NYC Tourism + Conventions has announced ‘NYC Off-Broadway Week 2025’ and ‘Value Family Activities’ events lined up for this year.
NYC Off-Broadway Week 2025
2-for-1 ticket sales for this event have begun with this season’s program featuring 29 Off-Broadway performances, including 18 new participants. The twice-yearly program runs from 17 February through 9 March with tickets available for purchase at the official website.
“We’re excited to welcome 18 new productions to NYC Off-Broadway Week this winter, showcasing the City’s most innovative theatrical productions at a value,” New York City Tourism + Conventions president and CEO, Julie Coker, said.
“For well over a decade, we’ve been proud to partner with The Off-Broadway League to generate over US$5 million (around AU$8 million) in revenue for the Off-Broadway community, and to provide both visitors and New Yorkers the opportunity to experience our city’s remarkable creativity and talent.
Participating shows include:
- A Letter to Lyndon B. Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First*
- After Endgame
- Beauty and the Beast
- Conversations with Mother
- Dakar 2000
- Drag: The Musica
- Drunk Shakespear
- Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern
- Emilio’s A Million Chameleons
- Friends! The Musical Parody
- Garside’s Career
- Gazillion Bubble Show
- Gil Scott-Heron Bluesology
- Juliet: A Revenge Comedy
- Kowalski
- Liberation
- Los Soles Truncos
- Mindplay
- Music City
- Nuttin’ but a Word
- Perfect Crime
- Singfeld! An Unauthorized Musical Parody About Nothing
- Still
- The Jonathan Larson Project
- The Office! A Musical Parody
- The Play That Goes Wrong
- Titanique
- Wine in the Wilderness
- Wounded
“We are aisle proud to continue our partnership with NYC Tourism for this incredible biannual program,” The Off-Broadway League president, Casey York, said. “This year, we have 29 Off-Broadway productions participating. There’s something for everyone, and there has never been a better time to experience the intimate setting and creativity of the Off-Broadway community.”
Since launching in 2009, there have been over 900 participants in NYC Off-Broadway Week. Over 135,000 tickets have been sold through the program.
Value Family Activities in NYC this Northern Spring
New York City Tourism + Conventions, the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau for the five boroughs of New York City, is spotlighting free and affordable activities for families to enjoy in the five boroughs this spring.
“New York City is a vibrant springtime destination, with warmer weather bringing a host of family-friendly activities, from special events and museum programming to outdoor experiences and performances,” CEO Coker, said. “As travellers plan their spring break trips, we’re pleased to offer affordable options for an NYC adventure that won’t break the bank.”
Attractions, performances & events:
- Spring events at City Point Brooklyn include an Easter Fest with Brooklyn Bridge Parents on 19 April featuring an Easter Bunny Meet & Greet, cookie decorating and crafts. On 10 May, Show Brooklyn Some Love Fest takes place at City Point and outside on Albee Square, with activities including include hip-hop lessons, tai chi, conga drumming, arts and crafts, music lessons, face painting and more.
- See the City from above at Edge, the Empire State Building, One World Observatory, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt and Top of the Rock Observation Deck – all five observatories offer free admission for children ages five and under, accompanied by an adult with a ticket.
- New Victory Theater is dedicated to bringing the performing arts to children and families. Located in the heart of Times Square, New Victory offers family workshops and performances for various age groups. This spring’s program includes MOYA, a circus hailing from Cape Town, South Africa, including a sensory-friendly performance on 27 April with tickets under US$25 (around AU$40).
- From 4 to 8 June, the New York Philharmonic will hold free classical music concerts in parks across the five boroughs, including Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, the Great Lawn in Central Park, Cunningham Park in Queens and Prospect Park in Brooklyn, as well as an indoor concert on Staten Island.
- Family-friendly Spring events at The Seaport include their annual Holi celebration held in partnership The Culture Tree and the South Street Seaport Museum on 15 March; and Seaport Storytime at McNally Jackson on Saturdays at noon – ideal for children ages 3 to 8, but all are welcome.
- In Lower Manhattan’s Battery Park, Sundays at the Showbox presents free music, dance and puppet shows on Sundays from April through October.
Museums:
- Travellers can head north to the Bronx Children’s Museum, which opened in its new space in 2022. Tickets are US$8 for kids and US$14 for adults (around AU$12 for kids and AU$22 for adults). They can also hop on the free Staten Island Ferry and visit the Staten Island Children’s Museum’s indoor and outdoor exhibits, workshops and more.
- Museum of the City of New York is free for those ages 18 and under and offers free admission for all on Wednesdays. For families, the museum offers a hands-on NYC Discovery lab on weekends and story time events three times monthly.
- Museum of the Moving Image offers a number of family programs. This film-and-television-themed museum includes the Jim Henson Exhibition, including 47 puppets spanning Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock and more. Tickets are $20 and under, with guided tours for US$5 (around AU$8).
- The New York Hall of Science in Queens is NYC’s only hands-on science center. The museum offers free admission on Friday afternoons from 2–5pm. Make sure to reserve in advance here.
- The Whitney Museum of American Art recently announced free admission for visitors ages 25 and under, in addition to free admission for all on Fridays from 5 to 10pm and on the second Sunday of each month. On Free Second Sundays, the museum offers all-ages artmaking and story times by The New York Public Library.
Outdoor activities:
- The Bronx Zoo, home to more than 11,000 animals, offers limited free admission on Wednesdays. Advance timed tickets are required; the Wednesday Ticket Store opens on Mondays at 5pm for that Wednesday’s reservations.
- Governors Island is home to the longest slide in New York City, at 57 feet long. The island also offers a Yard Adventure Playground; a hammock grove; an urban farm, which hosts events like scavenger hunts and workshops; and more. Admission is free. The island is accessible by Governors Island Ferry (US$5 roundtrip for adults and free for kids 12 and under) and NYC Ferry (US$4.50 one way for adults and free for kids under 44 inches tall).
- Take a ride on one of NYC’s beautiful carousels. Jane’s Carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Parkis open Wednesday through Sunday during the spring (US$3 for one adult and a child under 42 inches tall); Bryant Park’s Le Carrousel is open daily in springtime (US$4 or around AU$6); and the aquarium-themed SeaGlass Carousel is located in Battery Park (US$6 or around AU$10).
- The 4,000-square-foot Pier 26 Science Playground opened last year in Hudson River Park. The marine science–focused playground encourages kids to learn about wildlife local to the Hudson River, including play structures in the shape of two sturgeon species that are native to the area.
- Pier 42 on Manhattan’s Lower East Side is home to a park and playground overlooking the East River, as well as a turf soccer field, tennis courts, half-basketball courts and more.
Dining:
- Ellen’s Stardust Diner, famous for its retro 1950s decor and singing waitstaff, offers a kids’ menu with US$17 (around AU$27) meal options for children ages 10 and under.
- Food halls are a great choice, with affordable options for the whole family. UrbanSpace operates four food halls across Manhattan with vendors spanning many cuisines; Market 57 on Pier 57 offers dining with a view of the Hudson River (the pier also offers free and ticketed events for families). Tangram Food Hall in Flushing has a number of delicious sweet and savory dining options and is even home to the world’s first Angry Birds Cafe.
- Montague Diner, which opened last year in Brooklyn Heights, has an “after-school special” on weekdays, offering kids a grilled cheese sandwich or cheese fries for US$5.
- Parm’s Upper West Side, Battery Park and Downtown Brooklyn locations offer a kids menu including a “build your own” pasta or sandwich option.
- Kids eat free at select Smashburger locations on Wednesdays, with the purchase of an adult meal. The burger chain has locations in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens.
In 2024, New York City welcomed 64.3 million travellers, generating an estimated economic impact of US$79 billion (around AU$125), including more than US$51 billion (around AU$81 billion) in direct spending by travellers, and supported over 388,000 leisure and hospitality jobs. The city is expecting 67.6 million travellers this year, marking a full tourism recovery.
