By Mark on October 28, 2015
If your family is looking for fun things to do in NYC in the fall, you’ll find plenty of great options. Whether you’re into animals or art, many of the city’s top attractions host annual Halloween festivities that combine the fun of dressing up and prowling for candy with the opportunity to enjoy the things that make this city unique. Browse our list of top places for Halloween fun for families in New York City and you’re sure to find something your little ghouls will enjoy.
• Boo at the Bronx Zoo – Join the creepy critters of the Bronx Zoo for their annual Halloween celebration, held every weekend from late September through early November. The festivities are geared toward children and their families, and include face painting, pumpkin decorating, storytelling and other Halloween-themed fun. Most activities are included with your admission to the zoo, although the autumn hayride requires an additional fee.
• Ghouls and Gourds at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden – You’ll find fun for the whole family at Brooklyn Botanical Garden’s annual Ghouls and Gourds celebration. Enjoy crafts, live music, a costume parade and other fun and funky Halloween-themed activities. Members and kids under 12 are free.
• Halloween Party at the Children’s Museum of Arts – Enjoy some hands-on fun at the CMA with pop-up cards, set building and fun holiday-themed projects during the weekend of Halloween. Wear your costume and you might even get a discount on admission!
• Halloween Celebration at the American Museum of Natural History – Come in costume and join other families for an evening of crafts, costumed characters, live music and magic. Trick-or-treat through the halls of the museum and enjoy a special, spooky Halloween space show in the planetarium.
• Queens Farm Halloween Haunted House – If you’re looking for a not-so-spooky haunted house for your pre-school to pre-teen child, Queens Farm is the place to go. Get a mild thrill in the Haunted House, then go for a hayride and enjoy mulled cider, pumpkins, apples and other Halloween treats. The farm also hosts a Children’s Fall Festival with an Amazing Maize Maze, a Pumpkin Patch and the chance to chase pigs, ride ponies and enjoy live music and costumed characters.
Some festivities take place only on Halloween night while others continue through the fall, so check for the most up-to-date information before making plans. In addition to the festivities listed, New York also hosts a number of Halloween parades, tours and neighborhood get-togethers. Whether you’re a local or a guest in the Big Apple, you’ll find plenty of family fun this Halloween.
$15 All CSNY Bus Tours until 11/5