If you're looking for a day trip from NYC, these trip ideas are great for NYU and Fordham students or anyone looking for a quick getaway. If you just moved to campus and are looking to explore the New York City area, how about a day trip to the Long Island Aquarium? Now, Long Island isn’t exactly near the city so you’ll need to plan to be out for the full day. The good news is that you can get to the Long Island Aquarium by car in about 1 ½ hour or a train ride from NYC is about 3 hours. If you’re taking the train, then rise & shine because you’ll need to head out around 7:00 a.m. to make this day trip work.
Due to COVID-19, capacity at the aquarium is limited. That means you should book your reservations ahead of time. Entry times begin on the hour, starting at 11:00 a.m. which is perfect because the morning train from NYC will get you to the aquarium around 10:40 a.m. The last entry into the aquarium is at 2:00 p.m. Entry into the aquarium is $35 per adult.
If you miss the 11:00 a.m. entry time, nearby the Long Island Aquarium are plenty of places where you can grab a bite to eat; or take a short walk over to Long Island Canoe & Kayak Rentals. While there, you can join a one hour guided kayak tour which occurs twice per day. You can take a solo tour or go with a group. Long Island Canoe & Kayak also offers bike rentals ($10 p/hour), paddle board rentals ($35 p/hour) and fishing pole ($10 p/hour) rentals. If you do make the 11:00 a.m. entry time, you can always enjoy these activities afterwards.
Once inside the aquarium, in addition to aquatic life, other exhibits include an American alligator, bird, bug, and Amazon rainforest. Outside exhibits include a Koi pond, penguin pavilion, sea lion coliseum, and more. Finally, you can take a ride down the Peconic River on the Atlantis Explorer Tour Boat. While the indoor and outdoor exhibits are included in the aquarium admission fee, the boat tour will cost an additional $35. Keep in mind that this tour runs at 12:30 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. and lasts 2 hours.
If you are taking the train for this day trip, make sure you wrap things up and arrive back at the train station by 5:15 p.m. to head home. At the time this blog is written, if you miss the 5:25 train, the next train back to the city doesn’t come until 9:27 p.m. and arrives in NYC around 1:00 a.m.
Sample Itinerary: Day Trip to Long Island Aquarium by train
7:00 a.m. Train to Long Island Aquarium
10:39 a.m. Arrive at Long Island Aquarium
11:00 a.m. Grab lunch
12:00 p.m. Enter aquarium and explore indoor exhibits
2:00 p.m. Explore outdoor exhibits
3:30 p.m. Long Island Canoe & Kayak - 1 hour canoe or bike rental
4:30 p.m. Head back to the train station
5:27 p.m. Board train to NYC
8:45 p.m. Arrive back in NYC
Sample Itinerary: Day Trip to Long Island Aquarium by train (with boat tour)
7:00 a.m. Train to Long Island Aquarium
10:39 a.m. Arrive at Long Island Aquarium
11:00 a.m. Enter aquarium and explore indoor exhibits
12:30 p.m. Atlantis Explorer Boat Tour
2:30 p.m. Return to the aquarium and grab lunch.
3:00 pm. Explore outdoor exhibits
3:45 p.m. Long Island Canoe & Kayak - 1 hour canoe or bike rental
4:45 p.m. Head back to the train station
5:27 p.m. Board train to NYC
8:45 p.m. Arrive back in NYC
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hours and capacity may change. Please check websites or call for current hours and possible closings.
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