# What's fun for a kid to do in NYC? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 12, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-fun-for-a-kid-to-do-in-nyc/321281 "2005-09-12T17:46:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-fun-for-a-kid-to-do-in-nyc/321281/1 "2005-09-12T17:46:03Z")
I’m going to be in New York City on Sunday, and I’ll have my 7 year old daughter with me. Anyone know of someplace a little girl might enjoy in the city that’s not obscenely expensive? (she’s already been to the Toys R Us in Times Square) ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-fun-for-a-kid-to-do-in-nyc/321281/2 "2005-09-12T17:51:28Z")
She may have been to Toys R Us in times square but has she been to FAO Schwartz? 100 times better… How about the Bronx Zoo? It’s huge and very fun!!! ---
**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:** [September 12, 2005, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-fun-for-a-kid-to-do-in-nyc/321281/3 "2005-09-12T17:54:05Z")
Museum of Natural History if she likes that kind of thing. What does she like to do? Is she a girly-girl or more of a tomboy? Shy or outgoing? etc. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-fun-for-a-kid-to-do-in-nyc/321281/4 "2005-09-12T17:57:06Z")
FAO Schwartz is really fun, though I haven’t been there since they re-opened it. Is your kid into science stuff? There’s Hayden Planetarium, The Museum of Natural History, etc. The Empire State Building observation deck. The _Intrepid_ Sea Air Space museum. (It’s on an aircraft carrier). The big-ass movie theaters on 42nd Street near 8th Ave are a lot of fun. (But tickets are like eleven bucks each ☹ ) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-fun-for-a-kid-to-do-in-nyc/321281/5 "2005-09-12T18:00:06Z")
[New York Kids](http://www.newyorkkids.net/) ---
**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:** [September 12, 2005, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-fun-for-a-kid-to-do-in-nyc/321281/6 "2005-09-12T18:00:24Z")
Look no further: The Central Park Carousel > **[Your Complete Guide to New York City's Central Park](https://www.centralpark.com/)** > > Your complete guide to New York City's Central Park, including attractions, activities, events, concerts, tours, hotel information and the Central Park Zoo. Plan your visit, special event or even your wedding! I’ve never been to it, but I’ve been to the Prospect Park Carousel and it’s absolutely gorgeous. It’s open 10am - 6pm this time of year. Only $1.25! There’s also the small but well-run Central Park Zoo inside the park. Although the Bronx Zoo is amazing, the vastness of its scale mght be a bit much for a 7 year old with 1 day in the city. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-fun-for-a-kid-to-do-in-nyc/321281/7 "2005-09-12T18:17:25Z")
She’s not really a tomboy, but she’s really into history so anyplace historical would interest her too. BTW we’ll be in Manhattan, so the Bronx zoo will wait til next year when we can make a whole day of it. Thanks for all the great suggestions everyone! ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-fun-for-a-kid-to-do-in-nyc/321281/8 "2005-09-12T21:10:52Z")
Moved to IMHO. - **xash** General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-fun-for-a-kid-to-do-in-nyc/321281/9 "2005-09-12T23:29:57Z")
At that age my children loved the NYC Subway. ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-fun-for-a-kid-to-do-in-nyc/321281/10 "2005-09-13T02:16:55Z")
She’s been to the subway. Not a big fan of the horrific noise, but we’ll probably be taking the subway wherever we go. We have to drop my son off in Staten Island first so we’ll take the ferry in from there, and then the subway to wherever we decide to go. She’s been enough times now to know that the subway doesn’t count as a destination in NY, just a way of getting to someplace fun. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-fun-for-a-kid-to-do-in-nyc/321281/11 "2005-09-13T04:07:00Z")
The IMAX theatre at Lincoln Square at 68th and Broadway is pretty cool. For an IMAX film the screen is 77 feet tall. You could catch a movie there. I’m pretty sure there is a childrens museum in that area as well. You might try calling CTW to see about a tour of the studio. (Childrens Television Workshop, Sesame Street) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-fun-for-a-kid-to-do-in-nyc/321281/12 "2005-09-13T04:31:13Z")
They changed their name to [Sesame Workshop](http://www.sesameworkshop.org/) five years ago. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-fun-for-a-kid-to-do-in-nyc/321281/13 "2005-09-13T05:45:13Z")
If she likes history has she been to the Cloisters? The park and museum are beautiful on a nice September day. If she likes art, try [this](http://www.ny.com/museums/children.museum.of.the.arts.html) place. They have lots of low cost activities for parents and children. ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-fun-for-a-kid-to-do-in-nyc/321281/14 "2005-09-13T10:59:15Z")
That art museum is right up her alley…I think we may check that out. I’ll check back on Monday and let you know how she liked it. ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-fun-for-a-kid-to-do-in-nyc/321281/15 "2005-09-13T13:23:17Z")
> [@batsto](#): > > She’s been to the subway. Not a big fan of the horrific noise, but we’ll probably be taking the subway wherever we go. We have to drop my son off in Staten Island first so we’ll take the ferry in from there, and then the subway to wherever we decide to go. She’s been enough times now to know that the subway doesn’t count as a destination in NY, just a way of getting to someplace fun. Cool! She’s already blase about NY! May I suggest [The Circle Line](http://www.circleline42.com/index.ihtml) tour? ---
**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:** [September 13, 2005, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-fun-for-a-kid-to-do-in-nyc/321281/16 "2005-09-13T13:26:20Z")
As a kid I loved \*\*The American Museum of Natural History/Hayden Planetarium Metropolitan Museum of Art \*\* (And the Cloisters, which is part of it) **Central Park Zoo** I note that the Cloisters is 'way up in Fort Tryon Park, but the AMNH, the Met, and the Central Park Zoo are all on Central Park, and you can walk between them. The Central Park Zoo is small, but I highly recommend it – they revamped it a decade or so ago, and it’s state-of-the-art, with the Polar Bear and Penguin and Sea Lion exhibits having glass walls that let you see under water, and with a Tropical World that has a huge ant colony with cameras inside. I haven’t been there, but **Mars 2112** sounds like a hoot: [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi\_m1511/is\_11\_20/ai\_57042531](http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1511/is_11_20/ai_57042531) [http://www.mars2112.com/](http://www.mars2112.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2005, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-fun-for-a-kid-to-do-in-nyc/321281/17 "2005-09-13T14:32:45Z")
I spent three days in New York with my kids when they were 8 and 4. We went to the Statue of Liberty, the Planetarium, the Natural History museum, Macy’s, the Empire State Building, and Times Square. What do they remember most fondly? The Diana Ross playground in Central Park. [http://www.centralparknyc.org/virtualpark/thegreatlawn/dianarosspg](http://www.centralparknyc.org/virtualpark/thegreatlawn/dianarosspg) :smack: