An opportunity to survey a magnificent city from atop a building, a day out enjoying the serene flora and fauna, travelling far back in history with dinosaurs and ferrying across the city — a family holiday in New York may mean all these and much more. Obviously, New York packs in varied flavours for you to experience and feel rejuvenated. Here are the five most popular places in New York, especially suitable for family holidays.

Empire State Building – This is the best place, if you want to have a bird’s-eye-view of the entire New York City. At 1,453 feet, the Empire State Building is among the tallest skyscrapers in the world and has been declared one of the seven wonders of modern world by the American Society of Civil Engineers. On a clear day, you can see as far as 80 miles from atop the building. To get the most out of your trip, visit the building on a clear and dry day, buy tickets online to avoid queue, budget plenty of time for the visit and do not miss the 102nd floor to have an amazing view.
Central Park – The flora and fauna, lakes and overall tranquillity of Central Park present a stark contrast to the din and bustle of New York City. The place offers a lot for your family. You can treat your kids to a ride on the hand-painted carousel, take a walking tour across the vast expanse of greenery, rent a boat from the Loeb boathouse and row on the lake, and watch Shakespeare plays and concerts.
American Museum of Natural History – Do dinosaurs both excite and scare you? Do you love knowing about primitive tribes or the cosmic space? The American Museum of Natural History offers whatever you like. There is so much to do that a solitary day is never enough. Still, to make the most of a trip, take a museum map and prioritise things you want to do. Generally, do not miss the Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs, Ortnithischian Dinosaurs, Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, Hall of Biodiversity, GuggenHeim Hall of Minerals and the IMAX and Space shows.
Staten Island Ferry – A ride on river to take a look at some of the important places in New York sounds interesting and if the ride is for free, then it is irresistible. Hop on to Staten Island Ferry, a free, 30-minutes long ferry service operating between Staten Island and Lower Manhattan. In between the terminal ports, you get to see the New York harbour, Statue of Liberty, Governor’s Island, Brooklyn Bridge, Ellis Island and the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.
Rockefeller Centre – With the number of entertainment avenues available, Rockefeller Centre can easily occupy an entire day. You have a lot to do — take a city view from the Centre Observation Deck Observatory, enjoy skiing, watch the illuminated Christmas Tree (on the week following Thanksgiving day), participate in the TV shows, dine and go on a shopping spree.
Given the number and variety of options, family holidays are best enjoyed when you research and plan about your holidays well, depending on your budget and time available.