MUSEUMS & POP-UPS
While we've appreciated virtual culture and online family museum programs, we have so missed NYC's magnificent museums. More are opening each week for indoor family fun.
Masks, social distancing and advance timed tickets required. Capacity is capped at 25% which means no crowds. More flexibility for members so considering supporting your favorite spots.
We'll keep updating as more places open; sign up for our email list and follow our insta for the latest.
MUSEUMS
The Met
Upper East Side-80sExplore a vast collection that spans millennia and continents. You might get lost searching for iconic favorites in the grand halls and you’ll definitely discover fascinating art that appeals all ages. * Advance timed tickets required. Temperature checks on entry and face coverings required. Coat check is temporarily closed. * The American Wing Cafe is…
The Met Cloisters
InwoodExplore a castle-like museum overlooking the Hudson River in northern Manhattan’s Fort Tyron Park. * This branch of the Met dedicated to the art, architecture, and gardens of medieval Europe has secret passages, peaceful gardens, stunning terraces with river views, golden treasure and lots of depictions of animals including intricate unicorn tapestries (warning, the unicorn…
Whitney Museum of American Art
MeatpackingSee bold and modern contemporary art in a very cool building. * Crafty kids can get inspiration from striking oversized works using weaving, sewing, textiles, thread, clay, beads, and glass. Making Knowing: Craft in Art, 1950–2019. Be awed by detailed epic murals in Vida Americana: Mexican Muralists Remake American Art (through some kids may need…
MoMA
Midtown-50sAlways exciting and decidedly kid-friendly, MoMA has spacious galleries and engaging exhibits. Feel the joy of the rainbow Sol Lewitt murals, relax in the lovely sculpture garden, see the very cool Donald Judd exhibit, explore the trippy world of Félix Fénéon in a new exhibit and so much more modern fun. * Free access for…
New Museum
Noho/NolitaAlways something interesting to see – or interact with – at Manhattan’s only dedicated contemporary art museum in a geometric building in a cool neighborhood. * Exhibits are always changing – currently check our large scale portrait paintings in Jordan Casteel: Within Reach and immersive bio-art in Daiga Grantina: What Eats Around Itself. * Check…
American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection
Upper West Side-Lincoln CenterSee more than seventy stellar works of folk and self-taught art at the cozy, always free American Folk Art Museum. Vibrant works are organized into four sections—Founders, Travelers, Philosophers, and Seekers—that respond to such themes as nationhood, freedom, community, imagination, opportunity, and legacy. Look for animals, trains and other fun details and share the stories…
American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog
Manhattan: MidtownDog-lovers can explore canine-related artwork with cutting-edge technology and interpretation, plus items from the library, archives and collection of the American Kennel Club headquarters. Current exhibit Presidential Dogs looks back on the different breeds of dogs that have lived at the White House from George Washington’s Foxhounds all the way to Bo and Sunny the…
Brooklyn Museum Reopens
Brooklyn-Prospect Park/Park SlopeA slightly hipper version of the Met features a huge, diverse permanent collection categorized by culture, as well as thoughtful visiting exhibitions from all over the world. * Only the 1st and 5th floors are open featuring African Art, Indigenous Americas Art, American Art and the must-see photograph/street art exhibit JR: Chronicles with an epic…
New-York Historical Society
Upper West Side-70sLearn about the layered, diverse history of NYC at this fascinating museum. * Although the interactive Children’s Museum is sadly closed, there are kid-friendly objects throughout. Look for a Noah’s Ark toy and historical fire fighting equipment, dragonflies in gorgeous Tiffany Lamps, and more discoveries. * Lots of cool stuff in special exhibits Bill Graham…
Tall Ship Wavetree
SeaportVisit the 130-year-old tall ship Wavertree. Self-guided tours along a set route include access to the outdoor areas, including main deck and quarter deck. Gaze up at the towering masts and miles of rigging and down into the vast cargo storage area. Take a peek at the galley and at the crew’s quarter, pose for…
WESTCHESTER/HUDSON VALLEY MUSEUMS
Storm King Art Center
Hudson ValleyExperience large-scale sculpture and site-specific commissions under open sky at a gorgeous 500-acre outdoor museum in New York’s Hudson Valley (about a 1-hour drive from Manhattan). * Currently an outdoor-only experience with limited amenities (bathrooms available). * Prepare for walking in the heat with limited shade. Wear comfortable shoes, and bring water, insect repellent, sunscreen,…
Bisa Butler: Portraits
Upper WestchesterSee Bisa Butler’s vivid, larger-than-life portrait quilts that capture African American identity and culture. Pick up a Family Guide and activity pack with discussion prompts and artmaking ideas. Visit the Learning Center which has been transformed by artist Tijay Mohammed with a site-specific installation that celebrates women for supplies or make artwork outside at socially…
Derrick Adams: We Came to Party and Plan
Lower WestchesterAcclaimed Black artist Derrick Adams brings to life the complex exchanges that take place in spaces of celebration. Imagine the lives of vibrant collage portraits within the immersive installation. Also enjoy more traditional paintings and sculpture and the outdoor courtyard (bring your own mat or blanket if you’d like to lounge) and walk along the…
POP-UPS
Museum of Illusions
ChelseaWalk on walls, put your head on a platter and play with size and perspective in over a dozen interactive illusions. A small museum that can be explored in less than an hour. Blows most young minds. Special $62 family ticket covers 2 adults & 2 children. Free kids under 2.
Intangible Forms
ChelseaTake an audio visual journey into both the known and unknown by Japanese multi-media artist Shohei Fujimoto. This multi-sensory experience features five separate installations including kinetic laser modules set in a hazy soundscape.
Edge
Midtown-30sLook 100 stories down from the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere with with 360-degree views of the Statue of Liberty, Central Park and beyond. Lean out over the city on angled glass walls and relax in a large lounge with food and drinks available for purchase.
SERRA FIORITA by Birreria at Eataly
GramercyDine at Eataly’s “flowering greenhouse,”a rooftop restaurant with a blooming Italian summer atmosphere inspired by 3D pop-up books. Dine on vibrant seasonal plates infused with traditional flavors of the Italian countryside and featuring top local, seasonal produce. Online reservations recommended; eat at the bar if there’s a wait at the tables. Open rain or shine…
American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog
Manhattan: MidtownDog-lovers can explore canine-related artwork with cutting-edge technology and interpretation, plus items from the library, archives and collection of the American Kennel Club headquarters. Current exhibit Presidential Dogs looks back on the different breeds of dogs that have lived at the White House from George Washington’s Foxhounds all the way to Bo and Sunny the…
Museum of Ice Cream
SohoExplore a sweet pop-up with 13 interactive installations across 3 floors, a big sprinkle pool, a three-story slide and lots of ice cream to try. The first few rooms are not that exciting, but kids love the later rooms, especially that pool (ps make sure they know these sprinkles are not edible – plenty of…
Sloomoo Institute
SohoExplore a sensory playground centered around slime. * Walk through a vat of slime, enter a glow-in-the-dark cove, take photos with slime-inspired art, play with a slime catapult and more. * Make custom slime at a 150-yard-long DIY bar. Choose from a variety of bases, scents, colors & so many charms. Also take-home pre-made slime…
PUBLIC ART
Reverberation
Brooklyn-DUMBO, Downtown & HeightsUse foot pedals to ring five cast bronze symphonic bell structures along the Brooklyn waterfront. Each bell has a unique pattern of drilled holes and distinct tones that match evocative titles: Reflector, Singer, Dreamer, Listener, and Mother. Artist Davina Semo intends for these bright orange bells to sound an optimistic note. As we “ring out…
Sam Moyer: Doors For Doris
Central ParkTry to open massive stone doors in a massive three-part sculpture on the southeastern edge of Central Park. Moyer’s hybrid sculpture unites imported stone with rock indigenous to the New York region with beautiful inlaid marble fragments. The title pays homage to Public Art Fund founder, Doris C. Freedman (1928-1981)
Frieze Sculpture at Rockefeller Center
Midtown-50sExplore major new site-specific sculptural works in open, public locations throughout Rockefeller Center. Enjoy work by leading artists Ghada Amer, Beatriz Cortez, Andy Goldsworthy, Lena Henke, Camille Henrot, and Thaddeus Mosley. This year’s edition takes reference from the natural and botanical worlds while dealing with a range of issues like women’s suffrage, migration, urban planning,…
Peace, Love & Happiness
SeaportCome together and heal through art with this sculpture at the Seaport by Scott Gerber, artist and founder of Tube Dude. The “Peace Sign” is a signal to viewers to bring calm to one’s mind when distracted not only by major global events, but also by everyday occurrences. By crafting the “Heart”, Gerber urges the…
Field of Sunflowers
Roosevelt IslandWalk through a field of (printed) sunflowers, suffragette symbols, on FDR Four Freedoms State Park monumental staircase honoring commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. About a 15 minute walk from the always fun Roosevelt Island Tramway (East 60th Street & 2nd Avenue).
Monuments Now
Queens-LICThis outdoor exhibition seeks to address the role of monuments in society and commemorate underrepresented narratives such as diasporic, Indigenous, and queer histories. Part I features Jeffrey Gibson’s massive technicolor ziggurat ‘Because Once You Enter My House It Becomes Our House‘ and works by Paul Ramírez Jonas and Xaviera Simmons.
Vessel
Midtown-30s* Climb 154 intricately interconnecting flights of stairs — almost 2,500 individual steps and 80 landings -to incredible views of the city, the river and beyond. Not for those averse to physical exertion or heights. Elevator available only for disabled visitors. * Same day tickets available at onsite interactive kiosks on a first come, first…
AnkhLave Arts Alliance at Queens Botanical Garden
Queens-CoronaFind site specific art installations by six female Queens-based artists of color in lovely gardens in a 39-acre oasis in one of New York City’s most bustling and diverse neighborhoods. Masks required.