Things to do with kids in Midtown
Living in or passing through Midtown, you don't even need the subway: the carousel at Bryant Park and the whole children's floor of the new NYPL branch next door, and ten minutes north, Heckscher Playground and Central Park Zoo at the park's south end.
A toddler half-day: climb the rocks at Heckscher, then watch the sea lion feeding at Central Park Zoo. On rainy days, the NYPL children's floor or MoMath. To ride something, the Roosevelt Island tram at 59th Street floats over the East River in 4 minutes; train fans take the elevated 7 from Grand Central to Flushing, or Metro-North up the river. In December all of Midtown is a Christmas show.
- 16 places
- 11 free
- 16 stroller-friendly
- closest is 5 min away
16 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
Bryant Park Winter Village and free skating rink
4.0Manhattan · 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: 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
Roosevelt Island Tramway
5.0Manhattan · 10 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Getting there: Subway 4/5/6/N/R/W to 59 St–Lexington Av, then a 3-minute walk to the tram station
Central Park Zoo and Tisch Children's Zoo
5.0Manhattan · 10 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: Subway N/R/W to 5 Av–59 St, then a 5-minute walk
MoMath, the National Museum of Mathematics
2.0Manhattan · 10 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: Subway N/R/W/6 to 23 St, then a 3-minute walk (beside Madison Square Park)
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
The High Line
4.0Manhattan · 15 min away
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway A/C/E/L to 14 St–8 Av; the Gansevoort St entrance has an elevator
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
Macy's Thanksgiving balloon inflation
4.0Manhattan · 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
Little Island
5.0Manhattan · 20 min away
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway A/C/E/L to 14 St–8 Av, then a 10-minute walk to Pier 55
💡 Good to know
- Midtown on weekend afternoons is too crowded for a stroller; go out in the morning. Bryant Park and Bloomingdale's have clean restrooms.