Top Things to do in New York City with Kids
New York City; The Big Apple; The City That Never Sleeps; The Place Where Dreams are Made. However you refer to it, it is undoubtedly a dynamic metropolis that has an energy like no other. With abundant activities and adventure around every corner, this city offers endless opportunities for exploration and discovery. Which also makes it the perfect place to take kids of all ages! Here are our top recommendations to enjoy every minute of this vibrant city with your kids!
Also check out our full post on Travelling With Kids
We highly recommend getting the New York Pass during your stay. Pick and choose from over 100 different attractions throughout the city all covered under one pass. Choose the number of days you will be visiting and see as much or as little as you want for one inclusive price. We were there for 6 days with our kids and it was so easy to use. Instead of buying numerous different tickets everywhere we went, we had everything in one easy place on our phone. Note: Not everything on this list is covered under the New York Pass. Check here to see included attractions.
Stroll or Bike Through Central Park
Ample space to run, multiple playgrounds and even a small zoo make this a must visit on a trip to New York City with kids! Rent a row boat on one of its serene lakes, visit Bethesda Terrace or get your picture on the iconic Bow Bridge. Bring a picnic and spend some time here people watching and taking in this spectacular landscape. To see more of this stunning space consider renting bikes! This will allow you to cover much more ground of this 840 acre paradise.
Capture Some Family Portraits
If family photos are something you take while at home, why not consider having them taken in one of the most famous cities in the world? We booked family photos with Flytographer and I cannot emphasize enough how much we love our photos! We had a full hour with our photographer in Central Park and she took us to multiple famous backdrops within the park to capture our family. Memories we will have for a lifetime! Other NYC locations include, Brooklyn Bridge & DUMBO, Gapstow Bridge & Skyline, SoHo, The High Line, Times Square and Greenwich Village.
The Museum of Natural History
A visit to New York City with kids would not be complete without a visit to this famous and enthralling museum! “Night at the Museum” fans will love searching for the familiar characters and exhibits from the movie (which is a must-watch before you go)! What a great way to get kids excited about museums! It also houses an impressive collection of artifacts and animal specimens and the extensive dinosaur exhibit was a hit! Don’t miss this with your kids! It is such an incredible way to foster wonder and appreciation for our beautiful planet!
Times Square
Times Square is a must see if it’s your first time to New York City with kids. They will be dazzled by the lights and entertained by the multitude of street performers throughout the square. Madame Tussauds Wax Museum is located here and most of the Broadway shows are within walking distance. Keep in mind that this is one of the busiest places in the city and navigating the crowds can be quite overwhelming. Keep your kids close, especially at night!
Hop-on Hop-off Big Bus Tour
Take your kids on a whirlwind tour of the city. Hop off when you choose and then hop back on the next bus when you are ready. This allows you to see the sites at your leisure! There are 2 main bus routes, the uptown loop and the downtown loop with different attractions along each. There is also the Brooklyn loop which takes you over the Brooklyn Bridge. Kids will love the double decker style buses!
Take in a Broadway Show
There are numerous options for seeing a Broadway show in Manhattan and most are located between 41st and 54th street and 6th and 9th Avenue. Off Broadway shows are scattered throughout the city at various locations. We decided on Aladdin which was playing at the New Amsterdam Theatre right near Times Square. The kids absolutely loved it! It was definitely a highlight of the trip!
Other great options would have been The Lion King, Wicked, Back to the Future, Hamilton or Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Make sure to read reviews before booking a Broadway show to make sure it is kid appropriate.
9/11 Memorial and Museum
This is certainly age dependant and some kids may not be ready for this museum so please use your best judgement. Our kids were 12, 10 and 8 when we took them and we had talked to them about the 9/11 attacks prior to arriving in the city. We found this to be the best way to test out if they were ready to visit the museum or not. This is a very solemn museum and is not a place for kids to run around so keep this in mind before booking.
There are artifacts from the wreckage, photos and video of the planes hitting the buildings and the buildings collapsing. There are some videos within the exhibit that we didn’t let them see but these are clearly marked with warnings and hidden off to the side in a separate area. We felt it was unique learning opportunity for them and we didn’t want to miss the chance for them to see it first hand. Be prepared to answer a lot of questions.
The 9/11 memorial reflecting pools are located at ground zero where the twin towers once stood and are a beautiful tribute to the nearly 3000 people that were killed in the terror attacks. If you decide to skip the museum, the memorial is definitely worth a visit.
Tour Yankee Stadium
The new Yankee Stadium is located in the Bronx and serves as the home of the 27 time World Series Champions. Tour Monument Park, the Yankees Museum and the Great Hall and discover the fascinating story behind this historic franchise. Even little baseball fans will enjoy seeing the impressive collection of memorabilia from years past.
Take in a Yankees Game
Who doesn’t love a ball game! And watching such an iconic team at that! This was definitely a highlight for our kids! Entry to the Yankees museum is also included with your game ticket. The museum opens 90 minutes before the first pitch and closes at the end of the 8th inning.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Located on Fifth Avenue, the Met is one of the world’s largest and most prestigious art museums. Its extensive galleries feature an impressive Egyptian collection as well as masterpieces by renowned artists such as Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Degas. Kids will be fascinated by ancient Egyptian mummies, towering sculptures, and can discover interactive exhibits designed specifically for children. A visit sure to inspire creativity and foster a love of art!
The Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo is one of the largest metropolitan zoos in the world. We did not personally visit this zoo simply because we ran out of time but it is on my list for our next visit! I appreciate the zoo’s commitment to conservation and education and I never visit a zoo that doesn’t contribute to the protection and conservation of species in some way. Spanning 265 acres, it houses over 6,000 animals from across the globe and serves as a place to connect with nature within the concrete jungle of NYC. Kids can enjoy interactive programs and feeding demonstrations to further connect with their favourite animals!
Madame Tussauds
Another attraction that is on our list for next time! Get up close and personal with lifelike wax figures of celebrities, sports icons and historical figures. Kids will love posing for photos with their favourite stars! We ran out of time so didn’t go inside but our kids thought it was pretty cool to get their picture with “The Rock” who was posed on the sidewalk.
Tour Radio City Music Hall
Tour the historic theatre that is home to the world famous Rockettes! Kids will love going on the iconic stage while adults can marvel at the history and architecture of this timeless building. No detail is left out on this tour, from the details in the carpet to the costume design! You even get to tour the private apartment where countless stars have visited including Judy Garland and Alfred Hitchcock. Kids can have their picture taken with a real Rockette which was the highlight for our little dancers! Don’t miss the Radio City Christmas Spectacular if you are there around Christmas time, it is one of my all time favourite shows in NYC!
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is year-round destination. Visit the famous skating rink and gigantic Christmas tree in the winter or strap on a pair of roller skates in the summer. It also offers a mix of shops and restaurants as well as entertainment and history, making it a must-visit destination in New York City. Kids will love to visit the American Girl Place and the Nintendo store!
Top of the Rock
Located at the top of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Top of the Rock arguably offers the best views in the city. Take the elevator up 70 floors to experience 360 degree unobstructed views of Manhattan in all its glory. Kids will finally be able to grasp the magnitude of Central Park from this vantage point.
Empire State Building
This should definitely be on your list for a visit to New York City with kids! Take the elevator up 86 floors to the first observation deck. Here you will enjoy panoramic views of the entire city! Or go up even further to the 102nd floor if you are brave enough! Kids will love getting their picture taken with King Kong in a clever and engaging video installation! They can pretend to be captured in his hands as they seem to burst right through the glass!
Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum
Another highlight of our trip to New York City with kids was the Intrepid museum which is housed on an actual air craft carrier, the USS Intrepid. Kids can see real fighter jets, the space shuttle Enterprise, and tour a real submarine. You can even tour the British Airways Concorde! There are simulators and interactive displays to keep kids entertained as well as educational videos and heroic stories. A must see for fans of sea, air and space!
Walk the High Line
A walk on the High Line is a fantastic thing to do in New York City with kids! Take a stroll on the unique pathway built on a historic elevated railway line. This park features gardens, art installations, and beautiful views of Manhattan’s West Side and the Hudson River. Kids will love traversing the urban walking paths and taking in the city from a different perspective.
Statue of Liberty Cruise
There are a few different options for a Statue of Liberty Cruise. From Battery Park you can take a tour over to Liberty Island and get up close and personal with Lady Liberty herself. This tour also takes you to Ellis Island where you can tour the Immigration Museum where over 12 million immigrants were processed to come into the country.
There are also tours that take you around the Statue of Liberty but don’t make any stops. These tours go close enough to get some epic pictures and also offer impressive views of the NYC skyline and Brooklyn Bridge. We have done both and chose to do the shorter tour with our kids to save some time. The tour we took left from the South Street Seaport near the Brooklyn Bridge.
Brooklyn Bridge
Visiting the Brooklyn Bridge is an essential New York experience! This historical bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States and spans the East River between Brooklyn and Manhattan. It offers endless photo opportunities and kids will marvel at its grandeur. Walk across on your own or take a walking tour for a unique perspective of both Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Hang Out in Washington Square Park
One of the great things to do in New York City with kids is to just hang out and take in the culture of this lively city. Day or night there is always something going on! Washington Square park is nestled in the heart of Greenwich Village and serves as a gathering spot for locals, tourists, artists, musicians and street performers. Take a break from your busy itinerary and immerse yourself in the charm of one of New York’s most beloved neighbourhoods.