Fun Activities in New York City For Adults: My Top 15 Things To Do

What are fun activities in New York City for adults?

There’s no other place in the world that offers more fun activities in New York City for adults. Besides the best museums in town, parks and other sightseeing you can experience, we covered all the fun things to do in New York City for adults. From sky diving to kayaking and super fun beach days to ping pong. 

You won’t believe how many fun activities for adults in New York City are super unique too. We made a list that will hype up your time with your friends, family or spouse in New York City. Enjoy our highlights of the most fun things to do in NYC for adults!

Top 15 Fun Activities In New York City For Adults

Have fun at Coney Island

fun activities in new york city for adults Coney Island

Especially in summer Coney Island is a fun place to go for adults in NYC. Besides the amusement park Luna Park where you can hop on some really scary rollercoasters, there are tons of bars and restaurants to go to as well. Coney Island is one of the fun activities in New York City for adults.

You can either come to relax on the beach and escape the hustle and bustle of the city, or you can experience a full day of fun rides at Luna Park combined with cocktails, music, and dancing at one of the bars close to the famous boardwalk.

More About Coney Island

Step up your Ping Pong Game

Ping Pong is actually a real thing in New York City. One of my favorite places to go to is Spin in Flatiron District. It’s a bar to have a drink and a great place to play ping pong at the same time.

There are several ping pong tables and full bar service, music and lots of locals who love to pick up a paddle. So pick up a player and go check out Spin in Manhattan as one of our most fun activities in New York City for adults.

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Show off at Miniature Golf

fun activities in NYC for adults Mini Golf

If you’re looking for fun activities in NYC for adults make sure you show off your skills at our favorite Miniature Golf location at Pier 25 in Manhattan.

It’s not just families, you’ll see tons of adults challenging their friends or family at this fun activity. In addition, the views are amazing as you can see the skyline, including One World Trade Center, while you’re playing.

Practice kayaking on the Hudson River

Kayaking in NYC: fun activities in NYC for adults

Right next to our favorite Miniature Golf location is our favorite kayaking spot. At the Downtown Boathouse you can enjoy a free kayaking experience all season long (Mid May to October). From June to Mid September they offer free kayaking only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday evenings from 05:30 Pm to 7 PM.

It’s a fun thing to do in NYC for adults because you’ll get to see the city from a whole new perspective. It’s challenging and fun at the same time to kayak on the Hudson River. If you like to speed things up a little bit, there’s an option of doing a Jet Ski Tour in Manhattan as well.

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Attend a Cooking Class at The Eataly

fun activities in new york city for adults Eataly

One of my favorite food markets in the city is the Eataly. With two locations (Flatiron & Downtown) you’ll get to taste the most authentic Italian cuisine in town. At the Flatiron Location, they are offering cooking classes for adults to learn how to cook pasta, how to prepare cheese or make pizza.

Cooking classes at the Eataly in NYC are a great thing to do for adults in NYC, because you will be able to discover the stories behind their very own recipes, talk to the chefs and find out about the best wines in store.

Book a class

Fun activities in New York City for adults: Hop on a Helicopter Ride

fun activities in new york city for adults Helicopter Tour

Talking about whole new perspectives to see the city. There’s probably no better view of New York City than from a helicopter. We have done many different helicopter tours in NYC and it was always an incridble, absolute unforgettable experience. There are many fun activities in New York City for adults, but a helicopter ride is one of our absolute favorite things to do. 

Check out helicopter tours

The Museum of Sex

In terms of fun activities in NYC there’s no way around a visit of the Museum of Sex. While addressing a wide range of topics while highlighting material and artifacts from different continents and cultures at the same time, the Museum of Sex in New York is a great place to explore more about the present, history, evolution and culutural significance of human sexuality.

It is located near the Empire State Building, which makes it perfect to stop by after visiting New Yorks most famous landmarks.

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Enjoy a Romantic Water Cruises

fun activities in new york city for adults Dinner Cruises

Exploring the city by boat is always a great idea. One of the things that I enjoy the most with my partner is a romantic dinner cruise on the Hudson River. It’s on our list of the most fun things to do in NYC for adults because during a romantic water cruise, you can have it all.

Enjoy the sunset, an amazing dinner and great wine/drinks. The atmosphere is truly magical and it’s hard to beat this experience. My favorite dinner cruise is the Bateaux Dinner cruise which leaves from Chelsea Piers for a 3 hours tour on the Hudson River.

More about the Bateaux Dinner Cruise

Take a trip down the Jersey Shore

fun activities in new york city for adults Jersey Shore Trip

My next tip of my favorite fun things to do in New York for adults actually takes you out of the city. Take a trip down the Jersey Shore and explore the best beaches in New Jersey. In about 90 Minutes you’ll reach towns like Belmar, Asbury Park or Seaside where you can spend the entire day relaxing in the sun, walking on different Boardwalks and eat the best seafood ever.

In order to get down the shore you can either take the train from Penn Station or rent a car.

Read our Jersey Shore Guide

Fun activities in New York City for adults: Catch a Basketball Game

fun activities in new york city for adults NBA gamesWhen NBA season is on, make sure to go and catch a game. Regardless of  if you’re a Brooklyn Nets or New York Knicks fan, both teams promise fun times. Even though Madison Square Garden is a whole experience itself, I prefer a Brooklyn Nets game over the Knicks, because the atmosphere and vibe in Brooklyn is always a little bit more exiting.

NBA Tickets

Take the Museum Hack Tour

fun activities in new york city for adults Metropolitan Museum

Even though New York offers the best museums in the world, I wouldn’t necessarily put a trip to the museum on the list of the most fun things to do for adults in NYC. But there’s one tour which we have done before that is nothing like a regular visit at the Museum.

The Museum Hack Tour at the Metropolitan Museum of Art takes you behind the scenes of the most famous pieces of art. You private tour guide will tell you stories you won’t believe and you for sure will get to explore the Met from a whole new  perspective. It’s fun, it’s hilarious and you’ll have to check it out.

More about the Museum Hack Tour

Play smart at Mission Escape Games

Have you tried an Escape Room yet? It’s a unique collaboration of minds coming together to make it happen and had to be on our list of the most fun activities in NYC for adults. You’ll definetly have to challenge yourself and think outside the box at Mission Escape Games. You’re given some pretty cryptic hints and clues that will take you a while to figure out.

Book a game

Baseball experience at the NYC Yankee Stadium

fun activities in new york city for adults Yankee Stadium

On a Saturday there are a lot of fun things to do in New York City for adults but one highlight is heading to the Bronx to watch the  New York Yankee play. Baseball games in NYC are super popular and you’ll be surrounded by locals and New York Yankee Fans. Like with most other teams, the people come for the experience. The beer, the burgers and the atmosphere. At the end of the day it doesn’t even matter who wins or loses.

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Feel free at iFLY Indoor Skydiving

Let’s switch from a mental challenge to a physical challenge. How about some indoor Skydiving? Of course this can’t be compared to an actual jump from an airplane but it feels like the freefall portion of a traditional skydive and the body control is the same. Are you ready for a freefall portion of 45 to 60 seconds? Then iFLY Indoor Skydiving should be added to your list of the fun things to do in NYC for adults.

The location is in Westchester which is only a 90 Minutes train ride away. It is totally worth the trip because it will leave your busy life on the ground as you soar with the wind in our indoor skydiving center.

Book a flight

Have a famous pastrami at Katz Delicatessen

fun activities in new york city for adults Katz Delicatessen

Don’t miss out on the best pastrami sandwich in the city at Katz’s Delicatessen on the Lower East Side. It is a tourist spot, but worth going. In case you don’t remember, this is the place where in ‘Harry met Sally’ the famous orgasm scene took place. As one of the most fun things to do in NYC for adults oftentimes couples come here to play the movie scene themselves. Would you try it too?

More Fun Things to Do in New York City

Fun Things To Do In New York CityNew York City has so much more to offer than its must-sees. In order to inspire you with not so typical activities, we’ve compiled a list of the top fun things to do in NYC for you. Also, you’ll find the most fun activities in New York City in different categories on this overview page. We made sure there’s more than enough fun stuff to discover for everyone!

Fun Activities in NYC

Profilbild Steffen Kneist
About the author

I'm a true New York fan! Not only have I visited the city over 25 times but also have I spent several months here at a time. On my blog I show you the best and most beautiful spots of the city, so that you have a really good time! You can also find lots of insider tips in our New York travel guide. Also check out my hotel finder for New York!

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