Top 20 Places to Take Kids In and Around San Antonio - 2019
San Antonio's favorite places to take kids for 2019
There are literally hundreds of wonderful places to take your kids in San Antonio! Each year, we survey San Antonio parents to find out where they love to take their kids. 2019's results are below. And make sure to browse through our packed daily calendar, visit our Everything That's Free page, and sign up for our fantastic FREE weekly newsletter with dozens of ideas each week for local stuff to do with kids.
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San Antonio Zoo
The San Antonio Zoological Gardens and Aquarium is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoo in Midtown San Antonio, Texas, United States. The 35-acre zoo has a collection of over 3,500 animals representing 750 species.
San Antonio Aquarium
The San Antonio Aquarium opens eyes of discovery in a family friendly environment,creating fun things to do in San Antonio. We provide San Antonio’s children and families fun access to the excitement and learning of the planet without a long trip to the coast. Watch jellyfish gently float and glow, admire families of seahorses playing, or our Giant Pacific Octopus snack on crawfish – fed by guests!
LEGOLAND Discovery Center San Antonio
The ALL NEW LEGOLAND® Discovery Center San Antonio is the Ultimate Indoor LEGO® Playground! Visitors to LEGOLAND Discovery Center can enjoy 2 rides, a 4D cinema, MINILAND® San Antonio, 10 LEGO Play Zones and more! Families with children ages 3-10 won't want to miss out on the fun! LEGOLAND Discovery Center San Antonio is located inside the Shops at Rivercenter in the heart of downtown San Antonio, steps away from the historic Alamo and World Famous River Walk!
SeaWorld San Antonio
At Sea World, you can experience up-close animal interactions, dive into the world beneath the waves on thrilling rides like the Great White coaster, and enjoy awe-inspiring shows. Check out Discovery Point, where you can experience dolphins through nose-to-bottlenose encounters. Their all-new Sesame Street Parade features everyone’s favorite Sesame Street® friends, 10 themed floats, contemporary tunes including Sesame Street favorites, and two show-stopping performances throughout the parade route.
The DoSeum
We are dedicated to providing engaging hands-on experiences where Kids Play to Learn and Adults Learn to Play. Through interactive play, we inspire a journey of life-long learning, ultimately enriching lives and positively impacting the community.
Morgan's Wonderland
Morgan’s Wonderland, the world’s first ultra-accessible family fun park, encompasses 25 acres of rides, attractions and activities for everyone, and all are welcome!
My Local Library
Of course, the libraries in the San Antonio area are not really ONE place, but MANY places... but it's important to emphasize how valuable libraries are for family learning and fun. The libraries in our area are wonderful about posting their events to the KidsOutAndAbout calendar so you always can get ideas for free things to do with your kids that celebrate education and imagination. KidsOutAndAbout.com takes this opportunity to salute the wonderful children's librarians who serve our community with such dedication. They're proud that locals voted them #3 in best places to take kids this year!
Six Flags Fiesta Texas
Home of eight world-class roller coasters and our giant FREE White Water Bay Water Park!
Science Mill
Discover the fun of science at the Science Mill in Johnson City! This family destination offers an exciting, interactive learning environment for all ages. Through cutting-edge exhibits, games and programs, the non-profit science museum expands understanding and appreciation of science in everyday life. Housed in an historic 1880s mill, the Science Mill features more than 50 hands-on, world-class exhibits, a 3D theater and an on-site café. Visit sciencemill.org for information on hours, special events, birthday parties, field trips and camps.
Splashtown San Antonio
San Antonio's family waterpark with 20 acres of cool, clean water excitement and over 50 rides & attractions. Celebrating 30 years of family fun!
Kiddie Park
Kiddie Park is the perfect place for children and adults to enjoy a nostalgic day of old-fashioned fun at one of San Antonio’s most treasured landmarks!
Witte Museum
Located on the banks of the beautiful San Antonio River in Brackenridge Park, the Witte Museum is San Antonio’s premier museum focusing on South Texas history, science and water resources.
Graff 7A Ranch / South Texas Maize
The Graff 7A Ranch is a 5th generation farm and ranch in Hondo, Texas. Our flagship event is our fall corn maze taking place from mid September to late November. Since 2001 we’ve been getting folks lost in our 7 acre maze carved into stalks of corn that tower over your head. A patron’s admission includes the hay ride, Paw-Paw's Pig Races, the Twin Cow Train, the Matter Corn Slide Mountain and several other family friendly activities. Find the perfect fall pumpkin, during the month of October, in our pumpkin patch. Day or night, the Graff 7A Ranch is a great family outing that's sure to please everyone!
Altitude Trampoline Park
This new indoor trampoline park includes high-energy equipment such as trampolines, a foam pit, tumble tracks and much more entertainment for families, groups and individuals.
San Antonio River Walk
Explore the San Antonio River Walk’s official website for family-friendly fun year-round; parades, festivals, museums, shopping, entertainment, dining, music, culture, and history are just some of the fun that awaits!
Urban Air Trampoline
If you’re looking for the best year-round indoor amusements in Helotes, Leon Valley, Grey Forest and Northwest San Antonio areas, Urban Air Adventure Park is the perfect place! With new adventures behind every corner, we are the ultimate indoor playground for your entire family. Take your kids’ birthday party to the next level or spend a day of fun with the family and you’ll see why we’re more than just a trampoline park.
Natural Bridge Caverns
Adventure 180 ft below the surface on a family-friendly guided tour where you can see incredible underground chambers filled with spectacular formations. The cavern tours are amazing – naturally – but Natural Bridge Caverns is more than just a cave. With surface attractions like the Canopy Explorer Ropes Course and Canopy Zip Lines you can sky high and test your balance on four stories of obstacles above the Texas Hill Country. For the little ones, Sky Tykes is a specifically designed ropes course for younger kids. Don’t forget about mining for gems and fossils in a real working sluice at the Discovery Village Mining Co. or taking on the challenge of the 5,000 square foot outdoor maze, AMAZEn’ Ranch Roundup. Natural Bridge Caverns has naturally cool things to do – for everyone.
San Antonio Botanical Garden
Explore 38 acres of garden space at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, including the Family Adventure Garden with 15 fun spaces that encourage unstructured play and exploration. The 2.5 acre Family Adventure Garden offers a universal, multigenerational design so people of all ages and physical abilities can unplug from devices, and plug into nature. Families can explore bubbling creeks, thundering ridges, beckoning hills, and sandy shores. The Botanical Garden’s mission is to inspire people to connect with the plant world and understand the importance of plants in our lives.
Winners in Special Categories
In the second part of our survey, we asked readers to select their favorites in several categories. Here were their choices.Favorite Place to Have Fun INSIDE
LEGOLAND Discovery Center San AntonioThe All New LEGOLAND® Discovery Center is the ultimate indoor LEGO Playground! Build, create, and play in 10 themed areas with millions of LEGO Bricks! It's as if you’ve just jumped into the biggest box of LEGO® bricks ever! There are two rides, 10 LEGO build & play zones, a 4D cinema & much more!
Favorite Place to Have Fun OUTSIDE
San Antonio ZooThe San Antonio Zoological Gardens and Aquarium is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoo in Midtown San Antonio, Texas, United States. The 35-acre zoo has a collection of over 3,500 animals representing 750 species.
Favorite Performing Arts
The Magik TheatreThe Magik Theatre is San Antonio's professional family theatre, located downtown in Hemisfair. Enjoy the magik of live theatre during daytime performances, classes and camps, or community programming that activates imagination, grows young minds, and Inspires creativity.
Favorite Kid-Friendly Museum
The DoSeumWe are dedicated to providing engaging hands-on experiences where Kids Play to Learn and Adults Learn to Play. Through interactive play, we inspire a journey of life-long learning, ultimately enriching lives and positively impacting the community.
Favorite Nature Center
San Antonio Botanical GardenExplore 38 acres of garden space at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, including the Family Adventure Garden with 15 fun spaces that encourage unstructured play and exploration. The 2.5 acre Family Adventure Garden offers a universal, multigenerational design so people of all ages and physical abilities can unplug from devices, and plug into nature. Families can explore bubbling creeks, thundering ridges, beckoning hills, and sandy shores. The Botanical Garden’s mission is to inspire people to connect with the plant world and understand the importance of plants in our lives.
Favorite Kid-Friendly Farm
Graff 7A Ranch / South Texas MaizeThe Graff 7A Ranch is a 5th generation farm and ranch in Hondo, Texas. Our flagship event is our fall corn maze taking place from mid September to late November. Since 2001 we’ve been getting folks lost in our 7 acre maze carved into stalks of corn that tower over your head. A patron’s admission includes the hay ride, Paw-Paw's Pig Races, the Twin Cow Train, the Matter Corn Slide Mountain and several other family friendly activities. Find the perfect fall pumpkin, during the month of October, in our pumpkin patch. Day or night, the Graff 7A Ranch is a great family outing that's sure to please everyone!
Favorite Sports Team
San Antonio Spurs5-Time NBA Champions: 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home games at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.
Favorite Arts Education
Witte MuseumLocated on the banks of the beautiful San Antonio River in Brackenridge Park, the Witte Museum is San Antonio’s premier museum focusing on South Texas history, science and water resources.
Favorite Sports Education
YMCA of Greater San AntonioThe Y focuses on youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility, and incorporates the core values of caring, honesty, respect, responsibility, and faith into all we do. The Y is more than a gym, we are a community with something for everyone in your family regardless of age, income, ability, ethnicity, or faith.
