Public Art
Lots of free art to explore - some of it touchable & climbable – at NYC's site-specific art installations in parks, galleries and stores. Also see our kid-friendly museum guide, what else is open in NYC and ideas for making art at home.
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SEAPORT/FIDI
Ziggy
Lounge and climb on rainbow colored inventive seating options on vibrantly colored painted rebar and 27,000 feet of iridescent cord by Hou De Sousa. Across the street from the fun Imagination Playground and the historic, cobblestoned Seaport District with cute shops and restaurants plus historic tall ships in the harbor.
Peace, Love & Happiness
Cheerful sculptures by Scott Gerber, artist and founder of Tube Dude have been moved to the edge of the East River, framing dramatic views. The Heart is a perfect Valentine photo-op, accompanied by the giant Peace Sign and Smiley Face.
Nearby, climb on the geometric, rainbow colored Ziggy by Hou De Sousa and see…
Brookfield Place: Anne Vieux: { float } & Tatiana Arocha
Try to figure out what’s virtual and what’s real in Brooklyn-based artist Anne Vieux’s large-scale vinyl luminous hyperreal “painting.”
Also see Colombian visual artist Tatiana Arocha’s trasnformed flora and fauna that recreates and reimagines endangered ecosystems in a monochromatic palette of black, white, and grey with occasional shimmers of gold
Lots of food options at…
DOWNTOWN
East Village/Lower East Side Street Art
Look for lots of cool murals around this hip neighborhood, on walls, sliding metal gates and on the sidewalk. Current favorite include a I ❤️ NY mural at The Jones NYC (Great Jones Street & Bowery), a swing you can sit on among tulips at Bloomeffects (Bowery & Bleecker), a double-vision Mickey Mouse (Houston…
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Mural
See a colorful three-story-tall celebrating RBG’s life and achievements by New York-based street artist “Elle.” Look for the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge among symbols representing this born-in-Brooklyn hero.
Gabriel Rico: Of Beauty and Consolation
Find deer with basketballs in their antlers amid suspended golden branches in this pretty solo exhibition by Guadalajara-based artist Gabriel Rico. Sculptural objects and wall installations relate and reflect each other. Look for whimsical equations that ask questions like, “what makes rainbow stickers identical to a piece of stone” and “what element is shared between…
Nature Morte
Enter a dark concrete forest environment with variations on still life painting reflecting the global environmental crisis. multimedia works by 60 different include a pink mylar dolphin suspended mid-air, a sea dragon coming out of the floor, turgid bouquets, a melting garbage snowman, a gigantic bronze CGI lion and more.
While the works depict disease,…
SHOWFIELDS
The self-proclaimed “most interesting store in the world” features cool direct to consumer brands and rotating interactive art exhibits & brand-pop ups. Find a hidden fuzzy slide to a vibrant, dreamlike, fuzzy room created by Dominican American artist Uzumaki Cepeda as a safe spaces free from colorism, transphobia and homophobia. Hand sanitizer (in high-design dispensers)…
Goodnight House
Explore an immersive group exhibition of works inspired by the American children’s book classic, Goodnight Moon, written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd, first published in 1947. Through contemporary reimaginings of various objects found within the book’s bedroom setting, Goodnight House explores how the (slightly subversive) book has been woven into a…
CHELSEA/MEATPACKING
The Musical Brain
Nine artists approach music through different lenses—historical, political, performative, and playful—in new installations and soundscapes installed throughout the High Line.
Sit next to human shaped sculptures made with colorful musical instruments, explore what stories discarded objects tell when played and hear what happens when a railway spike becomes a bell. Daily at dusk, see…
Red Grooms
See over 30 of of Red Grooms’vibrant paintings and “sculpto-picto-ramas.” Look for interesting details in these vibrant, these inventive and witty depictions of New York.
Claes & Coosje A Duet
See a garland of giant faux wildflowers in suspended animation in a celebration of the collaborative spirit that animated Claes Oldenburg and the late Coosje van Bruggen’s artistic achievements and romantic partnership. Survey seminal works in sculpture including some of the most famous landmarks in urban and civic spaces around the world and learn about…
High Line Nine
Explore a collection of sky-lit galleries with a rotating cross-section of culture. Watch resident artists create (behind glass) and see finished work in a variety of mediums.
Take a walk on the High Line and dine at outdoor tables at Chelsea Market.
Lucy Raven
Dia Chelsea reopens with an exhibition of newly commissioned works by Lucy Raven featuring two kinetic light sculptures occupying the entirety of the former Alcamo marble-cutting factory. In an adjacent gallery, she exhibits a film that was shot over two years at a concrete plant in Bellevue, Idaho. Together, these two projects explore properties of…
MIDTOWN
OFF THE WALL
Midtown-30sSee and interact with site-specific large-scale art (including the Vessel, currently closed for safety) throughout the Hudson Yards mall and plaza. Activate pieces by 13 different artists that relate back to the site’s past, present or future.
Lots of great food options including Mercado Little Spain and a…
The Big Button
Midtown-30sHundreds of wisteria vines, roses, poppies, hydrangeas and green foliage transform the Garment District NYC kiosk into a traditional red pincushion tomato with twelve floral pins made entirely of carnations in different colors honoring all the hard working Garment District workers of the past two centuries. Look for butterflies.
Sanford Biggers & Life Forces
Midtown-40sA 25-foot-tall cast bronze sculpture ‘The Oracle’ at the entrance to the Channel Gardens serves as the centerpiece of conceptual artist Sanford Biggers’ epic art installation featuring a varied slate of works across Rockefeller Center. Look for elements of an ancient depiction of Zeus with an “Africoid mask-bust figure.”
Flags with blue waves reminiscent of…
Fifth Avenue Blooms
Midtown-50sStroll along a walkable flower installation of over over 7,000 planted flowers, designed by Sachi Rose Design in celebration of moms and spring. Find a different color one each block of Fifth Avenue from 47th to 59th streets.
Also stop by new public art (and fun shops) in Rockefeller Center.
Three with a Pen: Lily Renée, Bil Spira, and Paul Peter Porges
Midtown-50sSee works by the three Jewish artists driven from their homes in Vienna after the German annexation of Austria in 1938 including comic books, New Yorker cartoons, Mad magazine spoofs, caricatures, portraiture, fashion design, advertising, and children’s books, among other formats. Biographical material and ephemera amplify the artists’ personal stories of survival and help contextualize…
Macy’s Flower Show – Give.Love.Bloom
Midtown-30sMacy’s annual Flower Show returns with mask, social distancing and a floral celebration of fortitude. Exotic flowers & plants from around the world transform the famous department store into a breathtaking floral extravaganza. Installations celebrating courage and positivity feature butterfly bridges and dragonfly dreamscapes. Lots of photo ops and an interactive Believe wall.
UPTOWN
Reclining Liberty
HarlemTouch, climb and sit atop a 25-foot-long sculpture of a lounging Statue of Liberty, inspired by the giant reclining Buddhas found in Asia. An oxidized copper-like patina mimics the real Lady Liberty. On a grassy field just up from Morningside Park’s entrance.
Believe
Upper East Side-90s+Be inspired by colorful crochet made by the El Barrio Crochet Collective.
Sam Moyer: Doors For Doris
Central ParkTry to open massive stone doors in a massive three-part sculpture on the southeastern edge of Central Park. Moyer’s hybrid sculpture unites imported stone with rock indigenous to the New York region with beautiful inlaid marble fragments. The title pays homage to Public Art Fund founder, Doris C. Freedman (1928-1981)
The Peace Fountain & Children’s Sculpture Garden
HarlemSee charming small bronze animal sculptures created by K-12 students from NYC and tri-state area around a 40-foot high bronze sculpture by Cathedral Artist-in-Residence Greg Wyatt. Depictions of a giant crab, nine giraffes, a double helix, Albert Einstein the sun and satan represent the eternal conflict between good and evil.
Also look for peacocks roaming…
The GREEN
Upper West Side-Lincoln CenterCelebrated set designer and MacArthur Genius grantee Mimi Lien re-envisioned the approximately 14,000 square feet of open, concrete expanse of Lincoln Center’s iconic Josie Robertson Plaza into an environment that invites New Yorkers to relax and enjoy the open space.
Sit anywhere on the grass-like recyclable, biobased SYNLawn material covering all the ground. Books will…
BROOKLYN
Green-Wood
Brooklyn-Sunset ParkThis historic cemetery (founded in 1838)is a lovely place to wander, with 478 spectacular acres of hills, valleys, glacial ponds and paths, plus gorgeous views of the Manhattan skyline and extraordinary 19th- and 20th-century statuary and mausoleums. Honor famous permanent residents such as Leonard Bernstein, Boss Tweed, Charles Ebbets, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Civil…
Industry City
Brooklyn-Sunset ParkThe public art & high design at this innovative hub has cool art and photo-ops throughout plus tons of great international food options & with lots of heated outdoor seating including a fire pit by Sahadi’s and the lovely lantern covered courtyard of Japan Village. Try Korean comfort food, avocado everything, BBQ, pizza,…
ART360º / FORT GREENE
Brooklyn-DUMBO, Downtown & HeightsRediscover the beauty and culture of the Fort Greene commercial district with day of discovery and exploration. Experience “The Art Of…” with FAB FULTON businesses during a full day of socially distanced family-friendly fun activities, art installations, self-guided tours, creative merchant demonstrations, and more.
Start by grabbing a guide at Cuyler Gore Park (Fulton Street…
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Bronze Statue
Brooklyn-DUMBO, Downtown & HeightsMake a free reservation for a 20-minute slot to view a new bronze statue of late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg bronze statue be unveiled at City Point by GillieandMarcArt.
Breathing Pavilion by Ekene Ijeoma
Brooklyn-DUMBO, Downtown & HeightsEnter an illuminated outdoor sculpture for communal meditation and reprieve by Brooklyn-based artist Ekene Ijeoma and breathe in time with the changing light. Created in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic racial injustice in the United States, Breathing Pavilion offers sanctuary at a time of intense hardship and loss.
On Tuesday evenings, see site-specific musical performances.
QUEENS
Welling Court Mural Project
Queens-AstoriaWalk though multiple blocks of 100+ murals by artists from around the corner and around the world, providing new arrays of visual experiences that change how people interact with their environment. Mural map available online.
Unisphere/Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Queens-CoronaThe iconic Unisphere from the 1939 World’s Fair is the centerpiece of a lovely park with lots of green space, a skateboarding park, and some interesting structures to explore.
Rent bikes, 4-wheeled surreys, kayaks, pedal boats, and more from Wheel Fun Rentals at the northern edge of Meadow Lake.
For safety, all boaters…
Queens Botanical Garden
Queens-CoronaExplore lovely gardens in a 39-acre oasis in one of New York City’s most bustling and diverse neighborhoods. Look for site-specific art throughout the garden including large scale prints on ‘Invasive Species’ by Sam Scoggins in the Visitor & Administration Building and a a beautiful mural ‘Wonder Garden’ outside the Education Building.
Flower Patch at Queens Botanical Garden
Queens-CoronaUnique floral and garden creature installations transform the QBG Farm into a fantastic flower spectacle creating an immersive environment and stunning backdrop for photos. Meet costumed nature creatures, pick a pot of flowers to take home and a get a floral themed grab-and-go craft activity kit. Fee includes general Garden admission and entry to the…
Events Search and Views Navigation
List of Events
Friday, November 1
Joe’s Pizza
Get a classic NY slice to go at this Greenwich Village institution (established in 1975 ), still owned and operated by 75-year-old Neapolitan native Joe Pozzuoli.
TheaterWorksUSA TV
Rent videos of TheaterWorksUSA family-friendly musicals including Pete The Cat, We The People, Dog Man The Musical (our favorite) and many more. Also see behind-the-scenes with the artists, and try theater activities and crafts to make and share online.
Storyline Online
Watch videos of celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creative footage of the illustrations. Readers include Oprah Winfrey Viola Davis, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, James Earl Jones, Betty White and dozens more.
Wow in the World
Join hosts Guy Raz and the hilarious Mindy Thomas on a journey into the wonders of the world. Go inside brains, out into space and deep into the coolest new stories in science and technology - with lots of wacky fun along the way. One of our family's faves.
Circle Round
Hear sound- and music-rich radio plays based on folktales from around the world. Explore important issues like kindness, persistence and generosity with guest stage and screen stars. Each episode ends with an activity that inspires a deeper conversation between children and grown-ups. My daughter's favorite at bedtime.
Here Wee Read
Find great books recommendations for all ages in all sorts of diverse & inclusive categories, from Harlem Renaissance picture books to graphic novels talking about race. Includes themed collections like Halloween, Weddings,, Kids with Disabilities and RBG. Find links to buy at bookshop.org, an alternative to amazon that supports independent bookstores.
Billy Johnson Playground
This rustic playground hosts an amazing 45-foot granite slide nestled into a rocky hill, bucket and tire swings, and an amphitheater and miniature stone bridge made of natural materials like plants, stone, and wood at a child’s scale.
Gotham West Market
Sample some of the best eats in the city including Ample Hills Creamery ice cream, Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop noodles, Jianbing Company's Chinese seasoned pancake/omelet, Corner Slice’s square pizza, Choza’s vegetarian tacos and more in an indoor, weather-proof hall.
Bella Abzug Park
Climb on rope webs in a colorful structure surrounded by undulating soft surfaces. Communicate through underground pipes, relax on tables and chairs, splash int he fountain and admire the Hudson River view.
New York at Its Core
Follow the story of NYC’s rise from a striving Dutch village to today’s “Capital of the World,” and consider its future in a changing world through more than 400 objects as well as interactive digital experiences. Framed around the key themes of money, density, diversity, and creativity, New York City’s history comes alive through the…
Time Out Market New York
Sample some of the best NYC food: fluffy pancakes from the venerable Clinton Street Baking Co., thin-crust pizza from Patsy Grimaldi’s Juliana’s, Middle Eastern bites from Miss Ada, fried chicken from Jacob’s Pickles, Japanese comfort food from Bessou, cookie dough scoops from DŌ and more amazing eateries—all cherry-picked by Time Out New York. 21,000 delicious…
Dominique Ansel Kitchen
Choose from sophisticated pastries, seasonal croissants, inventive sandwiches. soups and salads at this outpost of legendary cronut source Dominique Ansel Bakery. More than 70% of the selections made, finished or assembled to order. Indoor and outdoor seating available.
DiMenna Children’s History Museum
Ride an orphan train, play a newsies video game nd explore lots of other interactive exhibits on a entire floor devoted to kids. Pick up a printed scavenger hunt or just explore the many installations covering centuries of New York history. Lots to learn for older kids and lots to touch including a train table…
Garden Court Café at Asia Society
Lunch on brunch on seasonal dishes that reflect elements of the diverse cultures of Asia in the modern, glass-enclosed space filled with light, flowering vines, trees, and art. Gorgeous bento boxes. Tuesday—Sunday, 11:30 am—3 pm
Kefi
Dine on reasonably priced tradtional Greek cuisine including tasty mezes, fried meatballs, slouvaki, house-made Greek yogurt and more among cheerful, rustic decor in chef Michael Psilakis' friendly cafe.
Sebastian Brecht’s Obsessive Chocolate Disorder
Try unique, small batch, handmade chocolates and pastries, made fresh every week in a small, quirky East Village shop with rotating art on the wall. The constantly evolving menu featuring unusual and delicious combinations of flavors and textures with fun names like bob’s dark passion, the pucker and looky cookie snookie was created by the…
Thursday, January 2
BRAINPOP
Watch short, well-written animated films on a variety of topics including antiracism & Black history, STEM, arts, math and much more starring a very funny robot. Take quizzes and play games to test what you learned. Two editions, for ages K-3 or 4th -12th Grade (which can thoughtfully address some weighty topics, so monitor…
Wednesday, April 1
Treehouse Shakers
This local family-friendly theater/dance company offers its charming shows online: Hatched (designed for babies through preschoolers) the story of a newborn chick who emerges from her shell to a strange, busy world told through movement, music, and puppets and Under the Tangle (ages 8+), the story of a young orphaned girl lost in a mysterious…
Art For Kids Hub
Follow along step by step as a professional artist and his kid draw animals, emojis, people, vehicles and more. Clear, simple steps turn anyone into an illustrator.
Children’s Museum of the Arts
Children's Museum of the Arts' blog features how-to videos and detailed instructions for art projects like Paper Chains of Kindness and Collaborative Drawing Games. Projects can be adapted for different ages and made with materials around the house.
Tuesday, April 28
EduHam at Home
Explore the world of the Broadway phenomenon Hamilton and America's founding era. Access free materials to create songs or scenes inspired by history. Follow in Lin-Manuel Miranda's footsteps, learning how he incorporated primary sources into the songs he wrote for the show. Includes video clips of the show; interviews with Miranda, Alexander Hamilton biographer Ron…
Friday, May 1
Cards For Seniors
Make cheerful cards for isolated seniors. Use big print (not cursive) so the card is easy to read. Provide stickers and stencils to help the younger kids. Adults can make cards too. A great use for all the artwork kids bring home. Join the NYC-based Caring By Card Nursing Home Project, donate through
Audible Kids
Find hundreds of free audio books handpicked by Audible editors. Choose from a mix of stories to entertain, engage, and inform young people, ages 0–18. Spanish, German, French, Japanese and Italian selections also available.
BUSY TODDLER
Find a trove of educational, easy-to-set up creative and sensory activities from a K-1 teacher turned SAHM. So many great ideas, quick & easy to messy messy, babies to tweens plus links to useful art supplies. Follow their great instagram account for daily inspiration.
DAYS WITH GREY
An educator and mom to 3 shares daily 'Breakfast Invitations,' easy-to-set-up sensory and art activities for preschoolers and toddlers.
NEW YORK CITY CHILDREN’S THEATER
Lovely local kids theater company provides entertaining and enriching activities for little ones inspired by past productions including art projects, theater games, storytimes, downloadable activity books and video sing-alongs.
VIRTUAL MUSEUM TOURS
Take virtual journeys to over 1,200 museums around the world via Google Arts & Culture. See collections and gallery views of Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, Mexico City's Museum of Anthropology, Paris's Musée d'Orsay and more (plus NYC faves like the Whitney, Guggenheim and MoMA).
New-York Historical Society Online
This fascinating historic museum (now partially open for visits) hosts engaging live educational programs for all ages, audio and video resources (including the inspirational We Rise) and interactive 360 degree tours drawing on its world-renowned collections. Excellent educator resources including videos, remote lesson plans, and media-rich curriculum website Women…
Mission US
Learn American history with a choose-your-adventure interactive, online game. Take the role of printer’s apprentice in 1770 Boston deciding whether to join the revolutionary movement, a Cheyenne teen in 1866, an enslaved 14-year-old girl escaping to freedom in Ohio, teenage farmers in the Great Depression and more young people. Explore rich, historical settings, make choices…
MoMA Families At Home
MoMA provides resources and ideas—from art-making activities to books and films—to spark creativity and fun at home. Explore artworks in MoMA’s collection through activities (available in English and Spanish), watch favorite kid-friendly short films with prompts to spark discussion, dig deeper into Dorothea Lange: Words & Pictures, find favorite Children’s Books about Art, listen…
Ailey All Access
The acclaimed Alvin Ailey dance company shares full length videos of past performances. Also see videos of company members dancing the landmark Revelations and other pieces together from home, join free online dance classes and check out the great Resource Guide for Educators. Find free live and on-demand classes for all ages in a variety of dance…
Carnegie Hall Music Explorers
Learn about musical culture and tradition around the world - African-American Freedom Songs, South African Zulu songs and many more - with lessons plans, music and video featuring global artists. The well-designed site features a world map to explore. Also Learn about symphony orchestras in an animated adventure in Carnegie Hall Listening Adventures.
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Jazz Academy
Watch curated educated videos on the from Jazz at Lincoln Center's educational programs and learn about it's roots in African-American traditions and communities. WeBop instructors demonstrate fun activities to get families swinging and singing, members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra share performance secrets, and Middle School Jazz Academy instructors break down jazz techniques.…
Black Art Picture Books
Learn about African American art history with curated lists from Culture Type, a website exploring art by and about people of African descent. Find gorgeous books about Jean-Michel Basquiat, fashion designer Ann Cole Lowe, Jacob Lawrence and other great black artists on posts Black Art History: 10 Children’s Books Illuminate the…
The Concious Kid
Learn about parenting and education through a critical race lens. Feature great recommendations for diverse books and smart graphics with easy-to-understand explanations and action items. Join their patreon for comprehensive book lists and in-depth, research-based guidance on anti-racist parenting.
Starfall
Learn letters, reading and math with untimed, sometimes silly interactive games for preschool through second grade. Includes letter recognition, games, stories, and animations that showcase letter sounds, short reading selections that emphasize vocabulary, and online books that provide fluency and comprehension practice. A favorite of our kids from an early age.
FLOCABULARY
Learn about a range of subjects for grades K-12 though catchy, educational hip-hop songs. Watch videos about math, history, science and more, learn new words, take quizzes then (this is the coolest part) write short raps/songs using your new words and knowledge.
ArtsPower Theatre On Demand
Watch ArtsPower’s acclaimed, full-length literature-based musicals and dramas online. Includes fun activities that families can complete together. School Editions with a multiple-lesson, academic course also available. Currently showing Chicken Dance, Anne of Green Gables, The Monster Who Ate My Peas and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
KHAN ACADEMY
Watch short videos taught by excellent instructors with an electronic whiteboard in just about any subject for preschool through college. The free Khan Academy Kids app (for ages 2-7) teaches reading, language, writing, math, social-emotional development, and more through open-ended activities and games like drawing, storytelling, and coloring guided by adorable animal characters. Also…
SCHOLASTIC LEARN AT HOME
Find online courses for pre-K to sixth grade+ with four separate learning experiences, each built around a meaningful story or video. Subjects include social studies; English language arts; STEM; science; and social-emotional learning.