There is actually quite a lot out there for tourists and locals seeking diversion in New York City today. Many Broadway shows are still performing, though at different times than usual, and TKTS in Times Square will be selling discounted theater tickets from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (The Brooklyn and South Street Seaport locations are closed.) There are also a couple performances of The Big Apple Circus scheduled for 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. And the Radio City Christmas Spectacular isn't about to let a national holiday get those gams down; there are three performances today at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The Big Onion’s 18th Annual Christmas Day Jewish East Side Tour is offering two tours today at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. For a suggested $3 donation, you can visit the founding site of the B’nai B’rith, the Jewish Daily Forward building, and the historic Eldridge Street Synagogue. And at 1 p.m. there's a family-friendly walking tour through the East Village led by "Peter Stuyvesant and His Ghostly Friends."
The skating rinks in Central Park, Prospect Park and Bryant Park are all open today at various times, as is Rockefeller Center's rink. Most museums are closed, but the Jewish Museum will have a "family celebration," the Jewish Children's Museum is open, and Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium is welcoming suckers.
Most movie theaters are open, too, and Hollywood is dropping all their last-minute Oscar competitors today; here's our detailed guide to all the Holiday weekend movie options. As an alternative to new releases, the 92nd Street Y is doing their annual Chinese & a Movie event, which this year features an all-you-can-eat Chinese food buffet and a Monty Python double feature: Life of Brian and The Holy Grail. New Yorkology has more on what's open today, and the Times has a definitive list of everything that's not.
