# Hands-on museums for kids in New York City (50) > Children's museums, science centers and museums with interactive galleries, family workshops or kids' programs, picked from every museum in the directory.… URL: https://littlegotham.com/guides/best-museums-for-kids-nyc/ [Home](https://littlegotham.com/) / [Guides](https://littlegotham.com/guides/) / Hands-on museums for kids in NYC ## Hands-on museums for kids in New York City Children's museums, science centers and museums with interactive galleries, family workshops or kids' programs, picked from every museum in the directory. 50 listings. [Filter & map these](https://littlegotham.com/explore/?cat=museums) 6 free 46 indoor ### By borough [Manhattan 32 ](#gb-manhattan) · [Brooklyn 6 ](#gb-brooklyn) · [Queens 7 ](#gb-queens) · [Bronx 3 ](#gb-bronx) · [Staten Island 2 ](#gb-staten-island) ### Manhattan 32 listings [American Museum of Natural History](https://littlegotham.com/activity/american-museum-of-natural-history/): Upper West Side Kids $22 The city s famous natural history museum, home to dinosaur skeletons, a life-size blue whale, gem halls and planetarium shows. Kids can explore dioramas, the Gilder Center s insectarium and butterfly vivarium, and hands-on discovery rooms. Ages 2–17 Daily Indoor [Intrepid Museum](https://littlegotham.com/activity/intrepid-museum/): Hell s Kitchen Kids $28 A museum aboard a retired aircraft carrier docked on the Hudson, where kids can see fighter jets on the flight deck, go inside the submarine Growler and view the Space Shuttle Enterprise. Interactive exhibits cover flight, naval life and space exploration. Ages 3–17 Daily Indoor [National Jazz Museum in Harlem](https://littlegotham.com/activity/national-jazz-museum-in-harlem/): Harlem Suggested $10 A Harlem museum celebrating jazz history with listening stations, instruments and exhibits about the neighborhood s musical legends. It also runs workshops and tours for school groups and families. Ages 5–17 Thu–Sat Indoor [National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath)](https://littlegotham.com/activity/national-museum-of-mathematics-momath/): Flatiron Kids $20 National Museum of Mathematics An interactive museum where kids play with math: riding square-wheeled trikes, designing patterns, and solving puzzles through dozens of hands-on exhibits. It makes geometry, logic and numbers feel like a playground. Ages 4–17 Daily Indoor [81st Street Studio at The Met](https://littlegotham.com/activity/81st-street-studio-at-the-met/): Upper East Side Free The Metropolitan Museum of Art A free hands-on space inside The Met where kids 3-11 explore wood, metal, clay and light, build drums, try digital woodblock printing and play instruments. Families can also borrow picture books and grab a field guide for exploring the galleries. Ages 3–11 Mon, Tue, Thu–Sun Indoor [AKC Museum of the Dog](https://littlegotham.com/activity/akc-museum-of-the-dog/): Murray Hill Kids $5 American Kennel Club A Midtown museum of dog art and history with digital displays that match your face to a dog breed and a kids corner stocked with dog toys and puzzles. Scavenger hunts keep young visitors engaged. Ages 3–14 Wed–Sun Indoor [Children s Museum of Manhattan](https://littlegotham.com/activity/children-s-museum-of-manhattan/): Upper West Side Price on site A play-based museum where young children explore interactive exhibits about art, science, health and culture across several floors. Exhibits are built around early learning, making it a strong choice for babies through kindergartners. Ages 0–6 Tue–Sun Indoor [Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum](https://littlegotham.com/activity/cooper-hewitt-smithsonian-design-museum/): Upper East Side Kids free Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian s design museum in the Carnegie Mansion, where kids can use interactive tables and digital tools to sketch their own designs. Exhibitions span furniture, textiles, graphics and technology, and there s a garden to relax in. Ages 5–17 Daily Indoor [DiMenna Children s History Museum at the New York Historical](https://littlegotham.com/activity/dimenna-children-s-history-museum-at-the-new-york-historical/): Upper West Side Kids $6 The New York Historical A kid-focused history space on the lower level of the New York Historical where children follow the stories of young New Yorkers from past centuries. Interactive displays, games and reading nooks turn visitors into history detectives. Ages 5–13 Tue–Sun Indoor ### Brooklyn 6 listings [Brooklyn Children s Museum](https://littlegotham.com/activity/brooklyn-children-s-museum/): Crown Heights $15 The world s first children s museum, with three floors of hands-on exhibits on nature, science and Brooklyn s cultures. Little ones can play in a pretend neighborhood, explore a sensory space and meet live animals. Ages 0–10 Wed–Sun Indoor [Jewish Children s Museum](https://littlegotham.com/activity/jewish-children-s-museum/): Crown Heights Kids $19 A large, hands-on children s museum in Crown Heights where kids explore Jewish holidays, traditions and history through interactive exhibits and play spaces. Exhibits like Exploring Jewish Life are designed for children of all backgrounds. Ages 2–12 Mon–Thu, Sun Indoor [New York Transit Museum](https://littlegotham.com/activity/new-york-transit-museum/): Downtown Brooklyn Kids $5 Housed in a decommissioned 1936 subway station, this museum lets kids climb aboard vintage subway cars and buses, sit in a driver s seat and turn turnstiles. Exhibits explain how the city s trains, buses and bridges work. Ages 2–17 Wed–Sun Indoor [BLDG 92 at Brooklyn Navy Yard](https://littlegotham.com/activity/bldg-92-at-brooklyn-navy-yard/): Brooklyn Navy Yard Price on site Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation A three-floor exhibit in an 1858 Marine commandant s residence tracing the Navy Yard from building warships to today s workshops and manufacturers. A good pick for kids curious about ships, making and engineering. Ages 7–17 Tue–Sat Indoor [Brooklyn Museum](https://littlegotham.com/activity/brooklyn-museum/): Prospect Heights Price on site One of the city s largest art museums, with an Egyptian collection kids love, period rooms and visible storage to peek into. Families can join stroller tours and art-making activities, and First Saturday evenings bring free music and workshops. All ages Wed–Sun Indoor [Pioneer Works](https://littlegotham.com/activity/pioneer-works/): Red Hook Price on site A Red Hook cultural center in a renovated 19th-century ironworks mixing art, science and music, with a garden open to visitors. Exhibitions and science talks can inspire curious older kids. Ages 5–17 Wed–Sun ### Queens 7 listings [New York Hall of Science (NYSCI)](https://littlegotham.com/activity/new-york-hall-of-science-nysci/): Corona Kids $19 New York Hall of Science A hands-on science center in Flushing Meadows where kids experiment with light, sound, motion and biology across hundreds of interactive exhibits. Outdoors there s a huge Science Playground and a rocket-themed mini golf course. Ages 2–14 Wed–Sun Indoor [King Manor Museum](https://littlegotham.com/activity/king-manor-museum/): Jamaica Suggested $5 King Manor Association The Jamaica home of Rufus King, a signer of the Constitution and early opponent of slavery, set inside Rufus King Park. Hourly tours and interactive programs introduce kids to the founding era. Ages 6–17 Tue–Sat Indoor [Lewis Latimer House Museum](https://littlegotham.com/activity/lewis-latimer-house-museum/): Flushing Suggested $5 The Flushing home of Black inventor Lewis Latimer, who helped develop the carbon light bulb filament. STEAM workshops invite kids to tinker, invent and learn about his contributions to technology. Ages 5–17 Fri, Sat Indoor [MoMA PS1](https://littlegotham.com/activity/moma-ps1/): Long Island City Free A contemporary art museum in a former public school in Long Island City, now free for everyone. Families can grab a free activity guide, make art in a self-guided classroom space and join monthly family workshops. Ages 3–17 Mon, Thu–Sat Indoor [Museum of the Moving Image](https://littlegotham.com/activity/museum-of-the-moving-image/): Astoria Kids $10 An interactive museum about film, TV and video games where kids can dub their voice into movie scenes, make stop-motion animations and play classic arcade games. Family film screenings run on weekends. Ages 5–17 Thu–Sun Indoor [Queens Museum](https://littlegotham.com/activity/queens-museum/): Corona Pay what you wish Home of the Panorama of the City of New York, a giant scale model where kids can hunt for their own building among nearly 900,000 tiny structures. The museum also hosts contemporary art shows and bilingual family art workshops. All ages Wed–Sun Indoor [Voelker Orth Museum, Bird Sanctuary & Victorian Garden](https://littlegotham.com/activity/voelker-orth-museum-bird-sanctuary-victorian-garden/): Flushing Price on site Voelker Orth Museum A Victorian family home in Flushing with a restored garden and bird sanctuary. Kids can explore 1890s rooms and join seasonal family workshops, garden activities and festivals like Oktoberfest. Ages 3–14 Wed, Sun ### Bronx 3 listings [Bronx Children s Museum](https://littlegotham.com/activity/bronx-children-s-museum/): Concourse Price on site The borough s first children s museum, with hands-on galleries where kids explore Bronx nature, culture and communities through building, pretend play and art-making. Sessions are timed, so families book a morning or afternoon block. Ages 0–10 Tue–Sat Indoor [Wave Hill Family Art Project](https://littlegotham.com/activity/wave-hill-family-art-project/): Riverdale Price on site Wave Hill Weekend drop-in art-making at Wave Hill s historic house, where families create projects inspired by the gardens, nature and science. Storytime is added on the first and third Saturdays, and the gardens and river views make it a full outing. Ages 2–12 Sat, Sun Indoor [Lehman College Art Gallery Family Programs](https://littlegotham.com/activity/lehman-college-art-gallery-family-programs/): Bedford Park Free Lehman College, CUNY A university art gallery in the Bronx that hosts free inclusive family programs about eight times a year, combining exhibition tours with hands-on art-making like collage. Sessions are typically on Sunday mornings. Ages 4–14 Sun Indoor ### Staten Island 2 listings [Staten Island Children s Museum](https://littlegotham.com/activity/staten-island-children-s-museum/): Livingston Price on site A hands-on museum on the Snug Harbor campus where young children explore interactive exhibits about nature, science, community helpers and art. Kids can climb, build, splash and pretend-play across several themed galleries. Ages 0–10 Wed–Sun Indoor [Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden](https://littlegotham.com/activity/snug-harbor-cultural-center-botanical-garden/): Livingston Free An 83-acre campus of historic buildings, gardens and museums on Staten Island s North Shore, home to the Children s Museum, Staten Island Museum and Chinese Scholar s Garden. Grounds are free to roam, with outdoor art and family festivals. All ages Outdoor ### Quick answers What is the best museum in NYC for young kids? Children's museums are built for ages 1–8: Bronx Children's Museum, Brooklyn Children's Museum, Children's Museum of Manhattan. Science and natural history museums suit ages 4 and up. Which NYC museums are free for kids? 6 museums in this guide are free, such as MoMA PS1, 81st Street Studio at The Met, Lehman College Art Gallery Family Programs. Many others let kids in free while adults pay. Which boroughs does this guide cover? 50 listings: Manhattan (32), Brooklyn (6), Queens (7), the Bronx (3), Staten Island (2). --- LittleGotham: things to do with kids in New York City. [Home](https://littlegotham.com/) · [Search](https://littlegotham.com/explore/) · [llms.txt](https://littlegotham.com/llms.txt) · [Sitemap](https://littlegotham.com/sitemap.xml) · [Open data (JSON)](https://littlegotham.com/data/activities.json)