New York City provides so many activities – many of which are very expensive, but there are plenty of free and low cost things to do too. We spent one very full day in the City with the boys walking and using mass transit to limit our costs. It was all part of the experience!
We recommend starting your day at the Statue of Liberty. If you’re in New Jersey, like we were, you can pick up the ferry at Liberty State Park and take it through to Battery Park to continue your day. If you’re already in the City, you can get the ferry at Battery Park.
Both the Statute of Liberty and Island are accessed by Ferry. If you leave from New Jersey, you can immerse yourself in the wonderful skyline views of Manhattan just across the Hudson River. Our boys really enjoyed the Junior Ranger programs at each location. We also had researched our family’s histories ahead of time, since we both had many ancestors came through Ellis Island from Europe. This was a great place to remember them.
Once you’ve completed the audio tour of Ellis Island head over to the Statue of Liberty for an incredible lesson in history and more spectacular views of Manhattan. The buzz of activity was lots of fun to observe from Liberty Island. There were several boats, helicopters planes to see moving about and we were even lucky enough to see some Marine Attack helicopters flying overhead. You can read more about our visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island here. Once you’ve spent enough time board the ferry that takes you to Battery Park in lower Manhattan.
After crossing the Hudson you will be let off in Battery Park, which is at the footstep of the Freedom Tower and home to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. The Freedom Tower is a beautiful and symbolic structure representing America’s ability to overcome adversity. I especially liked the Callery Pear tree, called the Survivor Tree, that survived 9/11 and continues to thrive in the memorial park. It was also interesting to hear the boys talk about what they learned about 9/11 in school. We opted out of visiting the observation deck because we had such a nice view from the Ferry. The same applies for the Empire State Building Observation deck later in day – save your money for other activities like ice skating in Bryant Park.
The 9/11 Museum is an amazing tribute to the men and women who lost their lives that day along with the first responders. We elected not to visit on this trip. If you would like to go, you’ll need to purchase timed-entry tickets ahead of time. Allow about 2 hours.
Once we were done visiting the Memorial we headed down to the subway where the boys experienced their first NYC subway ride. The NYC Subway is an experience. I can vividly remember the smells, sounds and all the hustlers that tried to “help” us buy metro passes. Be prepared to move quickly and have your head on a swivel to avoid any pick pocketers. We didn’t have any issues, but you always want be alert in a city.
Take the subway up to midtown and walk to Central Park and the Plaza. Since we had recently watched the Home Alone movies, the boys really enjoyed seeing the Plaza Hotel Lobby. We continued our walk down 5th Ave until we came across the Microsoft Experience Center. This is so much more than a store. We walked in and found that there were multiple floors that contained all of the newest video games. There was a room that was filled with older teens and adults with headsets on playing in an entirely virtual world. The boys loved the opportunity to test out the newest Xbox and try a few new video games!
We visited in December 2019, so after they won a few rounds on the Xbox, we continued our walk to Rockefeller Center and Saks 5th Avenue. If you are able to see the Christmas Light Show and lighting of the Christmas Tree, don’t miss it. We didn’t know what to expect, but this was one of our favorite things. It was crowded, but it was a spectacular experience! As a bonus, there is an excellent Lego store in Rockefeller Plaza, which of course the boys had to hit up before we headed to dinner.
Since Broadway is so close we planned dinner at Café Un Deux Trois, which was the perfect combination of amazing food for us and a kids menu. During the meal everyone in the restaurant participated in a very animated singing of the 12 Days of Christmas. It was a show unto itself. Afterwards we hit up a show.
Since we were staying in NJ, after the show we walked two blocks to Port Authority and caught a bus back. This was super easy, even after an action packed day. The only thing I wish we had known sooner – kids ride free! Be sure to ask before you purchase your tickets.
What are your favorite things to do in New York City? Share them in the comments.
