Whether you are preparing for an extended journey through the woods or just want to be more prepared for any situation, a wilderness survival program is perfect for you.

Wilderness survival programs take place in the fall and winter. All programs are family friendly, but are recommended for ages 8 years and older. Wilderness survival programs feature hands-on activities in an outdoor setting. Please dress appropriately for cold weather.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 548-0912

Location: Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park)

Built to house munitions for the NYS National Guard, the Arsenal resembles a fortress with its crenellated cornice and rooftop turrets. Now NYC Parks headquarters, the building has served as a police station, zoo, weather station and the first American Museum of Natural History. Its treasures include WPA murals, original drawings of Central Park and roof gardens with spectacular views. Join the Urban Park Rangers on a tour of this historic building.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 628-2345

Location: The Arsenal (in Central Park)

Volunteering is a great way to make new friends and to give back to your city. Volunteer opportunities usually involve manual labor and may not be appropriate for all ages. Some opportunities require pre-registration. All equipment is provided.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 352-1769

Location: B. 32 Street and Beach Channel Drive (in Bayswater Park)

Here's your chance to see inside the Fort Tryon Cottage! The 1908 cottage flanking the garden was originally the gatehouse of the C.K. G. Billings Estate. Today the cottage houses the offices of the park administrator. The cottage is only open to the public on Open House New York (OHNY) weekend. Tours are every 30 minutes.

Donated to NYC in 1935 by John D. Rockefeller Jr and designed by the Olmsted Brothers, Fort Tryon Park encompasses 67-acres with majestic views of the Hudson River. Its three-acre Heather Garden is one of the finest in the Northeast. Vistors can stroll through the garden or attend one of the tours led by a member of the horticulture staff every 20 minutes.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Margaret Corbin Circle (in Fort Tryon Park)

For more than ten years, the Corinne May Botz searched for ghost stories in buildings across the United States. She ventured into these haunted places with both camera and tape recorder in hand; her photographs, accompanied by first-person narratives, reveal a rare glimpse into American interiors, both physical and psychological.

She says, “The first thing that inspired the project were writers like Edith Wharton, Charlotte Bronte and even Toni Morrison. Often these ghost stories were written by women as a means of articulating domestic discontents. I was interested in the idea of a woman being trapped in the home or by domestic space and how this was expressed in history."

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Alice Austen House Museum (in Alice Austen Park)

Explore the architecture of this 1783 house from attic-to-cellar. You'll get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the white oak timbers of the house and the many layers that were added, subtracted, and changed over the nearly 230 years.

Only 10 spots available. Visit www.ohny.org after September 27 for online reservations.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time: 1:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 789-2822 x303

Location: Willink Entrance (in Prospect Park)

OSA, Community Markets, and Sapere Studios present Yoga at the Market! Yoga at the Market takes place every other Sunday from noon - 1:00PM at Cooper Park through October 21st. Please bring your own mat.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time: 1:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Cooper Park

Happy Halloween! Learn about the real vampires of NYC — blood-sucking animals — with biologist Bill Schutt. Ages 4+.

In case of inclement weather, this program will be canceled. Please call (212) 860-1370 for day-of weather-related changes and more information about this program.

Provided at no cost to you! More details, including rain plans and directions, are on the Conservancy's website.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time: 1:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade (in Central Park)

Come revel in the splendor of this 19th Century Mansion and learn about the lives of the past inhabitants. Free guided tours from 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Tours start at quarter past the hour.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 885-1461

Location: Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum (in Pelham Bay Park)

In the 1930s, Alice and her partner Gertrude opened up their home and started a business serving refreshments. Come to their Victorian Tea House, relax on their porch, and bask in the amazing view of the Verrazano Narrows.

Last seating at 3:00 p.m.

Reservations are required.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 816-4506

Location: Alice Austen House Museum (in Alice Austen Park)

A performance debut of new choreographed works by Larissa Schiano. Performed by Laura Alfano, Sandra Blake, Alyssa DeVito and Sandra Prapaniku.

Membership is not required. However, photo ID must be presented.

Start time: 12:30 pm

End time: 1:30 pm

Contact phone: (718) 667-3545

Location: Greenbelt Recreation Center (in Blood Root Valley)

Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed the North Woods to replicate the forests of the Adirondack Mountains, with their crystal streams, tumbling cascades, rustic bridges, and picturesque pools right in New York City's backyard. Join us for a tour through the North Woods and admire their work.

Groups of seven or more people should call (212) 360-2726 or email tours@centralparknyc.org to schedule a custom tour.

Accessibility level: Hilly, stairs, and a few Park-related obstacles to negotiate - not recommended for people with disabilities

Start time: 12:30 pm

End time: 1:30 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park)

As part of the Historic House Trust’s Moveable Feast Festival, the Lefferts Historic House will be serving sweet and savory treats from the handwritten cookbook Mrs. Lefferts created in the 1800s

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: 789-2822 x301

Location: Lefferts Historic House (in Prospect Park)

Play animal charades, pretend to be a bat trying to catch a moth, or join many other fun and active nature games. A Naturalist will lead children and families to areas near the Audubon Center, where you can be active and learn about the nature that is all around us!

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 2:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 287-3400

Location: Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park)

Free tours of the Conference House on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1p.m. to 4 p.m. There is a charge for group tours which are booked separately. Please visit www.conferencehouse.org or call 718-984-6046 for more information.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: 718-984-6046

Location: Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park)

View significant artifacts from 19th-century family life and walk into a fully furnished 1820s bedroom. There will be tours every half hour.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 3:30 pm

Contact phone: (718) 789-2822

Location: Lefferts Historic House (in Prospect Park)

With his ailing wife Virginia confined to her bed and his writing consuming his rare free moments, how did Edgar Allan Poe make sure that his family was well fed? On your tour of Poe Cottage, you'll hear about new technologies that eased food preparation and daily life in the mid-19th Century. An assortment of fall festival treats will be available throughout the weekend while supplies last.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 881-8900

Location: Edgar Allen Poe Cottage (in Poe Park)

Come experience what 18th Century Bronx residents feasted on this food-based tour of the Valentine-Varian House. Learn about how our Bronx forebears grew, prepared and consumed their food without modren comforts upon which today's world relies. An assortment of fall festival treats will be available throughout the weekend while supplies last.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 881-8900

Location: Valentine-Varian House (in Valentine Varian House)

Built in 1785, Kingsland Homestead is now the home of the Queens Historical Society. Tour the homestaed and visit the gift shop to find out more about historic foodaways in Queens.

Two new exhibitions will also be on display: Uncovering the Cemeteries of Queens, and The Disappearing Art of the Written Word.

Free with admission

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 939-0647

Location: Kingsland Homestead

Visit the Guyon-Lake-Tyson House at HIstoric Richmond Town, New York City's most comprehensive museum complex. Originally sited about 2 miles from its present location, this 1740s farmhouse represents life on a large prosperous farm. Cooking demonstrations on the open hearth offer a taste of the luxuries available there. Recipes used in the demonstration come from Margaret Poillon Garretson's recipe book which is part of the on-site archive. Samples of the dessert recipe will be available warm from the tin reflector oven until 4:45 p.m. each day.

Included with regular village admission.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 351-1611

Location: Historic Richmond Town

Volunteering is a great way to make new friends and to give back to your city. Volunteer opportunities usually involve manual labor and may not be appropriate for all ages. Some opportunities require pre-registration. All equipment is provided.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 967-3542

Location: Wolfe's Pond Park Comfort Station (in Wolfes Pond Park)

There will be free art demonstrations for children and young adults by Cristina Cipriani in the Latimer House's fall garden.

Start time: 1:30 pm

End time: 2:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 961-8585

Location: Lewis H. Latimer House (in Lewis H Latimer House)

Spend time outside enjoying nature while helping to keep Prospect Park clean. Families can take a tour of the Park and its waterways and help keep it clean along the way. Gloves, garbage bags and trash grabbers will be provided.

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time: 3:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 287-3400

Location: Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park)

With talent from the Columbia University Music Performance Department, the Manhattan School of Music Community Partnerships Program, and French Cookin’ Blues Band.

ORBIT BRASS QUINTET of the Manhattan School of Music
Matt Gasiorowski, Leader
A glorious sound floats over the park as these fine musicians present traditional and contemporary brass music.

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time: 3:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: 116th Street Overlook (in Riverside Park)

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights.

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time: 3:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 549-3200

Location: Perkins Visitors Center (in Wave Hill)

At the end of an early American funeral, participants were often given a cookie: spiced with caraway, and stamped with a special design, they were often kept for years as a memento of the departed. Although mourning traditions have changed over time, and vary from place to place, what they often have in common is food and drink. From the home parlor to the funeral parlor; from the Irish wakes to sitting Shiva, consumption offers comfort in a time of grief. In this talk we'll look at the culinary traditions surrounding funerals throughout American history, as well as taste some of the food that has offered solace through history.

Start time: 2:30 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 939-0647

Location: Kingsland Homestead

There will be free art demonstrations for children and young adults by Cristina Cipriani in the Latimer House's fall garden.

Start time: 2:30 pm

End time: 3:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 961-8585

Location: Lewis H. Latimer House (in Lewis H Latimer House)

Walk through a scenic area on the western edge of the Park, much of which is off the beaten track for most visitors. See rolling meadows, lake views, bridges of different styles, and a garden with flowers and plants mentioned by Shakespeare.

Groups of seven or more people should call (212) 360-2726 or email tours@centralparknyc.org to schedule a custom tour.

Accessibility level: Moderate inclines and stairs, paths clear and negotiable - only parts accessible to people with disabilities

Start time: 2:30 pm

End time: 3:30 pm

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (in Central Park)

Imagine yourself in the past. Learn games, pastimes and tasks that were common 200 years ago. At Lefferts Historic House, you can try your hand at needlepoint, games, and more.

Start time: 2:30 pm

End time: 3:30 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Lefferts Historic House (in Prospect Park)

Talk a walk with one of our naturalists to watch for animals, and investigate little-known facts about the park and its animal residents.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 287-3400

Location: Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park)

Author Sarah Rose will discuss her best-selling book "For All the Tea in China: How England Stole the World’s Favorite Drink and Changed History.” Tea tasting following the lecture with Harney and Sons Tea Company. Please reserve a seat by calling (718) 206-0545x13 or by e-mailing programs@kingmanor.org. This program is in partnership with the Historic House Trust of New York City adn Open House NY.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone: 718 206 0545 x13

Location: King Manor Museum (in Rufus King Park)

Chef, writer, and James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Judith Choate will give a fascinating talk on The Versatile Vegetable. After the talk, taste pumpkin baked goods from Judith and from the Children's Garden in the Orangerie. Registration is required.

Start time: 4:30 pm

End time: 6:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 885-1461

Location: Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum (in Pelham Bay Park)