Top 20 Places to Take Kids in the Hudson Valley
Every summer, thousands of local parents, grandparents, and caregivers weigh in on their favorite local places to take kids. This is the list of our 2024 winners as chosen by our readers in the Hudson Valley. (Click here for the full list of nominees.)
Of course, there are literally hundreds of wonderful places to take your kids in our area, not just this year's winners! Get great ideas here on KidsOutAndAbout, visit our Everything That's Free page, and sign up for our weekly e-newsletter packed with great things to do around the Hudson Valley!
2024's Top 20 ranking + category winners! Scroll down for more about each venue, with links!
| 1. Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum 2. Dutchess County Fair 3. Kelders Farm and UPick 4. Trailside Museum & Zoo at Bear Mountain State Park 5. Forsyth Nature Center 6. Billy Beez - Crystal Run and Palisades 7. Zoom Flume Water Park 8. SplashDown Beach 9. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts 10. Contender eSports Gaming Center 11. LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester 12. My Local Library 13. Trevor Zoo 14. Bounce! Trampoline Sports 15. Hudson Valley Renegades 16. Catskill Mountain Railroad 17. Fishkill Farms 18. Gravity Vault Indoor Rock Gyms 19. Catskill Animal Sanctuary 20. Hudson River Maritime Museum |
Arts Education: Bethel Woods Center for the Arts Sports Education: YMCA STEM Education: Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum |
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1. Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum
The Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum (MHDM) is the ideal destination for children and families. With exhibits that focus on early literacy, art, early STEM, health and the local community, the museum provides an educationally rich environment through which children have the opportunity to develop foundational skills, to engage in purposeful play, and to develop interpersonal connections. MHDM provides early learners impactful and nurturing programs and spaces that help foster imagination, creativity, socialization skills and the ability to understand the world around them.
2. Dutchess County Fair
For six days each August, the bucolic fairgrounds on Route 9 in Rhinebeck plays host to nearly half a million patrons. The second largest county fair in New York State is the showplace for agriculture in Dutchess County. Over 140 acres of manicured gardens create the beautiful setting for thousands of farm animals, agricultural exhibits, carnival rides, horticultural displays and delicious foods. Visit us August 22 - 27, 2023.
3. Kelders Farm and UPick
Kelder's Farm is a fun family destination with U-pick flowers, fruits, and vegetables, 30+ fun farm attractions, a taproom, delicious food, and so much more! It's the perfect way to spend a day, growing fun memories with the whole family. Summer events include Summer Harvest Days and the Sunflower Extravaganza. The Fall Harvest Celebration includes apple and pumpkin picking. This 200-year-old bicentennial family farm offers an amazing experience and unlimited photo opportunities!
4. Trailside Museum & Zoo at Bear Mountain State Park
Bear Mountain State Park is situated in rugged mountains rising from the west bank of the Hudson River. The park features a large play field, shaded picnic groves, lake and river fishing access, a swimming pool, Trailside Museums and Zoo, hiking, biking and cross-country ski trails. An outdoor rink is open to ice skaters from late October through mid-March. The Perkins Memorial Tower atop Bear Mountain affords spectacular views of the park, the Hudson Highlands and Harriman State Park. Perkins Memorial Drive and Tower are open from April through late November, weather permitting.
5. Forsyth Nature Center
Animal Exhibits, Gardens, Activities, Events, Nature programs The Forsyth Nature Center has been growing and changing for many years. The Mission of the Forsyth Nature Center is “To foster the exploration of the natural world in and around our community through educational programming and contact with flora and fauna at an interpretive facility” The Forsyth Nature Center has 24 animal exhibits and a dozen gardens that contain a variety of native flora found right here in the Hudson Valley.
7. Zoom Flume Water Park
Zoom Flume is New York's number one family water park! Zoom into summer and enjoy a refreshing day with friends and family! There are nine slides, five play areas, and three restaurants. Zoom Flume is opened to public from The end of June through Labor Day.
8. SplashDown Beach
"America's Biggest Little Water Park!" Ride the all-new Megalodon! This prehistoric beast sends thrill seekers into a near-vertical, zero gravity experience! Hold on tight as your raft surges up the wall, hangs weightless then drops suddenly into another tunnel. It is the largest attraction of its kind in the Northeast! Plus, experience the thrills of the Bullet Bowl, Humunga Half Pipe, Pirate's Plunge and Pirate's Revenge. Kids will love Shipwreck Lagoon, a themed pirate ship with geysers, buckets, fountains, and four wet n’ wild water slides. Don't forget to check out our Monster Wave Pool and Croc Creek Wavy Lazy River.
9. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts – located at the historic site of the 1969 Woodstock festival – is the perfect place to spend a day with the family. Whether you want to enjoy world-class music on the Pavilion stage, explore the vibrant 1960s in The Museum at Bethel Woods, participate in an art class, or explore the grounds with special holiday activations, there is truly something for everyone! Visit BethelWoodsCenter.org to plan your visit.
10. Contender eSports Gaming Center
Contender eSports Hudson Valley is a top-level educational and esports facility with high-end PCs and gaming consoles. We offer drop-in play for casual gamers, competitive tournaments, school leagues, camps and after-school programs, birthday parties, venue rentals, and more in an inviting and welcoming atmosphere. Contender eSports is recognized for the quality and efficacy of our coding programs and provide the highest quality of education and STEM knowledge through our STEM.ORG accreditation.
11. LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester
LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Westchester - it's like you’ve just jumped into the biggest box of LEGO® bricks ever! LEGOLAND® Discovery Center is designed specifically for children aged 3-10 years to enjoy - everything is kid-sized.
12. My Local Library
Of course, the libraries in the Hudson Valley area are not really ONE place, but MANY places... but it's important to emphasize how valuable libraries are for family learning and fun. The libraries in our area are wonderful about posting their events to the KidsOutAndAbout calendar so you always can get ideas for free things to do with your kids that celebrate education and imagination. KidsOutAndAbout.com takes this opportunity to salute the wonderful children's librarians who serve our community with such dedication. They're proud that locals voted them #4 in best places to take kids this year!
14. Bounce! Trampoline Sports
Bounce! Trampoline Sports is the area's most exciting new entertainment and sports venue! Burn fat, tone muscles, get fit and have fun on our 10,000 square feet of interconnected trampolines. We also feature a multilevel soft play for ages 4 to 12, and a ninja course with obstacles to climb over and around. Pay us a visit or book your next party with us!
15. Hudson Valley Renegades
High-A Affiliate of the New York Yankees. Home is Heritage Financial Park. An organization brimming with laughter, fun and a million memories created since 1994...Minor League Baseball and Family entertainment at its best.
16. Catskill Mountain Railroad
Enjoy a 1h 15min scenic trip through the historic Hudson Valley City of Kingston. All trains are round-trip from Westbrook Station at Kingston Plaza and travel across the Hurley Flats. Visit our website at www.CMRRevents.com. Easter trains, Summer event trains, Autumn trains, Haunted Trains, Special Steam trains, and Polar Express.
17. Fishkill Farms
Fishkill Farms is a 270-acre apple orchard and vegetable farm located in East Fishkill, New York, that has been in the Morgenthau family for over 100 years. Our homegrown organic vegetables and eco-certified fruit can be found year-round at our farm store and through our seasonal pick-your-own operation, as well as our CSA program and several farmer’s markets in the Hudson Valley and New York City. Starting with peas and strawberries in the spring and culminating with apples and pumpkins in the fall, the farm provides family-friendly outdoor fun for the local community.
18. Gravity Vault Indoor Rock Gyms
Rock climbing is fun and a great workout! Come in and climb our 35 foot high top rope walls with one of our awesome instructors! We offer a variety of kids rock climbing programs including private climbing sessions, summer camps, birthday parties, kids' classes, school break camps, group events and more! Check out our website for a full list of our offerings. Try out rock climbing with our most popular program, our one-hour staff-belayed climbing session - climbers are paired with one of our experienced instructors for a session tailored to the climber's interests and abilities. This program is great for both kids and adults! We recommend calling to book a reservation in advance: (845) 462-1920.
19. Catskill Animal Sanctuary
Catskill Animal Sanctuary rescues farm animals from cruelty and neglect, and educates the public about how they can live a more compassionate lifestyle. And in the summer they run a camp to teach kids about farm animals.
20. Hudson River Maritime Museum
The Hudson River Maritime Museum preserves and interprets the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries, and related industries. For more information, please call 845.338.0071, e-mail info@hrmm.org, or visit our website at www.hrmm.org
Winners in Special Categories
In the second part of our survey, we asked readers to select their favorites in several categories. Here were their choices.Top Arts Educator: Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Bethel Woods Center for the Arts' team of teaching artists present-year round programming for families, children, adults, and the community, all with a goal to celebrate our past and inspire a future of creativity and positive impact. With a history of identifying and cultivating young artists. Bethel Woods is a place to gather, engage and share creative experiences. Kids and teens learn new skills, create art they are proud of, and connect with others to form friendships and future networks.
Top Sports Educator: YMCA
The YMCA of Middletown is a community based not for profit organization dedicated to putting Judeo–Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all. Currently, we operate primarily out of three facilities including our main branch and association headquarters in Middletown known as the YMCA of Middletown, the South Orange Family YMCA (nicknamed "SOFY") in Monroe, and The Center For Youth Programs in Middletown- the home of our First Step Preschool, our summer day camp in Middletown and many other youth programs.
Top STEM Educator: Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum
The Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum offers people the opportunity to learn in a no-pressure, fun-filled, self-motivating setting. This type of learning is known as informal learning.
