NYC Discovery Lab – How NYC Runs

When: Saturday, July 12, 2025, 11:00am

A black-and-white photograph showing the intersection of Broadway and 42nd Street, the present-day location of Times Square. The city street is surrounded by multistory buildings, and horse-drawn carriages drive in the street. In the center of the street is a New York City Sanitation worker dressed in white. — Byron Company (New York, N.Y.). “Longacre Square (Now Times Square),” Broadway and 42nd Street. Collection of the Museum of the City of New York. 93.1.1.17932

Join us this July at the NYC Discovery Lab with drop-in activities for children ages 5-12 and their grownups.

Grab your toolbox! This month we’re exploring the people and systems that keep New York City running. Learn about the city’s train systems, how water gets to our homes, and how the city’s sanitation system works.

Please note, for the first weekend in July, the NYC Discovery Lab will host crafts and activities exploring the Revolutionary War in New York! Learn more here.

Dates: Every Saturday and Sunday in July, starting July 12th

Time: Drop-in anytime between 11am-4pm

Discover the waterways that fuel New York City and design your own water tower
Learn about the subway system that connects New York City and craft your own subway car to take home
Learn about the beginnings of the NYC Sanitation Department and what happens to the city’s garbage after it leaves our homes by playing a sorting game
Grab a scavenger hunt and explore our galleries to learn about the waterway, trains, and clean up that goes into keeping New York City running

Museum Admission:
New York State Residents: Pay What You Can
Children: Free for ages 18 and under
Adults $23/Seniors $18 & Students/$14 – please purchase a ticket online or pay-what-you-wish at the door on the day of your visit. No registration necessary,

Questions? Email familyprograms@mcny.org.

Members: To receive your discount, click on the "Buy Tickets" button above, then sign in to your account on the ticketing page.

Groups of 10 or more get discounts; contact us at programs@mcny.org or 917.492.3395.

Supporters

NYC Discovery Lab is made possible in part by the Rochlis Family Foundation.

Family Programs are made possible in part by the Margaret S. Ogden and Stephen A. Ogden Memorial Fund, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Rochlis Family Foundation, and Tianaderrah Foundation.

The Frederick A.O. Schwarz Education Center is endowed by grants from The Thompson Family Foundation Fund, the F.A.O. Schwarz Family Foundation, the William Randolph Hearst Endowment, and other generous donors.