USA · With kids · 2 days · 10 stops
New York with kids: 2 easy days
Take New York in small pieces when the kids come along. Day one stays around Central Park: the Natural History Museum in the morning, then a playground, a castle, boats and finally the little zoo. Day two is on the water – the free ferry past the Statue of Liberty, then a boat to Brooklyn for pizza, a carousel and riverside playgrounds.
In short
- Length
- 2 days, 10 stops
- Highlights
- American Museum of Natural History, SeaGlass Carousel, Diana Ross Playground, Belvedere Castle, Loeb Boathouse
- Where to stay
- Midtown, Lower East Side and the Village
- Getting around
- Manhattan is a grid of avenues and streets, and you can cover a lot on foot.
- Best time to go
- May to June and September to October are the most pleasant.
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Plan created with AI support – please check opening hours, prices and routes before you go. YesTrip editorial team · Updated: .
Day 1
Dinosaurs and Central Park
American Museum of Natural History
Dinosaur skeletons on the fourth floor and a life-size blue whale hanging from the ceiling. Book tickets online to get in faster.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): American Museum of Natural Historyabout 5 min on foot
Diana Ross Playground
Right across the street in the park at 81st Street. Let off steam after the museum and have a picnic lunch.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Diana Ross Playgroundabout 5 min on foot
Belvedere Castle
A little castle on a rock. Kids climb the steps and look out over Turtle Pond, where turtles often sun themselves.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Belvedere Castleabout 5 min on foot
Loeb Boathouse
In the warmer months you can rent rowing boats on the lake here. Otherwise walk along the shore to Bow Bridge.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Loeb Boathouseabout 15 min on foot
Central Park Zoo
Small and easy to manage: penguins, sea lions and snow leopards, just right for tired legs. Check opening hours before you go.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Central Park Zoo
Day 2
Ferries, carousels and Brooklyn
Staten Island Ferry
The big orange ferry is free. Stand on the right side on the way out to pass close to the Statue of Liberty, then ride straight back.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Staten Island Ferryabout 5 min on foot
SeaGlass Carousel
In Battery Park, children ride glowing glass fish that turn to music – almost like being under water.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): SeaGlass CarouselAbout 10 min on foot to Pier 11/Wall St, then NYC Ferry (East River route) to DUMBO, about 10 min.
Juliana's Pizza
Coal-oven pizza right under the Brooklyn Bridge. There is often a queue at lunchtime, so come early.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Juliana's Pizzaabout 5 min on foot
Jane's Carousel
A restored wooden carousel from 1922 in a glass pavilion by the water, with the Manhattan skyline behind it.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Jane's Carouselabout 15 min on foot
Brooklyn Bridge Park
Head south along the waterfront: lawns, water play in summer and big playgrounds on the piers. A calm end to the afternoon.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Brooklyn Bridge Park
Good to know
Buggies and the subway
Many subway stations only have stairs. A light folding buggy helps, and with bags the ferry is often easier.
Toilets on the way
The museums, the ferry terminal and several spots in Central Park have toilets. Baby-changing facilities are easiest to find in the museums.
If it rains
Stay longer at the Natural History Museum, and swap the park for the Intrepid Museum with its aircraft carrier or a children's area in a public library.
For the best time to go, public transport and where to stay, see the 3-day plan for New York.
Your plan
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Copy it into YesTrip, pick your dates and make it yours: move stops, drop them or let the AI add more. On the road the app shows you the next stop and how to get there.
New York with kids: frequently asked questions
What is good for kids in New York?
The Natural History Museum with its dinosaurs, Central Park with the zoo and boats, the ferries and the waterfront carousels. One area per day is enough, or it gets too much.
Is the subway doable with kids?
Yes, but expect stairs and crowded trains at rush hour. Travel outside peak times and use the ferries where you can.
More plans for New York
- One dayOne day in New York: Midtown and Central ParkAbove the rooftops in the morning, Grand Central at lunch, Central Park in the afternoon, neon in the evening.
- WeekendA weekend in New York: Friday to SundayFriday views by night, Saturday Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn, Sunday the High Line and the Village before your flight.
- 3 days3 days in New York – a ready-made itineraryBrooklyn Bridge, Central Park and Times Square, plus the High Line and the old neighbourhoods of lower Manhattan.
- 5 days5 days in New York with Liberty and BeaconMidtown, museums by Central Park, the ferry to Liberty, the Whitney and the High Line – plus a day in the Hudson Valley.
- On a budgetNew York on a budget: 2 days, mostly freeA free ferry, a bridge, a park on old rail tracks and Central Park, plus dumplings in Chinatown – New York needn't cost much.
Plan created with AI support – please check opening hours, prices and routes before you go. Coordinates checked with Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap (Photon). Photo: Daniele Pieroni, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. More in Sources & licences. YesTrip is a trip planner, not a travel agency – nothing is booked.
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