Outings big kids (ages 5–10) actually get excited about in New York
Once kids hit kindergarten, the bar changes: they want hands-on exhibits, real planes and submarines to climb into, and slides and waves with some thrill. These places get our top rating, 5 out of 5, for 5–10 year olds, from an aircraft carrier to wild animals to a train along the Hudson.
In Manhattan, the dinosaurs and new insectarium at the American Museum of Natural History, the deck and submarine at the Intrepid, and the square-wheeled bikes at MoMath. Across the river, climb the three-story maze at Liberty Science Center in New Jersey, or ride the monorail over the tigers at the Bronx Zoo. Outdoors, the 57-foot slide on Governors Island, the waves at Rockaway, or a small expedition on Metro-North from Grand Central along the Hudson to Cold Spring.
- 38 places
- 14 free
- 34 stroller-friendly
- closest is 5 min away
38 places
Travel times from Midtown, by subway or car
NYPL Stavros Niarchos Library children's floor
5.0Manhattan · 5 min away
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway B/D/F/M to 42 St–Bryant Park or 7 to 5 Av; right outside the station
Bryant Park Winter Village and free skating rink
5.0Manhattan · 5 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway B/D/F/M to 42 St–Bryant Park or 7 to 5 Av; right outside the station
Central Park Zoo and Tisch Children's Zoo
5.0Manhattan · 10 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: Subway N/R/W to 5 Av–59 St, then a 5-minute walk
MoMath, the National Museum of Mathematics
5.0Manhattan · 10 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: Subway N/R/W/6 to 23 St, then a 3-minute walk (beside Madison Square Park)
Central Park: Conservatory Water model boats and the Alice statue
5.0Manhattan · 15 min away
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 6 to 77 St, enter at Fifth Ave and 72 St, then a 5-minute walk
American Museum of Natural History
5.0Manhattan · 15 min away
3.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Getting there: Subway B/C to 81 St–Museum of Natural History; the museum entrance is right in the station
Macy's Thanksgiving balloon inflation
5.0Manhattan · 15 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway B/C to 81 St or 1 to 79 St; the afternoon before Thanksgiving, entrance at 72 St and Columbus
Hudson River Park (around Pier 25)
5.0Manhattan · 20 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 1 to Franklin St or A/C/E to Canal St, then an 8-minute walk
Intrepid Museum
5.0Manhattan · 20 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Getting there: Subway A/C/E to 42 St–Port Authority, then a 15-minute walk or the M42 bus to the end of the line
Brooklyn Bridge Park piers
5.0Brooklyn · 25 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway A/C to High St or F to York St, then an 8-minute walk; NYC Ferry to DUMBO
New York Transit Museum
5.0Brooklyn · 25 min away
2 h · carrier recommended
$$ · Getting there: Subway 2/3/4/5 to Borough Hall or A/C/F/R to Jay St, then a 5-minute walk
Jane's Carousel glass pavilion
5.0Brooklyn · 25 min away
1 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Getting there: Subway F to York St or A/C to High St, then an 8-minute walk; NYC Ferry to DUMBO
Governors Island
5.0Manhattan · 30 min away
4 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Getting there: Ferry from the Battery Maritime Building (10 minutes); free before 11am on weekends, otherwise $5 round trip and free under 12
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
5.0Queens · 30 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 7 to Mets–Willets Point or 111 St; paid lots if you drive
Brooklyn Central Library youth wing
5.0Brooklyn · 30 min away
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 2/3 to Eastern Pkwy–Brooklyn Museum; right outside the station
Prospect Park: Long Meadow and the Audubon Center
5.0Brooklyn · 35 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 2/3 to Grand Army Plaza or B/Q to Prospect Park, then a 5-minute walk
Liberty State Park
5.0Jersey City · 35 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Hudson-Bergen Light Rail to Liberty State Park station; free parking if you drive
Prospect Park Zoo
5.0Brooklyn · 35 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: Subway B/Q/S to Prospect Park, then a 5-minute walk
Queens Zoo
5.0Queens · 35 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: Subway 7 to 111 St, then a 10-minute walk; paid park lot if you drive
New York Hall of Science
5.0Queens · 35 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: Subway 7 to 111 St, then an 8-minute walk; paid parking if you drive
Liberty Science Center
5.0Jersey City · 40 min away
4 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Getting there: PATH to Exchange Place, then Hudson-Bergen Light Rail to Liberty State Park; paid parking if you drive
Bronx Zoo
5.0Bronx · 45 min away
5 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Getting there: Subway 2/5 to West Farms Sq–E Tremont Av, then a 10-minute walk to Asia Gate; parking $20 if you drive
Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk
5.0Brooklyn · 50 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway D/F/N/Q to the last stop, Coney Island–Stillwell Av, then a 5-minute walk
New York Aquarium
5.0Brooklyn · 50 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Getting there: Subway F/Q to W 8 St–NY Aquarium; cross the footbridge from the station
Turtle Back Zoo
5.0West Orange · 50 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: About 40 minutes by car, free lot (transit is inconvenient)
Demarest Farms apple and pumpkin picking
5.0Hillsdale · 50 min away
3 h · carrier recommended · reservation needed
$$ · Getting there: About 40 minutes by car (GW Bridge), free lot; timed tickets must be bought online
Luna Park (Coney Island)
5.0Brooklyn · 50 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Getting there: Subway D/F/N/Q to Coney Island–Stillwell Av, then a 3-minute walk
Queens County Farm fall festival and corn maze
5.0Queens · 55 min away
3 h · carrier recommended
$$ · Getting there: Driving is easiest, with a free lot; or subway E/F to Kew Gardens and the Q46 bus
Rockefeller State Park Preserve carriage roads
5.0Pleasantville · 60 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Getting there: About 50 minutes by car, parking $6; or Metro-North to Tarrytown and a taxi
Manhattan Beach (Brooklyn)
5.0Brooklyn · 60 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway B/Q to Brighton Beach and transfer to the B1 bus; paid lot in summer if you drive
Orchard Beach (Bronx)
5.0Bronx · 60 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 6 to Pelham Bay Park and transfer to the Bx12 bus; paid lot in summer if you drive
Long Beach (by LIRR)
5.0Long Beach · 60 min away
4 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: LIRR direct from Penn Station to Long Beach (about 55 minutes), then a 10-minute walk from the station to the beach
Jones Beach State Park
5.0Wantagh · 65 min away
4 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Getting there: About 55 minutes by car, parking $10; in summer, LIRR to Freeport and a shuttle bus
Rockaway Beach
5.0Queens · 70 min away
3.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway A to Beach 90 St or Beach 98 St; in summer NYC Ferry runs direct from Wall St (about 1 hour)
Bear Mountain State Park
5.0Bear Mountain · 80 min away
4 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Getting there: About 70 minutes by car, parking $10; coach buses from Port Authority on summer weekends
Alstede Farms pick-your-own
5.0Chester · 80 min away
4 h · carrier recommended
$$ · Getting there: About 70 minutes by car (I-78), free lot
Storm King Art Center
5.0New Windsor · 85 min away
4 h · stroller-friendly · reservation needed
$$$ · Getting there: About 75 minutes by car, free parking; timed tickets must be bought online
Ride Metro-North up the Hudson to Cold Spring
5.0Cold Spring · 85 min away
5 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: Hudson Line from Grand Central, about 75 minutes direct; weekend family fare (adult ticket plus $1 per child)
💡 Good to know
- The big museums are expensive, but several are pay-what-you-wish for New York residents (AMNH, the Met, the Cloisters), and others have free hours on Wednesdays or Fridays; the NYPL and Brooklyn libraries' Culture Pass gets free reservations too.
- Kids ride Metro-North for $1 on weekends: the best-value amusement ride in New York.