This year, OHNY delivered 40 year-round programs and a citywide festival, offering 1,175 hours of free programming, driven by the belief that when New Yorkers understand how their city works, they are better equipped to care for it, question it, and shape its future. 

As we celebrate 25 years of opening doors, your tax-deductible year-end gift or membership can help sustain this work in 2026.

This year, together we…

Took a deep dive into the city’s water systems with our Urban Systems series Water Works. In partnership with NYC Department of Environmental Protection, we toured infrastructure sites in all five boroughs, listened to water mains at midnight, and traveled to Westchester to see the last major stop for our drinking water.

Heard from civic leaders building and managing our infrastructure, researchers studying New York’s natural history to understand the impacts of climate change, and advocates helping communities prepare for flood emergencies through theatrical performance.

Held a citywide scavenger hunt that had New Yorkers racing across the city on foot, bike, and ferry to visit water landmarks both significant and obscure and spotting the everyday water infrastructure all around us.

Shared stories that resonate in the current moment. Join or Die examined Robert Putnam’s research on the individual and social benefits of being part of a community organization, and Drop Dead City raised questions of civic governance and responsibility with a look back at NYC’s near-bankruptcy in 1975.

Visited brand-new additions to the city’s cultural and civic landscape, including Brooklyn’s latest art and culture hub L10, the Davis Center at Harlem Meer, a community-engaged police station for the Bronx’s 40th Precinct, the design-build pilot project Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center, and the ongoing modernization plan at JFK International Airport.

Unlocked more than 300 places during the largest OHNY Weekend festival ever, bringing 50,000 visitors to skyscrapers, power plants, garden rooftops, manufacturing sites, performance spaces, private homes, art collections, and so much more.

Expressed our gratitude to the community of volunteers, program partners, members, supporters, Board leadership, and Open House New Yorkers like you who make it all possible. Thank you for your generosity, your time, your thought-provoking questions, your enthusiasm, and your boundless love for New York City.