New York with kids
New York with kids is easier than its reputation, mostly because so much of it is flat and so much of the good stuff is outdoors and free. Central Park alone can fill two days, and the dinosaur museum sits on its west edge. The hard part is the subway. Many stations have stairs and no lift, so a light stroller you can carry beats a big one every time.
More about the city
Prices are the other shock. A family of four pays well over $100 for most big museums and viewpoints, so pick two or three paid sights and fill the rest with parks, playgrounds and the free harbor ferry. Distances are long as well. Plan one neighbourhood per half day and the trip gets a lot calmer.
Know before you go
Things to do in New York with kids
12 activities
Natural history museumAmerican Museum of Natural History
child from $22Dinosaur halls, a blue whale and a planetarium. Strollers go everywhere except the theaters.
City parkCentral Park
No ticket neededFree, open 6 am to 1 am, with a big playground at the south end and room to run everywhere.
ZooCentral Park Zoo
child from $16.95A small zoo inside the park that a toddler can finish before lunch. Strollers stay outside the buildings.
ZooBronx Zoo
child from $27.70A full day at one of the largest city zoos in the country. Expect to park the stroller often.
AquariumNew York Aquarium
child from $25.95Sharks, sea lions and penguins by the Coney Island boardwalk, at the end of the F and Q lines.
Landmark and ferryStatue of Liberty and Ellis Island
child from $17The ferry ride is the fun part for kids. The crown is for children 4 and over and 42 inches tall.
Observation deckEmpire State Building
child from $38Open-air deck on the 86th floor, free for children 5 and under. Strollers must fold on the decks.
Ship and aircraft museumIntrepid Museum
child from $28An aircraft carrier with jets on deck, a space shuttle and a submarine. Submarine from 40 inches tall.
Free harbor ferryStaten Island Ferry
No ticket neededA free 25-minute boat ride across the harbor, running day and night from Lower Manhattan.
Waterfront parkBrooklyn Bridge Park
No ticket neededFree waterfront park with a run of playgrounds at Pier 6, a $4 carousel and the skyline across the river.
Children's museumChildren's Museum of Manhattan
child from $17Hands-on play floors built for ages 0 to 6. Closed Mondays, and strollers are checked at the door.
Aerial tramRoosevelt Island Tram
A cable car over the East River for the price of a subway ride. Strollers roll straight on.
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Prices at a glance
| Activity | Adult | Child | Free under | 0-2 | 3-5 | 6-10 | 11+ | Book ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Museum of Natural History | $37 | $22 (3-12) | 3 | Fine | Great | Great | Great | Recommended |
| Central Park | Free | Great | Great | Great | Fine | No | ||
| Central Park Zoo | $22.95 | $16.95 (3-12) | 3 | Great | Great | Fine | Skip | Recommended |
| Bronx Zoo | $37.70 | $27.70 (3-12) | 3 | Fine | Great | Great | Fine | Recommended |
| New York Aquarium | $29.95 | $25.95 (3-12) | 3 | Great | Great | Great | Fine | Recommended |
| Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island | $26 | $17 (4-12) | 4 | Tiring | Fine | Great | Great | Recommended |
| Empire State Building | $44 | $38 | 6 | Tiring | Fine | Great | Great | Required |
| Intrepid Museum | $38 | $28 (5-12) | 5 | Tiring | Fine | Great | Great | Recommended |
| Staten Island Ferry | Free | Fine | Great | Great | Great | No | ||
| Brooklyn Bridge Park | Free | Great | Great | Great | Fine | No | ||
| Children's Museum of Manhattan | $17 | $17 (1-18) | 1 | Great | Great | Fine | Skip | Recommended |
| Roosevelt Island Tram | $3 | · | · | Fine | Great | Great | Fine | No |
GreatFineTiringSkip
Ticket budget for your family
Tick what you plan to do. Child prices and free-under ages are applied for you.
Tips by age
- Carry a baby carrier as well as the stroller. Many subway stations have stairs and no lift.
- Use Bryant Park's free restrooms for a Midtown nappy change. Both have changing tables.
- At the zoos and the aquarium, strollers wait outside indoor exhibits, so keep valuables in a small bag.
- Measure your child. Under 44 inches rides transit free, and 42 inches is the cut-off to share a carousel ticket.
- Pair every museum with a playground. Heckscher is a short walk into Central Park from Columbus Circle.
- Ride the Roosevelt Island Tram outside weekday rush hours, when cabins are less crowded.
- Do the Intrepid's submarine first. Children need to be 40 inches tall and the line can close early.
- Book Statue of Liberty crown tickets months ahead. Children must be at least 4 and 42 inches tall.
- At the natural history museum, add one ticketed show at most. The permanent halls fill a morning.
- Children up to 12 still pay child prices at the natural history museum, the Intrepid and the Statue ferry.
- Let them pick between the 86th floor and a museum. Doing both in one day is a lot of standing.
- Give them the camera on the Staten Island Ferry. It is free and passes through the open harbor.
Playgrounds worth the detour
For the hour when nobody wants another sight.
- Heckscher PlaygroundCentral Park South · ToiletsThe largest playground in Central Park, with swings, slides, a climbing maze and a water feature, good from toddlers to about 10.Map
- Ancient PlaygroundCentral Park, East 85th Street · ToiletsPyramid-shaped climbers, sand and water play beside the Metropolitan Museum, best for ages 3 to 10.Map
- Pier 25 PlaygroundTribeca · ToiletsClimbing structures and water features on a Hudson pier that also has mini golf and a snack bar, for toddlers to tweens.Map
- Pier 51 PlaygroundWest Village · ToiletsWater and sand play, slides and a pretend boat hull by the river, best for under-eights, with water switched off in the cold months.Map
- Chelsea Waterside PlaygroundChelsea · ToiletsA long wooden slide shaped like a pipefish, water features and a picnic area next door, for ages 2 to 10.Map
Where to change a baby
Places in the centre with a documented changing or nursing room.
- Bryant Park public restroomsMidtown · Changing tableFree restrooms on the 42nd Street side behind the library and on 40th Street, both with a changing table, open daily from 7 am.Map
- American Museum of Natural HistoryUpper West Side · Nursing roomLactation rooms on the Lower Level by the Hall of the Universe and on Floor 3 of the Gilder Center, inside the ticketed museum.Map
- Intrepid MuseumHell's Kitchen · Changing tableBaby-changing tables in most restrooms on the ship, for museum ticket holders.Map
3 days in New York with kids
Getting around
- Subway and bus fare
- $3 a ride, tap a card or phone
- Weekly fare cap
- $35 in 7 days on the same card or device
- Children on transit
- Under 44 in ride free, up to 3 per paying adult
- Strollers on buses
- Open in the marked area, otherwise folded
- AirTrain JFK
- $8.75, free for children under 5
New York with kids: common questions
Is New York stroller friendly?
On the street, yes. Sidewalks are wide and the city is mostly flat. The subway is the weak point, because many stations have stairs and no lift. Bring a light stroller you can carry, check the MTA accessible station list, and use buses with the open stroller area when you can.
Do children pay on the New York subway?
Up to three children under 44 inches (112 cm) tall ride free with a fare-paying adult on the subway and local buses. Taller children pay the standard $3 fare. On AirTrain JFK, children under 5 ride free.
What are the best things to do in New York with kids for free?
Central Park and its playgrounds, Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Staten Island Ferry cost nothing. The ferry is a 25-minute harbor crossing that runs day and night. The American Museum of Natural History also waives the fee for visitors who enter in the last hour of the day.
Is the Statue of Liberty worth it with small children?
From about 6, yes. Under that age the security screening, two boats and long walks make it a tiring half day, and children under 4 cannot go up to the crown. The free Staten Island Ferry passes through the same harbor and is much easier with a toddler.