A New York museum has created a miniature gingerbread replica of the city.

The Museum of New York has opened the exhibition "Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off 2025," where iconic symbols of the metropolis have been transformed into sweet masterpieces. The Chrysler Building, the Governors Island Ferry, and Brooklyn townhouses are all made from gingerbread dough, icing, and fondant. The publication shared details. Time-out.

The aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg wafts through the air as you approach the exhibition. Inside, there are dozens of miniature replicas of city landmarks. Even the giant bagel with crispy cereal turns out to be not baked goods, but a work of art crafted from gingerbread dough. This bagel, incidentally, has already won three awards.

More than a dozen confectioners from across the metropolis presented their edible versions of famous places and city symbols.

You can see all these sweet masterpieces (and choose your favorite) at the museum in East Harlem until January 19, 2026.

Gingerbread City of Dreams

The competition is now in its fourth year. Participants include both professionals and amateurs—the main thing is that everything is edible. This year's theme is "Iconic New York." The display windows feature brick townhouses, glittering Broadway, skyscrapers, and even the subway.

Pastry chef Juliet Galea decided to create something that unites all New Yorkers: bagels and coffee to go.

"No matter where you're from, everyone in this city shares a common bond: bagels and coffee. It doesn't matter where you're from or what language you speak," she noted.

Galea crafted a sturdy yet lightweight structure: a gingerbread bagel covered in toast-colored fondant, the "cream cheese" made from icing, and the "capers" molded from fondant. For the cereal, she toasted coconut flakes, and formed the coffee cup from gingerbread circles, covered them in fondant, and hand-cut the design. The napkin was made from rice paper.

On the subject: A major exhibition of Monet's paintings will open at the Brooklyn Museum.

The work was not in vain: Juliet's work earned her three awards from a jury that included Melba's Harlem owner Melba Wilson, Amy's Bread founder Amy Scherber, and Metropolitan Museum of Art curator Nadine Orenstein.

"The key here is joy. The joy of creating and the joy of seeing it bring joy to others. It's edible poetry," Juliet emphasized.

A symbol of freedom made from gingerbread

Bakers Cesar Aldrete and Ricky Rotandi chose the Statue of Liberty as their backdrop.

"We wanted to show diversity—we placed gingerbread men of all colors and shapes around the statue. So that anyone who came close could see someone who looked like them," Aldrete explained.

They worked on the project for three weeks, starting with a tour of the Statue of Liberty itself. First, they made a cardboard model, then prepared 9 kilograms of dough, molded the base, and began assembly. To achieve the desired pliability, they ground some of the gingerbread into a soft mass and sculpted it into tiny details.

Edible inspiration

At the exhibition, the bakers' imaginations know no bounds: staircases made of Kit Kat bars, columns of Pirouette wafers, and railings made of pretzels. Among the exhibits are a Broadway stage with gingerbread actors from the musicals Hell's Kitchen, The Book of Mormon, and Wicked; a miniature replica of the Chelsea Hotel; and the Victorian New York Botanical Garden. There are also less obvious symbols—Edgar Allan Poe's cottage in the Bronx (with a black cat on the porch) and the historic Conference House on Staten Island.

Come see how many landmarks you can guess and vote for your favorite entry in the Audience Choice Award category.

Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off 2025 is taking place in Museum of the City of New York (1220 Fifth Avenue, corner of 103rd Street, East Harlem) from November 7 to January 19, 2026. Adult admission is $23, with discounts available for children and seniors. New York City residents can pay any amount, and admission is free every Wednesday.