Best Historic Sites & Landmarks in New York
7 historic sites & landmarks in New York
Forts, landmarks, monuments and heritage attractions.
Editorial oversight by James Morgan. AI-assisted, human-edited. Our editorial standards
Historic Sites
Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island (via Statue City Cruises)
Manhattan, New York
Ferry across New York Harbor to two monuments that define American freedom and immigration.
Historic Sites
Empire State Building Observatory
Manhattan, New York
Step onto an open-air deck 86 floors up for 360-degree views stretching as far as 80 miles.
Historic Sites
One World Observatory
Manhattan, New York
Ride a Sky Pod elevator to the top of One World Trade Center for sweeping views of the city.
Historic Sites
Top of the Rock Observation Deck
Manhattan, New York
Three levels of Rockefeller Center decks frame the Empire State Building and Central Park.
Historic Sites
Flushing Meadows‚ Corona Park & Unisphere
Queens, New York
Picnic in the shadow of the Unisphere, the giant steel globe left behind by two World's Fairs in Queens.
Historic Sites
Bartow‚ Pell Mansion Museum
The Bronx, New York
Tour a 19th-century mansion and its gardens set within New York City's largest public park.
Historic Sites
Van Cortlandt Park & Museum
The Bronx, New York
Step inside the oldest house in the Bronx and the layered history of an 18th-century estate.
More about historic sites & landmarks in New York
New York has 7 historic sites & landmarks we would happily take our own kids to. Bartow‚ Pell Mansion Museum is the one most families start with. Tour a 19th-century mansion and its gardens set within New York City's largest public park. Empire State Building Observatory is the other name that comes up again and again. Step onto an open-air deck 86 floors up for 360-degree views stretching as far as 80 miles. Flushing Meadows‚ Corona Park & Unisphere rounds out the pick of the bunch. Picnic in the shadow of the Unisphere, the giant steel globe left behind by two World's Fairs in Queens. Also worth your time: Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island (via Statue City Cruises), One World Observatory, Top of the Rock Observation Deck and Van Cortlandt Park & Museum.
Published prices run from $15 at Bartow‚ Pell Mansion Museum up to $87 at Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island (via Statue City Cruises). 4 of the 7 listed here quote a starting price. The others vary by season or by what you add on, so check before you travel.
The historic sites & landmarks on this page are spread across Manhattan (4), The Bronx (2) and Queens (1), so it is easy to pair two into one trip.