Winter Activities in NYC

Winter is a great season to bring the kids to New York City for some exciting outdoor fun. Yes, it can be a bit chilly but it’s winter so it’s suppose to be cold. Just bundle up the kids, get the gloves on and put on the hats, scarves and earmuffs. Walk the High Line or Hudson River Greenway to see how green NYC can be. Visit the Central Park Zoo to see how the animals live during the winter. Lace up your skates at Central Park's Wollman Rink, Bryant Park or the Rink at Rockefeller Center and skate a lap or two. Pretty soon, the whole family will be heating up. Take the kids up to the Empire State Building, Top of The Rock or One World Trade Center to get a glimpse of New York City in all its splendor. And yes, everything will look small from atop. After a day of touring in NYC, a hot cup of chocolate with marshmallows beckon, so stop by one of many NYC coffee or bakery shops to pick up a cup. What kid wouldn’t love that! 

Enid A. Haupt Conservatory at New York Botanical Garden
2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY
Warm yourself at Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.  It is home to A World of Plants, which showcases the wonders of the Garden’s living collections in lush tropical rain forests, cactus-filled deserts, curated displays of palms from around the world, aquatic and carnivorous plants, and much more. 

Winter Village in Bryant Park
40th and 42nd Streets & Fifth and Sixth Avenues, NYC
Skate for free October 30, 2015 – March 6, 2016

Highline  - NYC
Various access point from West 14 street to West 34 Street, NYC 
The High Line is a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side.   Children's programs and special events throughout the year.

Central Park Zoo
East Side between 63rd and 66th Streets, NYC.
It showcases animals from tropical, temperate, and polar zones around the world.  Tisch Children's Zoo:  Here children can get close to goats, sheep, a cow and a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig.  Enchanted Forest. Artisans mimicked the colossal remains of primeval oak trees, acorns, and a giant spider.

Wollman Rink in Central Park
East Side between 62nd and 63rd Streets, NYC
Skating on Wollman Rink is a winter tradition for New Yorkers and tourists alike, so many people have tied up their skates for the very first time on this ice. Ice skating is a long-standing and beloved tradition here in Central Park — as old as the Park itself.

Hudson River Greenway - NYC
Manhattan’s most popular greenway stretches along the Hudson River from the tip of Battery Park up to Fort Tryon Park in northern Manhattan. Along the way this bike ride travels along almost all of Manhattan’s eastern side, passing through Battery Park, Riverside Park, Hudson River Park, and Fort Washington Park. Cyclists looking for diversions along the route will pass near Grant’s Tomb and the historic Little Red Lighthouse under the George Washington Bridge

Little Red Lighthouse
Fort Washington Park, 178th Street and the Hudson River, NYC
Take a break to see Manhattan’s last remaining lighthouse. The Little Red Lighthouse was made famous in a 1942 children’s book by Hildegarde H. Swift, titled The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge, about the lighthouse’s abiding friendship with its neighbor, the George Washington Bridge.

Statue Of Liberty
Getting to the Ferry: Battery Park, Lower Manhatta, NYC  or Liberty State Park, Jersey City
Visiting the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island and the Immigration Museum on Ellis Island is a wonderful experience.   Advanced ticket reservations recommended.

9/11 Memorial Museum
200 Liberty Street, 16th Floor, NYC
The Museum’s 110,000 square feet of exhibition space is located within the archaeological heart of the World Trade Center site—telling the story of 9/11 through multimedia displays, archives, narratives and a collection of monumental and authentic artifacts. 

The National September 11 Memorial
200 Liberty Street, 16th Floor, NYC
A tribute of remembrance and honor to the nearly 3,000 people killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center site, near Shanksville, Pa., and at the Pentagon, as well as the six people killed in the World Trade Center bombing in February 1993.  The Memorial’s twin reflecting pools are each nearly an acre in size and feature the largest manmade waterfalls in North America. 

Empire State Building
15-25 W 29th St, NYC
A world famous landmark. Visit the Observation Decks which includes the newly restored lobby with its stunning art deco ceiling murals, the historical Dare To Dream Exhibit, and the new Sustainability Exhibit.

The Rockefeller Center Tour & Top of the Rock Observation Deck
30 Rockefeller Plaza, NYC
Experience the city like never before. Marvel at the beautiful art and architecture of Rockefeller Center, learn the history behind its legacy, and witness the most magnificent New York City view  from the 70th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

The Rink at Rockefeller Center
600 5th Avenue, NYC
A winter visit wouldn’t be complete without enjoying one of the city's most celebrated traditions. 

One World Observatory at One World Trade Center
Enter on West St. at Corner of Vesey St., NYC
See the ever changing face of New York City from 100 floors above. Ascend to the top in less than sixty seconds.