- Connect with Ancestry on Ellis Island
- Never Forget 9/11
- Check the Views from The Empire State Building
- Go to the Top of the Rock
- Explore Central Park Museums
- Stay in Times Square
- Eat Cheesecake at Junior’s
- Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge
- Watch the Sea Lions at Central Park Zoo
- Stroll Around Manhattan
If you have never been to the Big Apple, it can be a little overwhelming.
I was looking for a mom-and-son trip before my eldest went into the Marines, and thought about New York City. I came up with a plan of what my son would consider the top 10 things to do with mom in NYC.
But to get the most out of the trip, you need to plan. For instance, if you want to go up into the crown of the Statue of Liberty, you better buy your tickets months in advance.
There are many things to do with mom in NYC, and if you plan, make your reservations ahead of time, buy your tickets in advance, you can make the most of a four-day getaway.
Here is my list of the top 10 things to do with mom in NYC and why.
1. Connect with Ancestry on Ellis Island
No trip to New York is complete without visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Both were on my bucket list. My great-grandparents immigrated from Italy and Greece– all four came through Ellis Island and their names are on the American Immigrant Wall of Honor. Seeing and touching their names on the wall was, for me, incredible and moving.
Not everyone made it, you know. Many died on their way to America and others never made it off the island. So, I consider myself lucky my family made it and met each other.
If you haven’t researched your heritage in advance, you can on Ellis Island. This will help you find family members on the wall but doing it beforehand will save you time.
Start with a ferry ride to Liberty Island. You can go up through the 151-foot copper statue, but if you don’t plan early, you’ll only be able to go into the pedestal level. If you can’t get up into the crown, still go, as seeing the Statue of Liberty up close and looking through its museum are still worth the visit.
The original torch, made of copper and gold to shine bright, is housed in the museum. It was replaced after it took a beating from the weather with a replica in 1984. A host of interesting facts about the creation of the statue is in the museum including a cast of her face and feet.
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France in 1886. Designed by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi and built by Gustave Eiffel (of the Eiffel Tower), the face of Lady Liberty is rumored to be the face of Bartholdi’s mother.
From ground to torch, the Statue of Liberty stands 305 feet. She carries tabula ansata (tablet with handles) inscribed “July IV MDCCLXXVI” (which is July 4, 1776) to symbolize America’s independence. A broken shackle and chain lie at her feet as she walks forward, symbolizing the end of slavery. https://www.statueofliberty.org/statue-of-liberty/overview-history/
After seeing Lady Liberty, the ferry goes to Ellis Island where you can see where the immigrants stayed, went for their health inspections, and the Registry Room where they would have been granted immigration. Over 12 million immigrants entered the U.S. through Ellis Island between 1892-1954. Some, as in my great grandfather’s case, had their names changed to a more “American-sounding” last name. https://www.statueofliberty.org/ellis-island/overview-history/
This was at the top of my list of things to do with mom in NYC because of its historical significance. For more information about visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, call 1-877-523-9849 or visit https://www.cityexperiences.com/new-york/city-cruises/statue/
2. Never Forget 9/11
Pay tribute to the 9/11 victims by visiting the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum is a must for things to do with mom in NYC. You can start at One World Trade Center, which at 1776 feet, is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. You can ride the SkyPod Elevators to the 102nd floor observatory in 47 seconds. The 104-story crystalline-form structure, which creates a kaleidoscope effect, opened in 2014. You can eat dinner at the top of the building, at One Dine, which I didn’t know beforehand, so we had a beer instead and watched the sunset. The views are spectacular, especially in the twilight.
Although you can buy tickets just for the observatory, the Downtown Bundle allows you to save money if you are also visiting the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Tickets and information are available for One World Observatory, the top of the trade center, or the Downtown Bundle at https://www.oneworldobservatory.com/
Just below are the Twin Reflecting Pools, sitting at the footprint of where the Twin Towers once stood. The name of every victim is engraved on the memorial. There’s also a beautiful statue of a horseman representing the first U.S. Special Forces team that went into Afghanistan after 9/11. The movie, “12 Strong,” tells the story. See the movie before your trip.
The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum honors the 2,977 people who perished in the deadly attack at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pa., as well as the six who died in the 1993 attack at the WTC. You can spend several hours at this sobering memorial and museum.
The museum is a must-see! It documents the attack with interviews, pictures, and artifacts including the steel beams from the North Tower and the intersecting steel beams that became known as the World Trade Center Cross. A destroyed fire truck, remnants from the collapsed buildings, and an ash-covered stairwell are just some of the many exhibits. Numerous videos, graphics, and moving pictures are displayed throughout the museum, along with the faces of the victims and testimonials about the heroes.
You’ll need several hours for this, and timed tickets must be purchased in advance. Even though kids under 7 are free, they still need a ticket. For more information about the museum, call 212-312-8800 or visit https://www.911memorial.org/. The museum, located at 180 Greenwich St., is closed on Tuesdays. The last admission into the museum is 90 minutes prior to closing.
3. Check the Views from the Empire State Building
You can walk to many of my things to do with mom in NYC from Times Square–and I suggest you do.
Conquer your fear of heights in Midtown Manhattan by riding the elevator 1,454 feet to the top of 102-story Empire State Building.
You’ll get 360-degree views from the 86th Floor. A great place to take pictures or watch a sunset.
Not only is The Empire State Building the fifth tallest skyscraper in the country many movies showcase this iconic building making it a must see on your visit.
If you liked “Sleepless in Seattle,” you must go to the top where Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks) finally meets Annie Reed (Meg Ryan) for the first time.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.esbnyc.com/. Buy online and save time when you arrive. Many passes are available, including watching the sunrise or sunset, and eating dinner.
Depending on what you want to do and which attractions appeal to you, see if the City Pass is right for you. Visit https://www.citypass.com/new-york-comparison.
4. Go to the Top of the Rock
Is it really worth seeing this third NYC skyscraper at Rockefeller Center? Absolutely!
At 872 feet, you must go up to the 67th, 69th and 70th floor observation decks to the Top of the Rock to see 360-degree views of New York City.
An open-air deck on the 70th floor allows unobstructed views. From the observation deck, you can see Central Park, The Chrysler Building, The Empire State Building, lower Manhattan, and possibly even on a nice day, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and Yankee Stadium.
Rockefeller Center, the home of NBC News, is the backdrop of the famous Christmas tree lighting. Every winter people enjoy ice skating outside on the grounds in front of the building.
Tours are held daily from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., with the last entry at 10:10 p.m.
Timed tickets are suggested, and several options are available for general, express, and VIP tours. Express tickets and VIP tours are available for additional costs.
If you like to walk, you are close to Grand Central Station, The Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden and Times Square.
Tickets are available at https://www.rockefellercenter.com/.
5. Explore Central Park Museums
Visit the museums. If you are staying in Manhattan, walk to some museums around Central Park. There are so many to choose from, so do your homework first to see which ones you want to visit.
If you like the movie, “Night at the Museum,” you’ll love The American Museum of Natural History, one of the largest museums in the world. Remember Larry (played by Ben Stiller) being called Dum Dum by the Rapa Nui Moai? A cast of the Easter Island statue is in the museum. https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/pacific-peoples/easter-island-moai-cast
Do you like dinosaurs? There are dinosaurs galore. Remember in the movie when the Tyrannosaurus rex came to life. It’s at the museum too.
The bones of this T-Rex are actually real from a discovery in Montana by the museum’s famous fossil hunter Barnum Brown in 1908 and is an almost complete “magnificent specimen,” according to the museum website, https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/saurischian-dinosaurs/tyrannosaurus-rex
The American Museum of Natural History is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. For more information and to purchase timed tickets, visit https://www.amnh.org/.
There are other fun museums around Central Park, like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, El Museo del Barrio, and The Jewish Museum. You can visit the memorial for John Lennon, of the Beatles, who was killed in front of his nearby apartment. There’s also a statue of Balto, the Siberian Husky who pulled a sled of medicine to Nome, Alaska, to help save children from diphtheria. To find out more information about things to do at Central Park, visit https://www.centralpark.com/.
6. Stay in Times Square
We arrived around 10 a.m. for our long weekend and stayed at a nice hotel in Times Square. Location, location, location. It matters so much when you have a lot to see and little time to do it in.
After checking into our hotel, we walked to Times Square to check it out.
If you don’t stay in a hotel in Times Square, I strongly recommend visiting it during the day and then at night to get the vibe– to see the sights and lights and to get the feel of the hustle and bustle of the largest city in the United States.
People-watching was a fun activity. Get a traditional New York-style hot dog with all the fixings– sauerkraut, relish, mustard, and ketchup, then have a seat and watch the people as you enjoy your food.
Another piece of advice, if you are staying in Times Square and you like to walk—walk. Don’t waste time and money on the Big Bus. Most of the sites on this list of things to do with mom in NYC are within walking distance and are much quicker to get around than waiting for the hop-on, hop-off bus.
7. Eat Cheesecake at Junior’s
You have to stop and get the cheesecake at Junior’s. Bring some home to your family as well.
Famous people from all over the world have stopped by for dessert, breakfast, lunch, or dinner at Junior’s historic location at the corner of Flatbush and DeKalb.
We ate, several times, at Junior’s at 1626 Broadway at 49th Street, because it was nearby. THE BEST CHEESECAKE EVER!
Founded in 1950, they are also famous for their pastrami and Reuben sandwiches. Yum Yum! For more information, visit https://www.juniorscheesecake.com/.
There are plenty of good eats in NYC. My son loves food, so he thought this was worth mentioning in my top things to do with mom in NYC.
We also ate dinner one night in Little Italy at Da Gennaro, 129 Mulberry Street. Dinner was fantastic! I suggest making reservations by calling 212-431-3934, or for more information visit https://www.dagennarorestaurant.com/.
8. Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge
Drive, walk, or ride a bike across one of the oldest bridges in America – the Brooklyn Bridge.
This steel-wired suspension bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge design using vertical and diagonal suspension cables.
It’s beautiful. The neo-gothic stone towers are magnificent to look at. Walking the bridge and looking back at the city are iconic things to do with mom in NYC.
The bridge spans the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn, and according to Wikipedia, was the longest suspension bridge in the world when it opened in 1883.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn_Bridge
If you stroll along the bridge, you might be able to pick up a piece of local art as there are many vendors selling their pictures of the city sights along the walkway.
It is just part of the fun things to do with mom in NYC.
Just make sure you are planning what you will see and on which days so you can make the most of your time, and not backtrack. For instance, the Brooklyn Bridge is near the New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street, Chinatown, Battery Park and One World Trade Center.
9. Watch the Sea Lions at Central Park Zoo
While you are strolling around Central Park, stop by the Central Park Zoo for a couple of hours.
My kids and I are big movie fans of “Madagascar,” and who isn’t? Remember the four animals that escape the Central Park Zoo? Well, there are no African lions, like Alex, but the California sea lions put on quite a show in their own habitat.
The small, but nostalgic zoo, has snow leopards, lemurs, red pandas, puffins, and grizzly bears.
And with Central Park surrounding the zoo, the backdrop is beautiful and is a nice way to see the skyline.
Plan your visit around the seal show and penguin feedings. The zoo, located in the southeast corner of the park, has no parking and is accessible by mass transit.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://centralparkzoo.com/.
10. Stroll Around Manhattan
Manhattan is so easy to get around. We walked to everything. Staying in Times Square was so centrally located, we only took the subway to get to Battery Park and the Brooklyn Bridge.
To some, we may have missed a few things, but my son and I felt we hit the highlights.
Had the timing been right, we might have seen a play or gone to a Yankees game, but we can do that next time.
We had two full days flanked by two half days, and yet we saw all of what was previously mentioned, plus managed to stop by the iconic New York Public Library, Radio City Music Hall, and ate lunch at Grand Central Station.
We even had time for Mass Sunday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Whether you are Catholic or not, stop by to admire the architecture. It is so incredibly beautiful, both inside and out—one of the prettiest and most famous churches in the country. There’s a religious store across the street where you can pick up a cross or statue.
I do believe with a little time and research, your planning before the trip will pay off so that you can do the most and see the most of want you want to do in a four-day getaway to New York City.
That concludes my list of the Top 10 things to do with mom in NYC. It was a great getaway with my son and a trip that both of us will remember as special.
