New York City holds many surprises on every block, but few things spark a child’s curiosity like the city’s best museums. From interactive exhibits to immersive art experiences and hands-on history, the best museums for children in NYC are designed to engage young minds while keeping parents just as intrigued.
As a father of four, a former New York City resident, and a regular visitor to the city, I’ve spent a considerable amount of time in museums and other locations with my children. I would recommend these locations for any family looking to learn more about the city’s history, experience interactive exhibits, and enjoy a variety of other activities.
Each museum on this list combines creativity and play with deep learning, sometimes incorporating elements like slime, spy gadgets, and even a retired aircraft carrier and a space shuttle.
You’ll find spots in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and beyond that cater to a wide range of interests, including art, science, history, transportation, and more. Let your child roam among dinosaurs, decode secret missions, explore outer space, or step inside a retired aircraft carrier.
Almost every museum on this list is a longtime mainstay in New York City, except Spyscape. While the Museum of Ice Cream and many other new installations have emerged in recent years, I’ve mostly stuck to the city’s mainstays that my kids or my friends’ kids love.
Here are the best museums for children in NYC that make learning feel like the best kind of fun.
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum (Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan)
The Intrepid Museum is a floating museum housed aboard a real aircraft carrier. It offers an up-close look at American military and maritime history. It features historic aircraft, submarines, and the Space Shuttle Enterprise, which is a truly massive spectacle when witnessed in person. This museum introduces kids to aviation, sea exploration, and space missions in an awe-inspiring and digestible way.
Children are amazed by the size of the vessels and love climbing into the cockpits of fighter jets or navigating the narrow corridors of submarines. The hands-on Exploreum Hall contains interactive exhibits, including a life-size helicopter where kids can simulate piloting. Seasonal STEM events and astronaut-themed activities also make this a must-visit for any space or ship enthusiast. My wife wrote about one of our family trips to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.
Visit: Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
American Museum of Natural History (Upper West Side, Manhattan)
One of the most iconic museums in the world, the American Museum of Natural History offers endless exhibits on dinosaurs, ocean life, outer space, and global cultures. It’s the ultimate museum for curious kids who want to explore the world and beyond.
Highlights include the life-sized blue whale, towering dinosaur fossils, and the dazzling Hayden Planetarium. Kids also love the interactive Discovery Room and rotating exhibits, which often feature touchable fossils and live animal interactions. It’s a top-tier learning destination that still feels like an epic adventure. Here’s an older post about one of my family’s visits to the American Museum of Natural History.
Visit: American Museum of Natural History
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Upper East Side, Manhattan)
The Met is the largest art museum in the Americas, with exhibits spanning over 5,000 years of global art. While it might not seem like a kid-focused destination, there’s plenty here for young visitors, especially with programs tailored just for families.
Children are often captivated by the Egyptian Temple of Dendur, medieval armor displays, and the immersive period rooms. Family guides and art hunts help keep things engaging, and The Met Cloisters, located uptown, offers castle-like architecture and gardens perfect for imaginative play. My kids are huge fans of art, my son could point out Andy Warhol paintings by name when he was just three years old, so this museum feels right at home to our family. My wife wrote a brief post about our visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Visit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Spyscape (Midtown, Manhattan)
Spyscape is an interactive spy museum where kids (and adults) step into the shoes of secret agents. Through high-tech installations and storytelling, the museum explores espionage, codebreaking, surveillance, and the stories of famous spies. This is the only recently opened museum on my list, having opened in 2018. With over 5,000 Google reviews, it maintains a very well-deserved 4.5-star rating. cc-by-sa-2.0
Children can test their agility in the laser maze, try to crack encrypted messages or take a spy profile quiz to see what kind of agent they’d be. With sleek design and thrilling activities, Spyscape brings the world of espionage to life in an unforgettable way for older kids and tweens. In my personal opinion, this is the best museum for children in NYC in terms of newer options. It’s also a ton of fun for adults.
Visit: Spyscape
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) (Midtown, Manhattan)
The MoMA is renowned for its world-class collection of modern and contemporary art, featuring works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Warhol, and many others. While the art may be sophisticated, the museum makes a strong effort to welcome children with engaging family programs and activity guides.
Kids are drawn to modern art’s bold colors and unusual shapes, and MoMA’s Family Gallery Talks and Art Labs help translate abstract ideas into hands-on, engaging fun. With free sketching materials and interactive installations in the Sculpture Garden, there’s plenty of room for creative expression. The art lovers in your family will find plenty to love, even if some of the works go over their heads.
Visit: Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
National Museum Of Mathematics (Flatiron District, Manhattan)
The National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) is the only museum of its kind in North America, focusing entirely on the wonders of mathematics. But don’t expect a quiet room of equations, as this place is packed with interactive exhibits that bring math to life.
From riding square-wheeled tricycles to playing motion-sensing math games, kids are encouraged to touch, build, and move through math concepts. This is an ideal destination for young problem-solvers and a great way to show kids that numbers can be both beautiful and fun.
Visit: Museum of Math
Children’s Museum of Manhattan (Upper West Side, Manhattan)
CMOM is tailored for kids under 10, with exhibits that focus on early childhood development, wellness, creativity, and cultural awareness. Everything is hands-on, colorful, and designed to engage kids through play. It’s also the only museum on this list that my wife insisted we buy an annual membership to when our children were younger. Our kids never got bored of visiting, regardless of how many times they attended.
Popular exhibits include a mini city where kids can drive pretend taxis, climbable art installations, and a dance and music room. CMOM’s rotating programs and partnerships with beloved children’s brands make each visit feel fresh and exciting. CMOM, in our family’s opinion, ranks number one among the best museums for children in NYC. My wife enjoyed chronicling our family time at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. It’s not as glitzy as some of the museums on our list, but young kids love it!
Visit: Children’s Museum of Manhattan
The New York Transit Museum (Downtown Brooklyn)
Located inside a decommissioned subway station, the New York Transit Museum chronicles the evolution of New York City’s iconic public transportation system. Kids can explore historic subway cars, learn how tunnels were built, and ride in a vintage bus. As a bonus, we purchased shirts featuring different train letters that matched the first letters of our first names as a cute wearable keepsake from a magical trip through NYC’s history.
The real stars of the museum are the full-size, walk-through train cars from different eras. Kids love imagining themselves commuting in the 1930s or pretending to be subway conductors. The museum is educational, interactive, and rooted in New York City’s everyday magic.
Visit: The New York Transit Museum
The best museums for children in NYC all offer their very own forms of entertainment, history, and education. Find the proper museum based on your child’s interest, and they’ll repeatedly beg to go back!