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Spring Day Trip Destinations for Families on Long Island

1. Long Island's East End

The East End is ripe for exploring: Check out or stories on its awesome breweries, wineries, beach playgrounds, and museums. You can also pack your bikes and head to Greenport, where you can enjoy the town's cherry blossom festival or take a spin on the antique carousel in Mitchell Park.  

2. Destination Playgrounds on Long Island

Take a road trip to explore a new Long Island park or playground you haven't visited yet. Our list of Long Island's best playgrounds will keep the kids active and enjoying the spring weather. 

3. Visit a Nature Center 

Strap on a backpack and head to a nearby nature center. Caumsett State Historic Park and Preserve in Huntington is one of our favorites. Another nature-inspired outing: Visit one of Long Island's beautiful botanic gardens and arboretums.

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A trip to Fire Island Lighthouse is especially fun before the tourist season begins. Photo by Jaime Sumersille

4. Fire Island

Spring is a great time to visit Fire Island and its lighthouse ahead of the summer tourists. The lighthouse tower is open from 10am-4pm, with the last tour at 3:30pm. Check ahead for holiday closures before you plan your visit. The whole family can also enjoy a walk on the boardwalk and have fun collecting sea shells on the beach. 

5. Old Bethpage Village Restoration

Take a road trip to a Long Island historical site, like Old Bethpage Village Restoration, opening on April 4, 2025, for the season. Families can enjoy a day stepping back in time and learning all about how things worked in a mid-19th-century village. 

6. Long Island's Farms

The spring season brings nature's bounty to the area: Read up on our guides to Long Island wine tastings, fresh flowers, strawberries, and blueberries. Kids will love a visit to one of Long Island's farm animal adventures, like Harbes Family Farm, which is filled with family-friendly activities, pig races, giant bouncers, and more. 

7. Explore a New Town

Pick a charming community on Long Island to spend the day exploring. Check out the pieces we've written on a few of our favorites, including Oyster Bay, Massapequa, Rockville Centre, Sag Harbor, and Patchogue.

8. Adventureland

There's no need to travel far for thrills! A day trip to Adventureland is filled with rides and fun for the whole family. The park reopens on Saturday, March 22, 2025, with new rides planned for the new season!

9. Long Island Aquarium

A day trip to the Long Island Aquarium is a treat for kids of all ages and adults too. After a few hours at the aquarium you can spend some time checking out the family-friendly fun in Riverhead. 

10. Montauk

Plan a day to visit Montauk before the summer rush. While some restaurants and shops may still be closed during the off-season, there is still plenty to do on Long Island's eastern tip. Stop by the Montauk Lighthouse and enjoy a picture-perfect time on one of the beautiful beaches. 

Spring Day Trip Destinations to Connecticut

11. Bridgeport

If you're looking to leave Long Island for a few hours, hop aboard the Port Jefferson ferry with your seafaring little ones for a scenic ride to Bridgeport, Connecticut. Plan a visit to the Discovery Science Center in Bridgeport for some interactive STEAM-based activities. 

12. Mystic

The ferry ride from Orient Point to New London is half the fun in this day trip. Enjoy a getaway to nearby Mystic, Connecticut, where you can experience a quaint seaside town and the largest maritime museum in the country, Mystic Seaport. 

13. New Haven

Plan a destination day trip with the kids to New Haven and check out some of the best local food spots they have to offer. The pie at Frank Pepe’s in New Haven is worth the drive (or ferry ride), but save time to stop for ice cream at Arethusa Farm Dairy.

14. Hiking Trails in Connecticut

Plan a day to visit some of the beautiful parks Connecticut has to offer. Spring is a great time for a hike to see some amazing waterfalls in the Nutmeg State.

Spring Day Trip Destinations in New York and New Jersey

15. Central Park

Explore Central Park with a visit to the Central Park Zoo, and then embark on a tour of the park's top playgrounds.

16. New York City Museums

Check out these famous cultural spots in NYC. Before you go, see if your local library on Long Island has free family passes to the American Museum of Natural History, the Guggenheim, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, and others. 

17. Queens

With playgrounds galore, a zoo, a botanical garden, museums, and much more, Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens offers more activities than you can do in a day.

RELATED: Nature Centers Sure to Delight Long Island Kids

Enjoy panoramic views of the Hudson Valley on the famous Walkway Over the Hudson. Photo by Fred Schaeffer for Walkway over the Hudson

18. Hudson Valley

Catch sweeping views of the Hudson Valley on the Walkway Over the Hudson. This 1.3-mile pedestrian bridge is open year-round, but spring is a wonderful time to experience this easy hike.

19. Legoland New York

Legoland Discovery Center in Westchester is the place to be with its building stations, movies, rides, and impressive Lego structures. For even more fun, travel to the Hudson Valley to visit the Legoland New York theme park—set on 150 acres, it's the biggest Lego park to date.

20. Storm King Art Center

Book your tickets in advance to experience art as a family at Storm King Art Center in upstate New Windsor. Pack a picnic and take in over 100 sculptures at this massive outdoor space.

21. Coney Island

Coney Island welcomes visitors as early as April. Although it might not be warm enough to swim at the beach, there are plenty of attractions, including Luna Park, Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park—the park's season opening date is April 13, 2005—and the New York Aquarium.

22. Randall's Island

A trip to Randall's Island is filled with a trip to the park, lots of kid-friendly activities, and cool places to explore.

23. Governors Island

This car-free spot offers a unique adventure for the family. Exploring Governors Island includes seeing Castle Williams, Slide Hill, the Granite Scramble, an adventure playground, and more. 

24. The Bronx Zoo

The Bronx is perfect for animal and nature lovers. The New York Botanical Garden and The Bronx Zoo offer a great Wednesday admission deal with a pay-what-you-wish donation, making a family zoo trip more affordable. Tickets for this discount Bronx Zoo day must be made online in advance and are released at 5pm the Monday before.

25. Long Island City

Soar to new heights at iFly in Long Island City. Or plan a visit to Socrates Sculpture Park, where kids and adults can enjoy the beautiful park, sculpture events, and activities, all of which are completely FREE.

RELATED: The Best Long Island Playgrounds for Toddlers

Take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty. Photo by Jess Laird

26. Statue of Liberty

Plan a trip to downtown NYC to hop the ferry to the Statue of Liberty Museum, which has lots of interactive exhibits and touchable artifacts for kids.

27. Jersey Shore

Plan a trip to a Jersey Shore beach town. Point Pleasant, New Jersey, is a great springtime destination for families. Jenkinson’s Boardwalk has rides, games, and an aquarium.

28. Six Flags Great Adventure

Thrill-seeking families should head to Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, which reopens on March 29, 2025 for the season. From a drive-thru wild safari to an epic new safari resort that opened last summer, Six Flags is quite the exciting destination for families. 

29. Diggerland

Dig with an excavator, drive a dump truck, and more at the Diggerland USA amusement park in Southern New Jersey, reopening March 15, 2025 for the season. The venue also has a water park. 

Originally published in April 2018, this post was updated in March 2024. Writer Jennifer Voit contributed to the 2025 update.