In August 2022, our Social Media Specialist Haley visited one of New York City’s newest tourist attractions, RiseNY. Keep reading to learn about her experience.
My trip to New York City started early in the day, catching the Yankee Trails motor coach at Yankee Trails’ headquarters at 6:45 a.m. From there, we picked up a few others at different stops and then we were off to the Big Apple.
We made it to New York City around 10:30 that morning, which gave me about an hour before my experience started at RiseNY. The experience itself is a 60-90 minute long experience that brings you through the history of New York City and highlights some of its greatest parts.
When you enter RiseNY, you head upstairs where you queue for a short film that takes you on a train ride through the history of the city and industries within. The ‘theater” is reminiscent of a subway stop, with benches like the ones you find underground. The video comes to life on all four walls of the room and it seems like you’re blasting off on a subway ride as you make your way through the subway tunnel before being immersed in the history of New York. This was such a cool way to start off the experience!
After about 10 minutes of learning about the early history of the city, the subway comes to a stop and you get off at a museum with exhibits showing more history, starting with the Native Americans and Ellis Island and going to Wall Street and the evolution of Skyscrapers.
New York City’s history would be incomplete if you didn’t include the entertainment industry’s impact. From radio to TV to film, there are so many notable pieces of art set in New York, and the museum walks you through just some of the most recognizable.
The Honeymooners, Sesame Street, Friends, and various late night talk shows are just some of the shows that were highlighted in this part. They had replica sets from each show that you could sit at, take pictures with and have fun. You could even talk to Oscar the Grouch!
After the TV was an exhibit on fashion- one of the things New York’s most famous for. The museum had famous dresses that were worn by celebrities and shone a light on famous New York designers and the most historic fashion shows held there.
After the fashion exhibit was the music exhibit which was very cool. The exhibit highlighted when The Beatles performed on the Ed Sullivan Show and had pieces from musicians like Bob Dylan, the Village People, Biggie Smalls and Cardi B- some positively New York musicians.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Broadway is one of the cornerstones of New York City, and RiseNY had an amazing display showing costumes from some of the theater’s most well-known shows. Phantom of the Opera, Lion King, Hamilton and Chicago were just some of the shows that were exhibited. Along with each costume, there were screens that showed snippets from each play featured- this really gave us the theater bug!
.jpg)
.jpg)
After the Broadway display, it was time for the grand finale of the RiseNY experience- the ride. You enter Sky Studios, and it’s New Year's Eve in 1957. You’re a part of the New Year’s celebration at the studio, and after a brief introduction from the host, you’re whisked away to the observation deck, where you board the ride.
The ride is very similar to the ride Soarin’ in Disney’s Epcot. You sit on bench seating with the rest of your party and are lifted into the air in front of a big screen, where you fly all around New York City, seeing the best parts. The ride itself is about 5 minutes long and was SO fun; the perfect conclusion to RiseNY.
RiseNY is great for families with children and anyone interested in learning about the history of New York City in a fun and engaging way. There is a 40” height requirement for anyone looking to ride the ride, but anyone can go through the museum, and you don’t have to ride if you’re not into something like that.
Overall, this was such a fun excursion to do in the city, and would be a perfect addition to a NYC My Way trip you may have coming up. Its location is only a few blocks away from where the Yankee Trails motorcoach drops you off at Bryant Park, which makes it very walkable as well.
To browse our trips to New York City and book your family’s next adventure, visit the New York City one-day trips page on our website.