2012 Top 20 Places to Take Kids in New York's Capital District
The results are in from our 2012 Top 20 Places survey! And the winners are...
1. Tiny Tots Tearoom, Clifton Park
Unique indoor play center with a parent-friendly cafe. They offer birthday parties plus summer camps and school vacation camps.
2. The New York State Museum, Albany
Widely regarded as THE family-friendly learning center in the Capital District -- not least because entrance to its exhibit halls and most of its family programming are FREE. History and Science blend here, with many permanent and traveling exhibits.
3. My Place To Play, Rotterdam
Indoor play center, preschool, and birthday center, offering families the support and entertainment they need most!
4. Thacher Park/Nature Center, Voorheesville
Located in Thompson's Lake State Park and adjacent John Boyd Thacher State Park, the Nature Center is open year-round and offers educational programs for school groups, youth organizations, clubs and the general public.
5. Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake
Discover exhibits, events, family programming, hands-on activities and much more!
6. Hoffman’s Playland, Latham
A place that parents remember from when they were kids because it has been around over 50 years! Features fourteen kiddie rides and five major rides. Fun, friends, and food... for all ages.
7. Adirondack Animal Land, Gloversville
The largest zoo in upstate New York, Adirondack Animal Land has over five hundred animals, plus the only safari in the Northeast. Located just an hour to the northwest of Albany. Feed and pet a giraffe in their new Giraffe Feeding area.
8. Fun4Tots, Schenectady
Moms stay while children play (ages 5 & under). A dozen play stations, with trampolines, electric trains, climbers, riding toys, circle cars & lots more!
9. Rollarama, Rotterdam
Roller skating at its most fun! Features a hardwood skating floor, large game room, full snack bar, big screen TVs, free wifi and Stuff Shop. They offer skating lessons, and specialize in birthday parties.
10. Children’s Museum of Science & Technology (CMOST), Troy
The Children's Museum of Science and Technology (CMOST) is the only science center in the Tech Valley designed for kids and parents to explore and discover science together with exhibits, a planetarium, and a cafe.
11. Tumbling Tykes, Latham
Tumbling Tykes is an indoor play center and nursery school. Their indoor play center features unstructured open play time for members and non-members with children from 6 months to 6 years, promoting development of both fine and gross motor skills through crawling, balancing, sliding and jumping.
12. Albany Aqua Ducks and Trolleys, Albany
An amphibious tour and trolley tour company, it operates in New York State's Capital Region and features historic tours of the Capital City of Albany. The Ducks offer unique, educational and fun-filled tours.
13. Six Flags Great Escape and Splashwater Kingdom, Lake George
The Great Escape offers great fun for all ages. Thrill rides, kiddie rides, family rides, and water park, you'll find it all at The Great Escape.
14. Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, Delmar
A living museum comprising over 450 acres of broad fields, towering forests, and tranquil wetlands.
15. Crossings Playground, Colonie
An extraordinary setting including a playground, walking and biking trails, a hedge maze, and pond, and ample facilities for picnics and parties, all in the heart of Colonie.
16. Indian Ladder Farms, Altamont
A pick-your-own fruit farm and market. Gift store, fresh bakery, luncheon cafe. They offer Baby Animal Days in the spring, summer day camps, and farm- and apple-themed field trips. A great place to connect with the land and simple pleasures that make memories.
17. Bounce Around, Clifton Park
Indoor play center with bounce houses galore for very young kids through older kids. Birthday party and group outing specialists.
18. Treepaad Fun Center, Malta
Family fun and entertainment spot, featuring age appropriate games, rides, prizes, from a play space for toddlers to laser tag for older kids.
19. Children’s Museum at Saratoga, Saratoga Springs
Dedicated to creating an interactive community that inspires curiosity, sparks imagination and nurtures discovery. Fosters active parent involvement in children's learning and also serves as a resource for school districts in the area.
20. Schenectady Museum and Suits-Bueche Planetarium, Schenectady
A Tech Valley science center and planetarium that offers a multi-media experience for visitors of all ages. Their goal is to be Tech Valley's best informal Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) learning organization.
Category Awards
Favorite Indoor Play Center
Favorite Outdoor Play Center
Favorite kid-friendly museum
Favorite nature center
Favorite farm (agri-entertainment)
Favorite professional sports team
Tri-City Valleycats (baseball)