So, yes, New York City in early April was COLD, but we still had a GREAT time. We packed appropriately so we were never miserably cold…however, we certainly Uber’ed more than we would have if it were warmer outside. Each day was planned out and we hit everything on our list.
1.American Museum of Natural History
Wednesday morning, we went to the Natural History Museum. What an awesome experience!! They had 4 exhibitions we wanted to go to but only managed 3 out of the 4. A couple kids started getting a big hangry 😉
First we went to the Amazon Adventure Exhibition. This was a 3-D film that was approximately 35 minutes long. It was extremely interesting about the most influential historian we have never heard of Henry Walter Bates. The film was more movie-like versus documentary-like. The kids enjoyed it, but were definitely ready to move to the next adventure after about 30 minutes.
The 2nd exhibition we visited was the Butterfly Conservatory. This was the exhibition the kids were most excited about, however, when we arrived, they were very timid. I highly recommend this one if you don’t think your kids will get too scared.
The dinosaurs in the lobby of the museum were definitely a highlight for Shay. Unfortunately for us, our Spring Break week was also the same for all of New York City school kids. So, because the dinosaur fossils are located in the lobby, it was extremely crowded.
The final exhibition we went to was the Space Show – Dark Universe. It was located in the Planetarium which was cool…but they asked for no pictures, and well, you know how I am with following rules 😉 I would also say, this was our least favorite exhibition. Everyone was patient but we were ready to leave once it was over. It was extremely scientific and technical, so if you are really into space, then you will love it!!
This was a ton of fun!! The kids were in awe about how big the city was from this viewpoint and so were Peter and I. We also had dinner One Dine which I highly recommend. We were able to snatch a table by the window and it was INCREDIBLE. Even Matti Jane said “wow, Mommy, can you believe this view?!?!” I would recommend making the reservation well in advance.
I intentionally did not number this because, while the kids had a GREAT time, it was very far out of the city. Like 30 minutes out of the city… I had reserved tickets 2 weeks prior before I had a grasp on the geography 😉 so we decided to stick with it. I am glad we did, but the Uber ride there and home A. took up a lot of time and B. probably cost more than the tickets themself…
3. Central Park
This was such a fun afternoon. The weather really turned around close to noon so we enjoyed walking and climbing throughout Central Park. We did not do the Central Park Zoo or the Ancient Playground only because we had a long walk back to the hotel and we needed to meet my sister-in-law and her two oldest for dinner before we went to see ALADDIN!! We grabbed hot chocolates for the kids and I wrapped my hands around an English Breakfast Tea to keep me warm.
This was a major highlight for all of us!! At the end of the trip, we asked each child what was their favorite activity. All three, without hesitation said Aladdin. It was great entertainment, the music was fun and the Genie is hilarious…especially for the adults. But, without being inappropriate for the kids as well.
This was also a highlight of the trip. We started this adventure on a public bus. Matti Jane’s class mascot joined us the entire trip and she seemed to like the bus a lot!!
Wow, such an awesome museum. This was a favorite of my father-in-law’s so it was a MUST DO on our list.
We went here with a good friend of Peter’s sister and Peter and her family. She has a 6 year old son and he fit in with our family perfectly!! We were on the aircraft carrier and it was so darn cool. They had numerous aircrafts that we were able to get close to and take pictures. You are able to look in and see all the amazing details of the inside of each cockpit. Our favorite was the F-8K Crusader…the shark was pretty cool.
A major highlight was that the Space Shuttle Enterprise was there!! We were able to take pictures around it…very very cool.
6. Cool Mess – This was not on the original schedule but such a pleasant surprise. We stopped here after our trip to the Intrepid. The kids were able to help make their own ice cream. HOW COOL?!?! You chose between vanilla and chocolate and then 3 toppings to add. Such a COOL activity (hehe, get what I did there?!?!)
If you are in NYC, I highly recommend it. It is truly for all ages. While we were there, there was a couple moms there with their young girls, maybe 18 months old and there was also a birthday party with girls that were probably 12 years old.
This was a recommendation of my 8 year old nephew, Oliver. What a fun place!! Gulliver’s Gate is the world’s largest interactive museum of miniatures. They have set up an impressive global experience, from a NYC block to Peru to Israel to Siberia. The detail is so AMAZING…lights in the buildings, all the people, all the trees and leaves. No detail was left out. When Shay saw the Peru exhibit, he said “Mommy, I don’t think you should go there…it has too much dirt” hahaha (He knows we are going there in June for our 10 year anniversary) But, how cute and hilarious?!?!
When you arrive, you receive a key and at each exhibit, you are able to put it in the keyhole, turn it and different things happen in different countries. Sometimes it was a crane moving, others it was a train starting, others it was a tree being chopped down and in the North Pole, the key started Santa Claus’ journey in the sky. There was also a booklet that had the kids looking for colorful eggs in all of the exhibits…the kids loved that!!
Matti Jane and Crystal standing in front of the Eiffel Tower in France. This was the only picture I got there, this was our last day in NYC and I think I was done taking pictures…haha.
Feel free to ask me any questions about our visit in New York City. We had such a great time and promised ourselves that we are going to make a trip to NYC at least once or twice each and every year. There is so much to do, we have to make numerous trips to attempt to get it all in.
Tiffani, Thank you for sharing and posting your amazing New York City vacation photos and adventures. I love the cute comment Shay made about about too much dirt and Matti Jane appreciating the view of the city. I enjoyed reading about all of the awesome places you visited during your vacation with your precious and gorgeous family.
Thank you Janis!! We had such a fun time, even with the chilly weather. We cannot wait to go back for new adventures. I think Matti Jane may be a city girl at heart 🙂
xoxo
Tiffani