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TDF Autism Friendly Performances – Midtown West

Check the website for upcoming performances
Since 2011, the Theatre Development Fund’s Friendly Performances have made Broadway’s best shows, including The Lion King, Hamilton, & Juliet, and more accessible to kids with autism and their families. It makes small but critical adjustments to productions, including adjusting lighting, sound, and other changes. It also develops pre-show social narratives that allow kids to familiarize themselves with the theaters and shows in preparation for their visit. The lobby space is quiet and stocked with activities for guests needing a break from the action. Note: Shows book well in advance, so plan early!

Discovery Squad at AMNH – Upper West Side

Ages 5-12
The Discovery Squad at the American Museum of Natural History is an engaging, hands-on program designed for neurodivergent children and their families, including autistic children and those with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Prior to the museum's opening, families embark on a guided 45-minute tour of a select hall followed by 45 minutes of free play and exploration in the Discovery Room. Participants can expect a sensory-friendly experience that welcomes curiosity. Discovery Squad takes place on the third Saturday of the month, and advance registration is required.

RELATED: Free Museums and Free Museum Days in NYC for Kids

The Intrepid offers early morning sessions for children with autism and their families. Photo courtesy of the museum.

Access Programs at Intrepid Museum – Midtown West

Ages 3+
All hands on deck—bright and early—to earn your sea legs at the Intrepid Museum, which opens its doors early on select weekends for an hour-long interactive session specially crafted for kids on the autism spectrum and their families. Themed sessions focus on different ports of call, traditions at sea, and ocean life. The museum also offers an All-Access Makers Camp and family access programs for children and teens with developmental disabilities and autism. Programs are FREE, but reserve your spot early to ensure admission.

Discoveries Program at The Met – Upper East Side

Ages 5-17
The Met's Discoveries program gives children and adults with learning disabilities and those on the autism spectrum—plus their families—the opportunity to enjoy a multi-sensory experience complete with a tactile art project. Each session begins with a gallery tour exploring the day's theme, and it concludes with an art activity.

Sensory-Friendly Programs at the Whitney – Chelsea

Ages 6+
Venture to the Whitney for a pre-opening, sensory-friendly tour. Hands-on art-making activities are included. Workshops are held on select Saturdays, and registration is required.

The Music for Autism program hosts FREE interactive concerts. Photo courtesy of the program.

Music for Autism – Multiple locations

Ages 2+
The nonprofit Music for Autism funds kid-friendly concerts throughout the United States, including locally in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx. It offers interactive shows for kids with autism and their families, from Broadway and jazz, classical, and more. It even hosts bilingual concerts for Spanish speakers, most often at its Brooklyn Heights location. The best part? Shows are FREE, which means you can expose your little one to a broad range of cultural experiences. RSVP is required.

Sensory-Friendly Films at AMC Theaters – Multiple Locations

Ages 2+
Select AMC Theaters citywide; see website for locations
In partnership with the Autism Society, AMC makes the movie theater a comfortable space for kids on the spectrum by turning the sound down and the lights up. Kids and their parents can get up and move around if they need to while watching fun, family-friendly flicks. Popular new releases are included in the program, and showings are the second and fourth Saturday of the month and select Wednesday evenings. Visit the website for current offerings.

Access Family Programs at the Jewish Museum – Upper East Side

Ages 5-17
Join museum educators to examine art, then create your own masterpiece in a related workshop. Access Family Workshops are held on Sundays, both in person and virtually. Reservations are required.

RELATED: Special Needs Classes in NYC

Kids team up to work as Subway Sleuths at the New York Transit Museum's after-school program. Photo courtesy of the museum.

Subway Sleuths at the New York Transit Museum – Downtown Brooklyn

Ages 7-11
Let your little conductor explore in this specially crafted and carefully screened 10-session after-school workshop exploring all things locomotive. Kids work together to solve transit mysteries, play motivating games, and learn how the transit system works. The series features small classes, broken into age-specific groups, and facilitated by a special education teacher, speech-language pathologist, and museum educator. Space is limited, and advance registration is required.

Jackie Robinson Museum's Sensory-Friendly Hours – Soho

All ages
The Jackie Robinson Museum holds sensory-friendly hours on the first Friday afternoon of each month, catering to neurodivergent visitors. During these hours, the museum limits general admission to reduce crowds and provides a quieter experience with exhibit audio reduced or silenced. The museum offers a dedicated quiet zone and interpretive offerings such as tours, picture book readings, and tactile learning opportunities for inclusive exploration. All children and youth ticket holders must be accompanied by an adult.

Bonus: More Sensory-Friendly Resources in NYC

KultureCity – Citywide

KultureCity aims to help businesses and attractions of all types become more sensory-friendly, and provides a directory of Sensory Inclusive Certified businesses. It currently lists more than 3,000 businesses across the US, including dozens right in New York City. Staff must undergo continuous training to attain and maintain their certification, and KultureCity can provide sensory bags, sensory-friendly signage, and more sensory aids to businesses that meet its criteria. To locate a Sensory Inclusive destination, visit its website or download its app.

We met a representative from KultureCity during this year's Big Umbrella Festival at Lincoln Center, a multi-week takeover of the campus each spring, which includes programming specifically welcoming to neurodivergent audiences and their families. Its Sensory Activation Vehicle was on-site, providing a mobile sensory room for anyone who needed to take a break in a safe, inclusive space. Keep an eye out for it at other Lincoln Center events, including Summer for the City.

Complete Playground – Financial District

Ages 3+
Complete Playground, the massive indoor play space in Lower Manhattan, was built as an inclusive family center, catering to all types of neurotypical and neurodivergent children. It offers a sensory room, the first of its kind in New York City. The room features minimal visual clutter, softer gathering places, a chair that uses low-frequency vibrations to induce relaxation, a tactile wall panel, a bubble tube, and special lighting. Families can also enroll in occupational, speech, and sensory therapy at Complete Playground.

A version of this post was published in 2016; it has been updated. Diana Kim contributed additional reporting.