# Things to Do in Queens With Kids: Flushing Meadows to Rockaway

*Queens is the borough most visitors fly into and skip. Here are 15 places across it, from the science museum to a farm with a corn maze, with the subway stop, the price and the stroller situation checked.*

By Dan Fitzpatrick, Boroughs & Brood. Updated Monday, October 5, 2026. Canonical: https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/things-to-do-in-queens-with-kids.html

Good for: All ages, Mixed costs, Queens.

**The short answer:** The best things to do in Queens with kids are NYSCI, the Queens Zoo and the Playground for All Children, all in Flushing Meadows Corona Park and all reached by the 7 train. For quieter or cheaper days, try Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City (free), Queens County Farm Museum in Glen Oaks (free entry, pumpkin patch and corn maze this month) and the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge near Broad Channel.

Most visitors land in Queens (JFK and LaGuardia are both here) and promptly leave it, which is a shame, because the best things to do in Queens with kids are cheaper, calmer and roomier than their Manhattan equivalents. This guide covers 15 places across the borough, with the subway stop, price and stroller situation checked on each venue's own pages in early October 2026. A few are big names. Several you won't have heard of.

Queens is enormous and the subway mostly points at Manhattan, so pick one corner a day. Flushing Meadows is the big one. Astoria and Long Island City make an easy second. The beach, the bird refuge, the farm and the carousel each deserve their own trip, and I'd rather you knew that now than at 4pm on the platform.

> Rule for Queens: one corner per day. The borough does not care that two places look close on the map.

## Things to do in Queens with kids: the quick version

- Best science day: NYSCI in Corona, with the Queens Zoo and the Playground for All Children close by.
- Best free: Socrates Sculpture Park or Gantry Plaza State Park, both on the Long Island City waterfront.
- Best small-child budget day: the Queens Zoo ($7.95 for ages 3 to 12).
- Best surprise: the Louis Armstrong House, for kids who can stand still for 45 minutes.
- Best farm: Queens County Farm Museum, free to enter, with a pumpkin patch and a corn maze.
- Best nature: the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, a 0.75 mile walk from the A train at Broad Channel.

Elevators break. Before relying on any accessible station below, check the MTA's live elevator status. Where I say a station is accessible, the MTA's own list says so.

## Flushing Meadows Corona Park

The park is the size of a small country, built for two World's Fairs and now mostly soccer fields, lakes and school groups. The 7 train serves it at 111 St and Mets-Willets Point. Neither is accessible per the MTA, so expect stairs. Junction Blvd is on the accessible list but sits about 0.9 mile from the science museum.

### New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) (Corona, Queens)

The big hands-on science museum, where strollers are allowed throughout the building, which is more than most museums manage. The free window is Friday from 2pm to 5pm, but you need a reservation, and those open online on Friday mornings from 9am. Set an alarm.

It also runs a mini golf course (Rocket Park) as a $6 add-on. Mini golf with a six-year-old is a sport in which the ball is, at best, a suggestion.

- Subway: 7 to 111 St, about a third of a mile (not accessible per the MTA)
- Stroller: Allowed throughout the building
- Restrooms: All public restrooms are wheelchair accessible
- Cost: Adults $22, ages 2 to 17 $19, seniors $19. Free Fridays 2pm to 5pm with a reservation
- Time: 2 to 3 hours with a five-year-old
- Check first: Buy ahead; open Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm, last entry 4pm
- Website: https://nysci.org/

### Queens Zoo (Flushing Meadows, Queens)

A small zoo, which is the charm: sea lions, a walk-through aviary and a size a four-year-old can finish before the meltdown. At $7.95 for ages 3 to 12 it is also cheap. Every guest needs a date-specific ticket, every day, including the free under-3s. The zoo's page also advertises a Day of the Dead celebration this fall (meet and greets, story time, face painting) but gave no dates, so check.

- Subway: 7 to 111 St or Mets-Willets Point, both about 0.6 mile (neither accessible per the MTA)
- Cost: Adults (13+) $10.95, seniors $8.95, ages 3 to 12 $7.95, 2 and under free
- Time: 1.5 to 2 hours
- Check first: Open 10am to 5pm weekdays, 5:30pm weekends until October 31, then 4:30pm daily; last entry 1 hour before closing
- Website: https://queenszoo.com/

### Queens Museum (Flushing Meadows, Queens)

Pay what you wish, and free for children 12 and under. The star for kids is the Panorama of the City of New York, a huge detailed model with Roosevelt Island in the middle and the Queensboro Bridge and Manhattan's skyline in view. Children hunt for their own street from above. Parents like it because it's indoors and the kids stay roughly where you left them.

From Mets-Willets Point it's a 15 minute walk down a tree-lined path, with the Unisphere on the way, so you get a free photo stop with a very large steel globe.

- Subway: 7 to Mets-Willets Point, then about a 15 minute walk past the Unisphere (not accessible per the MTA)
- Cost: Pay what you wish, suggested $8 adults, $6 seniors and students; 12 and under free
- Time: 1 hour with a five-year-old, plus the walk
- Check first: Closed Monday and Tuesday; Wednesday to Friday 12pm to 5pm, weekends 11am to 5pm, last entry 4:30pm
- Website: https://queensmuseum.org/

### Playground for All Children (Flushing Meadows, Queens)

The first playground in the country built for disabled and able-bodied children together, opened in 1984. NYC Parks describes accessible equipment for ages 3 to 12, including swings, slides, a suspension bridge and a nature trail, and lists it as seasonal, April through November. It's on 111th Street, the same street as NYSCI, so a tired child can go from one to the other without anyone checking a map. Free, and the rare playground that needs no ticket, reservation or negotiation.

- Subway: 7 to 111 St, about a third of a mile (not accessible per the MTA)
- Cost: Free
- Time: 45 minutes to an hour
- Check first: Seasonal: April through November, per NYC Parks
- Lesser known: yes
- Website: https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fmcp/highlights/12639

## Flushing and Corona: a garden and a jazz house

### Queens Botanical Garden (Flushing, Queens)

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 8am to 6pm from April to October and 8am to 4:30pm from November to March. Paid admission runs April 1 to December 15: adults $6, seniors and students $4, ages 4 to 12 $2, under 3 free. (Three-year-olds fall into a gap the page doesn't explain, so ask.) It's free from December 16 to March 31.

There's a Children's Garden, but the page I read lists no pumpkin or Halloween events this month. From the 7 train it's eight blocks south on Main Street, or take the Q44 SBS or Q20 bus.

- Subway: 7 to Flushing-Main St (accessible per the MTA), then the Q44 SBS or Q20A/B bus, or walk eight blocks south
- Cost: Adults $6, seniors/students $4, ages 4 to 12 $2, under 3 free (to December 15)
- Time: 1 to 1.5 hours
- Check first: Parking is $8 on weekdays and $10 on weekends, if you drive
- Website: https://www.queensbotanical.org/

### Louis Armstrong House Museum (Corona, Queens)

The house where the jazz musician Louis Armstrong lived, now a museum. Tours are guided only: hourly from 11am to 3pm, Thursday to Saturday, groups of ten at most, about 45 minutes, with two sets of stairs, so leave the stroller. Be honest about your kids. A music-loving seven-year-old will be fine; a four-year-old who hasn't sat still since 2022 will not.

The house tour is $20 for adults and $14 for seniors, students and military, with children under 5 free. An exhibits-only ticket is $10. The Louis Armstrong Center has accessible restrooms.

- Subway: 7 to 103 St-Corona Plaza, about a 10 minute walk (not accessible per the MTA)
- Stroller: Two sets of stairs on the house tour; use a carrier
- Restrooms: In the Louis Armstrong Center, wheelchair accessible
- Cost: House tour adults $20, seniors/students $14, under 5 free; exhibits only $10
- Time: About 2 hours including the exhibits
- Check first: Thursday to Saturday 11am to 4pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year weeks
- Lesser known: yes
- Website: https://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/

## Astoria and Long Island City: film, sculpture and the river

### Museum of the Moving Image (Astoria, Queens)

A film and TV museum with workshops, tours and screenings for children, teens and families, plus free lobby and courtyard access during open hours under its Open Worlds program. Free admission is Thursday 2pm to 6pm, the sensible time for a restless child. Otherwise adults pay $20, seniors and students $12, ages 3 to 17 $10, and under 3s are free. It's open Thursday to Sunday only.

- Subway: M/R to Steinway St, or N/W to 36 Av (neither accessible per the MTA)
- Cost: Adults $20, seniors/students $12, ages 3 to 17 $10, under 3 free; Thursday 2pm to 6pm free
- Time: 1.5 to 2 hours
- Check first: Thursday 2pm to 6pm, Friday 2pm to 8pm, weekends 11am to 6pm; family program times on its calendar
- Website: https://www.movingimage.org/

### Gantry Plaza State Park (Long Island City, Queens)

Free, open daily from dawn to dusk, and the best view of Manhattan on this list. Restored industrial gantries stand at the water's edge, with playgrounds, a mist fountain, gardens and a fishing pier. The spray pad closes seasonally, so don't promise it in October. The river here is fast, cold and has no lifeguard: keep children behind the railings and away from the pier's edge.

- Subway: 7 to Vernon Blvd-Jackson Av, about a third of a mile (not accessible per the MTA)
- Cost: Free
- Time: 1 hour
- Check first: Spray pad closed for the season
- Website: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/gantryplaza/details.aspx

### Socrates Sculpture Park (Long Island City, Queens)

A free sculpture park on the waterfront, open from 9am to sunset every day, in its 40th year, with a pilot run of Outdoor Cinema and short film programs for kids (Cinema Kids). Kids get lawns to run on and very large objects to look up at (look, don't climb).

Next door, The Noguchi Museum (adults $16, Wednesday to Sunday 11am to 6pm) has Family Activity Guides, but its visit page doesn't list a child price, so check.

- Subway: N/W to Broadway, then about a 0.7 mile walk to the river (not accessible per the MTA)
- Cost: Free
- Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour
- Check first: Cinema Kids dates; Noguchi child price
- Lesser known: yes
- Website: https://www.socratessculpturepark.org/

## Rockaway and Jamaica Bay

### Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk (Rockaway, Queens)

The boardwalk runs from Beach 3rd Street to Beach 153rd Street, and the city's only legal surfing beaches are at Beach 67th to 69th and Beach 87th to 92nd Streets. NYC Parks lists playgrounds along the way.

Safety, plainly: lifeguards work from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, so there are none now. Don't swim, and keep children away from the surf, because rip currents don't take weekends off. The ride from Manhattan is long, so don't start it at 3pm with a four-year-old.

- Subway: A to Beach 67 St (accessible per the MTA), or A/S to Beach 90 St (not on the list)
- Cost: Free
- Time: Half a day, including the ride
- Check first: No lifeguards in October; check which sections have swimming restrictions
- Website: https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/rockaway-beach-and-boardwalk

### Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge (Broad Channel, Queens)

A National Park Service site, part of Gateway National Recreation Area, where the trails and parking are open daily from 6am to 9pm. There's a loop around West Pond with bird blinds, shorter trails around East Pond, and no bicycles on the trails. NY Metro Parents calls the West Pond trails flat gravel, good for strollers, and the better pick for small children.

The visitor center, the only place with restrooms, is open Friday to Monday, 10am to 4pm. Come on a Tuesday and you're on your own.

- Subway: A (Rockaway-bound) to Broad Channel, then about a 0.75 mile walk (not accessible per the MTA)
- Stroller: West Pond trails are flat gravel, per NY Metro Parents
- Restrooms: Only during visitor center hours
- Cost: No fee listed on the NPS page I read
- Time: 1 to 2 hours
- Check first: Visitor center open Friday to Monday only
- Lesser known: yes
- Website: https://home.nps.gov/gate/learn/historyculture/jamaica-bay-wildlife-refuge.htm

## Eastern Queens and the south: farm, pond, carousel, library

None of these is close to a subway line, and I'd rather say so than pretend. They're the places where a car, a bus or a local friend with a car makes the difference.

### Queens County Farm Museum (Glen Oaks, Queens)

A 47 acre farm at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, with free admission outside special events. The October pumpkin patch is open 1pm to 5pm on weekdays and 10am to 5pm on weekends, and the farm closes at 5pm sharp (15 minutes' grace). The Amazing Maize Maze, 3 acres shaped like the Statue of Liberty's torch, runs on weekends through November 1, per QNS, whose September roundup also had a tractor hayride at $6 a head.

Halloween on the Farm, on October 31, is for ticket holders only. If it's rained, wear boots.

- Subway: No subway nearby; take a bus or drive and use the MTA trip planner
- Cost: Free admission; hayride $6 per person (QNS, September 2026)
- Time: 1.5 to 2 hours
- Check first: Maze and event ticket prices, which weren't on the pages I read
- Lesser known: yes
- Website: https://www.queensfarm.org/

### Alley Pond Environmental Center (Douglaston, Queens)

A small nature center on Northern Boulevard with free entry, a suggested $5 donation, and trails and parking open dawn to dusk all year. The building is ADA accessible. Hours are mostly 9am to 4:30pm on weekdays and 9am to 1pm on weekends, so a 3pm Saturday visit won't work.

Its programs for 18 months to 4 year olds have names like Wee Sprouts, Toddler Time and Lil' Hoppers, and QNS's events listings show programs for ages 3 to 8 too.

- Subway: No subway; the nearest train is the LIRR Port Washington line at Douglaston, so check the walk
- Cost: Free; $5 donation suggested per person
- Time: 1 hour
- Check first: Program dates and prices on its calendar; weekend hours end at 1pm
- Lesser known: yes
- Website: https://www.alleypond.org/

### Forest Park Carousel (Woodhaven, Queens)

A century-old carousel that marked its 100th year in 2024, per QNS. Rides cost $3.50 a ticket, or three tickets for $10, according to the carousel's own site, and there's a free parking lot beside it. The site names the J and Z lines as the subway, but check the walk, because the carousel sits inside the park. Hours are on its calendar rather than a fixed schedule, so don't assume it turns on an October weekday.

- Subway: J/Z (per the carousel's site) to Woodhaven Blvd (accessible per the MTA) or 75 St-Elderts Ln; check the walk
- Cost: $3.50 per ride, 3 rides $10, 10 rides $30
- Time: 30 to 45 minutes
- Check first: Hours on its calendar, which changes by season
- Lesser known: yes
- Website: https://www.forestparkcarousel.com/

### Queens Public Library, Central Library (Jamaica, Queens)

The Central Library at 89-11 Merrick Boulevard is home to the Children's Library Discovery Center, the room to know about when it's cold, wet or someone needs a sit down. It's free, open until 8pm Monday to Thursday, 6pm Friday, 5pm Saturday and 12pm to 5pm Sunday. QNS also reported a renovated children's room at the Hillcrest branch in April.

- Subway: F to 169 St (not accessible per the MTA)
- Cost: Free
- Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour
- Check first: Children's program times on the library calendar
- Lesser known: yes
- Website: https://www.queenslibrary.org/about-us/locations/central-library

## A day plan, and what to skip

A first Queens day with kids: NYSCI in the morning, a picnic by the Unisphere, the Queens Zoo in the afternoon, then the 7 train home. That is genuinely enough. A second day: the N or W to Astoria for the Museum of the Moving Image, then a walk down to Socrates. A third day is Rockaway in June, not October.

What I'd skip with very small children: the Louis Armstrong tour, unless they like sitting still, and Rockaway on a cold day, because the weather out there is mostly wind. Food? Flushing and Astoria are where to look, but I haven't listed restaurants because I haven't checked their menus, and I won't put one in a guide until I have.

## Questions people ask

**What are the best things to do in Queens with kids?** The top picks are NYSCI, the Queens Zoo and the Playground for All Children in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. For something quieter, try Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, Queens County Farm Museum in Glen Oaks, or the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

**What is free to do in Queens with kids?** Socrates Sculpture Park, Gantry Plaza State Park, the Playground for All Children, Rockaway Beach and entry to Queens County Farm Museum. NYSCI is free on Fridays from 2pm to 5pm with a reservation, the Museum of the Moving Image on Thursdays from 2pm to 6pm, and the Queens Museum for ages 12 and under.

**What are the Queens Zoo hours and prices?** Until October 31 it opens 10am to 5pm on weekdays and 10am to 5:30pm on weekends. From November 1 it is 10am to 4:30pm daily. Tickets are $10.95 for adults, $8.95 for seniors, $7.95 for ages 3 to 12, and free for 2 and under, and every visitor needs a date-specific ticket.

**How do I get to NYSCI by subway?** Take the 7 train to 111 St, about a third of a mile from the museum. The station isn't on the MTA's accessible list, so check the MTA elevator status and have a plan if you're using a stroller. Junction Blvd is on the accessible list but is about 0.9 mile away.

**Can you take the subway to Rockaway Beach?** Yes: the A train runs to the Rockaways, with stops at Beach 67 St (accessible per the MTA) and Beach 90 St, among others. The ride from Manhattan is long, so go early.

**Is it safe to swim at Rockaway Beach in October?** No. NYC Parks lifeguards work from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, so there are no lifeguards in October. Stay out of the water, and keep children well back from the surf line.

## Sources

- NYSCI: visit: https://nysci.org/visit/
- Queens Zoo: tickets and hours: https://queenszoo.com/tickets
- Queens Museum: visit: https://queensmuseum.org/visit/
- Queens Museum: home page (Panorama): https://queensmuseum.org/
- NYC Parks: Flushing Meadows Corona Park playgrounds: https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/flushing-meadows-corona-park/facilities/playgrounds
- NYC Parks: Playground for All Children: https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fmcp/highlights/12639
- Queens Botanical Garden: https://www.queensbotanical.org/visit/
- Queens Botanical Garden: directions: https://www.queensbotanical.org/visit/directions/
- Louis Armstrong House Museum: visit: https://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/visit/
- Museum of the Moving Image: visit: https://www.movingimage.org/visit/
- New York State Parks: Gantry Plaza State Park: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/gantryplaza/details.aspx
- Socrates Sculpture Park: https://www.socratessculpturepark.org/
- The Noguchi Museum: visit: https://www.noguchi.org/visit/
- NYC Parks: Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk: https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/rockaway-beach-and-boardwalk
- National Park Service: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge: https://home.nps.gov/gate/learn/historyculture/jamaica-bay-wildlife-refuge.htm
- NY Metro Parents: what to do at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge with kids: https://www.nymetroparents.com/article/what-to-do-at-the-jamaica-bay-wildlife-reserve-with-kids
- Queens County Farm Museum: https://www.queensfarm.org/
- Queens Farm: pumpkin patch: https://www.queensfarm.org/queens-farm-pumpkin-patch/
- QNS: where to hop on a hayride in and around Queens (September 2026): https://qns.com/2026/09/where-to-hop-on-a-hayride-in-and-around-queens/
- QNS: Queens Farm Corn Fest and the Amazing Maize Maze (August 2026): https://qns.com/2026/08/queens-farm-corn-fest-launch-amazing-maize-maze/
- Alley Pond Environmental Center: http://www.alleypond.org/
- QNS events: family and kids listings: https://events.qns.com/
- Forest Park Carousel: https://www.forestparkcarousel.com/
- QNS: Forest Park Carousel and Bandshell mark 100 years in Woodhaven (June 2024): https://qns.com/2024/06/century-forest-park-carousel-bandshell-woodhaven/
- Queens Public Library: Central Library: https://www.queenslibrary.org/about-us/locations/central-library
- QNS: Hillcrest Library children's room renovation (April 2026): https://qns.com/2026/04/hillcrest-library-childrens-room-rozic/
- MTA: accessible stations: https://new.mta.info/accessibility/stations