It’s always a fun time when my daughter and I can join our friends for a joint Mommy and Me date at one of our favorite city hotspots like American Girl Place. If you’ve got an American Girl doll fan at home, you’ll need these tips for visiting American Girl Place in New York City.

Top Tips for Visiting American Girl Place in NYC

1) Maintain your sanity by visiting off-peak. Weekends and holidays are busiest so if you can’t visit on a weekday, try to go early in the day to avoid the crowds.

2) Bring a doll! Dolls can enjoy meals (in their own seats) and pampering spa and salon services and hospital visits so bring them along.

3) Decide on spending beforehand. Is this a special birthday splurge trip or a regular visit? Agree in advance on what you’re planning to buy or how much money kids are allowed to spend to avoid meltdowns.

4) If you’re visiting for the first time, expect to be overwhelmed and plan to spend at least an hour. The store is huge with multiple floors of dolls, clothing, books and toys, as well as a doll hospital, doll hair salon, t-shirt design store, sweet shop, restaurant and play areas.

5) Check out the American Girl Doll of the Year! We’re huge fans of these annual additions (like Grace and Lea) and and my daughter brought along Gabriela McBride, the 2017 American Girl Doll on our recent visit. The New York City store features a special section dedicated to the annual doll as well as specialty items (like cafe drinks and salon services) toys and clothes. I especially love the display cases featuring past American Girl Dolls of the Year.

6) Pamper your doll at the American Girl Hair Salon. Dolls can get in on some pampering fun with hairstyling, ear piercing, and spa services.

7) Take in some history as you explore the BeForever dolls. These classic young ladies represent the past with historic outfits and stories from their times.

8) Have a meal at the American Girl Cafe. Make reservations in advance for the cafe’s popular offerings (brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner) and enjoy a fun-filled meal in a fancy but not formal setting.  We went for an early dinner and the girls loved having their dolls sit alongside them in special chairs with their own mini plates and cups. The menu featured a variety of fun (and relatively healthy) options for adults and kids and the girls loved the adorable cinnamon rolls, fruit kebobs and flower pot dessert. There were birthday cakes and singing all around making it even more festive and definitely a great spot for a celebration.

Have you visited American Girl Place? Who is your favorite doll?

Thanks to American Girl for providing us with the 2017 American Girl Doll of the Year. As always, all opinions are my own. If you don’t want to miss a post, subscribe to Globetrotting Mommy for daily updates!