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Ten Things to Do in New York State

Attractions are abundant in The Empire State

By Kevin Litwin on September 23, 2015

Howe Caverns, Niagara Falls, Broadway highlight the New York experience:

Get Soaked

Poncho raincoats are provided but don’t keep people entirely dry during a Maid of the Mist boat tour at Niagara Falls. Kids and adults have great fun getting drenched by mist along the Niagara River while viewing the majestic falls only 50 yards away. The boat operates from May to October, leaving every 30 minutes.

Visit Manhattan

No trip to NYC should be complete without a stop in Manhattan, where many iconic exhibits can be visited and toured. Points of interest include the Museum of Modern Art, Central Park, Wall Street, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Station, Times Square, Chinatown, Radio City Music Hall and the World Trade Center site.

Go Underground

One of the most popular outdoor attractions in the state is Howe Caverns, situated in the Catskill Mountains in the hamlet of Howes Cave, NY. The deep, underground caverns were discovered in 1842 by explorer Lester Howe, and visitors today are issued flashlights and headlamps to hike along passageways that showcase natural limestone formations.

Learn a Lot

In the city of Troy hails the CNSE Children’s Museum of Science & Technology, designed for children and parents to enjoy education in a fun, family-friendly setting. Several exhibits are interactive, with names like Magnetic Ball Wall, Skyline Tool Box, GE Junior Discovery Room, Living Indoor Hudson River, and Operation W.I.L.D.

Bring Money

All under one roof at The Westchester shopping mall in White Plains are upscale stores like Burberry, Louis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Rebecca Taylor and Tiffany. The 150-store mall features sky lighting along with marble and carpeted floors, and a short drive away also in White Plains is a mall called The Galleria.

Book a Tour

Renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright constructed a home in Buffalo for businessman Darwin Martin, and today the Martin House is available for tours if you book ahead. Other interesting architectural eye pleasers in Buffalo include an art deco city hall along with mansions along Delaware Avenue, known in their heyday as Millionaires’ Mile.

See Lots of Glass

Take a drive to Corning to visit the Corning Museum of Glass, which showcases various collections dating back hundreds of years. Besides works of glass in many styles, a portion of the museum is dedicated to young people activities, including a hands-on Innovation Center where kids can fabricate and decorate their own vases.

Ride the Ferry

Be a true Big Apple tourist and ride the Staten Island Ferry for an amazing view of the Statue of Liberty along with the Manhattan skyline of New York City. The ferry transports 20 million people a year between Staten Island and Manhattan, with the five-mile trip taking 25 minutes one way. All rides are free.

Take the Elevator

A former Eighth Wonder of the World, the Empire State Building was constructed in the 1930s to span a full city block, and today it is perhaps best known for its 86th floor observation tower that provides a 360-degree view of New York City. The 103-story skyscraper also has another public observation deck on the 102nd floor.

Catch a Broadway Show

Located between 45th and 47th Streets and between Broadway and Seventh Avenue in the southern part of Times Square are the famous TKTS booths, where theater patrons can buy discounted tickets for Broadway and Off Broadway shows. Same-day tickets are available for a variety of musicals, plays and dance productions at 20-50 percent off regular prices.

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