10 Quirky Holiday Decorations in NYC

Twinkling lights, giant pine garland wreaths, and sparkling angels are all pretty standard holiday fare, but what about lobster traps, origami, and hot dog stands? Believe it or not, all three of those things can be found in the unique holiday decorations on this list. From parking garages to the tunnels of the subway, we found the most offbeat holiday decor to include in this list. Look out for these unique holiday decorations on your next stroll through the city:

1. Lobster Trap Christmas Tree

Red Hook Lobster Pound in Brooklyn puts a nautical twist on their annual Christmas tree display. It’s made out of lobster traps! Stacks of traps are assembled into a Christmas tree shape and decorated with lights and a garland of pine and red buoys. The first lobster trap tree was created in 2017. Since then, the restaurant has hosted an annual tree lighting with complimentary drinks and snacks, and lots of cheer every year.

2. Barkitecture at Rockefeller Plaza

Forget gingerbread houses, students at the School of Visual Arts have created dog houses to decorate. The students used a variety of materials and found objects, from mop heads to a hot dog cart, to construct the canine abodes. Each of the 14 doghouses originally appeared along Madison Avenue in 2022, protected from the elements by an illuminated 8′ lucite case which also features the name and photo of the adorable dog in residence. THis year, the doghouses can be found in a window display at 75 Rockefeller Plaza. You’ll meet Bubble Gum, a fluffy white poodle in a hot pink house created by Yuanjun Chen, Catch-up, the dog that shares his hot dog cart home with a pigeon (by Jennifer Santos), Mop Top by Kaori Sakai, and many others.

3. Secret Pet Remembrance Tree in Central Park

We first heard whispers of a secret pet memorial tree back in 2013 and set out to find it in Central Park. The makeshift memorial is hidden deep in the woods of the Ramble south of Belvedere Castle. The little-known tradition has kept up quietly over the past decade. On the tree, you’ll find mostly handmade ornaments, all dedicated to lost furry loved ones. There are laminated photos of pooches and notes to lost felines and other pets among ribbons and bows. While this part of the park is usually quiet, especially during the winter, you might run into another person or two taking a moment to reflect on fond memories of their long-lost companion.

4. Parking Garage Diorama

This parking garage at Continental Towers on the Upper East Side of Manhattan isn’t like other parking garages. During the holidays, the entrance to the garage turns into a winter wonderland. Employees at the garage have been hand-crafting detailed dioramas for the display every year over the past decade.’=

Down in the garage, you’ll see a fireplace scene complete with Santa and presents, a New York City street scene with dreidels and a menorah, and a massive winter village that garage employee Javier Sanchez told NBC News contains figures of himself and other employees as well as their family members. You can (carefully!) walk in and enjoy the displays on foot, or by car if you need a spot to park!

5. Wreath Interpretations at Central Park Arsenal

The Wreath Interpretations exhibition at Central Park’s Arsenal Gallery features dozens of handcrafted wreaths made of “inventive and unexpected” materials. Artists use everything from caution tape, traffic light reflectors, and safety pins, to bath sponges, rulers, Mardi Gras beads, and sugar meringue! The selection of wreaths explores a wide range of themes, such as family history, volunteerism, endangered animals, and chemistry. Each wreath is accompanied by a short artist statement that describes its meaning. The exhibit is free and open to the public at the Arsenal Gallery on the third floor of NYC Parks’ Headquarters in Central Park, at Fifth Avenue at 64th Street.

6. Origami Tree at the American Museum of Natural History

This year’s theme for the American Museum of Natural History‘s origami tree is Proboscideans on Parade, inspired by the museum’s new exhibition, The Secret World of Elephants. A colorful garland of hundreds of elephants wraps around the tree where you’ll also find paper versions of a woolly mammoth, the iconic Blue Whale, a T-Rex, and many more. Each ornament is hand-folded by local, national, and international origami artists. The 13-foot Christmas holds over 1,000 pieces of origami!

In the 1970s, Museum entomologist Alice Gray began creating paper models of insects based on the Museum’s collections. Those models made their way onto a small holiday tree in one of the scientific offices, and a new tradition was born. You can spot iconic museum attractions like the Blue Whale, Tyrannosaurus rex, and Titanosaur hanging on the tree.

7. World’s Largest Gingerbread Village

Chelsea Market is this year’s host to one of the world’s largest gingerbread villages! The village is made of 1,000 gingerbread structures from houses and pizzerias to ice-cream parlors and more, all crafted by Guinness World Record holder Jon Lovitch. Lovitch has been making GingerBread Lane installations for over 25 years. Previous iterations of the largest gingerbread village have popped up all over the country in landmark sites like the Smithsonian Museum and Rockefeller Center. The  Chelsea Market display will be up through January 7th, 2023.

8. Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights

The holiday lights at the Bronx Zoo are wild! Instead of holiday figures like Frosty, Santa, and Rudolph, at the Bronx Zoo holiday lantern festival you’ll find glowing depictions of elephants, turtles, gorillas, and other wildlife. as you embark on a lantern safari, you’ll see nearly 400 lanterns representing almost 90 animal and plant species. Of those total numbers, 64 new lanterns representing 9 new animal species have been added for 2023. The wildlife displays are separated into geographical categories of Africa, Asia, Latin America, North America, and the ocean.

The lantern safaris are accompanied by live ice-carving demonstrations, holiday treats, costumed characters, wildlife theater, stilt walkers, and more fun activities. After you’ve trekked through the illuminated wildlife habitats, you can sit down and enjoy a warm cup of hot cocoa. See more details and purchase tickets here.

9. Holiday Nostalgia Trains

Only in New York can a vintage subway train double for a festive holiday display! This year, the New York Transit Museum’s Holiday Nostalgia Rides will feature 1930s R1/9 train cars. You can hop on for a ride between 10am and 5pm on Saturday, December 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th. Be sure to check the museum’s website for exact stops and times.

10. Colored Christmas Trees of New Jersey

Over in Belvidere, New Jersey the employees at Wyckoff’s Christmas Tree Farm have come up with specially formulated paint to turn Christmas trees different colors. The trees come in many colors including purple, blue, white, black, magenta, and more. The rainbow-colored trees are sold on a first-come-first-served basis and often sell out!

The farm itself dates back to 1839 when the first owner, Simon Wyckoff, purchased 172 acres of land. It was converted into a Christmas tree farm in 1958 by John W. Wyckoff Sr., a fifth-generation Wyckoff. The first eight trees were harvested nearly ten years later.

Next, check out 5 Quirky Rockefeller Center Traditions and 10 Alternative Christmas Trees