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New York Videos

A Year in New York by Andrew Clancy

This is a really great video by Andrew Clancy. With the accompanying soundtrack, it really makes you want to be there! It just puts you in the mood to hop on a plane and jet over to the city of dreams, doesn’t it?

Casey Neistat’s New York City by Discover America

Casey Neistat is a famous Youtuber who is known for his creative videos. Here, he shows his relationship to New York in a beautiful short film. We really relate to this video (and you probably too) since we really found ourselves in a lot of his themes. We love this city and the video is a wonderful homage to New York City.

These are some of the spots that you will see – take a look at our insider tips, it will be worth your while:

• Brooklyn Bridge Park and Brooklyn Bridge
• The Flatiron Building in the same district.
• The Staten Island Ferry: free of charge and a great opportunity to admire the Statue of Liberty and the southern tip of Manhattan from the water ( learn more about the Staten Island Ferry ). You will find additional budget-friendly tips in the “ New York for free ” edition.
• The beautiful One World Trade Center – the 6 most important facts about One World Trade Center are compiled for you here
• Pier 17, from where the famous yellow water taxi departs ( here you will find everything about the New York water taxi )
• Evenings: Brooklyn Heights with wonderful views of the southern tip of Manhattan

#NYC by Piotr Wancerz / Timelapse Media

Piotr Wancerz created a timelapse video of New York from thousands of pictures. We really like this one as it’s very origional. We especially like the pictures of Central Park, how day turns into evening and finally night (starting at 0:50). Fantastic – the energy of the city is palpable!

These are several spots and tours featured in the video:

• the best 5 spots in Central Park
• Boat cruise around Manhattan (highly recommended!!!)
• Times Square (which is one of our Top 10 attractions in New York)
• Brooklyn Bridge and Brooklyn Heights , as well as Gantry Plaza State Park in Queens, from which you have a great view across the East River towards Manhattan

New York City Time Lapse by Blueglaze LLC

Goosebump alert! This great video by the company Blueglaze LLC that shows you a number of spots in New York City that will look familiar to you. You will enjoy this video the most if you have been in NYC before!

The video includes the following attractions:

• Central Park with the Naumburg Bandshell Orchestra where many musical acts perform ( the best 5 spots in Central Park )
• Grand Central Station – one of our spots in the “ New York for free ” series
• Downtown Manhattan Heliport, where we admired New York from above ( comparison of all tours )
• Pier 17, from where the famous water taxi departs ( everything about the New York water taxi )
• Some shots where taken from the water – see all boat cruises
• Evening: Brooklyn Heights with a superb view of the southern tip of Manhattan
• At the very end, the shot of “9/11 Tribute to Light”

NEW YORK : MANHATTAN : METROPOLIS by Fram Film | Natural Light

This video was sent to us by a fan. It was shot in 2013 and 2014 and is the perfect homage to the city. You get a great view of the city’s many skyscrapers in this one! In just 6 minutes, this video transports you to New York – the shots are truly phenomenal and evocative.

New York Timelapsed by James Ogle

Do you want to get lost in your daydreams of New York? Then I have a fantastic timelapse video by James Ogle for you! In 4 minutes, you will see many spots that I am sure you’ve been to yourself. Enjoy!

These are some of the attractions that are featured:

• Gantry Plaza State Park and Hunters Point Park (great spot for photos!!!) -both are insider tips for New York!!!
• a great shot from the observation deck of the Empire State Building
• The New York Subway
• TKTS at Times Square – here you can buy tickets to musicals for up to 50% off regular prices ( more about TKTS )
• Madison Square Garden – where you will find great concerts (go to New York concert calendar) and sporting events (we saw a New York Rangers ice hockey game there)
• Columbus Circle located at the southwestern tip of Central Park – a great place to shop! Shopping in New York – we will show you the best and most affordable stores!
• Union Square near 14th Street
• Grand Central Station – one of our spots in the “ New York for free ” series – the same applies to the Staten Island Ferry
• One of the most famous symbols of New York: the Statue of Liberty ( our 5 best tips about the Statue of Liberty can be found here )
• The beautiful Flatiron building – plus there is a lot to see nearby: the Birreria rooftop bar and a Shake Shack location ( Best Burger in Town!)

NYC by Kenia Seagull

It lasts only about a minute, but still manages to be full of impressions! The Video NYC by Kenia Seagull, shot in 2012 in New York, will take you back to the city that never sleeps. Fantastic!

Traveling: New York by Katharina Kahlcke

Katharina made a video of her visit to New York and sent us a copy. We find it sensational! This is one of the ones that makes me want to go back straight away.

Rumble and Sway by The Seventh Movement

Here is another great New York video recommendation. From sunrises over Manhattan to sunsets in Central Park – the shots in this one are incredible!

Have fun dreaming of New York!

Midtown by Drew Geraci (District 7 Media)

Midtown Manhattan is one of the areas of the city we really like. The Flatiron, Madison Square Park, great bars and pubs, etc. Drew Geraci has made a fitting timelape video that is a wonderful homage to midtown. What do you think? Fantastic, right?

Fall by Jamie Scott

Here we have another great video by Jamie Scott. What makes it so special? He set up his camera in 15 different spots in Central Park and took a picture every two days for 6 months to show how nature changes from summer to fall.

NEWYORK2012 by Lili Seidl

Lili sent us a fantastic video (with fantastic music!) that we definitely want to share with you. It was created during her visit in New York in 2012.

My name is Lili and I am a media designer from Berlin. I fell in love with New York at first glance. I love to travel and always have my camera with me to capture my trips.

Thanks so much for your video!

New York: Night and Day by Philip Stockton

Philip Stockton offers a soothing composition of various places in New York. The amazing video begins at day and ends showing the beauty of the city at night.

I'm a true New York fan! Not only have I visited the city over 25 times but also have I spent several months here at a time. On my blog I show you the best and most beautiful spots of the city, so that you have a really good time! You can also find lots of insider tips in our New York travel guide . Also check out my hotel finder for New York !

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Discover New York!

Expand your horizons by exploring ours. find what you love., 24 things to do this spring.

Read on for your complete guide to things to see and do in New York State this spring. more

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These budget-friendly plans are sure to make it out of the group chat. more

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• Destinations
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Best places to visit in new york state in 2024.

New York state captivates both domestic and international travelers with the most populated city in the United States, sprawling state parks and a few beach communities. Whether you want to visit New York City to see Times Square and go ice skating at Rockefeller Center, or retreat to the mountains of upstate New York, there are plenty of one-of-a-kind vacation spots in the Empire State. U.S. News considered sights, culture, adventurous pursuits and the opinions of experts and readers to compile this ranking of the best places to visit in New York state. Read on for vacation inspiration, and don't forget to vote below for the destinations you think belong on this list.

Niagara Falls

Adirondacks, thousand islands, new york city, the finger lakes, the catskills, bear mountain state park, letchworth state park, long island, fire island, saratoga springs, cooperstown, shelter island.

The tumbling, frothy falls – more than 3,100 tons of water flows over the edge every second – are the star tourist attraction in this New York destination that borders Canada. The best way to see Niagara Falls is on a Maid of the Mist boat tour, which takes poncho-clad visitors on an electric tour boat to the base of the falls. Or, more daring visitors can experience this natural wonder on a thrilling whirlpool jet boat tour. Just don't forget to check out the area's other unforgettable attractions, such as Niagara Falls State Park's hiking trails, Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens & Butterfly Conservatory or the nearby casinos.

The Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York span roughly 6 million acres and are home to hundreds of communities, lakes, valleys and trails. Water lovers can canoe or kayak on Saranac Lake or go boating on Tupper Lake; hikers can tackle the area's 2,000-plus miles of trails; and skiers can shred powder on Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid. Visitors will also want to save some time for checking out history-focused sights like the Lake Placid Olympic Museum and Fort Ticonderoga, as well as sampling regional beverages at local wineries and breweries.

Despite its name, the Thousand Islands region is composed of more than 1,800 islands. The best way to see this vast area, which also stretches into Canada, is during an open-air boat tour. A scenic cruise here will take you past lighthouses, mansions and castles and include commentary about the real-life pirates who used to roam the islands' waters and the Gilded Age magnates who once called the region home. When you're ready to return to land, hike the trails in Wellesley Island State Park or fish in Mary Island State Park, both on Wellesley Island.

A hub for culture, the arts, food and sightseeing, New York City is a must-visit on many travelers' bucket lists – and for good reason. Everyone can find something to enjoy in the Big Apple. You can see a Broadway show, visit the world-famous Empire State Building, walk the High Line, check out the dozens of museums, eat your way through Manhattan's distinct neighborhoods on a food tour or shop till you drop along Fifth Avenue. Don't forget to stroll through iconic Central Park and visit its can't-miss attractions, including the Central Park Zoo and Conservatory Garden.

A romantic New York getaway , the Finger Lakes region appeals to travelers seeking a relaxing retreat with lovely scenery. Skiing at the area's resorts, wine tasting at the Seneca Lake Wine Trail's wineries and boating and hiking at local state parks are all popular activities to enjoy in this part of northwestern New York. The Finger Lakes are known for their spectacular fall foliage, but with their wealth of charming towns and variety of seasonal attractions, the lakes are excellent to visit year-round.

With 98 peaks, southeastern New York's Catskill Mountains beckon to nature enthusiasts. About 40% of Catskill Park's 700,000-plus acres are designated as "forever wild," meaning you'll have access to sprawling spaces ideal for outdoor activities. In winter, the Catskills offer ample opportunities to ski and snowboard. Meanwhile, summer is perfect for hunting, hiking, boating and zip lining, among other activities. After a busy day outdoors, you can check out the region's art scene (the Catskills were home to America's first art movement – the Hudson River School) or enjoy the amenities at one of the area's top resorts .

Located on the western banks of the Hudson River in the Palisades region of New York, Bear Mountain State Park offers sweeping views of the Hudson Valley and the surrounding highlands. The forested park's trails (including a stretch of the Appalachian Trail) take hikers through lakes, gorges and valleys. What's more, Bear Mountain State Park features a zoo, a swimming pool, a hand-painted merry-go-round and a seasonal outdoor ice skating rink, ensuring family fun both on and off the trails. (Note: Portions of this park are closed due to storm damage sustained in July 2023. Please check the park's website for the current operating status.)

Nicknamed the Grand Canyon of the East because of its impressive gorge, Letchworth State Park is a hidden gem for travelers who love the outdoors. The park is home to three large waterfalls and dozens more on tributaries, many of which you can see as you trek some of Letchworth's 66 miles of hiking trails. Additionally, the park offers ample opportunities to go whitewater rafting, kayaking, horseback riding, biking and even hot air ballooning. If you prefer winter sports instead of summer pursuits, arrive when temperatures fall to go cross-country skiing or snowmobiling.

This 118-mile-long island is frequented by New Yorkers looking to escape the city to relax on white sand beaches with a glass of wine. Summer hot spots like the Hamptons and Montauk boast charming seaside allure and can't-miss stretches of sand, like Ditch Plains Beach, a popular place to surf. Meanwhile, family-friendly Jones Beach State Park is a more approachable option with a swimming pool, a mini-golf course and shuffleboard areas, among other amenities. Beyond beaches, Long Island boasts more than 50 wineries and tasting rooms, some of which are part of the island's North Fork Wine Trail.

The presence of two renowned institutions – Ithaca College and Cornell University – makes Ithaca a true college town. But this small town in New York's Finger Lakes region is also known for its stunning natural beauty, so much so that its slogan is "Ithaca is gorges." Ithaca is surrounded by more than 150 waterfalls, as well as gorges and dense forests with hiking and biking trails. What's more, the town overlooks the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, a superb spot for boating, fishing and swimming. For groups with budding naturalists, follow Ithaca's Discovery Trail to must-see attractions like the Sciencenter and the Cornell Botanic Gardens.

Those looking to get away from skyscrapers can travel about 60 miles southeast of New York City to reach this 32-mile-long, car-free barrier island. On Fire Island, you'll find several charming communities, including Ocean Beach (where most of the island's hotels, restaurants and shops are located) and Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines (two of the island's top LGBTQ-friendly areas). Plus, Fire Island is home to Fire Island National Seashore, a protected area that welcomes bird-watchers and campers in droves. If you'd rather spend your vacation swimming, surfing or sunbathing, head to Robert Moses State Park in summer to enjoy its beautiful beaches.

Ever since the Mohawk people came to Saratoga Springs and discovered its mineral waters, which were believed to have restorative properties, the town has blossomed into a popular vacation destination. Visitors can still drink from or soak in the town's mineral springs, 12 of which are located in Saratoga Spa State Park. However, many travelers now flock to Saratoga Springs to see one of the country's oldest racetracks, the Saratoga Race Course. Take a walking tour of the facility to learn more about its history and horseracing, or visit in August to attend the venue's premier event, the Travers Stakes.

Cooperstown may be small, but it attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year thanks to its ties to America's pastime. Although most experts agree that baseball wasn't invented here, Cooperstown remains a mecca for sports lovers because of its must-visit sight, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. However, the village offers other kinds of attractions, too. Travelers can visit the Fenimore Art Museum to see impressive works of art or check out The Farmers' Museum's exhibits about local agriculture. Cooperstown also features beautiful neoclassical buildings, such as Hyde Hall, and a variety of breweries and wineries.

Situated between the North and South forks of Long Island, Shelter Island features a quiet, laid-back atmosphere perfect for escaping the hustle and bustle of New York City. One-third of the island is occupied by the Mashomack Preserve, a protected area with more than 200 bird species and hiking trails through meadows and salt marshes. The rest of Shelter Island boasts charming Victorian-era buildings that house boutiques and eateries, plus stunning stretches of sand with calm waves ideal for swimming, such as Crescent Beach and Wades Beach.

New York's capital city teems with culture and history. Visitors can admire the elaborate beauty of the New York State Capitol building on a tour and observe natural history exhibits at the New York State Museum (both of which are free), or explore Albany's Dutch heritage at Crailo State Historic Site and the Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site. Meanwhile, art enthusiasts can view landscape paintings from the Hudson River School at the Albany Institute of History & Art. Beyond the tourist attractions, travelers can stretch their legs in Washington Park, grab a local craft beer or catch a show at The Egg.

Vote to Add these Destinations to the Rankings

Governors Island

Rochester, NY

Lake George

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Upstate New York bucket list: 50 Places to visit in 2021

• Updated: Feb. 26, 2021, 10:04 a.m. |
• Published: Feb. 22, 2021, 6:00 a.m.
• Chuck D'Imperio

With so much to offer in history, beauty and fun, here’s a starting sampler “Bucket List” for any first-time visitor or longtime resident in Upstate New York to seek out.

Please note: In this time of pandemic, many of these places may be temporarily closed, or have modified hours. Visit their websites before heading out. And if you find your favorite destination to be closed for now, please keep this list and revisit them in the future when things return to normal.

Tibbetts Point Lighthouse at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario August 6, 2020. N. Scott Trimble | [email protected] N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syra

1. Tibbetts Point Lighthouse (Cape Vincent; Jefferson County)

58-foot tall historic lighthouse located “where the lake and the river meet.” Point of land where the St. Lawrence River joins Lake Ontario. Built in 1854. Gorgeous sunsets.

Website: https://www.tibbettspointlighthouse.org/

2. Walkway Over the Hudson (Poughkeepsie; Dutchess County)

One of Upstate’s greatest man-made wonders. Old train bridge which crosses the Hudson River now turned into the world’s longest pedestrian walkway. Hundreds of thousands walk over the river here each year.

Website: https://walkway.org/

3. Farmers Museum (Cooperstown; Otsego County)

A glimpse of life in Upstate New York in the 1800s. Home of the Cardiff Giant, which was once known as “America’s Greatest Hoax.”

Website: https://www.farmersmuseum.org/

4. Anchor Bar (Buffalo; Erie County)

Birthplace of the No. 1 appetizer in the country, chicken wings. The Buffalo hot wings were invented at this neighborhood bar on March 4, 1964 and since then it has become one of the city’s top destination restaurants.

Website: https://anchorbar.com/

5. Pratt Rock (Prattsville; Greene County)

A mountaintop canyon with white carvings along the stone walls. All were done by Zadock Pratt who owned the world’s largest tannery in the village named for him. Has been called “New York’s Mount Rushmore.”

Website: https://www.greatnortherncatskills.com/outdoors/pratt-rock-new-yorks-mount-rushmore

6. Corning Tower (Albany; Albany County)

This is the tallest building in New York State outside of New York City. The glass-walled observation deck on the 42nd floor offer visitors an amazing view of the city and mountains in the distance. One of the best free things in Albany.

Website: https://empirestateplaza.ny.gov/corning-tower-observation-deck

View from the top of Little Whiteface at Whiteface Ski Center, Lake Placid, N.Y., Saturday, January 16, 2016. Scott Schild | [email protected]

7. Whiteface Mountain (Wilmington; Essex County)

Take a drive to the top of New York State’s fifth highest mountain. On a clear day you can even see the skyscrapers of downtown Montreal, Canada. The 8-mile Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway to the top is a toll road.

Website: https://whiteface.com/

8. Rod Serling Carousel (Binghamton; Broome County)

Recreation Park is one of Binghamton’s oldest parks. It has a 1925 Herschell carousel which has been enjoyed by visitors since 1925. Playwright Rod Serling, a native of Binghamton, wrote an episode of his famed “Twilight Zone” television show about this park. The episode, titled “Walking Distance,” aired on October 30, 1959.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/binghamtonrecreationpark/

9. Moosewood Restaurant (Ithaca; Tompkins County)

Popular vegetarian restaurant opened by a group of friends in 1973. Restaurant is very popular with college students, college alumni, locals and tourists. Famed for their cookbooks with more than a dozen in print, they are among the bestselling recipe books in the country.

Website: https://moosewoodcooks.com/

10. Northeast Classic Car Museum (Norwich; Chenango County)

A dazzling auto museum with one of the largest collections of Franklin cars in the country. Over 160 vehicles with many dating from 1899 to post-World War II.

Website: https://www.classiccarmuseum.org/

Over a period of 37 years Harvey Fite (1903-1976) created the monumental world-acclaimed 6 ½-acre bluestone sculpture now known as Opus 40 in the town of Saugerties, NY. David Lassman | [email protected]

11. Opus 40 (Saugerties; Ulster County)

Amazing outdoor sculpture park constructed in a quarry. Intricate man-made stairways, passages, and stone walls. Gorgeous bluestone setting. Popular with tourists and as a wedding site.

Website: https://opus40.org/

12. Rondout Area (Kingston; Ulster County)

Kingston was the first capital of New York State. The Rondout is the city’s historic waterfront area. Many fine shops, restaurants, and museums in area.

Website: https://www.thekingstonwaterfront.com/

13. Jell-O Museum (Le Roy; Genesee County)

Le Roy is the birthplace of Jell-O. A Jell-O museum here tells the story of the beginnings of “America’s Favorite Dessert” through exhibits, audio and visual presentations and many examples of rare Jell-O ephemera from the past century.

Website: https://www.jellogallery.org/

14. Andes Hotel (Andes; Delaware County)

A historic tavern, inn and motel built in 1853. Great weekend destination in the autumn months. The wide front porch here is a half-block long and is perfect for dinner, drinks and people watching (or leaf peeping).

Website: https://www.theandeshotel.com/

15. Strong National Museum of Play (Rochester; Monroe County)

A museum dedicated to the concept that play is not only good for all ages, but also is healthy! Home of the National Toy Hall of Fame. Yes, this is where your Etch-A-Sketchs, spinning tops, Candyland games and your little red wagon all came to be immortalized.

Website: https://www.museumofplay.org/

16. Lucille Ball Grave (Jamestown; Chautauqua County)

Hometown girl Lucille Ball is buried in Lake View Cemetery here. Thousands come to Lucy’s grave each year to pay their respects. City is home to the National Comedy Museum and a museum dedicated to Lucy and Desi and their groundbreaking show “I Love Lucy.”

Website: https://comedycenter.org/

In this April 15, 2020 photo, a lone pedestrian makes their way through the Ithaca Commons in Ithaca, N.Y. Most of the almost 24,000 students at Cornell University and 6,200 more from Ithaca College effectively vanished in March when the pandemic struck, leaving behind struggling restaurants and shops. Locals still reeling from the outbreak and resulting exodus are wondering when - or if - things will get back to normal. (John Munson/Cornell University via AP) AP

17. Ithaca Commons (Ithaca; Tompkins County)

A groundbreaking pedestrian mall in the heart of the downtown business district. All vehicular traffic routed around the commercial district. A popular gathering place for shopping, dining, festivals, concerts and with over 100 independently owned specialty stores and businesses. The Commons today is the cultural and retail heart of the city of Ithaca.

Website: https://www.downtownithaca.com/visit-downtown/the-commons/

18. 1890 House Museum (Cortland; Cortland County)

One of Upstate’s great old mansions that is open for public tours. Was the former home of millionaire Chester Wickwire. He made his millions producing woven wire products, such as screens, horse muzzles, popcorn poppers, stove sieves, etc. At one time more than half of the adults in Cortland were employed by Wickwire’s company. The mansion is a Victorian-era stunner.

Website: http://the1890house.org/chester-f-wickwire/

19. Brooks House of Bar-B-Q (Oneonta; Otsego County)

Now in the hands of a third generation of Brooks family members, this is one of New York’s most famous family chicken restaurants. Winner of the James Beard Classic American Restaurant Award. Barbecue chicken is cooked on the largest indoor charcoal fire pit east of the Mississippi (38-feet long).

Website: https://brooksbbq.com/restaurant/

20. USS Slater (Albany; Albany County)

This ship, docked in the Hudson River in Albany, is a floating military museum unlike any other. Of the 563 Destroyer Escorts that were built and employed during World War II, the Slater is the last surviving one still afloat. Today it is an amazing museum which offers tours of the ship from top to bottom. Most of the docents are retired naval officers who give interesting details about the ship and its crew as you go from the bunk room, to the engine room, to the captain’s dining quarters and even to the gun turrets (the kids like this part the best).

Website: https://ussslater.org/

21. Canandaigua City Pier (Canandaigua; Ontario County)

This Finger Lakes community of 10,000 residents acts as a gateway to this popular tourism region of Upstate New York. At the lake front is a long pier which allows the visitor to walk far out over the water and enjoy a spectacular view of the lake and the surrounding shoreline. Near the end of the pier is a famous cluster of gaily colored small boat houses that have become a bit of a charming icon of the city. Rarely do you view the pier and boat houses without seeing artists or photographers capturing this image in paintings and pictures.

Website: https://www.visitfingerlakes.com/listings/canandaigua-city-pier/566/

22. John Boyd Thacher State Park (Voorheesville; Albany County)

A fantastic state park located 18 miles from the Capital District. The park offers all recreational amenities associated with a state park, with a few exceptions. The view from the park, which is located at the top of the Helderlberg Escarpment, is breathtaking. In the distance you can see the foothills of the Adirondacks, the Green Mountains of Vermont, and the skyscrapers of Albany’s Empire Plaza. The famed Indian Ladder Trail allows a visitor to descend a 60-foot metal ladder and then walk along a narrow path which clings to the face of a cliff. The path takes you under a waterfall so intrepid visitors are bound to get a little wet.

Website: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/128/details.aspx

23. Oldest Miniature Golf Course in U.S.A. (Irondequoit; Monroe County)

This is fun and historic. The oldest operating miniature golf course in the United States. The Parkside Whispering Pines Mini-Golf is a real slice of Americana. The course is decidedly old-fashioned, but fun to play. The theme here is the ocean (or the Great Lakes since the course is a 9-iron drive from Lake Ontario). It is dotted with lighthouses, lobster traps, colorful buoys, and carved pelicans. And American flags. Lots of American flags. Opened in 1930. A 1950s-style diner adjoins the course.

Website: https://parksidediner.com/

24. Olana (Hudson; Columbia County)

The magnificent estate of famed artist Frederick E. Church. This Moorish-like castle crowns the top of a mountain overlooking the Hudson Valley. Church lived here for years and oversaw the building and expansion of the home. The large windows of the living quarters “frame” the magnificent Hudson paintings that he was famous for. Tours of the mansion as well as the 250-acre grounds are fascinating. Don’t forget to ask your tour guide for the story of the four teapots on the roof!

Website: https://www.olana.org/

The bird's nest allows you to look out over the treetops at the beautiful mountains of the Adirondacks. Stefani Reynolds for nyup.com

25. The Wild Center (Tupper Lake; Franklin County)

Since opening in 2006 this has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Adirondack Park. Although basically a natural history education center, the highlight is the Wild Walk. Here, through a series of intricate suspension bridges, pathways and platforms, the visitor can gradually walk up and over the canopy of forests far below, getting a literal bird’s eye view of the scenery.

Website: https://www.wildcenter.org/visit/wild-walk/

26. Erie Canal Museum (Syracuse; Onondaga County)

The Erie Canal is one of the great jewels in New York State (and American) history. Called “the greatest engineering marvel of its day,” it is a bit tricky to consume it all in one swoop. Unless you travel the 363 miles of the canal. But the Erie Canal Museum does tell a comprehensive story of this incredible feat and the museum tells it all in a historic building. Its home is in the Weghlock Buildng, the last of several giant buildings which weighed canal boats as they passed through, assessing fees according to the weight. Be sure and get a selfie out front with “The Mule Named Sal,” which honors the engine power of the mules who pulled the canal boats from Albany to Buffalo.

Website: https://eriecanalmuseum.org/

27. Seneca Falls (Seneca County)

One of the most historic communities in Upstate New York. Known as “The Birthplace of the Women’s Rights Movement,” many consider any education of the social movement for women’s causes to be incomplete without a visit to this famous village. There are museums, historical markers, famous homes, and impressive statues throughout the village all illustrating the legacy of Seneca Falls. And while visiting, be sure and explore the village’s connection to the famous movie classic “It’s A Wonderful Life.” It is a great story!

Website: https://www.senecafalls.com/visit-seneca-falls.php

28. The TePee (Cherry Valley; Otsego County)

At onetime, NYS Rt. 20 was the most important east-west road in Upstate New York. It was dotted with roadside motels, ice cream stands, old-fashioned diners, and busy towns. With the advent of the New York State Thruway (1954) just a few miles north of Rt. 20, the highway became an afterthought and many of the businesses and small towns faced hard times. One iconic souvenir from the past perseveres, however. The TePee was built in 1950 and is still in business today. A fifty-foot-tall metal tepee, the store sells New York State products, Native American gifts and jewelry, clothing, and folk art. Thousands stop by for a touch of nostalgia every year. And across the road is a breathtaking view of the Mohawk Valley.

Website: http://thetepee.biz/

29. Medina Toy Train Museum (Median; Orleans County)

A fantasy land for all baby boomers who have electric toy trains. This museum has the largest toy train layout in the East. It sprawls over 200 feet long and it 15 feet wide. At any given time, you can see trains of all vintages making their way through miniature settings of cities, farms, wilderness and small towns. This is the place where your toy dreams live on forever.

Website: https://www.medinarailroadmuseum.org/

30. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (Cooperstown; Otsego County)

It is hard to fathom the fact that more than a quarter million visitors a year come to Cooperstown, a little village of less than 2,000 residents. The Hall is a mecca for generations of baseball lovers to come and enjoy, learn and pay tribute to the “boys of summer” from their own past. The Hall of Plaques, where only the best are honored, is a place of quiet reflection and reminiscence. This is the state’s greatest sports museum.

Website: https://baseballhall.org/

Contemporary Glass (1975-2000) Corning Museum of Glass, Corning November 3, 2016. Michael Greenlar | [email protected] SYR SYR

31. Corning Museum of Glass (Corning; Steuben County)

Another of Upstate’s world class museums. The city is the home of Corning Glass and the entire city pay homage to the industry and the company in many ways. First and foremost is a visit to the Corning Museum of Glass. The story of the company’s beginning is told in audio and visual exhibits and examples of some of the glass artisan’s most impressive works. Do not miss the glass-blowing demonstration in the little amphitheater. You may be lucky enough to take home a one-of-a-kind “made before your eyes” piece of glass art. The museum also has one of the best museum gift shops in the state.

Website: https://home.cmog.org/

32. Animal Adventure Park (Harpursville; Broome County)

A wonderful animal park for all ages to enjoy. Youngsters will thrill at the chance to feed any of the 300 varieties of animals on site. The park gained international fame when it live-streamed the birth of a giraffe, Tajiri, in 2017. More than a million people watched it on the park’s YouTube channel.

Website: https://theanimaladventurepark.com/Page/home

33. Our Lady of Victory Shrine and Basilica (Lackawanna; Erie County)

One of the most beautiful churches in North America. This enormous cathedral was the inspiration of Father Nelson Baker, known locally as “The Padre of the Poor.” It was built at a cost of $3.2-million dollars and Father Baker served his first mass there on May 25, 1926. The interior of the basilica is a wonder. The stained-glass windows, elaborate altars, Italian marble columns, and remote sanctuaries are exquisite. When Father Baker died, in 1936 at the age of 94, he was buried in the churchyard. Later it was discovered that he may have contributed to miracles taking place and he began his path to sainthood. His remains were moved to an impressive grotto inside the church which was constructed out of black lava rock from Mt. Vesuvius in Italy.

Website: https://www.olvbasilica.org/

34. United States Military Academy (West Point; Orange County)

Public tours are given at this historic training ground for officers of the U.S. Army. Of special note on these grounds is the West Point Cadet Chapel, which houses the world’s largest chapel organ (23,511 individual pipes). One of the highlights of any tour of the academy is the West Point Cemetery. Here, as you walk along the solemn rows of graves of some of America’s most storied soldiers, you will recognize the names of Maj. General George Goethals (builder of the Panama Canal), General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. who led American troops during Desert Storm, General George Armstrong Custer, who was killed at the Battle of Little Big Horn, and others.

Website: https://www.westpoint.edu/

35. Hanford Mills Museum (East Meredith; Delaware County)

One of the last working gristmill and sawmills from the 1800s in the state. Built in 1820, the mill still retains the patina of old-fashioned ingenuity and craftsmanship of a long gone yesteryear. Tours take you into several of the mills’ working buildings to watch handcrafted items being made. A special treat is to observe a giant 1926 Fitz overshot waterwheel come to action powering the entire grounds with water power. As the wheel turns and thousands of gallons of water pour into the wheelhouse from a nearby creek, the display of power can be quite unforgettable.

Website: https://www.hanfordmills.org/

Howe Caverns Adventure Park is located at 255 Discovery Drive in Howes Cave, N.Y. The park includes the famous Howe Caverns. Stephen D. Cannerelli | Syracuse.com

36. Howe Caverns (Howe Cave; Schoharie County)

New York’s most famous “hole in the ground.” For several generations of young people, a trip “upstate” in the summer meant a stop at this venerable tourist attraction. An elevator takes you 156-feet below the ground, where the temperature is always 56 -degrees. Your tour takes you through amazing displays of rock formations that have been in place for millennia. All are quite beautifully back-lit for dramatic purposes. One of the most popular stops on the underground tour is the Bridal Chapel. Here, on a bright red heart-shaped piece of calcite, more than 600 couples have said “I Do” in an underground ceremony. A boat ride on an underground river is also one of the many fun parts of a visit to Howe Caverns.

Website: https://howecaverns.com/

37. Franklin D. Roosevelt Home and Grave (Hyde Park; Dutchess County)

The magnificent home of our nation’s 32nd president has long been a popular destination in the Hudson Valley. Roosevelt was born at this Hyde Park mansion on January 30, 1892 and was buried here after his death in 1945. Public tours of the home are given. A gift store sells a wide variety of FDR and other presidents’ memorabilia and souvenirs. The final resting place of FDR and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, in the family’s rose garden, is open to the public without taking a tour of the home.

Website: https://www.nps.gov/hofr/index.htm

38. Stamford Fire Tower (Stamford; Delaware County)

There are a number of Adirondack and Catskill Mountain fire towers which have been in use for decades, In the Catskills, there is only one fire tower left that is available to drive to by vehicle. Mount Utsayantha, which rises 3,214 feet above the village of Stamford, has a tower and small public park at the summit. The tower is accessible to visitors. The view from the park and the tower, especially in autumn, is one of Upstate’s best.

Website: https://www.cnyhiking.com/MountUtsayantha.htm

39. Hyde Hall (Cooperstown; Otsego County)

Brendan Gill, the esteemed architecture critic of The New Yorker magazine has called Hyde Hall, “one of the three or four great buildings of its time.” The mansion was built between 1817 and 1834 for George Clarke, whose grandfather was the governor of colonial New York. The mansion is located at the northern tip of Otsego Lake. Philip Hooker, a prominent American architect designed the home. The neoclassical home is open for public tours. They give an eye-opening glimpse of the glamour of wealthy country life two centuries ago. Your tour will take you through the kitchen, the main dining hall, the bedrooms, courtyards, and private family rooms used by a series of Clarke generations. Plus, you will also see, tucked underneath a curving staircase, the first working flush toilet west of the Hudson River! The view of the lake from the front lawn of the mansion is beautiful.

Website: https://hydehall.org/

40. Mark Twain Country (Elmira; Chemung County)

Famed writer and riverboater Mark Twain had a close personal relationship with the Southern Tier city of Elmira. He spent nearly two dozen summers at the home of his wife’s sister in Elmira. Today, the small writing gazebo that he wrote in while there is located on the campus of Elmira College. It is said that the author penned large portions of his adventure books about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in that gazebo. Twain is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Elmira, section G. Prominent signs will direct you to his final resting place.

Website: https://www.friendsofwoodlawnelmira.org/

41. Arkville Train (Arkville; Delaware County)

There are several options if you are looking to take a train ride in Upstate New York. You can see the fall leaves in the Adirondacks, go on a Santa’s Polar Express in Western New York, and several others. One of the best is a ride on the Delaware and Ulster Railroad in southern Delaware County. You can ride in the vintage rail cars (both open and closed) and enjoy some of Upstate’s most beautiful scenery as you roll along the tracks following the Upper Delaware River. Rides go through the end of October, but the fall trips book up fast. Also, ask about the “train robbery” excursions. The kids love them!

Website: https://durr.org/

42. Vidler’s 5&10 (East Aurora; Erie County)

The has been called the “most famous five and dime store in America.” It is also the largest. It covers almost an entire block in this historic Western New York village. Tens of thousands of items pack the shelves with the emphasis on nostalgia. Penny candy anyone? You get the idea. While here don’t forget to look up. Way up. A two-ton statue of octogenarian Ed Vidler, of the store’s founding family, sits with his legs straddling over the roof of the store. Locals love him and call him “Vidler on the Roof.”

Website: https://www.vidlers5and10.com/

43. Saratoga Race Course (Saratoga Springs; Saratoga County)

Even if you are not a horse racing fan, a day at this venerable park is a fun, exciting and (hopefully) a winning experience for you. Known as “The August Place to Be” the track is a major tourist destination in the region during the summer months. A walk around the grounds, the rails, the clubhouse, the horse paddocks and the vending area under the trees gives you a glimpse into why this place ranks among New York’s top attractions. It is one of the oldest sports venues in the country, including all sports. Opened in 1863.

Website: https://www.saratogaracetrack.com/

Taughannock Falls towers 215 feet, making it the single drop tallest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. July 17, 2020. N. Scott Trimble | [email protected]

44. Taughannock Falls State Park (Trumansburg; Tompkins County)

Beautiful park just north of Ithaca. The star here is a waterfall, of which Upstate has no shortage of. Taughannock Falls is the centerpiece of this 750-acre park and features a dramatic plunge which plummets 215-feet. That not only makes it the tallest single drop waterfall East of the Rockies, but the waterfall is actually higher than the mighty Niagara Falls (the Horseshoe Falls at Niagara drops “just” 167 feet). Plenty of pathways to explore in the park as well as viewing areas to observe (and photograph) the falls itself.

Website: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/taughannockfalls

45. Point Lookout (East Windham; Greene County)

A perennial tourist stop which offers a grand view of five states. From this promontory you can see (on a clear day) the forests and rivers of New York, Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts, and the White Mountains of New Hampshire. An inn and “lookout” has been located at this site to cater to tourists with meals and souvenirs for over 75 years ago.

Website: https://www.greatnortherncatskills.com/attractions/five-state-lookout

46. World’s Largest Kaleidoscope (Mount Tremper; Ulster County)

The Emerson Resort is one of the most exquisite resorts in the Catskills. But it is not too fancy to offer up an exciting adventure inside an old barn silo. The silo, which is 60-feet tall, has been transformed into a dazzling kaleidoscope. Visitors enter through a bottom door and watch in amazement as hundreds of pieces of crafted colored glass dance across the ceiling to the accompaniment of music and a light show. A unique experience to be sure!

Website: https://emersonresort.com/worlds-largest-kaleidoscope/

47. Safe Haven Museum (Oswego; Oswego County)

One of New York’s smallest and yet most important museums. Located near the grounds of historic Fort Ontario, the Safe Haven Museum is the last standing building of what was America’s only Jewish refugee center during World War II. The story it tells inside is chilling and inspirational. 982 Jews from war ravaged Europe made a harrowing trip from Italy to Oswego in 1944 where they were housed in a camp as “personal guests of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.” This was the only place in the country where refugees were accepted. The museum features photographs, documents, oral histories, and artifacts from the period.

Website: https://www.safehavenmuseum.com/

48. Woodstock Concert Site (Bethel; Sullivan County)

Now known officially as the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, this is perhaps the most famous concert site in the world. Nearly a half-million young people converged on the hallowed field here for the 1969 rock concert that will live for eternity. The concert field, then a dirty mud field, is now a beautifully landscaped rolling lawn. There is a Woodstock monument and a great museum near the top of the hill. Concerts are still held here.

Website: https://www.bethelwoodscenter.org/

49. Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome (Rhinebeck; Dutchess County)

So much fun here. This is a living museum that offers many old-time airshows using authentic vintage planes. Thousands attend these shows all season long, and marvel as a dozen or more planes take flight and soar overhead. The biggest applause is always saved for the 1909 Bieriot, the oldest flying airplane in the Western Hemisphere, or any of the several vintage biplanes, plus an exact replica of Lucky Lindy’s famous “Spirit of St. Louis.” A great family outing!

Website: https://oldrhinebeck.org/

50. Susan B. Anthony Grave (Rochester; Monroe County)

Ms. Anthony’s grave is the most visited in this expansive historic cemetery in Rochester. Mt. Hope is the final resting place of 350,000 thousand people, many of them famous. Anthony, the towering figure of the Women’s Rights Movement, is buried in Section C, Lot 93 of the cemetery. Hundreds of women walk to her grave each year during election time to place their “I Voted” stickers on her tombstone in tribute to the woman who fought so long for their right to vote.

Website: https://freethought-trail.org/trail-map/location:susan-b-anthony-gravesite/

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10 Best Places to Visit in New York State

New York is a large and diverse state, but many visitors only visit the Big Apple. While New York City is undoubtedly exciting, there is far more than the state has to offer. Gorgeous lakes, charming college towns upstate and even world-famous waterfalls beckon outside of NYC’s five boroughs. Check out the best places to visit in New York state.

10. Buffalo

In Upstate New York, the hub of culture and education is undoubtedly Buffalo . You might know of Buffalo’s sports teams, snowy winters and association with chicken wings, but there is a lot more to this Niagara Frontier city. Buffalo is steeped in history, and a great place to start is at the Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society Museum.

Dig a little deeper by exploring the Nash House House, a home associated with early civil rights movements and even the founding of the NAACP. Then, take a walking architectural tour of the Allentown Historic District or head to the Buffalo Zoo, one of the oldest zoos in the entire country.

9. Lake Placid

In Essex County, in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, is the village of Lake Placid . Despite its small population, Lake Placid is well known thanks to serving as the host of the 1980 Winter Olympics. More specifically, Lake Placid was the site of the now famous Miracle on Ice, the hockey game held between the USA and the USSR.

Sports are still a major draw to Lake Placid, and your visit could include mountain biking in the summer, hiking some of the 46 peaks of the Adirondacks, or Nordic skiing in the winter. Whatever the season, check out the Adirondack Equine Center for horseback or sleigh rides.

The college town of Ithaca is located in New York’s Finger Lakes Region, where it sits at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake. Ithaca is best known for two things: Its higher education campuses and its surrounding landscape of gorges and waterfalls.

If you are lucky enough to visit Ithaca, you’ll definitely want to make time to tour Ithaca College and Cornell University. On Cornell’s campus, spot the iconic clock tower and tour the collection at the Johnson Art Museum. Then, head downtown to Ithaca Commons, a pedestrian mall lined with restaurants and local shops. Spot some of the gorges and waterfalls in the area with a hike like the stone staircase that leads to Cascadilla Creek Gorge.

7. Catskills

Just an hour’s drive north of New York City are the Catskills Mountains. This destination is an incredible juxtaposition to city life, which is why the region is so popular among city dwellers in search of nature. In the Catskills, you’ll find the Catskill Forest Preserve. This preserve is home to an abundance of wildlife, hiking trails and winter sports opportunities.

If you’re searching for culture, check out the Hudson River School Art Trail, where stops include famous landmarks and landscapes painted by local artists. Woodstock might be the most famous town in the Catskills, cue to the iconic music festival of the same name.

6. Watkins Glen State Park

Also in the Finger Lakes Region, located at the southern end of Seneca Lake, is Watkins Glen State Park. If you want to get outdoors and experience some phenomenal views, then this is the perfect destination. A narrow gorge cuts through the park, creating amazing vistas from the trails on the rim.

In one two mile stretch, you’ll pass 19 different waterfalls! In the summer, there are outdoor swimming opportunities, and tour fishing is also a popular pastime. Backcountry camping is available, but many visitors prefer to relax at a local inn after a day of hiking and sightseeing outdoors.

5. Hudson River Valley

As the name suggests, the Hudson River Valley extends along the Hudson River all the way from Troy and Albany in the north down to Westchester, just north of New York City. Much of this area is agricultural, boasting rural views and a bucolic landscape. Lots of farms mean that the Hudson River Valley can be a foodie’s dream destination.

Organic farms, local wineries and artisan cheesemakers abound, and farmer’s markets are a staple throughout the region. Lots of NYC chefs are opting to head to the Hudson River Valley to open farm-to-table eateries, so you won’t have to go far to find a great restaurant in stunning rural surroundings.

4. Fire Island

Just off the coast of Long Island is a thin, long barrier island called Fire Island. Much of the island is made up of the Fire Island National Seashore, a former whaling base that is now a popular seaside getaway destination.

A combination of the beaches and the outdoor recreation makes this an amazing place to visit in New York State, but keep in mind that much of Fire Island is seasonal, and attractions often close down in the winter. On Fire Island, you’ll definitely want to see the Fire Island Lighthouse, and you can also stroll along the boardwalk through the incredible Sunken Forest.

3. Thousand Islands

Close to the Canadian border is Thousand Islands, a scenic spot created where the St. Lawrence River meets Lake Ontario. This collection of islands is known as a place where the rich and famous vacation, but it is an accessible spot for all types of travelers.

You can see how the one percent live with a tour of Boldt Castle, a stunning castle located in Alexandria Bay. Make time for a boat tour that winds along the river and allows you to see some of the amazing mansions overlooking the water, many of which are only visible to the public by boat.

2. Niagara Falls

Known as the Honeymoon Capital of the World, Niagara Falls is absolutely a romantic destination. However, travelers of all types will want to check out this magnificent natural attraction. Niagara Falls is located on the border with Canada. In fact, views of the falls can be enjoyed on either side of the international line.

While views from Canada are considered the most impressive, American visitors will be able to get closest to the roaring waters, and there is an option to take a boat ride at the base of the falls. If time permits, head to the Cave of the Winds, where an elevator ride takes you down to the base of the Bridal Veils Falls and puts you close to the action!

1. New York City

Known as the Big Apple, New York City is arguably one of the most important cities on the planet. Diverse and always buzzing, there is an unlimited number of attractions to explore in the city. Most of the biggest landmarks are found in Manhattan.

If you’re on a whirlwind tour, then the highlights might include a visit to the Museum of Modern Art, a trip to the top of the Rockefeller Center, a view of the Empire State Building and the New York Public Library. Throbbing with flashing neon lights and glittering billboards, Times Square is the city’s dazzling entertainment district where tourists can catch a Broadway performance and shop for souvenirs.

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Reader interactions.

July 29, 2019 at 4:17 am

I really like to share your all these most amazing photos which views very fabulous and cool. I also enjoyed myself while I was visiting this kind of places.

October 23, 2018 at 5:48 pm

Ummmmm, no mention of West Point? Take the tour and you will be amazed if you appreciate American history.

July 8, 2018 at 10:00 am

Honestly, my first time in New York changed my opinion on the state. Being from the south I was always under the impression that NYC WAS new york. But venturing outside the confines of the city brought my understanding to a whole new level. The outdoor beauty of fire island and the watkins state park were really some of the highlights of my experience. I am already planning another trip to upstate and will bring my kids along this time. Don’t get me wrong I love the city life but seeing all new york had to offer made it a really eye-opening experience. Thanks for sharing the article, this is a on-point guide for any newbie like me!

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12 things locals know about visiting New York State

Sep 20, 2023 • 7 min read

Read this local guide on where to go and what not to do before you visit New York State @ Boogich / Getty Images

After 18 years of living in New York State , I’ve learned quite a bit about the country’s fourth-most populous state. From where to go and what to do, to what to eat and how to get around, here are some tips from a local on how to make the most of your visit to the Empire State.

1. Understand that New York State is NOT New York City.

 If there is only one thing you take away from this article, it should be that New York State is not the same as New York City . This is especially important to residents outside of New York City, such as those in the Catskills, Western, and “Upstate” New York areas. New York State is extremely diverse in terms of population, politics, geography, and gastronomy, so don’t equate the city with the state, and do yourself a favor and see as much as possible.

2. What exactly is Upstate New York?

 That depends entirely on who you ask and New York State residents will probably never stop battling about where exactly “Upstate” starts. It’s essentially a loosely defined area that begins somewhere above Westchester County (the county immediately north of New York City) and the Adirondacks. For anyone who’s spent time in the Midwest, “going Upstate'' is kind of like “going up north.” 

3. Hit the trails

With over 180 state parks, 150 mountain biking trails, and 700 shared-use and single-use trails, New York State was made for adventurers. The 750-mile Empire State Trail is a recently built trail that begins in Lower Manhattan, runs north to Albany, then splits west to Buffalo and north to Rouses Point, right on the Canadian border. You can cycle the 360-mile Erie Canalway , hike the 46 high peaks in the Adirondacks (the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States), or visit the Autism Nature Trail – the first of its kind in the country.

4. Pack a warm coat and a swimsuit

As a large and diverse state, you’ll find plenty to do at any time of year. In summer, go swimming along Long Island’s beaches, bike up the Hudson River and go boating in Thousand Islands. Come winter, it’s time for seasonal adventures like snowmobiling, snow-tubing, and skiing on more than fifty downhill and cross-country ski trails . Hiking (which is especially great during fall foliage season), brewery hopping, and museum visits are available year-round so it’s impossible to run out of things to do.

5. Bring cash

While most businesses do accept credit cards around the state, small street vendors (such as hotdog or pretzel carts in New York City) may only take cash. The same applies if you’re traveling through small towns and rural areas, where you’ll encounter farm stands offering locally-produced goodies like cheese, milk, jam, honey, wine, maple syrup, and fresh fruit and vegetables. Some of these stands only accept cash because, instead of a person receiving your payment, there might only be a small honesty box for you to slip money inside. Speaking of farm-fresh goodies, should you visit in the fall you may want to try seasonal activities like apple picking or pumpkin picking .

6. Try different foods in different regions

When in Rochester, try their signature Garbage Plate and when in Buffalo, the world capital of chicken wings, eat your way along the Buffalo Wing Trail . Dig into signature sandwiches like the pastrami on rye in New York City, the Beef on Weck in and around Buffalo, and Spiedies (pronounced “speedies”) in Binghamton. If you’re heading out to Long Island , order oysters and visit some of the many wineries. Speaking of wineries , New York State is the third largest producer of wine in the U.S. so you’ll find loads of wineries and cideries along the North Fork of Long Island and also in the Hudson Valley and beyond.

7. You don’t need a car to get around New York State (but it helps)

The five-borough subway system and extensive bus routes that make up New York City Transit are world-famous for their (fairly) reliable, 24-hour service, but you can actually catch public transportation all over the state. Hop the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) to head out to Long Island, the Metro-North Railroad to get you to Upstate New York and Connecticut, and Amtrak to get you pretty much anywhere else in the country. Greyhound, Bolt, Megabus, Peter Pan and numerous other bus companies also run routes from New York City to all over the country. 

All that aside, having your own wheels gives you flexibility and means you’ll be able to book accommodations that aren’t only bus or train accessible.

8. You may (or may not) be able to turn right on red

Renting a car in New York State is usually unnecessary unless you want to visit some of the hard-to-reach State Parks or tiny towns that aren’t accessible by train or bus. If you do wind up driving, there is one important thing you should know. In most of the state, drivers can turn right on a red light unless otherwise specified but the opposite is true in New York City, where turning right at a red light is illegal unless otherwise specified (and it’s rarely specified). Unfortunately, there isn’t really any signage telling you this; you’re just supposed to know. When in doubt, wait at the red light, and if a right turn is actually legal where you are, the person behind you will surely honk their horn to let you know.

9. Never eat pizza with a knife and fork 

Okay, so this is mostly a New York City thing, but the practice is generally frowned upon. Grab your slice by both ends of the crust and fold it in half to prevent the cheese from falling out. Well, that’s the traditional way to eat a New York slice but feel free to do your own thing...just as long as it doesn’t involve a fork and knife.

10. Much of New York is accessibility friendly

Travelers with disabilities should check out the Accessible New York guide which provides lots of helpful information. Among other things, the state provides details for where to find adaptive skiing, how to travel from Niagara Falls to New York City in a wheelchair, and lists museums that offer ASL tours for deaf visitors and tactile tours for people who are blind or low-vision.

11. Soak up the history and heritage

New York State is home to countless historical sites that kicked off huge global movements, such as the Stonewall Inn in New York City’s West Village neighborhood, considered to be the birthplace of the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement. Seneca Falls, in Western New York, gave birth to the US women’s fight for suffrage and is home to the Women’s National Hall of Fame . In nearby Rochester, you’ll find the Susan B. Anthony House . In nearby Auburn, you’ll also find the Harriet Tubman Home , where the groundbreaking abolitionist lived, and in Lake Placid (in the Adirondacks), you can tour the farm and historic site dedicated to the abolitionist John Brown.

12. Political polarization is real

Contrasting political views are commonplace across the United States, but because New York City is so liberal, some visitors (wrongly) assume the rest of the state is as well. While many New York State conservatives are not quite as conservative as those you’ll find in the South and Midwest, they’re far from liberal. You’re almost guaranteed to see pro-conservative political signs around Long Island and in Upstate New York, where you’ll also find a strong hunting and pro-gun culture. While chatting about politics can be an interesting way to learn about local sentiment and values, know that emotions can run high on either side of the political divide and you should never assume someone’s views just by looking at them.

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Travel Inspiration

12 incredible places to visit in new york state with kids, perfect for a family getaway.

Our handpicked selection of the 12 of the best places to visit in New York State with kids for an unforgettable family vacation.

The first time we visited New York State with the kids, we focused our attention on New York City. 

New York City is one of the best cities in the world to visit with children and is exceptionally exciting.

However, all it takes is to set your glance past its glitzy skyscrapers to find a fantastic State with windswept beaches, soothing country landscapes and plenty of family-friendly fun.

Enjoying New York State with kids is easy.

This guide looks at twelve of the best places to visit in New York State with kids that we believe are perfect for a family vacation.

Please note: this post contains affiliate links. Should you make a purchase through them, we might make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Table of Contents

New York City with kids

A list of the best places to visit in New York State with kids can only start with New York City, one of the most exciting cities for kids of any age.

Large, busy and culturally varied, New York City may not be to everyone’s taste.

Still, it is fantastic if you are looking for a family city break and have kids who love tapping into more activities and attractions you can pack into a lifetime.

It doesn’t matter if you are in New York City with toddlers, school-age kids or teenagers: NYC has something for everyone!

Depending on the season and age of your kids, you can choose between many options. 

Our kids adored Central Park and its vast green areas, ponds and games. 

They had fun seeing iconic views of Manhattan from the top of the Empire State Building and had a fantastic time walking the New York High Line. 

The Statue of Liberty and a trip on the boat for views over the city from the waters is perfect in spring and summer and, for when the days get chillier, you have endless options for museums, shopping and indoor attractions.

You will never really be done visiting New York City with kids, but we love how easy it is to get a feel for it even with a short amount of time there.

You can read here >>>  what you can see in NYC with kids in a day . 

As you can see, the city is perfect for a weekend family getaway as much as for a more extended stay!

Finger Lakes with kids

The Finger Lakes region may be one of the dreamiest parts of the Empire State.

The Finger Lakes region is famous for its excellent wines; however, there is much more to do here than sipping with a good glass of wine (nothing wrong with that!) and plenty of activities to keep the whole family happy.

If you and your kids enjoy the outdoors especially, the place is a dream.

The Finger Lakes area is home to some of the best state parks in New York State and boasts beautiful hiking trails and gorgeous lakes.

The region is pretty and has a soothing, family-friendly atmosphere that is perfect for kids.

You and the kids can spend the day hiking or biking in search of waterfalls, go fishing or boating at the clear lakes in the region, spend a night under the stars, or lay at one of the white-sand beaches surrounding the lakes.

Watkins Glen State Park boasts gorgeous waterfalls and gorges and is one of the most famous parks in New York and a favorite among locals and visitors alike.

The Gorge Trail follows a gorge lined by multiple waterfalls, where you’ll get to weave through walls and caves, walk up hundreds of stone steps, and stumble across beautiful waterfalls cascading down!

Whatever activity you choose to go for, beautiful vistas all around are guaranteed!

For child-centered fun, you can also head to The Strong Museum of Play in Rochester (super interactive and perfect also for small kids) or the Corning Museum of Glass (great for older kids thanks to the mind-bending glass-making demonstrations).

Catskills with kids

I first heard of the Catskills Mountains on Netflix’ ‘Wonderful Ms. Maisel’, and it immediately piqued my attention.

With green lawns, beautiful lakes and cabins, the Catskills seemed perfect for kids, and the more I looked into it, the more I realized they are great for a family getaway in New York!

Located 137 miles north of New York City, the Catskills Mountains are a beautiful mountain range dotted with pretty waterfalls, lakes, rivers and great family-friendly amenities.

A few of the adventures on offer here include skiing, hiking, camping, and rafting.

In winter, you can come here skiing in one of the many resorts in the area, such as the family-friendly Belleayre Mountain resort.

You will also find restaurants aplenty as well as a varied array of hotels and accommodation options!

The Catskills have many family-friendly hikes, lakes and swimming areas for fantastic family outdoor fun and also find excellent farms that are wonderful for small kids especially.

Adventurous kids will love Howe Caverns , while kids who prefer theme and amusement parks will also have their fix at local parks and resorts.

Have a look at Kartrite Resort and Indoor Water Park and Jellystone Park™ at Birchwood Acres : here, you can do anything from renting boats to speed down water slides.

Another fantastic thing to do with kids in this area is a trip to see the largest kaleidoscope in the world! 

At 60 feet tall, the Kaatskills Kaleidoscope is making it a must on your New York bucket list. 

Located right next to the Emerson Resort & Spa, this gorgeous psychedelic-looking gem overlooks the quaint town of Mount Tremper. 

You can enter the kaleidoscope and immerse yourself in its moving colors and patterns: a magical experience!

Good to know! The drive on Route 23 to the Catskill Mountains is stunning and worth taking in its own right!

Taking you from Otsego County right into the heart of the alluring Catskill Mountains, this road trip will have you pass through historic towns, quirky mansions, stunning waterfalls, crystal clear reservoirs, and enchanting mountain views.

It also has plenty of pit stop options for you and the kids.

So when you need a well-deserved break, you can stop and explore the many hiking trails in the area, such as Kaaterskill Falls Trail, the Devil’s Path Trail, and more!

Hudson Valley with kids

Another lovely area to visit in new York State with kids is Hudson Valley, which you can visit on its own or with the nearby Catskills.

In this area, you find lovely family friendly attractions ranging from nature trails to theme parks such as Legoland New York Resort .

If you love being out in nature, Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve has opportunities to go hiking, kayaking and paddle boarding.

Boscobel House and Gardens is a lovely family friendly attractions in the area. This estate has lovely gardens, a woodland trail, and lovely river views and family tours and kids activities on selected dates.

Places your kids may enjoy in Hudson Valley are also the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston, Fireman’s Firefighting Museum in Hudson and Greenburgh Nature Center which include a Native American Replica Village.

Bannermam Castle, Country Treetop Adventure, and kids’ attractions such mini golf and bowling in Poughkeepsie are also family favorites in the area.

Niagara Falls, New York, with kids

Niagara Falls are among the most exciting places you can visit in New Your state with kids.

The first time we saw the falls, we were on the Canadian side of the border; however, you do not need to cross into Canada to marvel at the roar of these world-famous waterfalls!

Enjoying Niagara Falls, New York State, with kids is easy.

The area is well equipped with viewpoints and observation decks and nothing beats the excitement of catching the Maid of the Mist and seeing the waterfalls from the water!

If your kids want to get even closer to the water and have a real thrill, you should also treat them to a visit to the Cave of the Winds , which leads you below the Bridal Vail Fall!

After you are done seeing the falls for the day, you can keep exploring the many child-friendly attractions of the area.

Some family-friendly attractions in the area are the Aquarium, Niagara Gorge Discovery Center and Schoellkopf Power Station, one of the United States’ first hydroelectric power plants.

Power Vista is also fantastic for families thanks to the fun and educational exhibits.

You can also go hiking on the many family-friendly Niagara Gorge trails.

Long Island with kids

Long Island New York is packed with family friendly activities and it is one of the best destinations for families with kids in New York State.

There are so many things to do in Long Island with kids, you will be spoilt for choice.

If you come to Long Island hoping for windswept stunning beaches, you will be happy to know that many are family friendly.

The Hamptons of course come to mind, but Long Beach and more remote ocean beach Fire Island are also fantastic with children.

Together with the nature preserves on the island, these beaches make Long Island a great place for family outdoors fun with the kids.

For child centered fun, Long Island offers a cool Aquarium, petting farms and tons of amusement parks such as Adventureland, Splish Splash in Calverton and Long Island Adventure Park, which has ziplining, rope bridges and hiking trails for the whole family.

If you are in the area in spring, you should also seek out flower fields: one of the best lavender farms in the world to see with kids is here!

Mohonk Preserve

Seventy-two miles away from New York City, Mohonk Preserve in the Shawangunk Ridge is New York State’s largest nature preserve and a fantastic place if you love hiking, biking, rock climbing, and horseback riding.

This fantastic preserve protects and manages mountain ridges, forests, fields, streams, ponds, and other unique environments perfect for surrounding yourself with nature. 

During the winter months, Mohonk Preserve becomes a favorite for winter sports, with cross-country skiing being the star of the show with more than 40 miles of trails on offer!

A favorite for families is Mohonk House, a resort with a plethora of family-friendly activities for kids of all ages: toddlers to teens here can

The Adirondacks with kids

Adirondak park is an area of outstanding natural beauty blessed with forests, rivers, orchards and hamlets under the stunning backdrop of the Adirondack Mountains.

The park is fantastic for a family getaway in New York State with kids and offers a myriad of adventure possibilities for nature lovers all year round.

During your visit, you’ll get the opportunity to indulge in various outdoor activities, including fat-tire biking, hiking, boating, and, during the winter months, sports like snowshoeing and skiing.

The area also have lovely towns perfect for lodging and relaxing with local food.

A family friendly place not to be missed here is Lake Placid.

A small town with extensive views and significant history, it is a perfect home base for hiking and also offers plenty of locally-owned restaurants and boutique shops selling handmade goodies. Fantastic to browse with kids! 

Kids will also have fun at the Wild Center, the Adirondack Experience, Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf, Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom amusement park

 If you are visiting in winter, you will also be able to treat your kids to days snowshoeing on the Natural Stone Bridge & Caves trails!

Cold Spring, NY

Perched on the banks of the Hudson River, Cold Spring is one of the best-preserved 19th-century towns in the Hudson Valley area and a delightful place for a weekend with the kids. 

Cold Spring is set just 50 miles north of Manhattan and is a charming town with a river lined by sidewalk cafés and restaurants.

If you are looking for a slow-paced getaway on the water, you can enjoy the town’s picturesque historic center and take your time in its riverside restaurants, boutiques, antique stores, and quaint coffee shops.

The kids won’t take long to discover Moo-Moo’s Creamery, a town institution.

If you have a little longer or look for more active entertainment, you will find many kid-friendly things to do.

In the area, you find several hiking and biking trails in the outskirts of town, as well as water sports, including boating, canoeing, paddle-boarding, kayaking, and waterskiing on the river.

During the autumn, fall foliage cruises are popular.

Hudson Highlands State Park with Bannerman Castle and Stonecrop Gardens are also family favorites. 

Green Lakes State Park

Set near the town of Fayetteville in Central New York, Green Lakes State Park is home to two gorgeous glacial lakes whose waters come in striking tones blues.

Swimming is only allowed on designated spots but Green Lakes State Park is a dream for hiking and the lake views are stunning.

Boating and camping are favorite activities here during the summer, while winter brings in lots of fun in the snow activities like cross-country skiing and snowshoeing!

Innisfree Garden

Innisfree is a unique 150-acre garden with a delightful display of rocks, water features, stone walls, and plants carefully curated and placed to delight your senses.

The place is lovely for an afternoon out with the kids in a relaxing outdoor setting. 

The area has lovely manicured areas, nice walking paths and bridges, great for small kids to tot around safely and for you to relax while keeping a watchful eye on them. 

Herkimer Diamond Mines

Would you kids like to go mining for diamonds?

Ok, this is not exactly what the Herkimer Diamond Mine offers, but the fun is real!

Herkimer Diamond Mines is a unique spot in upstate New York.

Despite the name, this mine doesn’t actually contain diamonds, but its quartz crystals look a lot like them and mining for them is great fun!

During your visit, you go prospecting the mines and kids can also try sluice mining: you choose a bag to purchase (gemstones, fossils or Herkimer Diamond Dirt Bag) and you start screening for treasures.

I hope you enjoyed this quick overview of some of the best places to visit in New York State with kids and it inspired you to go visit. Safe travel planning!

12 of the best places to visit in New York State with kids – pin this!

Marta Correale

Marta Correale is the creator, writer and creative mind behind Learning Escapes. A travel loving mama of two from Italy, Marta currently lives in Ireland with her husband and two kids, they take frequent trips to European destination, the US and beyond. A professional travel blogger for over a decade, Marta is passionate about traveling with kids and helping others to travel more and better as a family.

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NYSM Virtual Program Video Library

Never miss a moment of NYSM virtual programming! On this page you'll be able to access our most recent virtual field trips, guided tours, collection highlights, and educational programs for all ages. Each video allows you to join NYSM scientists, educators, and staff as they travel behind the scenes of exhibitions and laboratories to explore new research, highlight unique and important artifacts from the Museum's varied collections, and guide you on an educational journey with New York State as the roadmap! Enjoy!

Featured Programs

Taking Care of Home Collections

Join NYS Museum curators and a NYS Archives conservator to learn how to best care for family heirlooms and collections. 

Women of Science

View videos from this annual event featuring the work of female scientists at the NYSM!

Explore the New York State Education Building

Take a tour (or four!) of the New York State Education Building.

Browse & Sort NYSM Virtual Programs

Browse through this comprehensive list of past NYSM virtual programs or use the drop down menu below to explore specific types of programs—from gallery tours and scientific demonstrations to historical highlights and engaging crafts for kids!

Karen Ann Hoffman’s Inspiration for Creating Bernard the Buzzard Bag

Dr. Scott Manning Stevens Presents: Paths Forward: Native America and Museums

Panel Discussion: The Continuing Revolution for All New Yorkers

Dr. Christopher Minty Presents: Unfriendly to Liberty: Loyalist Networks and the Coming of the American Revolution in New York

Jack Kelly Presents: God Save Benedict Arnold: The True Story of America’s Most Hated Man

The New York State Museum Carousel - Timelapse of Repairs

Agency and Identity: Cherry Hill's Would-Be Sisters with The New York State Museum

Winifred Goldring (1888-1971) - NYSM Scientist & State Paleontologist

Donation Ceremony of the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument

Thomas Powell Farmstead - Documentation of the Site

Thomas Powell Farmstead - Original Buildings and Additions

Thomas Powell Farmstead - Continuation of Original Buildings and Additions

Thomas Powell Farmstead - The Cellar

Thomas Powell Farmstead - The Yard

Babe Ruth Gets Political: Sports and Identity Politics in the Roaring Twenties

The American Origin Myth: Remembering the American Revolution with Historian Michael D. Hattem

18th Century Iron Strong Box

Three New York Chinatown Stories at Tuck High

An Interview with artist Charles Clough

Don Wildman Congratulates 2022 Capital Region History Day Participants

Woodstock Art: A Peek Behind the Scenes - Part 2

Unveiled: Wedding Wear in 19th-century New York Virtual Tour

You Are What You Eat: How Chemistry Informs About Ancient Ecosystems

The Science of Being Human: What is Cultural Anthropology and What is it Doing in a Museum?

Using Geographic Data to Map, Analyze, and Interpret Archaeological Sites

Mary Banning: The Fungi of Maryland Watercolors

HENRYJOHNSON

Renovation and Reinterpretation of New York State Museum’s Iconic Birds of New York Exhibit Hall

Building Legitimacy: New York State Architecture and its Classical Grandeur

A Closer Look: New Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Art at New York State Museum

People of the Longhouse: The Haudenosaunee

People of the Longhouse: Tour of the NYSM Longhouse

People of the Longhouse: Tools (Part 1) Stone and Bone

People of the Longhouse: Tools (Part 2) Personal Adornment and Musical Instruments

People of the Longhouse: Tools (Part 3) Hunting and Gathering Resources

People of the Longhouse: Wampum

People of the Longhouse: The Condolence Cane

Every Prison Is Attica: A Short Documentary Film by David Kuhn

Woodstock Art: A Peek Behind the Scenes

The Champlain Sea

Virtual Tour of New York State Museum’s Fish Lab

The Lives of Enslaved People through the Objects They Left Behind

Taking Care of Home Collections: Photographs and Documents

Taking Care of Home Collections: Textile and Garment Storage

Taking Care of Home Collections: Pests and Insect Collections

Taking Care of Home Collections: Paintings and Drawings

Taking Care of Home Collections: Antique Furniture

Taking Care of Home Collections: Baskets and Beadwork

Interview with Artist Lucy Bohnsack

Women’s History Month Collections Tour

Women of Science: The Amazing Freshwater Mussel!

Video Presentation: The Jessup Family: A Free African American Household in Early NY, 1790–1830

Highlights from the NYSM History Collection: Focus on African American-related Collections

Kids + Craft: Birds in Winter

Kids + Craft: Turkey Talk!

A Conversation with Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Beadwork Artist Karen Ann Hoffman

Thomas Hart Benton Murals

Virtual Field Trip: Going for a Ride in FDR’s 1932 Packard

New Netherland Research and Collections in the Office of Cultural Education

Virtual Field Trip: Oddities of the NYSM Storage Facility

Virtual Field Trip: Treasures from the NYSM's Collections

Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address

Daily Life at Onondaga

Recording History Through Oral Tradition

Haudenosaunee or Iroquois?

What is Wampum?

Main Rotunda - New York State Education Building

Rotunda Murals - New York State Education Building

Regents room - New York State Education Building

Liberty Bell - New York State Education Building

Onkwehowekah: Haudenosaunee Worldview and its influence on the American Women’s Suffrage Movement

World Trade Center: Rescue, Recovery, Response — Gallery Tour

Windows on New York Virtual Exhibit Tour

Summer Fun Friday: Invisible Ink

Field Trip to the NYSM: Minerals of NY Gallery Tour

Field Trip to the NYSM: Deep Rocks - Exploring the NYSM Bedrock Core Collection

1907 Leather License Plate

Women of Science: Fossils in the Field with Dr. Lisa Amati, Sarita Morse, and Kathleen Bonk

Women of Science: Non-Destructive Archaeological Surveys, Susan Winchell-Sweeney & Kristin O’Connell

Summer Fun Friday: Bookmarks!

Women of Science: Underwater Archaeology with Dr. Daria Merwin

Women of Science: Preserving Geologic History and Records with Kathleen Bonk

Virtual Summer Program: Beaver Engineering - Dams, Lodges, and More!

Summer Fun Friday: Paper Jewelry

Field Trip to the NYSM: Commemorating the 19th Amendment Centennial

Women of Science: Cultural Resource Survey Program (CRSP) with Dr. Christina Reith

Virtual Summer Program: How Women’s Rights Advocates Used Clothing to Send a Message

Summer Fun Friday: Musical Rain Sticks

Virtual Summer Program: Baking for Suffrage: How “Good Cooking and Sure Voting Went Hand in Hand”

Virtual Summer Program: Stories of New York: Stories of the Haudenosaunee

Summer Fun Friday: Painted Turtles

Virtual Summer Program: The Phonograph and Beyond! (For Kids)

Virtual Summer Program: Soaring Skyscrapers for Kids

Summer Fun Friday: Paper Porcupine

Field Trip to the NYSM: Unveiled: Three Centuries of Wedding Wear, Part II

Virtual Summer Program: WWI Soldier Life

Summer Fun Friday: Making Mosaics

Field Trip to the NYSM: Artist interview - Hayden Haynes on the Art of Antler Carving

Field Trip to the NYSM (Pre-Recorded): Intriguing Invertebrates, Part II

Field Trip to the NYSM: Stories Told in New York - Stories from Jewish Immigrants

Summer Fun Friday: Statue of Liberty Crown & Torch

Field Trip to the NYSM: Behind the Scenes of the Tuck High Co.

Field Trip to the NYSM: Aquatic Animals (Kids!)

Field Trip to the NYSM: The Entomology Collection

Summer Fun Friday: 4th of July Poppers

Field Trip to the NYSM: Mighty Miniatures

Field Trip to the NYSM: A Gallery Tour of Tonalism

Field Trip to the NYSM: Gems and Minerals Rock!

Field Trip to the NYSM: The Workspace of a Geologist

Field Trip to the NYSM: Evidence of Slavery and Freedom Buried Beneath the Floor

Field Trip to the NYSM: Minerals Rock! (For Kids!)

Field Trip to the NYSM: Traveling on the Canal

Field Trip to the NYSM: Behind the Scenes of "Unveiled"

Field Trip to the NYSM: Intriguing Invertebrates

Field Trip to the NYSM: Teachers & Students of Native Art

Field Trip to the NYSM: The Making of the Ice Ages Exhibit

Field Trip to the NYSM: Sports History on Display!

Field Trip to the NYSM: Investigate Fire Engines

Field Trip to the NYSM: The Ice Ages Exhibit

Field Trip to the NYSM: Finding Spirit in Stone: Henry DiSpirito

Field Trip to the NYSM: The Weistman Stoneware Collection

Field Trip to the NYSM: Fur and Feathers (Kids!)

Field Trip: Painting & Photography by Native Artists

Field Trip to the NYSM: New York's Fossil Forests

Field Trip to the NYSM: The Windlass of the Erie Canal

Field Trip to the NYSM: The Oldest Artifacts in New York

Field Trip to the NYSM: Ellis Island Experience

Field Trip to the NYSM: Explore Birds of New York Hall

Field Trip to the NYSM: A Glimpse of Dutch Material Culture

Field Trip to the NYSM: A Closer Look at the Cohoes Mastodon

FieldTrip to NYSM Contemporary Native American Art

Field Trip to the NYSM: Human Frogs: Two Vaudeville Performers

Field Trip to the NYSM - Collecting History as it Happens

Field Trip to NYSM - People of the Longhouse (for kids!)

Field Trip to the NYSM - Maritime Landscapes in New York

Field Trip to the NYSM - Fossil or Fake?

Field Trip to the NYSM: Suffrage Wagon & Susan B. Anthony House 2020 Quilt Project

Field Trip to the NYSM - Adirondack Animals

Field Trip to the NSYM - Ice Age Exploration

360 Gallery Tour: Votes for Women

360 Gallery Tour: A Spirit of Sacrifice: New York State in the First World War

1945 NYS Barge Canal Diving Suit

Len Tantillo: Painting History

Len Tantillo: Recreating Fort Orange

Paul Huey and Joe McEvoy: Unearthing 17th Century Dutch Artifacts

The Fort Orange Excavation Film footage by W. Hartigan

Paul Huey: Locating Fort Orange

Paul Huey: Uncovering Fort Orange

The Shakers: America’s Quiet Revolutionaries

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 1962 Speech in NYC

Museum Moment - Finding Evidence for Earliest Crops in New York

Museum Moment - The Paleoindian Database Project

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Trump goes from court to campaign at a bodega in his heavily Democratic hometown

Fresh from a Manhattan courtroom, Donald Trump visited a New York bodega where a man was stabbed to death , a stark pivot for the former president as he juggles being a criminal defendant and the Republican challenger intent on blaming President Joe Biden for crime.

Trump stopped by Sanaa Convenient Store, a tiny bodega that sells chips, sodas and other snacks. Trump aides said the former president and presumptive GOP nominee chose the store because it has been the site of a violent attack on an employee.

What You Need To Know

Donald trump has visited new york’s harlem neighborhood after spending his second day in a lower manhattan courtroom as a criminal defendant trump made the stop part of his effort to blame president joe biden for crime. it was his first campaign appearance since his criminal hush money trial began trump stopped by sanaa convenient store on tuesday evening aides say the former president and current republican nominee chose the tiny bodega because it has been the site of a violent attack on an employee trump insists he can win new york in november despite the state's heavy democratic lean.

The visit was Trump's first campaign appearance since his criminal hush money trial began, making the presumptive GOP nominee the first former president in U.S. history to stand criminal trial.

Trump will be confined to the courtroom on most days, dramatically limiting his movements and his ability to campaign, fundraise and make calls. Aides have been planning rallies and other political events on weekends and Wednesdays, the one weekday when court is not supposed to be in session. Plans also include local appearances Trump can make after court recesses each day.

For months, Trump has assailed Democratic-run cities as crime-ridden and overrun with migrants who have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. His local campaign stop in Harlem allows him to blend that familiar, if often exaggerated, message with his promise to make a serious play at winning his native state despite its heavily Democratic lean.

“They want law and order ... every week they're being robbed,” Trump said of businesses in New York, as he tried to compare his prosecution with the state of New York streets. “You know where the crime is? It's in the bodegas.”

Despite Trump’s rhetoric, FBI statistics show overall violent crime in the U.S. dropped considerably in 2023 after pandemic-era spikes that began in 2020, when Trump was president. Crime also has fallen in New York City.

Still, in July 2022, Jose Alba, a clerk at the store Trump visited in Hamilton Heights, a heavily Hispanic section of Harlem, was attacked by 35-year-old Austin Simon. The resulting altercation, captured on surveillance video, ended with Alba fatally stabbing Simon. Alba, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, was arrested and charged with murder but the Manhattan district attorney dropped the charges within weeks, saying they could not prove Alba had not acted in self-defense.

Before his arrival, Trump's campaign distributed materials to journalists criticizing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for his handling of the stabbing case, including the weeks Alba spent jailed at Rikers Island without bail. Bragg oversees the office now prosecuting Trump.

“Bodegas are a lifeline to underserved communities, and President Trump believes that only by undoing the Democrat(ic) party’s soft-on-crime policies can law and order be fully restored to every borough throughout New York City,” the Trump campaign said before the former president's appearance.

Bragg's office responded Tuesday after news of Trump's plans emerged.

Simon's death and Alba's case were “resolved nearly two years ago, and the charges were dismissed after a thorough investigation,” the statement said. “D.A. Bragg’s top priority remains combating violent crime and the office has worked hand in hand with the NYPD to drive down overall crime in Manhattan.”

Bragg’s office cited statistics showing double-digit drops in homicides and shootings in Manhattan over the last two years.

The former president's effort in Harlem on Tuesday affirms his intentions to campaign in his home state, even though New York remains overwhelmingly Democratic. In 2020, Biden garnered more than 60% of the vote in the state and ran up even wider margins in New York City. Trump insists he can win New York in November anyway, and he has mused about holding rallies in the South Bronx and Queens, where the former president was born and grew up, and even Madison Square Garden.

“I may rent Madison Square Garden," he said in an interview with Breitbart News. “That’s the belly of the beast, right?”

That would be a prohibitively expensive proposition, particularly as his campaign has worked to save cash as it confronts a fundraising gap with Biden.

“We’re going to make a heavy play for New York,” he said Tuesday, part of his promise to  put more states in play .

At the least, Trump, long a famous figure for New Yorkers, showed Tuesday that he can still turn heads in the city.

Throughout the afternoon, the crowds around the bodega grew half a dozen deep as word of Trump’s impending visit spread. Barricades were set up along Broadway, between 139th and 140th Streets, in advance of Trump's appearance. The patio of the Mexican restaurant next door was packed with onlookers, and staff from a hair salon on the other side gathered by their open door.

“Papito Trump is coming. Yeah!” said one passerby ahead of the former president’s arrival. As Trump arrived, children climbed scaffolding around nearby buildings to get a better view.

Trump has argued that the ongoing influx of migrants to the city, where he grew his real estate empire and became a tabloid fixture, has made New Yorkers more willing to vote for him since his 2020 loss to Biden. The city has struggled to house the new arrivals, putting many up in city hotels.

"I think we have a chance. New York has changed a lot in the last two years,” he told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo. “The people of New York are angry. People that would have never voted for me because I’m a Republican ... I think they’re going to vote for me.”

He doubled down on that take Tuesday, repeating previous assertions that the flow of migrants includes many criminals and patients from “mental institutions.”

Trump's prospects will depend on voters like Lesandra Carrion, a 47-year-old who lives in the neighborhood and came out to see the former president when she heard he might be visiting.

She said she doesn't agree with everything Trump says or does but declared that “he speaks the truth." Carrion cited the rising migrant population and strained city resources. “I think that he will make a difference,” she said of Trump.

As for his troubles at the courthouse at the south end of Manhattan, Carrion was dismissive. “He's going to beat that,” she said. “We all make mistakes at the end of the day. But he’s the truth and light. I feel that God is in him.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a top Trump ally, predicted Monday that Trump will “make the best out of this” New York trial. “Democrats in New York and the judge and everyone,” she said, “they’re really going to regret it.”

Not everyone was on board Tuesday, though. At least a few usual Sanaa customers expressed frustration over their lack of access to the store.

“I gotta deal with this s—-!” one yelled.

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Day 4 of Trump New York hush money trial

From CNN's Jeremy Herb, Lauren del Valle and Kara Scannell in the courthouse

We've wrapped up our live updates. Learn more about Friday's proceedings by scrolling through the posts below, and return on Monday for more live coverage of Trump's hush money criminal trial .

Man who lit himself on fire outside of the courthouse has died, law enforcement official says

From CNN's John Miller

The man who lit himself on fire outside of the Manhattan courthouse where Donald Trump’s trial was taking place died Friday night, a senior law enforcement official told CNN.

NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey B. Maddrey said earlier that the man walked into the center of Collect Pond Park, which is directly across from the courthouse.

He opened his backpack and took out pamphlets that he scattered in the park before setting himself on fire.

The man was taken to Cornell Burn Center earlier in critical condition. Police had said they thought it was not likely that he would survive.

Key takeaways from the final day of jury selection in Trump's hush money trial

From CNN's Jeremy Herb and Lauren del Valle

The historic first criminal trial of a former US president begins with opening statements on Monday.

Judge Juan Merchan swiftly  moved through consideration of roughly 200 potential jurors  to find a jury pool of 18 by midday Friday, swearing in 12 jurors and six alternates who will decide Donald Trump’s fate in the New York hush money case.

Here are takeaways from the final day of jury selection:

• The jury is set: Four women and one man were  added to the jury on Friday as five of the six alternates for the case. They will sit in the jury box and will hear the duration of the trial, but they will only be put on the jury should one or more of the 12 jurors be excused from the case. Prosecutors focused their questions in the case on preparing the jurors to accept testimony from less-than-favorable witnesses, like Michael Cohen. Trump’s attorneys, meanwhile, were almost singularly focused on a single question: What did jurors think about Donald Trump?
• Final round of juror questions highlights emotional decision for potential jurors: There were several emotional moments during Friday morning’s questioning of potential jurors, with two jurors telling the judge in the middle of voir dire that they no longer felt they could serve. One female prospective juror who works in sales for a trading company began crying when she was handed the microphone. At one point after that jury had left, another juror raised her hand and told the court she started feeling “high anxiety” as she sat and listened to a line of questioning about the credibility of witnesses.
• Trump is still trying to stop his trial: Despite seating a jury, Trump’s legal team again tried to stop the trial in its tracks with another strategic appeal. In a new motion filed Friday morning, Trump’s lawyers once again asked an appeals court to temporarily halt the trial until they ruled on Trump’s appeal to move the venue of the hush money trial out of Manhattan. The motion was denied.
• A hearing on Trump’s gag order violations is set for Tuesday: Despite Trump’s attempts to delay, opening statements in his criminal trial will begin Monday morning. On Tuesday, the morning will shift to Trump’s discussion of witnesses in the case, as Merchan plans to hold a hearing on social media posts by the former president that prosecutors say violated his gag order. They’re asking the judge to fine Trump $1,000 per post and remind him that violations of the gag order could result in imprisonment.

5 alternate jurors were selected Friday. Here's what we know about them

From CNN's Kara Scannell, Lauren del Valle, and Jeremy Herb

The full panel in Donald Trump's hush money trial has been set after five alternate jurors were selected Friday.

Remember: A full 12-person jury was seated earlier this week, along with one alternate juror.

Here's what we know about the alternate jurors selected Friday:

Alternate Juror #1

• A woman originally from Spain
• Not currently working
• Married with adult children
• Likes to travel
• Says she does not follow the news and does not have any social media accounts
• Says she doesn't "have strong opinions about former President Donald Trump that would interfere" with her ability to be a fair and impartial juror

Alternate Juror #3

• A native New Yorker
• He is a fan of martial arts

Alternate Juror #4

• A contract specialist who has previously lived in New Jersey and Oregon
• She is married with two children
• Says she likes to see live music and take her boys to basketball games
• Says she’s “not a big news person” but looks at The New York Times, Reuters and the BBC
• Does have social media profiles but doesn’t post or use them

Alternate Juror #5

• Works for a clothing company
• Says she gets her news from Google

Alternate Juror #6

• Project manager for a construction company
• She is divorced with three sons
• Her boyfriend is in law enforcement
• Says she listens to true crime podcasts
• Her father was convicted of a federal crime when she was in high school but she said she was shielded from the details

The full jury is sworn in. Catch up on what happened ahead of opening statements in the hush money trial

From CNN staff

The full jury panel has now been seated in the hush money trial against Donald Trump, clearing the way for opening statements to start on Monday.

There are 12 jurors and six alternates who will hear the case against the former president.

Opening statements are set to begin Monday at 9:30 a.m. ET. Court will be a half day on Monday and Tuesday due to Passover, ending at 2 p.m. ET each day.

Leaving the courthouse Friday, Trump again called the trial a "giant witch hunt." Just hours after jury selection finished, an appeals court denied Trump’s latest attempt to stop the trial from going forward.

Here’s what happened today:

Finishing jury selection:

• The remaining five alternates were sworn in on Friday. All 12 jurors and one alternate were selected Thursday.
• The day started with a group of  22 potential jurors answering a questionnaire and facing more questions from lawyers on both sides.
• Trump watched the alternates' answers very closely as they shared their opinions of him, turning toward the jury box as they responded. 
• Before the lunch break, Judge Juan Merchan gave the jurors instructions not to discuss the case with others or research it. He said the court cannot start until all 18 jurors are present each day.

Sandoval hearing:

• The judge held a Sandoval hearing in the afternoon after the full jury was sworn in. The routine procedure aimed to address Trump’s criminal history and assess how much prosecutors can ask about it if the defendant testifies.
• Prosecutors want to bring up past cases — including a $355 million civil fraud order and the E. Jean Carroll defamation case — but the former president's legal team argues those issues aren't relevant to the case at hand .
• The judge said lawyers will have his decision on that matter by Monday.
• It's not yet clear whether the former president will testify. But coming out of the courtroom, Trump said “yes” when asked whether he would take the stand.

Meantime: A New York appeals court judge denied Trump’s motion for an interim stay pending a  change of venue appeal . This was the latest attempt by the former president to stop the hush money trial before opening statements.

Outside the courtroom:

• A man lit himself on fire outside the courthouse , New York Police Chief of Department Jeffrey B. Maddrey said.
• The man walked into the park across the street from the courthouse, throwing flyers into the air , according to Maddrey. He then pulled a canister of what police believe to be an accelerant and lit himself on fire, he said.
• The man is in critical condition at Cornell Burn Unit.
• NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said police have not determined if the incident was related to Trump’s trial. He said the man did post about the incident on social media and that his internet presence will be part of the ongoing investigation .

See courtroom sketches from Trump's first criminal trial

No cameras are allowed inside the Manhattan courtroom where Donald Trump's hush money is underway, but sketch artists are capturing the scenes.

Trump’s request for interim stay of criminal trial is denied

From CNN's Lauren del Valle

A New York appeals court judge denied Donald Trump’s motion for an interim stay pending a change of venue appeal of his criminal trial.

This was the latest attempt by the former president to stop the hush money trial right before opening statements, which are set to be heard on Monday.

Judge Marsha Michael gave five minutes for each side to argue their case at the hastily arranged hearing Friday afternoon.

Trump says judge in New York hush money case “wants this to go as fast as possible”

From CNN's Kate Sullivan and Kaanita Iyer

Former President Donald Trump spoke to reporters as he exited the courtroom Friday, and said Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the hush money trial, “wants this to go as fast as possible."

“The trial starts on Monday, which is long before a lot of people thought. The judge wants this to go as fast as possible. That’s for his reasons, not for my reasons,” Trump said.

The former president also called the trial "a giant witch hunt" and railed against people involved in the separate New York civil fraud case — including Judge Arthur Engoron and New York Attorney General Letitia James — to make the case that Democrats are targeting him.

Court has adjourned

The court has adjourned for the day. Opening statements in the hush money trial are expected to begin Monday.

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Trump goes from court to campaign at a bodega in his heavily Democratic hometown

Fresh from a Manhattan courtroom, Donald Trump arrived at a Harlem bodega for a campaign stop after his second day in court.

Following a protracted questionnaire phase and hours of questioning on Tuesday, seven jurors were seated by the time the court adjourned on the second day of Donald Trump’s hush money trial. (AP produced by Javier Arciga)

Former president Donald Trump talks with bodega owner Maad Ahmed, center, during a visit to his store, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New York. Fresh from a Manhattan courtroom, Donald Trump visited a New York bodega where a man was stabbed to death, a stark pivot for the former president as he juggles being a criminal defendant and the Republican challenger intent on blaming President Joe Biden for crime. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

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Former president Donald Trump, talks to members of the media while visiting a bodega, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, who’s owner was attacked last year in New York. Fresh from a Manhattan courtroom, Donald Trump visited a New York bodega where a man was stabbed to death, a stark pivot for the former president as he juggles being a criminal defendant and the Republican challenger intent on blaming President Joe Biden for crime. Alba’s attorney, Rich Cardinale, second from left, and Fransisco Marte, president of the Bodega Association, looked on. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Former president Donald Trump, talks to New York Police officers after visiting a bodega, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, who’s owner was attacked last year in New York. Fresh from a Manhattan courtroom, Donald Trump visited a New York bodega where a man was stabbed to death, a stark pivot for the former president as he juggles being a criminal defendant and the Republican challenger intent on blaming President Joe Biden for crime. Alba’s attorney, Rich Cardinale, second from left, and Fransisco Marte, president of the Bodega Association, looked on. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Former president Donald Trump, motions to a crowd after visiting a bodega, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, who’s owner was attacked last year in New York. Fresh from a Manhattan courtroom, Donald Trump visited a New York bodega where a man was stabbed to death, a stark pivot for the former president as he juggles being a criminal defendant and the Republican challenger intent on blaming President Joe Biden for crime. Alba’s attorney, Rich Cardinale, second from left, and Fransisco Marte, president of the Bodega Association, looked on. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Former president Donald Trump, poses for a photo with New York Police officers after visiting a bodega, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, who’s owner was attacked last year in New York. Fresh from a Manhattan courtroom, Donald Trump visited a New York bodega where a man was stabbed to death, a stark pivot for the former president as he juggles being a criminal defendant and the Republican challenger intent on blaming President Joe Biden for crime. Alba’s attorney, Rich Cardinale, second from left, and Fransisco Marte, president of the Bodega Association, looked on. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

NEW YORK (AP) — Fresh from a Manhattan courtroom, Donald Trump visited a New York bodega where a man was stabbed to death, a stark pivot for the former president as he juggles being a criminal defendant and the Republican challenger intent on blaming President Joe Biden for crime.

Trump stopped by Sanaa Convenient Store, a tiny bodega that sells chips, sodas and other snacks. Trump aides said the former president and presumptive GOP nominee chose the store because it has been the site of a violent attack on an employee, a case that resulted in public criticism for the district attorney now prosecuting him.

The visit was Trump’s first campaign appearance since his criminal hush money trial began, making the presumptive GOP nominee the first former president in U.S. history to stand criminal trial.

Trump will be confined to the courtroom on most days, dramatically limiting his movements and his ability to campaign, fundraise and make calls, as opposed to Biden, who campaigned Tuesday in Pennsylvania , a key battleground state. Trump aides have answered by planning rallies and other political events on weekends and Wednesdays, the one weekday when court is not supposed to be in session. Plans also include more local appearances Trump can make after court recesses each day.

For months, Trump has assailed Democratic-run cities as crime-ridden and overrun with migrants who have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border, even as violent crime has fallen in the U.S. With his local campaign stop in Harlem, Trump blended that familiar, if often exaggerated, message with his promise to make a serious play at winning his native state despite its heavily Democratic lean.

“They want law and order ... every week they’re being robbed,” Trump said of businesses in New York, as he tried to compare his prosecution with what happens on New York streets. “You know where the crime is? It’s in the bodegas.”

Contrary to Trump’s rhetoric, FBI statistics show overall violent crime dropped nationally in 2023 after COVID-era spikes that began in 2020, when Trump was president. Crime also has fallen in New York City since the pandemic peaks.

Former president Donald Trump talks with bodega owner Maad Ahmed, center, during a visit to his store, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Still, in July 2022, Jose Alba, a clerk at the store Trump visited in Hamilton Heights, a heavily Hispanic section of Harlem, was attacked by 35-year-old Austin Simon. The resulting altercation, captured on surveillance video, ended with Alba fatally stabbing Simon. Alba, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, was arrested and charged with murder but the Manhattan district attorney dropped the charges within weeks, saying they could not prove Alba had not acted in self-defense.

Before his arrival, Trump’s campaign distributed materials to journalists criticizing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for his handling of the stabbing case, including the weeks Alba spent jailed at Rikers Island. Bragg oversees the office now prosecuting Trump.

Bragg’s office responded Tuesday after news of Trump’s plans emerged.

Simon’s death and Alba’s case were “resolved nearly two years ago, and the charges were dismissed after a thorough investigation,” the statement said. “D.A. Bragg’s top priority remains combating violent crime and the office has worked hand in hand with the NYPD to drive down overall crime in Manhattan.”

Former president Donald Trump, poses for a photo with New York Police officers after visiting a bodega, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, who’s owner was attacked last year in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Bragg’s office cited statistics showing double-digit drops in homicides and shootings in Manhattan over the last two years.

Trump’s campaign also billed the convenience store stop as a venue to highlight rising consumer prices during Biden’s presidency. Trump skipped over those talking points, though, focusing instead on his depictions of New York crime and asserting that the judicial system is letting criminals go free.

“They don’t pick them up — they go after Trump,” he said.

The former president’s effort in Harlem affirms his intentions to campaign in his home state, even though New York remains overwhelmingly Democratic. In 2020, Biden garnered more than 60% of the vote in the state and ran up even wider margins in New York City. Trump insists he can win New York in November anyway, and he has mused about holding rallies in the South Bronx and Queens, where the former president was born and grew up, and even Madison Square Garden.

“I may rent Madison Square Garden,” he said in an interview with Breitbart News . “That’s the belly of the beast, right?”

That would be a prohibitively expensive proposition, particularly as his campaign has worked to save cash as it confronts a fundraising gap with Biden.

“We’re going to make a heavy play for New York,” Trump said Tuesday, part of his promise to put more states in play .

At the least, Trump, long a famous figure for New Yorkers, showed that he can still turn heads in the city.

Throughout the afternoon, the crowds around the bodega grew half a dozen deep as word of Trump’s impending visit spread. Barricades were set up along Broadway, between 139th and 140th Streets, in advance of Trump’s appearance. The patio of the Mexican restaurant next door was packed with onlookers, and staff from a hair salon on the other side gathered by their open door.

“Papito Trump is coming. Yeah!” said one passerby ahead of the former president’s arrival.

As Trump arrived, children climbed scaffolding around nearby buildings to get a better view. Trump shook hands with people standing behind police barricades before entering the bodega, where Plexiglas separates customers from the cash register.

“I love this city,” Trump told reporters after emerging from the store. “We’re going to straighten New York out.”

Trump has argued that the ongoing influx of migrants to the city, where he grew his real estate empire and became a tabloid fixture, has made New Yorkers more willing to vote for him since his 2020 loss to Biden. The city has struggled to house the new arrivals, putting many up in city hotels.

“I think we have a chance. New York has changed a lot in the last two years,” he recently told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo. “The people of New York are angry. People that would have never voted for me because I’m a Republican ... I think they’re going to vote for me.”

Former president Donald Trump, talks to New York Police officers after visiting a bodega, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, who’s owner was attacked last year in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

He doubled down on that take Tuesday, claiming that migrants “are coming from jails and prisons and mental institutions,” even though there is no evidence to support that claim — reminiscent of his 2015 speech to launch his first presidential campaign .

Trump’s prospects will depend on voters like Lesandra Carrion, a 47-year-old who lives in the neighborhood and came out to see the former president when she heard he might be visiting.

She said she doesn’t agree with everything Trump says or does but declared that “he speaks the truth.” Carrion cited the rising migrant population and strained city resources. “I think that he will make a difference,” she said of Trump.

As for his troubles at the courthouse at the south end of Manhattan, Carrion was dismissive. “He’s going to beat that,” she said. “We all make mistakes at the end of the day. But he’s the truth and light. I feel that God is in him.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a top Trump ally, predicted Monday that Trump will “make the best out of this” New York trial. “Democrats in New York and the judge and everyone,” she said, “they’re really going to regret it.”

Not everyone was on board Tuesday, though.

Steven Kopstein, a 63-year-old neighborhood resident, expressed disgust at Trump’s visit and occasionally jeered at Trump supporters as he walked through the crowd with his dog.

“You’re not welcome here,” Kopstein said of Trump, calling it ironic for the former president to rail against crime immediately after spending all day at a defendant’s table. “He’s done so much to hurt immigrants and migrants and this neighborhood’s full of them. It’s crazy to me that these people would support him. I just don’t understand it.”

___ Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed.

New York AG Letitia James asks judge to void Trump's bond in his civil fraud verdict

New York Attorney General Letitia James on Friday asked that a judge void former President Donald Trump's bond in his civil fraud case, questioning whether the company that issued it has the funds to back it up.

In a 26-page filing ahead of a pre-scheduled hearing on Monday, James expressed concern about whether Knight Specialty Insurance Company could secure the $175 million bond. She also argued that the collateral put up by the former president should be under the full control of the company.

One of James' concerns about KSIC is that the insurer "is not authorized to write business in New York and thus not regulated by the state’s insurance department." She added that the company "had never before written a surety bond in New York or in the prior two years in any other jurisdiction, and has a total policyholder surplus of just $138 million."

James also criticized Trump's team's apparent hold on the collateral put up to back the bond.

"KSIC does not now have an exclusive right to control the account and will not obtain such control unless and until it exercises a right to do so on two days’ notice ," she wrote.

Neither Trump's lawyers nor KSIC immediately responded to a request for comment.

Trump attorney Alina Habba previously said when the former president's bond was posted that he "looks forward to vindicating his rights on appeal and overturning this unjust verdict."

The new filing comes after James filed a notice earlier this month seeking more information about the former president's bond. In that filing, she asked that Trump's lawyers or the insurance company "file a motion to justify the surety bond" or provide additional information about the collateral put up by Trump within 10 days.

The bond for Trump and his co-defendants was reduced by a state appeals court to $175 million in March, down from $464 million. Trump had been liable for $454 million, the vast majority of the original sum. The former president has repeatedly slammed the case against him and denied any wrongdoing.

James’ filing comes as Trump was in the courtroom for his New York criminal hush money case where he faces 34 counts of falsifying business records and as a state appeals court judge rejected Trump’s request for a emergency stay of the trial. A jury has been seated in that case and arguments are set to begin on Monday. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all counts.

Adam Reiss is a reporter and producer for NBC and MSNBC.

Megan Lebowitz is a politics reporter for NBC News.

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Trump Holds Series of Meetings With Foreign Leaders

The former president has had several private interactions with foreign heads of state and their emissaries. He plans to meet Wednesday with Poland’s president.

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By Jonathan Swan ,  Maggie Haberman and Michael Crowley

Donald J. Trump plans to meet with the right-wing president of Poland this week, the latest in a series of his private interactions with leaders or emissaries from countries from the Persian Gulf to Eastern Europe, many of whom share an affinity with his brand of politics.

Mr. Trump is expected to have dinner in New York with Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, on Wednesday, his one day off from court this week, according to two people briefed on the arrangements who were not authorized to discuss them publicly. The meeting was mentioned as a possibility by Mr. Duda on X shortly after The New York Times approached his office for comment.

It will be a reunion for Mr. Trump and Mr. Duda, who once proposed naming a military base after Mr. Trump and who now shares power in Poland with a rival whose politics are much more aligned with those of President Biden.

Mr. Trump’s other recent interactions with foreign leaders and their representatives include a phone call he had last month with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, which was previously undisclosed. A senior Bahraini official described it as “a social call.”

The quickening tempo of this foreign outreach is in one sense unsurprising. Foreign leaders read the polls and understand that Mr. Trump could return to power.

Richard Haass, a former diplomat and the president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, said there was nothing inherently wrong with such interactions. “There’s nothing unusual — or to put it positively, there’s everything usual — about foreign leaders meeting with the American equivalent of the leader of the opposition,” Mr. Haass said.

Mr. Trump would cross a red line, however, with any attempt to influence the words or actions of foreign leaders — for instance, by asking for expressions of support or that they take steps to undermine Mr. Biden’s policies, he said. “Then he is carrying out a foreign policy,” Mr. Haass said, adding, “This is all fine in principle. It just depends on the actual content in practice.”

The meetings nevertheless carry political sensitivities. Many foreign embassies are conducting their outreach quietly, through emissaries, to avoid angering the Biden administration. And countries that have connected directly with Mr. Trump through their heads of state tend to be governments whose leaders have quarreled with Mr. Biden, or who had a relationship with Mr. Trump as president.

In late March, for example, Mr. Trump spoke by phone with the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. The call was arranged by Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who was visiting with Prince Mohammed at the time, two people familiar with the call said.

As president, Mr. Trump had a warm relationship with Prince Mohammed, and deflected outrage over the 2018 murder of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, in an operation U.S. intelligence officials assessed was conducted on the crown prince’s orders . Mr. Biden by contrast has condemned Prince Mohammed for the killing, although they have since established a working relationship.

Earlier in March, Mr. Trump hosted Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary at Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Florida.

Mr. Orban is a right-wing nationalist who has been at odds with Mr. Biden and other European leaders over the war in Ukraine and his efforts to crack down on the Hungarian press and judiciary. Mr. Orban has often appeared — as Mr. Trump has — to be sympathetic to the goals of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and has endorsed Mr. Trump’s campaign for president. He did not meet with Mr. Biden during his U.S. visit.

The dinner with Mr. Duda on Wednesday also fits a similar pattern. Mr. Duda represents Poland’s powerful conservative nationalist party, which dominated the country for years until recently and — in ways similar to Mr. Orban — clamped down on the press and judiciary and feuded with the European Union.

Since national elections in 2023, Mr. Duda has shared power with a bitter political rival, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a former senior E.U. official who casts himself in opposition to Mr. Duda and Mr. Duda’s Law and Justice Party as a defender of democracy.

In March of last year, Mr. Duda and Mr. Tusk set aside their differences and paid a joint visit to Mr. Biden at the White House to show a united front against Russia’s war in Ukraine. Unlike Mr. Orban, Mr. Duda is an unwavering critic of Russia’s invasion.

But Mr. Duda will be rekindling close ties with Mr. Trump, who hosted the Polish president at the White House in June 2020, just four days before Mr. Duda faced a closely contested re-election vote. Some analysts said the meeting amounted to an improper endorsement of Mr. Duda, who during the visit proposed naming a planned U.S. military base in Poland “Fort Trump.”

Brian Hughes, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, said the meetings and calls from world leaders “reflect the recognition of what we already know here at home. When President Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, the world will be more secure and America will be prosperous.”

Richard Fontaine, a former foreign policy adviser to Senator John McCain, agreed that Mr. Trump’s meetings were not extraordinary. But he said it was unusual for a foreign leader to overtly side with the chief opponent of the U.S. president.

“What’s unusual here is that heads of state generally remain studiously neutral in their outreach,” Mr. Fontaine said. “In the case of Orban, at least, he has publicly thrown in with Trump.”

Nothing obliges Mr. Trump to coordinate his meetings with the U.S. State Department. Spokesmen for the agency did not respond when asked whether the department has had any communication with Mr. Trump’s team.

Other foreign outreach to Mr. Trump is less about defying Mr. Biden and more about building a personal relationship to put the country in a more favorable position should Mr. Trump retake the presidency.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has publicly invited Mr. Trump to visit his country to see the war for himself.

A person close to Mr. Zelensky, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said the Ukrainian president appreciated that the Trump administration was the first to give lethal aid to Ukraine — something the Obama administration had not done. This person said that several people close to Mr. Trump who are ardent supporters of Ukraine have pushed a similar message to what Mr. Zelensky has said publicly.

Mr. Trump has made various statements about Ukraine since the invasion that have offered little clarity about his thinking about the conflict, but he has raised concerns by saying that he would encourage Russian aggression against NATO members who fail to meet their financial commitments to the organization.

Current and former representatives of the British government have also been in touch with Mr. Trump. Finland’s ambassador to the U.S., Mikko Hautala, has reached out directly to him and sought to persuade him of his country’s value to NATO as a new member, according to two people familiar with the conversations.

For U.S. officials, Mr. Trump’s conversation with Prince Mohammed was much more worrisome.

Mr. Biden is negotiating a delicate security agreement with Saudi Arabia that could form part of a grander deal — one in which Riyadh establishes formal diplomatic relations with Israel for the first time. Because such a deal could include new steps toward a Palestinian state, Biden officials see it as a critical exit ramp from the Gaza conflict.

But some officials fear that Mr. Trump, whose real-estate company has a deal with a Saudi firm for a project in Oman, could try to persuade Prince Mohammed to wait until after the November election, thus giving Mr. Trump an opportunity to preside over the deal as president.

Jonathan Swan is a political reporter covering the 2024 presidential election and Donald Trump’s campaign. More about Jonathan Swan

Maggie Haberman is a senior political correspondent reporting on the 2024 presidential campaign, down ballot races across the country and the investigations into former President Donald J. Trump. More about Maggie Haberman

Michael Crowley covers the State Department and U.S. foreign policy for The Times. He has reported from nearly three dozen countries and often travels with the secretary of state. More about Michael Crowley

Our Coverage of the 2024 Election

Presidential Race

President Biden’s campaign has featured initiatives aimed at young people , union workers and environmentalists  as well as calling for tariffs on Chinese steel , but it is not clear that they will be sufficient  to rekindle support in those groups.

American voters absorbed their first view of a split-screen campaign:  President Biden sprinting across one of the country’s top battleground states and former President Donald J. Trump sitting in a New York courtroom.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that he had secured a spot on the ballot in Michigan, as more than a dozen members  of his family endorsed  President Biden. Additionally, activists who worked with Kennedy at an environmental nonprofit group urged him to drop his presidential bid .

A Generation Gap: Many older Black voters see moral and political reasons to vote, but younger Black voters feel far less motivated to cast a ballot for Democrats or even at all .

Vice-Presidential Calculations: As Trump sifts through potential running mates, he has peppered some advisers and associates with a direct question: Which Republican could best help him raise money ?

Embracing the Jan. 6 Rioters:  Trump initially disavowed the attack on the Capitol, but he is now making it a centerpiece of his campaign .

Mobilizing the Left: Amid the war in Gaza, the pro-Palestinian movement has grown into a powerful, if disjointed, political force in the United States. Democrats are feeling the pressure .