You’ve arrived in NYC with your itinerary in hand. Everything is planned down to the minute. You leave your hotel excited to explore the city and…you feel a raindrop.
Don’t worry! There's no shortage of things to do when it rains.
We locals don’t hide when it is wet outside and neither should you!
In this post, I share 21 fun things to do in NYC on a rainy day.
These suggestions are both mine and also some of my fellow tour guides.
We've had lots of rainy days over the years, and these are among our favorite things to do.
Keep in mind that most of these work as indoor winter activities in NYC.
When writing this post, I also reviewed suggestions from members of our popular New York City Travel Tips Facebook group.
1. Visit a Museum
This is one of those obvious indoor things to do in NYC. Fortunately, there are so many museums to choose from!
You likely had a museum or two on your list of places to go already so now's your chance!
If you haven't thought about going to a museum, read our post on the 35 top museums in Manhattan to give you an idea of what's out there.
If you are on a budget and concerned about ticket costs, there are ways to save money on admission.
One way is to go to free museums and museums with free days or hours.
As someone interested in just about every subject from art to history, science to theater, here are museums I can enthusiastically recommend.
I’ve noted which is always free or has free days or hours.
- American Museum of Natural History (free last time slot of every day)
- Metropolitan Museum of Art (free for residents of NY, CT and NJ)
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- 9/11 Museum and Memorial (free Monday evenings)
- Brooklyn Museum (always free)
- Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum (select Fridays from April to September)
- Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
- Whitney Museum of American Art (free on Fridays from 5 pm-10 pm)
- Guggenheim Museum (free Saturdays from 5 pm-8 pm)
- Museum of Broadway
Again, all of these (and so many others) are included in at least one NYC Tourist Attraction discount pass.
If you plan to visit several museums and attractions and do lots of other activities, you may want to consider purchasing one.
2. Explore Grand Central Station
Touring the majestic Grand Central Station is just what you need to brighten up your rainy day.
A visit here is one of the very best indoor activities in NYC.
Even though I have passed through here hundreds of times, I always admire its beauty and think of it as a destination rather than a train station.
Its expansive ceiling depicting the constellations of the zodiac and dazzling chandeliers will lift any rainy day blues.
Head downstairs to the food hall for delicious comfort food. On the main concourse, there's a shopping plaza with 65 stores!
You can easily spend an hour here, or more, if you sit down for a nice lunch.
There are lots of tours offered and many of them are free to take.
Find out more about Grand Central Terminal.
3. Take a Bus Tour
For tourists, this is one of the best rainy-day activities in NYC!
You can take a hop-on-hop-off sightseeing tour, themed tours and night tours - or all of these!
Most companies have canvas tops for double-decker buses, and some tours have fully enclosed buses, so don't worry about exposure.
Check our post on New York Bus Tours to see the many tours available.
TIP: Many bus tours are included for free with money-saving NYC tourist discount passes.
4. Go Shopping
The shopping in NYC is fabulous and it’s a good excuse to get out of the rain!
One of my all-time favorite stores is Century 21 in Lower Manhattan.
The store sells men's, women's, and children's apparel and shoes, plus handbags, accessories, fragrances, and luggage -- at discount prices.
The store is probably best known for deep discounts prices for designer clothes.
Chances are you will leave with one of the store's famous red shopping bags!
Across the street from Century 21 is the Oculus mall with more than 60 retail shops.
It's adjacent to the 9/11 Museum and Memorial so combine your time shopping, then seeing the museum.
Near the High Line Park, there is the Chelsea Market, with shopping and great food stalls.
About 12 blocks north is the mall at Hudson Yards where the skyscraper Edge and its observatory deck are located.
If you want to spend that rainy day shopping at an outlet, head to Woodbury Common, just an hour from New York City.
Read more about the best places to shop in NYC, including where to shop to save money.
TIP: I like going to the Oculus, not so much to shop, but to enjoy being in the massive, space-age indoor space. It's an amazing Instagrammable photo op.
I like to grab a coffee and food at Epicerie Boulud -- the almond croissants are to die for.
5. See a Live TV Show Taping
Get out of the rain and into an audience seat for some great live entertainment for free!
Some of the best daytime and late-night shows are taped in New York and you can be part of the studio audience for free.
Some shows you can get free tickets for are The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
See a long list of other shows in our post, TV Show Tapings in NYC.
While some shows require ticket requests in advance, plenty have standby tickets. It can't hurt to try, right?
I've done this a few times - on both rainy days and nice days. It was a blast!
6. Attend a Sports Game
Rain or snow in NYC can turn those who don't care much for sports into believers!
From October through April, ice hockey is in season. Pick from three teams: the Rangers, the Devils, or the Islanders.
Basketball season is from mid-October to mid-April.
You can choose either the New York Knicks who play home games at Madison Square Garden or the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.
Call me biased, but I prefer the Nets. I'm from Brooklyn after all!
7. Check Out the New York Public Library
Walk in and you can already feel the warmth of leather-bound books filling grand oak bookcases inside this historic library housed in a gorgeous Beaux-arts building.
The library offers free tours, perfect for a great rainy day.
After the tour, save time to explore on your own and see the Rotunda’s dark walnut paneling and vaulted ceiling murals.
Find out about the New York City Public Library and come in from the rain!
TIP: Some amenities I appreciate are the nice public bathrooms and the free Wi-Fi. Take advantage of them.
8. See a Broadway Show
This may have been on your list of things to do already, but a rainy night in NYC makes the theater all that more appealing!
Some shows have matinees so head in for some musical fun on a rainy afternoon.
You can save a lot on tickets if you know how. Read our post on how to get cheap Broadway tickets.
9. Fly Above the City at RiseNY
RiseNY is one of New York City’s most popular attractions and for good reason.
A trip here lets you see so much of the city in one indoor location - perfect for a rainy day.
The highlight of RiseNY is The Ride.
This unique experience features a state-of-the-art ‘flying theater’ that takes riders across New York City for a bird’s eye view.
Other exhibits are interactive galleries with artifacts from top NYC museums and a film on the timeline of New York watched from inside a replica of NYC’s first subway station at City Hall.
Ticket Prices (includes tax & fees)
- Adult $47.90 (Age 13+)
- Children $43.55 (Ages 3-12)
- Infants 2 and under not allowed
- More information and to purchase tickets.
10. Take A Walking Tour
Our walking tours run rain or shine and some of our tours take place mostly indoors, such as our Grand Central Terminal Tour.
We offer guided tours of many different neighborhoods, as well as food tours and seasonal holiday tours.
We run these tours on a daily (or almost daily) basis:
- SoHo, Little Italy, and Chinatown
- Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights + DUMBO
- Harlem
- Chelsea and the High Line
- 3 Hour Downtown Manhattan (Financial District, Soho, Little Italy & Chinatown)
- 6 Hour Downtown Combined
Our popular food tours include a Greenwich Village Food Tour and a Lower East Side Food Tour.
Find out about all our tour offerings here.
11. Tour Radio City Music Hall
Take a tour of this lush, art-deco venue known for its leggy dance troupe, The Rockettes.
On your 75-minute tour of Radio City Music Hall, you will get a behind-the-scenes peek at the Great Stage and more.
You will even meet a Rockette!
12. Take The NBC Studio Tour
See where the magic is made on a studio tour at NBC in Rockefeller Center.
Find out more about NBC Studios Tours.
Some things you can do nearby are pop into the impressive St. Patrick's Cathedral and shop along 5th Avenue.
I suggest exploring Rockefeller Center, with over 100 shops and restaurants.
TIP: If you are traveling with kids, take them to these mega stores: the LEGO Store, Nintendo NY, PIQ and the incredible FAO Schwarz. Play the giant piano keyboard from the movie Big!
13. Go to the Statue Of Liberty and Ellis Island
Don't let the rain scare you away from Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Ferries run rain or shine!
You will see Lady Liberty up close and you can visit the Statue of Liberty Museum.
Your ticket also includes a trip to Ellis Island and the National Museum of Immigration which for some is a more interesting part of the two-island trip.
Delve into the history of America’s great melting pot and look up your family roots!
I found Ellis Island quite interesting, seeing where millions of people were processed for entry into the United States.
I sprung for a ticket to a special “Hard Hat” tour of the abandoned hospital complex, which was fascinating.
Read more about visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
TIP: Follow up with a visit to the Tenement Museum and see how immigrants from the early 1900s lived.
14. See a Movie
Hundreds of movies have taken place in New York City, so why not see a movie here? (See our list of movies made in NYC).
In a city with so many tastes, you’ll have no trouble finding a movie that suits yours.
Plus, many of the city’s theaters are high quality. The sound systems are superb and the seats are comfy.
You can even dine and have drinks at the Alamo Drafthouse Movie Theater in the Financial District.
For blockbusters, try the AMC Lincoln Square 13 with the largest IMAX screen in America! It's on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
The Regal Theater in Times Square has over 15 screens!
For arthouse and independent movies head to the IFC Theater in Greenwich Village and Film Forum in SoHo.
15. Visit the United Nations
Visiting the United Nations is a unique experience. See where some of the most important decisions affecting the world are made.
The UN tours are very informative and engaging.
You can choose the standard guided tour or a thematic tour. The theme tours are
- Art Tour
- Architecture Tour
- Children's Tour
- Black History Tour
- Focus on Women Tour
Having taken the standard tour a long time ago, I recently took the architecture tour and thought it was excellent.
If you are traveling with children they have a special kids tour that is interactive.
Read all the details on how to reserve tickets to visit the United Nations and what you can expect to see on your visit here.
16. Have a Good Laugh at a Comedy Club
Cheer up those rainy-day blues with a comedy show!
One of the top spots for comedy is The Comedy Cellar at 117 MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village.
Top comedians like Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle and Aziz Ansari have performed here.
Each show includes between five to seven 20-minute sets by different comedians.
Indoor fun in NYC doesn't need to bust your budget. See our post on Stretching Your Dollar at the Best NYC Comedy Clubs.
17. Play an Escape Room
Just because it’s raining doesn't mean you can't have an adventure!
At the Escape Game New York you’ll be challenged to escape a ‘locked’ room by cracking codes and deciphering clues.
So put on your detective hat and get ready to solve a mystery!
This is a great indoor activity for adults traveling with or without kids.
Plus it's open day and night, so whatever time it’s raining, you can head on over!
18. Get Active at Chelsea Piers
Chelsea Piers is a 150,000-square-foot gym at Pier 60 (at 20th Street and Hudson River Park) with loads of indoor activities to get your heart pumping and feeling good on a rainy day.
It is one of the top indoor fun places in New York!
One of the most popular offerings is the golf driving range. Another is the year-round ice skating rink.
You can also try indoor rock climbing! Two other indoor rock climbing facilities to check out are Brooklyn Boulders and The Cliffs at LIC both in Long Island City, easily reached from Manhattan or Brooklyn by subway.
Feel like bowling? Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn and Bowlero in Times Square both have state-of-the-art bowling alleys.
19. Cozy Up with a Good Book at an NYC Bookstore
New York City has some wonderful independent bookstores that are perfect to wander around on a rainy day.
The most famous of the independent shops is the Strand Bookstore, though I feel a bit overwhelmed when I am there. The Strand has thousands of books, new and used.
Other nice bookstores are Greenlight Bookstore in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, The Corner Bookstore on the Upper East Side, and Rizzoli Bookstore in the Flatiron District.
20. Hear the Symphony at Lincoln Center
As home to the renowned New York Philharmonic, Lincoln Center is a destination for those who adore the symphony.
Use the rain as an excuse to see your favorite Mahler or Mozart!
If you want to see a symphony concert, see the schedule here.
Lincoln Center also houses the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet and a theater with top shows and a film series.
If you want to know behind the scenes, you can take a Lincoln Center Tour.
TIP: This is one of the best rainy day date ideas in NYC.
21. Take a Hot Tub Boat Tour
Climb aboard a 40’ yacht fitted with two jacuzzis covered by a canopy!
Relax in the warm water in your hot tub while seeing the skyline from the water. It's like being at a spa with a view!
Come with friends or just two of you to experience this unique NYC activity -- rain or shine!
Find out more here.
TIPS FROM LOCALS AND TRAVELERS
What Reddit has to say
Reddit is a decent source of information about NYC so I reviewed some NYC Reddit threads to see what others recommend doing on a rainy day in NYC.
Here’s a great suggestion from a Reddit user, especially if you have kids. Go to a zoo!
It’s true that the Bronx Zoo has a number of indoor exhibitions. I don’t suggest going to the Central Park Zoo since it is not nearly as big as the Bronx Zoo.
TIP: If it’s a Wednesday when the rain arrives, you can enter the Bronx Zoo for free.
On the other days of the week, you can save money on tickets if you have a tourist attraction discount pass as the zoo is included for free.
I mentioned museums in this post. You may be concerned about museums being crowded, but it’s New York City and it’s hard to find any museum that is empty.
However, this Reddit user has a wise tip if you are going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art:
Steer clear of the Roman and Egyptian halls as they attract more people than other exhibits.
This Reddit user has some advice that I can get behind. Dress for the rain and don’t change your plans!
What our Facebook group members suggest
Here is what locals and travelers who are members of our New York Travel Tips group on Facebook had to say about how to spend a rainy day in New York City.
You don't need to become a member to read the posts, comments, and advice.
So when you are done reading this post why not have a look? Perhaps even ask some questions yourself!
Museums were a hit with our group members when recommending NYC inside activities.
Here are some they liked the most.
Lauren made the rain work to her advantage, as did Rae.
Here are some other NYC indoor activities that group members endorsed.
These comments below may be the best advice of all. Don't let the rain stop you!
So grab an umbrella and go for it!
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