The best things to do in Queens in 2026 are Flushing Meadows Corona Park with the Unisphere and the Queens Museum's Panorama of the City of New York, the New York Hall of Science, MoMA PS1 and the Noguchi Museum in Long Island City, and the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria. Add a Mets game at Citi Field, the Queens Night Market, the Louis Armstrong House and Rockaway Beach in summer.
The World's Fair grounds and Queens' giant steel globe.
Flushing Meadows Corona Park hosted the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs; the Unisphere, fountains and fair pavilions remain alongside Citi Field and the US Open grounds.
Good to know: Rent a bike or paddleboat on Meadow Lake in summer.
Home of the giant Panorama of the City of New York.
The Queens Museum, in a 1939 World's Fair building, displays the vast Panorama scale model of New York City along with contemporary art exhibitions.
Good to know: Find your hotel or apartment on the Panorama.
Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, NY 11368
A hands-on science museum built for the 1964 World's Fair.
NYSCI has hundreds of interactive exhibits, a large outdoor science playground and rockets from the space race.
Good to know: The outdoor science playground is open in warm months.
47-01 111th St, Corona, NY 11368
MoMA's contemporary art outpost in a former schoolhouse.
MoMA PS1 shows experimental contemporary art in a 19th-century public school building, with summer Warm Up music events in its courtyard.
Good to know: It's one stop from Manhattan on the 7 or E.
22-25 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101
Isamu Noguchi's serene museum and sculpture garden.
The Noguchi Museum, designed by the artist himself, displays his sculpture, furniture and lamps around a tranquil garden.
Good to know: Combine with Socrates Sculpture Park across the street.
9-01 33rd Rd, Long Island City, NY 11106
A free outdoor sculpture park on the East River.
Socrates Sculpture Park, created by artists on a former landfill, shows large outdoor sculpture and hosts free summer events with Manhattan views.
Good to know: Look for free outdoor movies in summer.
32-01 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11106
Film, television and video games, with hands-on exhibits.
The Museum of the Moving Image explores how movies and TV are made, with interactive exhibits, a Jim Henson exhibition and regular screenings.
Good to know: Check the screening calendar.
36-01 35th Ave, Astoria, NY 11106
Mets baseball and some of the best food in the majors.
Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, is easy to reach on the 7 train and known for its food from New York restaurants.
Good to know: Take the 7 train to Mets–Willets Point.
41 Seaver Way, Queens, NY 11368
A summer Saturday night market of global street food.
The Queens Night Market brings dozens of vendors cooking food from around the world, with most dishes capped at a low price, on Saturday nights from spring to fall.
Good to know: Bring cash and arrive early.
Satchmo's home, preserved just as he left it.
Guided tours of Louis Armstrong's Corona house show its colorful interiors and play recordings of him at home.
Good to know: Visit the new Louis Armstrong Center across the street.
34-56 107th St, Corona, NY 11368
New York's surf beach, reachable by subway or ferry.
Rockaway Beach has a long boardwalk, surfing at designated beaches and boardwalk food stands, reachable on the A train or the NYC Ferry.
Good to know: Take the NYC Ferry from Wall Street for a scenic ride.
Birdwatching in a vast tidal wetland.
Part of Gateway National Recreation Area, the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge has trails around ponds and marshes visited by hundreds of bird species.
Good to know: Bring binoculars in spring or fall migration.
It's a 9,335-square-foot scale model of all five boroughs, built for the 1964 World's Fair and displayed at the Queens Museum — every building in the city is represented.