Lincoln Center is a 16-acre complex of performing arts and educational institutions where you can see performances from a wide variety of organizations including the Julliard School and the New York City Ballet. The complex is also full of visual arts, including paintings, sculpture, and prints by artists such as Henry Moore and Jasper Johns.
Best and worst times to go to Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center is most crowded in the evenings and afternoons right before and after a performance. But that can also be the best time to go since people-watching is at its finest. A windy, rainy day is the worst time to go if you plan to walk around the campus outside to enjoy the architecture and the special effect water shows at the Revson Fountain.
Must see/do at Lincoln Center
Guided tours of Lincoln Center are given daily between 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. All tours depart from the Visitor and Information Desk at the David Rubenstein Atrium, located at Broadway between 62nd and 63rd Streets. But the best way to see Lincoln Center is to attend a performance. With 11 different performance organizations (from ballet to film to jazz) as well as 9 special events (including the Mostly Mozart Festival and a Midsummer Night Swing), you are sure to find something to suit your tastes.
Admission to Lincoln Center
Visiting the Lincoln Center campus is free; you can enjoy walking around, admiring the famous fountain and the outside of the buildings by yourself. But to see all the magnificent art inside, you will need to pay for a guided tour, which costs $18 ($15 for students). Or see a performance (ticket prices vary widely).
Parking and Public Transportation to Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center is located between West 62nd and 65th Streets and Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues. There is a weather-protected drop-off/pick-up for private cars and taxis located at Roslyn and Elliot Jaffe Drive (enter from Broadway at 65th Street and exit at 62nd Street). There are self-park and valet parking garages, as well as on-street parking, throughout the neighborhood.
By subway, take the 1 local train to 66th Street/Lincoln Center Station or the A, B, C, D, or 1 train to 59th Street/Columbus Circle
By bus, take the M5, M7, M10, M11, M66 or M104 bus; all of these stop within one block of Lincoln Center.
Food at Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center is full of cafes, snack bars and full service restaurants. Whether you are grabbing a cup of coffee before a tour or enjoying an elegant dinner before a premiere performance by the School of American Ballet, you'll find plenty of choices.
Insider tip for visitors to Lincoln Center
On selected weekday mornings during performance season, the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera, and many other of the performing arts organizations at Lincoln Center hold open rehearsals. Not only are these dress rehearsals significantly less expensive than regular performances, but they provide an interesting glimpse into how the performers work together. For more information contact the box office of the organization you want to see in person, online or by phone.
Other places to visit near Lincoln Center
With its location on Manhattan's Upper West Side, Lincoln Center is in a neighborhood rich in culture. Walk 15 minutes north and you'll be at the world-famous American Museum of Natural History. Or walk just a couple of blocks east and you'll find yourself in New York City's backyard, better known to visitors as Central Park.
Author's bio: Victoria Franzese is a proud New Yorker who owned, operated, and wrote for a successful online travel guide for 15 years. Now, thankfully, all of her travel is purely for fun. See where she's going next at @VOFranzese.
