Finding activities that the whole family can enjoy can sometimes feel like a bit of a chore.
Even before you’ve discovered an activity everyone can agree on, there are still considerations like location, cost, age-appropriateness and, since we live in Texas, the weather, before you jump in the car and go.
Who knew that looking for fun could be so…un-fun?
Good news! We are here to help. Take a look at our guide of kid-friendly activities that even the adults will enjoy.
Attractions
Grapevine Vintage Railroad
Where: 707 S. Main St., Grapevine
Hours: daily 6 a.m.-10 p.m.
Cost: $18-$72
Little kids are crazy about trains. (Thanks, Thomas the Train). The Grapevine Vintage Railroad lets your family experience the real thing. Hop aboard a vintage locomotive at the depot in Grapevine and travel the Historic Cotton Belt Route through six cities in Tarrant County before arriving in the Historic Stockyards in Fort Worth. Once there, riders have time to explore the Stockyards before re-boarding for the return trip to Grapevine.
Founder’s Plaza at DFW Airport
Where: 1700 N. Airfield Drive, Grapevine
Hours: daily 7 a.m.–7 p.m.
Cost: Free
For another transportation adventure, go watch the planes land at Founders Plaza, a park/observation area near Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. You can view DFW's 1,700 plus take-offs and landings from the tiny park that has plenty of shade and seating. If you want a closer view, there are four telescopes on site. What really makes the trip worthwhile is the air traffic control communications from the FAA tower broadcast throughout the park.
The Fort Worth Herd
Where: 131 East Exchange Ave., Fort Worth
Hours: daily 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. except Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. The Trail Boss determines drive cancellations due to inclement weather and necessary onsite changes.
Cost: Free
If you want to see Texas history come to life you owe yourself a visit to Stockyards Historical District in Fort Worth to see a real cattle drive. Cowboys on horseback (complete with authentic gear) drive a herd of Longhorn cattle down Exchange Street twice a day. If you miss the cattle drive, stop by Livestock Exchange Building for The Herd Experience. You can see the herd from an observation deck and interact with the drovers (cattle drivers) and watch while they saddle and groom their horses and tell chuck wagon stories.
Brazos Drive-In
Where: 1800 W. Pearl St., Granbury
Hours: Friday and Saturday at dusk. Closed Nov. 30, 2023-March 5, 2024
Cost: $10 single, $20 carload
Go retro with your movie-going experience at the Brazos Drive-In in Granbury. You can load up the car and the whole gang can see a first-run movie for just 20 bucks. You'll love their old-fashioned snack bar that sports a banging screen door and metal chairs out front. You'll swear you're sitting on the porch at grandma's house. Drive-In movie lovers should also check out the Coyote Drive-In along the banks of the Trinity River in Fort Worth. It’s the newest kid on the drive-in block and sports three screens and an awesome snack bar.
Klyde Warren Park
Where: 2012 Woodall Rodgers Freeway, Dallas
Hours: daily 6 a.m.-11 p.m.
Cost: Free
Pick a lazy Sunday afternoon and ride the M-Line trolley from the Uptown area in Dallas to Klyde Warren Park near downtown. You’ll be glad you rode the trolley because not only is it fun (and free), but there’s very little parking near the park. When you arrive, grab a snack from one of the many food trucks parked there from 11 to 3, and then play, play, play at the children's park. There are numerous structures for climbing, interactive fountains if you get hot, and best of all, bathrooms. If you're feeling especially energetic, walk over the Dallas Museum of Art and explore its space for kids, Center for Creative Connections.
Tour the Bureau of Engraving & Printing Currency Facility
Where: 9100 Blue Mound Road, Fort Worth
Hours: Tuesday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The last tour of the day begins at 4:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
A great way to explain that money doesn't grow on trees is a self-guided tour of the money factory, a.k.a. the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Western Currency Facility. You can see the process of money being printed from an enclosed walkway above the production floor. In addition to the tour, there are two floors of interactive exhibits and displays showcasing currency history and the art of currency manufacturing. The tour is approximately 45 minutes along an elevated walkway. One last thing, before the tour you should allow 30 minutes to clear WCF security.
Museums
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
Where: 1600 Gendy St., Fort Worth
Hours: Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday noon-5 p.m., Monday Closed
Cost: General Admission $0-$16
The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is made up of permanent exhibitions, including DinoLabs and DinoDig, Innovation Studios, the Children’s Museum, Energy Blast, and the Cattle Raiser’s Museum. It also hosts a number of traveling exhibition within its 166,000 square feet of gallery space. Besides copious amounts of exhibitions, you can also enjoy free shows at the Noble Planetarium. While you're there, pop into theNational Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame right next door.
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Where: 2201 N. Field St., Dallas
Hours: open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cost: General admission $15-$25
Put your walking shoes on. The Perot is a 180,000-square-foot cube of science and discovery. Take a ride up the futuristic escalator and explore five floors of exhibit halls that contain fossils, giant gems, video and 3D computer animation simulators, interactive kiosks and educational games. Head to the bottom level for traveling exhibitions, a children's museum and an outdoor play space and a courtyard. For an extra fee, enjoy a 3D film in the Hoglund Theater.
Nature
Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary
Where: 1 Nature Place, McKinney
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., Sunday, 1-4 p.m.; Closed Monday
Cost: General Admission $0-$12
The Heard is a 289-acre wildlife sanctuary and natural science museum. Take a hike over 6.5 miles of trails and explore five habitats that include: blackland prairie, bottomland forest, upland forest, white rock escarpment and a wetlands habitat which also features a boardwalk. The museum also offers a ropes course, owl prowls and birdwatching excursions. Seasonal activities include a butterfly house in the late spring and summer; and canoeing and (the wildly popular) Dinosaurs Live! in the fall and winter. The 15 life-sized, animatronic dinosaurs situated along a nature trail is definitely worth seeing.
Trinity River Audubon Center
Where: 6500 Great Trinity Forest Way, Dallas
Hours: Wednesday through Friday 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Saturday & Sunday 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Closed Monday & Tuesday
Cost: Free
The land TRAC sits on used to be an illegal dumpsite but was reclaimed by the City of Dallas. It features trails in the Great Trinity Forest as well as restored wetlands and prairies. The center has many hands-on exhibits, four miles of nature viewing trails, the Children's Discovery Garden as well as some excellent exploring activities such as morning bird walks and night hikes.
Rory Meyers Adventure Garden at the Dallas Arboretum
Where: 8525 Garland Road, Dallas
Hours: Open daily 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day
Cost: $3
The Arboretum's Children Garden can best be described as an outdoor science lab on steroids with a touch of whimsy and magic throw in for good measure. It stretches over eight acres and features 17 indoor/outdoor galleries, more than 150 interactive exhibits and games located throughout the garden.
Theater
Pocket Sandwich Theatre
Where: 1104 Elm St., Carrollton
Hours: Check schedule for performances
Cost: $13-$15
Looking for some goofy family fun? Try one of Pocket Sandwich Theatre's productions. Their infamous audience-participation shows mean you'll be booing for the bad guy, cheering for the good guy -- and throwing lots of popcorn. Most of their shows are rated PG 13 for adult innuendo, but overall they're pretty tame and tons of fun.
Dallas Children’s Theater
Where: 5938 Skillman St., Dallas
Hours: Check website for performances
Cost: $10+
Dallas Children's Theater consistently puts out quality theater for kids of all ages so it's no surprise that it's rated as one of the top 5 theaters in the nation performing for youth by TIME Magazine. The roster of annual shows is produced by a team of theater professionals including actors, directors and writers which means, mom and dad are going to love these shows, too. As an added bonus, the Rosewood Theater is spacious and every seat is a good seat.
Hip Pocket Theatre
Where: 1950 Silver Creek Road, Fort Worth
Hours: Check website for performances
Cost: $10-$25
The magical outdoor setting of Hip Pocket will make you feel like you’re right in the middle of the story with its canopy of nighttime lights and rustic seating. Plays here come to life with a mixture of traditional theater along with music, mime, dance, puppetry and projected images. Not all of their productions are suitable for children, so be sure to check before purchasing tickets.
You can find even more events here:
Visit Dallas
Visit Fort Worth
Go See DFW
Fort Worth Stockyards
Grapevine Visitors Center
Got a tip? Email Therese Powell at tpowell@kera.org.
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