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Seeing van Gogh's The Starry Night is a must-do during your visit to MoMA. 

Must-See Works at the Museum of Modern Art

There are myriad styles, genres, and mediums all waiting to be discovered or rediscovered at MoMA. Whether you're determined to fight the crowds for a perfect view of Vincent Van Gogh's The Starry Night, or you want to contemplate the serenity of Claude Monet's Water Lilies, which get their own spectacular gallery, or you're in the mood for some of Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural genius or open to discovering something you've never seen before, there's something for every mood at MoMA. Our best advice: Pace yourself during a visit with kids, and realize it's best not to try to see everything in one go.

Best Things To Do at MoMA with Kids

Explore the Kid-Friendly Gallery Activities

MoMA offers plenty of help to navigate the museum in a kid-friendly manner. Before you visit, review the museum's tips for visiting with families. You can even download its Family Activity Guide or pick up one when you arrive!

On my most recent visit, my son picked up the Kids' Guide from the Art Lab—more on that later—which helped him to focus on a few key pieces on each floor. The Kids' Audio Guide was also super informative and helped my son learn more in-depth about the pieces we were viewing.

Galleries on the second, fourth, and fifth floors also offer kid-friendly labels on some of the pieces, plus children's books that bring the works to life in a more tangible way. Another plus: Activity stations can be found in the galleries on weekends and school holidays.

Enjoy Curated Kid-Friendly Programming at MoMA

The education department serves more than 150,000 children ages 4-14 and their families annually with its programs. On select weekends, family programs may include family-friendly gallery talks, art workshops, and story times. Each Family Gallery Talk delves into a particular piece for a more in-depth discussion and is geared toward a particular age group, like ages 4-10 or 11-14. Each of these programs is meant to be enjoyed as a family, and admission is FREE, though registration is required.

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The Heyman Family Art lab lets kids get hands-on with a variety of mediums, including light and sound. 

Explore the Samuel and Ronnie Heyman Family Art Lab

This longstanding interactive space debuted in 2008 and has been an integral part of MoMA's family-friendly programming ever since. Located in the museum's education wing, the Family Art Lab is easy to reach from the entrance on 54th Street, and makes a great jumping-off point for your museum day. Young kids and parents can get hands-on and explore the process behind works of art in exhibits with rotating themes like lines, shapes, colors, and sounds.

There are prompts to get artists young and old thinking about their work and relating it to the works on display. Craft tables let little hands explore various materials and see their pieces projected on the wall. Kids can create art or settle into a quiet corner to read or play with age-appropriate toys. When you've wrapped up your interactive play, make sure to grab a take-away card that gives you themes to explore as you wander the vast gallery spaces above.

MoMA's Paula and James Crown Creativity Lab

This interactive gallery space on the second floor is an awesome complement to the Family Art Lab and is aimed at older kids and adults. The Creativity Lab was established to encourage museum-goers to engage with the art in hands-on ways. There are drop-in art sessions, conversations facilitated by museum curators and artists, and loads of workshops. While the Creativity Lab is officially geared toward the 10-and-over-set, my 8-year-old was welcomed in to explore the space and worked on some of the activities.

Family-Friendly Film Screenings at MoMA

MoMA's film department houses nearly 30,000 titles, and screenings are part of the museum's fabric. Family-friendly screenings of shorts include both a screening and discussion, plus follow-up activities in the galleries.

My son and I recently saw some of Christian Marclay's The Clock, a 24-hour montage composed from thousands of film and television clips depicting clocks and other references to time. Afterward, it was fun to discuss the meaning of the work and learn about the artist's process and intention.

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MoMA's sculpture garden is beautiful in all seasons and a great spot to let kids get some wiggles out while exploring large-scale pieces. Photo by Jody Mercier

The Sculpture Garden

When kids have had enough gallery peeping, pop outside to the ground-floor sculpture garden where large-scale pieces can be viewed up close. While the art here (and elsewhere in the museum) isn't meant to be touched, at least there's a little more room to get the wiggles out.

Family-Friendly Amenities at MoMA

MoMA Design Store

Design-savvy kids and adults appreciate the wares at the MoMA Design Store, which is located across the street from the main building. It's fun to browse the wide variety of art and design-inspired books, toys, home goods, electronics, and more. It's one of my favorite stores to buy unique gifts and keepsakes.

Family-Friendly Restaurants at MoMA

The Café 2 offers rustic Italian fare and has a kids' menu as well as high chairs and booster seats. The food at The Cafe is really good and there's an array of options for picky eaters. The Terrace Café is on the sixth floor and serves sandwiches, salads, and desserts, and there's outdoor seating when the weather is nice. No reservations are needed for either restaurant.

For quick bites and a pick-me-up, head to the espresso bar right outside The Café 2. The fifth floor's, Terrace 5 offers light bites and refreshing beverages under a covered outdoor terrace with stunning views of the Sculpture Garden.

Although no snacks are allowed in the galleries, you can step out to the Sculpture Garden to enjoy a snack from home. During the summer, enjoy beverages, lights snacks, and even ice cream at the Sculpture Garden's pop-up bar.

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Set for a few moments and take in the beauty of Monet's Water Lilies during a visit to MoMA with kids. Photo by Jody Mercier

Know Before You Go to MoMA with Kids

• MoMA is open daily. Find current hours and admission prices here, but note it's always FREE for children ages 16 and under. Save time and book your tickets online in advance.
• Though children ages 16 and younger are always FREE at MoMA, everyone enters for FREE on Friday nights from 5:30-9pm. To avoid a line, plan to arrive after the first rush of people, around 6pm.
• Children are encouraged to sketch in the galleries, but only pencils are allowed.
• While strollers are allowed in the galleries, backpacks and large bags are not. So pack light, or plan to check your bag.
• Changing tables are available in the men's and women's restrooms near the escalators on every floor. Gender-neutral restrooms with changing tables can be found on Floors 1, 3W, 5, and T1.

Originally published in 2019. Unless noted, all photos by author. Jody Mercier contributed additional reporting.