A Tourist's Guide To NY: 10 Best Things To Do In The Bronx

things to do in bronx new york
Lorrie
Lorrie 
Updated
| 4 min read

The Bronx is a borough of New York City and is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city. It was originally part of the twelve counties of the English province of New York and was named after Jonas Bronck who established the first settlement in 1639. It hosted the World Fair of 1918, and became home to many immigrants after WWI. The Bronx was a part of prohibition history. The Bronx declined till the 1980s, when it underwent revitalization. Now the borough is a lively place filled with culture and community. Here’s our guide to the best things to do while in the Bronx.

MUSEUMS & CULTURE

1. Edgar Allen Poe Cottage

things to do in bronx new york | edgar allen poe cottage
Source: instagram

Built in 1812, this cottage is where Poe spent the last years of his life with his ailing wife and her mother, renting for 100 USD a year, till 1847 when he passed away. He penned some of his best work here such as Annabel Lee and The Bells. The Shakespeare Society tried to buy it in 1895 but was unable to collect the needed funds. The cottage is listed as a New York Landmark and was bought by New York City in 1913 to open as a museum. The Bronx Historical Society has owned the cottage since 1975.

Edgar Allen Poe Cottage

Address:3309 Bainbridge Avenue The Bronx, NY

Open Hours Thursday & Friday 10 am to 3 pm. Saturday 10 am to 4 pm, Sunday 1 to 5 pm

CostStudents, Children, and Seniors 3 USD, Adults 5 USD

Website: Poe Cottage

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2. New York Botanical Garden

Posted by The New York Botanical Garden on Tuesday, 22 November 2016

The New York Botanical Garden is known for its education, research, and conservation efforts. Created in 1891, its the greatest botanical garden in the world and the largest of any city in the United States. It is marked as a national landmark. The NYBG offers educational programs in horticulture and botany. The garden was inspired by a visit to a garden outside of London by botanists Nathaniel Britton and his wife, Elizabeth. The co-designer of Central Park helped design the garden in 1895. Since its creation, it has gathered over 7,800,000 plant specimens.

New York Botanical Garden

Address: 2900 Southern Boulevard Bronx, NY

Hours Winter Hours 10 am to 5 pm January to February. Rest Year 10 am to 6 pm Tuesday to Sunday and select Holiday Mondays.

Cost Children under 2: Free, Children 2 to 10: 10 USD, Student with ID and Seniors: 20 USD. Adults: 23 USD

Website: Botanical Garden

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3. Bartlow Pell Mansion Museum

Posted by Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum on Thursday, 6 April 2017

The Bartlow Pell Mansion is the last remaining 19th-century country house on Pelham Bay. The land was bought in 1654 by Thomas Pell, an English doctor from Connecticut. The land was originally 9,000 acres (3,642 hectares) but by the end of the Revolutionary War, it was down to 220 acres (89 hectares). Robert Bartlow bought the land in 1836, built the mansion, and he briefly lived there with his family. The home became a museum in 1946. The tour describes the social and architectural history of New York. Included on the tour is the main and carriage house and the gardens. There is no elevator in the building and there is limited seating in some of the rooms.

Bartlow Pell Mansion Museum

Address: 895 Shore Road Bronx NY

Open Mansion and Carriage House Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday noon to 4 pm

CostChildren under 6: Free, Seniors and Students: 6 USD, Adults: 8 USD

Website: Bartlow Pell Museum

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4. Bronx Museum of the Arts


The Bronx Museum of Art presents contemporary art exhibitions and educational programs that promote a culturally diverse audience. Opened in 1971, the museum has made art available to the community and area schools. It was originally housed in the county courthouse and later in a former church with funds from the state of New York. The current museum was opened in 2006, after two years of construction. It has a major gallery, outdoor terrace, and classroom with event spaces.

Bronx Museum of Arts

Address: 1040 Grand Concourse Bronx, New York

Open Monday, Tuesday and certain holidays, Wed 1 to 6 pm, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday 11 am to 6 pm, Friday 11 am to 8 pm

Cost Free, children under 12 must be with an adult

Website: Bronx Museum

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5. Little Italy in the Bronx


Little Italy is along Arthur Avenue in the Belmont District of the Bronx. It offers Italian restaurants, housewares, and other goods. Most of the businesses in this area were started by immigrants and have been continued by their families.There’s an array of butchers, markets, and pasta shops. This neighborhood offers relief from the business of Manhattan and has a friendly small town feel.

Little Italy

Address: 2396 Arthur Avenue Bronx, NY

Website: Little Italy

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ENTERTAINMENT & RECREATION

6. Pelham Bay Park


Pelham Bay Park is NYC’s largest park, three times the size of Central Park. The park has trails, a beach, two golf courses, and 13 miles (21 km) of shoreline along the Long Island Sound. There are also places for sports and a children’s playground. Visitors can view a variety of wildlife.

Pelham Bay Park

Address: Watt Ave & Middletown Road, Bronx, NY

Open Daily, 24 Hours

Cost Free

Website: Pelham Bay Park

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7. The Bronx Zoo

Bronx Zoo 001
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Postdlf used under CC BY-SA 3.0

The Bronx Zoo is in the Bronx Park and is on 265 acres (107.2 hectares) and has over 2 million visitors a year. The zoo is a part of a system of four zoos and one aquarium managed by the Wildlife Conversation Society. Opened in 1899, the zoo featured 22 exhibits and 843 animals. The world’s first animal hospital was added to the zoo in 1916. The zoo now has multiple free exhibits: Astor Court, African Plains, Bamboo Reserve, Big Bears, Himalayan Highlands, Madagascar, Mouse House, Aquatic Bird House, Aitken Sea Bird Aviary, Tiger Mountain, World of Birds, World of Reptiles, Pheasant Aviary, Birds of Prey, Bison Range, and Northern Ponds. The paid exhibits include: Bug Carousel, Butterfly Garden, Children’s Zoo, Conga Gorilla Forest, 4-D Theater, Jungle World, Wild Asia Monorail, Zoo Shuttle, and Nature Trek. Currently, there are 4,000 animals at the zoo.

Bronx Zoo

Address: 2300 Southern Boulevard Bronx, New York

Open April to November Daily 10 am to 5 pm, Weekends and Holidays 10 am to 5:30 pm

Cost Children 2 and under Free, Children 3 to 12 26.96 USD, Seniors 31.95 USD and Adults 36.95. Parking All Day Car 16 USD. Rentals Wheelchair Free, Single Stroller 10 USD and Double Stroller 15 USD

Website: Bronx Zoo

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8. Hall of Fame for Great Americans

Hall of Fame for Great Americans
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user User "H0n0r"; his... used under PUBLIC DOMAIN

The Hall of Fame for Great Americans is an NYC landmark listed on the National Register of Historical Places. The original 29 bronze tablets honoring the inductees was designed by Tiffany Studios and the hall is fame is located on the Bronx Community College Campus.

Hall Fame for Great Americans

Address: University Ave & W 181st St, Bronx, NY

Open Daily 24 hours

Cost Free

Website: Great American Hall Fame

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9. Yankee Stadium

Yankee Stadium upper deck 2010
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Matt Boulton used under CC BY-SA 2.0

Yankee Stadium, now in its second home, is the home to the New York Yankees. The old stadium was standing for 85 years, since 1923, and is nicknamed “The House that Ruth Built” after famed ballplayer Babe Ruth. The new stadium opened in 2009.

Yankee Stadium

Address: 1 E 161st St, Bronx, NY

Open April to October

Cost Pinstripe Pass: 28 USD, General Tickets: 33 to 350 USD, Suites: 350 to 900 USD

Website: Yankee Stadium

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10. TreeTop Adventure at the Bronx Zoo

Bronx Zoo 001
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Postdlf used under CC BY-SA 3.0

The Treetop Adventure offers a great view of the zoo with a climb and zipline. This exhibit attraction is open spring through fall.

TreeTop Adventure Bronx Zoo

Address: Bronx River Parkway at Boston Road Bronx, New York

OpenWeekdays 10 am to 5 pm, Weekends and Holidays 10 am to 5:30 pm.

Cost Climb & Zip Combo: 74.95 USD, Climb: 64.95 USD, Zipline: 34.95 USD

Website: Treetop Adventure

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Enjoy the Bronx

The Bronx has something to offer everyone who visits it; it is a special area of NYC that makes a visit to New York memorable. Add the Bronx to your list today.

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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