The rumours are true – it does, very occasionally, rain in New York City. But, a wet weather forecast will not affect the city’s ability to enthral and entertain our visitors – as our blog will show. Here’s how to have rainy day fun in NYC!
If the clouds should gather during your visit, you can still have lots of fun and an awesome time in New York City. First stop, rain or shine – head along to Museum Mile – a section of 5th Avenue on the Upper East Side of New York City – to find a collection of world-class museums and galleries. It’s home to the Guggenheim Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of the City of New York, the Jewish Museum and more. The Guggenheim is loved for its architecture as well as the modern art treasures that lie beautifully displayed inside. The Met (The Metropolitan Museum of Art) – a spectacular museum and probably one of the world’s leading collections of art, which is so vast it has something for everyone. The building itself is beautifully grand – head to the Met’s rooftop for some drinks and a wonderful view of NYC at their Cantor Roof Garden Bar.
Regardless of the weather, don’t miss the American Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It welcomes 5 million visitors per year for a reason. It’s billed as being the NYC tourist attraction that comes as close as possible to summarising all human knowledge in one building, and having spent many days perusing all that it has to offer, I’m very sure that’s true. Every animal, civilisation, historical milestone and geographic phenomena is here – as well as incredible exhibits about space and the universe. You’re bound to have a magnificent day of wonder at the American Museum of Natural History.
As you’ve probably guessed, the wet weather activities we’ve mentioned here offer a wonderful NYC experience whether it is damp outside or not! Another of those is catching a show on Broadway. New York’s theater district has a rich offering of shows – from the billboard topping names to those lesser-known productions ‘Off Broadway’. It will be time well spent and a traditional New York event that you’ll remember for a long time to come.
Speaking of which, the rain doesn’t take away the beauty of the New York skyline, so it’s always a good time to head to one of the city’s observatories where you will make more New York memories. This is the city of amazing engineering – full of world famous skyscrapers and bridges. Head to our latest addition – the One World Trade Center and its One World Observatory or go for the classic experience at the Empire State Building observatory. The One World Observatory is a spellbinding place – with an incredible lift to take you to the top, where you can see from river to river. There’s also a rather unique glass viewing platform that will show you what’s going on 100 stories down. The Empire State Building oozes classic charm – it’s not under cover up top, but it is a romantic platform from which to survey the awesome sights of Manhattan.
If you’re short on time and still want to tour NYC’s famous locations even if it is raining, then jump on a Motorcoach tour of the city’s oldest borough – Manhattan. You’ll be driven around the big name sights like Times Square, Central Park, the Financial District and Greenwich Village. When it’s a little wet, public transport can be busier than normal in NYC so this is an ideal option to see New York in comfort and style.
Truth is, this guide could be written for any weather. The sights mentioned here all offer memorable experiences rain or shine – I guess that’s the nature of New York. Equally, this list could also be two or three times longer than it is – the options of how to have fun in the city are extensive. If you do plan to visit several of these New York attractions, then for the best value, check out our FreeStyle Pass New York – where you can have unlimited service on our Hop-On Hop-Off buses, as well as entry into your choice of three, five or seven NYC attractions. You can find out more via our GrayLine New York website at: graylinenewyork.com
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