5 tips to skip lines at New York attractions

1/ Buy skip-the-line tickets

• The best way to avoid long lines at New York attractions is to get a skip-the-line ticket. These cost more than standard admission but let you bypass the queue entirely.
• The skip-the-line ticket that saves the most time is for the Empire State Building. As the city’s oldest and most iconic observation deck, the winding lines to the elevators can eat up hours. Book a skip-the-line ticket on the Empire State Building tickets page and select the “VIP Express Experience” option.
• The same applies to One World Observatory. You can book skip-the-line tickets for One World Observatory in advance. Choose the “priority” tickets for immediate entry.
• You can also reserve skip-the-line tickets in advance for the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

2/ Use a pass

New York passes bundle admission to multiple attractions, museums and activities at a lower total price than buying each ticket separately. They also include skip-the-line access. Each pass has different benefits:

• The New York Pass grants skip-the-line access to 15 attractions including Top of the Rock, the American Museum of Natural History, the Guggenheim Museum, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Madame Tussauds New York and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
• The New York City Pass includes a priority line for the Statue of Liberty ferry and entry to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. Both are popular attractions with substantial crowds.
• The New York Explorer Pass offers skip-the-line access to the American Museum of Natural History, the Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

One important distinction: pass skip-the-line access works differently from dedicated skip-the-line tickets. With a pass, you enter a separate line reserved for pass holders. This is faster than the regular line but slower than the VIP line for those with premium skip-the-line tickets. Still, it saves considerable time compared to standard admission.

3/ Don’t visit museums on weekends

• New Yorkers love visiting current exhibitions too. If you want to explore a museum without waiting an hour or two at the entrance, avoid weekends entirely.
• Take the American Museum of Natural History as an example—it’s packed on weekends with families. On Saturdays and Sundays, visit Central Park, Harlem, Coney Island or other outdoor attractions instead.

4/ Arrive at opening time…

• Another effective strategy is to arrive just before opening. Take the Statue of Liberty: if you’re at Castle Clinton when the ticket booths open at 8 am, you’ll board the first ferry at 8:30 am without trouble. By 10 or 11 am, expect a substantial wait.
• The same applies to Top of the Rock and the Empire State Building. Arriving early at Top of the Rock is especially worthwhile—no entrance line and morning light beautifully illuminates the Empire State Building and lower Manhattan for photos. For the Empire State Building itself, afternoon is better since you’ll get sunlight on Midtown and the Chrysler Building. In that case, a skip-the-line ticket remains your best option.

5/ …or visit at closing time

• The hour before closing is another peaceful time to visit. Whether you’re going to One World Observatory, the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock or any New York museum, crowds thin out significantly near closing time.
• The trade-off: you’ll skip the entrance line but have limited time to explore. How useful this strategy is depends on how long you plan to spend. Tip: opening hours for New York attractions and museums are listed in my Destination New York travel guide.