With a state that’s as big as New York, it’s not hard to find a new place or attraction to go visit that you’ve never seen before. But oftentimes we can get stuck in a rut and feel as though we have no idea where we should go exploring next. Giving you a variety of scrumptious places to eat, exciting activities to experience and outdoor fun, here are some things to do in the Empire State when you’re starting to feel like you’ve seen it all.
- Dive into the world of Harry Potter with a visit to our Wizarding Weekend.
MuggleNetVid/YouTube There aren’t many people that you’ll encounter in life who aren’t fans of Harry Potter. Bringing a Wizarding Weekend full of fun to Ithaca, this year from October 26th through the 29th you can find all sorts of Harry Potter-themed events and activities taking place right in town.
To find out more information about this event, click here.
- Please your sweet tooth by paying a visit to The Waffle Factory in Webster.
Hannah W./Yelp One of our favorite reasons to visit the town of Webster, The Waffle Factory is more than just a place to grab a great breakfast. While there’s nothing like grabbing one of their unique waffles that’s covered in Fruity Pebbles, Oreos or chocolate, it’s their new menu items that will blow your mind. Creating the most dreamy milkshakes you’ve ever seen, you own’t find it difficult to quickly devour these amazing creations.
To find out more information, click here.
- Ride on New York’s Beer & Wine Train for a fun night out.
Adirondack Scenic Railroad/Facebook By now there’s no doubt that you already know about the many amazing train rides that you can take all over New York. Something you may not be aware of though is that the Adirondack Scenic Railroad offers Beer & Wine Train Rides throughout the year. With the year coming to an end, there’s only one more of these epic train rides left to enjoy, so you’ll want to grab tickets while you can!
To find out more information, click here.
- Book a stay at one of the many unique places you can visit in the Catskills.
Kate’s Lazy Meadow/Facebook Over the last handful of years, the Catskill region has become more and more booming. With it’s close proximity to the Big Apple and scenic attractions, there’s much to be seen and loved in this area of New York. If you’re not interested in staying in the same old basic hotel, try taking a look at our list that includes fifteen out-of-this-world accommodations that will wow you.
To view our list of unique places to stay in the Catskills, click here.
- Enjoy a train-themed road trip through New York.
Hornell Erie Depot Museum/Facebook Here at Only In New York we love creating a variety of road trips for you to take. But one road trip that you may not have thought to experience in our state is a train-themed one! Taking you out into areas of the Finger Lakes and Western New York, this trip will let you experience restaurants that were once train stations, a caboose motel, train rides and so much more.
To view the entire road trip, click here.
- Take a quick hike to an out of state waterfall.
Agulec/TripAdvisor Right near our state border in the town of Copake Falls is the absolutely breathtaking Taconic State Park. Right within the park you can find a trailhead for a short 3/4 miles hike that will lead you to Massachusetts’ very own Bash Bish Falls. The gorgeous waterfall is incredible to see in person and makes for a unique double state adventure.
To find out more information, click here.
- Retake a class field trip that you once went on when you were younger.
jpitha/Flickr A great way to revisit old memories and places of New York that you may not have explored in quite some time, past class field trips from your childhood can serve as a great source of day trip inspiration. From visiting places like Howes Cavern or other small town sites like museums and zoos, you’ll never grow tired of experiencing these attractions.
To find out about the perfect field trip ideas, click here.
- Dine at a chocolate-themed restaurant that’s straight out of your dreams.
Laura R./Yelp There’s plenty of reasons to love Buffalo, but some of our residents might not realize that one of them is the fact that this city is home to a chocolate themed restaurant! Located right on West Chippewa Street, you can find things like chocolate pasta dishes on the menu as well as chocolate drinks and desserts.
To find out more information, click here.
- Go for a ride on one of our mountain coasters during the fall foliage.
Greek Peak Mountain Resort/Facebook Lucky for us, there are actually quite a few mountain coaster rides hiding all of New York State. Head to Greek Peak Mountain Resort in Cortland and one of the many fun activities that you can experience here throughout the year is their epic mountain coaster ride. The 4,300 foot coaster has two-person cars for you to ride along in, taking you down the mountain and through the beautiful forest.
To find out more information, click here.
- Spend the night inside a beautiful lighthouse.
Braddock Point Lighthouse/Facebook You can find your basic hotel in just about any city or town in New York, but what you can’t find is a charming lighthouse that makes for unforgettable accommodations. Braddock Point Lighthouse sits out on the shores of Lake Ontario in the small town of Hilton and is a Bed & Breakfast that’s made up of three unique and cozy rooms. From where you’ll be staying you’ll have a fantastic view of the water and get to enjoy homemade breakfasts’ while you’re here.
To find out more information, click here.
- Experience New York pizza like you never have before.
The Parlor/Facebook If you thought you knew about all of the best pizza joints in our state, here’s one you’ll want to make sure is on your radar. Down in Dobbs Ferry, The Parlor attracts customers with their wood fire pizzas and also their beloved pizza ice cream sandwiches. Giving you the best of both worlds, you get to have a menu item that gives you both the savory flavors of pizza dough alongside their sweet ice cream.
To find out more information, click here.
- Spend the day taking an adventure through a park you’ve never visited before.
Avalon Park and Preserve/Facebook A hidden gem on Long Island that will make you feel like you’ve walked into a fairy tale, Avalon park in Stony Brook is a magical outdoor space to visit. Filled with nature trails, wildlife, eye-catching landscapes and even a labyrinth, there’s nothing you won’t love about this little-known park.
To find out more information, click here.
- Try spending the day doing some treasure hunting in the Finger Lakes.
Found in Ithaca: antiques, vintage and unusual objects/Facebook Go treasure hunting and find hidden gems at wonderful places like Found In Ithaca. The amazing thrift store features roughly forty different vendors with items that span across the store’s 7,000 square feet. Giving you plenty to sort through, you’ll love seeing what you’re able to find at this quirky spot.
To find out more information, click here.
How many of these things can you say that you’ve already experienced? To find other ways to keep yourself busy, read about how You Can’t Afford To Miss These 10 Free Outdoor Activities In New York!
MuggleNetVid/YouTube
There aren’t many people that you’ll encounter in life who aren’t fans of Harry Potter. Bringing a Wizarding Weekend full of fun to Ithaca, this year from October 26th through the 29th you can find all sorts of Harry Potter-themed events and activities taking place right in town.
To find out more information about this event, click here.
Hannah W./Yelp
One of our favorite reasons to visit the town of Webster, The Waffle Factory is more than just a place to grab a great breakfast. While there’s nothing like grabbing one of their unique waffles that’s covered in Fruity Pebbles, Oreos or chocolate, it’s their new menu items that will blow your mind. Creating the most dreamy milkshakes you’ve ever seen, you own’t find it difficult to quickly devour these amazing creations.
To find out more information, click here.
Adirondack Scenic Railroad/Facebook
By now there’s no doubt that you already know about the many amazing train rides that you can take all over New York. Something you may not be aware of though is that the Adirondack Scenic Railroad offers Beer & Wine Train Rides throughout the year. With the year coming to an end, there’s only one more of these epic train rides left to enjoy, so you’ll want to grab tickets while you can!
To find out more information, click here.
Kate’s Lazy Meadow/Facebook
Over the last handful of years, the Catskill region has become more and more booming. With it’s close proximity to the Big Apple and scenic attractions, there’s much to be seen and loved in this area of New York. If you’re not interested in staying in the same old basic hotel, try taking a look at our list that includes fifteen out-of-this-world accommodations that will wow you.
To view our list of unique places to stay in the Catskills, click here.
Hornell Erie Depot Museum/Facebook
Here at Only In New York we love creating a variety of road trips for you to take. But one road trip that you may not have thought to experience in our state is a train-themed one! Taking you out into areas of the Finger Lakes and Western New York, this trip will let you experience restaurants that were once train stations, a caboose motel, train rides and so much more.
To view the entire road trip, click here.
Agulec/TripAdvisor
Right near our state border in the town of Copake Falls is the absolutely breathtaking Taconic State Park. Right within the park you can find a trailhead for a short 3/4 miles hike that will lead you to Massachusetts’ very own Bash Bish Falls. The gorgeous waterfall is incredible to see in person and makes for a unique double state adventure.
To find out more information, click here.
jpitha/Flickr
A great way to revisit old memories and places of New York that you may not have explored in quite some time, past class field trips from your childhood can serve as a great source of day trip inspiration. From visiting places like Howes Cavern or other small town sites like museums and zoos, you’ll never grow tired of experiencing these attractions.
To find out about the perfect field trip ideas, click here.
Laura R./Yelp
There’s plenty of reasons to love Buffalo, but some of our residents might not realize that one of them is the fact that this city is home to a chocolate themed restaurant! Located right on West Chippewa Street, you can find things like chocolate pasta dishes on the menu as well as chocolate drinks and desserts.
To find out more information, click here.
Greek Peak Mountain Resort/Facebook
Lucky for us, there are actually quite a few mountain coaster rides hiding all of New York State. Head to Greek Peak Mountain Resort in Cortland and one of the many fun activities that you can experience here throughout the year is their epic mountain coaster ride. The 4,300 foot coaster has two-person cars for you to ride along in, taking you down the mountain and through the beautiful forest.
To find out more information, click here.
Braddock Point Lighthouse/Facebook
You can find your basic hotel in just about any city or town in New York, but what you can’t find is a charming lighthouse that makes for unforgettable accommodations. Braddock Point Lighthouse sits out on the shores of Lake Ontario in the small town of Hilton and is a Bed & Breakfast that’s made up of three unique and cozy rooms. From where you’ll be staying you’ll have a fantastic view of the water and get to enjoy homemade breakfasts’ while you’re here.
To find out more information, click here.
The Parlor/Facebook
If you thought you knew about all of the best pizza joints in our state, here’s one you’ll want to make sure is on your radar. Down in Dobbs Ferry, The Parlor attracts customers with their wood fire pizzas and also their beloved pizza ice cream sandwiches. Giving you the best of both worlds, you get to have a menu item that gives you both the savory flavors of pizza dough alongside their sweet ice cream.
To find out more information, click here.
Avalon Park and Preserve/Facebook
A hidden gem on Long Island that will make you feel like you’ve walked into a fairy tale, Avalon park in Stony Brook is a magical outdoor space to visit. Filled with nature trails, wildlife, eye-catching landscapes and even a labyrinth, there’s nothing you won’t love about this little-known park.
To find out more information, click here.
Found in Ithaca: antiques, vintage and unusual objects/Facebook
Go treasure hunting and find hidden gems at wonderful places like Found In Ithaca. The amazing thrift store features roughly forty different vendors with items that span across the store’s 7,000 square feet. Giving you plenty to sort through, you’ll love seeing what you’re able to find at this quirky spot.
To find out more information, click here.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
