26 places and programs for kids in and around the Financial District, Manhattan (6 free): sports, play spaces, museums. Includes Governors Island and Staten Island Ferry.
A 172-acre car-free island a short ferry ride from Lower Manhattan, with open lawns, play fields and winding paths perfect for kids on bikes and scooters. Public art, seasonal events and harbor views fill a day trip.
A free 25-minute boat ride across New York Harbor between Lower Manhattan and St. George, with close-up views of the Statue of Liberty along the way. Kids love watching the harbor traffic from the outdoor decks.
The soaring white-ribbed transit hub and mall at the World Trade Center, whose huge open hall wows kids and makes a handy indoor stop in Lower Manhattan. It connects to subways and PATH trains and holds shops and food options.
An inclusive indoor playground in the Financial District where neurotypical and neurodivergent kids climb, swing, slide and play pretend. It also offers classes in gymnastics, martial arts, robotics, music and crafts, an after-school program and birthday parties.
An indoor tennis club in the Financial District built with kid-sized courts for its Kids Tennis Academy. Children learn through structured classes, and families can sign up for a kids academy membership.
The historic tavern where George Washington bid farewell to his officers, now a museum of Revolutionary War artifacts and period rooms. Hands-on school programs bring the Revolution to life for kids.
A playground designed by David Rockwell where kids build with giant foam blocks, crates and fabric, alongside sand and water play.
A Financial District dojo teaching traditional JKA Shotokan karate, with an early childhood class for ages 3-5 and youth karate for 6-11. Families can also train together in a family karate class open to ages 6 and up.
The outdoor memorial pools are free to visit, and the underground museum tells the story of September 11 through artifacts and personal accounts. The museum offers youth and family tours and guidance for talking with children; content is best suited to older kids.
Free Smithsonian museum in the grand Custom House at Bowling Green, showcasing Native cultures of the Americas. The imagiNATIONS Activity Center lets kids explore Native innovations through hands-on games and building activities.
Kids zoom 102 floors in under a minute in SkyPod elevators that show a time-lapse of the city's growth, then take in views from the top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. A short theater presentation and interactive screens add to the visit.
A Financial District boxing club with a kids program open to both boys and girls. Children learn boxing skills while building coordination, focus and discipline.
Caregiver-and-child classes that teach Spanish, French or Mandarin through live music, dance and puppets, led by bilingual musician-teachers. Classes run at partner sites around the city and online, and families get songs and vocabulary materials to keep practicing at home.
British Swim School holds lessons at this Financial District pool, starting with babies as young as 3 months. Kids move from water acclimation to survival skills like floating and rolling over, then on to stroke development; adaptive classes are offered too.
A downtown Manhattan basketball program offering year-round skill classes, school-break and summer camps, and grade-based competitive and travel teams. Programs run at locations in TriBeCa, SoHo and the Financial District.
The Wall Street site where George Washington took the oath as first president, marked by a giant statue on the steps. Inside, free exhibits and ranger programs explain the birth of the U.S. government.
A violin school where children as young as four learn to play with experienced, vetted teachers. Instruction is tailored to each student and covers technique and musical expression from beginner to advanced levels.
One-week and longer summer camps where kids (10-13) and teens (14-17) learn on-camera acting, working on scenes that get filmed and screened. NYFA also runs 12-weekend youth workshops during the school year.
A one-week summer camp at NYFA's New York campus where kids practice singing, dancing and acting for the stage. It's a shorter, lower-cost option within NYFA's youth camp lineup.
Physique Swimming holds kids swim classes at a Lower Manhattan school pool as part of its network of NYC locations. Children learn in small, skills-based classes, and the company also hosts swim birthday parties.
A Financial District jiu-jitsu academy opened in 2023 with youth classes for ages 3-15 split into three levels. The youngest kids play movement games in 30-minute sessions, 6-8 year olds build core skills, and older kids follow a curriculum close to the adult program.
A Lower Manhattan martial arts gym with youth Muay Thai and Brazilian jiu-jitsu classes. Kids build discipline, confidence and fitness while learning striking and grappling.
The Stella Adler Studio's youth program uses 'organized play' to introduce preteens to the Adler acting technique through scene study, improv and technique classes. Classes meet on Saturdays in fall, winter and spring sessions at the studio's Financial District home.
A small Financial District indoor playground that doubles as a kids' birthday party venue. Families can book play time or a private party in the second-floor space on Gold Street.
LittleGotham lists 26 places and programs for kids in the Financial District, Manhattan. The largest groups are 6 sports programs, 5 play spaces, 4 museums.
Yes. 6 of 26 are free to attend, including Staten Island Ferry, The Oculus (Westfield World Trade Center), Imagination Playground.
21 listings are indoors, such as The Oculus (Westfield World Trade Center), Complete Playground, Court 16 Manhattan-FiDi.