Child-friendly diversions at the major US gateway airports
Chicago, LA, NY, Orlando, Miami, Washington (Dulles)
Chicago O'Hare International Airport
Toronto Pearson is not the only airport with a resident dinosaur. O'Hare's Brachiosaurus lives in the B concourse of Terminal 1. It's one of the largest mounted dinosaurs in the world, four stories high and 22 metres long, and is on loan from the Chicago Field Museum.
Hailing from WWII days, the Butch O'Hare WWII Fighter Airplane Exhibit is located in Terminal 2. This exhibit is a replica of the plane that was flown by Lt. Comdr. Edward "Butch" O'Hare after whom the airport is named.
The interactive Kids on the Fly Children’s Exhibit is also in Terminal 2. Suitable for kids up to 12 years of age, displays include an air traffic control tower, a fantasy helicopter, cargo plane and a luggage station.
Play It Safe is an educational and fun area in Terminal 5, which gives children the opportunity to learn and practice responses to common emergencies and to access information about fire and safety.
Los Angeles International Airport
You’ll have to leave the airport to get there, but the Flight Path Learning Centre of Southern California is a great draw. It chronicles the golden years of commercial aviation (adjacent to LAX at 6661 West Imperial Highway). The centre features aircraft models and extraordinary aviation displays and, best of all, it’s free. (Opening hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-3pm)
New York Airports
New York Kennedy is a predominantly business-traveller airport, but one of its best-kept secrets for kids is the AirTrain. It’s free when you’re using it to connect between terminals. The sleek train will give you and your children a bird’s eye view of one of the most colourful airports.
Newark has its own AirTrain, also free.
Orlando International Airport
Free Wi-Fi is available in all public areas of Orlando Airport. The hotel atrium (main terminal) has a very pleasant "city park" atmosphere where you can sit and watch the world go by. The terminal top parking garage provides excellent views of the airfield, downtown Orlando, and the attractions, which include the nightly fireworks displays, and the occasional space shuttle launch.
Aircraft spotting/photography is permitted on Level 9 of the Terminal Top Parking Garage as long as you fill in a “Use of Facilities Form” (available between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, at the Public Affairs office on the 3rd level of the Main Terminal in the Aviation Authority Executive Offices, to the left of the East Security Checkpoint for Gates 60-129).
Miami International Airport
Miami International is a major Latin gateway for American Airlines and when the carrier heard that the iconic Carybé murals, which used to be at JFK Airport in New York, were going to be demolished, they donated them to Miami-Dade County. The huge murals express Miami's wonderful diversity and are on display at the South Terminal. Miami houses lots and lots of wonderful art. There's a Children's Connector Gallery in the Concourse D/E Connector area. There's also a small play area in the American Eagle gate area (Gate D35).
Washington Dulles
If you’ve got a fair bit of time at Washington Dulles, the National Air Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Centre is worth a visit. It’s a quick drive from the airport. There the family can see the Dash 80, the prototype 707, the airliner that ignited the modern jet age; a super-secret SR-71 Blackbird; the B-29 Enola Gay, the craft that dropped the A-bomb on Hiroshima; and even the space shuttle Enterprise. The Donald D. Engen Observation Tower offers a panoramic vista of the international airport. While there’s no admission charge per se, there is a $12 parking fee. The easiest way to access the centre, and save a few dollars, is to catch the Virginia Regional Transit System bus from Dulles. Board it outside the Main Terminal on the Ground Level, at curbside location 2E. The fare is $0.50 per person.
A Kid's Airport Diversion Guide | British Columbia | Alberta | Saskatchewan | Manitoba | Ontario | Quebec | New Brunswick | Nova Scotia | Prince Edward Island | Newfoundland | The Border US Airports