This list of the best kid museums in New York City was written by Yana Zaytseva, co-founder of New York Simply (an official partner of Apple Maps) and a NYC local.
Exploring New York City with kids in tow can be a real treat, thanks in large part to the countless children’s museums spread across the city. The interactive exhibits and ability to run around unencumbered will have children relishing every minute.
They don’t even realize it, but their creative minds are growing, and parents can appreciate the much-needed break. So if you’re looking for the best museums for kids in New York City, this article is for you! It’s here to help you choose which are most worth your time, and which your kids will enjoy most.
But I don’t want to get ahead of myself and we have a lot to talk about. What do you say we dive right in?
Visiting New York City? If you haven’t decided where to stay (yet) check out our helpful guide on Where to Stay in New York City (10 Best Neighborhoods & 3 to Avoid). Don’t have time? Here’s our favorite hotel in NYC, hands down.
Best Museums for Kids in NYC
Table of Contents: Museums for Kids in New York City
Table of Contents: Kid-Friendly Museums in NYC
New York City Fire Museum
Website: New York City Fire Museum
Neighborhood: SoHo
Location: 278 Spring St, New York, NY 10013
Good to Know: Best for ages 3+, fire safety tour available, educational
If your kiddos are enthralled with large, blaring, brilliant red trucks, then a trip to the New York Fire Museum (NYFM) is an absolute must. Conveniently situated in SoHo, it’s one of the most fascinating museums in NYC for kids.
The coolest part? The building is a renovated firehouse built in 1904! You will have the opportunity to learn about the evolution of rescue equipment, see vintage fire engines, tools, and much more. While this is a great NYC museum to visit with kids there are also aspects parents will love, like the 9/11 exhibit.
Expect to find a few interactive elements (like a mock apartment) that allows children to visualize and point out fire hazards in an educational way. All this to say, the NYFM is one of the best kids museums in New York City and you won’t regret swinging by.
Museum of Ice Cream
Website: Museum of Ice Cream NYC
Neighborhood: SoHo
Location: 558 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
Good to Know: This museum is heavily geared towards photo-ops, best for young kids
The million dollar question, “is the Museum of Ice Cream worth it?” — our answer; yes and no.
It really boils down to who are you visiting the museum for, you or your kids? If the answer is your kids, then yes the Museum of Ice Cream is easily one of the best museums in NYC with little kids. The free ice cream samples, sprinkle pool and giant slide are hands-down going to get grins from your little.
But if your kids are a bit older and not into the whole Instagram, photo-taking opportunities you will leave underwhelmed and disappointed. My two cents is if your kids are tiny and ice cream is still their second language then consider this one of the best museums in NYC with children, but if your kids are 14+ you’re better off checking out a different museum.
Whitney Museum of American Art
Website: Whitney Museum of American Art
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Location: 99 Gansevoort St, New York, NY 10014
Good to Know: Offers free nights, close proximity to a park, great for older kids
The Whitney Museum, a cherished NYC institution for modern and contemporary American art since 1930, now occupies an impressive 50,000 square feet in the Meatpacking District. Founded by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, the museum celebrates her dedication to art.
Not only is it one of the best museums in NYC for kids thanks to its captivating artwork, but it also has terraces where your little ones can run around and enjoy amazing city views. I took my four-year-old niece, and she loved it, especially the outdoor area. It’s a beautiful museum that’s kid-friendly and definitely worth a visit!
Locals tip: After you’re done checking out the Whitney, head on over to the neighboring park on Little Island to burn off more energy.
New York Hall of Science
Website: New York Hall of Science
Neighborhood: Queens
Location: 47-01 111th St, Queens, NY 11368
Good to Know: Entire family can enjoy, educational
The New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) is hands-down one of the coolest museums in all of New York City that kids are guaranteed to enjoy. Situated out in Queens, listen when I tell you the trek is well-worth it! Don’t just take my word for it, NYSCI is the city’s only hands on science and technology center — reason alone to visit. It’s fun the entire family can partake in, including designated areas for kiddos 6 and under.
What makes this one of the best kids museums in NYC is the abundance of interactive exhibitions and learning opportunities. Your kids will walk in wide-eyed and bushy tailed not knowing what exhibit to hit next. Outside of the museum you’ll find two rockets (that actually traveled to space!) your kids will LOVE. There’s also a mini golf course that seems to be a crowd favorite.
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Website: Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Neighborhood: Midtown
Location: Pier 86, W 46th St, New York, NY 10036
Good to Know: Kids under 4 are free, this is an educational and fun experience
Home to a remarkable collection of military vessels of the sea and sky, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City is a must-see for any military enthusiast or history buff. I mean, this gem is considered one of the 10 best aviation museums in the world. If your kids are obsessed with ships and planes you’ll win parent of the year, no doubt about it.
More than 1 million visitors per year choose to visit this kid-friendly museum in New York City to explore the exciting collection. Expect to find authentic WWII fighter planes, aircraft carriers, a submarine used during the Cold War, supersonic jet and the NASA space shuttle Enterprise.
Allow up to 2-3 hours for the plethora of interactive displays and exhibits, this is not a NYC museum experience you’ll want to rush, especially with kids.
National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath)
Website: National Museum of Mathematics
Neighborhood: Midtown
Location: 11 E 26th St, New York, NY 10010
Good to Know: Best for ages 4+, allow ample time to explore each exhibit
The National Museum of Mathematics, also known as “MoMath” is one of the most kid-friendly museums in NYC. Offering both educational and fun exhibits, it’s the only museum in the country dedicated to math. Who knew math could be so fun that your kids will be begging you to take them here — parents, we call that a win!
MoMath is surprisingly a great place to burn of energy (so strange to say given this is a math museum). But the jumping, pushing and hands-on activities are endless. Not only are the interactive exhibits extremely entertaining, they’re fully educational too. Kids (and let’s be honest adults too) learn the daily importance of math in everyday scenarios.
Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Website: Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Neighborhood: Upper West Side
Location: 212 W 83rd St, New York, NY 10024
Good to Know: Best for children under 10, rotating exhibits
If you have tots in tow you have to make a bee-line for the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, stat. As one of the best museums for kids in New York City, they cater specifically to children under 10. The best way to describe the Children’s Museum of Manhattan is as an indoor playground. It’s the perfect rainy day activity when you’re feeling trapped inside your apartment.
The museum is made up of five floors that are full of playgrounds, interactive exhibits and abundant opportunities to tire your kid out. Even then, you’ll likely have to peel your kid off the door frame since most never want to leave.
There’s currently a Dora & Diego exhibit that will help tie in your kids’ favorite cartoon characters into their play date. Plus exhibits rotate regularly, so you can keep coming back and not get bored!
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Website: The Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Neighborhood: Crown Heights
Location: 145 Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213
Good to Know: Educational, rotating exhibits, great for all ages
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum in Crown Heights is a delightful treasure trove for kids. With three floors of exhibits, including the popular World Brooklyn, children can explore and play while learning about the importance of community. The museum features rotating exhibits, offering immersive lessons on various topics.
Plus, every Thursday from 2-5pm, admission is free (thanks to Amazon). Simply reserve tickets in advance for your kids to enjoy the museum’s offerings.
Fun fact: The Brooklyn Children’s Museum was founded in 1899, making it the oldest children’s museum in New York City (and the country!).
New York Transit Museum
Website: New York Transit Museum
Neighborhood: Brooklyn
Location: 99 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Good to Know: Fun for all ages, educational
Founded in 1976, the New York Transit Museum is located inside of a decommissioned subway station in Downtown Brooklyn. The musuem offering a fascinating look at the city’s robust transportation system (one of the busiest and oldest in the world!).
The museum covers a century of subway history through the use of vintage subway cars that date back to 1903. You’ll find everything from old tokens and turnstiles to historical maps and signage, alongside interactive exhibits that tell the story of the immense effort and engineering feats behind New York’s impressive public transportation network.
This is one of the best museums in Brooklyn for kids because it provides a unique educational experience (for the kids) and a nostalgic trip down memory lane (for the parents), it’s fun for the whole family!
American Museum of Natural History
Website: American Museum of Natural History
Neighborhood: Upper West Side
Location: 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024
Good to Know:
Omitting the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) on a list of the top museums in New York City with children would be inexcusable. That’s because the American Museum of Natural History is arguably the best museum in NYC for kids. This incredible science museum is home to 33 million specimens, yet only 3% are on display (and even that amount can get quite overwhelming!).
Welcoming 5 million visitors per year and spanning all aspect of the natural world, the American Museum of Natural History in New York City is considered one of the greatest natural history museums in the world. Don’t miss the Hall of Ocean Life where you’ll have an opportunity to see a life-size model of a 94-foot blue whale — it’s an experience your kids won’t soon forget. Also, the taxidermy mammals are remarkable and have captivated both children and adults for years.
Don’t know where to start? No worries! We created a guide to help you navigate this popular NYC kid’s museum, read: The 15 Best Things to See at the American Museum of Natural History.
Honorable Mentions:
- Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling: It’s an inexpensive interactive modern art museum full of activities and fun for little kids to partake in. Adults find the art amusing while children love all the hands on exhibits.
- Madame Tussauds New York: Located in the heart of Times Square, Madame Tussades is a wax museum chock-full of realistic wax figures. If your kids are celebrity obsessed this is one of the best museums in NYC with kids. There are nine floors of life-like wax figures of their favorite superhero or character spread across 80,000 square feet.
- Museum of Illusions: For those who have older kiddos to tend to the Museum of Illusions is sure to stir up some chaos. The mental gymnastics you’ll go through is entertaining for both adults and kids alike. It takes time to wrap your head around some of the exhibits, but it’s definitely fun.
Kid-Friendly Museums in NYC (Post Summary)
- American Museum of Natural History
- New York Transit Museum
- The Brooklyn Children’s Museum
- Children’s Museum of Manhattan
- National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath)
- Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
- New York Hall of Science
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- Museum of Ice Cream
- New York City Fire Museum
- Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling
- Madame Tussauds New York
- Museum of Illusions
Frequently Asked Questions: NYC Museums for Kids
New York City is chock-full of kid-friendly museums. The list of educational and fun exhibits and experiences in NYC are endless, you won’t struggle keeping your kiddos entertained.
The best museum in New York City with little kids is the Museum of Natural History. This incredible science museum is home to 33 million specimens, yet only 3% are on display (and even that amount can get quite overwhelming!).
New York City wears many hats and caters to all ages, including the youngest ones in your clan. There is always something to do, for any age, at all times.
Further Reading for Fun Things to Do in NYC With Kids
Best Things to Do With Kids: 15+ EPIC Things to Do in New York City With Kids
Top Dessert Spots to Visit With Kids: 15 Dessert Spots in New York City to Visit with Kids
Festive Things to Do With Kids During Christmas: 15 Festive Things to Do for Christmas in New York City with Kids
Best Toy Stores in NYC: 15 Charming Local New York City Toy Stores
Exploring New York City
Unique Things to Do: 25 Unique (Non-Touristy) Things to Do in New York City
Free Things to Do: 20 Unique Free Things to Do in New York City to Keep Your Wallet Happy!
Best Things to Do in NYC: 30 Best Things to Do in New York City
Map of the Best Children’s Museums NYC
And there you have it folks, our list of the best kids museums in NYC! Let us know what your favorite spot to take your little is.
Cheers!
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