Explore New York City During Open House Festival

The annual Open House New York Festival is set for October 17-19, providing a unique opportunity for the public to glimpse hidden treasures throughout the city. This event includes exclusive access to over 300 locations that are usually off-limits to visitors.

Kristin Loves, the executive director of the event, noted, “New York has never felt more generous than during Open House New York Weekend, when 1,400 volunteers guide tens of thousands of visitors around the city.”

This three-day celebration features tours spanning many intriguing sites, ranging from the MTA sign-making site in Maspeth, Queens, to the long-empty Bronx General Post Office, which showcases numerous murals dating from the New Deal era.

Inside the 1937 post office building, attendees can admire murals that depict hardworking New Yorkers, influenced by Walt Whitman’s poetry, as mentioned by the event organizers.

Other experiences include a Bronx soundstage with a life-size city replica, a canoe tour on the sludge-filled Gowanus Canal, and three hidden rooftop gardens located in Midtown Manhattan.

The gardens at Rockefeller Plaza and Fifth Avenue boast well-kept greenery, twisting walkways, and a reflecting pool, providing a tranquil view of St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

The festival describes the experience at Rockefeller Center’s 610 Loft & Garden: “From this elevated vantage point, visitors can view one of the city’s most iconic urban juxtapositions,” with St. Patrick’s neo-Gothic spire standing sharply against modern skyscrapers across Fifth Avenue.

More guided tours include a visit to the New York Sign Museum, where obsolete business signs can be seen, and the original Manhattan grid map at the residence of the Manhattan Borough President.

Visitors can also head to Governors Island to explore the Billion Oysters Project, which aims to restore oysters to New York waters. “Come inside to see interactive exhibits, live oyster touch tanks, hands-on activities for kids, and art exhibits that highlight the connection between oysters, people, and the harbor,” the event’s website states.

Although tickets have sold out for some notable sites, like the Advanced Masonic Temple in Astoria and Con Edison’s East River Power Plant, New Yorkers can still “drop in” at 160 locations including the Department of Transportation’s store in Maspeth and the Floyd Bennett Field bike tour in Marine Park.

This festival, now in its 20th year and attracting over 50,000 people last year, was inspired by a similar event in London and originated as a way to unite New Yorkers after the September 11 attacks.

“Open House New York Weekend is rooted in the simple yet radical act of sharing our city,” added Loves. “This festival offers curious New Yorkers a hall pass to discover the people, projects, and places that make this the greatest city in the world.”

For ticket information and tour times, visit the Open House New York Weekend website. Most tours are free.