Queens is the most diverse urban area in the world. There\’s a population of 2.2 million residents in 109 square miles, 48% of which are foreign born. Queens was founded in 1683, the borough was named after Queen Catherine of Braganza, the Portuguese wife of King Charles II of England. With such diverse cultures, it makes perfect sense that there\’s a lot to do in this borough. With so many things to do, it\’s tough to narrow down the list for your New York City vacation. Here are my three top picks for things to do in Queens.

1. Flushing Meadow-Corona Park

Flushing Meadow-Corona Park is a huge 1,255 acre park in Queens, New York. It was originally constructed to be the Corona Ash Dumps, a dump site for ashes from the popular coal burning process of the early 1900\’s. It also became a landfill for New York City\’s garbage and manure.

By 1938, New York City decided that this huge plot of land should become the venue for the 1939/1940 New York World\’s Fair. The garbage, manure, and ash was painstakingly removed. The cleaner land area was renamed to Flushing Meadow-Corona Park and became the site for the 1939/1940 New York World\’s Fair. Less than three decades later, the city decided to host another fair there and the park became the site for the 1964/1965 New York World\’s Fair also.

There are stretches of trails for hikers and runners to enjoy. You\’ll also find a significant amount of historic artifacts from the two New York World\’s Fair. Flushing Meadow-Corona Park is also home to several organizations including the Queens Museum of Art, Queens Wildlife Center, Queens Theatre in the Park, and the New York Hall of Science.

2. Queens Museum of Art

While you\’re at Flushing Meadow-Corona Park, consider visiting the Queens Museum of Art. It\’s just behind the Unisphere, one of the many remnants of the New York World\’s Fair. The building was originally constructed for the 1939 World\’s Fair. Afterwards, it became the offices of the United Nations General Assembly for four years between 1964 and 1950. Some famous acts of the United Nations during those years were the creation of UNICEF and the partitioning of Korea.

The museum\’s primary purpose is to collect and show a wide range of art pieces that reflect the diverse community of Queens. Its focus is on international contemporary art. They also run an education center, teaching its surrounding local community about art.

The Panorama of the City of New York is worth a visit to the Queens Museum of Art by itself. It\’s a scaled down model of the five boroughs of New York City. It covers close to 10 thousand square feet and was built for the 1964 World\’s Fair. The model accurately depicted every building in New York City. In 1992, it was updated again to include all of the freshly constructed buildings. Live in New York City? You can find your miniature-sized home here!

3. Museum of Moving Image

The Museum of Moving Image was established in 1988 to showcase the technology of digital media, its history, and the art behind it. What counts as a moving image? The museum showcases film, movies, and video games. Exhibits offer a hands-on and interactive experience.

At the Museum of Moving Image, you\’ll find plenty of movie paraphernalia. It\’s the perfect place for any movie buffs. You\’ll also find exhibits dedicated solely to video games. If your childhood included any forms of video games, you\’ll find the hardware at this museum. Not only is the hardware available to see, but you\’re encouraged to pick up the controller and play! The exhibits include retro game consoles and arcades.

Bonus item, are you looking for more things to do in Queens? If you only have a single day to visit this borough, these attractions are my top picks. If you have more than one day, consider checking out my guides at Things To Do In Queens and List of Queens Attractions.

If you only have a single day to visit this borough, these attractions are my top picks. If you have more than one day, consider checking out my guides at http://ezinearticles.com/?What-To-Do-In-Queens&id=7590431 and http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/What-To-Do-In-Queens/2980315

Author Bio: Bonus item, are you looking for more things to do in Queens? If you only have a single day to visit this borough, these attractions are my top picks. If you have more than one day, consider checking out my guides at Things To Do In Queens and List of Queens Attractions.

Category: Travel
Keywords: queens, new york city, flushing meadow-corona park, queens museum of art, museum of moving image