Family vacations in New York can be rewarding experiences or absolute disasters -- it all depends on pre-trip homework. To make planning easier, we've done all the preparation. As part of a Huffington Post Travel series on traveling with children, here are answers to some frequently asked questions about New York family vacations.
Vanderbilt Mansion
Address: 119 Vanderbilt Park Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538Phone: 845-229-7770Hours: Vanderbilt Mansion is open daily for guided tours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Tour hours vary November through March, so call ahead for the schedule. Guided tours are required for access to the mansion. The grounds are open from sunrise to sunset daily year-round.Price: The guided tour is $8 per person and free for kids 15 and younger. Access to the grounds is free.
American Museum of Natural History
Address: Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024Phone: 212-769-5100Hours: The American Museum of Natural History is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. The museum is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.Price: Suggested general admission: adults, $16; children 2 to 12 and student with valid ID, $9.
FAO Schwarz Toy Store
Address: 767 Fifth Ave. at 58th Street, New York, NY 10153Phone: 212-644-9400Hours: Store hours are 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.Price: Free.
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Also in Hyde Park is Springwood, the home of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd president of the United States. The grounds feature the first U.S. Presidential Library and the Rose Garden, where FDR is buried. A guided tour of the house and gardens and a self-guided tour of the library and museum provide a wealth of information about the United States' longest-serving president.
Address: 4097 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538Phone: 845-229-5320Hours: The Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Tour hours vary, so call ahead for the schedule. Guided tours are required for access to the home. The grounds are open from sunrise to sunset daily year-round.Price: The guided tour is $14 per person and includes admission to the home and library for two days. Kids 15 and younger are free.
Children's Museum of Manhattan
Address: 212 W. 83rd St., New York, NY 10024 (between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue)Phone: 212-721-1223Hours: The museum is open Sunday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday until 7 p.m.Price: Adults, $11; seniors, $7; children under 12 months, free. Target sponsors free hours the first Friday of the month from 5 to 8 p.m.
Main Beach
Address: 101 Ocean Ave., East Hampton, NY 11937Phone: 631-324-4150 (Town of East Hampton)Hours: Main Beach is open weekends and holidays from Memorial Day until the last Saturday in June. From July to Labor Day, the beach is open daily. It is open weekends from Labor Day to Sept. 30. Main Beach is closed during the winter season.Price: There is no entrance fee to the beach, but you must purchase a $25 parking permit each day to park at the beach.
Central Park Zoo
Central Park is an attraction all on its own, but it is also home to the Central Park Zoo. With more than 130 animal species, the zoo provides an exciting afternoon of observations and educational activities. There is also a children's zoo, where kids can feed pigs, sheep and goats.
Address: East Side of Central Park between 63rd and 66th streets; entrance at 64th Street and Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10065Phone: 212-439-6500Hours: The zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from April through Oct. and Nov. through March daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Price: Tickets include the Wildlife Center and children's zoo: adults, $10; seniors 65 and older, $7; children 3 to 12, $5; children under 3 years, free.
What are your family's favorite New York destinations?
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