Need family vacation ideas? 3 spots in Upstate NY just won Travel Awards

Looking for family vacation ideas? Three destinations in Upstate New York have been named among the best action-packed activities for families in Good Housekeeping’s 2025 Family Travel Awards.

Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid, The Cove at Sylvan Beach and the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, were recently named among the magazine’s winners for “Vacation Ideas for Families Who Can’t Sit Still.” The destinations aren’t ranked, but are all given an enthusiastic thumbs up by 85 professional “travel-testers” who evaluated each experience in person, many with their own families.

Whiteface Lodge, dubbed a “Mountain-Lake Marvel,” earned high praise for its all-suite vacation offerings in the Adirondacks with easy access to mountain and lake adventures every season. In the winter, it can be paradise for skiing and ice skating at nearby Whiteface Mountain, while summer fun includes the lakefront Canoe Club with a private beach, paddleboards, canoes and tubes on Lake Placid’s Paradox Bay. Amenities also include a movie theater, game room, bowling alley, sports (including pickleball) and a swim-through indoor to outdoor pool and hot tub area.

The Cove at Sylvan Beach, a new waterfront vacation spot opened by the Oneida Indian Nation in 2022, features modern two- and three-bedroom cottages with a full resort experience, including a heated pool, zipline, organized games and movie nights. You can also grill your own meals or operate your own pontoon boat (which requires a New York state boating safety certificate and a 20-minute orientation with staff).

The Strong Museum, which was “on everyone’s wish list,” was approved by both kids, parents and grandparents who enjoyed seeing nostalgic toys on display. There are also interactive, hands-on exhibits, including life-size board games outdoors and the playable video game hall of fame.

“My 8-year-old especially enjoyed the Moving Mountains Sandbox Experience, where he played with the Kinetic Sand and saw how it changed the topography of the land on the video screen,” one Good Housekeeping tester said, encouraging visitors to get a two-day ticket for the entire museum experience.

See Good Housekeeping’s full list of 2025 Family Travel Awards, including travel gear, beach destinations and cities to visit, visit goodhousekeeping.com.