Activities in New York City

American Museum of Natural History

Address Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024-5192 USA Map, Tel (212) 769-5100 Call, Hours Daily 10am-5:45pm, Subway B/C to 81 St, 1/9 to 79 St, Cost Suggested Donation $10 (adults) $6 (children) Website

This huge museum houses a collection covering every discipline of human science in an area that is spread over several city blocks and four floors. Special features include the Rose Center for Earth and Space (Planetarium) and the Discovery Room (with hands on exhibits designed for children ages 5-12) more

Brooklyn Bridge Park

Address 334 Furman St, Brooklyn, NY Map, Website

Good weather? Get out of the city and enjoy 1.3 miles of urban waterfront park. The Pier 6 Playground is a good place to start out, but make time to enjoy the waterfront promenades and lush gardens. Check here for free kid-friendly event listings more

Central Park

Address Central Park, New York, NY Map, Tel (212) 408-0226 Call, Hours (Zoo) April – Oct 10am–5pm; Nov–March 10:00 am – 4:30 pm Website

Central park covers 843 acres, which is 6% of Manhattan. While most tourists stay around the southern part of the park (with the Zoo, Metropolitan museum, and gardens) There are also great attractions for kids in the Northern part of the park, including a swimming pool and the North Meadow Recreation Center where you can borrow sports equipment for the day. more

Children's Museum of New York

Address 212 W 83rd St, New York, NY 10024 Map, Tel (212) 721-1234 Call, Hours Tue-Sun 10am-5pm, Cost Ages 1+ $9 Website

The Children's Museum is a great place for a rainy day (or any day that you want to let your kids have some active, educational playtime indoors. Like most children's museums, this one has a water play area, lots of space for freeplay, and interactive exhibits for babies, toddlers and kids up to about age 8. There are some special touches that make make it New York's own, for example the Time Warner Video Station (complete with news desk) and the chance to film your own weather broadcast. more

Children's Museum of the Arts

Address 182 Lafayette Street, New York Map, Tel (212) 941-9198 Call, Hours W-F 10:45-12 Early Childhood Drop-In, 12-5 General Programs;, Subway 6 train to Spring St; N to Canal St; R/W to Prince St

This small museum's goal is to provide a space where children can experience and make their own art. Everything is hands-on and there are spaces for painting, collage, sculpture, and performing arts. Activities are geard for ages 2-10. This is a great place to visit on a bad-weather day. more

Ellis Island

Address Ellis Island, New York Map, Tel (212) 561-4588 Call, Website

Ellis Island is the perfect place to learn about the American Immigrant experience before visiting the Lower East Side. Interactive exhibits help you understand what immigrants went through to get to the United States, and how they were received once they were here. A passenger search lets you look up family members who immigrated to the US through Ellis Island. more

Grand Central Station

Address 87 E 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017 Map, Website

Even if you're not headed out of town, Grand Central Station is worth a stop. Toddlers and Preschoolers will be fascinated with the huge number of trains going in and out, and this is a chance for you to enjoy a beautiful and historic building. Take a moment to visit the "Whispering Wall," right outside the Oyster Bar. Send your child to one end of the wall while you head to the other. When either of you whispers, the other will be able to hear each-other. more

Guggenheim Museum

Address 1071 5th Avenue (at 89th Street) Map, Tel 212-423-3500 Call, Hours Sat-Wed 10am-5:45pm; Fri 10am-7:45pm; Thurs Closed, Cost Adults $18; Children under 12 Free, Subway 4/5/6 to 86th Street. Walk west on 86th Street, turn right at 5th Avenue and proceed north to 88th Street Website

The architectural design of the Guggenheim makes it easy to visit with kids. Shows are typically limited to the rotunda and work their way up from the bottom, but there's no reason you cannot take an elevator to the top and work your way down. Kids will have a clear sense of how much is left to see, and will enjoy winding their way down at a pace that suits them. more

Heckscher Playground

Address Seventh Avenue & Central Park South, New York Map, Location Seventh Avenue & Central Park South from 61st to 63rd streets Website

This 3 acre playground was recently refurbished, and is now the biggest and best playground in Central Park. You'll find everything you would normally expect at a playground, plus sprinklers (on warm days) a rock mountain for climbing, and a wooden suspension bridge. The playground opens at 7:30 am making it a great place to start the day. Restrooms are located inside the playground area. more

Hippo Playground

Address Riverside Park, New York, NY Map, Location at 91st street Website

This small playground, is geared towards younger children, and includes swings, play equipment, slides, a spray shower, and a sand pit. Be prepared to get wet and dirty during the summer. In the winter, the large hill on the east side of the playground is a popular spot for sledding. more

Lower East Side Tenement Museum

Address 108 Orchard Street, New York Map, Reservations Visits by guided tour only. Call or visit the website well in advance to book. A limited number of same day tickets are available on site. Website

The Tenement museum is an unusual type of museum. With the goal of preserving an important part of new york history, and promoting understanding of the immigrant experience, the organization bought a tenement building that had been shuttered since 1935. They carefully restored the building, researching the families who had lived there & their experiences. Today you can take a guided tour to visit the apartments and learn about the lives of actual past residents. The tours are fascinating and every tour we've been on has had a engaging and well educated guide. While the tours are geared towards adults, older kids and teens will get a great snapshot of history with a visit to the tenement museum. The museum is not recommended for small children who may have a difficult time with the small spaces and the need to not touch. more

Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met)

Address 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street, New York, New York 10028-0198 Map, Tel 212-535-7710 Call, Hours Closed Monday; T-Th 9:30am-5:30pm; Fri-Sat 9:30am-9pm; Sun 9:30am-5:30pm, Cost $20 suggested donation for adults Website

The metropolitan museum is surprisingly fun for kids. You can't see the entire museum anyway, so we recommend that you choose a few areas that your kids are most likely to enjoy. Popular choices include Degas' ballerinas, the Egyptian exhibits (complete with a temple rescued from Aswan before it was flooded to make the Aswan dam), the costume institute, and the period rooms. more

Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)

Address 11 West 53 Street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues, New York, NY 10019-5497 Map, Tel 212.708.9400 Call, Hours Sat-Mon & Wed 10:30am–5:30pm; Tues Closed; Fri 10:30am-8pm, Subway E or V to Fifth Avenue/53 Street; B, D, or F to 47-50 Streets/Rockefeller Center., Bus M1, 2, 3, 4, 5 to 53 Street Website

Though MOMA is a serious art museum, there are lots of exhibits that are fun for kids to see. Check out the helicopter hanging in the atrium, the useful objects collection (including thousands of objects, ranging from appliances, furniture, and tableware to tools, textiles, sports cars). Pick up a copy of the free Ford Family Activity Guide, or arrange to join one of the Scheduled Family Activities If money is no object, you can even arrange a private, family friendly tour by sending email to familyprograms@moma.org more

NBC Universal Studio Tour

Address 30 Rockefeller Plaza (Corner of 49th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue), New York Map, Hours Mon-Thurs 8:30am-4:30pm (departs every 30 minutes); Fri-Sat 9:30am-5:30pm(departs every 15 minutes); Sun 9:30am-4:30pm (departs every 15 minutes), Location NBC Experience Store, Cost Adults $18.50; Children (6-12) $15.50, Subway B, D, F, N, V, W, R, 1, Bus M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M27, M50, Q32 Website

For older kids and teenagers, a tour of the NBC studios can be fascinating. You'll learn about NBS's early days in radio as well as its recent history. Next you'll have the opportunity to enter and visit a few of the networks working studios, including The Today Show, Dateline, and Saturday Night Live. more

New York CityPass

If you'll be visiting many of New York's major attractions, one way to save money and skip the lines is to buy a New York CityPass. The city pass includes 6 New York attractions for just $89.00 ($162.00 value) and $64 for youth.. The CityPass includes the following attractions: more

Rockefeller Center

Address Rockefeller Center, New York Map, Tel 212-332-6868 Call, Website

There always seems to be something going on at Rockerfeller Center. Whether it's the Ice Rink and huge Christmas Tree in winter, the Today Show in the mornings, or just the general hustle and bustle of New York City, you're sure to see something interesting. Stop in the Teuscher chocolate shop for a champagne truffle (flown in fresh) or pick up some Manga (Japanese Comics) at Kinokuniya book store. more

Statue of Liberty

Address Statue of Liberty, New York Map, Website

For kids age 7-12, and on-site Junior Ranger program and activity booklet (download here) will help make a visit to the Statue of Liberty engaging and educational. more

Times Square

Address Times Square, New York City Map,

Times square has lots to attract kids, and lots to overwhelm them. Plan to spin on the indoor Ferris wheel at Toys "R" Us, check out the huge video screens, and stop by the TKTS booth to pick up discounted show tickets. more

Tisch Children's Zoo at Central Park Zoo

Address 830 Fifth Ave, New York NY Map, Tel (212) 439-6500 Call, Website

I highly recommend the Tisch Children's Zoo, a section of the Central Park Zoo which is geared toward toddlers and young children. They have goats, llamas, potbellied pigs, sheep, and more that you can feed and pet, plus a climbing net, puppet shows, and lots of fun things to see and touch. It is perfect for the 5-and-under crowd. more

TKTS Booth (Discount Broadway Show Tickets)

Address West 47th street at Broadway, New York Map, Location Duffy Square on 47th street between Broadway and 7th avenue, Payment Cash or Travelers checks only, Subway Times Square Website

The TKTS booth sells excess tickets to Broadway shows on the day of the performance. Their website lets you see what was in the booth last week. During summer, expect long lines. We often show up just before show time and pick from what's left. more

Books of Wonder

Address 18 West 18th Street New York, NY 10011 Map, Tel (212) 989-3270 Call, Website

This is a great children's bookstore, with lots of old classics as well as all of the new favorites. They also have art that you can buy that's illustrations from children's books. It's a fun place to explore. more

Bronx Zoo

Address 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY, 10460 Map, Tel (718) 367-1010 Call, Website

Kids love animals! Also, the zoo includes rides and other experiences. It has enough to keep you busy all day and you can still come back for more. more

Brooklyn Bridge Park

Address 1 Main St, Brooklyn, New York Map, Website

Down in Dumbo you can get the best scenic views of Manhattan and the bridges. There is a beautiful playground that is wheelchair accessible and huge with many slides, lots of climbing, hideouts and benches, great for lots of kids. My children like the sandbox, tire swing and sprinkler. I like that it's shady with lots of place for parents to sit while children are playing and there are only 2 places to enter that both have gates that people leave closed- no need to worry about your kids running out. It's clean and well maintained, on street parking without meters is not hard to find and the grass areas and scenery is beautiful! There is a rocky beach, picnic areas and tons of grassy areas to run around. If you walk around you can see the cobblestone streets with trolley tracks, a farmers market and the fulton ferry for free ferry rides. Definitely a great place to take children! During the summer there are also free movie viewings at night. more

Brooklyn Children's Museum

Address 145 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn, NY Map, Tel (718) 735-4400 Call, Website

This newly renovated children's museum has an enlarged interactive tot spot... perfect for the little ones under the age of 5. My daughters favorite area was the water play activity filled with boats and other play toys. The other activities within the museum are perfect for all ages. We loved the real working telephones so you can call from one exhibit to the other as well the realistic pizza store and grocery store. We loved how it celebrates the diverse culture of brooklyn and of course new york city in general. more

Free Kayaking

Address Riverside Park, NY, NYC Map, Website

In a recent trip to NYC, we checked out the free kayaking in the Hudson River at 72nd street. My husband took our 2 year old, and a friend took his 6 and 9 year olds, and all three kids had a great time. It's a 20 minute trip in the kayaks, and there are playgrounds nearby in Riverside park, as well as a bike path and boats to watch. more

Galli's Fairytale Theater

Address Galli’s Fairytale Theater 38 West 38th Street, 3rd floor New York, NY, 10018 Map, Tel 212-810-6485 Call, Website

At Galli’s Fairytale Theater children and youth have the opportunity to see humorous and educational plays. In workshops and classes they can express their emotions and develop their character, which will help them become a powerful and self-confident personality. Advanced students have the opportunity to perform in our plays and show their talent! more

Go New York Tours

Address 348 W 57 Street, New York, NY 10019 Map, Tel (888)680-4669 Call, Website

GoNYTours.com is a discount vendor of NYC bus tours. Bus tours are a great way to catch the best attractions in the city, and many are hop-on hop-off, meaning you get unlimited bus access for the specified time frame (usually 2-3 days). One of the most popular are double decker bus tours, which kids have a blast on! more

Green-wood Cemetery

Address 500 25th St, Brooklyn, NY, USA Map, Tel (718) 768-7300 Call, Website

A cemetery as a family outing? Yup, Green-wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, is a gorgeously landscaped park filled with the graves, tombs, sepulchers, whathaveyou of historical figures. These include Revolutionary War heroes, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Samuel Morse, William "Boss" Tweed, and many more. The cemetery, along with nearby Prospect Park, are along a major migratory route as well, so at the right times of year, there is excellent bird-watching there. Despite its beauty, history, and natural attractions, the cemetery usually has very few visitors, so is a nice respite from the usual crowds of New York City.w more

GreenFlea Market

Address Columbus Avenue at W 77th St Map, Tel 212-239-3025 Call, Website

This is fun for the whole family. Kids are sure to find something unique and inexpensive with vendors like Wacky Magnets and Stinky Minky. This indoor-outdoor market has been raising money for area schools since 1985. It is open on Sundays from 10-6. more

Imagination Playground at the South Street Seaport

Address Front Street and John Street, NY, NY Map, Website

This playspace is totally different than what you're likely to have experienced at home. Designed for chid-directed play, there are giant building blocks, a water channel, a rope climbing structure, mats, pullys and ropes and more. more

Luna Park

Address 1000 Surf Ave, (at W 10th St), 11224 Map, Website

Visiting Luna Park is sort of a step back in time to enjoy the smaller carnivals that were popular before the big amusement parks took over. Modernized and restored post-Hurricane Sandy there are dozens of rides and games that will appeal to both young kids and teens. more

New York Transit Museum

Address 95-99 Schermerhorn St Brooklyn, NY 11201 Map, Tel (718) 694-1600 Call, Website

You can see the history and changes in NYC subways, get on old subway cars, pretend to drive a NYC bus and have the parents sit in the back as passengers, pretend you are the ticket/token collector and get behind the booth. Entertaining for both adults and kids. Great price for the activities. more

Prospect park zoo

Address 450 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn New York 11225 Map, Tel (718) 399-7339 Call, Website

In addition to seeing the animals themselves, there are some great activities for children such as the discovery center, chats w/ the zookeepers, storytime (in the summers),and special events centering around the holidays (ie/ Hallowe'en, Christmas etc., is open 365 days a year and costs only $3 for kids 3-12! more

Scandinavia House Drop In Playspace

Address 58 Park Ave, New York, New York, New York 10016 Map, Website

Near the Empire State Building and Bryant Park, the Scandanavia House has a drop in playspace for kids. On most Saturday mornings, there is also a children's story time (call for details). more

Staten Island Children's Museum

Address 1000 Richmond Terrace Staten Island, NY 10301 Map, Tel 718-273-2060 Call, Website

Great fun for active kids that like to get involved. Like many kids focused museums they have exhibits that allow kids to get involved. They also have a nice garden to let kids play outside. You can see the http://curiouscat.com/travels/nycb04.cfm activity in some of my photos. more

The Cloisters

Address The Cloisters Fort Tyron Park NY, NY 10040 Map, Tel (212) 923-3700 Call, Website

It is a beautiful museum located on 4 acres overlooking the hudson river in fort Tyron park. My family and I love to go spend the day at the museum and then picnic on the beautiful grounds. I would recommend it to anyone visiting. Best time to go is summer and fall.
The fall is specially pretty since the drive up you can enjoy the changing foliage more