For a tyke who’s obsessed with choo-choos, it doesn’t get more magical than Grand Central Terminal(212-340-2583, grandcentralterminal.com). Aside from the real trains pulling in around the clock, the New York Transit Museum’s gallery annex (212-878-0106, mta.info/museum) is home to rotating exhibitions about train travel and a store for stocking up on gifts and toys (we love the NYC-themed train sets). During the holidays, the station’s free train show—complete with mini versions of city landmarks—is a must. You’ll also want to visit the Transit Museum’s main space in Brooklyn Heights (718-694-1600, mta.info/museum) for transit-inspired programs, vintage subway cars and other memorabilia. At the High Line (212-206-9922, thehighline.org), an elevated railbed-turned-park in Chelsea, little ones will get a kick out of walking across the original tracks incorporated into the design. When your train fan gets hungry, chug on over to Diner (718-486-3077, dinernyc.com)—a South Williamsburg eatery inside a vintage train car—to munch on a grass-fed burger or indulge in cheesecake with blueberries.
From an outer-space-oriented outing to an international culinary adventure, we've chosen the best places to visit with kids in NYC for a themed day out.
Have a train lover at home? Or perhaps a fan of dress-up? We've put together a guide to the best themed days out in New York City—everything from a dinosaur adventure (think the American Museum of Natural History and Dinosaur Barbecue) to a cultural tourthrough the boroughs (Chinatown, Jackson Heights, Little Tokyo and more). Scroll through our favorite places to visit, below, and then head out for a day of family fun with your little adventurer.
Discover Time Out original video