Visit The Wild Garden: Discovering Central Park Woodlands exhibit and start exploring the North Woods on your own by borrowing a North Woods Discovery Kit stocked with binoculars, a hand lens, and flora/fauna guides. Accompanying adult with valid ID required. Purchase an optional Discovery Journal for $2 for a one-of-a-kind woodland adventure. Recommended for ages 8 – 12.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

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

Volunteer to help clean and restore parks most affected by Hurricane Sandy. Join us as we compost and clean and replace sand washed out of Imagination Playground.

Registration is required for this event. Please register with NYC Service to join us.

Please dress appropriately. Remember to wear closed-toe shoes and clothes that can get dirty. Bring a water bottle and snacks (water refills and restrooms will be available).

If you are able to, please bring work gloves and heavy duty trashbags. Additional materials that would be useful to the clean up effort include: fan rakes, snow shovels, wheelbarrows, large push brooms. These supplies are not required to participate. Gloves and supplies wil be provided for volunteers who cannot provide their own.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 1:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Imagination Playground

The enchanting setting of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory showcases more than 140 scaled iconic buildings and structures under thousands of twinkling lights. Artistically crafted by Paul Busse's team at Applie Imagination, the landmarks are made of natural materials such as bark, twigs, stems, fruits, seeds, and pine cones and include the original Penn Station and Yankee Stadium, Radio City Music Hall, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, The New York Public Library on 42nd Street, and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 817-8700

Location: The New York Botanical Garden

Use this hands-on exhibit to illuminate the history, ecology, and management of the woodlands and learn why these landscapes are so essential to the purpose of Central Park. The exhibit includes a digital interactive app highlighting historic photos and revealing hidden features. Exhibit introductions are available by appointment for groups of 10 or more; call (212) 860-1370 for more information.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

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

Analyze an instructional game with Women’s FIDE Master Laura Ross for new tactical insights, then pit your newly acquired skills against other players of your level tournament-style. Recommended for ages 6+.

Boards and pieces are available to borrow at the Chess & Checkers House for anyone who wishes to play.

Free. No advance registration. No groups please. Weather permitting.

For more details, including information on accessibility for people with disabilities, call (212) 794-4064.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 1:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Chess & Checkers House (in Central Park)

Come play ping pong at Bryant Park!

Paddles and balls will be provided free of charge to all skill levels.

Visit the park and sign up with an attendant, who can arrange a friendly game.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 6:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Ping Pong Court (in Bryant Park)

The diverse habitats of the Botanical Garden offer visitors a chance to see dozens of species of birds throughout the year. Bring your binoculars and walk the Garden grounds with an expert.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: 718-817-8700

Location: Watson Building, Room 302 (in Bronx Park)

Please note: this event has been cancelled.

Hike Van Cortlandt Park's historic Putnam Trail with the guidance of the Urban Park Rangers. This is a longer, faster paced hike on rugged terrain. For all hiking programs we recommend wearing comfortable shoes or boots, and packing water and a light snack.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 548-0912

Location: Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt 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)

Volunteer to help clean and restore parks most affected by Hurricane Sandy. Join us as we remove debris and leaves along Pelham Parkway.

Registration is required for this event. Please register with NYC Service to join us.

Please dress appropriately. Remember to wear closed-toe shoes and clothes that can get dirty. Bring a water bottle and snacks (water refills and restrooms will be available).

If you are able to, please bring work gloves and heavy duty trashbags. Additional materials that would be useful to the clean up effort include: fan rakes, snow shovels, wheelbarrows, large push brooms. These supplies are not required to participate. Gloves and supplies wil be provided for volunteers who cannot provide their own.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 3:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Pelham Parkway North and Esplanade (in Pelham Parkway)

This year's exhibition features quilts that draw inspiration from the word cool––whether it's a cold, wintery scene, a quilt of cool colors like greens and blues, or another interpretation of the word cool, this year the quilt show faces the cold of fall and winter head-on.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Lefferts Historic House (in Prospect Park)

Look, up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind? Take a tour and learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time: 1:30 pm

Contact phone: (718) 287-3400

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

Rufus’ son John was the President of the Railroad! Learn about trains and how they helped change this area from farmland to city! Enjoy train related stories, crafts, and more!

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time: 3:00 pm

Contact phone: 718 206 0545 x13

Location: King Manor Museum (in Rufus King Park)

Join us for a tour through Central Park in which you will see a hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water, and much more!

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

Accessibility level: Easy to negotiate; paths and few stairs - mostly accessible to people with disabilities.

Start time: 12:30 pm

End time: 1:45 pm

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: East 72 Street and Fifth Avenue (in Central 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)

Please note: this event has been cancelled.

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: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 421-2021

Location: Salt Marsh Nature Center (in Marine Park)

It's never too early to start celebrating Thanksgiving. We'll be hiking the Greenbelt Nature trail in search of the foods that was a part of the first Thanksgiving. This program includes activities, take homes and some snacks. Sorry, no real turkey! This is program is geared toward children ages 4 to 8 yrs old with a caregiver. Pre-payment and registration required.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 351-3450

Location: Greenbelt Nature Center (in Blood Root Valley)

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)

Walk the now-desolate beach at Jacob Riis Park with Mickey Maxwell Cohen, American Littoral Society naturalist. Find out what hides in the flotsam and jetsam on this stormy beach while learning about the extraordinary aeronautical and military history of the area.

Rain date: Nov. 18

Note: National Park Service (NPS) programs may need to be cancelled or rescheduled under certain weather and staffing conditions. Before heading to an NPS program, you are advised to check for any changes, which are announced immediately at facebook.com/GatewayNPS, twitter.com/GatewayNPS and on our website at nps.gov/gate .

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Bathhouse Entry Pavilion (in Jamaica Bay Park)

Join an exhibition interpreter for one of our regularly scheduled tours of Wave Hill’s fall exhibition Foregrounding the Palisades, sculptural installations by artists Isidro Blasco, Blane de St. Croix and Paula Winokur that focus on the cliffs across the Hudson River, a quintessential feature of Wave Hill’s vista—and history. In the Sunroom, Gail Biederman suspends a net-like map of commercial and handmade felt reflecting local topography.

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Wave Hill

Fondly recollect the early decades of baseball, recall ladies riding sidesaddle along the bridle paths, envision the thrill of ice skating and boating on the Lake, cross the finish line of the NYC Marathon, and more. Learn how tastes in recreation have changed since the mid-19th century and how the Park has been changed to mirror those tastes.

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

Accessibility level: Easy to negotiate; paths and few stairs - mostly accessible to people with disabilities.

Start time: 2:30 pm

End time: 3:45 pm

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop (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)

Please note: this event has been cancelled.

Urban Park Rangers specialize in interpretation of historic turning points, both natural and man-made, in our city’s long history. Join them on this evening tour of Belvedere Castle.

Start time: 6:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 628-2345

Location: Belvedere Castle (in Central Park)

Please note: this event has been cancelled.

Astronomy programs feature the use of telescopes and binoculars to observe specific astronomical events. Many programs feature astronomy experts and all equipments is provided.

Start time: 6:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 352-1769

Location: Fort Totten Visitor's Center (in Fort Totten Park)

Please note: this event has been cancelled.

Astronomy programs feature the use of telescopes and binoculars to observe specific astronomical events. Many programs feature astronomy experts and all equipments is provided.

Start time: 6:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 967-3542

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