Whether you are planning to visit Austin with your kids, or you live here in Austin and people with kids are coming to visit, this post is for you! Here are all the fun things you can do when you are visiting Austin with kids!
Outdoor Adventures
Austin has a lively outdoor scene, with adventures around every corner! Therefore, you definitely shouldn’t miss these must-do outdoor adventures with kids visiting Austin.
Perhaps the best place to start would be the crown jewel of Austin. In other words: Zilker Park! However, there is so much much to do here, you may want to split it up into two days. For instance, you can rent a kayak to take out on Lady Bird Lake, ride the Zilker Eagle, swim at Barton Springs, visit the Zilker Botanical Gardens, and dig for dinosaur bones at the Austin Nature & Science Center.
Above all, if you’re visitin Austin with kids, you will want to do local things that you can’t do anywhere else in the world. For instance, play a round of mini golf at Peter Pan’s in Austin for some authentic local fun.
Visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center where the whole family will love to play and explore. However, reservations are required online before you go.
Mount Bonnell is free and easy for all hiking skill levels. The hardest part will be the stairs at the beginning! In addition to experiencing views of the Austin city skyline and Lake Austin, you can hike back down to the bottom and drive over to Mayfield Park. Peacocks will greet you here and you can take an easy hike around the park.
Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center is $60 per group of 4. Reservations required. A hike to the grotto makes you feel like you are in a different time and place!
Little dinosaur fans will absolutely love a visit out to the Dinosaur Park in Cedar Creek, where you can see life-size dinosaurs and learn all about what life was like in prehistoric times. In addition, you can also take them to see real dinosaur tracks in Leander!
Emma Long Metropolitan Park is a fun way to spend a day out on the lake. For example, there’s a small beach-like area where kids can play in the sand and jump over waves made by boats passing by.
Above all, a visit to South Congress for some mural pictures, ice cream, candy, shopping, and more is a true Austin experience!
See the bats! One of the most popular things to do when you visit Austin is go see the bats. From March through October, the bat colony emerges at dusk from underneath the Congress Avenue Bridge. You can watch from the bridge above for free. However, you might want to take a Bat Cruise and watch from below!
Visit a local swimming hole. For example: Krause Springs or Blue Hole (Wimberley/ Georgetown). In addition, you can even find rope swings at Krause Springs, Gus Fruh along the Barton Creek Greenbelt, Red Bud Isle, St. Edward’s Trail, and Blue Hole Wimberley!
Play at one of our favorite parks. For instance, Alliance Children’s Garden at Butler park is mind-blowingly cool.
Ride the bumper boats and go-karts at Austin’s Park, followed by some mini golf, arcade games, laser tag, bowling, and more! In other words, you can find somethings for everyone here!
Austin is best when you’re out on some sort of water. In other words, you can book a party barge or pontoon boat out on Lake Travis for a fun day out on the water.
Take a hike at one of our favorite spots to bring kids. For instance, every great hike can be found in our free Outdoor Adventures Guide!
Food
Above all, when you are worn out and hungry from all of your adventuring, the best place to refuel is one of Austin’s restaurants with playgrounds!
Indoor Fun
In addition to all the outdoor ways to explore Austin, you will need some indoor options in case the weather is too rainy or too hot.
Let them climb around inside Mt. Playmore, Pikopye’s Town, and Indigo Play.
Jump around at Urban Air, Altitude, Pump It Up, Inflatable Wonderland, Jungle Movement Academy, or JumParty.
Take your guests to the largest indoor waterpark in America: Kalahari! You can stay the night at their beautiful resort, or just get passes for the day. There’s also an indoor arcade/amusement park with rides, games, an escape room, laser tag, bowling, and more!
If you have kids who love rock climbing, check out Austin Bouldering Project‘s awesome kids’ section!
Austin’s own children’s museum is the Thinkery. Kids will love playing here for hours, but there’s also a great park across the street and many delicious places to eat in the area.
Play laser tag or shoot dart guns at Dart Em Up, Main Event or Blazer Tag.
Visit the octopus at the Austin Aquarium.
See some art at the Blanton, which is free for kids under 12. In addition, it’s also free for everyone on Thursdays.
Take the kids roller skating at Playland Skate Center.
Pinballz is a fun indoor arcade that even has go-karts at their Lake Creek location!
Splash Shack is a mini indoor water park that’s perfect for younger kids!
Explore upstairs at BookPeople, where kids can crawl around inside the tunnel and pick up some local Austin souvenirs. Then go across the street for some lunch and play up on the roof at Whole Foods!
Learn some history at the Bullock Texas State History Museum or the Texas Memorial Museum.
Bowl under the sea at Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl in Round Rock. Don’t forget to get a giant Texas-sized donut at the famous Round Rock Donuts while you’re in town for a treat they will never forget!
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