Summer is officially here and we are ready for it! Are you looking to pack in some adventures without committing your whole weekend? We get it—your calendar is bursting with camps, BBQs, and all the sunshine chaos. That’s why we’ve rounded up the ultimate list of easy to get to escapes in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut in our 2026 Family Day Trip Guide, presented by The Murray Firm. From hidden gems to quick escapes, these easy-to-reach spots guarantee nonstop memory-making all summer long. Just pick a day, grab the kids, and go!
New Jersey Day Trip Ideas
Adventure Aquarium, Camden, NJ
American Dream, East Rutherford, NJ
Bergen County Zoo, Paramus, NJ
Big Kahuna’s Indoor Waterpark, West Berlin, NJ
Blue Claws Stadium, Lakewood, NJ
Cape May Zoo, Cape May Court House, NJ
Casino Pier & Breakwater Beach Water Park, Seaside Heights, NJ
Crystal Springs Family Water Park, East Brunswick, NJ
Diggerland, West Berlin, NJ
Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, West Orange, NJ
Fantasy Island Park, Long Beach Island
Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ
Insectropolis, Toms River, NJ
iPlay America, Freehold, NJ
Jenkinson’s Boardwalk, Pt. Pleasant, NJ
Keansburg Amusement Park, Keansburg, NJ
Land of Make Believe, Hope, NJ
Legoland Discovery Center, East Rutherford, NJ
Liberty Science Center, Jersey City, NJ
Medieval Times, Lyndhurst, NJ
Monmouth Museum, Lincroft, NJ
Morey’s Piers & Beachfront Waterpark, Wildwood, NJ
Mountain Creek, Vernon, NJ
Morris Museum, Morristown, NJ
Ocean City Waterpark, Ocean City, NJ
Pier Village, Long Branch, NJ
Popcorn Park Zoo, Forked River, NJ
Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ
Skylands Stadium, Augusta, NJ
Somerset Patriots Stadium, Bridgewater, NJ
Storybook Land, Egg Harbor Township
Supercharged Entertainment, Edison, NJ
Top Golf, Multiple Locations
Trenton Thunder Ballpark, Trenton, NJ
New York Day Trip Ideas
Adventureland Amusement Park, Farmingdale, NY
American Girl Place, New York City, NY
American Museum of Natural History, New York City, NY
Broadway Shows, New York City, NY
Bronx Zoo, Bronx, NY
Central Park Zoo, New York City, NY
Citi Field, Queens, NY
Guggenheim Museum, New York City, NY
Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum, New York City, NY
Kartrite Resort & Indoor Water Park, Monticello, NY
Legoland, Goshen, NY
Luna Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY
MOMA, New York City, NY
Museum of Ice Cream, New York City, NY
Museum of Illusions, New York, NY
New York Aquarium, Brooklyn, NY
New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY
Prospect Park Zoo, Brooklyn, NY
Sloomoo Institute, New York City, NY
SplashDown Beach Water Park, Fishkill, NY
Trolls x CAMP Experience, New York City, NY
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Pennsylvania Day Trip Ideas
Amish Country, Lancaster, PA
Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark, Tannersville, PA
Bushkill Falls, Lehman, PA
Crayola Experience, Easton, PA
Dutch Wonderland Family Amusement Park, Lancaster, PA
The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA
Great Wolf Lodge Indoor Waterpark, Scotrun, PA
Kalahari Indoor Waterpark, Pocono Manor, PA
Legoland Discovery Center, Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia, PA
Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia, PA
Sesame Place, Langhorne, PA
Connecticut Day Trip Ideas
Action Wildlife Foundation, Goshen, CT
Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, Bridgeport, CT
Connecticut Science Center, Hartford, CT
Kent Falls State Park, Kent, CT
Lake Compounce Amusement & Water Park, Bristol, CT
The Mark Twain House & Museum, Hartford, CT
Mystic Aquarium, Mystic CT
Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, CT
New England Air Museum, Windsor Locks, CT
Thomaston Railroad Museum of New England, Thomaston, CT
Quassy Amusement & Waterpark, Middlebury, CT
SouthWind Farms Alpacas, Watertown, CT
Yale Peabody Museum, New Haven, CT
This article was sponsored by The Murray Firm:
At The Murray Firm, we specialize in assisting families in planning to face some of the most difficult times in their lives. We are a boutique law firm that prides ourselves on our professional and compassionate approach in helping families through the inevitable changing circumstances that come with aging so they have options and are prepared for every step of the care journey.
