807 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in New York State - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in New York State

New York, New York

City Hall Station

A beautiful and abandoned New York subway station from 1904, complete with chandelier.

M Rebekah Otto

Added by M Rebekah Otto

New York, New York

Evolution Nature Store

A terrific purveyor of natural history objects and curios.

Added by mbison

New York, New York

Dream House

La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela's "Dream House" will immerse you in an ever changing world of sound and light.

seanmattison

Added by seanmattison

New York, New York

Mmuseumm

A tiny museum housed in a New York freight elevator specializes in the "overlooked, dismissed, or ignored."

New York, New York

Roosevelt Island Smallpox Hospital Ruins

A crumbling hospital from the 1850s on Roosevelt Island.

M Rebekah Otto

Added by M Rebekah Otto

New York, New York

Obscura Antiques and Oddities

Tucked in the back of this amazing antique store is an important piece of medical history.

Dylan

New York, New York

Explorers Club Headquarters

A treasure trove of artifacts, books, and artwork from the "golden age" of exploration.

Annetta Black

Added by Annetta Black

New York, New York

5 Beekman Street

This beautiful building in the heart of Manhattan's Financial District was empty for decades.

bboas

See All 807 Things to Do in New York State See All 807 Places

Atlas Obscura Trips

Only in Queens: Tasting Our Way Through New York’s Most Diverse Borough

May 17—May 20, 2019

Manhattan may have name-brand recognition and Brooklyn a certain cache, but Queens is the city’s largest and most diverse borough. Join us, May 17–20, to dig into Queens’ rich neighborhood life.

Unique
Food & Drink
in New York State

Egg Cream

Gastro Obscura

Egg Cream

A fizzy, chocolate drink that harkens back to the days of Brooklyn soda fountains.

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Sugar on Snow

Gastro Obscura

Sugar on Snow

Where maple sap flows, all one needs to make taffy is snow.

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Brooklyn Blackout Cake

Gastro Obscura

Brooklyn Blackout Cake

A cake as dark as a city hiding from enemy bombers.

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Superman Ice Cream

Gastro Obscura

Superman Ice Cream

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a classic Midwestern treat!

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

See all 34 things to eat in New York State See all 34 things to eat in New York State

Explore New York State

Launch Map

New York State Leaderboard

Places Added

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent New York State Activity

German has been to Overlook Mountain House Ruins

lightnavyblue wants to go to Dead Horse Bay

smfordernd wants to go to Phil-Am Foods

smfordernd wants to go to Hoyt-Schermerhorn Subway Station

jeffliss wants to go to Evolution Nature Store

Stories
About New York State

Two of Tanaka's botanical watercolor paintings. <em>Jack in the Pulpit</em> on left, <em>Mountain Laurel</em> on right.

How One Woman Transforms Plants Into Pigment

Kazumi Tanaka paints the natural world with the essence of flowers.

by Evan Nicole Brown

November 07, 2018

General's Tso's chicken ice cream, served "Chop suey" style.

The 'Chop Suey Sundae' Isn't What You Think It Is

An ice cream topping once had the same name.

September 05, 2018

The "Battle of the Tea" is on.

Was the Long Island Iced Tea Invented in ... Tennessee?

"Not since the 'Battle of Long Island' has Long Island's honor been so challenged."

Seongmin Ahn's "Multifaceted Potato" incorporates actual potatoes.

The Art Show That's All Potatoes

It's courtesy of the tuber's biggest hype man.

In the early 20th century, audiences crammed in to see silent films, like this one starring William S. Hart.

Keeping the Art of Silent Film Music Alive

Nearly a century after talkies stole the show, composers, musicians, and audiences are still playing along.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

January 23, 2018

The DNA the students collect can be used to search for invasive species and serve as a baseline for future work.

The Teen Detectives Using DNA to Stalk Invasive Fish

Aquatic forensics might help target eradication efforts before things get out of control.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

December 07, 2017

<em>The Hudson at the Tappan Zee</em>, Francis Silva, 1876.

The Effort to Bring Sail Freight Back to New York’s Hudson River

What's old is new again.

by Kelsey Kennedy

October 31, 2017

Living candelabras sat or stood unflinching as hot wax dripped onto their bodies, forming incredible sculptures and shapes.

A Dispatch From the Other Side of the Veil

In Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery, Atlas Obscura's "Into the Veil 2017" was a night of sublime contradictions.

by Natasha Frost

October 16, 2017

Lists Featuring
New York State