Family and friends coming to town and looking for ways to entertain them along with the kids?
We’ve got you covered! From the best museums for visitors of all ages, to NYC classic attractions, to tours for visitors and locals alike, there’s a lot you can do right here on KidPass (and other stuff we just love to recommend.) Read on for all our ideas!
Children’s Museum of the Arts
Where: West Village
Best for: 15 years and under
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!
Grand Central Tours
Where: Midtown East
Best for: age 12 and under
This audio tour focuses not only on the architectural highlights of the most beautiful train station in NYC, but provides a real story about little known secrets, anecdotes, archival material and the history of the Terminal. You’ll never see Grand Central the same again!
Intrepid Air, Sea, and Space Museum
Where: Midtown West
Best for: age 5 and up
This museum has the legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid, the space shuttle Enterprise, the world’s fastest jets, and a guided missile submarine! Fun and educational for kids AND adults.
Liberty Science Center
Where: Jersey City
Best for: all ages
Kids can discover new ideas, ask questions at a live science show, and visit outer space in the largest planetarium on this side of the world. In the summer, kids can dig for discoveries at a huge dinosaur excavation site and burn off steam at an outdoor obstacle course. Most families stay over four hours to enjoy all LSC has to offer. There’s even a private nursing room!
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Where: Upper East Side
When: Various dates and times
Best for: all ages
Did you know that one of the greatest museums in New York City is on KidPass? Head to the Met to see 5,000 years of art from every corner of the world. Book your tickets through KidPass to get them at a discount for adults and children 12+ (children under 12 are free!)
MOMA
Where: Hell’s Kitchen
Best for: all ages
You cannot come to NYC and not hit up the MOMA. Home to modern and contemporary masterpieces by Vincent van Gogh, Andy Warhol, Frida Kahlo, Jacob Lawrence, and more, with a collection that includes photography, film, architecture, design, media, and performance art, it’s a place adults and kids will love.
National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey
Where: Times Square
Best for: age 3 and up
We know Times Square isn’t your fave, but this one is worth it. Go on an interactive underwater journey where kids will encounter a life-sized Humpback whale, witness a battle between ferocious Humboldt squid, and watch a magnificent bait ball feeding frenzy.
Adobe Stock/Francois Roux
New York Hall of Science
Where: Corona, Queens
Best for: age 2 and up
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). Fun fact: the museum is 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.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not
Where: Times Square
Best for: age 7 and up
An NYC classic! Get ready to immerse yourself in the unusual, the unexpected, and the unbelievable at Ripley’s. Inside, you’ll find dinosaur bones, an interactive black hole, a real meteor, and plenty of other photos ops. Trust us, there’s something here for everyone!
Sloomoo Institute
Where: SoHo
Best for: all ages
In this part-installation, part-STEM program, Sloomoo Institute brings together exhibits, interactions, and sensory experiences—including all the slime you can handle. There’s a DIY slime bar, fiberglass slime sculptures, and more!
Statue of Liberty and the New Statue of Liberty Museum
Where: Liberty Island
Best for: all ages
If you haven’t visited the Statue of Liberty with your kids yet, there’s no better time, now with the recently opened Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island. It’s 26,000 square feet of historical exhibits, interactive activities, a film narrated by Diane Sawyer, and more.
American Museum of Natural History
Where: Upper West Side
Best for: all ages
Just as fun for adults as it is for kids! With 5 floors and 45 permanent galleries, come see world-famous dioramas, dinosaurs (including a T. Rex!), the Hayden Planetarium, and more. Don’t miss the hands-on Discovery Room and rotating special exhibitions!
Central Park
Where: Upper West Side / Upper East Side
Best for: all ages
NYC’s most famous park is not just for warm weather. From ice skating to sledding, to the zoo and carousel, and more, Mommy Nearest’s rounded up 10 ways to enjoy Central Park in the winter with kids. Try them all!
Outdoor Ice Skating
Where: various locations
Best for: all ages
Central Park doesn’t have the only ice skating rink in town. Here are 6 more outdoor ice rinks where you can take your kiddos for a spin!
Times Square
Where: Times Square
Best for: all ages
If your visitors have never been to NYC, you really can’t miss this one. And there’s way more to do than just walk through it navigating the crowds. Check out Mommy Nearest’s list of 30 things to do with kids in Times Square for tons of ideas!
Looking for more ways to play in the city? Here are 18 ways to have fun for $10 and under in NYC. And if you want to discover and book even more fun, check out all upcoming activities across the NY Metro area.
Header Image: Adobe Stock/travnikovstudio