting and accompanying music immerse visitors in the exhibit on the first floor of the New-York Historical Society & Museum on the Upper West Side. The exhibit's on view through February 2, 2025.

Trek through snowy displays, an imaginary train car, and dancing lights inside "Winter Wonder: The Northern Lights Express" exhibit at Rockefeller Center's Hero. This immersive experience runs until January 20. 

After opening late last year, the enveloping, vast displays of HERO have undergone a seasonal update. The “Winter Wonder” exhibit brings you through the 13,000-square-foot space, stopping in eleven rooms to see familiar, beloved scenes from the coldest part of the year. The trip kicks off at a secret train station—complete with a clock tower, fir trees and silver tinsel—so attendees can take the Northern Lights Express toward the galleries. 

Tickets can be found here starting at $25 for children and $35 for adults. 

This place takes the holidays to the extreme by stringing up thousands of lights, ornaments and garlands throughout its snug interior. Marvel at all the shiny things, then indulge in some hearty sausages and German brews.

Instead of seeking shelter in the North Pole, you can find comfort from the cold at the top of the country’s tallest skyscraper. In this ONEderland, it’s encouraged to snap photos of the city down below, cuddle up in the observatory’s chalet atmosphere or snag a season-special confection from the building’s One Dine Restaurant. 

For those who adore the snowy mountain tops but are past their skiing or snowboarding days, this might be the next best thing.

Take your own NYC walking tour and stop by to see the lights at Radio City Music Hall, Central Park, the Plaza Hotel and more. Get ready to “ooh” and “ahh” at these landmarks and snap some photos of the most picturesque holiday light displays during the holiday season.