This past May, the Sports Museum of America (SmA), the country’s first and only interactive, multi-media all-sports museum experience, opened in Lower Manhattan. SmA has partnered with more than 50 single-sports Halls of Fame, national governing bodies, and other top athletic organizations to showcase exhibits, memorabilia, stories, and heroes that resonate with fans of all ages. The wide variety of exhibits include a 180-degree Immersion Theater and interactive exhibits that put you inside a hockey goalie’s net, inside the play-by-play booth, and even on NASCAR racetrack with cars screaming by on floor-to-ceiling screens, to name just a few. It’s also home to the Billie Jean King International Women’s Sports Center—which includes the Women’s Sports Foundation International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame, the first-ever hall of fame dedicated to women’s sports—and the original Heisman Trophy, college football’s greatest honor. (Beginning this December, the annual presentation ceremony will take place at SmA.) SmA is just steps away from Wall Street, the South Street Seaport, and the 9/11 memorial currently underway, and a quick subway ride from Midtown (4, 5 to Bowling Green; 1, R and W to Rector Street). 26 Broadway, corner of Beaver St., 212-747-0900; www.sportsmuseum.com

New York offers many venues that feature many different skyline views from many different perspectives—harbor tours, helicopters, waterfront restaurants, observation decks, and rooftop dining, to name a few. These are all great ways to see Gotham, but few can come even close to the view from Top of the Rock, located on the 67th-70th floors of the famous 30 Rock building in Rockefeller Center. With dazzling, 360-degree indoor and outdoor views, Top of the Rock preserves the historic integrity of John D. Rockefeller’s original creation (open from 1933 to 1986) while incorporating innovative features and new technology: high-tech sky shuttle elevators with transparent glass ceilings, 55,000 square feet of space—including three indoor and outdoor decks—a multi-media exhibition exploring the history and construction of Rockefeller Center, a simulated beam where you can imagine you are part of the 1930s construction crew that walked across it, hundreds of feet in the air, and much more. You can also purchase different combo tickets that include reduced admission to the Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour, the NBC Studio Tour, the Museum of Modern Art, BODIES...The Exhibition, and other attractions. 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 50th St. btw. Fifth & Sixth Aves., 877-NYC-ROCK

While you’re in Rockefeller Center, be sure to check out the new sculpture by internationally renowned artist Chris Burden: What My Dad Gave Me, a dramatic, 65-foot-tall skyscraper made entirely of toy construction parts. Standing more than six stories tall at the Fifth Avenue entrance to the Channel Gardens, it pays homage to the historic skyscrapers that give New York its iconic architectural presence. Presented by the Public Art Fund and hosted by Tishman Speyer, co-owners of Rockefeller Center, it is on view through February.

If you want to see the city from a different angle while enjoying an exquisite meal, don’t miss this boat: Spirit Cruises offers a view of the shimmering skyline to complement their high-end dining experience. Recently remodeled with a fresh exterior and an all-new contemporary interior design, the three-deck Spirit of New York has a chic and cosmopolitan look with huge panoramic windows, a first deck designed with a cocktail lounge, disco, and modern restrooms, second- and third-deck mezzanines offering sophisticated dining and entertainment, climate-controlled interior decks, and an enormous outdoor patio deck. The two-deck Spirit of New Jersey offers dining and dancing on the water, an outdoor strolling deck, and a topside patio deck with cafe-style seating. Whether it’s a romantic dinner for two, four, or a grand affair, you’re in for an extravagant evening filled to the brim with top-notch cuisine, live music, and dancing under a canopy of stars. Chelsea Piers, Pier 62, W. 23rd St. at the Hudson River, 866-483-3866 ; www.spiritofnewyork.com

Here’s a great way to squeeze in a number of sights and museums while also saving a few dollars: New York Pass offers admission to over 40 of the city’s most exciting attractions, including the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, NY SKYRIDE, Guggenheim Museum, Madame Tussauds New York, the American Museum of Natural History, Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, the Madison Square Garden All-Access Tour, the NBC Studio Tour, the New York Aquarium, and more. Plus, you get a 140-page guidebook in English, German, Spanish, discounts and offers at retail shops, restaurants, and theaters, and line-skipping privileges at some of the busiest attractions in town. One-day adult passes are $69 (children, $49), with 2-, 3-, and 7-day options are also available. To get your pass, visit www.newyorkpass.com or call 877-714-1999; they’re also available at Planet Hollywood in Times Square, 1540 Broadway at 45th St.

With the opening of the big-screen version Sex and the City earlier this summer, the adventures of Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte are once again on the forefront of people’s minds. For your very own chance to walk in their Manolo Blahniks, join On Location Tours’ Sex and the City Hotspots tour. This three-and-a-half hour guided bus tour twists and turns through their stomping grounds, visiting the restaurants where they wine and dine, the shops at the center of Carrie Bradshaw’s shoe fetish, the bars they frequent, and much more. Live the chic life on an air-conditioned bus, hopping on and off to catch a glimpse into the lives of four of New York’s most eligible bachelorettes. Tours depart daily at 11am and 3pm, and also 10am on Saturdays and Sundays; for tickets, call 212-209-3370 or visit www.screentours.com

In addition to the Sex and the City tour, On Location Tours also offer a Sopranos tour, a New York TV and Movie Sites tours, and a Central Park Site tour. Plus, they recently partnered with New York Water Taxi to start up the city’s first-ever TV and movie tour by boat, the New York TV and Movie Tour on the Water. Experience “Hollywood on the Hudson” while enjoying the majesty of New York Harbor and the Financial District as you float by the locations used in classic TV shows and movies such as Annie Hall, The French Connection, Saturday Night Fever, The Royal Tennenbaums, CSI:NY, and Law and Order: SUV. All tours are led by New York City actors and actresses who share behind-the-scenes scoop and inside industry information. The two-and-a-half-hour tour departs from the South Street Seaport every Thursdays at 3:30pm. For tickets, visit www.zerve.com/onlocation/water or call 212-209-3370.

New York Water Taxi also a number of other tours, including the Gateway to America tour (the only harbor tour brought to you by the National Park Service), NYC Waterfalls Cruise, a Sunset Happy Hour Cruise, a Champagne Night Cruise (groups or charters only), Brooklyn Bridge and, in partnership with Bike and Roll NYC (866-736-8224; www.bikeandroll.com), Waterfalls by Bike and Boat. Water Taxi’s two-day hop-on/hop-off pass allows unlimited rides to eleven stops around the city, providing spectacular views and easy access to premier attractions, restaurants, and shopping.

Another not-to-be-missed tour is OnBoard New York Tours’ comprehensive 5-1/2-hour NY SEE IT ALL! tour, where tour guides step off the shuttle with you and lead you through each stop. Stops include Times Square, the World Trade Center Site, Wall Street, South Street Seaport, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, and much more. Their 3-hour, nighttime NY SEE THE LIGHTS! tour starts in Times Square and shows you the greatest city in the world at night, offering magnificent views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the lights of Manhattan from across the river. And the 3-hour NY SEE DOWNTOWN! tour takes in Wall Street, the World Trade Center site, Greenwich Village, South Street Seaport, and more. For tickets, call 212-277-8018 or visit www.onboardnewyorktours.com.