The New York City public school mid-winter break is fast approaching. If you are looking for ideas on how to fill those days without leaving town, then consider spending time at the city’s acclaimed museums, where your children can experience art, history, and have a bit of fun.
A little-known fact is that many museums offer family programming tailored to kids, such as art classes, performances, or special tours. During your next visit to any museum, ask if it offers a family guide, booklet, or pamphlet. Also, keep an eye out for touch carts or teaching carts in the galleries. For example, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum has a Family Activity Kiosk where families can request a pack of materials to help navigate the exhibits throughout the space.
Some museums also offer designated spaces for children’s exploration of the arts or content on display. From digging for dinosaurs in the Discovery Room at the American Museum of Natural History to drawing in the Uris Education Center at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to building sculptures in the Art Lab at the Museum of Modern Art, families can bring their children to not only see what is on display, but discover it in a multimodal way. All of these spaces are run by trained educators familiar with the content and child development, ensuring your child is engaged and learning.
Need more help figuring out which museums to visit and exhibits to see? Here’s a list of 15 museums and their best family-friendly attractions for this exhibition cycle:
American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West and 79th Street on the Upper West Side, www.amnh.org
Suggested exhibit: Cuba! is a vibrant exhibit that offers various pockets of information on the country. From food to sports to nature, your children will enjoy this interactive exhibit that runs through Aug. 13. The museum also offers an expansive permanent collection and Discovery Room for children.
Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Pkwy in Prospect Heights, www.brook
Suggested exhibit: Offering a large permanent collection and a full calendar of public and family programs, the museum stays buzzing. Currently on display, Beverly Buchanan — Ruins and Rituals (closing March 5) has around 200 objects on display, including sculpture, painting, photography, drawing, and notebooks of the artist. Take advantage of Creativity Lab drop-in class the first Sunday of the month.
Bronx Museum
1040 Grand Concourse in Concourse, www.bronx
Suggested exhibit: The museum offers a vast permanent collection and various temporary exhibits. For teens, consider The Neighbors, Part Two, in Two Parts: Sanctuary: Andrea Bowers and Home: Andrea Aragón, which addresses immigration through the work of American artist Bowers and Guatemalan photographer Aragón and closes Feb. 12. Also, take a look at the events calendar to register for Family Affair, a hands-on workshop provided on select Saturdays.
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
2 E. 91st St. in Carnegie Hill, www.coope
Suggested exhibit: Teens may like the current exhibit Scraps: Fashion, Textiles and Creative Reuse, an exhibit on sustainability and design, open through April 16. The museum also offers workshops for families, children and teens. Target Family Day(s) will be offered throughout the mid-winter break.
El Museo del Barrio
1230 Fifth Ave. in East Harlem, www.elmus
Suggested exhibit: Teens may enjoy Rotative Repository of Latin American Video Art: Mono Cana, which is a collection of works by video artists, on display through April 30. ArtExplorer Activity Cards are available for families and mark the third Saturday of the month for “Super Sabado!” which includes performance, storytelling, and art making.
The Jewish Museum
1109 Fifth Ave. in Carnegie Hill, theje
Suggested exhibit: Families will enjoy programming offered for various ages. Currently on view is Masterpieces and Curiosities: Memphis does Hanukkah, an exhibition of objects closing Feb. 12. Remember, Sundays are for families at this museum. Kids can participate in hands-on activities.
Long Island Museum
1200 Route 25A in Stony Brook, NY, www.longi
Suggested exhibit: Opening on Feb. 24, Colors of Long Island is an exhibit that showcases student work. Check the calendar for Drop-In Days for families, and you can join a Museum Educator for art making and other activities.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Ave. on the Upper East Side, www.metmu
Suggested exhibit: The expansive permanent collection takes more than one hour to cover everything that you would need to see, especially since the admission includes entry to the Met Breur, as well as the Cloisters. A current exhibition that may interest young artists and art lovers is the Velazquez Portraits: Truth in Painting which includes several riveting portraits of 16th-century children. This exhibit is on display until March 12. Don’t forget to ask for information for families and stop by the Uris Education Center.
Museum of the
City of New York
1220 Fifth Ave. in East Harlem, www.mcny.org
Suggested exhibit: Through April 23, the architecture buff in your family may enjoy the exhibit Mastering the Metropolis: New York and Zoning 1916–2016 which showcases the formation of the city’s neighborhoods. Kids may also like watching “Timescapes,” a 28-minute film of the history of New York. Check the calendar for family-friendly workshops.
Museum of Modern Art
11 W. 53rd St. in Midtown, www.moma.org
Suggested exhibit: The extensive permanent collection of the MoMA is enough to fill your day, and a visit to the family-friendly interactive space will make your child’s day. Teens may like the current exhibition Francis Picabia: Our Heads Are Round so Our Thoughts Can Change Direction, which is open through March 19.
New York Historical Society
170 Central Park West on the Upper West Side, www.nyhis
Suggested exhibit: The DiMenna Children’s Museum, housed in the lower level, is a can’t miss for families. However, kids and grownups alike will be intrigued by the two Muhammad Ali exhibits currently on display on floor 2. Muhammad Ali, LeRoy Neiman and the Art of Boxing showcase watercolor portraits of the historical figure. “I Am King of the World: Photographs of Mohammad Ali by George Kalinsky” showcases the famed boxer from his youth to late adulthood, and is open through March 26.
Queens Museum
NYC Bldg – Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Flushing, www.queen
Suggested exhibit: The panorama of the New York City skyline is a favorite for kids and adults alike. Currently on view through Feb. 19 is Mierle Laderman Ukeles: Maintenance Art, an exhibit that includes 50 years of the artist’s portraits and multimedia works that document the indispensable workers and city agencies that keep our city clean and running smoothly. The exhibit closes Feb. 19. If visiting on a Sunday, families can participate in drop-in art workshops.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Ave. on the Upper East Side, www.gugge
Suggested exhibit: Visionaries: Creating a Modern Guggenheim is an exhibit that includes works from artists Vasily Kandinsky and Hilla Rebay. It opens Feb. 10. Just a few weeks later, Jackson Pollack: Exploring Alchemy, opens on March 1, and will offer video footage and interactive kiosks related to the famed artist. Don’t forget to request a family pack!
Staten Island Museum
1000 Richmond Terrace – Snug Harbor Campus, Building H, in Snug Harbor, www.state
Suggested exhibit: Of Human Feelings: Portraits by Warren Lyons is a powerful series of paintings of figures from American history and the arts, opening Feb. 18. The exhibit features portraits of Frederick Douglass, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Sojourner Truth. The museum offers family workshops on the first Saturday of the month.
Whitney Museum
99 Gansevoort St. in the Meatpacking District, whitn
Suggested exhibit: The Whitney’s permanent collection offers opportunities for families to request a copy of the Family Guide to aid children’s exploration and interaction with the works on display. Current exhibits will have staggered closings throughout February and the Biennial show opens in March. Keep an eye out for family weekend activities led by educators and artists.
Please remember that stroller policies vary from museum to museum. If applicable, check museum websites to research services for visitors with disabilities or special needs. Contact the museums you plan to visit to arrange access accommodations.
Shnieka Johnson is an education consultant and freelance writer. She is based in Manhattan where she resides with her husband and son. Contact her via her website: www.shnie
