# Weekend getaways from Providence with kids Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/providence/weekend-getaways/ > The best trip within about five hours of Providence for each of the next 6 weekends, chosen for kids under 6. Every event links to the official page we checked it on. After the weekends there are 3 day trips that work any weekend. Last checked: 2026-10-29. ## Weekend of Oct 30–Nov 1 Nothing verified within reach is worth the drive this weekend. ## Weekend of Nov 6–8 Nothing verified within reach is worth the drive this weekend. ## Weekend of Nov 13–15: New York City (about 4 hr) The Holiday Train Show opens Saturday at the New York Botanical Garden, with model trains running past New York landmarks built from bark, leaves and other plant parts. - **Holiday Train Show at NYBG**, Sat Nov 14, Garden hours; evening hours on select nights, New York Botanical Garden. Timed tickets; see the event page. Opens 11/14; runs through 01/10. Model trains run past New York landmarks built from bark, leaves and other plant parts. Evening hours run 5–8pm on Nov 27–29 and select December dates. Official page: https://www.nybg.org/event/holiday-train-show-2026/ ## Weekend of Nov 20–22: Hartford and New Haven (about 1 hr 45 min) Glow Hartford opens Friday inside the Connecticut Convention Center, an indoor light festival with a trackless train, and kids 3 and under get in free. - **Santa at Glow Hartford**, Fri Nov 20, During Glow hours, Connecticut Convention Center. Free photo with Santa with a Glow ticket. Opens 11/20; runs through 12/23. Glow tickets are needed to get in. Official page: https://hartford.glowgardens.com/ - **Glow Hartford**, Fri Nov 20, Select dates; see the calendar, Connecticut Convention Center. Adults $34, kids 4–15 $24, 3 and under free (fees included). Opens 11/20; runs through 12/23. An indoor light festival with a trackless train and a holiday market. It takes about 2 hours, and you enter at a timed slot. Official page: https://hartford.glowgardens.com/ ## Weekend of Nov 27–29 Staycation is your best option: Providence is the regional pick this weekend. The Holiday Lights Spectacular opens Friday at Roger Williams Park Zoo, a walk through 40 acres of lights that takes about an hour to an hour and a half, and strollers are welcome. ## Weekend of Dec 4–6 Nothing verified within reach is worth the drive this weekend. ## Other family getaways within 5 hours We don't post event listings for these places. Check the official page for hours and what's on. - **Plimoth Patuxet Museums**, Plymouth, MA (about 1 hr 15 min from Providence). An open-air museum in Plymouth that tells the stories of the Wampanoag and English people who met on this shore. Official page: https://plimoth.org/ - **Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine**, Portland, ME (about 3 hr 15 min from Providence). Three floors of hands-on exhibits plus Maddy's Theatre, which the museum calls the longest-running children's theatre in the nation. Official page: https://www.kitetails.org/ ## Day trips any weekend - **Buttonwood Park Zoo**, New Bedford (about 45 min from Providence). A small zoo with Asian elephants that is easy to see in a morning with young kids. Hours: Daily 9am–4pm. Cost: Non-resident adults $13, kids 3–12 $9, under 3 free. Official page: https://www.bpzoo.org/hours-ticket-prices/ - **Mystic Aquarium**, Mystic (about 1 hr from Providence). A big aquarium about an hour down I-95. Tickets are timed, so book a slot ahead. Hours: Hours change by season; 10am–4pm posted in late October. Cost: Timed tickets priced by date, cheaper when bought ahead. Official page: https://www.mysticaquarium.org/visit/tickets/ - **Mystic Seaport Museum**, Mystic (about 1 hr from Providence). Kids can board historic ships and walk a recreated seaport village. It sits a few minutes from Mystic Aquarium. Hours: Nov 2–30: Thu–Sun, exhibits 10am–4pm; closed Nov 26. Cost: General $35, youth 4–17 $25, up to age 3 free. Official page: https://mysticseaport.org/visit/hours-tickets/ ## FAQ **Where can we go for a weekend from Providence with little kids?** Over the next 6 weekends our picks from Providence are New York City, Hartford and New Haven. Each one is chosen for what's on that weekend, with the dates, times and prices checked on the official pages. **What are good day trips from Providence with kids?** Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford (about 45 min), Mystic Aquarium in Mystic (about 1 hr), Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic (about 1 hr). Hours and prices are on each card, checked on the official pages. **Which cities are within an easy drive of Providence?** Worcester (about 45 min), Boston (about 1 hr 15 min), Hartford and New Haven (about 1 hr 45 min), Fairfield County (about 2 hr 45 min), Albany (about 3 hr 15 min), New York City (about 4 hr). Times are normal driving times without traffic. **What other family getaways are within 5 hours of Providence?** Plimoth Patuxet Museums (about 1 hr 15 min), Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine (about 3 hr 15 min). We don't post event listings for these, so check the official page for what's open before you go. **Why is the same city picked more than once?** Sometimes one city really does have the most going on two weekends in a row, like a holiday lights opening followed by a show. We don't rotate cities just for variety. **Are the times and prices current?** They're what each official page showed on Oct 29, 2026. Tap through to the official page before you go.