What's Open Thanksgiving Day in NYC: Best Things To Do with Kids

Bring your skates and you can hit the ice for free at Bryant Park. Photo by Colin Miller for the Winter Village
Bring your skates and you can hit the ice for free at Bryant Park. Photo by Colin Miller for the Winter Village
11/13/23 - By Rosalind Muggeridge

Whether you're a local or a visitor, you may be wondering what's open on Thanksgiving Day in NYC. Once you've watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade float through town, this list of fun things to do on Thanksgiving Day in NYC is filled with kid-friendly activities that go beyond feasting on turkey.

All our top picks for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend can be found in our Guide to Thanksgiving in New York City. From all of us at Mommy Poppins, we're wishing you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving. We're grateful you're here with us.

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Open on Thanksgiving Day in NYC: Sky Skate at the New York Edge
Skate with a view at Sky Skate at the Edge New York observation deck in Hudson Yards. Photo courtesy of the venue

1. Go Ice Skating

Thanksgiving is a great day to try out the ice skating rinks before or after your big feast. The rinks at the Winter Village in Bryant Park, Brookfield Place, Wollman Rink in Central Park, and the Rockefeller Center ice skating rink are open for skating on Thanksgiving Day, weather permitting. Note: The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade marches down Sixth Avenue, so it's best to head to Bryant Park after the parade passes. You can even do some holiday shopping at its Winter Village market. Too cold for you out there? Check out these indoor skating options, including the lofty Sky Skate at the Edge observation deck, which returns for a 2023 run.

2. Hang with the Animals

The New York AquariumQueens Zoo, and Central Park Zoo are all open on Thanksgiving.

3. Take a Stroll

Walk off dinner with the awesome department store holiday windows—by Thanksgiving they'll all be revealed, including Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Saks, Tiffany & Co., and Bergdorf. Or just take a ramble in Central Park, Prospect Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Long Island City waterfront, or one of these lesser-known NYC parks.

4. Get a Workout Before you Feast

Beak a sweat in the Thanksgiving Day race in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, or hit the park for a family game of touch football or freeze tag. If you don't feel like cooking, see our list of restaurants serving Thanksgiving dinner.

RELATED: NYC Holiday Event and Activity Guide for Families

Open on Thanksgiving Day in NYC: Trolls Band Together
The rainbow-colored Trolls family is having a reunion like no other in Trolls Band Together. Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

5. See a Flick

Many movie theaters are open on Thanksgiving Day, and this year it's all about the continuing adventures of everyone's favorite forest dwellers in Trolls Band Together, which opens Friday, November 17. There's also the much-anticipated musical-comedy Wish (opening Wednesday, November 22), which introduces audiences to the magical kingdom of Rosas. If you want to stay in and cozy up at home with a flick, check out Adam Sandler’s new Netflix animated musical comedy Leo, streaming on Netflix starting Tuesday, November 21.

6. See a Show

The Rockettes always dance on Thanksgiving in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. This year there are three shows at 2pm, 5pm, and 8pm. The only Broadway show playing on the holiday is Chicago, but there are plenty more on offer the following day.

7. Take Flight

Let your imaginations run wild at the Balloon Museum where you can explore and interact with 18 different pieces of inflatable artwork.

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The Big Apple Circus teams up with Circus Theater Roncalli for an enchanting 2023 show. Photo by Jody Mercier

8. Run Away to the Circus

The Big Apple Circus has put up its big top at Lincoln Center and does a 2pm show on Thanksgiving, but it's not the only circus in town. Catch Circus Vazquez on Randall's Island or Flip Circus in Queens Forest Park. Both play evening shows on the holiday.

9. Play Indoors

Hit the bowling alley at the Times Square and Chelsea Piers Bowlero locations; check the website for times. If you'd rather play video games, local gaming stalwart Chinatown Fair is open, and there's always arcade restaurant Dave & Buster's.

RELATED50 Thanksgiving Crafts, Games, and Activities for Kids and Families

Open on Thanksgiving Day in NYC: Museum of the American Indian
Try out a kayak balancing activity at the imagiNATIONS Activity Center at the Museum of the American Indian. Photo by Jason DeCrow/AP Images for Smithsonian

10. Explore a Museum

Many NYC cultural institutions close for the holiday, but several are open, including the no-cost National Museum of the American Indian and the Brooklyn's Jewish Children's Museum, where kids can visit the Craft Room, do some rock climbing, and explore the Gallery of Games. You can also hit Midtown West tourist spot Madame Tussauds which is open on Thanksgiving every year.

11. Play Tourist

If you're entertaining out-of-towners, One World Observatory, the Empire State Building, and Summit One Vanderbilt are open and might not be as crowded as usual. You can also take a sail on a Thanksgiving Dinner Cruise.

12. Help Others

Although most Thanksgiving volunteering opportunities are filled, a few still have room—but you'll need to act quickly. There are still some slots left to deliver turkey dinners to homebound New Yorkers through God's Love We Deliver on Thanksgiving Day, plus there are plenty of slots open for volunteering in the group's kitchen or on its delivery teams on other days. You can also donate online to FeedingNYC's effort, which packs and supplies meals to thousands each Thanksgiving, including local shelters, such as Win, which focuses on homeless women and children, or give $60 to the NYC Common Pantry to supply a full Thanksgiving meal to a family in need. Kids also can help you round up your old coats (ask the neighbors across the hall, too!) and drop them off at one of the many New York Cares Coat Drive locations. Use your zip code to find the location nearest you.

This article originally published in November 2009; it is updated annually.

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