Fall Adventures with Kids in New York
We pulled these 80 fall adventures out of our full catalog of kid-friendly spots in New York. Every listing has the ages it suits, what it costs, how long to budget, parking notes, and what to pack.
80 adventures found
New York State Museum
Albany, NY
MuseumFree Albany museum with a full-size mastodon, New York habitat dioramas and a working 1890s carousel …
Bear Mountain State Park
Bear Mountain, NY
HikingHistoric Hudson River park with trails, pool, merry-go-round, and Appalachian Trail. Paid entry. …
Explore & More Children's Museum
Buffalo, NY
Indoor-PlayFour floors of Buffalo-themed play at Canalside with a working model Erie Canal, a mini grocery, a …
Letchworth State Park
Castile, NY
HikingGrand Canyon of the East with three major waterfalls and a 600-foot gorge. Paid entry. Works from …
Letchworth State Park Camping and Cabins
Castile, NY
CampingCampground, cabins and a pool complex inside the seventeen-mile Grand Canyon of the East, so the …
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Cooperstown, NY
MuseumThree floors of baseball history in Cooperstown with the Plaque Gallery, game-worn jerseys, and a …
Corning Museum of Glass
Corning, NY
MuseumFinger Lakes museum with live molten glassblowing shows, make-your-own-glass sessions, and 3500 …
Howe Caverns
Howes Cave, NY
NatureGuided cave tours 156 feet underground with an underground boat ride. Paid entry. Best from about …
Cascade Mountain
Keene, NY
HikingThe most popular Adirondack High Peak with stunning 360-degree summit views. Free. Better for ages 7 …
Ausable Chasm
Keeseville, NY
NatureWalk through a 500-million-year-old sandstone gorge with optional rafting. Paid entry. Best from …
Minnewaska State Park Preserve
Kerhonkson, NY
HikingSky lakes, cliff-top trails, and swimming on the Shawangunk Ridge. Paid entry. Best from about age …
Adirondak Loj and Wilderness Campground
Lake Placid, NY
LodgingBunkrooms, cabins, lean-tos and tent sites at the High Peaks trailhead on Heart Lake, run by the …
Mount Jo Trail
Lake Placid, NY
HikingShort family hike with a spectacular High Peaks panorama above Heart Lake. Paid entry. Best from …
Mohonk Preserve
New Paltz, NY
HikingWorld-class rock climbing and cliff-top hiking on the Shawangunk Ridge. Paid entry. Best from about …
Natural Stone Bridge and Caves
Pottersville, NY
NatureSelf-guided cave and gorge trails with the largest marble cave entrance in the East. Paid entry. …
Walkway Over the Hudson
Poughkeepsie, NY
HikingWalk 212 feet above the Hudson River on the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world. Free. …
The Strong National Museum of Play
Rochester, NY
Indoor-PlayEnormous Rochester museum of play with a Sesame Street set, classic arcade, butterfly garden, …
Allegany State Park
Salamanca, NY
HikingLargest state park in New York with beaches, boulder fields, and 80+ miles of trails. Paid entry. …
Museum of Science & Technology (MOST)
Syracuse, NY
ScienceSyracuse science museum with four floors of hands-on exhibits, a simulated cave crawl, a toddler …
The Wild Center
Tupper Lake, NY
NatureNatural history museum with a treetop Wild Walk and live animal exhibits. Paid entry. Works from …
Watkins Glen State Park
Watkins Glen, NY
HikingWalk behind 19 waterfalls through a stunning 200-foot-deep gorge. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. …
Watkins Glen State Park Campground
Watkins Glen, NY
CampingCamp above the gorge and walk the Watkins Glen trail at eight in the morning, before the tour buses …
Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway
Wilmington, NY
HikingDrive to the summit of the fifth highest peak in New York for breathtaking views. Paid entry. Works …
Albany Institute of History & Art
Albany, NY
MuseumSmall Albany museum with two ancient Egyptian mummies, Hudson River School landscapes and drop-in …
Dia Beacon
Beacon, NY
MuseumVast daylit factory in Beacon filled with room-size contemporary art including Richard Serra steel …
Adirondack Experience Museum
Blue Mountain Lake, NY
NatureWorld-class Adirondack history museum with interactive exhibits on Blue Mountain Lake. Paid entry. …
Blue Mountain Trail
Blue Mountain Lake, NY
HikingPopular fire tower hike with panoramic views over Blue Mountain Lake. Free. Better for ages 6 and …
Buffalo Museum of Science
Buffalo, NY
ScienceBuffalo science museum with dinosaur skeletons, a mummy, live animal encounters, and a rooftop …
Kane Mountain Fire Tower
Caroga Lake, NY
HikingQuick and easy fire tower hike perfect for young or beginner hikers. Free. Best from about age 4. …
Clarence Fahnestock State Park
Cold Spring, NY
HikingHudson Highlands park with lake swimming, Appalachian Trail, and camping. Paid entry. Best from …
Taconic State Park
Copake Falls, NY
CampingTwo camping areas with swimming ponds, waterfalls, and ridge trails on the Taconic Range. Paid …
Storm King State Park
Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY
HikingRugged Highland trails with dramatic Hudson River panoramas. Free. Better for ages 7 and up. A …
New York Hall of Science
Corona, NY
ScienceQueens hands-on science museum with a build-and-test design lab, a room-size interactive ecosystem, …
Cascade Lake Trail
Eagle Bay, NY
HikingEasy loop trail around a scenic Adirondack lake with lean-tos and swimming spots. Free. Best from …
Moss Lake Trail
Eagle Bay, NY
HikingEasy loop trail around a pristine Adirondack lake perfect for young hikers. Free. Best from about …
Pilot Knob Preserve
Fort Ann, NY
HikingGentle nature trails with lake views above southern Lake George. Free. Best from about age 4. About …
Sleeping Beauty Mountain
Fort Ann, NY
HikingModerate summit hike with one of the best Lake George panoramic views. Free. Better for ages 6 and …
Moreau Lake State Park
Gansevoort, NY
SwimmingSandy lake beach, campground, and ridge trails near Saratoga Springs. Paid entry. Works from toddler …
Cradle of Aviation Museum
Garden City, NY
MuseumLong Island aviation and space museum with seventy-plus aircraft, a real Apollo Lunar Module, flight …
Long Island Children's Museum
Garden City, NY
Indoor-PlayFourteen hands-on galleries in Garden City with bubbles, a climbing structure, a sound studio, and a …
Hadley Mountain Fire Tower
Hadley, NY
HikingFire tower hike with views of Great Sacandaga Lake and the southern Adirondacks. Free. Best from …
Finger Lakes National Forest
Hector, NY
HikingThe only national forest in New York with free camping and 30+ miles of trails. Free. Best from …
Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area
Honeoye, NY
HikingEasy hilltop trails with stunning views over Honeoye Lake and the Finger Lakes. Free. Best from …
Snowy Mountain Trail
Indian Lake, NY
HikingChallenging hike to the tallest peak in the southern Adirondacks with fire tower summit. Free. …
Museum of the Earth
Ithaca, NY
MuseumIthaca fossil museum walking kids forward through geologic time past a hanging whale skeleton and a …
Sciencenter
Ithaca, NY
ScienceIthaca hands-on science museum with a walk-in kaleidoscope, a two-story ball machine, live animals …
Clark Reservation State Park
Jamesville, NY
HikingGlacial plunge basin with cliff-rimmed lake and unique geology near Syracuse. Paid entry. Best from …
Baxter Mountain
Keene, NY
HikingModerate short hike near Keene with excellent High Peaks views. Free. Best from about age 5. About …
Indian Head and Rainbow Falls Trail
Keene Valley, NY
HikingEpic hike past a 150-foot waterfall to the iconic Ausable Lakes cliff-top view. Free. Better for …
Poke-O-Moonshine Fire Tower Trail
Keeseville, NY
HikingShort steep hike to a fire tower with views of Lake Champlain and the High Peaks. Free. Better for …
Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway
Lake George, NY
HikingScenic mountaintop with panoramic views of Lake George and the Adirondacks. Paid entry. Best from …
Cobble Hill Trail
Lake Placid, NY
HikingQuick family hike with a big High Peaks view just outside Lake Placid village. Free. Best from about …
Mirror Lake Paddle
Lake Placid, NY
KayakingPaddle a kayak or canoe on the calm motor-free waters of Mirror Lake. Paid entry. Best from about …
Frick Pond Loop Trail
Livingston Manor, NY
HikingPeaceful forest loop to a quiet Catskill pond with lean-tos. Free. Best from about age 4. A half-day …
Vroman's Nose
Middleburgh, NY
HikingShort hike to a cliff-top meadow with sweeping Schoharie Valley views. Free. Best from about age 5. …
Kenneth L. Wilson Campground
Mount Tremper, NY
CampingLakeside Catskills campground with sandy beach and boat rentals. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. …
Camp Santanoni Historic Area
Newcomb, NY
HikingCarriage road hike or bike to a historic Great Camp on pristine Newcomb Lake. Free. Best from about …
Goodnow Mountain Fire Tower
Newcomb, NY
HikingFamily-friendly fire tower hike with interpretive signs and High Peaks views. Free. Best from about …
Aquarium of Niagara
Niagara Falls, NY
AquariumAquarium steps from Niagara Falls with penguins, daily sea lion training sessions, Great Lakes tanks …
Niagara Gorge Trail
Niagara Falls, NY
HikingHike the bottom of Niagara Gorge with boulder scrambles and whirlpool rapids. Free. Better for ages …
Panama Rocks Scenic Park
Panama, NY
HikingAncient rock formations with caves, crevices, and passageways kids can explore. Paid entry. Best …
Buck Mountain Trail
Pilot Knob, NY
HikingChallenging summit hike with sweeping Lake George views from 2,334 feet. Free. Better for ages 7 and …
Mid-Hudson Children's Museum
Poughkeepsie, NY
Indoor-PlayHands-on children's museum on the Poughkeepsie waterfront with circuits, bubbles, water tables, and …
Selkirk Shores State Park
Pulaski, NY
CampingBluff-top campground on Lake Ontario with beach and Salmon River access. Paid entry. Works from …
Rochester Museum & Science Center
Rochester, NY
ScienceRochester science museum with three hands-on floors plus the Strasenburgh Planetarium's dome star …
Azure Mountain Fire Tower
Santa Clara, NY
HikingFamily-friendly fire tower hike with northern Adirondack wilderness views. Free. Best from about age …
Ampersand Mountain
Saranac Lake, NY
HikingChallenging hike to a bald summit with 360-degree Adirondack panorama. Free. Better for ages 8 and …
Floodwood Pond
Saranac Lake, NY
KayakingMotor-free interconnected ponds perfect for family kayaking and canoe adventures. Free. Best from …
Children's Museum at Saratoga
Saratoga Springs, NY
Indoor-PlaySmall Saratoga Springs children's museum with a pretend-play diner, a fire truck and a toddler area …
Saratoga Spa State Park
Saratoga Springs, NY
HikingNatural mineral springs, historic pools, and forest trails in Saratoga Springs. Paid entry. Works …
miSci Museum of Innovation and Science
Schenectady, NY
ScienceSchenectady science museum with hands-on electricity exhibits, General Electric history and a …
Pharaoh Lake Wilderness
Schroon Lake, NY
HikingPristine wilderness lake with backcountry camping far from the crowds. Free. Better for ages 7 and …
Giant Ledge Trail
Shandaken, NY
HikingPopular hike to dramatic cliff-top viewpoints in the Catskill Mountains. Free. Better for ages 6 and …
Slide Mountain Trail
Shandaken, NY
HikingHike the highest peak in the Catskills at 4,180 feet. Free. Better for ages 8 and up. Easily a full …
Harriman State Park
Stony Point, NY
HikingMassive park with 200+ miles of trails, swimming lakes, and mountain views. Paid entry. Best from …
WonderWorks Syracuse
Syracuse, NY
Indoor-PlayIndoor science-and-illusion attraction at Destiny USA in Syracuse with a hurricane simulator, ropes …
Thacher State Park
Voorheesville, NY
HikingCliff-top escarpment park with a walk-behind waterfall and 40-mile views. Paid entry. Best from …
Wilmington Notch Campground
Wilmington, NY
CampingRiverside state campground in the notch between Lake Placid and Wilmington, minutes from High Falls …
Chimney Bluffs State Park
Wolcott, NY
HikingOtherworldly clay spires sculpted by erosion on the shore of Lake Ontario. Free. Best from about age …
Overlook Mountain Trail
Woodstock, NY
HikingFire tower hike past ruins of an old mountain hotel near Woodstock. Free. Better for ages 6 and up. …