Top 20 Places to Take Kids in New York's Capital District

The Capital Region's most popular places to take kids in 2026

Every May and June, thousands of local parents, grandparents, and caregivers weigh in on their favorite local places to take kids. 2026's winners in KidsOutAndAbout's survey of the Top 20 Places to Take Kids in New York's Capital Region. (Click here for the full list of nominees.)

Of course, there are literally hundreds of wonderful places to take your kids in our area, not just this year's winners! Browse through our site and discover lots more to do, sign up for our fabulous weekly e-newsletter, and make sure to click on our Everything that's free page! Click here for the original list of nominees.

2026 Top 20 Places to Take Kids

Albany / Capital District

 

Top 20 Ranking

Category Winners

1. miSci | The Museum of Innovation and Science 2. "My local library" 3. World Awareness Children's Museum 4. New York State Museum 5. The Music Studio 6. Billy Beez 7. Indian Ladder Farms 8. Six Flags Great Escape 9. Via Aquarium 10. The Crossings of Colonie 11. Ellms Family Farm 12. Albany Pine Bush Preserve & Discovery Center 13. Proctors 14. Capital District YMCA 15. Grafton Lakes State Park 16. MASS MoCA 17. Tri-City ValleyCats 18. Moreau Lake State Park 19. Albany Symphony 20. Dave & Buster's - Albany

Arts Educator: The Music Studio Sports Educator: Afrim's Sports Colonie STEM Educator: STEAMwhiz - The STEM Learning Lab Farm Attraction: Ellms Family Farm Festival: Adirondack food & wine festival Indoor Play Center: The Littles Play Cafe Museum: World Awareness Children's Museum Nature Center: Moreau Lake State Park Outdoor Fun: Emma Treadwell Thacher Nature Center & Thacher State Park Performing Arts: Cohoes Music Hall Sports Team: Tri-City Valleycats

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