Spring Break Ideas for Families in New York

We pulled these 48 spring break ideas 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.

48 adventures found

Castile, NY

Letchworth State Park

Grand Canyon of the East with three major waterfalls and a 600-foot gorge. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 2+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Kerhonkson, NY

Minnewaska State Park Preserve

Sky lakes, cliff-top trails, and swimming on the Shawangunk Ridge. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip. Stroller-friendly.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 3+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Poughkeepsie, NY

Walkway Over the Hudson

Walk 212 feet above the Hudson River on the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world. Free. Works from toddler age.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 2+
  • ~1h
  • Free

Trumansburg, NY

Taughannock Falls State Park

Easy walk to a 215-foot waterfall taller than Niagara Falls. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. About two hours. Stroller-friendly.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 2+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Tupper Lake, NY

The Wild Center

Natural history museum with a treetop Wild Walk and live animal exhibits. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip.

  • Nature
  • Ages 2+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Albany, NY

Albany Institute of History & Art

Small Albany museum with two ancient Egyptian mummies, Hudson River School landscapes and drop-in family art workshops on weekends.

  • Museum
  • Ages 4+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Albany, NY

New York State Museum

Free Albany museum with a full-size mastodon, New York habitat dioramas and a working 1890s carousel running rides on the top floor.

  • Museum
  • Ages 2+
  • ~3h
  • Free

Beacon, NY

Dia Beacon

Vast daylit factory in Beacon filled with room-size contemporary art including Richard Serra steel spirals kids walk inside.

  • Museum
  • Ages 5+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Bear Mountain, NY

Bear Mountain State Park

Historic Hudson River park with trails, pool, merry-go-round, and Appalachian Trail. Paid entry. Works from toddler age.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 2+
  • ~5h
  • Paid

Boonville, NY

Pixley Falls State Park

Quick roadside walk to a beautiful 50-foot waterfall near Boonville. Free. Best from about age 3. About an hour. Stroller-friendly.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 3+
  • ~1h
  • Free

Buffalo, NY

Buffalo Museum of Science

Buffalo science museum with dinosaur skeletons, a mummy, live animal encounters, and a rooftop observatory for night sky viewing.

  • Science
  • Ages 2+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Buffalo, NY

Explore & More Children's Museum

Four floors of Buffalo-themed play at Canalside with a working model Erie Canal, a mini grocery, a climbing tower and a toddler zone.

  • Indoor Play
  • Ages 1+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Caroga Lake, NY

Kane Mountain Fire Tower

Quick and easy fire tower hike perfect for young or beginner hikers. Free. Best from about age 4. About an hour. Dogs welcome.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 4+
  • ~1h
  • Free

Cazenovia, NY

Chittenango Falls State Park

Dramatic 167-foot single-plunge waterfall with easy overlook access. Free. Works from toddler age. About an hour. Stroller-friendly.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 2+
  • ~1h
  • Free

Cold Spring, NY

Clarence Fahnestock State Park

Hudson Highlands park with lake swimming, Appalachian Trail, and camping. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 3+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Cooperstown, NY

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

Three floors of baseball history in Cooperstown with the Plaque Gallery, game-worn jerseys, and a team-by-team locker room.

  • Museum
  • Ages 5+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Corning, NY

Corning Museum of Glass

Finger Lakes museum with live molten glassblowing shows, make-your-own-glass sessions, and 3500 years of glass artifacts.

  • Museum
  • Ages 4+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Corona, NY

New York Hall of Science

Queens hands-on science museum with a build-and-test design lab, a room-size interactive ecosystem, and a preschool zone.

  • Science
  • Ages 2+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Eagle Bay, NY

Cascade Lake Trail

Easy loop trail around a scenic Adirondack lake with lean-tos and swimming spots. Free. Best from about age 4. About two hours.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 4+
  • ~2h
  • Free

Eagle Bay, NY

Moss Lake Trail

Easy loop trail around a pristine Adirondack lake perfect for young hikers. Free. Best from about age 3. About two hours.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 3+
  • ~2h
  • Free

Fort Ann, NY

Pilot Knob Preserve

Gentle nature trails with lake views above southern Lake George. Free. Best from about age 4. About an hour. Dogs welcome.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 4+
  • ~1h
  • Free

Fort Ann, NY

Shelving Rock Falls Trail

Short family hike to a beautiful waterfall near Lake George. Free. Best from about age 4. About two hours. Dogs welcome.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 4+
  • ~2h
  • Free

Garden City, NY

Cradle of Aviation Museum

Long Island aviation and space museum with seventy-plus aircraft, a real Apollo Lunar Module, flight simulators and a dome theater.

  • Museum
  • Ages 3+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Garden City, NY

Long Island Children's Museum

Fourteen hands-on galleries in Garden City with bubbles, a climbing structure, a sound studio, and a toddler-only Tot Spot.

  • Indoor Play
  • Ages 1+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Hector, NY

Finger Lakes National Forest

The only national forest in New York with free camping and 30+ miles of trails. Free. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 4+
  • ~3h
  • Free

Howes Cave, NY

Howe Caverns

Guided cave tours 156 feet underground with an underground boat ride. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. About two hours.

  • Nature
  • Ages 3+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Ithaca, NY

Museum of the Earth

Ithaca fossil museum walking kids forward through geologic time past a hanging whale skeleton and a mastodon found in the Finger Lakes.

  • Museum
  • Ages 3+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Ithaca, NY

Sciencenter

Ithaca hands-on science museum with a walk-in kaleidoscope, a two-story ball machine, live animals and a soft corner for the under-fives.

  • Science
  • Ages 1+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Keene Valley, NY

Beaver Meadow Falls Trail

Scenic river trail to a beautiful 30-foot waterfall in the High Peaks. Free. Best from about age 5. About two hours. Dogs welcome.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 5+
  • ~2h
  • Free

Kerhonkson, NY

Vernooy Kill Falls Trail

Easy forest hike to a beautiful waterfall with a swimming pool at the base. Free. Best from about age 4. About two hours.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 4+
  • ~2h
  • Free

Lake Placid, NY

Cobble Hill Trail

Quick family hike with a big High Peaks view just outside Lake Placid village. Free. Best from about age 3. About an hour.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 3+
  • ~1h
  • Free

Livingston Manor, NY

Frick Pond Loop Trail

Peaceful forest loop to a quiet Catskill pond with lean-tos. Free. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 4+
  • ~3h
  • Free

Long Lake, NY

Buttermilk Falls

One of the tallest Adirondack waterfalls with easy staircase access. Free. Best from about age 3. About an hour. Dogs welcome.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 3+
  • ~1h
  • Free

New Paltz, NY

Mohonk Preserve

World-class rock climbing and cliff-top hiking on the Shawangunk Ridge. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 4+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Niagara Falls, NY

Aquarium of Niagara

Aquarium steps from Niagara Falls with penguins, daily sea lion training sessions, Great Lakes tanks and a shark and ray touch pool.

  • Aquarium
  • Ages 1+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Poughkeepsie, NY

Mid-Hudson Children's Museum

Hands-on children's museum on the Poughkeepsie waterfront with circuits, bubbles, water tables, and a climbing structure.

  • Indoor Play
  • Ages 1+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Rochester, NY

Rochester Museum & Science Center

Rochester science museum with three hands-on floors plus the Strasenburgh Planetarium's dome star shows and full-dome films next door.

  • Science
  • Ages 2+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Rochester, NY

The Strong National Museum of Play

Enormous Rochester museum of play with a Sesame Street set, classic arcade, butterfly garden, carousel, and Toy Hall of Fame.

  • Indoor Play
  • Ages 1+
  • ~6h
  • Paid

Saranac Lake, NY

Floodwood Pond

Motor-free interconnected ponds perfect for family kayaking and canoe adventures. Free. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 4+
  • ~4h
  • Free

Saratoga Springs, NY

Children's Museum at Saratoga

Small Saratoga Springs children's museum with a pretend-play diner, a fire truck and a toddler area set aside for crawlers and new walkers.

  • Indoor Play
  • Ages 1+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Saratoga Springs, NY

Saratoga Spa State Park

Natural mineral springs, historic pools, and forest trails in Saratoga Springs. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 2+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Schenectady, NY

miSci Museum of Innovation and Science

Schenectady science museum with hands-on electricity exhibits, General Electric history and a planetarium running daily star shows.

  • Science
  • Ages 3+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Stony Point, NY

Harriman State Park

Massive park with 200+ miles of trails, swimming lakes, and mountain views. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 4+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Syracuse, NY

Museum of Science & Technology (MOST)

Syracuse science museum with four floors of hands-on exhibits, a simulated cave crawl, a toddler area and a domed IMAX theater.

  • Science
  • Ages 2+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Syracuse, NY

WonderWorks Syracuse

Indoor science-and-illusion attraction at Destiny USA in Syracuse with a hurricane simulator, ropes course, and laser tag.

  • Indoor Play
  • Ages 4+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Wilmington, NY

High Falls Gorge

Walkway-accessible waterfalls through an ancient Ausable River gorge. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. About an hour.

  • Nature
  • Ages 2+
  • ~1h
  • Paid

Wolcott, NY

Chimney Bluffs State Park

Otherworldly clay spires sculpted by erosion on the shore of Lake Ontario. Free. Best from about age 5. About two hours.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 5+
  • ~2h
  • Free