DESTINATIONS

Children’s education entails much more than learning in classrooms. Giving them a taste of the world does wonders for their imaginations. Seeing and experiencing new things enthralls most children, so imagine what a place like New York City could awaken in those burgeoning minds!

The Big Apple is a breathing, vibrant city with its own pulse – a perfect marriage of old and new. It’s also brimming with cool experiences few people know about that both adults and children would enjoy and which would create an environment for open and curious communication with your family.

We have unearthed some of those venues you might wish to have us include on your itinerary when you’re with your children in the City That Never Sleeps! Read about them here:

The National Museum of Mathematics

This place definitely makes math fun! The National Museum of Mathematics, or MoMath, says mathematics “illuminates the patterns that shape the world around us.” When you and your children visit MoMath you will see a side of math you’ve never seen before and it’s definitely the coolest thing that has ever happened to math. You and your kids will be using both sides of your brains when interacting with the exhibits and delighting in learning new things. You’ll see stuff like bicycles with square wheels, light sculptures and sound that reacts to your touch. Spend a memorable afternoon with your children playing with lasers, immersing yourselves in a never-ending world of numeric functions and calculating machines. 11 East 26th Street.

The SeaGlass Carousel

If you want to give your kids the feeling like they’re with the Little Mermaid, head to the SeaGlass Carousel in Battery Park. This ethereal carousel, housed inside a glass-paneled nautilus shell, sits on the site of the original New York Aquarium. Opened in 2015, the carousel is the creation of the Battery Conservancy and George Tsypin, renowned opera and theater designer and the man behind the staging of La Scala operas, the Sochi Olympics, and the Spiderman Broadway musical. This whimsical wonder took 10 years and several million dollars to bring to fruition. You’ll also experience a changing LED light display making you feel like you’re truly underwater. To add to the overall experience, each fish contains its own speakers that play aquatic sounds and music composed just for the ride. How amazing is that? You and your children will be mesmerized. Enter across from 17 State Street.

Tannen’s Magic Shop

Abracadabra! Feel the magic when you and your children walk through the door of Tannen’s Magic Shop. Just a few of the items you can expect to find here are invisible paint, multiplying billiard balls, magic canes, dice and cards. Your children’s eyes will be wide as saucers as they explore this world of prestidigitation. This is New York’s oldest operating magic shop, supplying magicians with tricks and style since 1925. They’ve provided items to nearly every famous magician for the last 90 years and they know the tricks of the trade. Ask them for demonstrations. They’ll happily provide the magic. Since 1974, young magicians from around the globe have attended Tannen's Magic Camp to hone their craft as magicians. Perhaps your children would enjoy learning with other would-be magicians! 45 W 34th Street #608

Tremendous Townhouse Anastasia

When visiting all these uniquely marvelous attractions in New York, staying in a uniquely modern place is on the agenda and Townhouse Anastasia fulfills that requirement. Right in the heart of Tribeca, this residence boldly redefines luxury living. If you’re looking to stay in a home of high fashion refinement, this is it. Spaces are brimming with one-of-a-kind elements like an oversized gorilla sculpture. The home’s four bedrooms can comfortably accommodate eight guests. The sub-level includes a large, temperature-controlled wine cellar, a private home theater room, and a luxurious indoor pool and sauna ideal for entertaining or relaxing in solitude.

The Survivor Tree

This wondrous tree is in no way ordinary. It is the last living thing to come out of the rubble after 9/11. The Callery pear tree was uncovered with its roots snapped, its branches burned and twisted and broken when pulled from ground zero. But, miraculously, it began to recover. It was placed into the care of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and was sent to the Arthur Ross Nursery in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx for special care. When it was replanted in the Bronx on November 11, 2001, it wasn’t expected to survive, but it began to heal. In 2010, the tree was returned to ground zero and replanted as part of the National September 11 Memorial. It was christened the Survivor Tree, a symbol of endurance, resilience, and hope and continues to flourish. Its smooth new branches reach upwards from its gnarled stump, a consummate reminder of the tree’s dark history and its hopeful present. Can be found at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza.

New York City Fire Museum

Set in a historic Beaux Arts building in Soho from the 1900s, the New York City Fire Museum’s mission is to collect, preserve and present the history and cultural heritage of the fire service and to provide fire prevention and safety education to the public, especially to children. The museum attracts more than 40,000 visitors a year with retired FDNY firefighters proudly volunteering to tell stories of New York City's “bravest.” With Set in a historic Beaux Arts building in Soho from the 1900s, the New York City Fire Museum’s mission is to collect, preserve and present the history and cultural heritage of the fire service and to provide fire prevention and safety education to the public, especially to children. The museum attracts more than 40,000 visitors a year with retired FDNY firefighters proudly volunteering to tell stories of New York City's “bravest.” With the help of the museum’s stunning collection, they tell how they earned that distinction. 27 Spring Street.

New York Aquarium

The New York Aquarium is the oldest continually operating aquarium in the United States, located on the Riegelmann Boardwalk in Coney Island. The aquarium strives to make a connection between visitors and oceans, focusing on the field research its scientists are doing right off shore in New York’s waters. You and your children will love the state-of-the art exhibits – one of which features sharks from around the world – with a focus on wildlife including rays, turtles, and vast schools of fish inhabiting local waters. The aquarium is also home to sea otters, octopus, jellyfish and more. 602 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn.

The Harry Potter Store

This has got to be one of the coolest places for all Harry Potter fans. This store houses the largest collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts products in the world. Your children could easily spend hours poring over all the offerings, not to mention choosing their own wand or rather having the right wand choose them. They can keep an eye out for their favorite characters’ Patronuses moving through the trees. Eagle-eyed fans will spot Dumbledore’s Phoenix Patronus in a never-before-seen Harry Potter New York exclusive experience. Experience the interactive wand table, with a blue glow reminiscent of a Pensieve where your children are invited to pick a wand and put it to the test. They can hold each wand to learn more about its history as magic appears to fall out of the tip of the wand revealing a piece of wand lore. They can even enter a wand duel with other fans! There are also two other-worldly virtual reality experiences: Chaos at Hogwarts and Wizards Take Flight. 935 Broadway Avenue.

Treat your children to the bewitching allure of an urban mecca like New York City and to accommodations that are the height of luxury and itinerary planning that is next to none. Our goal at LVH is simple: Your absolute happiness. Please reach out to one of one client relations team members who will start the planning process for your ultimate family-themed holiday to The Big Apple. We are always prepared to arrange the most engaging and exclusive vacations for you and your family. Just let us know what type of experiences would fill you and your family members’ hearts with precious memories and let us work our magic!