About the DiMenna Children's History Museum:
New York City's newest children's museum, the DiMenna Children's History Museum is a museum-within-a-museum. Located on the lower-level of the New-York Historical Society, the museum has numerous interactive exhibits, a children's library and even special displays. The museum offers school-aged children (and their parents) the opportunity to learn about both New York City and American history through a variety of wonderful hands-on activities.
DiMenna Children's History Museum Essential Info:
Address: 170 Central Park West at 77th Street
Phone: 212-873-3400
Nearest Subway: B or C Train to 81st Street - Museum of Natural History/Central Park West
Website: https://www.nyhistory.org/childrens-museum
Phone: 212-873-3400
Nearest Subway: B or C Train to 81st Street - Museum of Natural History/Central Park West
Website: https://www.nyhistory.org/childrens-museum
DiMenna Children's History Museum Admission:
Includes admission to the New-York Historical Society
- Adult: $15
- Seniors and Educators: $12
- Students (with ID): $10
- Children 5-13: $5
- Members and Children 4 & under: free
DiMenna Children's History Museum Hours:
- Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
- Friday: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
- Saturday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
- Sunday: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
What You Should Know About Visiting DiMenna Children's History Museum:
- Admission to the DiMenna Children's Museum is included with admission to the New-York Historical Society, so you can explore both for a single admission fee.
- The Children's Museum is geared toward school-aged kids, so if you're traveling with toddlers, you'll be better off with visiting the nearby Children's Museum of Manhattan or American Museum of Natural History.
- You could easily spend an hour or more exploring all the activities at the DiMenna Children's History Museum.
- There are vending machines with snacks and beverages and taking a snack and/or drink break is allowed in the lower level entry-way to the museum.
- Bathrooms on the lower level are equipped with changing tables and aren't too busy, which is great for visiting families.
More About the DiMenna Children's History Museum:
Occupying the lower level of the New-York Historical Society, The DiMenna Children's History Museum is designed to help children 8-14 learn about the history of New York and the United States. Interactive exhibits and displays, games, a library and special programs are engaging and interesting, even for adults. The exhibits include lots of tactile experiences for kids, but also have plenty of authentic artifacts that they can see up close. One highlight of the museum is the card catalogs in the library where they have arranged various artifacts thematically for display in a way that is both accessible to children and interesting for their adult companions.
I was really impressed with the narrative nature of the exhibits and how interesting they were to me as an adult, while they still kept my kids interested and entertained during our visit. The museum covers a lot of material, and while it might not have the return-again-and-again appeal of some of New York City's other children's museums, it's well worth a visit for families traveling with school-aged children who will learn about New York City and American history while having fun at the same time. There were lots of tactile experiences, as well as games throughout the museum to keep kids engaged.
