Science and museum events for kids in New York City: the next two months

Thursday, October 8, 2026

• Animal Encounters

  2:30pm, Brooklyn Children's Museum, Crown Heights, Brooklyn
  Subway: C to Kingston-Throop Aves or 3 to Kingston Av

  A guided program with live animals led by museum staff. The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm. Organizer

Sunday, October 18, 2026

• Access Family Program: Dressing for the Job, Intrepid Style

  11am, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan
  Subway: A/C/E to 42 St-Port Authority Bus Terminal, then the M42 bus west

  A children's session on why gear is built for safety and survival, part of the museum's Access Family Program series. Check the Intrepid page for eligibility and registration. Organizer

Friday, October 23, 2026

• Library Lab: Spooky Science

  3:30pm, Brooklyn Heights Library, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn · Free
  Subway: 2/3/4/5 to Borough Hall

  A monthly Library Lab session with Halloween-themed science experiments for school-age kids. No registration needed. Organizer

Saturday, October 24, 2026

• Autumn Starfest

  7pm, Inwood Hill Nature Center, Inwood, Manhattan · Free
  Subway: 1 to 215 St or A to Inwood-207 St

  The Urban Park Rangers and the Amateur Astronomers Association host the annual fall stargazing night in Inwood Hill Park. Dress warmly. Organizer

Sunday, October 25, 2026

• Geology: Central Park Rocks!

  1pm, Harlem Meer, Central Park, Central Park, Manhattan · Free
  Subway: 2/3 to Central Park North-110 St

  A Ranger-led look at the geology under Central Park and how the rock shaped the park's design. Organizer

Saturday, October 31, 2026

• Creepy Crawly Halloween

  10am, Audubon Center at the Boathouse, Prospect Park, Prospect Park, Brooklyn · Free
  Subway: B/Q to Prospect Park

  Prospect Park Alliance's Halloween day at the Audubon Center looks at the creatures that give people the creeps, with activities and experiments. Organizer

• Halloween Celebration

  11am, American Museum of Natural History, Upper West Side, Manhattan
  Subway: B/C to 81 St-Museum of Natural History

  A costume-friendly day under the Blue Whale with live music, crafts, face painting and a trick-or-treat parade. Check amnh.org for the event ticket price, as the museum's pages list it differently; masks are asked to stay home. Organizer

Sunday, November 8, 2026

• Fantastic Fungi Mushroom ID Hike

  11am, Audubon Center at the Boathouse, Prospect Park, Prospect Park, Brooklyn · Free
  Subway: B/Q to Prospect Park

  A Ranger-led forest hike in Prospect Park to learn how to spot and identify mushrooms. Organizer

Saturday, November 14, 2026

• Fall Foliage Hike

  1pm, Picnic House, Prospect Park, Prospect Park, Brooklyn · Free

  A Ranger hike on the ecology of a fall forest and the science behind the changing colors. Organizer

Sunday, November 15, 2026

• Nature Detective Mystery Adventure

  11am, Brower Park Lawn, Crown Heights, Brooklyn · Free

  Kids learn the basics of animal tracking and help the Rangers solve some critter crime scenes. Organizer

Saturday, November 21, 2026

• Birding: Owls

  11am, Orchard Beach Pavilion, Pelham Bay, The Bronx · Free

  Rangers explain the behavior and diet of New York City's owls, with a look for them at Orchard Beach. Organizer

Saturday, November 28, 2026

• Nature Detective Trees Mystery Adventure

  11am, Van Cortlandt Nature Center, Van Cortlandt Park, The Bronx · Free
  Subway: 1 to Van Cortlandt Park-242 St

  Kids become tree detectives with the Urban Park Rangers and learn to tell different trees apart. Organizer