Remi Odunsi MUA

For a New York City history lesson, skip the text book and head straight to the source at the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives. The archives were established in an effort to collect, preserve and make available primary information chronicling the social and political history of New York City. The archives serve researchers, journalists, students, exhibit planners and others. Some documents the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives has in its possession include papers of several mayors, the records of the New York City Council, the New York City Housing Authority, the piano maker Steinway & Sons and a Queens History Collection.

Fans of classical music will enjoy seeing a performance at Bargemusic. This classical music venue was founded in 1977 and makes its home in Brooklyn. Bargemusic is unique because it's a converted coffee barge, docked on the East River at Fulton Ferry. The barge is 102-feet-long and can seat 130 people comfortably for performances. The venue hosts about 220 concerts annually in front of the scenic view of the East River and the lower Manhattan skyline.

Enjoy the collection at the Queens Museum of Art. The collection here includes about 10,000 objects, featuring works by Salvador Dali, Mark Dion, and Andrew Moore. Other fascinating features include photographs from the 1964 World's Fair Kodak Pavilion, Daily News Archive 1920s-1960s crime scene photographs, and a famous Panorama of the City of New York.

When the holidays roll around and it's a family priority to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on television every year, you should really consider heading to NYC to see it in person. This world-famous event has been a major production since 1924 and there's nothing like seeing it from the sidelines.