If you thought that all fall meant was heading back to school, guess again.
There’s nothing better than being a kid in New York City – and when the leaves start to fall, the action begins.
Get in touch with your inner Tarzan at Prospect Park. From now through Nov. 11 you can explore the Ravine, Brooklyn’s only forest, complete with waterfalls and a miniature gorge. Stroll through it on your own every Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m., or take a free tour at 3. Just enter the park at Ninth Street, cross Park Drive and take the ball field path to the fence. For more information, call (718) 965-6988.
On Saturday, Sept. 15, enjoy the music of Brooklyn rocker (and proud family man) Dan Zanes and his Rocket Ship Revue at the park’s Imagination Playground, Lincoln Road and Ocean Avenue, from 3 to 4 p.m. And it’s free! For more information, call (718) 965-6973.
Ever wonder what the zoo is like at night? Kids ages 6 to 10 can find out on Sept. 22, when they sleep at the zoo from 7:30 p.m. that night to 9 the next morning. It’s called “Autumn Nights” and if you need more information, call (718) 399-7320.
Halloween is just a howl away. Don’t miss the Haunted Walk and Carnival on Oct. 27 for a spine-tingling trek through the Nethermead woods, home to ghouls, witches, vampires and the one and only Headless Horseman. And it’s free! Call (718) 965-8999 for information.
Help solve the mystery of Captain Kidd and learn about the ghosts who prowl the high seas in an Oct. 20 program on the Intrepid. The floating air-space museum is planning a slew of events this fall, including a History of Aviation (Nov. 17), which lets you explore a hot-air balloon built in 1909 and check out the world’s fastest aircraft, and a Journey to Outer Space (Dec. 15), complete with “toys in space” and demonstrations of space-shuttle technology. For more information, call (212) 245-0072.
Curious George is the monkey of the year at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, where a cool new exhibit, “Celebrating 60 years of Curious George: The Art of H.A. & Margret Rey,” opens Oct. 5. George will be in all his glory – riding a bike, flying a plane, stealing his pal’s yellow hat, and more.
The museum will also celebrate Halloween in a big way – with magic and wizards – from Oct. 24-28 and Oct. 31. Kids ages 5 and younger are invited to design broomsticks, make magic wands and join a wizard game show. For more information, visit http://www.CMOM.org or call (212) 721-1234.
Let the adults line up for Broadway – kids in the city have their own playhouses. The New Victory Theater this fall will present 11 companies from seven countries performing the best in theater, dance, music, film, puppetry and new vaudeville.
Catch The Flaming Idiots, a Texas trio that plays with fire – and straitjackets, leaf blowers and anything else they can get their hands on.
Also coming to 42nd Street are Scotland’s Catherine Wheels Theatre Company, London’s The Unicorn, Australia’s band sensation Blue Grassy Knoll and Madrid’s Noche Flamenca. For tickets, $10 to $30, hit the box office at 209 W. 42nd St., just west of Broadway, or visit http://www.newvictory.org.
Smackdown city! The 2001 World Championships of Wrestling comes to Madison Square Garden Sept. 26-29. There’ll be “Olympic”-style amateur wrestling featuring 600 athletes from over 50 countries – including Sydney great Rulon Gardner. Daily tickets range from $10 to $58.
Then again, maybe you prefer figure skating – or horses. On Oct. 5, Scott Hamilton, Kristi Yamaguchi, Michelle Kwan, Sarah Hughes and many other skating superstars will take to the ice in a salute to the U.S. World Figure Team of 1961 in the USFA Figure Skating Tribute.
Come Nov. 2, 3 and 4, it’s the 118th National Horse Show, featuring the finest jumpers in the country. For more information and tickets to all of the above, call the MSG box office at (212) 465-6741.
Of course, it’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular stars -who else? – the Radio City Rockettes, who start tap-tapping their way across the stage on Nov. 1 and don’t stop until Jan. 6.
For tickets, $34 to $85, call (212) 307-1000.
For a Dickens of a season, kick things off with “A Christmas Carol.” It’s playing Dec. 9 and Dec. 12-14 at Westbury Music Fair, (516) 334-0800, and from Nov. 23 to Dec. 29 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, (212) 465-6741.