101 Family Day Trips and Staycation Ideas Around Long Island | Kids Out and About Long Island <

101 Family Day Trips and Staycation Ideas Around Long Island

Remember, it's always best to follow each link to get details about your visit directly from your destination, since some places operate seasonally or by reservation, as well as to check each venue's COVID requirements (masks, limits, social distancing).

Free activities and splurges that are worth it. The coolest stuff for a staycation in town and road trips for less than a tank of gas from Long Island. Kids Out And About has tons of ideas for family travel, with places to explore, learn, and have fun!

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Explore Gardens and Sculpture Parks

  Bailey Arboretum
Clark Botanic Garden
Queens Botanical Garden
Sculpture Garden at the Nassau County Museum of Art
Socrates Scupture Park
Lavender By the Bay

 

Get Wild on a Hike

  Avalon Park & Preserve
Belmont Lake State Park
Bethpage State Park
Blydenburgh County Park
Brookside Preserve
Caleb Smith State Park Preserve

 

Time Travel Today

  William Floyd House
Long Island Museum of American Art, History, and Carriages
Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site
Southampton Historical Museum
Southold Indian Museum

 

Make Life a Beach

West Meadow Beach
Rogers Beach
Nickerson Beach
Orient Beach State Park
Foster Memorial Town Beach

 

Splash into Some Water Fun

Splish Splash Water Park
Shipwreck Cove Spray Park
Centereach Pool
Phelps Lane Pool
Tanner Park
Keansburg Amusement Park & Runaway Rapids

 

Spend the Day at a Museum

 

Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum

Children's Museum of the East End
Islip Art Museum
Asia Society and Museum
African American Museum and Center for Applied Art
The Hispanic Society of America - New York
Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian - George Gustav Heye Center - New York
The Studio Museum in Harlem - New York

 

Explore These Cities

  Long Beach, New York
Oyster Bay, New York
New York City, New York
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Hartford, Connecticut

 

All Aboard Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (and Boats!)

  Railroad Museum of Long Island
Long Island Maritime Museum
Montauk Point Lighthouse Museum
American Airpower Museum
Discovery Wetlands Cruise
The Marine Museum
East End Seaport Museum and Marine Foundation
Cradle of Aviation Museum

 

Grow Some Fun at the Farm

  Hallockville Museum Farm
Lewin Farms
May's Farm
Windy Acres Farm
Patty's Berries and Bunches
Seven Ponds Orchard
Wickham's Fruit Farm
Lilymoore Alpaca and Llama Farm

 

Play Ball!

  Long Island Ducks
Long Island Nets
Long Island Rough Riders
New York Mets
New York Yankees
New York Cosmos

 

Treat Yo' Self

Coyle's Ice Cream
McNulty Ice Cream Parlor
  Snowflake Ice Cream
Hicksville Sweet Shop
Itgen's Ice Cream Parlour
Chocolate Works
Sweeties Candy Cottage
The Candy Shop
Emile's Candies
Ice Cream Cottage
Bridgehampton Candy Kitchen

 

Connect with Nature

South Fork Natural History Museum & Nature Center
South Shore Nature Center
  Sweetbriar Nature Center
Jones Beach Nature Center
Connetquot River State Park Preserve

 

Amuse Yourself at These Amusement Parks

  Tiki Action Park
Country Fair Entertainment
Adventureland
Bayville Adventure Park

 

Talk to the Animals

  The Animal Farm Petting Zoo
Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium
Trailside Museums And Zoo at Bear Mountain State Park
Long Island Aquarium
Bronx Zoo

 

Explore the Globe Close to Home

  Vanderbilt Museum
The Ward Melville Heritage Organization Education & Cultural Center
Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County
The Ukrainian Museum
The Jewish Museum

 

Let's Go Chasing Waterfalls

New Croton Dam Falls
Indian Brook Falls
  Fawn's Leap Falls

 

Get Active Indoors

  Pump it Up
Bounce! Family Entertainment Center
Active Kidz Long Island
Laser Bounce Family Fun Center
Jumptown USA
Planet Play
Xplore Port Jefferson
Kanga's Indoor Playcenter and Cafe
Brooklyn Boulders

 

Challenge Yourself

  ARTrageous
Dinni's Art Studio
Haven Art Studio
Island Pottery and Studio
Sketchbook Studio

 

Shop Your Heart Out

  Roosevelt Field
Walt Whitman Mall
Westfield Sunrise
Smith Haven Mall
Green Acres Mall

 

 

Limiting our list to 101 ideas meant some great destinations may have been left off the list - if there is something you’d like to see added, share it with us on Facebook!


Most of these destinations are within an hour from Central Long Island. For those that are a bit farther away:

             = Less than 1 hour away

          = 1 to 2 hours away

       = 2 to 3 hours away

   = Just over 3 hours away