Best of the Best Family Attractions on the East End
With the kids back to school, the spontaneity of summer is replaced with tight fall schedules. With so much on everyone’s plates on the weekends, from music lessons to sports practice, family time takes some planning ahead. The can’t-miss family destinations on the East End this fall are Dan’s Best of the Best Family Attraction winners, as voted on by Dan’s Papers readers.
It wouldn’t be fall in the Hamptons without pumpkin picking at Hank’s Pumpkintown (240 Montauk Highway, Water Mill; 631-726-4667, hankspumpkintown.com). After picking out a prized gourd, there is so much left to do. Among the activities at the Hamptons’ platinum family attraction are a corn maze, wagon rides, tractor train, sand box, mountain slide, and pedal cart races.
Gold honoree Puff ’n’ Putt (659 Montauk Highway, Montauk; 631-668-4473, puffnputt.com) is a family fun center offering mini golf and boat rentals, including kayaks, pedal boats, stand-up paddle boards, Sunfish and canoes.
Children’s Museum of the East End (376 Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike, Bridgehampton; 631-537-8250, cmee.org) is known as CMEE, pronounced “see me.” This silver winner on the South Fork has educational exhibits and programs, an outdoor amphitheater for magic shows, musical performances and more, and a new mini golf course that teacher principles of physics. Tots will be having too much fun to realize they are learning.
Voted the platinum family attraction on the North Fork, Suffolk Theater (118 E Main St, Riverhead; 631-727-4343, suffolktheater.com) offers concerts, comedy and more performances each weekend. Upcoming all-ages shows include Jay & the Americans, Sophie B. Hawkins and Paula Cole, The Long Island Sound Chorus and The Tribal Games.
Taking gold, Harbes Family Farm & Vineyard (715 Sound Avenue, Mattituck; 631-298-0800, harbesfamilyfarm.com) boasts the 7-acre Harbes Barnyard Adventure Children’s Farm. Among the offerings are animals, play areas, slides, swings and a hedge maze.
Long Island Aquarium & Exhibition Center (431 East Main St., Riverhead; 631-208-9200, longislandaquarium.com) has show much more than just fish. There is a butterflies and birds exhibit, a penguin encounter, an otter habitat, an arcade, a marmoset family, a tour boat, shark dives and seal selfies. The aquarium can be booked for birthday parties and family sleepovers are planned periodically. Long Island Aquarium earned the Best of the Best bronze award for the North Fork.
Vote for you favorite family attraction and the best of everything East End at DansBOTB.com.