How to spend Christmas in NYC with kids

The fabulous holiday icon of NYC, The Rockefeller Christmas Tree is a must-see for both locals and visitors during the holiday season, whether you’re visiting before ice-skating on The Rink at Rockefeller Center or just passing through.

More than 50,000 multi-colored LED lights wrap around the branches. It’s topped with a three-dimensional Swarovski star that weighs 900 pounds and sparkles in 3 million crystals.

The tree lights up days on Wednesday, December 3 and stays on through mid-January. On Christmas Eve, the tree is lit for 24 hours and on New Year’s Eve it is lit from 5am to 9pm. 

On the day after Thanksgiving, the neighborhood of Dyker Heights undergoes a transformation, as residents along several blocks in this Brooklyn neighborhood festoon their homes with elaborate holiday decorations.

And we're not talking about a Christmas tree or a simple nativity scene: Among the kitschy pieces you might see are life-size reindeer, huge inflatable Santas and snowmen, Christmas carols blaring from loudspeakers and tens of thousands of lights.

See the lights from November 28 through New Year's Eve.

Lightscape, Brooklyn Botanic Garden's gorgeous, after-dark illuminated spectacular promises a glittering winter wonderland where you'll feel like you're strolling through an enchanted forest. More than 1 million lights combine to form illuminated trail of art by local and international artists.

Don't miss the iconic Winter Cathedral, where you'll definitely want to snap a selfie. Plus, expect firefly fields, glowing bluebonnets, flocks of luminous birds and a reimagined Sea of Light.  

As always, a curated playlist of music brings the light art to life, and there will be food concessions along the trail that offering seasonal treats like hot cocoa, hot cider, and mulled wine as well as light bites, cookies and sweets.

Tickets are now on sale for the event, which runs from November 21, 2025 through January 4, 2026. This year’s show offers off-peak and peak pricing, ranging from $29-$44 for adults and $15 to $28 for kids.

In New York Botanical Garden's wildly popular diorama, more than a dozen model railway trains traverse an incredibly detailed New York City scene with 200 tiny buildings, including landmarks such as the Empire State Building and Radio City Music Hall, made of natural materials such as leaves, twigs, bark and berries.

Each year, artist Laura Busse Dolan and her team at Applied Imagination work on the awe-inspiring structures using plant materials to build "botanical architecture." It's been a beloved tradition since 1992. This year's model adds a botanical replica of the new Delacorte Theater in Central Park, surrounded by other park landmarks.

As if a miniature plant-based New York City wasn't cool enough, 25 tiny trains will snake along the entire space, including some on overhead towering bridges. Don't expect them to look like your standard subway car, either: the tiny modes of transportation include replicas of American steam engines and streetcars from the 1800s, so there's something for fans of every commute era. 

This year's holiday train show will take place from November 15 through January 11, 2026 at the Bronx destination. Also check out Holiday Train Nights, lively after-dark celebrations with seasonal cocktails and mocktails.

Within Grand Central Terminal, find the New York Transit Museum's 21st annual Holiday Train Show, an ode to all kinds of locomotives. You'll feel positively giant while wandering around the 34-foot-long display, festooned with miniature versions of city landmarks such as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building. Watch as Lionel model trains depart from a miniature replica of Grand Central. Then they travel over the river (the East River, to be exact) and through the wood to reach their final destination, the North Pole.

The Holiday Train Show will be on view at Grand Central Terminal through February 2026. The free show is open Monday-Friday, 10am-7:30pm; Saturday-Sunday, 10am-6pm; and closed major holidays. Find it in the shuttle passage on 42nd Street and Park Avenue, adjacent to the Station Master’s Office.

You’ll get a kick out of this holiday stalwart, which still features Santa, wooden soldiers and the dazzling Rockettes. In recent years, new music, more eye-catching costumes and advanced technology have been introduced to bring audience members closer to the performance.

In the signature kick line that finds its way into most of the big dance numbers, the Rockettes’ 36 pairs of legs rise and fall like the batting of an eyelash, their perfect unison a testament to the disciplined human form. This is precision dancing on a massive scale—a Busby Berkeley number come to glorious life—and it takes your breath away.

Bryant Park transforms into a winter wonderland each year with ice skating, hot drinks, a cozy lodge and a spectacular Christmas tree. 

While you're there admiring the decor, also check out holiday shops where you can check off everyone on your gift list. Even if you’re simply passing by this Christmas utopia, take a moment to grab some hot cocoa, sit back and admire the magic.

It runs through March 1, 2026.

Festooned with more than 1,000 meticulously hand-folded paper ornaments, this year’s 13-foot-tall tree at the American Museum of Natural History is inspired by the theme "New Beginnings." The theme is a reference to new museum exhibition "Impact: The End of the Age of Dinosaurs" and the approaching New Year. 

The design will celebrate the spectacular variety of species that evolved after an asteroid impact ended the age of dinosaurs some 66 million years ago. It'll even be topped with a golden asteroid! 

Some of the origami pieces decorating the greenery include pterosaurs who filled the skies, mosasaurs and plesiosaurs who ruled the seas, and Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus rex, which walked the Earth during the Cretaceous Period. Plus, musuem icons like the Blue Whale find a home on this tree, as well. 

You can see the tree with museum admission starting on November 24, 2025. Find it in the Ellen V. Futter Gallery on the first floor. 

With incredible detail and dedication, local bakers whipped up gingerbread designs featuring everything from brownstones and Broadway to skyscrapers and subways as part of Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off 2025 at Museum of the City of New York in East Harlem. 

Some more obscure icons find a home here too, including an adorable re-creation of Edgar Allan Poe’s cottage in the Bronx (complete with a black cat on the porch) and the historic Conference House in Staten Island. Go see how many landmarks you can name—and pick your favorite of the bunch for the people's choice competition.

Talk about shining bright! Two million twinkling white lights now adorn Hudson Yards for the shopping center's sixth annual holiday display. This year's seasonal illumination includes 115 miles of string lights, 725 evergreen trees dressed to create a gleaming forest and a massive 32-foot hot air balloon centerpiece suspended in The Great Room of The Shops & Restaurants. 

New this year, look for a series of ten 11-foot-tall toy soldier statues, as well as photo opps with Santa's sleigh. On December 15, don’t miss the Hanukkah Menorah lighting celebration in partnership with the local Chabad of Midtown.

In addition to the awe-inspiring light display indoors and outdoors at the Vessel, there are plenty of stores to shop for everyone on your list (including yourself). The lights will be up through January 7, 2026. 

George Balanchine's magical 1954 production, set to Tchaikovsky's timeless score, includes the full New York City Ballet company, two casts of School of American Ballet students, scenery by Rouben Ter-Arutunian, costumes by Karinska and lighting by Mark Stanley, after Ronald Bates's original concept. 

The show is a magical occasion: Along with a one-ton Christmas tree that grows from 12 to 40 feet, there's a snowstorm of blizzard proportions and a Mother Ginger with a nine-foot-wide skirt. In the end, however, Balanchine's choreography is what holds it all together. It's enchanting, and it never grows old. 

New York City Children’s Theater welcomes kids to the nuthouse in company founder Barbara Zinn Krieger's 50-minuite adaptation of the holiday adventure story, specifically aimed at children ages 3 to 8. Kristen Brooks Sandler directs and choreographs the show, which stars Gabbie Ballesteros, Quincy Southerland, Morgana Mauney and Adam Wedesky.

The Bronx Zoo's sparkling seasonal outdoor celebration featuring animated lights and LED displays of animals from around the world is back. Expect the zoo to dazzle with millions of lights and hundreds wildlife lanterns spread across six lantern trails. 

Beloved favorites return, including the holiday train and Enchanted Sea, plus look for new additions such as snow tube slides, an illuminated ice-themed throne and virtual snowball throwing.

Holiday Lights will run at the Bronx Zoo on select dates from November 21, 2025 through January 4, 2026. Pricing starts at $26.95 for kids under 13 and $41.95 for adults. 

Kids are welcome at this staging of the Mozart classic. It’s the perfect starter opera: Performed in English, this abridged version by Julie Taymor, the Tony Award–winning director of Broadway’s The Lion King, clocks in at less than two hours and features delightful costumes and sets, but it’s still a Met Opera production with some of the world’s finest performers.

If you want an extra special peek behind the curtain, mark your calendar for December 14 when families with tickets to the matinee performance are invited to experience the Met’s immersive Holiday Open House, with festive behind-the-scenes demonstrations by members of the Met’s backstage and artistic staff.

The Paley Center for Media's annual seasonal spectacular is back for another holiday season: PaleyLand will run through Saturday, January 4 at the midtown museum with jolly joy for revelers young and old.

Along with free hot cocoa and holiday treats, attendees can enjoy five floors of merriment, including photo opportunities with Santa; a magical train display with hot chocolate stations; a stunning menorah display which serves as a perfect background for Hanukkah photos; giveaways, arts and crafts; screenings of holiday classics and family favorite programs; meet-and-greets with classic holiday characters like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Hermey the Elf and the Abominable Snow Monster, plus Chase and Sky from PAW Patrol. Other attractions include the PaleyGX Studio featuring popular video games and VR titles available. 

Tickets are now on sale for $21.50. You can view the full schedule and purchase tickets here.

Jamaica, Queens' annual three-day celebration is back for its 11th year, running from December 5 through 7. Expect food vendors, an artisan holiday winter village, Christmas displays, the largest Christmas tree lighting in Queens on Friday night, a parade on Saturday, and toy giveaways on Saturday. 

The Parade on Rockaway—the biggest parade in the whole borough—will take place on Saturday, stretching from 130th Street to 143rd Street on Rockaway Boulevard. 

Dances Patrelle offers its 29th annual performance of Francis Patrelle's The Yorkville Nutcracker, set in 1895 New York and featuring adorable child dancers alongside the professionals. This year's edition once again stars Miriam Miller as the Sugar Plum Fairy, joined by her fellow New York City Ballet principal Tyler Angle as the Cavalier.

Train aficionados of all ages are certain to be transfixed by the scenic components of this show, featuring model trains, toy stations and miniatures from the Jerni Collection at The New York Historical. The dispaly illustrates the design evolution from the early 20th century to the era of World War II. 

Lighting and accompanying music make for an immersive experience on the first floor of the Upper West Side museum. This year, families can explore the objects on view with a special scavenger hunt and train-themed storytimes on select dates. 

The exhibit's on view from November 21 until February 22, 2026.

Perhaps one of the most conveniently located holiday markets is the Grand Central Holiday Fair. Running from November 10 through December 24 at Vanderbilt Hall, the destination will highlight the work of 35 local food and craft vendors and small businesses known for their quality craftsmanship and products made within the state of New York or the U.S.

Goods will range from home décor and jewelry to abstract art and perfumes. This year, Uncommon Goods is back with a pop-up at the market with a hand-picked selection of imaginative gifts for kids, handmade jewelry and ornaments, small batch syrups and confections, and creatively designed finds for grillmasters, sports fans, book lovers and more. Also returning is the viral Inciardi Mini-Print Vending Machine with over 30 new prints, three new collections, five machines and other new merchandise. 

There will also be a Thanksgiving Market on Wednesday, November 26 from 1pm to 6pm in the Biltmore Room, near Track 42. This one-day event features a festive selection of seasonal treats from the Terminal’s retailers, perfect for any Thanksgiving gathering.

The Holiday Fair will operate seven days a week from 10am to 7pm Monday-Saturday; and 11am to 6pm on Sundays. The space will be closed for Thanksgiving and open on Christmas Eve from 10am-6pm. 

For more information regarding specific vendors and hours, click here.

Brooklyn Ballet's take on The Nutcracker, choreographed by artistic director Lynn Parkerson, emphasizes cultural and artistic diversity. Alongside sequences that hew to the classic 19th-century tradition are interludes featuring street dance, flamenco, belly dancing, Chinese dance, hoop dance, hip-hop and the Hopak, a traditional Ukrainian dance. 

It's time to lace up your skates—the best ice skating rinks in NYC are waiting for you. As one of the most beloved cities to spend the holidays in, NYC has plenty of indoor and outdoor rinks where you can glide and practice your toe jumps. To help narrow down your options, we’ve ranked the top places to go, from the renowned Rink at Rockefeller Center to the iconic Wollman Rink in Central Park.