• Children’s Museum of Manhattan

  212 West 83rd Street, 212-721-1234; cmom.org

  What started out as a modest storefront in 1973 has grown into a five-floor space on the Upper West Side. The first time a child visits c-mom, as it’s known, she might crawl through a giant mouth to learn about digestion. The next time, she could discover Chagall paintings and make some of her own mosaic abstracts, see Broadway stars perform, listen to guitarists play giggle-inducing concerts, or join artisans leading pottery workshops. As kids grow up, the museum seems to grow with them, particularly with “Art Inside Out,” an exhibit that displays the work of three contemporary artists and goes one step further, taking visitors inside their creative processes. Coming this summer: “Oh Seuss: Off to Great Places,” where kids will be in the center of the good doctor’s world; “City Splash,” a warm-weather feature that demonstrates water’s scientific properties; and the interactive exhibit “Monkey King: A Journey to China,” which uses interviews and literature to give children an appreciation of Far East culture. Admission is $7; drop-in programs for preschoolers are held three days a week, and for older children on the weekends and during school breaks.

From the 2004 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine