Attractions in New York City; The 7 Weirdest That You Must Visit

New York City is so large and diverse; you shouldn’t limit your trip to the most typical tourist attractions. If after visiting the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and Central Park you’ll still have some spare time, check out some of the Big Apple’s weirdest attractions in New York City. Here’s a list of 7 examples proving New York is an extraordinary place.

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   City Reliquary

One of the coolest and most original museums in the Big Apple, the City Reliquary features a random collection of quirky artifacts. It includes quite usual things such as old photographs and videos, but most of all, there are items you wouldn’t expect to see in a museum, like subway tokens, pigeon feathers, baseball cards, vintage thermoses or bones of rats that used to live in the subway. Local collectors are welcome to contact the museum and add their stuff to the display, even if it’s not related to the history of New York. According to the City Reliquary’s founder, if someone’s a New Yorker, his/her collections must be fascinating – with this kind of selection, y imagine what kind of strange things are to be found in the City Reliquary. Besides, the museum holds a lot of events and parties, out of which not all are serious. There are pizza fests, movie screenings, and art shows.

2. Morbid Anatomy Museum

As odd as it gets, the collections of Morbid Anatomy Museum include such items as taxidermied animals, zoomorphic candlesticks, ceramic danse macabre figurines, old medical instruments or a scrapbook filled with human hair. Its founder was collecting the artifacts for years, but the museum started functioning in its present form after receiving funds through a Kickstarter campaign. Many people are interested enough in all those oddities to support the idea with their money. The museum not only features eerie exhibits, but it also organizes events that are equally disturbing, such as tarantula preservation or chicken taxidermy classes, lectures on the semiotics of Goth subculture, witchcraft or psychedelics, and death. There are even some themed cocktail parties.

3. The Way Station

The Way Station is more than just a bar; it’s a paradise for geeks and nerds. Have you seen any of the Doctor Who episodes? Do you recall such a thing as Tardis? Here it goes, a visit to The Way Station is almost like going on a journey with Doctor Who. The bar’s highlight is the toilet located in the life-sized replica of Doctor’s famous spaceship (the blue Tardis shaped like a police box). There are also murals of Doctor Who characters and a Whovian themed cocktail menu. In addition to its great design, the Way Station holds various parties and events, such as concerts, movie screenings, and burlesque shows – all of it very geeky.

4. Conjuring Arts Research Center

The Conjuring Arts Research Center is the most magical place in New York City, and it’s not just a poetic description, it seriously deals with magic. Its mission is to preserve and interpret magic and arts related to it, for example, juggling, circus arts, science and history of playing cards, puppetry, hypnosis, psychic phenomenon and other peculiarities. Illusionists, researchers and magic enthusiasts can look through the rare gems collected in the museum. Rare books, documents, posters and other sources of information are available.

5. Coney Island Circus Sideshow

There are many fantastic performers in New York, many strange venues, and quirky events, but nothing is quite like the Coney Island Circus Sideshow. The first freak shows in Coney Island were organized in the late 19th century. They promoted a variety of human oddities and thus brought up lots of controversies. Those times are gone, but the American Sideshow’s still alive. If you want to see what has remained of the old freaks shows, visit Coney Island.

6. Trolley Tour around the Green-Wood Cemetery

Not many cemeteries across the world have an event calendar on their website. Not many cemeteries have websites at all. The Green-Wood Cemetery though is a National Historic Landmark and one of the most beautiful historic sites in New York. It was founded in 1838 and grew since then so that it now covers an area of 478 acres. Because of its rich history and scenic landscapes, Green-Wood has become sort of a tourist attraction. You can join an organized tour, move to the cemetery by a trolley and listen to the fascinating stories told by a guide.

7. Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market

Flea markets are usually among the most exciting areas in cities, and the Hell’s Kitchen in New York is not an exception. The name itself is quirky, but the stuff being sold there is even quirkier. If instead of getting an “I love New York” t-shirt you want to buy an original souvenir, that’s the place to go. Ephemera, retro clothes, vintage decorations, gorgeous antiques and lots of other jewels can be found here; you just need to dig a little bit.

Do you know some more unique places to visit in New York? Share your attractions in New York City recommendations!