The 8 Best Things to Do in Albany with Kids, Ranked
Family walking through Washington Park Albany
Eight kid-tested Albany activities, ranked by how much they entertain children without boring the adults.
One through four
1. The New York State Museum. Free, four floors, includes a working 1890s carousel on the top floor. Easily half a day for kids 4-12. 2. The Corning Tower observation deck. Free elevator ride to the 42nd floor, weekdays only. Kids love the scale. 3. The USS Slater in Rensselaer. Climbing through an actual WWII warship is unbeatable for ages 6-14. Open April through November. 4. The Albany Aqua Ducks and Trolleys tour departs from Broadway in summer — the amphibious splash into the Hudson gets shrieks every time.
Five through eight
5. Washington Park playground and paddle-boat rentals in summer. 6. Huck Finn's Playland in Cohoes (10 min), small independent amusement park with genuinely cheap tickets. 7. The Shaker Heritage Society for the animals and open grounds — free and quiet. 8. Ice skating at the Empire State Plaza in winter, roughly November through February, $4 skate rentals. Skipped: the Pine Bush Discovery Center is educational but a hard sell for kids under seven, and the Palace Theatre only works if there's a family show on.
Before you book
The questions people ask about Washington Park, answered with this month’s numbers.
The State Museum. Four hours indoors, free, and the carousel keeps toddlers going when the exhibits stop working.
Not much. Most kid attractions close by 5pm. Empire State Plaza skating runs into the evening in winter, and summer concerts at the Plaza are family-friendly and free.
