35 Famous Landmarks in New York State to Visit

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A downtown skyline with tall buildings overlooking the water under a clear blue sky
New York City contains many of New York's famous landmarks

New York, also known as the Empire State, was the 11th state formed in the United States. Today, it is home to more than 20 million people.

While New York City is often the focal point for the state's well-known landmarks, like the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and the Brooklyn Bridge, there are many other famous sites around the state of New York to explore.

Famous landmarks in New York state include the Finger Lakes, the Catskills, Niagara Falls, and the NY State Capitol in Albany. Continue reading to learn more about 35 of the best landmarks in New York State that you should visit!

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35 New York Landmarks

New York Landmarks Video

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New York Landmarks Map

A map of New York landmarks. Use the map to explore all of the points of interest.

New York Landmarks Map

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A huge white museum building with a huge arch entrance facing a road with two cabs
American Museum of Natural History attracts over 5 million visitors each year

American Museum of Natural History

The first of many NY historical sites is the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. The museum is on the Upper West Side near Central Park.

It is home to 26 buildings and 45 exhibitions with more than five million visitors each year. The museum opened in 1869 and is on the US National Register of Historic Places.

☂️ Visit American Museum of Natural History on a tour

Broadway

Seeing a Broadway show is a must on any NYC itinerary! It is home to all of New York City's best plays and musicals in Manhattan.

Broadway encompasses 41 professional theatres that each seat at least 500 people. Millions of people attend shows on Broadway every season, and the shows gross nearly two billion dollars.

☂️ Explore Broadway Theatre with a tour

A suspension bridge over water against a downtown skyline
Brooklyn Bridge, opened in 1883, connects Manhattan and Brooklyn

Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the famous places in New York to visit. It connects two of the city's boroughs, Manhattan and Brooklyn. The bridge opened in 1883 and has been a popular spot for visitors and locals alike to visit, take pictures, and walk across.

☂️ Explore Brooklyn Bridge with a tour

A staircase to a red-brick apartment building with a bicycle outside
Brooklyn Heights Historic District has been a New York City landmark since 1965

Brooklyn Heights Historic District

Brooklyn Heights Historic District is a residential neighborhood in Brooklyn. It has been designated a National Historic Landmark since 1965 and a New York City landmark since 1965. It is one of the earliest commuter suburbs dating back to the 19th century.

☂️ Join a tour to see the Brooklyn Heights Historic District

A road winding through a forest of autumn trees on a mountain under a clear blue sky
Catskills span nearly 6,000 square miles as part of the Appalachian Mountains

Catskills

The Catskills are a mountain range in southeastern New York. They span nearly 6,000 square miles as part of the Appalachian Mountains. Dutch settlers first named them, although the exact reasoning is unknown.

Green grass and trees against a downtown skyline with tall modern buildings
You can enjoy a magnificent view of the Manhattan skyline from Central Park

Central Park

Central Park is an 843-acre park in the heart of Manhattan. It's the fifth-largest park in the city and the latest in Manhattan. At this famous American landmark, you can walk, picnic, visit the zoo, see animals, and boat on the lakes.

☂️ Join a tour to see Central Park

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Looking up at a tall brick building tower beside other contemporary glass buildings
Chrysler Building is the tallest brick building in the world

Chrysler Building

One of the most recognizable buildings in the NYC skyline is the Chrysler Building. The building is an art deco in Manhattan, standing 1,046 feet tall. It is the tallest brick building in the world.

Church of the Ascension

The Church of the Ascension is an Episcopal church in Greenwich Village. The gothic church was built in 1841, and it was the first church built on Fifth Avenue. As of 1987, the church is a National Historic Landmark.

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A restaurant building with billboards of "This is the original Nathan's Famous"
Coney Island is home to the Nathan's Famous hot dog chain

Coney Island

Another one of the most famous places to visit in New York is Coney Island in Brooklyn. The neighborhood is at the southwest corner of the borough and is most well known for its amusement parks. It is also home to the Nathan's Famous hot dog chain and their hot dog eating contest.

☂️ Join a tour to see Coney Island

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A red brick building with three arched entrances with an American flag on each side
You can explore the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum at Cooperstown

Cooperstown

Cooperstown is home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum. You can explore the museum and see memorabilia from some of baseball's best players.

The town also has the Farmers' Museum, the Glimmerglass Festival, and the Glimmerglass State Park. And there are a lot of restaurants, breweries, and other NYC outdoor activities available year-round.

East River

The East River borders Manhattan and the Bronx on the east and Queens and Brooklyn to the West in NYC. It is 16 miles long and is technically a tidal estuary, or a partially enclosed body of water, despite being called a river by its name.

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The tallest building with a tower surrounded by other tall buildings
Empire State Building was the tallest building in the world from 1931 to 1970

Empire State Building

The Empire State Building in New York City is a 102-story building in Midtown Manhattan. An interesting NYC fact about the Empire State Building is that it was the tallest building in the world from 1931 to 1970 at 1,454 feet tall.

You can visit the observation deck to see city views or take a tour of the building and explore some of its unique features and floors. One of the best things to do in NYC at night, though, is to check out the view in the evening!

☂️ See Empire State Building on a tour

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A road with yellow cabs, surrounded by tall buildings with shops
Fifth Avenue is home to some of the most expensive buildings and real estate

Fifth Avenue

Fifth Avenue is one of the long streets in Manhattan that runs north to south and covers 6.2 miles. Fifth Avenue is most well known for its luxury shops.

Some of the most expensive buildings and real estate are on Fifth Avenue. Along with expensive buildings are many museums, on a section called Museum Mile.

Fifth Avenue was also home to many millionaires and their mansions in the early 20th century, giving it the name Millionaires' Row.

☂️ Visit 5th Avenue on a tour

A waterfall streaming downwards from a rocky cliff overlooking a pedestrian bridge
Finger Lakes is home to various waterfalls like Taughannock Falls

Finger Lakes

The Finger Lakes is an area of New York state north of Ithaca, roughly in the state's center. The region's name comes from the eleven lakes, which are long and skinny and resemble fingers.

It's a popular area for outdoor enthusiasts, and there are plenty of opportunities to hike, golf, ski, and visit wineries. There are also many excellent places to stay in the Finger Lakes, making it a top weekend getaway destination.

Grace Church

Grace Church is a historic church in Manhattan dating back to 1846. Its architectural style is French Gothic. NYC designated the church as a city landmark in 1966. The church offers traditional services like prayer services, weddings, and baptisms.

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An empty hall with two screens showing departure information, and a green roof
Grand Central Terminal is one of the world's top ten most visited tourist attractions

Grand Central Terminal

Grand Central Terminal is one of the most recognizable landmarks in NY as it has been featured in many movies and tv shows. It is one of the world's top ten most visited tourist attractions and the second busiest train station in North America.

Inside the terminal of this famous North American landmark, you'll find more than just trains, including a tennis club, a zodiac ceiling in the main concourse, a market, and a whispering hall.

☂️ Visit Grand Central Terminal with an experience

Hudson River

The Hudson River runs opposite the East River on the west side of Manhattan, bordering New York and New Jersey. Unlike the East "River," the Hudson is actually a river, and it runs for 315 miles through eastern New York. It flows north to south from the Adirondack Mountains to the New York Harbor.

☂️ Join a tour to see the Hudson River

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One of the most famous landmarks in New York State is Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden is one of the most famous landmarks in New York State

Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden, also called MSG, is an event venue and arena in Midtown Manhattan. It opened in 1968, and it is the oldest major sports facility in the city.

The venue hosts events like concerts, basketball games, hockey, boxing, and wrestling. It holds approximately 20,000 people, depending on the event.

☂️ See Madison Square Garden on a tour

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A gazebo-style white building with a pond outside having lily pads and vegetation
New York Botanical Garden has over one million plants, a library, and a conservatory

New York Botanical Garden

The New York Botanical Garden is a 250-acre garden and park in the Bronx that opened in 1891. There are over one million plants in the garden, a library with botanical texts, and a conservatory. The Botanical Garden is a designated National Historic Landmark, and more than one million people visit it every year.

☂️ Visit New York Botanical Garden with an experience

Aerial of a tall statue on a small island surrounded by water against another island
New York Harbor is surrounded by Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, & Hudson County

New York Harbor

The New York Harbor is where the Hudson River and the East River drain south. It is a natural harbor, and it is surrounded by Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and New Jersey's Hudson County.

The harbor is part of what made the region so popular for early settlers, with fishing and travel being the most common activities in the harbor in the 16th century.

New York Life Building

Another popular building in New York City is the New York Life Building. The building covers an entire city block at 51 Madison Avenue.

It is a Gothic Revival style building built in 1928, and it is both a National Historic Landmark and a New York City Landmark. Today it is home to the New York Life Insurance Company.

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A light gray neoclassical building with an arched entrance and columns
New York Public Library is the fourth largest library in the world

New York Public Library

One of the iconic buildings in New York City is the New York Public Library. There are 92 library locations in the city, but the most famous is the main branch in Manhattan, another one of the city's National Historic Landmarks, and an NYC landmark.

The library is the second largest library in the United States and the fourth largest in the world, with 55 million items.

A capitol building with Romanesque Revival architecture under a clear blue sky
New York State Capitol took 32 years to build and has majestic architecture

New York State Capitol

The New York State Capitol is in downtown Albany, a town on the eastern border of New York about one hundred and fifty miles from NYC. The building has been the site of the state's capital since the 1880s.

You can tour the building that took 32 years to build and is home to the NY governor, majestic architecture, and legislative chambers.

A neoclassical building with columns with American flags, beside other tall buildings
New York Stock Exchange is the largest stock exchange based on market cap

New York Stock Exchange

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Wall Street is one of the American stock exchanges, and it is the largest in the world based on market cap, which is trillions of dollars on the NYSE. Billions of dollars are traded daily on the exchange.

☂️ Visit the New York Stock Exchange on a tour

A wide waterfall streaming downwards, surrounded by autumn trees
Two of the three waterfalls in the Niagara Falls State Park are in the United States

Niagara Falls State Park

Niagara Falls State Park is home to the famous Niagara Falls. Two of the three waterfalls, American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, are in the United States.

You can also see Horseshoe Falls, the largest of the three and partially in Canada. This waterfall is the strongest in North America, with thousands of cubic meters falling per minute.

☂️ Join a tour to see Niagara Falls State Park

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A tall, contemporary glass building surrounded by other modern buildings
One World Trade Center is the tallest building in the United States

One World Trade Center

Another famous landmark in New York is the One World Trade Center. The building was rebuilt on the site of the old World Trade Center that was destroyed in the 9-11 terrorist attack.

It is the tallest building in the United States, and you can reach the observatory on the 102nd floor in just 47 seconds via the high-speed elevator.

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A building on a corner of an intersection with a lit-up sign of "Radio City"
Radio City Music Hall was built in 1932 and has a capacity of almost 6,000 people

Radio City Music Hall

Radio City Music Hall is a theater at Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan. The venue was built in 1932 and holds nearly six thousand people. It is home to the Rockettes and has hosted many important events, including the Grammys, the Tonys, the Daytime Emmys, and the NFL Draft.

☂️ Experience Radio City Music Hall with a tour

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Looking up at a tall concrete building with lined-up windows against a clear blue sky
Rockefeller Center is a group of 19 buildings covering three blocks in Manhattan

Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center, where Radio City Music Hall is located, is a group of 19 buildings covering three blocks in Manhattan. It was originally made up of 14 buildings in the art deco architecture style that the Rockefeller family commissioned, hence the name.

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A cobblestone street with a car and a truck, having picturesque buildings with shops
SoHo-Cast's name comes from the prominence of cast iron buildings in the district

SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District

The Cast Iron Historic District is part of SoHo's trendy neighborhood in Lower Manhattan. The Cast Iron Historic District makes up 26 blocks of the neighborhood and is a National Historic Landmark. The name comes from the prominence of cast iron buildings in the district.

A light-blue statue of a woman holding a torch against a skyline
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States in 1866

Statue of Liberty National Monument

One of the most famous landmarks of New York, if not the most famous one, is the Statue of Liberty. The statue was a gift from France to the United States in 1886 as a sign of friendship, freedom, and democracy. It has been a National Monument since 1924.

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A neoclassical museum building having columns, with tourists outside
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, opened in 1870, is home to over 2 million art pieces

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art also called the MET, is the largest art museum in the Western Hemisphere, with more than two million pieces of art. It opened in 1870 to educate and display art for the country.

☂️ Explore The Metropolitan Museum of Art with a tour

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A street with tall buildings having colorful screens, with crowds and cars below
Hundreds of thousands of people walk through Times Square daily

Times Square

Times Square is one of the most touristy places in NYC, with hundreds of thousands of people walking through the square daily. It has entertainment venues, restaurants, and massive billboards illuminated 24/7.

One of the famous events here is the New Year's Eve ball drop. Every year, a massive ball drops at midnight, and millions of visitors watch and kiss at midnight to welcome in the new year. It is one of the romantic things to do in NYC for couples!

Green grass and a tree overlooking the water with a suspension bridge above
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the United States

Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge

The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge connects Staten Island to Brooklyn. The bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the United States, spanning 13,700 feet. There are 13 lanes of traffic that drive the bridge, but there is no pedestrian access.

☂️ Visit the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge with an experience

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A bronze sculpture of a bull on a cobbled pavement between two roads
Wall Street is home to the popular Charging Bull sculpture

Wall Street

Wall Street is part of NYC's Financial District in Lower Manhattan. It covers eight blocks where the NYSE, the Federal Reserve Bank of NY, and other financial institutions are. Many buildings on Wall Street were built in the Gilded Age, which you will notice in the architecture.

An arch monument between green trees against tall concrete buildings
Washington Square Park houses the famous Washington Square Arch

Washington Square Park

The final one of our historic places in New York is Washington Square Park. The park covers 9.75 acres in Greenwich Village. The park has a popular fountain, the Washington Square Arch, and is a popular meeting place.

☂️ Visit Washington Square Park with an excursion

Conclusion

Whether you are heading to New York for the first time or you want to explore the entire state, there is no shortage of NY landmarks to visit. There is plenty to see, from skyscrapers, like the One World Trade Center, to natural sites, like Niagara Falls - you'll never be bored!

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Written by Sarah Hartness

Sarah_Hartness FORMER WRITER Sarah is a Chicago-based travel writer who loves to explore the Midwest and beyond. She has traveled all over the US and Europe. She looks forward to going to Latin America and Asia next.

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