Theme Parks and Water Parks

[UPDATED: May 20, 2013] Manhattan's only outdoor amusement park, Victorian Gardens, opens for its tenth season this coming Memorial Day weekend. It's one of those annual summer attractions that you think all New York City families know about and go to... until you realize a bunch of your friends have never even heard of it.

Victorian Gardens is especially wonderful for younger children, which is why we included it in our roundup of best theme parks for preschoolers (although elementary schoolers should enjoy themselves, too). The rides are contained in a small enclosed space so you don't have to worry about kids wandering off like at Coney Island, and there's little walking between attractions. Most of the rides are gentle (a few have height requirements) and there aren't any teens rushing through the crowd. Plus you can't beat the location at Wollman Rink in Central Park, just steps from the zoo, Heckscher Playground and the carousel.

[UPDATED: DECEMBER 27, 2012]

Longing for a taste of summer fun? You don't have to hop on a plane to take your family someplace warm and tropical in the dead of winter. Just jump in the car and head to one of these indoor water parks, all approximately a two-hour drive (or less) from midtown Manhattan. A visit to an indoor water park is a great way to give your kids a beach-like getaway during any season. Most of them are a hot and humid 85 degrees year-round. So pull out that bathing suit you haven't seen since last summer...but leave the sunscreen at home.