New York City has a seemingly endless variety of things to do with kids. However, if you are traveling to the city with teens, it can be a little harder to find things to entertain and engage them. Here are six great finds in the city for teens:
1. Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum
Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum is a no-brainer for teens. Where else can teens mingle with world leaders, revisit their favorite childhood film stars, and take selfies with celebrities? Each floor of Madame Tussaud’s features dozens of full-size wax figures, and visitors are encouraged to take photos. Teens will delight in sharing selfies with stars on their favorite social media accounts. (Moms just might get in on the action also.)
2. Matilda the Musical
With so many great Broadway musicals, it’s hard to choose a best fit for your family. We loved Matilda the Musical and it’s not only the perfect option for teens - younger kids and adults will love it too. The musical is based on the novel by Roald Dahl, and adults who loved his books as kids will enjoy sharing this experience with their own kids. Matilda is a gifted young girl living with a less than brilliant family. Her parents don’t understand her (teens will relate to her immediately) and cannot figure out why she would rather spend her time at the library instead of staring at a television screen. When her parents ship her off to school at Crunchem Hall with the tyrannical head mistress, Miss Trunchbull, Matilda takes control of her own destiny. She makes new friends, including that of her teacher, Miss Honey, and leads a revolution in the school and in her own life. Tweens and teens will identify with Matilda and may also appreciate their own teachers and parents a bit more after a glimpse at Matilda’s life. From the beautiful and creative set design to the suburb acting (many of the actors are quite young) to the wonderful score, Matilda the Musical tops our list of Broadway shows to bring the teens to.
3. Discovery Times Square
Want to visit some museums in NYC but the kids groan as soon as they hear the word? Discovery Times Square is the answer. With unique exhibitions that are educational and fun, parents and teens are both bound to enjoy a visit. On a recent visit, our family was immersed in the world of Star Wars (a favorite of ours) at the Star Wars and the Power of Costume exhibition, open now through September 5. We were able to see and photograph over 70 hand-crafted, original costumes from the first six Star Wars franchise films and a handful of costumes from the latest film, The Force Awakens. Teens will love grabbing some photos with Darth Vader, Chewbacca, Yoda and more. And don’t fear, the educational piece is there. The exhibition shows the relationship between character and costume and will have kids thinking about storytelling, craftsmanship, and even how real-world events shape beloved fictional stories.
4. The Ride
In NYC there is a vendor selling tour tickets of the city on every corner and, truly, there’s no better way to get a good feel for the layout of the city than a tour ride. However, many can be long and boring for teens. The Ride changes that. The Ride is part tour, part pure entertainment. The Ride offers a tour of the city on a bus, but the bus is unlike any you’ve ever seen. Riders are seated stadium-style facing out through floor-to-ceiling windows. Along the route, the bus will stop and you will be entertained by very talented performers — from a break dancing UPS worker to a ballerina to a freestyle rapper. The hosts of The Ride are entertainment themselves, sharing both funny jokes and enough history and facts to make The Ride educational (shh…don’t tell the kids). We took The Ride at night which made for a special experience as we saw the city all lit up.
5. Carmine’s
If you have teens, you know that they are non-stop hungry. All. The. Time. Pair a teenager with long days of sightseeing and things can get grumpy quick. Carb-load your teens with the generous and delicious fare at Carmine’s. With two locations in New York City, it’s easy to build a stop into your itinerary. Carmine’s is a family-style restaurant with loads of delicious options that all ages will enjoy. And because of the family-style service, you can order several dishes to share and be guaranteed your teens will feel full for hours. (Or at least until they spy a street truck sporting gelato.)
6. Jekyll and Hyde Club
Another terrific restaurant for teens is the Jekyll & Hyde Club. This “haunted” restaurant is filled with decor and animatronics that vary from a wee bit creepy to the completely bizarre. The “domestic staff” that serve you are the most bizarre, however, as they will roast even the youngest of visitors, but in the most charming of ways. (The restaurant is not too scary for fairly young kids, but if you have a sensitive child, do warn the host upon arrival). Be sure to visit the restrooms — if you can find them hidden in the bookcase. Also build in some extra time to wait for a table as Jekyll & Hyde does not accept reservations. There is a seating area near the bar and plenty to entertain you as you wait. The wait is worth it.
The author and her family were guests at several of these locations to help facilitate this story.
