The best fall activities in NYC to do with the arrival of Autumn

This Queens County treasure is well worth the bus trek or car ride. As the city’s longest continually farmed site in the city (it’s been in operation since 1697), the 47 acres feels like an entirely different world compared to Manhattan.

Feed and pet the barnyard animals, including sheep, ponies and goats, hop aboard a hayride and take advantage of the fall harvest season when you can go pumpkin picking and attempt to find your way through the Amazing Maize Maze (yes, that’s a corn maze).

Grab an empty basket and don your best plaid for a fall PYO adventure. At local farms in the tristate area, you'll find a generous offering of apple varieties and fun seasonal activities like petting zoos and corn mazes. We guarantee you're bound to stumble upon some apple cider doughnuts along the way.

Going upstate to see fall leaves is great, but it's a trek. Luckily, if you know where to look here in NYC, there are some truly stunning foliage to see in many parks and gardens across the boroughs, including at Fort Tryon Park, the Greenbelt Nature Center, and Sunken Meadow State Park. Happy peeping!

As the fall rolls in, there are probably a few things you crave—no, no, not pumpkin spice lattes—apple cider donuts. NYC’s network of open-air markets have all-things apple, year after year. Snag the sugary confection and stock up on apple cider while you’re at it, too. You can hop over to grownyc.org to find a market nearest you. 

This fall, you'll get a chance to feel like you're inside the mind of the one and only Tim Burton. The New York Botanical Garden is hosting the worldwide debut of a new light trail entirely inspired by the 1993 classic Disney film Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas.

The trail is comprised of over 8,300 square feet of light installations with interactive video projections, intelligent LED lighting and 3D printed sculptures of the film's iconic characters. 

The outdoor adventure runs through November 30; get tickets here. 

Ah, the ’90s—a simpler time when grainy camcorder videos ruled the cultural zeitgeist, rather than slickly produced TikToks. An upcoming exhibit at Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) will pay homage to that era through the lens of skater culture. 

"Recording the Ride: The Rise of Street-Style Skate Videos“ will honor DIY filmmaking with videos, vintage skate decks and other objects related to the formative years of the skate video in the 1980s and 1990s. See it in Astoria from September 7, 2024 through January 26, 2025. 

Fittingly, a series of screenings and events will accompany the exhibition. 

Explore the extraordinary life of Lord Byron—the famous scribe known for his lengthy narratives Don Juan and Childe Harold's Pilgrimage—at this new exhibition at the New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. Running from September 7 through January 12, the collection of personal letters, literary manuscripts, illustrated biographies, paintings, prints, and even wine bills traces Byron’s movements, from his youth in Aberdeen, to his sudden fame after the publication of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, to his death in Greece at the age of 36. 

And his seeming contradictions will be delved into just as much as his storied life, library officials promise. 

New York City residents have always cherished their pets, and the New-York Historical Society is here to document that. In the new special exhibition titled Pets and the City, they’ll feature an array of artwork—primarily obtained from the New-York Historical’s Museum and Library collections—that document the multidimensional roles animals have played to serve and coexist alongside human beings. See the exhibition from October 25 to April 27, 2025. 

Through photographs, memorabilia, film and television clips, the exhibition explores how the relationship between humans and their pets has transformed alongside the ever-changing New York City landscape. 

The cemetery's annual events include concerts in the catacombs, trolley tours and powerful discussions about grief.  

Nightfall, a two-day spectacle with after-dark immersive experiences, is among the fan favorites, and it's coming back in October. Other stand-out events include the trolley tour Gay Gothic and Spirited Stroll, a pre-Halloween walking tour with tales of murder, mayhem, and captivating oddities. Here's the full list.

The city is full of legit spooky spots and haunted places, from cemeteries and haunted mansions to a crumbling hospital and tragedy-prone island. 

These NYC ghost tours will take you through all the nooks and crannies where real-life horrors and paranormal sightings happened right in our own backyard. Whether you're a Broadway buff looking for theater lore or a history nerd up for touring historic buildings, there's a ghost tour for you.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s gorgeous, after-dark illuminated spectacular is back from November 22 through January 5, 2025. 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.

Tickets are now on sale for the event ranging from $24-$45 for adults and $12 to $23 for kids, depending on the visit date.

The winter festivity has already begun even before the snow falls. The Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park returns to NYC with exciting holiday shops, food and activities from October 25 until March 2, 2025

Its 17,000-square-foot ice-skating rink that’s free to use (if you bring your own skates) is always the highlight, but its Winter Village in all its holiday spirit is a close second. This year, over 170 new and returning kiosks will be there for you to peruse through—all at one of the best NYC parks.

Gather your friends and family for a Thanksgiving dinner to remember with City Cruises. Why spend the day fretting over a hot oven and a temperamental turkey when you can let professional yacht chefs take care of the hand-carved bird, stuffing and fall desserts like apple crisp during a festive buffet dinner.

In between bites, you can take in jaw-dropping skyline views and iconic landmarks like The Statue of Liberty and The Brooklyn Bridge from one of the boat's open-air decks or from the heated coziness of the vessel's indoor spaces. To complement the meal, the Thanksgiving Day (November 28) celebration will also feature a fully stocked cash bar, live DJ entertainment, games, and dancing into the night.

Now that temperatures are dropping, it's the perfect time to sip some hot tea. Afternoon tea in NYC is for those who fancy a scone or crumpet alongside a piping hot kettle of tea as a midday pick-me-up. From hotel restaurants to proper teahouses, here’s where to go for the best afternoon tea NYC’s got to offer.

Some might assume that sky-high imbibing is a spring and summertime affair, but it’s always rooftop season in NYC.

Even during rain, wind and lower temperatures, we simply swap the sunshine and frozen drinks for fireplaces and hot cocktails while still soaking up the skyline view. So grab a sweater and set your sights on the stars at the best cooler weather rooftops in NYC.

Sure, the holidays are something to be enjoyed, but sometimes, they're something to be endured. Opening on November 22 and running until December 28, The Second City New York will present their new Mainstage comedy show, "Wreck the Halls: The Second City New York’s Guide to Surviving the Holidays."

Packed with original sketches, improv and variety delights, the spirited show will gift plenty of laughs as it roasts all of the things we love to loathe about the "festive" season, from the dreaded family obligations to the boring office parties to the ad nauseum Mariah Carey songs. 

Beneath the cobblestone streets of the Seaport, secrets hid underground for decades—until now, that is. A walking tour led by the South Street Seaport Museum unearths the neighborhood's freaky and fascinating facts.

The museum's "Sinister Secrets of the Seaport" whisks visitors back in time for a 90-minute walking tour full of true crime tales about theft, organized crime, murder and even pirates. Tours are available throughout the month for $40/adult. Whether you're a true crime buff or you're still soaking up the Halloween spirit, these tours make for a memorable afternoon in a historic neighborhood.

The Rockefeller Tree Lighting is an NYC holiday tradition that brings thousands of New Yorkers (and tourists) to the bright and brilliant nexus of town each Christmas. Sure, various tree lighting ceremonies take place all over New York, but the show at Rockefeller Center is by far the most renowned.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will be lit for the holiday season during a special ceremony on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. There will be fantastic performers and live music that evening. 

After that, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be lit daily from 5am to midnight daily. 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.

Festooned with more than 1,000 meticulously hand-folded paper ornaments, this year’s 13-foot-tall tree at the American Museum of Natural History is inspired by the theme "Jumping for Joy" in honor of our 2024 Leap Year. The tree features specially crafted origami creations inspired by the museum's hopping, pouncing, and leaping creatures.

Some of the pieces decorating the greenery include rabbits, kangaroos, grasshoppers, frogs, squirrels, and cicadas, along with those depicting iconic museum exhibits like the Blue Whale and Tyrannosaurus rex.

Created in partnership with OrigamiUSA, the Origami Holiday Tree is delightfully decorated with hand-folded paper models created by local, national, and international origami artists.

You can see the tree with museum admission starting on November 25, 2024. Find it in the Ellen V. Futter Gallery on the first floor. 

The annual pageant of giant balloons, floats, cheerleaders, clowns, marching bands, theater and Broadway in New York performances and celebs is a must-see. The parade takes over Manhattan, and you can watch along the sidelines for free.

It's on Thanksgiving Day, of course! But we’ll spell it out for you: Thursday, November 28.

Opt outside to enjoy the great outdoors in free hikes across the five boroughs. The Urban Park Rangers will lead the following outdoor adventures on Friday, November 29:

— The Alley Giant in Queens: Featuring the oldest living organism in New York, the “Alley Giant” tulip tree.

— Northern Manhattan Parks Super Hike in Manhattan: Through Inwood Hill and Fort Tryon Parks.

— Prospect Park: This Brooklyn hike will take you from the south end of Prospect Park all the way up to Grand Army Plaza at the north end.

— Staten Island Wolfe's Pond to Acme Pond: Join the Rangers on this pond-to-pond hike, exploring the woodland trails of Wolfe’s Pond into the nearby Acme Pond and back.

— Cass Gallagher Trail in The Bronx: Traverse the north woods of Van Cortlandt park on the Cass Gallagher trail.

In NYBG's wildly popular diorama, more than a dozen model railway trains traverse an incredibly detailed New York City scene, including such landmarks as the Empire State Building and Radio City Music Hall, made of natural materials such as leaves, twigs, bark and berries.

Each year, artist Laura Busse Dolan and her team at Applied Imagination work on the awe-inspiring structures using plant materials to build "botanical architecture." It's been a beloved tradition since 1992.

The destination is ideal for children, but there are also 21+ nights to check out. This year's holiday train show will take place from November 16 through January 20, 2025, starting at 10am until 6pm, at the Bronx destination.

Carreau Club, the nation’s first pétanque bar now offers an indoor location with more space to get your game on while sipping a drink—even when temperatures get chilly.

For the uninitiated, pétanque (pronounced puh-TONK) is a bocce-ball style French boules sport gaining popularity in the U.S., starting here in NYC.

For those new to the sport, don't worry: Each court reservation comes with a lesson from a pétanque guide, plus equipment and a seating area. For the more competitive pétanque player, join a league to get in on weekly games.

A bucolic 1920s English country golf club is on its way to NYC's concrete jungle! But with a twist. Swingers NoMad, a "crazy mini-golf course" and entertainment complex straight from London brought with it three nine-hole golf courses across 23,000 square feet under 20-foot-high ceilings.

"Crazy golf" is a British spin on mini-golf, but it's for a 21-and-over audience since craft cocktails are served by caddies on the course. Plus, there are plenty of food options to pair with your drinks.