Things to Do Under an Hour from New York City with Kids
5 kid-friendly adventures under an hour from New York City, nearest first.
- Under 1 hour (5)
- 1-2 hours (14)
- 2-3 hours (11)
- 3-4 hours (20)
About these times. Each estimate is a straight-line measurement from Lower Manhattan, padded by 17% for winding roads and divided by a 55 mph average — so “under an hour” means roughly that, not a routed time. Traffic, where in NYC you start, and the last few miles of park road can all move it by half an hour. Check a map before you load the car.
about 10 min drive
New York Hall of Science
Corona, NY
ScienceQueens hands-on science museum with a build-and-test design lab, a room-size interactive ecosystem, …
about 25 min drive
Cradle of Aviation Museum
Garden City, NY
MuseumLong Island aviation and space museum with seventy-plus aircraft, a real Apollo Lunar Module, flight …
about 25 min drive
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 …
about 45 min drive
Harriman State Park
Stony Point, NY
HikingMassive park with 200+ miles of trails, swimming lakes, and mountain views. Paid entry. Best from …
about 55 min drive
Bear Mountain State Park
Bear Mountain, NY
HikingHistoric Hudson River park with trails, pool, merry-go-round, and Appalachian Trail. Paid entry. …