Looking for family-friendly day trips and weekend getaways around New York City? You've come to the right place!!! Check out our extensive list of the best family vacation spots near New York City (i.e. easily doable as a day trip, weekend getaway, or longer family vacation - scroll to the bottom for public transportation options)!
Family-Friendly Day Trips from NYC:
( * denotes link is to my personal review on US Japan Fam )
( * denotes link is to my personal review on US Japan Fam )
- Adventure Park at Long Island (LI)
- Alstede Farms (NJ)
- American Dream - Big Snow Indoor Ski Slopes (NJ)
- American Dream - DreamWorks Indoor Water Park (NJ)
- American Dream - Ice Rink (NJ)
- American Dream - LEGOLAND Discovery Center (NJ)
- American Dream - Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park (NJ)
- American Dream - SEA LIFE Aquarium (NJ)
- * Bear Mountain (NY) - Guide to Oktoberfest Bear Mountain Cruise With Kids
- Crayola Experience (PA)
- Diggerland (NJ)
- Field Station Dinosaurs (NJ)
- Fire Island (& Bay Shore's Shipwreck Cove) (LI)
- Funplex / Splashplex (NJ)
- * Governors Island (NYC - by ferry, open May 1 - Oct 31 annually)
- Harbes Family Farm / Barnyard Adventure (LI)
- * Hudson's House of Play (NJ)
- Garden State Discovery Museum (NJ)
- Land of Make Believe (NJ)
- LEGOLAND Discovery Center (Westchester)
- * LEGOLAND Resort & Theme Park (NY)
- * Liberty Science Center (NJ)
- * Long Island Children's Museum (LI)
- * Medieval Times (NJ)
- Playland Park (NY)
- Quassy Amusement and Waterpark (CT)
- * Sahara Sam's (NJ)
- * Sands Point Preserve (LI)
- SeaQuest Woodbridge (NJ)
- Sesame Place (PA)
- Six Flags Great Adventure (NJ)
- * SplashDown Beach Water Park (NY)
- Splish Splash (Long Island)
- Storybook Land (NJ)
- Turtleback Zoo (NJ)
- Van Saun County Park (NJ)
- White Post Farms (Long Island)
- * Wild West City (NJ) - see our videos from Summer 2021 and Fall 2022
Family-Friendly Weekend Getaways from NYC:
Note: Some of these could technically be a day-trip, especially if you have a car, but I personally recommend then for a 2-3 day weekend, or more.
( * denotes link is to my personal review on US Japan Fam )
Note: Some of these could technically be a day-trip, especially if you have a car, but I personally recommend then for a 2-3 day weekend, or more.
( * denotes link is to my personal review on US Japan Fam )
NEW YORK: LONG ISLAND
NEW YORK: CATSKILLS & HUDSON RIVER VALLEY
NEW YORK: ADIRONDACKS / LAKE GEORGE / UPSTATE
NEW JERSEY
PENNSYLVANIA:
OTHER:
- * Montauk, Long Island: Montauk Yacht Club Getaway Part 1 and Part 2
- Riverhead, Long Island
NEW YORK: CATSKILLS & HUDSON RIVER VALLEY
- Blackthorne Resort (East Durham, NY)
- The Country Place Resort (East Durham, NY)
- * The Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark (Monticello, NY)
- LEGOLAND New York Resort (opening 2021)
- Mohonk Mountain House (New Palz, NY)
- * Pine Ridge Dude Ranch All-Inclusive (Kerhonkson, NY) **CLOSED 3/2022**
- Rail Explorers (Phoenicia, NY)
- * Rocking Horse Ranch All-Inclusive Resort (Highland, NY)
- Scribner's Catskill Lodge (Hunter, NY)
- Sunny Hill Resort All-Inclusive Family Resort (Greenville, NY)
- Villa Roma Resort (with all-inclusive package option) (Callicoon, NY)
- The Winter Clove Inn All-Inclusive Family Resort (Round Top, NY)
NEW YORK: ADIRONDACKS / LAKE GEORGE / UPSTATE
- * Hope Lake Lodge / Greek Peak Mountain Resort (Cortland, NY)
- Ridin' Hy Ranch All-Inclusive Resort (Warrensburg, NY)
- * Six Flags Great Escape & Indoor Waterpark (Queensbury, NY)
- * World Children's Awareness Museum (Glens Falls, NY)
NEW JERSEY
- * Atlantic City, NJ
- Cape May, NJ
- * Crystal Springs Resort (Hamburg, NJ) :
- Summer Multigenerational Vacation Review (with kids + grandparents) July 2023
- Winter Pandemic Family Vacation Review February 2021
- Winter #Momcation Review February 2020
- Summer Family Vacation Review August 2019
PENNSYLVANIA:
- * Amish Country / Lancaster
- Summer 2023 Guide featuring Turkey Hill Experience, The Amish Village, Dutch Wonderland, Cartoon Network Hotel (Ben 10 Suite), and Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre.
- Winter 2022 Guide featuring Cartoon Network (Steven Universe Suite), LoKal Experiences Tour, Dutch Apple Dinner Theater, Choo Choo Barn, Aaron + Jessica's Buggy Rides, Fulton Steamboat Inn Room Tour + Restaurant
- Summer 2021 Guide featuring Cherry Crest Adventure Farm, Dutch Wonderland, Wyndham Lancaster Resort
- Summer 2019 Guide featuring Railroad Museum of PA, Tiny Town Indoor Play Place, Cherry Crest Adventure Farm, Verdant View Farm Tour, Bird in Hand Smorgasbord + Magic Show, Dutch Wonderland, and Miller's Smorgasbord.
- Summer 2018 Guide featuring Cherry Crest Adventure Farm, Dutch Wonderland, and Bird in Hand Family Inn.
- Summer 2017 Guide featuring Lancaster DoubleTree Resort, Dutch Wonderland, Strasburg Railroad, The Amish Experience, Bird in Hand Smorgasbord, Kitchen Kettle Village, and Cherry Crest Adventure Farm.
- Hershey Park
- * Philadelphia
- Poconos (Camelback / Aquatopia)
- Poconos (Great Wolf Lodge)
- Poconos (Kalahari)
- * Poconos (Pocono Manor)
- Poconos (Skytop Lodge)
- Poconos (Split Rock Resort)
- * Poconos: All-Inclusive Woodloch Resort
OTHER:
- * Baltimore, MD: Must Do: Weekend Getaway to Baltimore
- Boston, MA
- The Inn at East Hill Farm (Mount Monadnock, NH)
- Lake Compounce & Crocodile Cove (Amusement & Water Park), Bristol, CT
- Martha's Vineyard, MA
- Mystic, CT
- Nantucket, MA
- * Norwalk, CT: Family-Friendly Getaway from NYC to Norwalk, Connecticut
- Newport, RI
- Washington D.C.
Free Water Fun within an hour of NYC
Best in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn:
Other greats of NYC:
New Jersey:
Long Island:
Fee-Based Pools & Water Parks within an hour of NYC
Best in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn:
- Owl's Head Park Sprinklers (67th & Colonial) - separate section from playground, nearly closed off (1 closed gate, 1 open), button on wall near entrance turns water back on.
- Leif Erikson Park Sprinklers (66-67th / 8-9th Ave) - cute Nordic theme, nice playground
- Patrick O'Rourke Playground (Bear Park - 81st between 11-12th Ave) - fully inclosed playground & sprinklers
Other greats of NYC:
- Chelsea Waterside Park (Chelsea, Manhattan) - sprayground & playground
- Douglass and DeGraw Pool (Park Slope, Brooklyn) - regular & kiddie pool
- Hamilton Fish Pool (LES, Manhattan) - regular & kiddie pool
- Jacob Riis Park (Rockaway, Queens) - nice public beach
- Lasker Pool (Central Park, Manhattan) - regular & kiddie pool
- LeFrak Lakeside (Prospect Park, Brooklyn) - ice skating rink filled with an inch of water and fountains
- Red Hook Pool (Red Hook, Brooklyn - regular & kiddie pool with sprinklers
- Sunset Park Pool (Sunset Park, Brooklyn) - regular pool
- Water Lab (Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 6) - layout and crowds makes it hard with 2+ kids. Great playgrounds and sand play areas nearby
- West Brighton Pool (Staten Island) - regular & kiddie pool
New Jersey:
- * Dorbrook Recreation Area (Colts Neck, NJ) - sprayground (swim diapers required) & playground, hiking, skating, etc (see our FB post with pictures here)
- * James J Braddock Park (North Bergen, NJ) - great playground structures and fun sprinkler area, huge park with a lake. (see it featured in our YT video here)
- Mt. Playmore Turkey Brook Park (Budd Lake, NJ) - Pirate's Cove sprayground, fields, playgrounds, etc
- Ponderosa Park (Scotch Plains, NJ) - great playground with sprinklers
- Van Saun Park (River Edge, NJ) - playground & sprinklers, for a fee: zoo, train, carousel.
- * Wheeler Park Spray Park (Linden, NJ) - brand new (opened 5.25.2019) with 33 water features, including pirate ship, sea monster, and more! (see our FB post with pictures here)
Long Island:
Fee-Based Pools & Water Parks within an hour of NYC
- Shipwreck Cove (Bay Shore, LI) & ferry to Fire Island
- Breezy Point Beach Club - day passes from $35/adult and $25/child
- Crystal Springs Family Waterpark (East Brunswick, NJ) - $22 weekdays, $28 weekends (under 2 free)
- Fort Hamilton Community Club Pool (Bay Ridge, Brooklyn NY) - open to members, DoD ID cardholders, & their guests; includes baby pool & snack bar
- Fort Monmouth Pool (Tinton Falls, NJ) - weekends $30/family (up to 4), $10 single
- Memorial Pool (Westfield, NJ) - includes kiddie pool, water slides & snack bar; $25/person over 6 months old ($10 per person if guests of member)
- Mountain Creek Waterpark - $39.99 per person per day (plus "muni fee", 2 and under free), $69.99 season's pass. $10 add on for Alpine Mountain Coaster. $10 parking. Located in Vernon Township, NJ (36 miles from Cornwall, 1 hour drive).
- Oakcrest Family Swim Club (Edison, NJ) - with kiddie pool & tube slide; day pass for $15/person or $50 for family of 5
- Runaway Rapids (Keansburg, NJ) - waterpark inside Keansburg Amusement Park - $14.95 under 42", $26.95 for 2 hours, $28.95 for 3 hours
- Silver Gull Beach Club - day passes from $35/adult and $25/child
- SplashDown Beach Water Park (Fishkill NY) - $129.99 season pass. Daily pass 42" and over $44.99 / weekend $49.99, under 42" (and seniors) $39.99 weekday / $42.99 weekend. Discount after 3pm.
- Splashplex (East Hanover, NJ) - outdoor waterpark with lazy river and slides, and indoor "funplex" arcade. $29 per person (under 36" free).
- Tallman Beach & Pool Club (Sparkill, NY) - pool offering season and day passes ($10 per child and $15 per adult weekdays, $15 per child $20 per adult weekends).
- Walter E. Ulrich Pool (Rahway, NJ) - $10 per adult, $8 (under 18), includes baby pool, diving boards, playground & snack bar.
- Warrenbrook Pool (Warren, NJ) - $12/adult, $8 (4-17), under 3 free; includes kiddie pool & snack bar
- WaterWorks Family Aquatic Center (West Windsor, NJ) - $19/adult, $15 (age 2-8); family pool, lap pool, wading pool, sprayground, & snack bar.
- Coney Island (Brooklyn NY)
- Great Kills Beach (Staten Island)
- Jacob Riis Park (Rockaway NY) - parking fee $10/day or $65/season, no fee for beach access; food options here
- Jones Beach, Zach's Bay for calmer water (NY)
- Long Beach (NY) - beach pass $15 per person age 13+
- Long Branch (NJ)
- Point Pleasant (NJ) - beach access fee $6-10/adult, $0-2.50/child over age 4
- Rockaway Beach (NY) - can take Ferry from Sunset Park and free shuttles on Rockaway
- Rye Town Park & Beach (Westchester NY) - parking $10-35/car, beach access $15-20/person
- Sandy Hook (NJ) - parking fee $15/day or $75/season
Public Transportation Options
No car? No problem! Many of the above places can be reached by public transportation! Here are just a few of the options (click for maps and more info):
No car? No problem! Many of the above places can be reached by public transportation! Here are just a few of the options (click for maps and more info):
- MTA Bus & Subway and NYC Ferry for getting around NYC's 5 boroughs
- Long Island Rail Road (go here for their "getaway deals")
- Metro North (go here for their "getaway deals" to NY, CT, and Westchester)
- Amtrak (lots of transfer-free options, as far as Montreal, Chicago, and Toronto)
- Seastreak Ferries - to Sandy Hook, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket
- Many many bus options, with the cheapest running between NYC and other Chinatowns, not to mention Greyhound, Peter Pan, and more.
Other great resources for planning your getaway!
