6 Holiday Activities You Can Only Do In New York City

Christmas, Kwanzaa, or simply just The Holidays…it doesn’t matter how you celebrate it, you have to admit that the holiday season is special. And nowhere is it quite as special as in New York City. While we don’t always get a beloved White Christmas, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a city that gives you that seasonal cheer quite like NYC. Join us for a look at some of the more unique Christmas experiences you can only have in the Big Apple.

What better way to enjoy all the ways NYC decorates for the holidays than taking it all in from 102 floors above the streets in New York’s most iconic building? The only thing that tops this experience is the view the morning after a good snow, when a blanket of white stretches before your eyes.

Where: The Empire State Building – 350 5th Ave. (30 min walk from The Lombardy Hotel)

When: 365 days a year, 8am – 2am

You and your family can be a part of this beautiful, 30-year tradition by folding your own origami, inspired by the hundreds of tiny works of art that decorate the Christmas tree. You won’t see origami like this anywhere else in the world, since it is inspired by items in the museum’s own permanent halls.

Where: The American Museum of Natural History – Central Park West at 79th St. (35 min walk from The Lombardy Hotel)

When: Daily from 10am – 5:45pm – November 20 – January 7

Ever wondered how people used to get around NYC in the 1930s? The New York Transit Museum lets you travel back in time with special holiday rides on their vintage trains and buses. The 1930s trains have been perfectly preserved, from their old-fashioned seats to original advertisements, giving you a truly unique experience.

Where: 2nd Avenue and 96th Street Subway Stations (45 min drive and 20 min drive from The Lombardy Hotel)

When: Every Sunday from November 26 – December 24; Hours between 10am – 5pm

Enjoy NYC in miniature at the New York Botanical Garden’s Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. The charming model trains navigate 150 mini landmarks, including the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, and the famous skyscrapers of Midtown Manhattan on a nearly half mile of twinkling tracks.

Where: New York Botanical Garden – 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx (45 min drive from The Lombardy Hotel)

When: November 22 – January 15; Tuesday – Sunday; 10am – 6pm

The Holidays are about spending time with your family, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art has just the activity for your whole family to enjoy, from an art scavenger hunt throughout the Met Cloisters branch, to drop-in arts and crafts, and a Middle Ages gallery workshop you and your youngsters will love to participate in.

Where: The Met Cloisters – 99 Margaret Corbin Dr. (45 min drive from The Lombardy Hotel)

When: December 27 – 28; 10am – 4pm

Last, but not least, you can’t miss one of the most iconic holiday activities in NYC- riding around the gorgeous Central Park in your own horse drawn carriage, complete with blankets and narration. Enjoy this romantic holiday tradition with a significant other, but be careful! The enchanting ride just might inspire you to pop the most important question!

Where: Central Park South in front of FedEx – 240 Central Park S (15 min walk from The Lombardy Hotel)

When: Monday – Friday from 10am – 11pm; Saturday – Sunday from 9am – 11pm