Fun, Educational, Free and My Toddler and I Loved It!

Our lives are busy, the weather has been frigid and sometimes as parents, the best bonding time you can have with your child is home, chilling out watching some TV or playing with puzzles or trucks. Believe me, I get it. But this past weekend, I wanted some adventure and I felt like my 2.5 year old did as well.  So Brody and I ventured out to a place in Albany that is educational, fun, hardly crowded, warm, and FREE! The New York State Museum. We loved it!

Yes, that museum, the place you probably haven't been to in years, perhaps decades. Brody is obsessed with 'figh-tucksh'  so he loved Fire Engine Hall; 100 years of firetrucks.  He also enjoyed looking at the huge skeletal remains of the Cohoes Mastadon; pointing and shouting 'ohhh dat's a big one!'  The preserved animals certainly caught his attention too as he shouted "Mooooooose" at the, well you guessed it, a moose.

Brody's favorite part of our adventure was the working full sized, old school carousel on the 4th floor. It's a suggested donation so I gave a few bucks as Brody went on it multiple times, smiling each time.  The New York State Museum also has a whole area dedicated to 9/11 with the very powerful and emotional exhibit; The World Trade Center: Rescue, Recovery, Response. With a toddler, it was tough to spend a lot of time at this exhibit as we moved along from place to place rather quickly.  I can't wait to go back as I feel like there were hours of the 9/11 exhibit left for me to read and learn about regarding that tragic and fateful day.

All in all, there was plenty of stuff to see and do in this awe inspiring, clean, safe, and free gem of a museum that really allows your child's imagination run wild, as well as yours!

The Museum is free; but donations are accepted. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 am - 5:00 pm. Closed Mondays, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Visit us at www.nysm.nysed.gov or call (518) 474-5877 for more information.