Children's Museum of Manhattan

This is a fun place for kids of all ages groups. They have exhibits dedicated to babies and toddlers as well as to 5 years and older age groups. The exhibits are theme based, very hands-on and interactive. The museum also offers art and craft workshops, storytelling sessions and other interesting, educational programs. more

This museum is perfect for children 7&under. All the exhibits are hands-on, and educational. The museum's talented educators offer many workshops throughout the day, such as art, media, sing-alongs, and storytelling. It is less crowded during the week, but on the weekends, there are always really great performances. It is also a very popular place to have birthday parties. more

I used to take my first child her all the time. It's great fun with lots of hands on activities for the kids. They change things on a fairly regular basis so if you haven't been for a few months there will likely be something new but it seems the kids are happy doing the same thing over and over again. By about 5 or so it gets a bit boring. It's $8 for adults and kids - under 1s are free. more

The Children's Museum of NY is conveniently located on the West Side. They change the program frequently so you can attend often and not see the same exhibit twice. The exhibits are hand's on and interactive. Best of all, there are classes set up you can take advantage of while you are there, like drop in art classes for the family. more

I took my three year old to this museum and he had a great time. It is in the center of Manhattan so you should take public transportation or be prepared to pay a lot for parking. I think it is good for kids under five as the older ones will find it boring. The food is minimal and not very good. Lots of places to take cute pictures which is the main reason to go. The hours are short so plan on getting there early in the morning. Overall, it is a good place for small kids. more

This is not a traditional museum. It is an interactive play space for kids basically. They can play and enjoy themselves. The exhibits are always changing so kids can go many times and never be bored. Past exhibits include peanuts, authur, dora, where the wild things are, and the magic schoolbus. There are also arts and craft workshops. Its a fun place. more

Everything is on a reasonably small scale for Manhattan, and it can get rather crowded, but go early and if you want a break to go and get lunch somewhere, you can just get your hand stamped and get readmitted later. There is no cafe,which is a shame but there is a *fantastic* gift shop where my kids spent nearly as much time as they did in the museum itself! You must check in your stroller along with your coats, so you may not want to make your diaper all that heavy since you have to carry all through the museum. All in all it was a nice change from sightseeing and a fun day out for the kids. more

I haven't been overly impressed with the New York Children's Museum as a museum. Perhaps their programs for schools are different, but when our family has gone there on the weekends there exhibits/acitivities haven't struck me as particularly educational. More like fun play areas tied in with a book or tv show (e.g. Dr. Seuss or Dora). That said, we don't really regret the money ($145) we payed for a family membership (which gives you unlimited use). Because if you have young kids (4 and under), CMOM is a kick ass indoor play area. Your child will easily be able to kill 2 hours there, which is quite a nice option to have on days with inclement weather. Plus, there is Zabar's, Barnes and Noble, and the Museum of Natural History (a real museum!) within a few blocks. more