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

Unusual
Attractions
in New York

New York, New York

City Hall Station

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

40.7134, -74.0046

Added by M Rebekah Otto

Interior of the Dream House

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.

40.7185, -74.0048

Added by seanmattison

New York, New York

Evolution Nature Store

A terrific purveyor of natural history objects and curios.

40.7281, -73.9948

Added by mbison

Mmuseumm

New York, New York

Mmuseumm

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

40.7174, -74.0028

New York, New York

Roosevelt Island Smallpox Hospital Ruins

A crumbling hospital from the 1850s on Roosevelt Island.

40.7515, -73.9596

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.

40.7275, -73.9801

The Trophy Room at the top of the Explorers Club headquarters

New York, New York

Explorers Club Headquarters

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

40.7699, -73.9656

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.

40.7114, -74.0067

See All 791 Things to Do in New York See All 791 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in New York

Egg Cream

Gastro Obscura

Egg Cream

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

Gastro Obscura

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

Added by rachelrummel

Brooklyn Blackout Cake

Gastro Obscura

Brooklyn Blackout Cake

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

Gastro Obscura

Added by rachelrummel

Pickle Soft Serve

Gastro Obscura

Pickle Soft Serve

The briny, refreshing ice cream acts as a cooling chaser to spicy meals.

Gastro Obscura

Added by natantman

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kyjlm2 wants to go to The Museum of Interesting Things

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essbeth3 has been to Grand Central Ceiling Dark Patch

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Stories
About New York

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

When Lightning Strikes—in Your Office

“Honestly, I'm just happy to be alive."

by Erik Shilling

Dutch Schultz's 1931 mug shot.

Prohibition, Moonshine, and an Underground Secret

Dutch Schultz's legacy of liquor.

by Erik Shilling

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