Queens is home to great museums, beautiful parks, nice restaurants, and attraction sites like the New York Hall of Science. Plan the most exciting trip to this New York borough with our list of some of the best things to do:
Admire Art at the Socrates Sculpture Park and Noguchi Museum 
Sculpture Park was formed after an American sculptor, Mark di Suvero, repurposed an abandoned landfill into a museum. This museum features art and works from famous artists, and it’s currently the only outdoor space that displays art in New York. You will also find giant sculptures built on-site by talented artists, and you can even stay around to ask the sculptors questions about their work.
A block away from the Socrates Sculpture Park is the Noguchi Museum, where you will find the works of Japanese American artist Isamu Noguchi. The museum boasts excellent paintings, sculptures, and an outdoor garden with the artist’s best works.
Take Pictures With Unisphere at Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Flushing Meadows Corona Park is the largest park in Queens and took center stage during the World Fair in 1964. This park features many attractions and recreational areas, including a theatre, museum, zoo, and the New York Hall of Science. This park also offers opportunities for fun outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and boating.
One of the park’s main attractions is the Unisphere, a 140-foot high steel, representing the structure of the earth and starring in the famous 1997 film, Men in Black. Join other visitors to take stunning pictures with the Unisphere while you’re at this park.
Enjoy Nature at Queens Botanical Garden
Queens Botanical Garden is a 39-acre of 25 gardens, including a herb garden, rose garden, and bee garden. This beautiful garden is located on the main street and also features a wedding garden with blooms that date back to the 20th century. Couples can book the gazebo at the wedding garden for nuptial celebrations. The garden also has an art gallery and arboretum and is a perfect destination for nature lovers.
Learn New Things at the New York Hall of Science
New York Hall of Science was built in 1964 to make science fun and more approachable for people. This museum is an interactive, hands-on science and technology center featuring over 400 exhibits on physics, chemistry, and biology. There’s a Mathematica exhibit that features interactive displays aimed at simplifying mathematics. New York Hall of Science also offers training and programs like creating experiments in the Design Labs and watching 3D films on nature.
Tour the Home of Louis Armstrong
This residence in Queens used to be the home of Jazz legend Louis Armstong after his retirement in the late 1960s. The house is open to visitors who want to tour the interior of his home and explore the displays of his personal collections. This home-turned-museum comprises 1,500 recordings, 86 scrapbooks, five trumpets, 5,000 photographs, and about 100 awards. Visitors here will also enjoy film screenings, exhibits, musical performances, and lectures about the trumpeter’s life.
Browse Through Displays at Queens Museums
Most of the attractions in Queens were built for the World’s Fair, and that includes the Queens Museum. This beautiful museum features displays from the 1964 World Fair, including the big panorama of New York City in 1992. This miniature display of the city features 895,000 buildings and 100 bridges. It’s a spectacular display!
You will also find other art displays, including 10,000 permanent displays and famous pieces related to art, design, and architecture. Queens Museum also hosts educational programs, workshops, and events for visitors.
Stroll Through the Rockaways
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By spurekar – Sunset on the boardwalk, CC BY 2.0, Link
Rockaway Peninsula is home to Rockaway Park, Rockaway Beach, and Rockaway Beach Boardwalk, all known as the Rockaways. You can hang out at Rockaway Beach, the largest urban beach in the USA where you can take a swim, enjoy a tan, or try to surf the waters. When you’re done, explore the recreational facilities at the Park, where you can enjoy games of hockey, handball, basketball, and skating. You can also go to the Boardwalk, where you can enjoy stunning views and local food at the restaurants.
Visit Alley Pond Park
By Jllm06 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
Alley Pond Park is the second largest park in Queens, and here you will find the Alley Pond Giant said to have sprouted about 400 years ago. The tree is the oldest and biggest tree in Queens, with a height of 133 feet. Visitors can enjoy rope courses and stroll the walking trails that take you over stunning views of the forest, tidal, meadows, and wetlands. Alley Pond Park is also filled with games courts, sports fields, playgrounds, and barbecue areas, making it a great place to visit.
See a Movie at the Museum of the Moving Image
By Pollack man34 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
One of the best things to do in Queens is visiting this stunning Museum of the Moving Image. Located in Astoria, this museum is a significant site for film and television. Moving Image features displays of movie equipment dating back to the 1800s and video games from the 20th century. This museum also shows movie screenings, and about 400 movies of different genres are played in the in-house theater every year. If you are here, you should enjoy one of the movies showing.
Have Beer at Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden
Founded in 1919, Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden is one of the oldest beer halls in New York. Here, you will find numerous beer taps offering Czech beer and spacious picnic tables where you can enjoy a menu of delicious Czech and Slovak cuisines.
Enjoy Delicious Meals at Arepa Lady
Arepa Lady used to be a street food joint that initially opened in 2014 before becoming a restaurant and moving to its permanent site in 2018. This people’s favorite restaurant serves savory arepa and other dishes like empanadas, patacones (fried plantains), burgers, chuzo, and others. If you’re here in the borough, we recommend you come here for a fantastic dining experience.
Bottom Line:
Queens is blessed with so many attractions making it one of the best New York boroughs to visit. While in New York, you should spend a day or two touring the different activities, museums, and landmarks in Queens.
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