Resources
Where we check before we go.
Every recommendation on this site gets verified against a primary source. These are those sources — the calendars, free-admission pages, library programs and live transit tools we use ourselves. Bookmark this page; hours and prices in New York change constantly.
Free & pay-what-you-wish museums
Almost every big museum has a free window. These are the pages that stay current — check the day before you go, because hours shift by season.
Reserve free family passes to 100+ museums and gardens with any NYC library card.
A free ID for residents 10+ that comes with one-year memberships at 30+ institutions.
Pay-what-you-wish general admission for NY, NJ and CT residents.
Always-free admission, plus the Panorama of the City of New York.
Check their visit page for free and discounted admission windows.
A well-maintained running list of free and pay-what-you-wish days citywide.
What's on this week
Where we look when the weekend is blank and the weather is unpredictable.
Filter by borough and 'Kids' — free storytimes, nature walks, movie nights, learn-to-ride days.
Outdoor movie nights in every borough, June through August.
Free carousel-adjacent kids' programs, juggling, games and the winter market.
The deepest weekly family events calendar in the city.
Neighborhood-level family events, often the smaller stuff other calendars miss.
Running list of free pop-ups, giveaways and brand activations — we pull the family-friendly ones.
Free entry, stroller-passable at opening, and the easiest lunch plan on a park day.
Libraries — the most underrated kids' resource in NYC
Free cards for anyone who lives, works, or goes to school in New York State.
Storytime, baby lap-sit, LEGO clubs and craft hours at nearly every branch.
Programs by branch plus free museum passes.
Bilingual storytimes and early-learning classes across Queens.
Getting there with kids
Elevators break, ferries reroute, and a closed subway elevator can end a day. These are live sources — check them the morning of.
Real-time outages. Always check this before a stroller trip; we can't control equipment outages.
Which stations actually have elevators to the platform.
$4.50 a ride, kids under 44" free with a paying adult, strollers welcome on deck.
$3 with OMNY, four minutes, 250 feet over the East River.
Useful for parents; check NYC Parks learn-to-ride events for the kids.
Playgrounds, pools & the outdoors
Official sources for what's actually open and running water.
Searchable by borough, with accessible playground filters.
Free outdoor pools, opening dates and kiddie-pool locations.
Turned on roughly late June through Labor Day when it's above 80°F.
Free ferry windows on weekend mornings, slides at Slide Hill, hammocks everywhere.
Free family programming all summer along the West Side piers.
The forecast our AI concierge uses when it plans your day.
Something out of date or missing? Tell us here — we update this page as the city changes.