New York with kids
Travelling with children? New York has more for kids than you might think. Here are 9 family favourites, with ages, prices and opening hours, plus ideas for a rainy day and practical tips.
American Museum of Natural History Indoor
Dinosaur skeletons, a blue whale in the Milstein Hall and a butterfly vivarium make it the family favourite.
- 👧 Ages: all ages (dinosaurs and the whale suit ages 4 and up)
- 🎟️ Price: General admission adult $37, child $22 (standard pricing for visitors from outside New York State); exhibitions and planetarium show cost extra
- 🕗 Hours: Daily 10:00–17:30, closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day
- ⏱️ Visit: ~3 h
- 💡 Tip: Buy tickets in advance for faster entry. The butterfly vivarium is a ticketed exhibition: add it at checkout.
- 📍 200 Central Park W, New York, NY 10024
- MapWebsite
- 🚶 Near American Museum of Natural History: 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk
Intrepid Museum Outdoor
An aircraft carrier with fighter jets on the flight deck, a submarine and a Space Shuttle on the Hudson.
- 👧 Ages: ages 5 and up (4 and under free)
- 🎟️ Price: Adults (13–64) $38, children (5–12) $28, 4 and under free
- 🕗 Hours: Daily 10:00–17:00 (last entry one hour before closing), closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day
- ⏱️ Visit: ~2.5 h
- 💡 Tip: Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Allow time for the flight deck, which is open-air.
- 📍 Pier 86, W 46th St & 12th Ave, New York, NY 10036
- MapWebsite
- 🚶 Near Intrepid Museum: 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk
Children's Museum of Manhattan Indoor
Hands-on play and daily programmes for toddlers and pre-schoolers, with a dedicated space for the youngest.
- 👧 Ages: ages 0–6 (designed for young learners)
- 🎟️ Price: $18 at the door, $17 online (adults and children aged 1–18); infants under 12 months free
- 🕗 Hours: Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00 (also open Monday 12 October)
- ⏱️ Visit: ~2 h
- 💡 Tip: The ticket is valid all day: ask for a return sticker if you leave and come back. A rainy-day stop next to Central Park.
- 📍 212 W 83rd St, New York, NY 10024
- MapWebsite
- 🚶 Near Children's Museum of Manhattan: 🚶 0.2 km · 2 min walk
New York Transit Museum Indoor
Walk through vintage subway and bus cars in a real decommissioned subway station.
- 👧 Ages: all ages (children 15 and under need an adult)
- 🎟️ Price: Adults $15, children (2–17) $10, seniors 62+ $10
- 🕗 Hours: Wed–Sun 10:00–16:00
- ⏱️ Visit: ~1.5 h
- 💡 Tip: Only some areas are step-free because it is a historic station. A small free exhibit with a shop is at Grand Central.
- 📍 99 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
- MapWebsite
- 🚶 Near New York Transit Museum: 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk
Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island ferry Outdoor
A boat ride to Lady Liberty, with the Ellis Island immigration museum on the second stop.
- 👧 Ages: all ages (crown access restricted for children under 4)
- 🎟️ Price: Ferry ticket: adult (13+) $26, child (4–12) $17, under 4 free; pedestal and crown access +$0.30
- 🕗 Hours: Ferries run daily from Battery Park; check the day's first and last boat when booking
- ⏱️ Visit: ~4 h
- 💡 Tip: Only Statue City Cruises sells valid tickets: buy online or at the Castle Clinton office, never from sellers on the street. Crown tickets sell out far ahead.
- 📍 The Battery, Castle Clinton, New York, NY 10004
- MapWebsite
- 🚶 Near The Battery: 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk
Staten Island Ferry Outdoor
A free 25-minute boat ride past the Statue of Liberty and the Lower Manhattan skyline.
- 👧 Ages: all ages
- 🎟️ Price: Free
- 🕗 Hours: Daily, around the clock (about every 30 minutes)
- ⏱️ Visit: ~1 h
- 💡 Tip: Stand on the right side leaving Manhattan for the Statue. You can stay on board and sail back.
- 📍 4 Whitehall St, New York, NY 10004
- MapWebsite
- 🚶 Near Staten Island Ferry: 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk
Central Park Zoo Outdoor
Sea lions, penguins and snow leopards in a compact zoo, plus a children's zoo where kids can feed animals.
- 👧 Ages: all ages (2 and under free)
- 🎟️ Price: Adult (13+) $22.95, senior (65+) $18.95, child (3–12) $16.95, 2 and under free; includes the Tisch Children's Zoo and one 4-D Theater visit
- 🕗 Hours: Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00 and Sat–Sun 10:00–17:30 until 31 October; daily 10:00–16:30 from 1 November (last entry 1 hour before closing)
- ⏱️ Visit: ~2 h
- 💡 Tip: All visitors need a date-specific ticket, even children. There is no parking at the zoo.
- 📍 830 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10065
- MapWebsite
- 🚶 Near Central Park Zoo: 🚶 0.1 km · 1 min walk
Central Park: Heckscher Playground and the Carousel Outdoor
The oldest and largest playground in the Park (swings, slides, a water feature) and a 1908 carousel with 57 horses.
- 👧 Ages: all ages; the carousel and playground suit ages 2–10
- 🎟️ Price: Playground free; the carousel sells tickets (price not confirmed)
- 🕗 Hours: Carousel daily 10:00 to dusk, weather permitting; Heckscher restrooms daily 6:30–21:00
- ⏱️ Visit: ~1.5 h
- 💡 Tip: Heckscher has restrooms in its breezeway and is wheelchair accessible. The carousel (mid-Park at 65th Street) is part of the Children's District.
- 📍 Heckscher Playground, Central Park, New York, NY 10019
- MapWebsite
- 🚶 Near Central Park Zoo: 🚶 0.5 km · 6 min walk
Jane's Carousel (Brooklyn Bridge Park) Indoor
A restored 1922 carousel in a glass pavilion, with the Manhattan Bridge and East River in the background.
- 👧 Ages: ages 1–10 (children under 42 inches share a ticket with an adult)
- 🎟️ Price: $4 per ticket; one child under 42 inches and one adult may share a ticket
- 🕗 Hours: Fall (14 Sep–31 Dec 2026): Wed–Sun 11:00–17:50, closed Mon–Tue
- ⏱️ Visit: ~1 h
- 💡 Tip: Combine with DUMBO and the Brooklyn Bridge Park shoreline. Winter hours (from 1 January) close Wednesdays too.
- 📍 Brooklyn Bridge Park, Old Dock St & Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
- MapWebsite
- 🚶 Near Jacques Torres Chocolate (DUMBO): 🚶 0.2 km · 2 min walk
Rainy day? Go indoors
Tips for families
Children ride the subway and buses free
Up to three children under 44 inches tall ride free with a fare-paying adult on the subway and local, limited, rush and Select Bus Service buses. The adult pays $3 with a tap of a card or phone.
Book timed tickets ahead
The Statue of Liberty ferry, the Natural History Museum and the Central Park Zoo want date-specific tickets, and the crown sells out months ahead. Buy only from the official sites.
One free ride with a view
The Staten Island Ferry is free, runs around the clock and passes the Statue of Liberty: the cheapest family outing in the city.
Buggies and step-free stations
Many subway stations only have stairs. Look at the accessibility pages on mta.info before you go, or take a bus. The Transit Museum is in a historic station with only some areas accessible.
Toilets and breaks in Central Park
Heckscher Playground has restrooms open 6:30–21:00 daily. The carousel has none. The park map on centralparknyc.org shows more restrooms.
Prices before tax, tips on top
Menu prices exclude 8.875% sales tax and the tip (18–22% with table service). Many places offer a kids' menu; counter-service spots are the quickest with hungry children.
Plan your trip → Put these places in a day plan with walking times.
More guides
- Free things to do in New York
- Hidden gems in New York
- Delicatessen in New York
- New York on a rainy day
- Which museums are open today in New York?
- New York on a Sunday
- Opening hours of the sights in New York
- Which clubs are open tonight in New York?
- Parking in New York
- Where to eat near Times Square
- Where to eat near the Empire State Building
- Where to eat near the 9/11 Memorial
- Where to eat near Brooklyn Bridge
Checked: 8 October 2026. Prices and hours can change; check the official site before you go.