Where to go with kids when it's hot in New York
New York summers are hot and sticky, and the subway platforms are ovens. There are four ways out: spray playgrounds, beaches, pools and air conditioning. This list has all four, and most are free.
Spray playgrounds are the least effort: the Water Lab at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, the fog fountain at Domino Park, Pier 25 in Hudson River Park, and the Heckscher and Ancient playgrounds all run water in summer. To swim, take the subway to Coney Island or the quieter Manhattan Beach, or to Astoria Pool, the city's biggest free pool. The hammocks and shade on Governors Island get a sea breeze several degrees cooler than the city. When it's simply too hot, the aquarium, the children's museums and the libraries all have AC.
- 46 places
- 30 free
- 44 stroller-friendly
- closest is 5 min away
46 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
Ride the elevated 7 train to Flushing
5.0Queens · 5 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Getting there: Board the 7 at Grand Central or Times Sq and ride to the last stop, Flushing–Main St, about 35 minutes
Central Park: Heckscher Playground
5.0Manhattan · 10 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway A/C/B/D/1 to 59 St–Columbus Circle, then a 5-minute walk
Central Park: the Ramble, Belvedere Castle and Turtle Pond
5.0Manhattan · 15 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway B/C to 81 St or 1 to 79 St, then a 10-minute walk; don't drive
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
$$$ · Getting there: Subway B/C to 81 St–Museum of Natural History; the museum entrance is right in the station
Hudson River Park (around Pier 25)
5.0Manhattan · 20 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 1 to Franklin St or A/C/E to Canal St, then an 8-minute walk
Central Park: Ancient Playground (Egyptian theme)
5.0Manhattan · 20 min away
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 4/5/6 to 86 St, then a 10-minute walk (north side of the Met)
Domino Park
5.0Brooklyn · 20 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway J/M/Z to Marcy Av or L to Bedford Av, then a 10-minute walk; NYC Ferry to North Williamsburg
Battery Park City: Rockefeller Park and Teardrop Park
5.0Manhattan · 20 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 1/2/3 to Chambers St, then an 8-minute walk
Riverside Park: Hippo Playground and the riverside path
5.0Manhattan · 20 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 1 to 86 St or 96 St, then an 8-minute walk
Imagination Playground (blue blocks)
5.0Manhattan · 20 min away
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 2/3/4/5/A/C/J/Z to Fulton St, then an 8-minute walk (South Street Seaport)
Children's Museum of Manhattan
5.0Manhattan · 20 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: Subway 1 to 79 St or B/C to 81 St, then a 5-minute walk
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
$$ · Getting there: Subway 2/3/4/5 to Borough Hall or A/C/F/R to Jay St, then a 5-minute walk
Jane's Carousel glass pavilion
5.0Brooklyn · 25 min away
1 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Getting there: Subway F to York St or A/C to High St, then an 8-minute walk; NYC Ferry to DUMBO
Governors Island
5.0Manhattan · 30 min away
4 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Getting there: Ferry from the Battery Maritime Building (10 minutes); free before 11am on weekends, otherwise $5 round trip and free under 12
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
5.0Queens · 30 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 7 to Mets–Willets Point or 111 St; paid lots if you drive
Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 playgrounds
5.0Brooklyn · 30 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 2/3/4/5 to Borough Hall, then a 12-minute walk; NYC Ferry to Pier 6
Brooklyn Central Library youth wing
5.0Brooklyn · 30 min away
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 2/3 to Eastern Pkwy–Brooklyn Museum; right outside the station
Prospect Park: Long Meadow and the Audubon Center
5.0Brooklyn · 35 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 2/3 to Grand Army Plaza or B/Q to Prospect Park, then a 5-minute walk
Liberty State Park
5.0Jersey City · 35 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Hudson-Bergen Light Rail to Liberty State Park station; free parking if you drive
Prospect Park: Harmony Playground
5.0Brooklyn · 35 min away
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway F/G to 7 Av or 15 St–Prospect Park, then a 5-minute walk
New York Hall of Science
5.0Queens · 35 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: Subway 7 to 111 St, then an 8-minute walk; paid parking if you drive
Brooklyn Children's Museum
5.0Brooklyn · 40 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: Subway 3 to Kingston Av or C to Kingston–Throop, then an 8-minute walk
Liberty Science Center
5.0Jersey City · 40 min away
4 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Getting there: PATH to Exchange Place, then Hudson-Bergen Light Rail to Liberty State Park; paid parking if you drive
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
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
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
Jefferson Market Library (Gothic clock tower)
4.0Manhattan · 15 min away
1 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway A/C/E/B/D/F/M to W 4 St, then a 3-minute walk
Hunters Point Library (skyline views)
4.0Queens · 15 min away
1 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 7 to Vernon Blvd–Jackson Av, then a 5-minute walk; NYC Ferry to Hunters Point South
Brookfield Place Winter Garden
4.0Manhattan · 20 min away
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway E to World Trade Center or 1 to WTC Cortlandt, connected by underground passage
Astoria Park and its giant pool
4.0Queens · 30 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway N/W to Astoria Blvd, then a 10-minute walk
Queens Library, Flushing branch
4.0Queens · 35 min away
1 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 7 to the last stop, Flushing–Main St, then a 2-minute walk
Bronx Library Center
4.0Bronx · 35 min away
1 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway B/D to Kingsbridge Rd, then a 3-minute walk
Inwood Hill Park old-growth forest
4.0Manhattan · 40 min away
2.5 h · carrier recommended
Free · Getting there: Subway A to Inwood–207 St, then a 10-minute walk
Van Cortlandt Park
4.0Bronx · 45 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 1 to the last stop, Van Cortlandt Park–242 St; the park is right outside
Alley Pond Park and Environmental Center
4.0Queens · 50 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Driving is easiest, with a free lot at the environmental center; Q27/Q46 buses
Luna Park (Coney Island)
4.0Brooklyn · 50 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Getting there: Subway D/F/N/Q to Coney Island–Stillwell Av, then a 3-minute walk
Orchard Beach (Bronx)
4.0Bronx · 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)
4.0Long Beach · 60 min away
4 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: LIRR direct from Penn Station to Long Beach (about 55 minutes), then a 10-minute walk from the station to the beach
Rockaway Beach
4.0Queens · 70 min away
3.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway A to Beach 90 St or Beach 98 St; in summer NYC Ferry runs direct from Wall St (about 1 hour)
Bear Mountain State Park
4.0Bear Mountain · 80 min away
4 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Getting there: About 70 minutes by car, parking $10; coach buses from Port Authority on summer weekends
MoMath, the National Museum of Mathematics
2.0Manhattan · 10 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: Subway N/R/W/6 to 23 St, then a 3-minute walk (beside Madison Square Park)
💡 Good to know
- Spray areas generally run from Memorial Day to Labor Day; bring swimsuits, towels and water shoes.
- City pools require plain-colored swimsuits and a lock, and the lines are long; arrive before the 11am opening.