This realistic List of Best Places to Visit in New York helps you plan a trip to “The Empire State”.

New York is a Northeastern state that borders 5 other states and Canada. It is home to New York City, the largest city in the country. But there is more to “The Empire State” than “The Big Apple”.

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New York is the 27th largest state by territory. But its 20 million residents place it 4th on the list of the most populous states. Just under half of New York’s population resides in New York City.

Still, New York does not have the same population density issues as Southwestern states of Arizona or Utah. Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, and Syracuse all have over 100 thousand residents each.

This fact makes finding a place to stay easier in New York than in other states with similar population patterns. You will also see a term Upstate New York sooner or later. It includes all areas north of NYC.

Thanks to New York’s territory and varied landscapes, there is a lot to see. There are skyscrapers in Manhattan and mansions in the Hudson Valley. Historic forts and mountains are in Upstate New York.

Powerful waterfalls, scenic rivers, and Finger Lakes are also in the Empire State. This List of the Best Places to Visit in New York helps you pick the top destinations.

1. Vanderbilt Mansion

Vanderbilt Mansion is the best place to visit in New York. This National Historic Site gives you a chance to see the 1899 summer home of the Vanderbilt family.

The mansion is nested on the bluffs in the Middle Hudson Valley. A road trip to the Vanderbilt Mansion is scenic. You will pass Bear Mountain and the house museums in Hyde Park on the way to this park.

A monumental gate and the White Bridge over Crum Elbow Creek will welcome you to the Vanderbilt Estate. You will drive past lawns and groves before reaching the Visitor Center in the Pavilion.

Get on the earliest available mansion tour. The tour is free if you have a valid America the Beautiful annual pass. It brings you savings of $10 per adult.

The tour of the Vanderbilt Mansion is a mix of guided narration and self guided exploration. You will get key information at the Porch and the Entrance Hall.

You are free to visit all the rooms on three floors after that. Stop to admire the marble fireplace mantels, wooden furniture pieces, and works of arts. The Dining Room and Living Room are a sight to see.

Stop by the Formal Gardens after the tour if you visit the park in the spring or early summer. Its plants will be in full bloom. They are a perfect addition to the pergolas and sculptures throughout the gardens.

Take a stroll on the cliff-top trail. Rugged slopes of the hills are perfect to see the Hudson River below. And stop by the blooming magnolias and cherries for some spring blossom pictures.

2. Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is the second best place to visit in New York. It is the most powerful waterfall in North America. The falls are in Upstate New York near same name town and Buffalo.

Niagara Falls are also right on the boarder with Canada. This location could present a challenge to get the most from a visit to Niagara Falls. Go to Niagara Falls State Park to view the falls in the U.S.

The park is open all the time. While the park does not charge admission fees, you might need to pay for some activities, like a boat tour. There is also a parking fee that ranges from $5 (winter) to $15 (summer).

There are three waterfalls in Niagara Falls. You could get the best look at American Falls. It is a 110-ft (34-m) tall waterfall. There is viewpoint and an Observation Tower to get nice views.

Canada has much better views of Bridal Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls. But not everyone has a passport or visas ready to go. Still, there are other ways to see these waterfalls without leaving the country.

You could board Maid of the Mist. This boat will bring you upstream on the Niagara River. You will see Horseshoe Falls and Bridal Veil Falls from the river level.

Get ready to be soaking wet. Waterproof boots, jackets, and free rain ponchos will do little to protect you from water and mist. Niagara Falls are such a powerful waterfall for a reason.

There is also a way to see Bridal Veil Falls from a close distance. Cave of the Winds is an observation deck right next to this waterfall. You could take an elevator down before enduring water and mist.

3. Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is one of the best places to visit in New York. This national symbol is a must-visit destination in New York City area.

You could get a distant look of the monument from Battery Park in Lower Manhattan. Red Hook neighborhood in Brooklyn is another place to enjoy the Statue from land.

You need to take a Statue of Liberty ferry to see this monument up-close. Battery Park is the ferry departure point in New York City. You could also start your journey from Liberty State Park in New Jersey.

The ferries run every day of the year between 9 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. While summer schedule has a few later departures, the afternoon ferries leave you less time to explore the monument.

Book your Statue of Liberty ferry weeks if not months in advance. This is the only way to get a ticket for your desired day. You could also choose between general admission, Pedestal, and Crown Access.

All three options cost about the same ($25 per adult). If you are able to climb 377 stairs to the top of the Statue, the Crown is a no-brainer choice. Pick the earliest possible ferry and go right to the Statue.

These tips could help you have slightly smaller crowds. Budget another 30 minutes or so to go through a security check before boarding the ferry. Another check takes place before entering the Statue.

You should visit Ellis Island after the Statue. The National Museum of Immigration is part of the ferry ticket. You could add a hard cap tour of the abandoned Immigrant Hospital for another $50 per adult.

4. Springwood / Home of FDR

Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt is another great museum to see in New York. This site in Hyde Park protects the house of the 32nd President of the United States.

Springwood is a 1793 mansion that lived through a few redesigns. There is a good chance that it will be undergoing another restoration when your visit. It is the way to preserve a 230-year-old mansion.

A guided tour of the FDR Home is a must-do in this park. You will see common areas and bedrooms on the ground and the second floors of the mansion.

The interior of the mansion is left as it was in 1941. You will see plenty of original items that the President used when he lived in Springwood.

There are a few sights in the park on the way to Springwood. Stop by Rose Garden, Home Garden, and Stables. Or take a walk down the Forest Trail to the shore of the Hudson River.

A confusing fee structure presents a challenge when visiting this park. The presence of the FDR Presidential Library and Museum is to blame for some of the confusion.

It is free to walk the park grounds. A tour of Springwood is free with an America the Beautiful annual pass. Otherwise, the tour costs $10 per adult. The Library and Museum visit is another $10 per adult.

FDR Home is one of the most popular house museums in Hyde Park. It is a good idea to visit it first before the Vanderbilt Mansion, Mills Mansion, and Val-Kill Cottage.

5. Bear Mountain

Bear Mountain is a state park in the Hudson Valley. This park is a perfect destination to escape New York City on a day trip. It is a great place to visit in New York for avid hikers.

There 40 miles (64 km) of hiking trails in Bear Mountain. They range from moderate to strenuous in difficulty. You are looking at over 700 ft (213 m) in elevation gain for nearly all hikes.

Most trails in the park are out-and-back hikes. They take anywhere from 4 miles (6 km) to 23 miles (37 km). As a result, Bear Mountain is not a park to visit for beginner hikers.

But experienced hikers would enjoy these challenging trails. There is a lot to look forward to. Most hikes in Bear Mountain have amazing views of the Hudson River and the surrounding mountains.

You could also find Bear Mountain State Park a worthwhile destination even if hiking is not your thing. In this case, just drive your car on Perkins Memorial Drive.

You could get to the top of Bear Mountain without needing to hike a single mile (km). This scenic drive has all the main sights in the park.

Make sure to stop at Perkins Memorial Tower. This 40-ft (12-m) high building is great for panoramic views. It also tells the story of George Walbridge Perkins using wall tiles.

The Bear Mountain Bridge is another structure you could admire from Bear Mountain. This suspension bridge dates back to 1924. It is an engineering masterpiece over the Hudson River.

6. Mills Mansion in Staatsburgh

The Mills Mansion in Staatsburgh State Historic Site is a great destination to visit in New York. It is the third house museum in the Hyde Park area on this list.

This park has a tough-to-spell name. But the views are well worth the effort of getting it right on the map. This 1896 Beaux-Arts Mansion with Greek Revival elements is a landmark of the Gilded Age.

The Mills Mansion is older and bigger than the nearby Vanderbilt Mansion. But it attracts a lot less visitors. This is your chance to tour a 65-room house without large crowds.

The tours run Thursday to Sunday during most of the year. A spot on the tour costs $10 per adult. America the Beautiful annual pass is of no use here since Staatsburgh is run by New York State.

On the bright side, you could secure a spot well in advance thanks to the online booking system. It gives the Mills Mansion another edge over the Vanderbilt Mansion and Springwood.

Make sure to walk the park grounds. Stop by the Cove House, Powerhouse, and Historic Greenhouse Area. Spring blossom and fall foliage are the best seasons to visit Staatsburgh State Historic Site.

The Esopus Meadows Lighthouse is a sure highlight of your walk through the grounds. This active lighthouse is in the middle of the Hudson River. It helps boats with navigation to this date.

If you take any of the trails in the park, you will wander into nearby state parks. Ogden Mills & Ruth Livingston Mills State Park and Mills Norrie State Park are also free to explore.

7. Ithaca Waterfalls

Ithaca is one of the best small towns to visit in New York. This college town in the Finger Lakes region is at the base of Cayuga Lake.

Home to the Ivy League’s Cornell University, Ithaca has its fair share of historic buildings. Take a campus walk around Beebe Lake. See the Sackett Foot Bridge, Fuertes Observatory, and Botanic Gardens.

This area is at its best during the fall foliage season. A lot of visitors travel far to take a look at the Sackett Foot Bridge in the fall. Colorful trees are a perfect background for your pictures.

The fast flowing Fall Creek will add tranquility to your walk. Get ready to see a number of cascades and no name falls as you explore Beebe Lake.

But there is one other reason to add Ithaca to your next trip. As the slogan of the town goes, “Ithaca is Gorges”. You will find an amazing number of river gorges and waterfalls in Ithaca.

You could see a few waterfalls right on Cornell University campus. See Triphammer Falls, Rocky Falls, and Horseshoe Falls before leaving the area.

The bridges over Fall Creek are the best way to see the waterfalls on campus. Expect to see the falls with the historic dams and a hydroelectric plant in the background.

Make sure to visit Ithaca Falls next. This 150-ft (46-m) high waterfall might not rival most waterfalls in Iceland. Still, it is powerful enough to cover the whole area with mist.

8. Fort Niagara

Fort Niagara is a state park at the mouth of the Niagara River and Lake Ontario. The park is right next to the international border between the United States and Canada.

This park deserves a much higher spot on this List of the Best Places to Visit in New York. It is a short drive or a free shuttle ride from world famous Niagara Falls.

The French Castle is the main structure of the fort. This 1727 three-story stone building looks a lot like a castle. The Land Defenses and Batteries give Fort Lee, Gateway, and Morristown a run for their money.

The North and South Redoubts are both functional and beautiful. You could even see Toronto Skyline with the CN Tower from the fort on a clear day.

This park is a combination of grey stone buildings, red brick walls, green laws, and blue waters. You could see the influence of the French, British, and Americans who held the fort over the years.

Very high admission price is the only downside of a visit to Fort Niagara State Park. It would cost you $20 per adult or $12 per child. This is an exorbitant price for a park.

Forget about using Empire Pass at Fort Niagara. The New York State Parks pass is not valid at this park. The per person admission fees add up quickly if you visit in a group.

Still, Fort Niagara deserves a visit if you could afford the admission price. You will get the most from this visit if you like architecture and history.

9. Finger Lakes

The Finger Lakes is a great region to visit in Upstate New York. It consists of eleven narrow and long lakes. All of these lakes are within a few dozen miles (km) from one another.

If you look at these lakes on a map or from a plane, you could see that they resemble fingers. This is how the Finger Lakes got their collective name.

These lakes are of glacial origin. As a result, there are a lot of waterfalls, creeks, gorges, and mountains near the Finger Lakes.

You should head to Ithaca or Watkins Glen to see the best waterfalls in the region. Make sure to stop at Taughannock Falls. This waterfall drops 215 ft (66 m). It is the highest waterfall in the Finger Lakes.

Taughannock Falls are higher than Niagara Falls. This height would have been enough to put them within the top 20 of the tallest waterfalls in Iceland. It is quite an accomplishment in the land of waterfalls.

Without a doubt, fall is the best time to visit the Finger Lakes. Different elevation levels ensure that fall foliage season continues for a few weeks.

You could catch amazing color displays in the Finger Lakes. Visit Watkins Glen State Park to see fall foliage next to the falls and canyons.

10. Manhattan

Manhattan is a nice place to visit in New York. It is a borough in New York City. A lot of people would argue that it is the heart and the most well known part of NYC.

Manhattan is center of business, sports, and entertainment activity on the East Coast. A handful of the Manhattan landmarks became the symbols of the whole country.

Manhattan is home to not one but two highest buildings in the United States. Both One World Trade Center and Central Park Tower edge the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

Eight out of ten tallest buildings in the country are in New York. A few of them have observations decks. Head to the Empire State Building or the Edge for the great views of New York City.

Each neighborhood of Manhattan gives you something to explore. Lower Manhattan has 9/11 Memorial, Walls Street, Tribeca, and Chinatown.

Head to Midtown to see Times Square, Flatiron Building, Broadway Theater, and Bryant Park. Upper West Side and Upper East Side are next to famous Central Park.

There are a number of newer sights in Manhattan. Little Island Park and Vessel are a few additions to a destination that is already rich in places of interest.

Infamous traffic, lack of parking, and large crowds await you on a trip to Manhattan no matter when you visit. Get ready to pay toll if you drive. And budget at least $200 a night to stay in Manhattan.

11. Val-Kill Cottage

Val-Kill Cottage closes the list of the Best Places to Visit in New York. This house museum is part of Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site in Hyde Park.

The cottage is a few miles (km) inland from Springwood, the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt. This 1926 house used to be a factory and a vacation house for the First Lady.

Val-Kill could not be more different from Springwood. You will be in a different era when visiting this museum. And the construction date is only one reason for this feeling.

The cottage has three separate areas. Each of them has its own living room and amenities. This interior design has to do with the cottage use as a factory for local crafts.

Inconsistent opening hours are the main barrier for visiting Val-Kill. You could never be sure that it would be open. Therefore, Val-Kill scores lowest on the list of the house museums around Hyde Park.

You could still enjoy the beautiful grounds of Val-Kill even if the main cottage is closed. Capture reflections in the scenic pond.

Its wetlands are perfect for bird watching. You are very likely to see American robins and red-winged blackbirds no matter when you visit Val-Kill.

You could also explore the Stone Cottage, Doll House, and Playhouse from the outside. Check out a tennis course and a swimming pool. Or take a hike through the forest to the Top Cottage.

Takeaways: Best Places to Visit in New York

New York is one of the most visited states in the country. Yet, most visitors fly to the Empire State to visit New York City. They spend most of the time exploring the sights in Manhattan.

There is nothing wrong with visiting this vibrant city. You should see the Statue of Liberty, skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan, and Central Park at least once.

Still, New York is more than New York City. If you have only been to NYC, you have not seen most of the state. There are great places to visit in Upstate New York if you are willing to venture outside of the city.

Historic house museums in Hyde Park are a delight to visit for history lovers. Niagara Falls and the waterfalls in the Finger Lakes region could rival the waterfalls in Iceland.

The hiking trails in the Catskill or Adirondack Mountains are a paradise for adventure seekers. And, wine lovers could also find a new region or two in the Empire State.

Take a look at this Video List of the Best Places to Visit in New York. And visit the YouTube channel for the latest videos.

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