Children's Museums in New York, NY
We list 9 children's museums across the New York area. Compare prices, hours and age ranges in one place, then pick the one that fits your day.
Sorted by distance from the middle of New York, nearest first. Those are straight-line miles, so every drive is longer than the number on the card.
The Paley Center for Media is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of television…
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Brooklyn Children's Museum is New York City's largest cultural institution designed especially for families, located in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Founded in 1899 as…
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The Jewish Children's Museum in Brooklyn, New York offers an interactive journey through Jewish history and biblical narratives for children and families of all…
Children's Museum of Manhattan is an interactive learning destination on the Upper West Side of New York where children ages 0-6 explore arts, science, and culture…
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Staten Island Children's Museum is an interactive museum in Staten Island, New York that nurtures creativity and curiosity in children through hands-on learning…
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Bronx Children's Museum is an interactive museum in the Bronx, New York that offers STEAM-based activities for children and families. The museum features temporary…
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The Children's Cultural Center of Native America, located at 550 W 155th St in New York, New York, serves as a vibrant children's museum dedicated to educating…
Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling is located on West 155th Street in the historic Sugar Hill district of Upper Manhattan, New York. The museum…
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The Bronx Museum of the Arts is an internationally recognized cultural destination that presents innovative contemporary art exhibitions and education programs and…
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Where a card says no price or no hours listed, the venue does not publish it. We would rather leave the gap than fill it with a guess. Prices come from each venue's own website, and we publish one only when the figure appears on the page we took it from. Tell us if we are missing one you know.
Which one, by age
Two children three years apart do not have to be a compromise. The age line on every card shows what that venue serves.
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Best here for under 2, 4 miles out, listed ages 0–9 and admission $15.
Staten Island Children’s Museum
Best here for two to five, 7 miles out, listed ages 0–9 and admission $10.
Jewish Children’s Museum
Best here for six to nine, 5 miles out, listed ages 3–12 and admission $19.
Free children's museums in New York
One place on this page gets you in free. That makes a short trip easy to justify on a day when nobody is sure how long they will last.
The Bronx Museum of the Arts
Free to get in and 9 miles out.
By town
Most of these are not in New York proper, and the town is usually what decides whether a place is worth the trip.
Children's Museums in New York
4 of them: The Paley Center for Media, Children’s Museum Of Manhattan, Children’s Cultural Center of Native America and Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling, the closest 4 miles from the middle of New York and 1 with a published admission price.
Children's Museums in Brooklyn
2 of them: Brooklyn Children’s Museum and Jewish Children’s Museum, the closest 4 miles from the middle of New York and 2 with a published admission price.
Children's Museums in Bronx
2 of them: Bronx Children’s Museum and The Bronx Museum of the Arts, the closest 9 miles from the middle of New York and 2 with a published admission price.
Planning a visit
These run from 4 to 9 miles out from the middle of New York. Hours move with the season and with school holidays, so check the listing before you set off. If you run one of the places on this page, you can claim it for free and keep its hours and prices right.
Before you go
Grip socks. Almost every venue requires them for children and several require them for adults. Most sell them at the door for a few dollars. Bringing your own is cheaper and means you are not buying a fourth pair.
Check whether adults pay. It runs from free to full price and it changes the cost of a visit by a lot when there are two of you.
Weekday mornings are the toddler rush. If you want space, aim for after two on a school day. Weekend mornings are the busiest hours of the week almost everywhere.
Ninety minutes is the realistic ceiling for most children under five. There is rarely a gradual wind down. Leaving with time left on the clock is not wasted money, it is a better afternoon.
Call ahead in school holidays. Several of these venues run camps and private events that close open play with no notice on the website.
Looking somewhere else in the metro? Browse every kid-friendly place in New York.
Other things to do in New York
Children's Museums in nearby cities
Common questions about children's museums in New York
How many children's museums are there in New York?
We list 9 children's museums within 16 miles of New York, NY. Every one is a published listing with an address we checked.
Which children's museums in New York publish their prices?
6 of the 9 here do, and each price was checked word for word against the venue's own page before we published it. The rest do not publish one, so their card says no price listed rather than carrying a guess.
Are any children's museums in New York free?
Yes. One place gets you in free: The Bronx Museum of the Arts.
Which children's museums in New York suit a toddler?
5 of them list an age range starting at two or under. Check the age line on each card, because a place that suits a six-year-old does not always suit a two-year-old.
How did Mini Navigators choose these children's museums?
We list every one we have within 16 miles of the center of New York. Each is a published place with an address we geocoded and checked, and the business can claim its listing to keep the hours and prices current.
Do adults have to pay?
It varies more than you would expect, from free to full price, and it changes the cost of a visit by a lot when there are two of you. The price on each card is what it costs to get a child in. Where a venue publishes an adult price it is on the listing, and where it does not we have left it out rather than assume.
Do I need to book ahead?
Usually not for open play, but several venues cap capacity at weekends and during school holidays, and some close open play entirely for private events. Where a venue has its own booking page, the listing links straight to it.
What should I bring?
Grip socks, a water bottle, a change of clothes for anyone under four, and a plan for leaving before the meltdown rather than after it.
What else is there to do with kids in New York?
New York has 7 categories of kid-friendly places on Mini Navigators, from playgrounds and museums to splash pads and zoos. The New York hub lists all of them.
Listings last checked August 21, 2026.