Great staff, full of interesting facts. Only $1 to enter! Some in our group were done in 5 minutes, others wandered for 45 minutes. Didn’t see any manatees but we were there on a hot hot day at the hottest time, probably would’ve had better luck in the a.m.
This museum is located on the west side of Central Park, so it's a beautiful location. It is a "name your own price" admission fee. We were only there for two hours so that was a very nice feature, not have to pay the full suggested price of $28.
We took the subway there from close to Times Square, so we went in a much smaller entrance. There was absolutely no line for us. Staff was very helpful in telling us exactly where must see items are.
We saw a few of the things featured in the movie "Night at the Museum" (The reason we knew about this museum ). We had never been to NYC before, so we did not know that most of what was in the movie does not look like the actual museum. So if you're going to this museum to see exactly what was in the movie, you will not be able to do that.
It is still a fantastic place to go, I wish we had more time there because there is so much to see.
Afterwards, we grabbed an ice cream outside and sat in Central Park for a while.
So much fun! We bought the adventure pass ahead of time and walked right up to the ticket booth. Staff showed us where to go and gave us our ponchos, within five minutes we were on the boat. It was a slow day because it was cloudy and on a Sunday afternoon. It would've been worth the wait though. We stood on the top deck and you got great views no matter where you stand. You also get wet no matter where you stand. Use the ponchos! If you cannot make it to the Canada side, this is a fantastic way to get amazing views of all three Niagara Falls (American, Bridal Veils and Horseshoe).
This is a must for anybody going to Niagara Falls, you get to experience the water, the wind, the roar, and you get to appreciate the size of the falls.
Amazing!! Adults and kids all found this fascinating. Well worth the money (we used our adventure pass ticket)!! You get to watch a very short film, you get sandals to keep, a plastic bag to put your shoes in, and a poncho. WEAR THE SANDALS! The seagulls were nesting when we went there so there were millions of birds, the ponchos came in handy for bird poop as well. If you're smart phone is not waterproof, at least put it in a plastic bag. You will not stay dry.
This is a must do!! If we had to choose cave of the winds or maid of the mist, we would say cave of the winds, simply because you get to choose how long they stay there. But in our opinion, the adventure pass is the way to go.
We took our two children (9, 11) here and we enjoyed it. It was very interesting to learn more about the nations first symbol. It was free and you didn't need a ticket, but you did have to stand in line and go through security. The line seemed like a long line but we were only in it for about 15 minutes.
It wasn't too busy when we were there, just a lot of school groups, but you still have to be patient, wait your turn and hold your own when you want to take a picture near the bell. Once we passed security, we were only in the building for about 10 minutes and that includes reading info and taking photos.
We ate right across the street at IBG (Independence Beer Garden) and it was good and fast.
We walked three blocks to Franklin Park and also visited the Philadelphia Visitors Center (NICE bathrooms).
There were a few places to park but all were about $20 for anything more than two hours.
Traffic in and out of the area was stop and go, at best.
We LOVED our stay here. The staff was nothing but awesome! The suite was more than comfortable, it was decorated wonderfully. The building and landscaping was beautiful. Breakfast was simple but good. The pool was very conveniently located. We will absolutely stay there again if we ever visit the SW again.
Get a room with a view and you won't be disappointed!! The room has been updated, newer carpet, bathroom, and decor. The room is on the small side (2 queen beds) and the bathroom as well which are bummers BUT the staff is very friendly, the location is perfect for photography, guided tours and peacefulness, and the best part is the VIEW! Not all rooms have a view so be sure to ask for one.