Best Family Friendly Museums in New York City

New York City has always been a cultural mecca, with some of the greatest museums and art institutions in the world. Uptown, downtown, Brooklyn, Queens – there is no shortage of creativity in this vibrant city.

You don’t have to be an adult to enjoy much of New York’s cultural scene – in this ever increasingly kid-friendly world, there are many museums that either cater to children, offer children’s programs, or simply, can be enjoyed by children.

From fine art to history to science to things that go, there are so many museums in New York that the whole family can explore. Below are our top picks for Best Family-Friendly Museums in NYC.

Best Family-Friendly Museums in New York City

American Museum of Natural History

This is the museum that made the biggest impression on me as a little girl, just as it does so many kids today. Ever since I saw the giant blue whale hanging from the ceiling on a school field trip, I was hooked. Perhaps the most beloved museum of them all for children – for all ages – the Natural History Museum has and always will be a New York classic. Kids love exploring the animal, fossil, and earth & space halls, and the special exhibitions are always excellent.

Did you know? The Museum of Natural History has the world’s largest collection of dinosaur fossils.

Best ages to visit: All Ages

Central Park West and 79th Street, New York, NY 10024

General Hours: Open daily 10:00 a.m. – 5:45 p.m.

New York Hall of Science

Do yourself a favor and take your kids to this absolutely fantastic science museum in Queens. With over 100,000 square feet of exhibition space, you could spend all day here if you wanted to. Toddlers to teens can enjoy hands-on activities centered on science, technology, design, math and engineering and learn how science plays a role in everything we experience as human beings. You can read more about the museum in my post New York Hall of Science: Discovery, Exploration, Fun.

Did you know? The New York Hall of Science was founded at the 1964-65 World’s Fair and occupies the same building today.

Best ages to visit: All Ages

47-01 11th Street, Corona, NY, 11368

General Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m./ Saturday – Sunday, 10:00 – 6

Brooklyn Children’s Museum

I have fond memories of taking my girls to this museum when they were younger, and when we lived in Brooklyn. It’s an awesome children’s museum – one of the best of its kind – and this was our go-to on rainy days. The museum’s mission is to provide cultural experiences for children through their many exhibitions, such as their World Brooklyn exhibition.

Did you know? The Brooklyn Children’s Museum was the first children’s museum in the world, when it was founded in 1899. Its success has led to the creation of over 300 children’s museums around the world.

Best ages to visit: 6 months – 10 years

145 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11213

General Hours: Tuesday – Thursday – 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. / Thursday 10: 00 a.m. -6: 00 p.m. Closed Mondays

Metropolitan Museum of Art

No visit to New York is complete without a visit to the Met. This New York institution is home to art and artifacts from over 5,000 years, and spanning all cultures and time periods. From antiquities to modern art, there is something for everyone at the Met. Kids love the Egyptian section, among many more exhibitons, and the Met has all sorts of programs for families, including classes, story time, interactive programs and so much more.

We also love the Cloisters, a branch of the Met in northern Manhattan. You can read more about it in my post Off the Beaten Path: NYC’s Cloisters.

Did you know? #MetKids, a digital feature, is designed for, with and by kids. Discover fun facts about works of art, watch behind-the-scenes videos, and go back in time. Learn more on the #MetKids Blog.

Best ages to visit: 3 +

1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028

General hours: Sunday – Thursday 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Children’s Museum of the Arts

The concept behind this unique museum, located in Soho, is for children to be introduced to art by providing classes and workshops for them to make art alongside working artists. Popular activities include the Clay Bar, Fine Arts Studio, Media Lab and WEE Studio. The museum moved into a new, state of the art building in 2011, and it’s been all the rage ever since. If your kids are into art, they’ll love this fun and educational museum.

Did you know? CMA has a permanent collection of over 2,000 paintings and drawings of children’s art from around the world, dating back to the 1930’s.

Best ages to visit: 10 months – 15 years

103 Charlton Street, New York, NY 10014

General Hours: Mondays 12- 5, Thursdays and Fridays, 12 – 6, Saturdays and Sundays 10 -5. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

New York Transit Museum

Located in Downtown Brooklyn in an authentic 1936 subway station, this under-the-radar museum is one of New York’s gems. We used to visit it all the time when we lived in Brooklyn, and I can tell you the great thing about the museum – dedicated to New York’s transportation system – is that it never gets too crowded. Off the beaten path, many people don’t know about it. If your kids love things that go – and what kid doesn’t – then they will love this museum. Vintage trains and buses can be boarded for much exploration and fun. You can read more about it in my post NYC Off the Beaten Path: New York Transit Museum.

Did you know? The New York Transit Museum is the largest museum in the United States devoted to urban public transportation history.

Best ages to visit: All Ages

Decommissioned subway station at the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street

General Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m./ Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Closed Mondays.

Museum of Modern Art

Ok so I’m biased since I used to work there, but MoMA is really great for families. Don’t let its size and sophistication intimidate you! This world-class museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art is absolutley kid-friendly. There’s a wide variety of programming for children, including tours, workshops, films, interactive spaces and audio guides. “Tours for Fours” and “Family Art Workshops”, for example, are some of the programs. You can read more about our visit to MoMA in my post Classic New York.

Did you know? Open during museum hours is the Art Lab, an amazing interactive space where kids can play and create. Free with museum admission (though for kids, admission is free! So, free for adults).

Best ages to visit: 4 +

11 West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019

General Hours: 7 days a week, 10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Children’s Museum of Manhattan

Manhattan’s museum dedicated to all things kids, CMOM’s main areas of focus are early childhood education, creativity, health, and world cultures. Exhibitions include Let’s Dance!, Dynamic H2O, America to Zanzibar and more.

Did you know? CMOM was originally founded in 1973 as a neighborhood, grassroots organization to help bring the arts to New York City public schools, and since then has been a citywide resource.

Best ages to visit: 6 months – 10 years

212 West 83rd Street, New York, NY 10024

General Hours: Tuesday – Friday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Closed Mondays.

Whitney Museum of American Art

One of my absolute favorite museums in New York, the Whitney is another museum that might surprise you as to just how family-friendly it is. This museum devoted to American art from the 20th century to contemporary time has a number of programs and activities geared toward kids. Art making workshops, interactive tours and special events all make up the programming. After a visit to the Whitney, take a walk on the Highline (right there), a park that’s a lot of fun to explore with the kids.

Did you know? The Whitney has a program called “Stroller Tours” for new parents and their babies, ages 0 – 18 months. They’re run by Teaching Fellows and are held when the museum is closed to the public. They’re motto? Crying babies welcome! I love that the Whitney does this. What a great thing to do for new parents who might otherwise have assumed their cultural life was temporarily over!

Best ages to visit: Apart from the Stroller Tours, 4 +

99 Ganesvoort Street, New York, NY 10014

General Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday, 10:30 a.m. – 6: 00 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Closed Tuesdays

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