Founded By NYC
Celebrate the city that's always making history.
FOUNDED BY NYC CALENDAR
Join in the excitement of Founded By NYC with happenings commemorating all aspects of the City's history. Businesses and organizations that have influenced NYC's legacy can submit events for consideration here.
FROM TIMES SQUARE TO THE WORLD
Our new video series follows New Yorkers around the boroughs as they uncover NYC's groundbreaking cultural movements, creative cuisines and revolutionary ideas—starting right from Times Square.
FIND OUT WHERE HISTORY WAS MADE
Uncover the City's long legacy of impacting culture. This month, we highlight NYC on screen as well as some seasonal city contributions to culture.
Ghostbusters Guide to NYC
The spirits of the Ghostbusters movies come alive at these New York City locations.
New Year's Eve in Times Square
Keep warm, arrive early and stay safe as you welcome the New Year in NYC.
Keeping NYC at the Center of the Marvel Universe
Marvel’s editor in chief talks NYC’s role in comics, what Marvel looks for in its creators and where to experience Marvel’s NYC in real life.
TV Show Tapings
Want to join the live audience of TV shows taped in New York City? Use our guide to find free tickets.
A Guide to the Tenement Museum
This Lower East Side institution highlights New York City’s immigrant heritage through illuminating tours of restored apartments, amplified by artifacts and recordings.
Relative Arts Interview
Meet the co-founders of an East Village collective where Indigenous artists sell their work and a community gathers to support one another.
The Man Who Draws All the Restaurants Draws Neir's Tavern
Brooklyn-based illustrator John Donohue preserves the culinary history of New York City one restaurant sketch at a time.
An Interview with Joe Baker of the Lenape Center
The co-founder of the Lenape Center talks about the importance of understanding and preserving Indigenous culture and history.
Get to Know Broadway's Scariest Urban Legends
Welcome to Broadway’s most haunted theaters.
Casa Amadeo’s Bronx Legacy
Musician Mike Amadeo preserves Latin music history at NYC’s oldest music shop up in the Bronx.
Discover Regional Mexican Cuisine in NYC
Mexican food is not a monolith, and more diners are discovering its regional diversity across the five boroughs.
Latin American Culture Sites in NYC
Visit these theaters, museums and historic sites to learn about Latin American culture in the City.
Photographer Elizabeth Bick Frames NYC in Motion
Discover how the photographer turned NYC streets into a stage, capturing the City’s choreography of light, movement and theatrical self-presentation.
5 Broadway Musicals Making NYC History
Discover why Hamilton, Chicago, The Lion King, The Book of Mormon and Wicked keep bringing in audiences and breaking new ground.
Halloween Parade Guide
Learn the tricks and treats of a true NYC institution: the world's largest Halloween parade.
The History of NYC Restaurant Week
Discover the story of how one week in 1992 changed NYC dining forever.
11 Foods Only NYC Does Right
It's the law: you have to eat all of these foods when you come to New York City.
Black Chefs You Should Know
Meet the culinary geniuses revolutionizing the City’s dining experience.
Chef Paul Carmichael Interview
The Momofuku chef has a new bar and restaurant in the East Village that show off his Caribbean roots.
Best Pizza Slices
Who makes the best slice of pizza in the five boroughs? Read an expert’s roundup of New York City pizzerias to find out.
LGBTQ+ Landmarks
The Stonewall Inn is just one of the many historic LGBTQ+ spots to visit in NYC, where the modern gay rights movement began.
NYC Soccer History
From soccer’s stateside introduction to the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026™ final, New York City and the region have served as the American cradle of the sport.
Chinatown's Multigenerational Family Businesses
These Manhattan restaurants and shops find ways to honor their heritage while adapting to the present and future.
An Interview with Actress and Activist Dominique Jackson
One of the stars of Pose talks about building community, overcoming adversity and her love of the City.
Historic Moments in NYC Pride
The modern LGBTQ+ rights movement began in earnest at the Stonewall Inn in 1969. The fight has been progressing ever since.
NYC Timeline: 40 Groundbreaking Events over 400 Years
Check out historic moments from the past 400 years that have defined NYC and influenced culture well beyond the city borders.
Artists Revisit the World’s Fair at the Queens Museum
Solo exhibitions by artists in residence Umber Majeed and Abang-guard reflect on the 1964–65 World’s Fair at Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Immigrant Women Home Cooks in NYC Restaurants
Immigrant women chefs and restaurateurs reveal how they made their mark on the City's culinary scene.
Green NYC Attractions
The City is on the cutting edge when it comes to protecting the environment.
The Women Who Made NYC History
Celebrate women’s history month by honoring these prominent New Yorkers.
Meet 6 “Spirited” Women Who Are Changing NYC’s Cocktail Scene
Discover how these bar owners, mixologists, and community advocates are innovating the City's bar scene.
7 Women-Owned Businesses That Inspire Us
Learn how these businesses foster community around the City and how you can patronize these spaces.
The Green Book: Candacy Taylor Q&A
Discover the New York City origins of The Green Book, a guide to safe spaces for Black travelers in the Jim Crow era.
NYC Inventions and Cultural Movements
So many social, cultural, artistic and culinary innovations started in NYC, we hardly know where to start. But we tried.
Black History and Culture Sites
Check out landmarks and venues across the five boroughs that help tell the story of Black history.
Indigenous Peoples' Day NYC: A Celebration
Native Americans from across the country celebrated their culture at Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Randall’s Island.
Free Black Communities in NYC
Across the five boroughs, a handful of Black communities thrived before the Civil War.
Bronx Hip-Hop Guide
It all began on August 11, 1973, when DJ Kool Herc ignited a cultural revolution. Trace the roots of hip-hop culture and delve into how the Bronx has shaped it ever since.
15 Lower Manhattan Historic Sights
Trace the history of New York City’s development in these buildings and sights.
Brooklyn’s Underground Railroad Sites
These locations in Brooklyn have historical significance in the movement of freedom for Black people.
NYC History Through Dutch Architecture
Visit these Dutch colonial houses for a look at the architecture and daily lives of NYC’s early European inhabitants.
Watch The Eli Manning Show
On the latest episode, New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston joins Eli Manning and Shaun O'Hara on a Big Bus tour of Manhattan. The three visit some of the City's historic sites—and enjoy a slice of pizza—in honor of NYC's 400th birthday. (Yes, singing is involved.)
DISCOVER NYC THROUGH HAMILTON
Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical has become a Broadway legend. In partnership with Hamilton, Founded By NYC invites you to explore the features below, including a competition in which students can do some innovating of their own.
The Founded By NYC Student Competition
Get your creative juices flowing, inspired by the City’s legacy of innovation and influence, in this performance contest for area students grades 7–12. The prize: a class trip to see Hamilton.
Hamilton
Winner of the 2016 Tony Award for Best Musical and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for drama, this hip-hop musical about founding father Alexander Hamilton chronicles his complicated life.
13 Places to See Hamilton in NYC
See the real-life spots where the founding father left his mark and inspired the Broadway show.
Trinity Church Wall Street
The churchyard includes the gravesite of Alexander Hamilton.
Hamilton Grange
The onetime home of Alexander Hamilton features an exhibition gallery.
LENAPE NATION: NYC 400
The Lenape Center works to preserve Indigenous culture and educate both the public and institutions about Lenape history. View their short film, done in conjunction with the City for NYC 400; read our interview with one of the founders; and visit their website for more.
NYC'S 400TH ANNIVERSARY
Commemorate New York City all year long at these annual highlights, including longtime holiday traditions.
Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes
The legendary family-friendly holiday show returns, featuring the Rockettes.
Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show
Model trains navigate painstakingly crafted NYC miniatures representing more than 190 landmarks.
Rock Center Tree Lighting
Don’t miss the lighting of the world’s most famous Christmas tree.
Times Square Ball Drop
Celebrity hosts ring in the new year with live music performances and thousands of revelers.
Coney Island Polar Bear Club New Year’s Day Plunge
Members of this club and anyone else brave enough to participate venture into the frigid waters at Coney Island.
Three Kings Day Parade
Celebrate the tradition with a parade, live music and gift giveaways.
TOUR HISTORIC MUSEUMS AND ATTRACTIONS
Many NYC institutions preserve or reexamine the past; some are places where history was made; others explore futuristic visions. Most of the spots below have exhibits, tours or events that offer context.
National Museum of the American Indian
Part of the Smithsonian, the NMAI displays exhibitions on Native cultures of the western hemisphere.
On Location Tours
With On Location Tours, see sites from popular films set in NYC—including Ghostbusters.
Museum of the Moving Image
Witness the art, technology and social impact of film, television and digital media at this Queens institution.
The Paley Museum
Explore broadcast technologies at this institution, which holds a public library of more than 160,000 TV and radio shows and commercials.
El Museo del Barrio
El Museo del Barrio on Fifth Avenue's Museum Mile is the nation’s leading Latinx and Latin American cultural institution.
Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute
CCCADI presents and preserves the diverse cultures of the Global African Diaspora.
Hispanic Society Museum & Library
The Hispanic Society Museum & Library is dedicated to Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American culture and art.
Pregones Theater
The Pregones theater troupe creates and performs original material rooted in Latino/Puerto Rican culture.
The Museum of Broadway
The Museum of Broadway takes visitors of all ages on an exciting, immersive journey from the birth of Broadway to present day.
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
First opened in 1965, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts houses one of the world’s most extensive combinations of circulating, reference, and rare archival collections in its field.
Fraunces Tavern Museum
Manhattan's oldest surviving structure and the site of George Washington's farewell to his officers in 1783.
Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration
The country’s official museum chronicling all eras of American immigration is located in the main building of the former immigration station complex.
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center
It's all about education and equality at this highly respected community center.
Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute
CCCADI presents and preserves the diverse cultures of the Global African Diaspora.
Asia Society and Museum
Asia Society’s small art collection opens visitors’ eyes to the aesthetic and technical accomplishments achieved in Asia from 1,000 B.C.E. to the 1800s.
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
This library is devoted to the experiences of people of African descent throughout the world.
High Line
Built on an abandoned rail line, this green walkway offers views of Manhattan’s far west side.
Federal Hall Downloadable Walking Tours
Download free walking tours of NYC history, including "This Hallowed Ground: Slavery in New York" and "The New York Freedom Trail."
Weeksville Heritage Center
The center preserves the history of the free African American communities of Weeksville, Brooklyn.
Historic Richmond Town
Watch history come alive at this living history village.
The New York Historical
The city's oldest museum explores NYC's fascinating past.
Louis Armstrong House Museum
Jazz legend Louis Armstrong's former Queens home now serves as a tribute to his life and legacy.
African Burial Ground National Monument
This monument honors the free and enslaved Africans who were buried in Lower Manhattan.
Christopher Street Tours
This LGBTQ+-owned and -operated walking tour company is inspired by the deep history and invigorating stories of the LGBTQ+ community in NYC and across the globe.
Museum at Eldridge Street
This 19th-century landmark with stunning architecture serves as a vibrant arts and education center, with exhibitions and tours of the restored synagogue.
New York Historical Tours
New York Historical Tours provides first class private guided experiences throughout New York City.
The Conference House Museum
This historic attraction was the site of a significant conference during the Revolutionary War.
The Tenement Museum
The Tenement Museum is a portrait of immigrant life in 19th- and early 20th-century New York City.
Federal Hall National Memorial
Though few associate NYC with America's federal government, Wall Street is where it all began.
Flushing Town Hall
The impressive arts programming here reflects all the diversity of the borough.
Kingsland Homestead
This landmarked farmhouse, built in 1785, is a museum celebrating the history of Queens.
Museum of Chinese in America
This expansive museum uses oral histories, video, photographs and written documents to bring to life the experiences of this vibrant immigrant community.
Museum of the City of New York
The Museum of the City of New York captures the spell the City casts to a T.
Center for Brooklyn History
Founded in 1863 as the Brooklyn Historical Society, the center preserves the borough's 400-year history.
Jacques Marchais Museum
Built to resemble a rustic monastery, this museum offers extensive collections of Himalayan artifacts.
The Bronx County Historical Society
Preserves and promotes the heritage of this diverse, proud borough, and it runs a research library, historical archive and two museums.
MORE TO EXPLORE
Short films. Big stories. Watch more bite-size episodes from Founded By NYC—celebrating innovation, community and culture across the five boroughs.
Submit Your Event to the NYC 400 Celebration
Celebrate the anniversary of the five boroughs by taking part in Founded By NYC. We want to showcase events on our calendar that illustrate the City’s incredible legacy and ongoing contributions to the world. Add your event now and be part of history.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We respectfully acknowledge New York City as Lenapehoking—homeland of the Lenape people, who were subject to genocide, forced displacement and systemic oppression. As those charged with spreading a positive message of New York City to the world, NYC Tourism + Conventions recognizes we have not centered Indigenous people enough in our past work. Moving forward, we are committed to uplifting and supporting the voices of the federally recognized Lenape who now reside in Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Canada, and the Native American communities within the five boroughs. This statement represents one step in observing the history of our land and building meaningful relationships across cultures.
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