# Things to do In NY and DC with an 11 year old boy **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 10, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443 "2010-02-10T17:23:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![uncle\_squeegee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b5e925/32.png) [@uncle\_squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uncle_squeegee)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/1 "2010-02-10T17:23:12Z")
My wife and I are taking our 11-year-old nephew on his first trip to the east coast and are looking for suggestions for kid-friendly things to do. We’ve both been often (and my wife used to live in Manhattan), but this is our first time visiting with a kid. In NY, we’re planning on hitting the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, a couple museums (Met and Guggenheim), Central Park, Hayden Planetarium, and Blue Man Group. In DC, a couple Smithsonian museums (Air & Space and American History), White House, Congress, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and Spy Museum are on the agenda. March 27-31st in NY and 31st-April 3 in DC, in case anyone knows of any events/exhibitions during those dates. Thanks in advance for your suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/2 "2010-02-10T17:30:43Z")
Be sure to catch the Air/Space Museum (annex?) out near Dulles Airport. How about checking with your Senators’ or Congressman’s office about a visit? Years ago I took my 11 year old son to Ellis Island. I was surprised he enjoyed it. He did so, I believe, because his class had been learning about immigration at the turn of the century. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/3 "2010-02-10T18:34:07Z")
In NYC also consider Times Square. There you can hit the M&M store, the ESPN Zone (the top floor is a big arcade) and a huge Toys R Us. Even if you don’t go into any shops, seeing it lit up at night will be cool to an 11 year old. Another cool museum in Manhattan is the lower east side tenemant museum [http://www.tenement.org/](http://www.tenement.org/) . I would recommend it after you get back from Ellis Island, as the museum is actually an early 20th century apartment building that hasn’t been touched in over 90 years. Pretty cool learnings about immigrants into the US. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/4 "2010-02-10T18:36:13Z")
In DC you might also want to take the drive through Alexandria and go to Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home. Not that far out of the metro area. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/5 "2010-02-10T19:15:58Z")
You can’t not take an 11 year old here: [http://chinatownicecreamfactory.com/node/11](http://chinatownicecreamfactory.com/node/11) What does he like as far as food? I like Petite Abeille, 44 W. 17th St – its a Belgian restaurant, they have killer burgers & fries as well as traditional Belgian dishes. It’s decorated with Tintin comics, and they have a shelf of Tintin books in English and French for patrons to read. For the grown-ups, a crazy giant beer list (Belgian beers 1/2 price mondays). Basically, kid-friendly bistro environment. Personally I would skip the Guggenheim unless he’s into art. Go to the American Museum of Natural History instead. At the Met, don’t miss Arms & Armor. ---
**Author:** ![Pray\_for\_peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pray\_for\_peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pray_for_peace)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/6 "2010-02-10T19:23:40Z")
You’ll be in DC during the [Cherry Blossom Festival](http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/cms/index.php?id=390) at the Tidal Basin. I would recommend swinging by for a little while if you can. The blossoms are stunning, it’s good for people watching, and you can see some of the monuments in the distance from there. ---
**Author:** ![unclelem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ac91a4/32.png) [@unclelem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclelem)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/7 "2010-02-10T19:25:24Z")
> [@uncle\_squeegee](#): > > White House, Congress I’m not sure if you are aware of it, and so I will mention it here. You need to arrange (at least 30 days) in advance to get [tickets for the Whitehouse tour](http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/tours-and-events) with your congresscritter. I believe you also need tickets for touring the capitol building. [You can do so through your representative, congresscritter, or online.](http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/Visit/Page%20-%20Tour%20Information.html) Plan ahead. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/8 "2010-02-10T19:47:35Z")
the national art gallery wouldn’t be particularly interesting for an 11 year old boy imo. even the pieces that are of interest like Rodan’s Thinker aren’t especially impressive in person. -air/space is a must, especially the annex which is NOT in dc but in Virginia by dulles airport. -natural history is wicked cool. dinosaurs, kodiak bears, and bugs are all in an 11 year old’s wheelhouse. -american history is worth your while also, even if it is under renovation. don’t feel obligated to see everything though. otherwise, you’ll be stuck in there all day. -washington monument tickets sell out by 8-9 am and the view up there is not particularly spectacular. -the zoo has never disappointed me. even without the panda, it’s worth a visit. my suggestion is to stop by baltimore during the day between NYC and DC. Baltimore is an extremely underrated tourist destination. Between the Aquarium, Ft. McHenry, and the Inner Harbor, it is the PERFECT day trip locale. Get up in the morning, check out, drive 3-4 hrs into baltimore and hit up the aquarium/ft mchenry. have a spectacular seafood dinner at the inner harbor, and drive an hour more into DC to pass out. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/9 "2010-02-10T19:48:45Z")
For DC: A lot of the monuments are way cooler at night – atmospheric lighting, fewer crowds… Consider walking around the Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Veteran’s memorial (haunting) not far away, and perhaps others, after dark. For NY: Has anyone mentioned the Circle Line yet? Bundle up, if you go in winter, but most 11-year-old boys will love seeing all the bridges close up, etc. Way better than the Statue of Liberty, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/10 "2010-02-10T19:52:24Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > I like Petite Abeille, 44 W. 17th St – its a Belgian restaurant, they have killer burgers & fries as well as traditional Belgian dishes. It’s decorated with Tintin comics, and they have a shelf of Tintin books in English and French for patrons to read. For the grown-ups, a crazy giant beer list (Belgian beers 1/2 price mondays). Basically, kid-friendly bistro environment. Wow, I used to eat there all the time. There was (is?) one down on Hudson St. too, that was closer to my office. They made the BEST spicy tuna sandwich. The fries were amazing. As for the trip, the Sony lab/museum is awesome. [http://wondertechlab.sony.com/](http://wondertechlab.sony.com/) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/11 "2010-02-10T20:26:41Z")
You have two of the best Natural History Museums in the country, and you don’t mention seeing either of them! (Except for the Hayden Planetarium, which is only _part_ of the AMNH) Heresy! I can’t fault your other suggestions. The Spy Museum is a hoot! Kids especially love the ductwork you can crawl through and “spy” on the other museumgoers. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/12 "2010-02-10T20:46:54Z")
I’m not a baseball guy, and I haven’t checked any schedules, but Opening Day is sometime in early April. If the Yankees, Mets, or Nationals are in town, the kid may like to see a big league game… Also, the Zoo in D.C. might be fun. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/13 "2010-02-10T21:03:13Z")
[moderating] Moved from **General Questions** to **In My Humble Opinion**. [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/14 "2010-02-10T21:56:33Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > I’m not a baseball guy, and I haven’t checked any schedules, but Opening Day is sometime in early April. If the Yankees, Mets, or Nationals are in town, the kid may like to see a big league game… Opening day is April 5th so no baseball. Yankees tickets are hard to get, anyway. I just wanted to note that some of the sites listed for both cities will be time consuming. The line for the Empire State Building may take several hours, for example. The circle line is a great suggestion, as is the DC trolley tours. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/15 "2010-02-10T22:40:37Z")
Near the Statue of Liberty is Liberty Science Center. My son was 11 when his aunt took him for a weekend to DC. The things he talked about most afterwards were the Newseum and Spy Museum. (He said the food at the Newseum cafe was awful, though). ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/16 "2010-02-10T23:22:15Z")
The best bargain in the world is the Staten Island Ferry. It’s FREE!!!. You get a nice boatride and great views of Manhattan. I would also include a tour of the UN, but make sure you don’t bring anything, they pat you down very good and the security there is high. Also I would include a tour of NBC, it’s a great tour, a kid would love it. I would also suggest the [Intrepid](http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/Plan-Your-Visit.aspx), the air and space museum. A kid would love that. I loved it and I’m an old guy 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/17 "2010-02-10T23:30:44Z")
Yep, do the Staten Island ferry in lieu of the Statue of Liberty. The latter takes up the whole day and just isn’t that much fun (to get to the top you have to walk the entire way up, and they hustle you out of there pretty quick). From the ferry you get a very nice view of the statue, which is sufficient. Good call on the Blue Man Group. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/18 "2010-02-11T00:10:19Z")
> [@anson2995](#): > > Opening day is April 5th so no baseball. There are preseason games but nobody will be in town until the afternoon of 3 April. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/19 "2010-02-11T00:50:58Z")
In DC I would add the Vietnam War Memorial and the new WWII Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery (including the Kennedys’ gravesite) and the Holocaust Museum. The Newseum might be of interest but have never been there. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443/20 "2010-02-11T01:19:59Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > -the zoo has never disappointed me. even without the panda, it’s worth a visit. But go when it was warm. My daughter and I went on February before we had dinner down the street by the Marriott, and there were almost no animals out. Good during the summer, though. In New York, might I also suggest South Street Seaport if the kid is at all interested in ships. if the kid is a couch potato, the [Paley Museum of Television and Radio](http://www.paleycenter.org/) is fun. You can watch just about any show ever. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-to-do-in-ny-and-dc-with-an-11-year-old-boy/528443.md?page=2)