Westchester Children’s Museum serves as a town square for playful learning for our community's children and their grown-ups.
LOCATION, HOURS, ADMISSION
The Westchester Children’s Museum is located in the historic Bathhouses on the famed Playland boardwalk in Rye, NY. We offer STEAM-based learning and play exhibits and interactive programs every day for children through 5th grade.
Hours
Open every day from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm
Members Only Hours - 8:30 am to 9:30 am during Big Weekend Events.
Holiday Hours:
New Year's Day / January 1 - closed
MLK Day - open
President’s Day - open
Memorial Day - open
Juneteenth - open
July 4 - closed
Labor Day - closed
Yom Kippur - open
Indigenous Peoples - open
Election Day - open
Veterans Day - open
Thanksgiving - closed
Christmas Eve - open (early close)
Christmas Day - closed
New Year's Eve - Kids Countdown Reservation Required (including members)
Location
100 Playland Parkway, Rye, NY
View on Google Maps
Telephone
914-421-5050
Parking
Our parking lots are owned and managed by Playland Amusement Park.
Summer: Fees in effect to park. Playland Amusement Park owns the parking lots. Drive directly to the main lot and pay the Playland attendant. Discover & Wonder Museum Members receive a Summer 2024 Parking Card for Playland's main parking lot.
Winter/Spring: No fees during the Winter. Parking is available in the small lot directly adjacent to the Museum. When you enter Playland Drive, bear left at the first traffic circle and take the immediate right turn into the gated lot (the gate will be raised). Overflow parking is in Playland Amusement Park’s main lot. Park and follow Museum signs across the crosswalk towards the Museum's Boardwalk entrance.
Mass Transit:
Visit Metro-North for schedule and fares and information on discounted museum admission with MTA fare or call (212) 532-4900.
BEE-LINE BUS Routes 13, 75 and 91 provide access to the Museum
ADMISSION
$14 per person
$12 for seniors
FREE for children under 1
FREE for active duty & veteran military personnel & their families within the same household. Present value form of photo ID. (Proud to be a Blue Star Museum)
$3 per person presenting an Electronic Benefits Transfer Card (EBT) and valid form of photo ID. Good for up to 4 individuals per EBT card**
We are cashless. Purchase admission ticket or membership in advance, or credit card to the front desk.
Consider joining the Museum as a member! Most Museum memberships exceed their value in just a few visits!
Prepare for Your Visit
-
Yes! The Museum’s rules for safe play and code of conduct apply to everyone — including visitors, staff, and volunteers — and ensure that the museum remains a safe and welcoming space. These are posted when you walk into the Museum. Please review the Rules for Safe Play and Code of Conduct with the children in your group before your visit, and help them if they need reminders throughout your visit. Anyone who fails to follow the rules and code of conduct above—or who otherwise creates an unsafe or unwelcoming environment for others—may be asked to leave the Museum or have their Membership revoked. If you witness someone violating these rules, please speak to a staff member so that we can address the matter immediately.
Rules for Safe Play
-Stay & Play Together: Grown-ups must supervise children at all times. The Museum team is not responsible for child supervision.
-Use Walking Feet: Walking feet with shoes are required at all times, except for Toddler Beach. Be mindful of the little ones in the area; remind bigger kids to slow down and be cautious.
-Share The Space: Be considerate of others playing near you. Do not throw objects.
-Strollers: Please store strollers in Coat Room instead of bringing them into the exhibit galleries. Our team may move unattended strollers and other items to the Coat Room.
-Help Clean Up: Please be mindful of the exhibits and help keep them in good condition by not leaving exhibit pieces on the floor. Let's work together to ensure that visitors after us can also enjoy them.
-Climbing: Please do not climb on any exhibits in the Galleries, including the Mist Tornado exhibit and the Pool Noodle Pixel Wall pegs. Safety is our top priority.
-Eat Only in the Cafe Area: To help keep the Museum clean and be mindful of visitors with food allergies, please eat/drink in the cafe space, not in the Exhibit Galleries.
-Diaper Changes :Please use designated diaper-changing facilities and do not change diapers on exhibit tabletops or Toddler Beach pads to maintain a hygienic and safe environment for all visitors.
Code of Conduct
Practice Kindness towards All Visitors, Volunteers, and Museum Staff
-Use Positive, Kind, & Respectful Language: The Museum aims to create a safe and welcoming environment for all. We do not tolerate discrimination, aggression, or harassment.
-Respect all other People in this Space: Discrimination is not allowed at WCM, and respecting others' emotional and social boundaries is essential.
-Help all Visitors have a Safe & Enjoyable Visit: Share toys and exhibits with others. Take turns when playing. Be careful around younger children.
-Stay Home if Unwell: If anyone has symptoms of illness, please stay home. You may be asked to leave and return when feeling better if coughing or showing noticeable symptoms.
-Practice Kindness Towards all Spaces and Exhibits:
-Take Care of the Exhibits: Please handle exhibits with care and use the "yuck" bags provided for any soiled objects. Notify museum staff if any exhibit components become damaged.
-Clean Up Before You Move On: Reset the area before leaving. Put everything back where it belongs and let staff know if extra attention is needed.
-
To ensure a smooth check-in process, all Members must present their Membership cards. You can obtain your digital membership card at the front desk, using this form, or by emailing us at info@discoverwcm.org.
Please list your caregivers on your membership, the front desk can help with this. Not a member yet? Join here.
-
Tickets may be purchased at the front desk or online. We encourage you to purchase admission in advance for faster entry. We are a cashless venue.
-
The Museum is located in the historic landmark Bathouses on the Boardwalk at Playland Amusement Park in Rye, NY. Entrance is on the Boardwalk side of the building. Look for the colorful banners on the building to direct you.
-
Playland Amusement Park owns the lot and charges a fee during the summer. See below for your options…
SUMMER PARKING: Parking is available in the main lot at Playland for a charge.
WINTER / SPRING PARKING: Park in the small lot adjacent to the museum (no charge during Playland’s off-season or when they are closed).
-
Our Museum exhibits are designed for ages ranging from 0-12, and we offer programming and volunteer opportunities for older children. All children under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult, and all adults must be accompanied by a child.
-
Yes! We constantly strive to make the WCM as accessible as possible for children of all abilities.
As needed, we can make adaptations of activities/programming for field trips of groups with a particular need. We strongly advise you to call ahead and talk to us about your child's needs if you have concerns or issues. We can help you plan the most successful visit. Reach out to us at info@discoverwcm.org or (914) 421-5050.
-
**Our policy is that every child must be accompanied by an adult and every adult must be accompanied by a child.** Please do not plan to leave your child unattended at all during your vist to the Museum. Additionally, we do not at this time have day care.
-
At this time, we have dedicated space available for you to bring your own snacks and covered beverages.
We ask that you keep all snacks and beverages within the designated snack area to keep our exhibit areas crumb and spill free.
-
Currently we have 4 single-use restrooms, including 2 larger family restrooms that are ADA accessible and equipped with changing tables. We also have 2 multi-stall restrooms.
We have 2 water fountains and water bottle fill spout.
We understand that emergencies happen, but we do ask that you use the restroom to change diapers rather than out on the Museum floor.
We do not offer use of our restrooms to the general public, only Museum visitors.
-
While we do have a wonderful location along the boardwalk at Rye Playland and overlook the public beach of the Long Island Sound, we do not allow guests to wear only their bathing suits in the Museum.
But during the summer, we encourage you to make a day of it by visiting the beach together with the Museum, but please use the Playland Beach locker rooms to change from your bathing suits into your regular clothing. Shirts, shorts/skirt/pants and shoes are required.
We have a coatroom/stroller storage space where you can leave your belongings (space is unattended).
-
We have a coatroom/stroller storage space where you can leave your belongings. The space is unattended.
*The Westchester Children’s Museum is proud to be a Blue Star Museum providing free admission to the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve. The national program is administered by the National Endowment for the Arts
**The Westchester Children's Museum participates in Museums for All, a cooperative initiative between the Association for Children's Museums and the Institute of Museum and Library Services to encourage families of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum habits. Good for up to four individuals per EBT card