If you know where to go with your kids, there’s fun and adventure to be had in the city of Sacramento!
Sacramento is full of kid-friendly sites to explore.
There are didactic museums, nature parks, amusement parks, lakes and rivers, wildlife preserves, and more.
You can also find affordable lodging and delectable eateries throughout the city to round out your stay.
A visit to Sacramento will leave you with memories galore!
Here are just a few of the many things you can do in Sacramento with your kids.
WOW, Your Kids with These Fun Things to Do in Sacramento!
Sacramento promises to be a vacation to remember as you partake in these fun-filled activities with your family.
Things to Do in Sacramento With Kids
Old Sacramento
A visit to Old Sacramento or “Old Sac,” as warmly referred to by the locals, takes you back to the Gold Rush era with its refurbished 19th-century architecture, cobblestone streets, wooden walkways, and horse-drawn carriages.
Your family will enjoy exploring this old riverfront town and learning more about its historical characters.
Old Sac is home to the Sacramento Historical Museum and State Railroad Museum, which you can visit while you’re in the area.
You can also take an “Iron Horse” train ride or hop on a riverboat for a delightful cruise down the Sacramento River.
Sacramento Children’s Museum
A visit to the Sacramento Children’s Museum is both educational and entertaining.
This hands-on facility will keep your kids busy for some time.
Events and activities like Science Sundays, Cultural Connections, Tinker Time, Yoga Play, and Theater Play are sure to pique your children’s interest and whet their appetite for more.
There’s never a dull moment at the Children’s Museum with fun-filled activities scheduled year-round.
Your special needs child need not miss out on the fun as the museum offers interactive activities and exhibits catered to his or her needs within their Discovery Play program.
Funderland Amusement Park
Warm weather calls for outdoor recreational fun and what better place for fun in the sun than Funderland!
Located in William Land Park, Funderland caters to the younger members of your family (and the young at heart!)
Your kids will enjoy such thrilling rides as spinning teacups, flying dragons, back-roads buggies, an iconic carousel, miniature trains, and more.
For the price of an entrance ticket, your children have access to all the rides in the park (children under 34 inches get in for free!)
In addition to fun-filled rides, there are refreshing concession stands for when your crew gets the munchies!
Fairytale Town
If your child loves fairy tale stories, Fairytale Town is the place where their dreams can come true.
Here, children have a chance to live and enjoy their favorite stories within their original storybook settings.
Fairytale Town’s interactive play sets, performing stages and charming gardens provide a safe and magical learning environment for children to act out their fantasies.
There’s also a flock of friendly farm animals to pet and love!
Your kids will have a wonderful time climbing Owl’s tree house, riding in Cinderella’s carriage, boarding Captain Hook’s ship, visiting King Arthur’s Castle, and more!
Sacramento Zoo
A visit to the Sacramento Zoo promises to be a fun and educational experience.
Over 400 animals reside in the Sacramento Zoo, many of which come from rare and endangered species.
Your kids will view creatures from all over the world – lions, cheetahs, jaguars, lemurs, chimpanzees, zebras, giraffes, kangaroos, snakes, and other favorites – and learn more about their habits and habitats.
The Sacramento Zoo features mammals, birds, reptiles, primates, fish, and amphibians from over 100 different species.
The best times to visit are mornings and when the weather’s cool as the animals are more apt to be awake and active.
Sea Quest
For hands-on interactions with exotic creatures from all over the world, a visit to Sea Quest is in order.
Sea Quest is an exotic petting zoo located in Folsom, CA, about half an hour’s drive from Sacramento.
Here your kids can connect up close and personal with such creatures as porcupines, sloths, otters, wallabies, stingrays, birds, and other tropical animals.
Sea Quest offers such unique attractions as walk-in aviaries, snorkeling with stingrays, mammals, reptiles, bird safaris, and more.
Your kids will be able to pet, hold and hand-feed many of the animals and learn more about how they live.
SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity
For the budding scientist in your family, consider a visit to the SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity.
This museum is perfect for children who are curious about how things work and would like to try their hand at finding out.
The museum is filled with interactive science, engineering & technology, artistic and mathematical exhibits for children of all ages to explore.
Your kids can perform daring experiments, design architectural masterpieces or study the planets and stars at the museum’s planetarium.
There’s something for everyone at the Museum of Science and Curiosity, making your visit well worth the time.
McKinley Park
No visit to Sacramento is complete without taking your kids to McKinley Park.
This beautiful 32-acre park features sports fields, tennis and basketball courts for older children who are into sports.
An expansive playground with swings, slides, bridges, monkey bars, a tree house, and a sandpit will keep your younger ones engaged and happy.
You can pack a picnic lunch and make a day of it with your family.
The park comes complete with walking trails, a gorgeous rose garden, a lake where your little ones can feed the ducks, a climbing wall, a swimming pool, and more.
Urban Air Sacramento
When rainy weather threatens to dampen your kids’ spirits, take them to Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park!
This indoor playground/park/gym offers a plethora of action-packed activities for kids of all ages to enjoy.
At Urban Air, you’ll find such attractions as the Adventure Hub, Drop Zone and Runway Tumble (for acrobatics), Spin Zone Bumper Cars, Climbing Walls, Performance Trampolines, and more!
Your feisty crew can burn off steam, hone their acrobatic and climbing skills and laugh and play to their heart’s content in a safe, challenging, fun-filled environment.
Monster Mini-Golf
If your kids are 5 or older, don’t pass up the chance to visit Monster Mini-Golf in Sacramento!
Monster Mini-Golf combines an amazing indoor miniature golf course with a family-friendly video gaming center to provide your kids with hours of non-stop entertainment.
Your kids will thrill at the sight of comical monsters that pop up intermittently throughout their mini-golf game.
The arcade features such challenging games as Jurassic Park, Big Bass Wheel, Glow Air Hockey, Skee Ball, and more!
Your kids will love every minute of their stay and will want to come back for more!
Boulder Field
Older children and teens will love the challenge of Boulder Field, a world-class climbing gym located near downtown Sacramento.
With approximately 10,000 sq. ft of bouldering/climbing space, your kids will have little trouble finding terrain that suits their fitness level or climbing skills.
There are climbing coaches to help and encourage your kids to succeed in their climbing endeavors.
The gym also equips your kids with the gear they need to safely participate in climbing activities.
Lake Natoma
For a relaxing day in nature, pack up the kids and head out to Lake Natoma.
The scenic beauty alone is worth the trip but there’s so much more to look forward to!
The pristine waters of Lake Natoma make it a hotspot for boating, fishing, swimming, kayaking, and other water sports.
There are also plenty of hiking and biking trails to explore and abundant wildlife to take pictures of.
Lake Natoma is a place where you can unwind with your family, create lasting memories, and enjoy the beauties of nature to the full.
Sacramento Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Sacramento Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
- TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there indoor kid-friendly places to visit in Sacramento?
Yes!
Sacramento is home to a number of kid-friendly museums like the Children’s Museum, California Automobile Museum, and Aerospace Museum that offer enriching activities and exhibits for kids of all ages.
There are also a number of indoor play parks like Urban Air, The Boulder Field, Caliglo, and Rockin’ Jump where your children can burn off steam in a safe, fun-filled environment.
What family-friendly outdoor parks can I take my kids to in Sacramento?
McKinley Park, William Land Park, and Maidu Regional Park are just a few of the dozens of kid-friendly parks you can visit in Sacramento.
Sacramento’s parks are perfect family outdoor environments, offering such amenities as open, green spaces for free play, soccer and baseball fields, hiking and biking trails, vibrant playgrounds, picnic areas, and more.
When’s the best time to vacation in Sacramento?
Weather-wise, the best time to vacation in Sacramento is between April and June or September and November when temperatures aren’t so severe.
If you want to include festivals in your visit, come during festival season, May or June, when temperatures are moderate and there’s less humidity to contend with.
In the fall, temperatures are refreshingly low – mid-50s – making it ideal to spend time outdoors.
The city is also less crowded in the fall, making for a more pleasant vacation visit
Where can I find affordable kid-friendly attractions in Sacramento?
With so much to do and see in Sacramento, families will have little trouble finding affordable attractions their children will love.
You can bring a picnic lunch and spend special family time in any one of Sacramento’s lovely parks or explore the Capitol for free.
By taking advantage of special discounts or off-season prices offered by local attractions, you and your family can enjoy them to the full.
There are also dozens of hotels and eateries in the city that offer top-notch comfort and quality at affordable costs.
