18 One-of-a-Kind Experiences in NYC This Summer

New York City will be buzzing all summer long as it welcomes new attractions, hosts special events and celebrations and wows visitors with one-of-a-kind experiences. "Year after year, our research shows that summer is one of the most popular times to visit New York City, with more than a quarter of our total visitors in 2017 traveling to the city during this period," stated Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company, the city's official destination marketing organization.

Here are 18 experiences visitors to New York this summer won't find anywhere else.

Opened in April on West 57th Street, this is Nordstrom's first-ever New York City store and spans 47,000 square feet. Highlights include same-day delivery, online pick-up, a Clubhouse Bar and Coffee Shop. Don't miss out on the anniversary sale from July 20 to August 5.

Huma Bhabha's We Come in Peace will be on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden through October. The outdoor exhibit addresses colonialism, war and displacement through unique sculptures.

The 40th annual Museum Mile Festival will take place on Fifth Avenue June 12 and feature free museum admission as well as live music, entertainment and art-making activities.

The Public Art Fund will showcase a slew of free exhibits throughout the city this summer, including Erwin Wurm's Hot Dog Bus, which will be on display at Brooklyn Bridge Park from June 9 to August 26 and feature free hot dogs on the weekends. Free exhibits can also be found at Central Park's Doris C. Freedman Plaza and Rockefeller Center's Channel Gardens, among other stops.

Beginning June 1, guests can be among the first to spend the night on Governors Island with Collective Retreats. In addition to stellar waterfront views, guests will enjoy luxury tents and designer modular containers as well as hotel-style service and amenities.

Staten Island's New York Chinese Scholar's Garden is one of only two authentic scholar's gardens in the U.S. and is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its groundbreaking at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden this summer. Multiple pavilions, a bamboo forest, waterfalls and a koi-filled pond are among the many highlights.

The Wildlife Conservation Society's New York Aquarium in Coney Island will debut its Ocean Wonders: Sharks! exhibit June 30. The waterfront building display will feature over 115 species of marine wildlife, including sharks.

The 12th annual Make Music New York Festival returns to the Big Apple on the first day of summer (June 21), featuring more than 1,000 free public concerts across all five boroughs, including a Broadway concert in Harlem as well as performances at Union Square, Central Park and Governors Island.

Mr. C Seaport will open in the city's namesake district this June, offering visitors 66 luxury guestrooms to choose from. It will mark the first East Coast property from the famed family-hospitality brand Cipriani.

Brooklyn's Domino Park is also scheduled to open this June. The park pays homage to the landmarked Domino Sugar refinery building and includes an Artifact Walk of salvaged machinery, a waterfront esplanade and Water Square. Visitors will enjoy splendid views of both the Manhattan skyline and Williamsburg Bridge.

The 2018 Qatar Airways New York City E-Prix will conclude its five-continent tour at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal July 14-15. Last year's historic event attracted 20,000 fans.

NYC Restaurant Week returns this summer from July 23 to August 17. More than 350 of the city's best restaurants will participate in the three weeks of discounted, prix-fixe dining. Reservations open July 9.

Head to the revamped Seaport District to check out Pier 17's 1.5-acre rooftop venue, which will begin hosting concerts and other events August 1.

A handful of high-profile plays have recently opened on Broadway, including Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, The Boys in the Band and Angels in America. Meanwhile, Pretty Woman: The Musical will debut July 20.

WWE's SummerSlam will return to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on August 19. In addition to the annual pay-per-view, the borough will host a slew of events August 18-21, including NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, Monday Night RAW and SmackDown Live.

The 2018 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens will be a special one as it marks the 50th anniversary of the tennis major and will be the first tournament since the completion of the tennis center's $600 million transformation. The Grand Slam event runs from August 27 through September 9.

The recently-debuted NYC Ferry will add new destinations this summer, including the Upper East Side, the Lower East Side and Soundview in The Bronx.

The highly-anticipated Times Square EDITION is slated to open later this summer right above the new NFL Experience attraction. Football fans will especially be drawn to the 452-room hotel, which will boast a 5,800-square foot beer garden and event deck.