# Weekend getaways from Worcester with kids Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/worcester/weekend-getaways/ > The best trip within about five hours of Worcester for each of the next 6 weekends, chosen for kids under 6. Every event links to the official page we checked it on. 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 15 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: Providence (about 45 min) 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. - **Holiday Lights Spectacular at Roger Williams Park Zoo**, Fri Nov 27, 5–9:30pm, Roger Williams Park Zoo. $13–$15; buy online ahead. Opens 11/27; runs through 01/03. A walk through 40 acres of lights. It takes about an hour to an hour and a half. Strollers are allowed, and rentals are at the entrance. Official page: https://www.rwpzoo.org/event/holiday-lights-spectacular/ - **Rhode Island Lights Festival**, Fri Nov 27, See the ticket page, Centreville Bank Stadium. Tickets on sale Nov 10. Opens 11/27; runs through 01/03. A new light festival at the Pawtucket stadium, with a holiday market and Santa. Official page: https://centrevillebankstadium.com/pages/rhodeislandlights ## 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. - **Mystic Aquarium**, Mystic, CT (about 1 hr 30 min from Worcester). Beluga whales are the stars here, and the aquarium also keeps African penguins and California sea lions. Official page: https://www.mysticaquarium.org/ - **Plimoth Patuxet Museums**, Plymouth, MA (about 1 hr 45 min from Worcester). 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 2 hr 45 min from Worcester). 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/ - **Bushkill Falls**, Bushkill, PA (about 4 hr 45 min from Worcester). Trails and bridges link a series of eight waterfalls in the Pocono Mountains, known as the Niagara of Pennsylvania. Official page: https://www.visitbushkillfalls.com/ ## FAQ **Where can we go for a weekend from Worcester with little kids?** Over the next 6 weekends our picks from Worcester are New York City, Hartford and New Haven, Providence. Each one is chosen for what's on that weekend, with the dates, times and prices checked on the official pages. **Which cities are within an easy drive of Worcester?** Providence (about 45 min), Boston (about 1 hr), Hartford and New Haven (about 1 hr 15 min), Fairfield County (about 2 hr 30 min), Albany (about 2 hr 30 min), New York City (about 4 hr). Times are normal driving times without traffic. **What other family getaways are within 5 hours of Worcester?** Mystic Aquarium (about 1 hr 30 min), Plimoth Patuxet Museums (about 1 hr 45 min), Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine (about 2 hr 45 min), Bushkill Falls (about 4 hr 45 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.