The NYC Tourism + Conventions estimates New York City will draw approximately eight million tourists this holiday season. There’s no doubt that city streets will be filled with visitors wandering in awe at all the magical sights. Holiday highlights always include a stop at the iconic tree at Rockefeller Center. Store windows filled with holiday cheer along 5th Avenue attract countless visitors. Also, the holiday market at Bryant Park draws those looking for a bit of time on the ice skating rink.
However, visitors to New York City may be unaware that festive celebrations extend well beyond Manhattan. Here are a few to consider in Brooklyn and the Bronx, along with a special celebration taking place in Manhattan during the 2025 holiday season.
Stroll Through the Magical Displays in Dyker Heights
Wandering through Dyker Heights Christmas Lights in December feels like stepping into a storybook winter scene. The typically quiet Brooklyn neighborhood transforms the blocks between 83rd and 86th Streets each holiday season into one of New York’s most extravagant displays of Christmas spirit. By early December, the streets begin to shimmer with elaborate decorations as homeowners unveil towering Santas, twinkling reindeer, glowing nativity scenes, and animated snowmen. Many of the displays are professionally designed—some costing thousands of dollars—creating a spectacular, over-the-top panorama that draws visitors from across the city and beyond.
Crowds of families, photographers, and holiday enthusiasts stroll the sidewalks, taking in the music drifting from outdoor speakers and the warm glow of each home adorned with creativity. The experience has become a beloved NYC tradition—one that captures the whimsy and wonder of the season and remains completely free to enjoy.
Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo’s Holiday Lights celebration transforms the grounds into a glowing winter wonderland, featuring immersive lantern displays inspired by wildlife from around the world. Stroll along six elaborately designed trails lined with more than a million lights and hundreds of larger-than-life illuminated animals, from prowling tigers and soaring birds to deep-sea creatures and prehistoric favorites.
Beloved favorites make their triumphant return, including the whimsical Holiday Train and the mesmerizing Enchanted Sea, where glowing underwater creatures shimmer in brilliant color. But this year brings brand-new thrills, too. Zip down thrilling snow-tube slides, strike a pose on an epic illuminated ice-themed throne, and test your aim with virtual snowball throwing.
The Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden
The Bronx is also home to one of the city’s most enchanting winter traditions, often overlooked by tourists. The Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden draws visitors into a world where nature and nostalgia meet. Set beneath the warm glow of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, the exhibition features meticulously crafted replicas of New York’s most iconic landmarks. Here you’ll find the Brooklyn Bridge, Yankee Stadium, and Grand Central Terminal, all created from natural materials like bark, acorns, leaves, and twigs.
What elevates the Holiday Train Show from a charming exhibit to a must-see seasonal experience is its fully immersive setting. The earthy scent of greenery fills the conservatory while the rhythmic clatter of trains creates a soothing backdrop. Spotlights highlight the tiniest details from illuminated windows in miniature skyscrapers to the delicate textures of bark-built bridges. With festive music drifting through the air and warm drinks available throughout the garden, the show becomes a holiday escape that captures the wonder and joy of the season.
The Empire State Building Highlights the 100th Year of Radio City’s Rockettes
This year’s holiday celebration lineup at the Empire State Building is packed with festive décor, classic movie nights, local treats, dazzling tower lightings, and even a special holiday partnership with the Radio City Rockettes. The famous dance troupe stopped by to flip the switch on the building’s holiday lights and unveil the new decorations, officially kicking off the most magical time of the year at one of NYC’s top attractions.
“There is no better place to celebrate the holidays in New York City than at the Empire State Building Observatory,” said Dan Rogoski, General Manager at the Empire State Building Observatory. “This year, New Yorkers and visitors will enjoy the best of the holiday season in our iconic venue as we celebrate 100 years of the Radio City Rockettes.”
Explore the Rockettes’ impressive 100-year history at the 80th Floor Observatory through a display featuring archival photos, dazzling costumes, and iconic props from the beloved Christmas Spectacular. The centennial celebration continues on the 86th Floor Observation Deck, where guests will find a special anniversary photo spot—an extravagant archway adorned with bows, ornaments, and garland, surrounding three oversized wooden soldiers paying tribute to a century of the Rockettes’ legendary high kicks. The festivities wrap up in the Fifth Avenue Lobby, where the building’s famous windows present classic scenes and colorful costumes from the Christmas Spectacular, offering a final salute to a hundred years of the Rockettes’ unique flair and holiday wonder.
More Special Events at the Empire State Building
This holiday season, guests can purchase an official combo ticket to the Empire State Building Observatory that includes access to the building’s immersive museum, 86th and 102nd Floor Observatories, a 15% off coupon for the ESB gift shop, and a ticket to select showings of the famed “Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes.”
Fans can purchase tickets to watch classic holiday flicks on the 80th Floor, which include:
“Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” on Dec. 5 and 13 at 5 p.m.
“Elf” on Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. and Dec. 20 at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets to these holiday features will include themed snacks and drinks, and full access to ESB’s second-floor museum and Observation Decks.
Of course, Santa Claus is coming to town, and he’ll be at the Empire State Building collecting
wish lists and posing for photos with Observatory guests in his dedicated corner on the building’s 80th Floor.
The Empire State Building’s iconic tower lights will shine throughout the holiday season with dedicated lightings for Chanukah, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve. The building will also debut its annual Holiday Music-to-Light Spectacular. Text CONNECT to 274-16 to receive real-time information about ESB’s tower lightings.
Wishing all of you a very happy holiday season!
