Best things to do in the Bronx

For anyone visiting The Bronx with kiddos, one of the best things to do in the area is to spend the day at The Bronx Zoo. Clocking in at 256 acres, The Bronx Zoo is the largest metropolitan zoo in the country. Reason alone to visit!

Between the plethora of exhibits, events, and experiences, there’s no shortage of exciting things to do when visiting the zoo. Tickets for adults are currently $37.95 and $28.75 for kids. But I’m going to let you in on a little secret! On Wednesdays, the zoo offers discounted tickets; all you have to do is book them in advance online.

Home to more than one million living plants, the New York Botanical Garden is a sight to be seen and is among the top non-negotiable things to do in The Bronx. The stunning garden is located within Bronx Park on a 250 plots of land, giving ample space for it to spread its roots (pun intended). NYBG is constantly hosting a plethora of events and activities and is a great place to run wild with the family.

Of course, visiting year-round leaves little room for disappointment, but if you really want to be mesmerized, I suggest visiting in the fall. During peak fall color the New York Botanical Garden takes on a fairy-tale appearance. Between the prolific maples and breathtaking oak trees, you won’t know which way to look.

New York Botanical Garden boasts some of the best fall foliage in New York City and offers tours during the autumn so you can see for yourself. Visiting the garden is one of the greatest things to do in The Bronx, consider it a can’t-miss!

Within the New York Botanical Garden, you’ll find one of the best things to do in the Bronx with kids, the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. Little ones can burn off some steam-climbing boulders, run through a maze, and enjoy educational experiments.

Visiting is one of the best things to do in the Bronx with kids! The garden is open year-round, so whenever you feel a little too cooped up in your New York apartment, a visit to the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden is a good idea.

Yankee’s schedule Buy tickets here Address: 1 E 161 St, Bronx, NY 10451

Whether you love them or hate them, the New York Yankees are icons of both American sports as well as NYC. Making it to one of their games should be high on your list of fun things to do in The Bronx. Yankee Stadium is accessible by subway, and tickets can be found for as little as $10 depending on the game.

With a whopping 162 games played every season, there’s a plethora of both weekday and weekend games to choose from. The intensity of every game will have the crowd fully engaged making this one of the most memorable things you can do in The Bronx.

Little Italy in Manhattan is one of New York City’s prime attractions, but it’s not the only Little Italy. There’s another, more insulated Little Italy further up north that provides one of the most unique things to do in The Bronx. Referred to as Belmont, the Little Italy of the Bronx and Arthur Avenue it’s surprisingly a well-kept secret.

Shockingly it’s bigger than Manhattan’s Little Italy, having more Italian restaurants, cafes, and stores. Italian restaurants across NYC also make the trek in search of authentic, fresh ingredients (like a divine Italian sausage).

When visiting set your GPS for the Arthur Avenue Retail Market, a store that will make you think you’re in the old country. After that swing by Zero Otto Novo for a meal that will make you unbutton your pants. When you’re done stop by Gino’s Pastry Shop and pick up some cannolis for the road.

If you take the 1 train all the way to the last stop you’ll find yourself at Van Cortlandt Park, one of the best parks to relax in if you’re looking for fun things to do in The Bronx. The area surrounding Van Cortlandt Lake is especially memorable. My favorite path to take is the Putnam trail from the south end of the lake until I reach the Putnam Bridge.

From there take the John Kieran trail back down along the edge of the water until I’m back at my starting point. This barely scratches the surface of the park’s 1100+ acres, but during the fall time, it satiates my need for colorful foliage in New York City.

And since it’s far above the city, Van Cortlandt Park is a nice reprieve from the crowds that frequent the more easily accessible parks. This is one of the more peaceful things to do in The Bronx (no matter the time of year) specifically in fall.

Fun Fact The oldest house in the Bronx is in Van Cortlandt Park, which has been up since 1749. It housed both British and American troops during the Revolutionary War. It is now a museum open to the public.

It might sound a little depressing to include visiting a cemetery on a list of the top things to do in The Bronx, but the historical haven is a must-see. Opened in 1863, Woodlawn Cemetery covers over 460 acres of land and holds the remains of over 300,000 people.

The burial ground is often referred to as the “jazz cemetery” because so many significant jazz legends were buried there. You can go to their gravesites as well as memorials recognizing their accomplishments and music.

In 2011 Woodlawn Cemetery became a National Historic Landmark, which is just another reason why visiting is one of the best things to do in The Bronx. The cemetery hosts tours and events so make sure to check the calendar before swinging by.

Notable residents buried at Woodlawn Cemetery:

• Celia Cruz
• Irving Berlin
• Sir Miles Davis
• Joseph Pulitzer
• J.C. Penny

One of the most exciting things to do in The Bronx is the pay a visit to the The Bronx Museum of the Arts. The best part? Admission is completely free! The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday at no cost — simply walk in and explore your heart away.

The museum was established in 1971 to serve the diverse local communities and spark an interest in art. Through a wide range of art exhibits and events, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, a modern art institution, aims to capture the spirit of the borough’s thriving community.

The reason we consider visiting one of the best things to do in The Bronx is because the museum is underrated. Meaning the crowds here are nowhere near the same size as The MET or MoMA. This makes exploring that much more enjoyable when you’re not elbowing strangers trying to get a good look at the art.