Verdict
Destinations

Is Roosevelt Island Tram worth it with kids?

DependsWith kids

With kids, it depends on the day.

An aerial tram that floats over the East River beside the Queensboro Bridge with great Midtown skyline views — for a single subway swipe. The hook: ride the front-facing window and sit on the south (right-hand, downtown) side going out for the bridge-and-skyline sweep, and time it for the half-hour before sunset when Midtown lights start to come up. Make a loop of it rather than a there-and-back novelty: tram over, walk 15 minutes to the quiet FDR Four Freedoms Park at the island's tip for the head-on skyline, then tram back. The ride is only four minutes and the island is otherwise sleepy.

Price
$2.90 (transit fare)
Time
30 min (ride); 1.5 hrs with the island
Last verified
2026-06-17
Is Roosevelt Island Tram worth it…
How we verified
  • The tram runs parallel to the Queensboro Bridge and takes about 4 minutes each way. · model-knowledge
  • It is accepted on standard MetroCard/OMNY fare and once held the record as a commuter aerial tramway. · model-knowledge
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