The Hudson Valley has so much to offer in the way of hiking and other outdoor activities, but what happens during the 4 months of winter? Parents are often looking for indoor venues to get the kiddos out of the house and one of our favorite places to spend the day is Danbury Fair Mall in Danbury Connecticut. It is not, technically, the Hudson Valley but it is very close and totally worth the drive. You might say, "a mall? That doesn't sound like a good place to bring children?" I promise that it is absolutely the perfect place to bring children and they are going to love it! This mall has so much to do beyond shopping!
One of the biggest draws of this mall is all of the thoughtfulness that went into planning for families. The bathrooms are so family friendly, having large stalls with both a large and kid size toilet and enough room in each stall that you can park a stroller inside. There is also an amazing diaper changing station, as well as a private and comfortable nursing station. The food court has tiny, kid-size tables, and a whole indoor play area full of soft climbing structures! The play area is free of charge and is cleaned every hour. We love to sit with our lunch and watch our daughter safely play.
The mall is also home to a large, two-tiered carousel that spins in the background of the play area and makes the whole place feel like an amusement park. It is 3$ a person to ride the carousel, adults accompanying a child ride for free. The carousel takes cash or charge and each child gets a horse stamp after their ride. My daughter absolutely loves it! Sign up for their birthday club and your child and their friends ride for free on their birthday!
As if that isn't enough, the mall also has a mini train that is 3$ a ride and takes both cash and charge. Your children can take a ride around the mall in tiny train cars, weaving in and out of the kiosks. The mall also has a whole section of stationary rides, that take coins. There is an ice cream truck, various cars and motorcycles. There is a change machine nearby in case your children want to ride them over and over, as my daughter always does!
There are plenty of places for your family to browse in kid-friendly stores. Some of our favorites are: Build-a-Bear, The Disney Store, The Lego Store and Education Works. The Disney Store is an amazing place to take your child on their birthday as the staff will put on a birthday song that includes your child's name, they also get a special birthday pin.
The last attraction at the mall is the large trampolines that allow your children to feel as if they are flying! Strapped into safety harnesses they can bounce, do flips and fly as high as the second floor! This is one of my daughter's most favorite things to do at the mall. They are only open on the weekends and during school holidays, and the cost is around 10$ a ride, which lasts about 20 minutes. It's a great way to get out some energy.
Though the mall is not usually the typical place to spend the day having fun with kids, I promise this mall is the ultimate one-stop spot for playing, eating and browsing when the weather outside is not cooperating.
Tips for this visit:
- The mall is very stroller friendly with elevators and large bathroom stalls.
- There is plenty of free parking.
- The bathrooms are located in the food court.
For more information visit Danbury Fair online.
Other articles by Katie's Hudson Valley Travel Journal