New Play Street Museum Is an Imaginative Wonderland for Little New Yorkers

Upper Manhattan families take note: Play Street Museum has just debuted on the Upper West Side bringing with it a brand-new mini-city perfect for imaginative play. Geared toward children ages 8 and younger, the new play space is a perfect destination for cold or rainy days and offers a creative outlet for little New Yorkers.

Read on for all the ways you can play at Play Street Museum, which seems destined to make its way onto our list of Manhattan's best drop-in play spaces, and find more fun places to play in our NYC Kids' Guide to Indoor Play Spaces and Fun Zones in NYC.

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Play Street Museum offers a variety of creative play elements for kids ages 8 and under.

What is the Play Street Museum?

Play Street Museum is a franchise of the national chain that's locally owned by husband-and-wife team James and Kristina Payne, who call Harlem home and fell in love with the concept during a family visit to Texas. Needing something to entertain their toddler, they visited a local Play Street Museum there and mused about bringing it to NYC. Fast-forward a few years—and another baby—and that dream is now a reality in an airy storefront on a bustling section of Columbus Avenue at 100th Street.

RELATED: 21 Top Indoor Play Spaces in New York City

Whether your little one wants to play at the train table or explore the rest of the play space, there are plenty of fun choices. 

Ways to Play at Play Street Museum

Playtime by Reservation

Play Street Museum's most popular product is likely to be its Playtime By Reservation, which grants visitors 90 minutes of playtime to explore the mini town square—complete with everything from a fire department to a doctor's office, grocery store, juice bar, home, and even a veterinarian's office with every stuffed animal imaginable, including a corgi my daughter was taken with!

In addition to time exploring the town square, there's a fire truck and garbage truck to climb on, plus activity tables featuring a rotating array of experiences and enrichment from music to art and more. Wander over to its Discovery Rug and explore a new theme every two months. Currently, it's all about construction, complete with hard hats and boots to try on, plenty of trucks to play with, and stories you can read to your kids.

A huge train table takes up a significant amount of floor space and commands the attention of train-obsessed toddlers, who can even crawl to its middle cutout and play in 360 degrees. Another engaging highlight: The twisting tubes with forced air kids can feed balls and scarves into and fly out the top.

Playtime reservations are capped at 20 kids to quell overcrowding and ensure everyone has a good time! Five sessions are held on weekdays, while weekend times are more limited to accommodate birthday parties in the afternoons.

Another notable highlight: The play space is cleaned, sanitized, and reset between sessions.

RELATED: Best Children's Museums and Family-Friendly Museums in NYC

Play Street Museum's mini city lets kids play doctor, vet, shopper, family, firefighter, and more. 

Birthday Parties at the Play Street Museum

Private and semi-private birthday parties are available at Play Street Museum, with varying price points to accommodate every guest's style and the level of DIY work parents want to put in.

Crafting at Play Street Museum

Whether you've booked a Playtime by Reservation or not, there are plenty of ways to get creative at Play Street Museum. You can opt to add a craft project to your reservation, including paint-your-own pottery (fired in an on-site kiln!), slime making, dip-dye, and canvas painting. If you don't have time for an entire 90-minute play session, crafts can be completed as a separate activity at the tables in the retail store at the front of the play space.

RELATED: Guide to Indoor Play Spaces and Fun Zones in NYC

Though a franchise, there are plenty of only-in-NYC details at Play Street Museum!

Know Before You Go to Play Street Museum

• Playtime sessions are $35 for children ages 1-8; adults pay $10. Older and younger siblings can join for FREE if accompanied by a paying sibling. Big kids can play along provided they are calm and respectful of the environment and younger guests.
• A waiver must be signed before you enter the play space. Save time by filling it out online before visiting.
• Play Street Museum is a socks-only facility. Bring your own or you'll have to purchase them when you arrive.
• There is limited stroller parking available, so travel as lightly as possible.
• Bathrooms have changing facilities and are made to accommodate little kids.
• Bookmark its event calendar for themed play dates, projects, and after-hours events.
• Need a gift for a party? A small but mighty retail section in the front of the Play Street Museum requires no admission and is full of cool toys.

Photos by the author