Intrepid Museum with Kids: Is It Worth Visiting for Families?

When planning a trip to New York with school-aged kids, most families focus on the big sights — the Statue of Liberty, observation decks, Times Square — but one place that really stood out for us, and often gets overlooked, was the Intrepid Museum. In our experience, this was one of the most engaging attractions for children in New York, and a really good one to include in your itinerary, especially if you want something a bit different from skyscrapers and city walking.

This guide shares what we learned while planning our trip, with links to the exact places, tours, and tools we used or considered to make planning easier. Some links are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only ever share experiences we’ve personally used and genuinely enjoyed, and hope these links help you plan a trip that feels exciting and manageable rather than overwhelming.

What Is the Intrepid Museum?

The Intrepid Museum is a museum built on a real aircraft carrier docked on the Hudson River on the west side of Manhattan. That alone makes it feel different from a typical museum. You’re not just walking through rooms looking at displays — you’re walking around a huge ship, exploring aircraft on the deck, and even going inside a submarine. There’s also the Space Shuttle Enterprise on display, which is very impressive to see up close and something children tend to find fascinating because of the scale of it. Because everything is so visual and hands-on, it works really well for school-aged children who might struggle with more traditional museums.

Why It Works So Well for Kids

What made Intrepid work so well for us was that it felt like an experience rather than a museum.

Children can:

• walk around the flight deck and see fighter jets up close

• go inside the submarine

• explore different levels of the ship

• see the space shuttle

There’s plenty of space to move around, lots to look at, and it doesn’t feel like somewhere where children need to be quiet and careful all the time.

After a couple of days of walking around the city, it also felt like a nice change of pace because it was more interactive and less like traditional sightseeing. If you’re planning your trip, this fits well into a day with Central Park or Hudson Yards, and we included it in our 2-Day New York City Itinerary for Families with School-Aged Kids.

The Concorde Experience (Worth the Extra If You’re Interested)

We also paid extra for the Concorde experience, which was an add-on ticket. This was something my husband was particularly keen to see, and it was actually very interesting. You get to go inside the Concorde and see what it was like onboard, which is quite a unique experience given how famous the aircraft is. For children, this part is quite quick, but for adults — especially if you remember Concorde — it’s definitely worth doing.

How Long Do You Need at Intrepid?

We spent around 2–3 hours at the Intrepid Museum, which felt about right with a child. You could spend longer if you read everything and go through every exhibit, but with kids, a couple of hours is usually enough to explore the main areas without it becoming tiring.

It works particularly well as either:

• a morning activity before lunch

• or an afternoon activity after something like the Statue of Liberty or Central Park

Where It Is and How to Get There

The Intrepid Museum is located on the west side of Manhattan on Pier 86, on the Hudson River.

It’s not right next to the main Midtown attractions, so most families will either:

• get the subway and walk

• or take a taxi

We found taxis quite useful in New York when trying to move between areas without getting tired, especially with a child.

If you’re planning transport, see Getting Around New York City with Kids: Subway, Walking and Taxis.

Opening Times and Ticket Costs

The Intrepid Museum is usually open daily from around 10am to 5pm, with longer hours during peak seasons and holidays. It’s always worth checking the official website before visiting, as opening times can vary slightly depending on the time of year.

Ticket prices are approximately:

• Adults: around £28

• Children (5–12): around £20

• Under 5s: free

There are also optional add-ons such as the Concorde tour and submarine experience, which cost extra but can be worth it if those are of particular interest. The Intrepid is also included in some New York attraction passes, which can make it better value if you are visiting several paid attractions during your trip.

Is Intrepid Worth Visiting with Kids?

In our opinion — yes, absolutely.

If your child enjoys:

• planes

• ships

• space

• anything hands-on

then this is one of the best attractions in New York for that age group. It also provides a really nice contrast to the rest of New York sightseeing. After skyscrapers, busy streets and observation decks, doing something interactive and different made the trip feel more varied and kept everyone interested. For us, it was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.

Final Planning Insight for Parents

New York has a lot of famous attractions, but not all of them are equally good for children. The Intrepid Museum is one of the places that feels like it was made with curious, school-aged kids in mind. If you’re building your itinerary, I would strongly consider including it — even if you’re only in New York for a couple of days — because it offers something completely different from the usual city sightseeing.

You can see how we combined it with other attractions in our 2-Day New York City Itinerary for Families with School-Aged Kids and Best Things to Do in New York City with School-Aged Kids guides.

Planning a Family Trip to the USA

If you’re planning a family trip to the United States, we’ve created a collection of practical guides based on our own experiences travelling there with a child. In our USA Travel Hub, you’ll find advice on everything from ESTA requirements and travel insurance to driving, healthcare and managing jet lag with kids, alongside destination guides for places we’ve explored including New York, Colorado, South Dakota and Florida. It’s a useful starting point for parents researching how to plan a smooth and enjoyable family trip to the USA.