The promise of warmer weather inspires travel to far-flung locales. But as city dwellers know, it also tends to bring friends and family into town. To the relief of urban hosts, there is a wide range of entertaining options within the city limits that prove it isn’t necessary to leave town to have a good time. Sunny skies open the door to a number of sometimes-overlooked treasures.

A New York institution, Tavern on the Green, merits a visit between June and September, when it becomes the city’s only outdoor nightclub. Each night, Tavern offers live music by bands or DJs, all in the lantern-lit garden. Monday is dedicated to Latin music; Saturday to Russian music (from classical to contemporary); Sunday is retro night, and live jazz is featured on Thursday. And if the dancing makes you hungry, Tavern offers an à la carte menu in addition to drink specials.

This summer, Tavern will also offer afternoon service, which includes a selection of tea sandwiches, scones, petit fours, and a variety of teas (Monday through Friday, noon–4:30 p.m., Saturday–Sunday, 11:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.).

Nestled within its own gardens, Tavern on the Green’s topiaries and flowers are a large part of what makes it so alluring. “You should come just for the beauty of our gardens,” the general manager of Tavern on the Green, William Zambrotto, said. “Our horticulturalist keeps them like botanical gardens.”

The US Open Tennis Championship, now in its 39th year in New York, is another classic that makes time in the city attractive to natives and visitors. For die-hard fans, the Open organizers have created an all-inclusive shared hospitality package that includes meals and courtside, loge, or promenade ticket options (usopen.org).

“Our shared hospitality package has become the most popular option,” the hospitality coordinator for the tournament, Raleigh Leahy, said.

As a complement to the private packages aimed at larger groups, the shared packages give groups of six an opportunity to experience the Open in style: This includes reserved tickets to Arthur Ashe Stadium, a table beneath a shared tent, catered lunch or dinner, full bar service, and a parking pass. Packages range in price between $600 and $1,650 for loge seats, and $1,100 to $1,300 for courtside seats, and are available daily throughout the tournament, which runs August 28 to September 10.

For those seeking luxury accommodations to match, the Hotel Plaza Athenee New York (37 E. 64th St. at Madison Avenue, 212-734-9100) will offer a special US Open rate of $495 a room per night, a discount of 28% on usual rates.

At the Ritz-Carlton, New York (50 Central Park South at 59th Street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-308-9100), a “Day at the Museum” package was inspired by the popularity of the 2006 film “A Night at the Museum.” The luxury hotel chain has partnered with the American Museum of Natural History (it served as the setting for the movie) to offer an educational indulgence for families.

The package, starting at $846 for the Battery Park location and $1,120 for the Central Park hotel, includes a night in a deluxe guestroom or suite, luxury car service to the museum, and a private, guided tour of the institution. At the hotel, guests will enjoy access to the Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge, a special concierge service, and access to a library of DVDs, CDs, and children’s books.

For adventurous visitors looking for a nautical fix, Circle Line Tours (circlelinedowntown.com), offers an alternative that combines sightseeing with thrill seeking.

The Shark — a hulking speedboat with sharp teeth painted down the side — tears through the city harbor at a brisk 35 miles an hour, taking its passengers across the Upper New York Bay and the East River with music blaring in the background. The boat’s Captain, who entertains all aboard with facts about city sights, emcees the 30-minute ride. In its third year, the Shark has already gained a large following.

“People come back again and again because it is like a ride at a waterpark, right in their own back yard,” a spokeswoman for Circle Line Downtown, Tracey Henry, said.

With so many places to go, a curious traveler could rack up quite a bill. But the New York CityPass can secure entry to many attractions at a reduced rate. The City-Pass ($65 general, $49 children ages 12–17, newyorkpass.com) includes admission to Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, the Empire State Building Observatory, the American Museum of Natural History, the Guggenheim, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among other venues.