Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is Queens' crown jewel and one of the most underrated family destinations in all of New York City. At nearly 900 acres, it's the fourth-largest park in the five boroughs, and on any given weekend you'll find families picnicking, kids splashing in fountains, and toddlers wide-eyed in front of the giant steel Unisphere. The park was the site of both the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs and continues to draw visitors from across the city and beyond.
The park is home to an extraordinary range of family attractions: the Playground for All Children (the first in the U.S. built for both disabled and able-bodied kids, ages 3–12), Fantasy Forest Amusement Park with Queens' only roller coaster, the New York Hall of Science with 450+ hands-on exhibits, the Queens Zoo featuring wildlife native to the Americas, and the Queens Museum with its famous Panorama of New York City scale model. Meadow Lake — NYC's largest man-made lake at 93 acres — is open for fishing, and Wheel Fun Rentals offers paddleboats and kayaks by the hour. Most Saturday evenings from April through October, the Queens Night Market brings 100+ food and art vendors to the park. The park is open daily from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and park entry is always free — individual attractions charge separate admission.
