Rainy day · New York City · United States
8 things to do in New York City when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Sam Valadi, Public domain
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Quick answer
Start with Metropolitan Museum of Art, 9/11 Memorial and Museum and Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Together the 8 picks below take roughly 15–18 hours across 6 areas; 2 are free. January is usually the wettest month, with about 11 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 15–18 hours
- Areas
- Upper East Side, Financial District and Midtown
New York City on a rainy day
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Museum · Upper East Side
1.Metropolitan Museum of Art
A Met ticket also covers same-day entry to The Met Cloisters in upper Manhattan.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
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Historic site · Financial District
2.9/11 Memorial and Museum
Visit the free memorial pools first, then allow two hours for the museum, which is emotionally intense.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Gallery · Midtown
3.Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Go straight to the fifth floor for the most famous paintings before the crowds, then work downwards.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Museum · Upper West Side
4.American Museum of Natural History
Arrive at opening and head straight to the fourth-floor dinosaur halls, which are busiest by late morning.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
- Iconic
Architecture · Midtown
5.Grand Central Terminal
Stand in opposite corners of the Whispering Gallery and whisper into the wall, then look for the small dark patch left unrestored on the concourse ceiling.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
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Gallery · Upper East Side
6.Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Look up from the centre of the rotunda before you start, then walk the full spiral to see the building and exhibitions together.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Market · Chelsea
7.Chelsea Market
Come for an early weekday lunch; at weekend lunchtimes the corridor is shoulder to shoulder.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- Rainy day
- Shopping
Museum · Lower East Side
8.Tenement Museum
Pair a morning tour with lunch at one of the Lower East Side's historic delis or appetizing shops nearby.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Upper East Side | Metropolitan Museum of Art and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum | 3–4 hours + 1.5–2 hours |
| Financial District | 9/11 Memorial and Museum | 2–3 hours |
| Midtown | Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and Grand Central Terminal | 2–3 hours + 30–45 minutes |
| Upper West Side | American Museum of Natural History | 3 hours |
| Chelsea | Chelsea Market | 1 hour |
| Lower East Side | Tenement Museum | 1.5 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 2 free, 6 mid-priced. Book ahead for 9/11 Memorial and Museum and Tenement Museum. The longest visit is Metropolitan Museum of Art; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- 9/11 Memorial and Museum: Timed museum tickets bought online avoid queues at busy times.
- Tenement Museum: Tours are small and often sell out; book online.
How to fit them into 5 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Upper East Side): Metropolitan Museum of Art, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Upper East Side and Financial District): Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum → 9/11 Memorial and Museum, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Midtown): Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) → Grand Central Terminal, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Upper West Side and Chelsea): American Museum of Natural History → Chelsea Market, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 5 (Lower East Side): Tenement Museum, at least 2 hours.
The wettest months
- January: highs of 4°C (39°F), about 11 rainy days, quiet crowds. The coldest month, often below freezing at night with occasional snow; hotel prices are at their lowest after New Year.
- March: highs of 10°C (50°F), about 11 rainy days, moderate crowds. Changeable, with cold snaps and the first mild days; spring break brings more visitors late in the month.
- April: highs of 17°C (63°F), about 11 rainy days, busy crowds. Cherry and magnolia blossom in the parks and pleasant walking weather, though showers are frequent.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Midtown — Times Square, Broadway theatres and the classic skyscrapers
- Upper West Side — Brownstones, Central Park and the Natural History Museum
- Upper East Side — Museum Mile, Madison Avenue boutiques and grand townhouses
- Chelsea and the Meatpacking District — The High Line, art galleries and Chelsea Market
- Lower East Side and East Village — Old tenements, dive bars and some of the city's best cheap eats
- Financial District — Wall Street, the 9/11 Memorial and harbour views
More of New York City
All things to do in New York City · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in New York City?
Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Met's collection spans 5,000 years, from the Egyptian Temple of Dendur in its glass-walled hall to European paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt and Van Gogh, arms and armour and the American Wing.
+Which of these are free in New York City?
Grand Central Terminal and Chelsea Market.