Hanukkah in NYC With Kids 2026: Menorahs, Latkes and Family Days
Two giant menorahs, eight nights, a children's museum with a pretend kosher supermarket and an awful lot of fried potato. Here's how to plan Hanukkah 2026 in New York with kids.
The short answer
Hanukkah 2026 runs from sundown on Friday, December 4 to nightfall on Saturday, December 12, and the giant menorahs at Grand Army Plaza in Manhattan (Fifth Avenue and 59th Street) and Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn are lit free every night from December 4 to 11. For a family day, add the Jewish Museum (free for 18 and under), the Jewish Children's Museum in Crown Heights or the Museum at Eldridge Street, and finish with latkes or knishes on the Lower East Side.
Hanukkah in NYC with kids is easier to plan than it sounds, because the two big public events are fixed: giant menorahs at Grand Army Plaza in Manhattan and Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, lit every night of the holiday. In 2026 Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, December 4, and the last candle is lit on Friday, December 11. Around those two lightings you can fit a menorah-filled museum, a children's museum with a pretend kosher supermarket, a restored 1887 synagogue, and a lot of fried food.
A quick word on who's writing. We're a British family (Dan, Julia and two children, six and seven) who visit New York a lot, and this guide is for everybody: Jewish families planning the eight nights, visitors who want to see the lightings, and anyone who has heard there are doughnuts involved. Everything below was checked on the organizers' own pages this week. A lot of 2026 schedules aren't out yet, so where I've used last year's details to show the pattern, I've said so.
When is Hanukkah 2026, and what happens in NYC?
- First candle: Friday, December 4, 2026, at sundown. Eighth candle: Friday, December 11. The holiday ends at nightfall on Saturday, December 12.
- Both Grand Army Plaza menorahs are lit on each of the eight nights, December 4 to 11, according to NYC Tourism. Lighting times change from night to night.
- Two of the eight nights are Fridays and one is a Saturday, and that matters: in past years the Friday lightings were in the mid afternoon, before Shabbat, and the Saturday lighting was late in the evening, after it ends.
- Museums and community centers hold family days, concerts and craft sessions, mostly on the weekends of December 5 and 6 and December 12 and 13. Many 2026 dates were not yet posted when we checked.
- Schools are open as usual. Hanukkah is not a public school holiday, so the after-school lightings are the ones to aim for.
The giant menorah lightings
This is the main event, and it's free. Two 32-foot steel menorahs, each weighing about 4,000 pounds by NYC Tourism's count, go up at two plazas that happen to share a name: one at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street by the corner of Central Park, the other at the top of Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Both have been running for decades and both claim a superlative, which is a very New York way to celebrate a festival of lights.
World's Largest Menorah, Grand Army Plaza, Manhattan
The Manhattan menorah stands in Grand Army Plaza on Fifth Avenue between 58th and 59th Streets, across from the Plaza Hotel and a few steps from the southeast corner of Central Park. The Lubavitch Youth Organization put up the first public menorah here in 1977, and each night the lighting is done from a crane, with someone lifted to the top of the menorah to light it. It is free and there are no tickets: you just turn up and stand on the sidewalk with everyone else.
The 2026 times weren't posted when we checked, so here's last year's pattern as a guide. In 2025 the weekday lightings were at 5:30pm, the Friday one at 3:45pm and the Saturday one at 8:30pm, according to a Fox 5 report. Expect something similar this year and confirm before you go. A 5:30pm start in December means full darkness, cold hands and very good views of the flames, so wear the big coat and bring the gloves you think are excessive (they are not).
Practical
- Subway
- N/R/W to 5 Av/59 St (not accessible); the nearest accessible stops are 57 St-7 Av (N/Q/R/W) and 59 St-Columbus Circle; check the MTA's elevator status before relying on one
- Stroller
- Fine on the plaza, but crowds build just before the lighting
- Restrooms
- None on the plaza; plan a stop beforehand
- Cost
- Free
- Time
- About 30 minutes
- Check first
- Nightly times for December 4 to 11; Friday lightings are early, Saturday's is late
Grand Army Plaza Menorah by Prospect Park
Brooklyn's menorah stands at Grand Army Plaza, by the arch at the top of Prospect Park, and Chabad of Park Slope has lit it there since 1985. It is the more family-flavored of the two. NYC Tourism lists live music, hot latkes and gifts for children at the Brooklyn lightings, and the rabbi lights the candles from a boom lift high above the plaza, which small children watch with the intensity of people expecting him to take off.
Again, 2026 times weren't up when we checked. In 2024 the Prospect Park Alliance listed an opening-night concert at 4pm, a Friday lighting at 3:30pm, a Saturday lighting at 7:15pm and the other nights at 5pm or 6pm. Grand Army Plaza is a big traffic circle, so hold hands crossing to the menorah and use the crosswalks; drivers here are concentrating on the circle, not on you.
Practical
- Subway
- 2/3 to Grand Army Plaza and B/Q to 7 Av (neither accessible); Eastern Pkwy-Brooklyn Museum (2/3) is accessible and about a 10-minute walk; check the MTA's elevator status before relying on one
- Stroller
- Fine; the plaza is flat but busy with traffic around it
- Restrooms
- Central Library across the plaza is open until 9pm Monday to Thursday
- Cost
- Free
- Time
- 30 to 45 minutes
- Check first
- Nightly times on Chabad of Park Slope's schedule page
Central Library at Grand Army Plaza
Here's my tip for the Brooklyn lighting: arrive early and wait in the library, not on the plaza. The Central Library sits right on Grand Army Plaza at number 10, a two-minute walk from the menorah, and it is open 9am to 9pm Monday to Thursday and 9am to 6pm on Friday and Saturday. The library lists the building as fully accessible.
It solves three problems at once: somewhere warm, somewhere to sit, and a restroom before you stand outside for half an hour. Grab a pile of picture books, read until ten minutes before lighting time, then walk out into the cold like seasoned professionals. On Sundays it opens only from 1pm to 5pm, so check the time against the lighting.
Practical
- Subway
- 2/3 to Grand Army Plaza (not accessible); Eastern Pkwy-Brooklyn Museum (2/3) is accessible; check the MTA's elevator status before relying on one
- Stroller
- Fine; listed as fully accessible
- Restrooms
- Ask staff when you arrive
- Cost
- Free
- Time
- As long as the wait for the lighting
- Check first
- Sunday hours are 1pm to 5pm; holiday closures on the library's site
Fridays are the trick question. Hanukkah candles on Friday go up before Shabbat, so the lighting can be at half past three, when you're still deciding where to have lunch.
Smaller public lightings happen all over the city too, usually run by a local Chabad center or a business district. In 2024, for example, New York Family listed lightings at Bell Tower Park in Riverdale, at the Seaport, at Union Square and at Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City. The 2026 versions are announced late, often in the last week of November, so check your neighborhood's listings then.
Hanukkah family days at museums
The Jewish Museum
The Jewish Museum, at 1109 Fifth Avenue at 92nd Street, is the best bet for a Hanukkah day out indoors. Its Hanukkah Family Day in 2025 (Sunday, December 14) ran from 11am to 3:30pm for ages 3 and up, with two concerts, a display of more than 130 menorahs from around the world, shadow puppets, light sculptures and a story nook. It was $24 for adults and free for anyone 18 and under. The 2026 date wasn't posted when we checked, so keep an eye on the calendar from November.
Outside special days, children 18 and under always get in free, adults pay $24, and Saturdays are free for everyone. The museum is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, which is the kind of detail that catches out a visiting family on a Tuesday morning with a plan. It also has a family concert on Sunday, November 22 at 11:30am, a good warm-up before the holiday.
Practical
- Subway
- 6 to 96 St (not accessible); the Q at 96 St and 86 St on Second Avenue is accessible, four avenues east; check the MTA's elevator status before relying on one
- Stroller
- Fine; oversized strollers may be restricted in some galleries
- Restrooms
- Accessible restrooms on the 4th floor
- Cost
- Adults $24; 18 and under free; Saturdays free
- Time
- 1.5 to 2 hours, longer on a family day
- Check first
- Closed Tuesday and Wednesday; coats must be worn or checked; 2026 Hanukkah Family Day date
Jewish Children's Museum
The Jewish Children's Museum at 792 Eastern Parkway, Crown Heights, is built entirely for kids, and most visitors from outside Brooklyn have never heard of it. Several floors of hands-on exhibits include a pretend kosher supermarket, a mini golf course called 6 Holes of Life, and a walk through Jewish history aimed at children. A Mommy Poppins listing gives admission as $19 for children and $17 for adults, and lists a Hanukkah Family Fest with doughnut decorating, an olive oil workshop and bath bomb making for ages 2 to 14.
We couldn't load the museum's own visit page, so confirm hours and prices by phone (718-907-8833) before you travel. In 2024 New York Family listed its Hanukkah hours as 10am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 5:30pm on Sunday, which suggests Friday and Saturday are not the days to try. It's four stops east of the Brooklyn menorah on the 3 train (Grand Army Plaza to Kingston Av), so the two make a tidy afternoon.
Practical
- Subway
- 3 to Kingston Av (not accessible); Crown Hts-Utica Av (3/4) is accessible; check the MTA's elevator status before relying on one
- Stroller
- Ask on the phone before you go
- Restrooms
- In the museum
- Cost
- About $19 children, $17 adults; confirm by phone
- Time
- 2 to 3 hours
- Check first
- Hours and prices by phone; likely closed Friday afternoon and Saturday
Museum at Eldridge Street
The Eldridge Street Synagogue opened in 1887 and is now a National Historic Landmark and a museum, at 12 Eldridge Street just off Canal Street. The main sanctuary, with its huge rose window, gets a gasp out of adults and a surprisingly respectful hush out of children. Guided History and Culture tours take 45 to 60 minutes, and the museum runs scavenger hunts for kids on tours.
Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, $8 for children 5 to 17 and free under 5, and it's pay what you wish on Mondays and Fridays. It's open 10am to 5pm Sunday to Friday and closed on Saturdays. In 2024 it held a Hanukkah concert called Jazzukkah ($5 to $30, free under 5), so check its events calendar for a 2026 version. The first-floor gallery is closed for renovation, but the museum is open.
Practical
- Subway
- F to East Broadway or B/D to Grand St, both about 5 minutes and neither accessible; check the MTA's elevator status before relying on one
- Stroller
- Ask when booking; wheeled bags are not permitted
- Restrooms
- Ask on arrival
- Cost
- Adults $15; children 5 to 17 $8; under 5 free; pay what you wish Mondays and Fridays
- Time
- About 1 hour
- Check first
- Closed Saturdays; book tours ahead; first-floor gallery closed for renovation
Tenement Museum
The Tenement Museum at 103 Orchard Street shows how immigrant families lived in recreated apartments, Jewish families among them, and it fits neatly into a Lower East Side Hanukkah day. Visits are by guided tour only, $30 a person per tour (plus a $3 fee per ticket if you book online), and most tours last 60 to 90 minutes.
The age rules matter. Most apartment tours aren't open to children under 5; the museum says its Confinos tour is designed for younger children, and another apartment tour is recommended for 5 and up. Walking tours are open to all ages. For a six- and seven-year-old I'd pick the Confinos tour and keep the walking tour for a year when legs are longer.
Practical
- Subway
- F to Delancey St or J/M/Z to Delancey St-Essex St (not accessible); check the MTA's elevator status before relying on one
- Stroller
- Ask the museum; apartment tours are in old buildings
- Restrooms
- At the visitor center
- Cost
- $30 per tour, plus $3 per ticket online
- Time
- 60 to 90 minutes per tour
- Check first
- Age guidance for each tour; visitor center open 10am to 6pm daily
Museum of Jewish Heritage
The Museum of Jewish Heritage, at 36 Battery Place, is a Holocaust memorial museum, so think carefully about it with young children. The core exhibition is not aimed at them. Its exhibition Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark is the museum's first made for visitors 9 and up, telling the story of how Danes helped thousands of Jewish neighbors escape by boat, and for an older child it's a powerful way to talk about light in dark times.
It's open 10am to 5pm on Sunday and Wednesday, 10am to 8pm on Thursday and 10am to 3pm on Friday, and closed Monday, Tuesday and Saturday. Admission prices are on its admission page. With a six-year-old I'd skip it this year and walk along the water to the Battery instead.
Practical
- Subway
- 4/5 to Bowling Green (accessible), about a 10-minute walk; check the MTA's elevator status before relying on one
- Stroller
- Check with the museum
- Restrooms
- In the museum
- Cost
- See the admission page
- Time
- 1 to 2 hours
- Check first
- Closed Monday, Tuesday and Saturday; Courage to Act is for ages 9 and up
See also More museums that work for kids in NYC →
Latkes, sufganiyot and knishes: where to eat on Hanukkah
Hanukkah food is fried on purpose, in honor of the oil that lasted eight days, and New York's Lower East Side has been frying things since before your grandparents were born. Three of the places below are on the same short stretch of East Houston Street, so you can do a latke, a knish and a candy shop in one walk without anybody's legs giving out (in theory).
Russ & Daughters
The original Russ & Daughters shop at 179 East Houston Street is open every day from 8am to 4pm, and the system is simple: take a number and wait. Its sit-down cafe is at 127 Orchard Street (no reservations), and there are branches at the Brooklyn Navy Yard (141 Flushing Avenue) and at 502 West 34th Street near Hudson Yards.
Latkes are part of its holiday offering; the shop's own site shows them, and a 6sqft round-up in 2020 listed its latkes and chocolate gelt for Hanukkah. Check the menu on the day. The line at holiday time can be long, and a small child holding a paper number for 20 minutes is either a lesson in patience or a lesson in why we don't fold paper numbers into tiny squares.
Practical
- Subway
- F to 2 Av (not accessible); check the MTA's elevator status before relying on one
- Stroller
- The shop is small; fold it or wait outside in turns
- Restrooms
- None for the shop; the cafe has them for diners
- Cost
- Varies; check the menu
- Time
- 20 to 45 minutes with the line
- Check first
- Shop hours 8am to 4pm; cafe takes no reservations
Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery
Yonah Schimmel has been making knishes since 1910 and is at 137 East Houston Street, a block west of Russ & Daughters. The knishes are hand-rolled and baked fresh daily, with potato as the classic plus mushroom, garlic potato, mixed vegetable and sweet ones. It's open every day from 10:30am to 6pm.
A potato knish is basically a latke that went to finishing school: same comfort, easier to eat on a cold sidewalk with a mitten on. It's a good choice for a child who regards any visible onion as a personal insult, because the classic potato is about as plain and warm as food gets.
Practical
- Subway
- F to 2 Av (not accessible); check the MTA's elevator status before relying on one
- Stroller
- Small space; fold it
- Restrooms
- Ask staff
- Cost
- Prices on the menu page
- Time
- 20 minutes
- Check first
- Open daily 10:30am to 6pm
Economy Candy
Economy Candy at 108 Rivington Street is a floor-to-ceiling candy shop that has been on the Lower East Side for decades, and it has a kosher section with candy and chocolate by the pound. If your Hanukkah plans include gelt for dreidel games, this is the shop I'd try first. The shop's site doesn't list hours or say what Hanukkah stock it carries, so call ahead (212-254-1531).
Set a budget before you walk in. Not a vague one. A number. Children in a room of candy have the negotiating skills of a seasoned diplomat and none of the restraint.
Practical
- Subway
- F to Delancey St or J/M/Z to Delancey St-Essex St (not accessible); check the MTA's elevator status before relying on one
- Stroller
- Tight aisles; fold it if it's busy
- Restrooms
- None we could confirm
- Cost
- Pay by weight or item
- Time
- 15 minutes, or 45 if you let the children choose
- Check first
- Call for hours and gelt stock
Breads Bakery, Union Square
Breads Bakery, at 18 East 16th Street by Union Square, is famous for its chocolate babka (New York Magazine named it the best in the city), and it has shared tables for eating in. In past Hanukkah seasons it has sold sufganiyot, the jam-filled doughnuts, in several flavors, along with latkes; 6sqft reported four sufganiyot flavors in 2020, and that pre-orders sold out early.
The 2026 Hanukkah menu wasn't posted when we checked. Call the shop (212-633-2253) from about the start of December. A sufganiyah is powdered sugar wearing a doughnut, so dress children in something dark and forgiving.
Practical
- Subway
- N/Q/R/W and L to 14 St-Union Sq (accessible on those lines); check the MTA's elevator status before relying on one
- Stroller
- Fine; the shop gets busy at lunch
- Restrooms
- Ask staff
- Cost
- Check the menu on the day
- Time
- 20 to 30 minutes
- Check first
- Hanukkah items and pre-orders from early December; other branches at Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center, the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side and Brooklyn Bridge Park
See also Kid-friendly restaurants in NYC →
A one-day Hanukkah plan in NYC with kids
If you only have one day, this is the one I'd do with our two, using last year's patterns for the timings. It works best Sunday to Thursday, avoiding the early Friday lighting and the Saturday closures.
- Late morning: the Museum at Eldridge Street for the sanctuary and a tour (closed Saturdays).
- Lunch: a knish on East Houston Street, then Russ & Daughters before the 4pm close.
- Afternoon: the F train uptown, or a warm-up at the Jewish Museum if it's not a Tuesday or Wednesday.
- Late afternoon: walk to Fifth Avenue and 59th Street for the lighting, with hot chocolate in hand.
- Brooklyn version: the Jewish Children's Museum in the afternoon, the 3 train four stops back to Grand Army Plaza, the Central Library to warm up, then the menorah at Grand Army Plaza.
A word on the weather, because December in New York has opinions. The plaza lightings are outdoors, in the dark, often in wind. Hats, gloves and a thermos of something warm make the difference between a lovely memory and a seven-year-old announcing that his toes have left the family. There's no rain plan for a lighting except a good umbrella, and an umbrella in a crowd is mostly a hazard, so a waterproof hood is better.
Combining Hanukkah with the rest of December
The Manhattan menorah is a short walk from Central Park's southeast corner and about 15 minutes on foot from Rockefeller Center, so it slots neatly into a December evening of windows and lights. The Rockefeller Center tree lighting is on Wednesday, December 2, two days before Hanukkah begins. In Brooklyn, Lightscape at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden opens November 20, a short walk from the Grand Army Plaza menorah if you've booked timed tickets.
See also Holiday train shows and light shows in NYC with kids →
See also What's on for families in December in the Almanac →
Checked October 27, 2026. The menorah dates come from NYC Tourism and the museum details from each organizer's own page; nightly lighting times and most 2026 Hanukkah family events weren't published yet, so where I've used 2024 or 2025 details I've said so. Check before you go.
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Questions people ask
When is the Hanukkah menorah lighting in NYC in 2026?
The giant menorahs at Grand Army Plaza in Manhattan (Fifth Avenue and 59th Street) and Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn are lit every night of Hanukkah, from Friday, December 4 to Friday, December 11, 2026. Times change each night, with early afternoon lightings on Fridays and later ones on Saturday, so check the organizers' schedules.
Where is the largest menorah in NYC?
The menorah billed as the World's Largest Menorah stands at Grand Army Plaza on Fifth Avenue at 59th Street in Manhattan, and Brooklyn's Largest Menorah stands at Grand Army Plaza by Prospect Park. NYC Tourism describes both as 32 feet high.
When is Hanukkah 2026?
Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown on Friday, December 4, and ends at nightfall on Saturday, December 12. The eighth candle is lit on Friday, December 11.
What Hanukkah events are there for kids in NYC?
The nightly menorah lightings are free, and the Brooklyn one has had live music, latkes and gifts for children. The Jewish Museum runs a Hanukkah Family Day for ages 3 and up, and the Jewish Children's Museum in Crown Heights has held a Hanukkah family festival; check both for 2026 dates.
Are there free Hanukkah events in Brooklyn?
Yes. The menorah lighting at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn is free every night of Hanukkah, and local Chabad centers hold free neighborhood lightings that are usually announced in late November.
Where can you get sufganiyot in NYC?
Breads Bakery near Union Square has sold sufganiyot in several flavors in past Hanukkah seasons, and pre-orders have sold out early. Call the bakery from early December to check the 2026 menu.
Is the Jewish Museum free for kids?
Yes. Children 18 and under get in free, and admission is free for everyone on Saturdays. Adult tickets are $24, and the museum is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Sources and further reading
Facts checked against 19 pages on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Opening times and prices change, so confirm with the venue.
Show the sources
- NYC Tourism: Lighting of the World's Largest Hanukkah Menorah
- Chabad of Park Slope: Brooklyn's Largest Menorah
- Prospect Park Alliance: Grand Army Plaza Menorah Lighting (2024 listing)
- Fox 5 New York: World's largest menorah lighting dates and times (2025)
- Wikipedia: World's Largest Menorah
- Brooklyn Public Library: Central Library
- The Jewish Museum: Visit
- The Jewish Museum: Hanukkah Family Day 2025
- Mommy Poppins: Hanukkah Family Fest at the Jewish Children's Museum
- Mommy Poppins: Jewish museums in NYC for kids
- New York Family: Hanukkah events for families in NYC (2024)
- Museum at Eldridge Street: Visit
- Tenement Museum: FAQs
- Museum of Jewish Heritage
- Russ & Daughters: Locations
- Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery
- Economy Candy
- Breads Bakery: Union Square
- 6sqft: Places in NYC to get latkes and takeout for Hanukkah (2020)
