It’s no secret NYC and its surrounding areas are home to some of the best museums in the country, and perhaps the world. What you may not know is that several of them are right here on KidPass, with programs and classes that cater specifically to children. Read on so you and your little artist can discover them all!

Children’s Museum of the Arts
West Village / 10 months – 15 years old

Come explore the rotating exhibitions of contemporary art as well as make art alongside teaching artists in interactive studios. And for children under 5, come to the StArt drop-in classes, a special class environment filled with exploratory art-making, music time, and story time!

The City Reliquary Museum
Williamsburg / All ages

Get to know your city better! The City Reliquary’s permanent collection includes Statue of Liberty postcards, terracotta fragments of landmark buildings, subway tokens, geological core samples, paint chips from the L train platform, a “very old shovel,” and countless other artifacts that tell unique stories of New York City’s past. Rotating exhibitions of community collections celebrate the archival work of New York collectors, and temporary exhibitions showcase vital, yet often overlooked stories of the city.

Color Factory
SoHo / Birth – 17 years old

This multi-sensory exhibit inspired by the colors of the city guides you through 16 participatory installations. Gaze at the ombré floating balloon wishes, walk along an infographic leading you to your ‘secret color’, indulge in a palette of colorful treats featuring a custom-color ice cream scoop, bust a move on the luminous dance floor, and jump into a room filled with balls!

Dimenna’s Children’s History Museum
Upper West Side / 5 – 13 years old

This is the first history museum in the United States designed specifically for children, presenting 350 years of New York and American history through character-based pavilions, interactive exhibits, and digital games, the Barbara K. Lipman Children’s History Library, and a wide range of family learning programs.

The Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum
Midtown West / 5 – 17 years old

The Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum is an educational institution featuring the legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid, the space shuttle Enterprise, the world’s fastest jets, and a guided missile submarine! Fun and educational for adults and kids of all ages.

Jewish Children’s Museum
Crown Heights / 2 – 17 years old

You’re never too young (or old) to learn something new. With hands-on exhibits focusing on Jewish holidays, biblical history, the land of Israel, contemporary Jewish life, and more, the Jewish Children’s Museum celebrates and explores many aspects of Jewish culture. Come by on a day off—there’s enough here to keep them interested all day.

Long Island Explorium
Port Jefferson / 1 – 17 years old

Driven by the notion that learning is its own fun, the Long Island Explorium is tapping into the most current research on best practices in education to create exhibits and programs that offer kids the chance to find out, for themselves, just how much fun real learning is! Interactivity enables children to learn at their own pace and, more importantly, in a way that suits their individual style.

KGB Museum
Chelsea / 6 – 17 years old

Kids will explore the life of a KGB espionage agent through interacting with the never-before-seen 3,700 artifacts on display, including an interrogation chair, a photo studio of a KGB chief desk, tests and games evaluating your inner spy, magic spy glasses, and much more!

The Met
Upper East Side / All ages

Did you know that one of the greatest museums in New York City is on KidPass? The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from every corner of the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. Book your tickets through KidPass to get them at a discount for adults and children 12+ (children under 12 are free!)

The Museum at FIT
Midtown West / 0 – 17 years old

Callinng all little fashionistas! The mission of the Museum at FIT is to advance knowledge of fashion through exhibitions, programs and publications. Entertaining and educational for the whole fam!

National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey 
Hell’s Kitchen / 3 – 12 years old

Dive into the ocean right in the heart of Times Square! This ground-breaking immersive entertainment experience uses cutting-edge technology to transport you on an interactive underwater journey across the ocean to encounter its greatest wonders and mightiest creatures.

New York City Fire Museum
SoHo / 2 – 12 years old

At the New York City Fire Museum, displays illustrate the evolution of firefighting from the bucket brigades of Peter Stuyvesant’s New Amsterdam through the colorful history of volunteer firefighters to modern firefighting techniques and equipment. The Museum also houses a special memorial to the 343 members of the FDNY who made the supreme sacrifice on 9/11 and features a number of firefighting artifacts recovered from the World Trade Center site.

New York Hall of Science
Corona / 2 – 17 years old

This museum offers informal, hands-on learning by using the “design-make-play” method of bringing delight and play to educating Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The museum is situated in a highly diverse neighborhood and employs youth from the community as part of their science career ladder program, contributing to diversity in careers in science and technology on a national scale.

Pixinity
SoHo / 2 – 17 years old

Pixinity is a pop-futuristic art exhibition and playground designed by artist Tianyu Qiu. This immersive art experience is inspired by the aesthetic of gaming, pop cultural imageries, visual languages, and pixels, the smallest element of the digital world. The exhibition serves as a bridge between digital and real world, guiding visitors through 10 interactive installations.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square
Times Square / 4 – 12 years old

Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Times Square is a fun place for guests of all ages to experience the unbelievable mysteries of our world. Home to rare artifacts and thrilling interactive exhibits, this one-of-a-kind NYC attraction is perfect for those who want to immerse themselves in the unusual, the unexpected, and the unbelievable.

Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
Financial District / 0 – 16 years old

Come view one of the world’s most expansive collections of Native artifacts, including objects, photographs, archives, and media covering the entire Western Hemisphere, from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego. The museum is also dedicated to acting as a resource for the hemisphere’s Native communities and to serving the greater public as an honest and thoughtful conduit to Native cultures—present and past—in all their richness, depth, and diversity.

Sugar Hill Children’s Museum
Washington Heights / 2 – 5 years old

This is a space where children and their families grow and learn about Sugar Hill and the world at large through intergenerational dialogue with artists, art, and storytelling.
Designed to nurture children’s curiosity and creative spirit, Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling allows children to engage with the work of accomplished artists and storytellers, as well as create and share their own stories and art.

Looking for more ways to play in the city? Here are 9 playspaces to visit in the NYC area. And if you want to discover and book even more fun, check out all upcoming activities across the NY Metro area.