Spring Adventures with Kids in New York
We pulled these 68 spring 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.
68 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 …
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 …
Kaaterskill Falls Trail
Haines Falls, NY
HikingThe tallest two-tiered waterfall in New York State at 260 feet. Free. Best from about age 5. About …
Howe Caverns
Howes Cave, NY
NatureGuided cave tours 156 feet underground with an underground boat ride. Paid entry. Best from about …
Robert H. Treman State Park
Ithaca, NY
SwimmingGorge trails, multiple waterfalls, and a stunning natural swimming hole near Ithaca. Paid entry. …
Minnewaska State Park Preserve
Kerhonkson, NY
HikingSky lakes, cliff-top trails, and swimming on the Shawangunk Ridge. Paid entry. Best from about age …
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, …
Museum of Science & Technology (MOST)
Syracuse, NY
ScienceSyracuse science museum with four floors of hands-on exhibits, a simulated cave crawl, a toddler …
Taughannock Falls State Park
Trumansburg, NY
HikingEasy walk to a 215-foot waterfall taller than Niagara Falls. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. …
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 …
High Falls Gorge
Wilmington, NY
NatureWalkway-accessible waterfalls through an ancient Ausable River gorge. Paid entry. Works from toddler …
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 …
Pixley Falls State Park
Boonville, NY
HikingQuick roadside walk to a beautiful 50-foot waterfall near Boonville. Free. Best from about age 3. …
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. …
Chittenango Falls State Park
Cazenovia, NY
HikingDramatic 167-foot single-plunge waterfall with easy overlook access. Free. Works from toddler age. …
Clarence Fahnestock State Park
Cold Spring, NY
HikingHudson Highlands park with lake swimming, Appalachian Trail, and camping. Paid entry. Best from …
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, …
Sam's Point Preserve
Cragsmoor, NY
HikingIce caves, dwarf pine barrens, and cliff-top views on the Shawangunk Ridge. Paid entry. Best from …
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 …
Shelving Rock Falls Trail
Fort Ann, NY
HikingShort family hike to a beautiful waterfall near Lake George. Free. Best from about age 4. About two …
Sleeping Beauty Mountain
Fort Ann, NY
HikingModerate summit hike with one of the best Lake George panoramic views. Free. Better for ages 6 and …
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 …
Finger Lakes National Forest
Hector, NY
HikingThe only national forest in New York with free camping and 30+ miles of trails. Free. Best from …
Buttermilk Falls State Park
Ithaca, NY
SwimmingNatural swimming pool at the base of a cascading waterfall near Ithaca. Paid entry. Best from about …
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 …
Beaver Meadow Falls Trail
Keene Valley, NY
HikingScenic river trail to a beautiful 30-foot waterfall in the High Peaks. Free. Best from about age 5. …
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 …
Vernooy Kill Falls Trail
Kerhonkson, NY
HikingEasy forest hike to a beautiful waterfall with a swimming pool at the base. Free. Best from about …
Cobble Hill Trail
Lake Placid, NY
HikingQuick family hike with a big High Peaks view just outside Lake Placid village. Free. 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 …
Buttermilk Falls
Long Lake, NY
HikingOne of the tallest Adirondack waterfalls with easy staircase access. Free. Best from about age 3. …
Vroman's Nose
Middleburgh, NY
HikingShort hike to a cliff-top meadow with sweeping Schoharie Valley views. Free. Best from about age 5. …
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 …
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 …
Rochester Museum & Science Center
Rochester, NY
ScienceRochester science museum with three hands-on floors plus the Strasenburgh Planetarium's dome star …
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 …
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 …
Taughannock Falls State Park Cabins and Camping
Trumansburg, NY
CampingHillside campsites and cabins above Cayuga Lake, with a flat stroller-friendly trail to a 215-foot …
Thacher State Park
Voorheesville, NY
HikingCliff-top escarpment park with a walk-behind waterfall and 40-mile views. Paid entry. Best from …
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. …