Where the concierge points people first
- Mahayana Temple Buddhist Association — On Canal Street at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge, with a large gilded Buddha filling the main hall. The easiest temple in the city to visit unannounced; leave a small donation if you light incense. (40.7164, -73.9952)
- Eastern States Buddhist Temple — A working Chinese temple on Mott Street in Chinatown, used by local worshippers throughout the day. Keep to the side, keep your voice down, and ask before taking photographs. (40.7160, -73.9981)
- New York Buddhist Church — A Jodo Shinshu temple on Riverside Drive. Outside stands a bronze statue of Shinran that survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and was brought here in the 1950s. (40.8018, -73.9703)
- ISKCON New York City — The Hare Krishna temple in Brooklyn, with regular kirtan and a long tradition of a shared vegetarian meal. Shoes come off at the door. (40.6876, -73.9821)
- New York Zendo Shobo-ji — A Rinzai Zen temple on the Upper East Side run by the Zen Studies Society. It is a place to sit rather than to look around, so check the schedule and newcomer instructions first. (40.7662, -73.9614)
The rest of the temples in New York — every one we hold
- American Buddhist Study Center (40.8017, -73.9703)
- American Mind In Mind Buddhist Association (40.7165, -73.9949)
- Bergen Burmese Monastery (40.6800, -73.9691)
- Bronx Hindu Temple (40.8445, -73.9137)
- Brooklyn Zen Center (40.6770, -73.9852)
- Broome Street Ganesha Temple (40.7215, -73.9988)
- Buddhism NYC (40.7472, -73.9968)
- Buddhist Association Of New York (40.7149, -73.9934)
- Buddhist Cultural Center of USA (40.7165, -73.9949)
- Buddhist Society of Wonderful Enlightenment (40.7123, -73.9954)
- Buddhist Studies and Meditation (40.7951, -73.9631)
- Chua Thap Phuong (40.8593, -73.9090)
- Chung Te Buddhist Association of New York, Inc. (40.7134, -73.9898)
- Dharma House NYC (40.7472, -73.9036)
- Diamond Way Buddhist Center (40.7429, -73.9834)
- Dorje Ling Buddhist Center (40.7020, -73.9829)
- Durga Temple (40.6970, -73.9024)
- Eastern Buddhist Association (40.7141, -73.9936)
- First Zen Institute of America (40.7446, -73.9828)
- Free Five-week Meditation Workshop (40.7213, -73.9866)
- Ganden Nyen Gyud Monastery (40.7539, -73.9342)
- Hare Krishna Temple (40.7245, -73.9905)
- Korea Buddhism Jo-Gei Temple of America (40.7921, -73.9662)
- Nagbaba Mandir Bokeya (40.7167, -74.0000)
- New York Nichiren Buddhist Temple (40.7088, -74.0053)
- NY Chogyesa (40.7921, -73.9662)
- Om Sakthi Temple (40.7385, -73.9266)
- Padmasambhava Buddhist Center (40.7428, -73.9822)
- Pamsula Zen Center (40.8112, -73.9619)
- Pu Chao Buddhist Temple (40.7149, -73.9935)
- Ramakrishna-vivekananda Center Of New York (40.7863, -73.9556)
- Rissho Kosei-Kai (40.7474, -73.9727)
- Sakya Palden (40.7951, -73.9631)
- Schierle's Temple of Doom (40.6743, -73.9995)
- Sera Jey Buddhist Culture Center (40.7444, -73.9080)
- SGI-USA New York Culture Center (40.7365, -73.9924)
- Shantideva Center (40.6682, -73.9839)
- Shri Mariyama Kali Temple (40.7552, -73.9073)
- Society of Buddhist Studies (40.7192, -73.9988)
- Sri Sri Radha Krishna Mandir (40.7471, -73.9039)
- Sung Tak Buddhist Association (40.7136, -73.9923)
- Temple of Enlightenment (40.8781, -73.9036)
- The American - Burma Buddhist Association Inc (40.6798, -73.9692)
- The Middle Way Temple, New York (40.7855, -73.9704)
- Transworld Buddhist Association (40.7134, -73.9976)
- Triratna Ny (40.7346, -73.9910)
- True Buddha Temple (40.7141, -73.9906)
- Tzu Chi Center (40.7617, -73.9648)
- USA Shaolin Temple (40.7188, -73.9904)
- Won Buddhism of Manhattan, UN & Interfaith Office (40.7580, -73.9618)
- World Buddhist Center (40.7133, -73.9895)
- Yeshe Nyingpo NYC (40.7381, -73.9941)
- Zen Buddhist Temple (40.7638, -73.9643)
- วัดทุ่งแคแดง อำเภอบรรพตพิสัย (40.7167, -74.0001)
- 紐約佛恩寺grace Gratitude Buddhist Temple (40.7138, -73.9958)
Shoes, silence and when to turn up differ by tradition
The rules change with the tradition. In the Chinese temples of Chinatown visitors generally keep their shoes on and wander quietly while people pray. In Hindu and Hare Krishna temples shoes come off at the entrance, and in a zendo they come off, phones go away and you arrive before sitting begins, because late arrivals may not be let in. Covered shoulders and knees are sensible everywhere. Many rows here are meditation centers in office buildings rather than temples you can walk into, so check the day's program before going.
Questions people ask
What are the best temples to visit in New York?
Mahayana Temple Buddhist Association and Eastern States Buddhist Temple in Chinatown are the most open to visitors. New York Buddhist Church on Riverside Drive and ISKCON New York City in Brooklyn are worth the trip.
Can tourists visit Buddhist temples in New York?
Yes, the Chinatown temples welcome quiet visitors during opening hours. Meditation centers and zendos expect you to join a session rather than look round.
How many temples are there in New York?
Num's directory maps 60 temples and Buddhist or Hindu centers in New York.
Ask Num which temple in New York welcomes visitors today
Everything Num knows in New York →
Also in New York