The best things to do in NYC with kids in 2026 are the American Museum of Natural History, the Bronx Zoo and Central Park Zoo, the Intrepid Museum and the New York Aquarium. Younger children love the Children's Museum of Manhattan and Brooklyn Children's Museum; older kids, the New York Hall of Science and Coney Island's Luna Park.
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1. American Museum of Natural History — Upper West Side, Manhattan
Dinosaurs, the blue whale, the butterfly vivarium and space shows.
$$Mid-rangeBest for Families
The Natural History museum is the ultimate New York museum for kids: dinosaur skeletons, the giant blue whale, the dioramas, the Hayden Planetarium and the Gilder Center's insectarium and butterfly vivarium.
It sits beside Central Park and Upper West Side family restaurants.
Good to know: Book timed tickets and head for the fourth-floor dinosaurs first.
3. Central Park Zoo — Central Park (64th St & Fifth Ave), Manhattan
A compact zoo with penguins, snow leopards and a petting zoo.
$$Mid-rangeBest for Families
Central Park Zoo is small enough for a toddler's attention span, with sea lions, penguins, snow leopards and the Tisch Children's Zoo for petting farm animals.
It is in the park near Fifth Avenue — easy to combine with The Plaza or FAO Schwarz.
Sharks, sea lions and the ocean — on the Coney Island boardwalk.
$$Mid-rangeBest for Families
The New York Aquarium on the Coney Island boardwalk has sharks, sea lions, penguins and sea turtles, and a day here pairs naturally with the beach and Luna Park.
It is a long but easy subway ride from Manhattan.
Good to know: Make a day of it with the beach and boardwalk next door.
6. Children's Museum of Manhattan — Upper West Side, Manhattan
Hands-on play floors for toddlers and young children.
$BudgetBest for Families
The Children's Museum of Manhattan has hands-on exhibits designed for babies through school-age children, with play spaces, art and science activities.
It is a great rainy-day option on the Upper West Side.
7. Brooklyn Children's Museum — Crown Heights, Brooklyn
The world's first children's museum, founded in 1899.
$BudgetBest for Families
Brooklyn Children's Museum, founded in 1899, was the first museum created specifically for children, and it still offers hands-on exhibits about nature, culture and the city.
It is in Crown Heights, close to the neighborhood's kosher restaurants.
Good to know: Pair it with lunch at Izzy's Brooklyn Smokehouse nearby.
8. New York Hall of Science — Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens
Hundreds of hands-on science exhibits in a 1964 World's Fair building.
$$Mid-rangeBest for Families
The New York Hall of Science (NYSCI), built for the 1964 World's Fair, is packed with interactive science and technology exhibits and has an outdoor science playground.
Next door, Flushing Meadows Corona Park has the Unisphere and the Queens Museum.
Good to know: Combine it with a photo at the Unisphere.
9. Luna Park in Coney Island — Coney Island, Brooklyn
Rides, the historic Cyclone roller coaster and the boardwalk.
$$Mid-rangeBest for Families · Groups
Luna Park is Coney Island's amusement park, home to the historic Cyclone wooden roller coaster from 1927 and rides for all ages, steps from the beach and boardwalk.
It is seasonal, open mainly from spring to autumn.
Good to know: Check the season calendar before you go.
10. Brooklyn Bridge Park & Jane's Carousel — Dumbo, Brooklyn
Playgrounds, a 1922 carousel and skyline views — free to explore.
$BudgetBest for Families
Brooklyn Bridge Park's piers have some of the city's best playgrounds, and Jane's Carousel — a restored 1922 carousel in a glass pavilion — spins by the water in Dumbo.
The park itself is free; carousel rides are cheap.
Good to know: Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge first, then let the kids loose in the park.
Yes — the museums are world-class for children, the parks are huge and free, and the subway makes it easy to get around. Plan one big activity a day, with park time in between, and avoid rush hour on the subway with strollers.
Are strollers allowed on the subway?
Yes. Many stations lack elevators, so a light, foldable stroller helps; the MTA's accessibility map shows stations with elevators.