Kid Friendly Outings
cost (family of 4) = all under $20
By Jennifer Wutz-Lopes
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Buffalo Zoo.
Photo by Katie Schlientz. |
Herschell Carrousel
Factory Museum:$15 for a family of four plus fifty cents a ride
The Herschell Carrousel Museum occupies a former carrousel factory and offers kids and adults alike a chance to see the exhibit of hand-carved animals and ride on either the adult or kid-sized carrousel with the price of admission. However, since just one ride is never enough, extra ride tokens can be purchased for the unbelievably low price of fifty cents. The museum is located just about halfway between Buffalo and Niagara Falls, and wintertime hours are Wednesday-Sunday, 12-4 p.m. Admission
is $5 for adults and $2.50 for children two to twelve.
180 Thompson St., North Tonawanda, 683-1885.
Buffalo Fire Historical Museum: free
Little kids—especially little boys—are freaks for fire trucks. You can take your future firefighter to check out the firefighting artifacts at the Buffalo Fire Historical Society Museum. The museum is staffed by volunteer ex-firefighters, sharing their knowledge
of the history of firefighting in Buffalo. Children will be thrilled to see and touch the old equipment and sit on one of the antique trucks. The museum is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m on Saturdays only, and admission is free (although visitors are asked for a donation).
1850 William St., Buffalo, 892-8400.
Sabres practice: free
Take your children to watch the Buffalo Sabres practice at the Amherst Pepsi Center.
All practices are open to the public, and you might be able to get an autograph from
your favorite Sabre. Call ahead to find out when the players take the ice, dress warmly, and be sure to grab a cup of hot cocoa from the café just outside the rink.
1615 Amherst Manor Dr., Williamsville, 631-7555.
Buffalo Zoo: All year for $70
The Buffalo Zoo is open to visitors year-round. If it’s too cold to stay outdoors for long, consider hanging out in the reptile exhibit. There’s a bench for you, and you can watch your kid’s reactions to the snakes, alligators, and the like while taking a breather. Admission fees vary by age, but purchasing a zoo membership is one of the best deals around (we get the Family Plus membership, for $70 yearly). If your child poops out—
or gets cold—after an hour or so, you won’t be disappointed, since you can come back anytime. The zoo is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in the fall and winter, and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays in January and February.
300 Parkside Avenue, Buffalo, 837-3900.
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Buffalo Naval and Military Park.
Photo courtesy of Buffalo Naval and Military Park. |
The Buffalo Naval and Military Park has exhibits that include ships, submarines, uniforms, and military artifacts and memorabilia from all branches of the United States Armed Services. Take a self-guided tour of a guided missile cruiser, destroyer, or World War II submarine. The park is closed December through May, so be sure to visit in November on a Saturday or Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission fees vary by group size, but
kids under six are always free. And remember, free is good.
1 Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, 847-1773.
Explore & More...A Children’s Museum: $16 for a family of four (with one infant)
Just a short drive south down Route 400 is Explore & More. The museum’s exhibits are informal and hands-on, designed for children up to age ten. There’s an infant activity area and interactive exhibits for bigger kids, incorporating construction, agriculture and food, world cultures, and more to help children understand and appreciate learning new things about the world in which we live today. Admission is an affordable $4 per person, and it’s free for babies under one.
300 Gleed Ave., East Aurora, 655-5131.
Local library: usually free
Even the most patient parent can get tired of reading the same story to the kids, over and over and over again. Trust me, I know. Luckily, you can get someone else to read to your kids, for free. Many library branches offer weekly story hours, arts and crafts time, and more for young children. My son particularly loves Family Story Time at our local library on Wednesday night—he gets to wear his jammies and I actually might get forty-five minutes to read the paper, uninterrupted. If you can’t make it to the library, some of the major bookstore chains in the area also offer regular free children’s story times. Times and locations vary, so be sure to call ahead for information.
Supermarket play space: free
If your kids are still driving you nuts even after all the above suggestions, don’t despair. You are not necessarily fated to an afternoon blowing fifty bucks at the movie theater or Chuck E. Cheese, as I have one last proposal for you:go grocery shopping. Most Wegman’s and Tops supermarket locations in the Buffalo area have complimentary kids’ play spaces where children ages three though eight can hang while you shop. Or skip the shopping and just sit, drink coffee, and gorge yourself on pastry for a full hour. Not that I would ever do that—my kid won’t be three until November 2nd. But November 3rd? I am so there.
Jennifer Wutz-Lopes actually really likes the pizza at Chuck E. Cheese’s.
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