Best Indoor Water Parks near NYC for a Warm Getaway

The River Canyon Run at Great Wolf Lodge is a raft slide the whole family can enjoy!

Indoor water parks offer summertime-style family thrills year-round, and many are just a car ride away from the New York City metro area. With winter's chill upon us, many families look for ways to escape the city for a warmer locale, but jet-setting to a tropical island might not always be a possibility. Instead, stay a little closer to home and visit one of these indoor water parks in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the Hudson Valley, which are sure to help beat the winter blues.

We've found 10 warm and wet indoor water parks nearby perfect for kids and families and all are less than 2½ hours from Midtown Manhattan. Most indoor water parks keep temperatures a hot and humid 85 degrees year-round, creating a perfect beach day in any season. So leave the sunscreen at home, dust off that bathing suit, and hit the water.

Check out our Guide to Day Trips and Weekend Getaways for more destination inspiration.

New Year's Eve Weekend 2023 in CT: New Year Celebrations, Frozen Sing-A-Long and Hip Hop Nutcracker

Festive celebrations are centerstage as New Year's Eve Weekend 2023 comes to Connecticut! Hip Hop Nutcracker production photo courtesy of the Palace Theater.

Resolutions can wait! It's New Year's Eve Weekend 2023 in Connecticut and there is something to do in every single corner of the state. Start 2024 with plenty of celebrations, like Noon Year's Eve and Countdown to Noon. All the "swifties" will be ringing in the New Year with the Taylor Made: Holiday Edition Dance Party. Spend the holiday hanging out at Kid's New Year's Eve at Lake Compounce or at the Frozen Sing Along! in Stamford. Basketball fans will be happy to know tickets are on sale right now for the Harlem Globetrotters.

See all our picks for New Year's Eve Fireworks, Parades, and Other CT celebrations kids. And, for those inclined to stay in this year, see our 15 Ideas for Celebrating New Year's Eve at Home with Kids.

New Year's Eve Weekend 2023 in Boston: First Night & Noon Year's Eve

New Year's Eve Weekend 2023 in Boston is bursting with New Year activities, day and night! First Night Boston photo by @617 images courtesy of the event.

It's New Year's Eve Weekend 2023 in Boston, a perfectly festive time to continue celebrating the season with family and friends. Enjoy a musical NYE with the Boston Baroque or take in "Cinderella" hosted by the Tanglewood Marionettes.

First Night Boston 2024, a celebration of artistic performances since 1975, provides entertainment throughout the city. Activities include evening fireworks and a pyrotechnics show on Copley Square to welcome the new year. If, however, you'd rather have kids in deep slumber when the clock strikes midnight, take them to an early celebration at Bessie's Rockin New Years Eve in Acton or the Boston Children's Museum for Happy Noon Years Eve.

New Year's Eve Weekend 2023 in San Francisco: Balloon Drops, Noon Years Eve

Count down to Noon Year's Eve at Bay Area Discovery Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum

Looking for the best things to do in San Francisco and the Bay Area over New Year's Eve weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for New Year's Eve weekend.

It's time to say goodbye to 2023 and welcome 2024. The kids are still on school break, toys are being played with (or moving to the donation/regifting pile), and the holidays are winding down. The Bay Area has grand events, from early celebrations for the little ones to a traditional bell ringing. Check out Noon Year's Eve at the Bay Area Children's Discovery Museum in Sausalito, the Bell-Ringing Ceremony at the Asian Art Museum, and a late-night celebration complete with midnight fireworks on New Year's Eve at Winterfest Great America

New Year's Eve Weekend 2023 in Miami & South Florida: Fireworks, Balloon Drops, Noon Year's Eve

Kids wear their coolest rock n’ roll costumes and dance, make party hats, and countdown to noon with a balloon drop! Photo courtesy of Young at Art Museum

It's almost New Year's Eve weekend, and we can't believe how quickly 2023 flew by! Grab your crew and celebrate the New Year at any time of the day with awesome Miami events. Get your final fix of the holiday season at Holiday in Paradise. Do you have a science fanatic who enjoys learning about weather? It's the final weekend of Winter Wonderlab Science in Fort Lauderdale. If you want to ring in New Year's Eve weekend with your little one, there are some great options in South Florida—Happy Noon Year in Jensen Beach, Rock’n Noon Year’s Eve in Plantation, and Noon Year's Eve Celebration in West Palm Beach.

All this and more is available in our Miami & South Florida calendar of events for families. Whatever you choose to do, have a happy New Year from everyone here at Mommy Poppins!

New Year's Eve Weekend 2023 in Los Angeles: Fireworks, Balloon Drops, Noon Years Eve

 3 - 2 - 1, Happy Noon Year! Photo courtesy of the Southern California Children's Museum

Looking for the best things to do in Los Angeles on New Year's Eve weekend to ring in 2024? Here are some events and activities to add to your list for this holiday weekend.

Get out your party hats, folks; it's time to celebrate making it through another year. New Year's Eve 2023 offers loads of events all day, from Noon Year's Eve daytime celebrations at Discovery Cube LA and the Southern California Children's Museum to nighttime New Year's Eve festivities at Gloria Molina Grand Park, the Long Beach Waterfront, and Marina del Rey. And then, 2024 gets started in the most Southern California way possible, with parading floral floats and the opportunity to view them up close later! 

New Year's Eve Weekend 2023 in Orlando: Fireworks, Noon Year's Eve, & Balloon Drops

Ring in the New Year with an epic fireworks display at Magic Kingdom. Photo courtesy of Disney

Looking for the best things to do in Orlando this New Year's Eve weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your holiday weekend list!

The countdown to 2024 is on! This New Year's Eve weekend in Orlando features a host of thrilling activities for the whole family. Ring in the New Year with early celebrations at Brevard Zoo, Orlando Science CenterMonkey Joe's, and more. Older kids can enjoy New Year's Eve fireworks at SeaWorld, Sunset WalkMount Dora, and Avalon Park. And start the New Year enjoying the beautiful outdoors at a First Day Hike in one of Florida's amazing state parks. Whatever you choose, have a happy New Year and know Mommy Poppins will be with you in Orlando all through 2024.

Fill up your calendar for the remainder of Orlando's holiday break with strawberry picking, Christmas lights, and more ideas in our Orlando Winter Activities Guide.

New Year's Eve Weekend 2023 in Atlanta: Fireworks, Balloon Drops, & Noon Year's Eve

The Battery hosts a New Year's Eve celebration that has something for everyone. Photo courtesy of The Battery

Looking for the best things to do in Atlanta this New Year's Eve weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your holiday weekend list!

This New Year's Eve weekend, welcome 2024 with plenty of kid-friendly (i.e. early) events like the Bubble Bash at the Children's Museum of Atlanta and Noon Year's Eve at The Avenue Peachtree City. Atlanta is also abuzz this New Year's weekend as we host the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Fans without tickets can enjoy the parade on Saturday morning and attend the indoor FanFest until noon. If you have yet to attend one of the awesome holiday events in Atlanta, this weekend is your last chance for faves like Stone Mountain Christmas and Winter Lantern Festival Atlanta. And for the last time this season, sip hot cocoa and ride roller coasters--not in that order--at Holiday in the Park at Six Flags

Whatever you choose, have a happy New Year from everyone here at Mommy Poppins!

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