NYC Fire Museum

If your child is in the fire truck phase — and if you're reading this, they probably are — the NYC Fire Museum is the single best place to take them in the city. Located in a functioning 1904 firehouse in SoHo, it houses one of the most important collections of firefighting artifacts in the country, presented at exactly the right scale and pace for young children.

The ground floor has the big draws: full-size fire trucks from different eras, from horse-drawn engines to modern apparatus. Kids can climb into a fire truck cab and pretend to drive, which alone is worth the $10 adult admission. The upper floors trace the history of firefighting in New York from the colonial era through the present day, with uniforms, equipment, and scale models.

The museum strikes a careful balance between kid-friendly excitement and genuine historical depth. The 9/11 memorial section is tasteful and appropriate — it honors the 343 FDNY members lost that day without graphic content. Parents can decide based on their child's age whether to include it.

The SoHo location means you can easily combine the visit with lunch at any number of nearby restaurants. Prince Street Pizza's pepperoni square, Joe's Pizza on Carmine, or a cronut from Dominique Ansel are all within walking distance. The museum is small enough that even after a thorough visit, you'll have energy left for the neighborhood.