NYC Museum for 9 & 12yo
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Anonymous
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We are staying in Midtown (52nd & Madison Ave) for 3 days and based on our other itinerary only have time for 1 or maybe 2 museums. Which would you recommend for kids that are 9 & 12yo?
Museum of Modern Art or Metropolitan Museum of Art? And what about the American Museum of National History? Is that too similar to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum here in DC? Suggestions appreciated. |
Anonymous
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If you want an art museum, go to the Whitney or the Frick or the Guggenheim.
The Tenement Museum is also terrific, as is the Transit Museum in Brooklyn. The American Museum of Natural History is an excellent museum, but more a more traditional "walk through the many halls and wings" experience - it wasn't the highest priority for me when we visited NYC with kids that age. |
Anonymous
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The Frick is closed for renovation till mid April and doesn’t allow children under 10, FYI.
It is amazing for adults though. I would go to the Met over MOMA. I like the Natural History Museum too for kids. What are your kids into? |
Anonymous
| Egyptian section of the Met |
Anonymous
Video games and sports  But they also like historical artifacts (suits of armor, Egyptian, dinosaurs)
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Anonymous
Definitely!! And first read From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. |
Anonymous
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The Met is an incredible museum. But with kids I wouldn't prioritize any of the museums in NYC. Mainly because the Smithsonian is also incredible, and free, I just don't see the point. Now if there is a special interest (the Egyptian section is awesome) I'd be convinced.
Spend your time doing something else. Walk through Central Park, visit the Highline, take the Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. |
Anonymous
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Agree that the MET is NYCs best museum.
Also have you done museum of ice cream? And check out museum of illusions Guggenheim is my favorite art museum. |
Anonymous
| The Met, The Natural History Museum and if interested The Tenement Museum, Statue of Liberty. Do you have any museum memberships? There are some reciprocals. |
Anonymous
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The NH is too much like DC - my kids were bored.
They loved the Met - especially the Egyptian and fashion sections. |
Anonymous
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My kids, at 10 & 14, LOVED the AMNH. We spend almost all open hours (7 hours) there one day. It’s very different from the one in DC, in that it has huge amounts of anthropological stuff (though they closed some Native American exhibits last year :-/), in addition to Dinos, rocks, space stuff, etc.
The Met is also great. The Cloisters (technically part of the Met) is also a really neat place. |
Anonymous
| Local here. Can’t go wrong with Met or AMNH. If I had to choose one for that age group I’d choose the Tenement museum. It’s unique, small, and the neighborhood is fun to walk/eat around. |
Anonymous
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I really love the Met particularly the Egypt wing which we don't have here in DC.
I'd also stop at the NY Public Library (The Bryant Park one), it's a quick free stop and you can see things like the toys that inspired Winnie the Pooh and Charles Dickens' writing desk. |
Anonymous
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I hear "9 & 12 year old" and "museum" and I all I can think is "dinosaurs".
AMNH. Followed by Central Park. But get the Met in too. And MOMA is cool for kids and not too huge and near other places you will certainly be. |
Anonymous
| I grew up in DC (so went to Smithsonian’s often) and visited NYC frequently as a child and I was obsessed with AMNH. It’s so much bigger than the Smithsonian natural history museum. Granted some of the exhibits at AMNH are basically unchanged from when I was a kid so it can feel a bit dated now. My kids are a little younger than yours but they also love AMNH and they really enjoyed the NYC Transit Museum. I have heard the Math Museum is good but we haven’t been |