# Visiting New York City with toddlers and little kids: the plan

> Stay on the Upper West Side for CMOM, Central Park and its zoo, or in Brooklyn for the children’s museum and Prospect Park. The subway gets you anywhere, but plan on carrying the stroller down the stairs. Here’s a plan with nap time built in.

- Last checked: 2026-10-28
- One- and two-day plans with a nap in the middle
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/visiting/
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/index.md
- City guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/guide/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/llms.txt

## Top 2 can’t-miss spots

- **Children’s Museum of Manhattan** (Upper West Side, 212 W. 83rd St.): Closed Mondays. Cost: $18 ($17 online) per person. Site: https://cmom.org/plan-your-visit/
- **Central Park Zoo** (Central Park, 64th Street & 5th Avenue): Last entry an hour before closing. Cost: $22.95 adults. Site: https://centralparkzoo.com/plan-your-visit

## If you have one day

1. **MORNING**: Children’s Museum of Manhattan (Closed Mondays · Upper West Side, 212 W. 83rd St. · $18 ($17 online) per person). https://cmom.org/plan-your-visit/
2. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop.
3. **AFTER NAP**: Central Park Zoo (Last entry an hour before closing · Central Park, 64th Street & 5th Avenue · $22.95 adults). https://centralparkzoo.com/plan-your-visit

## If you have two days

Day 1 is the one-day plan above. Day 2:

1. **MORNING**: Bronx Zoo (Opens at 10am · Bronx Park, 2300 Southern Boulevard · $20.95+ kids, $28.95+ adults). https://bronxzoo.com/shop/ticket-options
2. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop.
3. **AFTER NAP**: Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Closed Mon–Tue · Crown Heights, 145 Brooklyn Avenue · $15 per person). https://www.brooklynkids.org/visit/

## Where to stay

- **Upper West Side** (upper west side): CMOM and Central Park are a short walk apart. Near Children’s Museum of Manhattan and Central Park Zoo.

## Easy restaurants near the big stops

- **Chelsea Market** (Food hall, Chelsea): Lots of counters under one roof. https://www.chelseamarket.com/

## Rainy-day backup plan

- **Children’s Museum of Manhattan**: Indoors.
- **Brooklyn Children’s Museum**: Indoors.

## Practical tips

- Strollers: Many subway stations have stairs only. Check for elevators before you go.


## Happening this week

- **Boo at the Zoo at the Bronx Zoo** (Sat & Sun, hours vary) at Bronx Zoo. Included with zoo admission (adults $28.95+, kids 3–12 $20.95+, 2 and under free). https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/#e-boo_at_the_zoo_at_the_bronx_zoo
- **Celebrate Halloween at Brooklyn Children’s Museum** (Sat 10am–6:30pm) at Brooklyn Children’s Museum. Ticketed; general admission is $15 per person. https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/#e-celebrate_halloween_at_brooklyn_children
- **Halloween on the Farm at Queens County Farm Museum** (Sat 10am–5pm) at Queens County Farm Museum. Ticketed; under 2 free (no ticket needed). https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/#e-halloween_on_the_farm_at_queens_county_f
- **Hippo Playground Halloween Parade** (Sat 3:30–5:30pm) at Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, Riverside Park. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/#e-hippo_playground_halloween_parade
- **Ascarium at the New York Aquarium** (Sat 11am–4pm) at New York Aquarium. Included with aquarium admission. https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/#e-ascarium_at_the_new_york_aquarium

Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/index.md

## Holiday pages

- [Santa in New York City: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/santa/index.md)
- [Christmas lights in New York City for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/christmas-lights/index.md)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### Is New York City kid-friendly?
For a family with kids under 6, yes. Our New York City guide lists 13 places we checked for little kids, plus 4 free places and 4 picks for babies and toddlers. This page adds 1 easy restaurant near the big stops and free storytimes at 3 library systems. This week’s list has 25 dated outings for ages 0–6. See [free things to do in New York City](https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/guide/#free) and [this weekend’s list](https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/).

### Where should we stay with a toddler?
The Upper West Side puts CMOM, Central Park and the zoo close together.

### What if it rains?
CMOM, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, the New York Hall of Science and the aquarium’s indoor halls all work.