MUSEUMS & POP-UPS
While we've appreciated virtual culture and online family museum programs, nothing compares to NYC's magnificent museums.
Limited capacity means advance timed tickets sell out, so book in advance. More flexibility for members so considering supporting your favorite spots.
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Manhattan
Poster House
Flatiron/GramercyExplore the impact, culture, and design of posters, both as historical documents and methods of contemporary visual communication through temporary exhibitions, a growing permanent collection, and educational event. The first poster museum in the United States provides a space for inquiry for all those interested in design, advertising, and public interventions. Current exhibitions include Freak…
Museum of the City of New York
Central ParkExplore the greatest city in the world at this small museum with a big collection of theater artifacts, furniture, toys, paintings, sculpture and photos arranged into exhibits that entertain and educate all ages.
* Favorite spots include an extravagant Gilded Age dollhouse, a dangling light installation above the stunning spiral staircase and the fascinating
The Met
Central ParkExplore 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. On crowded days (or any day), enter through the accessible Uris Center for Education entrance on 81st Street to avoid longer lines.
* Walk like an Egyptian inside the Temple of Dendur…
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…
American Museum of Natural History
Central ParkLovers of dinosaurs, sea creatures, outer space and more can get their animal & nature fix at this giant (45 fascinating halls) treasure trove of wonders.
* Online advance timed ticket purchase required, even for members.
* Download the Museum’s free Explorer app. for maps, self-guided themed tours, behind-the-scenes stories about exhibits, quizzes, and…
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Midtown-40sHistory/military buffs and plane lovers can examine original artifacts, view historic video footage and explore interactive exhibits aboard an actual 1943 aircraft carrier. Lots of indoor and outdoor space to roam with tons to and explore.
* The majority of the 350,000 square foot Intrepid Museum is available and accessible to visitors, including most exhibitions,…
MoMA
Midtown-50sAlways exciting and decidedly kid-friendly, the Museum of Modern Art has spacious galleries and engaging exhibits.
* Feel the joy of the rainbow Sol Lewitt murals, relax in the lovely sculpture garden, find a helicopter in a stairwell and see modern masterpieces including paintings by Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso, Henri Rousseau,…
New-York Historical Society
Central ParkLearn about the layered, diverse history of NYC at this fascinating museum.
* Although the interactive Children’s Museum is sadly closed, look for kid-friendly objects throughout – a Noah’s Ark toy and historical fire fighting equipment, dragonflies in gorgeous Tiffany Lamps, and more discoveries. Free disposable stylus are available for touchscreens and in-gallery interactives including…
The Jewish Museum
Central ParkExplore the global Jewish experience through works of fine art, Judaica, antiquities, folk art, ceremonial objects, and broadcast media intelligently organized in gorgeous galleries.
* The ongoing Scenes From the Collection features nearly 600 works from antiquities to contemporary art, a unique mix of artworks and ceremonial objects, including hundreds of stunning menorahs, presented…
Guggenheim
Central ParkSee exciting, well-designed exhibits in the striking Frank Lloyd Wright–designed landmark modern museum.
* April 30 through June 21, Christian Nyampeta transforms the Guggenheim’s iconic rotunda into a “night school” with a screening of his 2018 video Sometimes It Was Beautiful about group of friends gathering to watch and critique films made by Swedish…
BROOKLYN/QUEENS
J.J. Byrne Playground & Old Stone House
Brooklyn-Prospect Park/Park SlopeEnjoy lots of modern climbing equipment juxtaposed with colonial themes inspired by the adjacent Old Stone House, site of the 1776 Battle of Brooklyn. Explore a submarine periscope and interactive panels depicting the historic battle among natural stone and rustic pavement, then attack your enemies with water cannons.
A gated toddler area features bucket swings,…
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Brooklyn-Crown HeightsInspired by Brooklyn’s energy and diversity, this beloved children’s museum (the first in the world when in opened in 1899) creates experiences that ignite curiosity, celebrate identity and cultivate joyful learning.
In 90-minute Play Sessions, explore BCM’s signature exhibits including World Brooklyn, Neighborhood Nature, Totally Tots, Collections Central and The (outdoor) Nest. Space is limited…
Outdoor Yoga on the Stoop
Brooklyn-Prospect Park/Park SlopeEnjoy socially distant yoga and meditation in front of Brooklyn Museum, open to all levels and led by local instructors. Open your hips and your heart in a gentle flow class, followed by a guided meditation with plenty of time to rest.
Masks are required for all adults and children over the age of…
Brooklyn Museum
Brooklyn-Prospect Park/Park SlopeA 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.
* Separate timed tickets ($9) required for for KAWS: WHAT PARTY, featuring the famous Brooklyn-based artist who modifies popular characters like Elmo and Mickey Mouse to create inventive…
Noguchi Museum
Queens-LICSee works founded and designed by internationally renowned Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi in a specially-designed, serene building and garden.
Housed in a repurposed 1920s red brick industrial building, with an attached concrete pavilion designed and built in the 1980s by Noguchi himself in collaboration with Shoji Sadao (1927–2019). The two-story Museum contains approximately 27,000…
Queens Museum
Queens-CoronaAn expansive open light-filled space (formerly home to two world fairs) on the edge of Flushing Meadows Corona Park hosts ambitious exhibitions, educational initiatives, and community-minded programming,
See the city in miniature at the famous Panorama of the City of New York created by urban mastermind and World’s Fair President Robert Moses and more than…
Niki de Saint Phalle: Structures for Life at MoMA PS1
Queens-LIC* Explore Niki de Saint Phalle’s vibrant, joyous work full of color and imagination. Featuring over 200 works, ephemera, and archival photos and models of her magical sculpture gardens/playgrounds around the world, the exhibition brings to life Saint Phalle’s belief that art can alter perception and shift reality. Look for fantastical creatures, interesting characters, recurring…
Museum of the Moving Image
Queens-AstoriaExplore film, TV and video games from nineteenth century optical toys to the latest in digital art with lots of hand-on exhibits in a spacious, modern building.
* The hands-on core exhibition Behind the Screen features over 1,400 artifacts, from mind-bending optical toys to a real Chewbacca mask from the Star Wars films, footage of…
Eid al-Fitr at Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Brooklyn-Crown HeightsIn partnership with the Turkish Cultural Center and the Arab-American Family Support Center, join Brooklyn Children’s Museum to learn the story of Muslim festival Eid al-Fitr and celebrate with dance, music, food, and art activities including traditional water marbling and more.
BRONX
Kusama: Cosmic Nature
BronxExperience a multisensory presentation of the work of internationally celebrated Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Explore the artist’s profound engagement with nature throughout the changing seasons from spring into fall.
* Multiple installations across NYBG’s 250-acre landmark landscape and buildings include Kusama’s signature mirrored environments and organic forms – find polka-dotted sculptures of colossal flora, mesmerizing…
Wave Hill Family Art Project
BronxEnjoy nature-inspired art projects among gorgeous gardens and trees overlooking the Hudson River. Themes change weekly. Registration required, online or by calling 718.549.3200 x251.
Takes place outside on a grassy hill so dress accordingly.
Registration required, online or by calling 718.549.3200 x251.
The number of families able to participate at any given time will be…
Beyond NYC
Dia Beacon
Hudson ValleySee site-specific art from the 1960s to the present as well as special exhibitions and new commissions in a former Nabisco box-printing factory on the banks of the Hudson River.
* Each gallery of the 300,000-square-foot. sunlit space was designed specifically for the installation of one artist’s work, making for striking, unique installations. like Dan…
Liberty Science Center
New JerseyLots to explore throughout this large, interactive museum.
* Follow along with Daniel and his friends in Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit, based on the PBS Kids television series. Through immersive experiences, collaborate to solve problems, use their imaginations to transform their surroundings, and play along with Daniel’s singable strategies as they learn…
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 lots of open air walking. Wear comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate layers. Go early to get the…
Hudson River Museum
Lower WestchesterLearn about the connections between arts, sciences, and history on a family-friendly museum situated on the banks of the Hudson River.
* Border Cantos | Sonic Border, a unique and moving collaboration between American photographer Richard Misrach and sculptor and Mexican composer Guillermo Galindo, addresses the humanitarian situation at the wall between the US and…
Mariachi at Hudson River Museum
Lower WestchesterCelebrate Mother’s Day With Mariachi by Mariachi Citlalli. Experience the traditional rhythms of this festive art form, and watch dancers perform from the Indigenous celebrations for which mariachi was named. . Capacity is limited; seating pods will be socially distanced and masks are required. Registration required.
Learn about the connections between arts, sciences, and…
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.
Color Factory
SohoTruly interactive colorful pop-up with fun activities and sweet treats in twelve unique rooms designed by different artists and a giant blue ball pit. An all-ages adventure for babies to grown-ups. Well designed, thoughtful and less crowded than many other pop-ups with activities, not just photo-ops (though plenty of those, and we love the strategically placed…
GIANT Open Studio
ChelseaBuild STEAM projects as a family. Play and make with creative tools including Rigamajig blocks and Clixo magnetic sets. Use fabrication machines including Laser Cut, 3D Printer, Sticker Maker, Button Maker, and Embroidery Machine with guidance from instructors.
Includes a complimentary pack of activities to take home and continue making.
Geometric Properties
ChelseaEnter an immersive audio-visual installation by artist Julius Horsthuis and embark upon a cinematic journey where the sheer beauty of mathematics, nature and architecture coincide to inspire introspection and awe. Explore our recent past and Horsthuis’s ideal future, one that returns to the intersection of nature and math as…
Sloomoo Institute
SohoExplore a sensory playground centered around slime.
* Walk & crawl through an obstacle course with 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…
Spyscape
Midtown-50sLearn a variety of spy skills in an interactive museum and experience for all ages.
* Test code-making and code-breaking skills in digital Encryption Challenge, lying and lie-detection skills in a Deception Challenge, observation skills in 360° degree Surveillance Challenge and strategy and agility in a cool laser tunnel Special Ops Challenge. Scores are recorded…
La Pizza & La Pasta a Colori
FidiExperience the world of food and color at Eataly’s immersive restaurant space designed in collaboration with the Color Factory. Under a kaleidoscopic canopy, explore a diverse array of tints and tastes, from the rich golden hue of farm-fresh eggs to the emerald green of fresh DOP basil and beyond. Ceiling installation “Somewhere Out There”…
Museum of Ice Cream
SohoExplore a sweet pop-up with 13 interactive installations across 3 floors. Kid favorites include a three-story slide, hula hoops, a the game room with mini golf, jungle gyms and more and a rainbow sprinkle pool with a slide and platforms (note you can no longer actually go on or in the sprinkles). All very colorful…
SHOWFIELDS
Noho/NolitaThe self-proclaimed “most interesting store in the world” features cool direct to consumer brands and rotating interactive art exhibits & brand-pop ups. Find a hidden fuzzy slide to a vibrant, dreamlike, fuzzy room created by Dominican American artist Uzumaki Cepeda as a safe spaces free from colorism, transphobia and homophobia. Hand sanitizer (in high-design dispensers)…
Bronx Night Market
BronxCelebrate the Bronx’s diverse culture and cuisine and try up-and-coming food concepts. Support small & local businesses including 20+ food vendors. Family and pet friendly.
Reserve a two-hour time slot online in advance.
Flower Patch at Queens Botanical Garden
Queens-CoronaUnique floral and garden creature installations transform the QBG Farm into a fantastic flower spectacle creating an immersive environment and stunning backdrop for photos. Meet costumed nature creatures, pick a pot of flowers to take home and a get a floral themed grab-and-go craft activity kit. Fee includes general Garden admission and entry to the…
Beat The Bomb
Brooklyn-DUMBO, Downtown & HeightsKids and adults play together in a 1 hour video game escape room with a signature paint bomb ending. With hazmat suits, paint, lasers and smoke machines, take on Hack Attack, Laser Maze, Echo Chamber and Floor Grid, before reaching the bomb room game Cyberbot where you must drive a bomb-disposal robot through a maze…
PUBLIC ART
OFF THE WALL
Midtown-30sSee and interact with site-specific large-scale art (including the Vessel, currently closed for safety) throughout the Hudson Yards mall and plaza. Activate pieces by 13 different artists that relate back to the site’s past, present or future.
Lots of great food options including Mercado Little Spain and a…
Reclining Liberty
HarlemTouch, climb and sit atop a 25-foot-long sculpture of a lounging Statue of Liberty, inspired by the giant reclining Buddhas found in Asia. An oxidized copper-like patina mimics the real Lady Liberty. On a grassy field just up from Morningside Park’s entrance.
Welling Court Mural Project
Queens-AstoriaWalk though multiple blocks of 100+ murals by artists from around the corner and around the world, providing new arrays of visual experiences that change how people interact with their environment. Mural map available online.
The Big Button
Midtown-30sHundreds of wisteria vines, roses, poppies, hydrangeas and green foliage transform the Garment District NYC kiosk into a traditional red pincushion tomato with twelve floral pins made entirely of carnations in different colors honoring all the hard working Garment District workers of the past two centuries. Look for butterflies.
Believe
Upper East Side-90s+Be inspired by colorful crochet made by the El Barrio Crochet Collective.
Sanford Biggers & Life Forces
Midtown-40sA 25-foot-tall cast bronze sculpture ‘The Oracle’ at the entrance to the Channel Gardens serves as the centerpiece of conceptual artist Sanford Biggers’ epic art installation featuring a varied slate of works across Rockefeller Center. Look for elements of an ancient depiction of Zeus with an “Africoid mask-bust figure.”
Flags with blue waves reminiscent of…
East Village/Lower East Side Street Art
Lower East SideLook for lots of cool murals around this hip neighborhood, on walls, sliding metal gates and on the sidewalk. Current favorite include a I ❤️ NY mural at The Jones NYC (Great Jones Street & Bowery), a swing you can sit on among tulips at Bloomeffects (Bowery & Bleecker), a double-vision Mickey Mouse (Houston…
Fifth Avenue Blooms
Midtown-50sStroll along a walkable flower installation of over over 7,000 planted flowers, designed by Sachi Rose Design in celebration of moms and spring. Find a different color one each block of Fifth Avenue from 47th to 59th streets.
Also stop by new public art (and fun shops) in Rockefeller Center.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Mural
East VillageSee a colorful three-story-tall celebrating RBG’s life and achievements by New York-based street artist “Elle.” Look for the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge among symbols representing this born-in-Brooklyn hero.
Ziggy
SeaportLounge and climb on rainbow colored inventive seating options on vibrantly colored painted rebar and 27,000 feet of iridescent cord by Hou De Sousa.
Across the street from the fun Imagination Playground and the historic, cobblestoned Seaport District with cute shops and restaurants plus historic tall ships in the harbor.
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)
Peace, Love & Happiness
SeaportCheerful sculptures by Scott Gerber, artist and founder of Tube Dude have been moved to the edge of the East River, framing dramatic views. The Heart is a perfect Valentine photo-op, accompanied by the giant Peace Sign and Smiley Face.
Nearby, climb on the geometric, rainbow colored Ziggy by Hou De Sousa and see…
The Musical Brain
ChelseaNine artists approach music through different lenses—historical, political, performative, and playful—in new installations and soundscapes installed throughout the High Line.
Sit next to human shaped sculptures made with colorful musical instruments, explore what stories discarded objects tell when played and hear what happens when a railway spike becomes a bell. Daily at dusk, see…
Green-Wood
Brooklyn-Sunset ParkThis historic cemetery (founded in 1838)is a lovely place to wander, with 478 spectacular acres of hills, valleys, glacial ponds and paths, plus gorgeous views of the Manhattan skyline and extraordinary 19th- and 20th-century statuary and mausoleums. Honor famous permanent residents such as Leonard Bernstein, Boss Tweed, Charles Ebbets, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Civil…
Unisphere/Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Queens-CoronaThe iconic Unisphere from the 1939 World’s Fair is the centerpiece of a lovely park with lots of green space, a skateboarding park, and some interesting structures to explore.
Rent bikes, 4-wheeled surreys, kayaks, pedal boats, and more from Wheel Fun Rentals at the northern edge of Meadow Lake.
For safety, all boaters…
Queens Botanical Garden
Queens-CoronaExplore lovely gardens in a 39-acre oasis in one of New York City’s most bustling and diverse neighborhoods. Look for site-specific art throughout the garden including large scale prints on ‘Invasive Species’ by Sam Scoggins in the Visitor & Administration Building and a a beautiful mural ‘Wonder Garden’ outside the Education Building.
Brookfield Place: Anne Vieux: { float } & Tatiana Arocha
FidiTry to figure out what’s virtual and what’s real in Brooklyn-based artist Anne Vieux’s large-scale vinyl luminous hyperreal “painting.”
Also see Colombian visual artist Tatiana Arocha’s trasnformed flora and fauna that recreates and reimagines endangered ecosystems in a monochromatic palette of black, white, and grey with occasional shimmers of gold
Lots of food options at…
The Peace Fountain & Children’s Sculpture Garden
HarlemSee charming small bronze animal sculptures created by K-12 students from NYC and tri-state area around a 40-foot high bronze sculpture by Cathedral Artist-in-Residence Greg Wyatt. Depictions of a giant crab, nine giraffes, a double helix, Albert Einstein the sun and satan represent the eternal conflict between good and evil.
Also look for peacocks roaming…
Three with a Pen: Lily Renée, Bil Spira, and Paul Peter Porges
Midtown-50sSee works by the three Jewish artists driven from their homes in Vienna after the German annexation of Austria in 1938 including comic books, New Yorker cartoons, Mad magazine spoofs, caricatures, portraiture, fashion design, advertising, and children’s books, among other formats. Biographical material and ephemera amplify the artists’ personal stories of survival and help contextualize…
Industry City
Brooklyn-Sunset ParkThe public art & high design at this innovative hub has cool art and photo-ops throughout plus tons of great international food options & with lots of heated outdoor seating including a fire pit by Sahadi’s and the lovely lantern covered courtyard of Japan Village. Try Korean comfort food, avocado everything, BBQ, pizza,…
Red Grooms
ChelseaSee over 30 of of Red Grooms’vibrant paintings and “sculpto-picto-ramas.” Look for interesting details in these vibrant, these inventive and witty depictions of New York.
Claes & Coosje A Duet
ChelseaSee a garland of giant faux wildflowers in suspended animation in a celebration of the collaborative spirit that animated Claes Oldenburg and the late Coosje van Bruggen’s artistic achievements and romantic partnership. Survey seminal works in sculpture including some of the most famous landmarks in urban and civic spaces around the world and learn about…
Gabriel Rico: Of Beauty and Consolation
Lower East SideFind deer with basketballs in their antlers amid suspended golden branches in this pretty solo exhibition by Guadalajara-based artist Gabriel Rico. Sculptural objects and wall installations relate and reflect each other. Look for whimsical equations that ask questions like, “what makes rainbow stickers identical to a piece of stone” and “what element is shared between…
High Line Nine
ChelseaExplore a collection of sky-lit galleries with a rotating cross-section of culture. Watch resident artists create (behind glass) and see finished work in a variety of mediums.
Take a walk on the High Line and dine at outdoor tables at Chelsea Market.
Macy’s Flower Show – Give.Love.Bloom
Midtown-30sMacy’s annual Flower Show returns with mask, social distancing and a floral celebration of fortitude. Exotic flowers & plants from around the world transform the famous department store into a breathtaking floral extravaganza. Installations celebrating courage and positivity feature butterfly bridges and dragonfly dreamscapes. Lots of photo ops and an interactive Believe wall.
ART360º / FORT GREENE
Brooklyn-DUMBO, Downtown & HeightsRediscover the beauty and culture of the Fort Greene commercial district with day of discovery and exploration. Experience “The Art Of…” with FAB FULTON businesses during a full day of socially distanced family-friendly fun activities, art installations, self-guided tours, creative merchant demonstrations, and more.
Start by grabbing a guide at Cuyler Gore Park (Fulton Street…
Nature Morte
Noho/NolitaEnter a dark concrete forest environment with variations on still life painting reflecting the global environmental crisis. multimedia works by 60 different include a pink mylar dolphin suspended mid-air, a sea dragon coming out of the floor, turgid bouquets, a melting garbage snowman, a gigantic bronze CGI lion and more.
While the works depict disease,…