The best outings for toddlers (ages 1–3) in New York
Every place on this list gets our top rating, 5 out of 5, for 1–3 year olds. That means a short walk from the subway, flat paths for a stroller, something to look at every few minutes (animals, water, boats, trains), and restrooms nearby.
In Manhattan, start with the sea lion feeding and Tisch Children's Zoo at Central Park Zoo, the big rocks at Heckscher Playground, and the Children's Museum of Manhattan; in Brooklyn, the Water Lab at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park and Jane's Carousel in DUMBO. The ride is the activity: the free Staten Island Ferry, the $2.90 Roosevelt Island tram, the elevated 7 train out to Flushing. On rainy days, the children's floor at the new NYPL branch and the Transit Museum.
- 47 places
- 23 free
- 43 stroller-friendly
- closest is 5 min away
47 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
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
$$ · Getting there: Subway N/R/W to 5 Av–59 St, then a 5-minute walk
Central Park: the Ramble, Belvedere Castle and Turtle Pond
5.0Manhattan · 15 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway B/C to 81 St or 1 to 79 St, then a 10-minute walk; don't drive
Central Park: Conservatory Water model boats and the Alice statue
5.0Manhattan · 15 min away
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 6 to 77 St, enter at Fifth Ave and 72 St, then a 5-minute walk
American Museum of Natural History
5.0Manhattan · 15 min away
3.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · 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
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
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)
Staten Island Ferry (free Statue of Liberty views)
5.0Manhattan · 20 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 1 to South Ferry or R/W to Whitehall St; the terminal is right outside
Ride the NYC Ferry East River route
5.0Manhattan · 20 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Getting there: Board at Wall St/Pier 11 or E 34th St; buy a $4.50 ticket in the app, strollers roll straight on
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
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
5.0Brooklyn · 30 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: Subway 2/3 to Eastern Pkwy or B/Q/S to Prospect Park, then a 3-minute walk
Prospect Park: Long Meadow and the Audubon Center
5.0Brooklyn · 35 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 2/3 to Grand Army Plaza or B/Q to Prospect Park, then a 5-minute walk
Liberty State Park
5.0Jersey City · 35 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Hudson-Bergen Light Rail to Liberty State Park station; free parking if you drive
Prospect Park: Harmony Playground
5.0Brooklyn · 35 min away
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway F/G to 7 Av or 15 St–Prospect Park, then a 5-minute walk
Prospect Park Zoo
5.0Brooklyn · 35 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · 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
New York Botanical Garden
5.0Bronx · 40 min away
3.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Getting there: Metro-North Harlem Line from Grand Central, 20 minutes to Botanical Garden station; or subway B/D to Bedford Park Blvd and a 10-minute walk
Brooklyn Children's Museum
5.0Brooklyn · 40 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · 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
$$$ · Getting there: PATH to Exchange Place, then Hudson-Bergen Light Rail to Liberty State Park; paid parking if you drive
Bronx Zoo
5.0Bronx · 45 min away
5 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · 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
$$ · Getting there: About 40 minutes by car (GW Bridge), free lot; timed tickets must be bought online
Queens County Farm Museum
5.0Queens · 55 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Driving is easiest, with a free lot; or subway E/F to Kew Gardens and the Q46 bus
Queens County Farm fall festival and corn maze
5.0Queens · 55 min away
3 h · carrier recommended
$$ · 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
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
Muscoot Farm
5.0Katonah · 75 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: About 65 minutes by car, free lot
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
💡 Good to know
- Subway elevators are scarce and often out; check MTA elevator status before leaving, or bring a light folding stroller or a carrier.
- One adult paying with OMNY can bring up to 3 kids under 44 inches free on subways and buses.