Summer Adventures with Kids in Texas
We pulled these 90 summer adventures out of our full catalog of kid-friendly spots in Texas. Every listing has the ages it suits, what it costs, how long to budget, parking notes, and what to pack.
90 adventures found
Barton Springs Pool
Austin, TX
SwimmingIconic 3-acre spring-fed pool in Zilker Park at 68 degrees year-round. Paid entry. Best from about …
Thinkery
Austin, TX
ScienceAustin children's museum built for hands-on play, with water tables, a light and shadow lab, a maker …
Bastrop State Park
Bastrop, TX
HikingLost Pines hiking with swimming pool and Junior Rangers. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A …
Colorado Bend State Park
Bend, TX
Hiking70-foot Gorman Falls waterfall with spring-fed swimming holes. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. …
Inks Lake State Park
Burnet, TX
SwimmingSpring-fed lake swimming and cliff jumping at Devil's Waterhole. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. …
Inks Lake State Park Camping and Cabins
Burnet, TX
CampingWaterfront campsites and small cabins on a constant-level lake with pink granite shoreline and the …
Garner State Park
Concan, TX
SwimmingLegendary Frio River swimming and summer dances in the Hill Country. Paid entry. Best from about age …
Garner State Park Camping and Cabins
Concan, TX
CampingCypress-shaded campsites, screened shelters and CCC cabins along the Frio River at the most …
Padre Island National Seashore
Corpus Christi, TX
Camping70 miles of wild beach with sea turtle releases and shell hunting. Paid entry. Best from about age …
Dallas World Aquarium
Dallas, TX
AquariumDescend through an indoor rainforest of sloths, toucans and monkeys to a shark tunnel and manatees …
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Dallas, TX
ScienceFive floors of hands-on science in downtown Dallas with dinosaur skeletons, an earthquake simulator, …
Hamilton Pool Preserve
Dripping Springs, TX
SwimmingJaw-dropping grotto with 50-foot waterfall and natural swimming pool. Paid entry. Best from about …
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
Fort Worth, TX
ScienceFort Worth science museum with a toddler wing, a dinosaur dig pit, water play, a dome theater and …
Enchanted Rock Walk-In Camping
Fredericksburg, TX
CampingWalk-in tent sites and primitive backcountry camping at the granite dome, and the reliable way in …
Moody Gardens
Galveston, TX
AquariumThree glass pyramids in Galveston holding an aquarium with penguins, an indoor rainforest with …
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center
Glen Rose, TX
NatureDrive-through safari park near Glen Rose TX where kids hand-feed giraffes from the car - 1,800 acres …
Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine
Grapevine, TX
SwimmingIndoor water park hotel in Grapevine kept at 84 degrees year-round, with body slides, a wave pool, a …
Children's Museum Houston
Houston, TX
Indoor-PlayTop-ranked Houston children's museum with a kid-run city, a giant water play zone, an invention lab …
Houston Museum of Natural Science
Houston, TX
MuseumHouston natural history museum with action-posed dinosaurs, a walk-in butterfly rainforest, real …
Space Center Houston
Houston, TX
ScienceNASA's Houston visitor center with a tram to real Mission Control, a walk-through shuttle, moon …
Little Elm Beach
Little Elm, TX
SwimmingSandy lake beach on Lewisville Lake with roped swim area and free life jacket loans. Free. Best from …
The DoSeum
San Antonio, TX
Indoor-PlaySan Antonio children's museum with a multi-story climber, a robot lab, a mock vet clinic and a …
Witte Museum
San Antonio, TX
MuseumSan Antonio natural history museum with a dinosaur gallery and dig pit, Texas wildlife dioramas and …
Austin Aquarium
Austin, TX
AquariumHands-on north Austin aquarium where kids feed stingrays, touch sea stars in shallow pools and walk …
Austin Bouldering Project
Austin, TX
Rock-ClimbingIndoor bouldering gym in south Austin with colour-graded routes, padded floors and day passes with …
Blanton Museum of Art
Austin, TX
MuseumUT Austin art museum whose Ellsworth Kelly stone chapel floods the floor with shifting colored light …
Bull Creek Greenbelt
Austin, TX
SwimmingShallow limestone creek pools perfect for toddler wading. Free. Best from about age 3. About two …
Bullock Texas State History Museum
Austin, TX
MuseumThree floors of Texas history in downtown Austin anchored by a real 1686 shipwreck hull, plus an …
Emma Long Metropolitan Park
Austin, TX
SwimmingSandy Lake Austin swimming beach and lakeside camping inside Austin city limits - entry $5-$10 per …
Lady Bird Lake
Austin, TX
KayakingKayaking and paddleboarding on calm water through downtown Austin. Paid entry. Best from about age …
Balmorhea State Park
Balmorhea, TX
SwimmingCrystal-clear 1.75-acre spring-fed pool with snorkeling in West Texas. Paid entry. Best from about …
Bastrop State Park Cabins
Bastrop, TX
LodgingHistoric 1930s CCC stone cabins among the Lost Pines east of Austin, among the hardest reservations …
Colorado Bend State Park Camping
Bend, TX
CampingRustic no-hookup river camping down six miles of gravel road, with Gorman Falls and guided wild cave …
Blanco State Park
Blanco, TX
SwimmingSmall-town river swimming and tubing perfect for young children. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. …
Blanco State Park Camping
Blanco, TX
CampingCompact CCC-era campground under pecan trees on the Blanco River, one of the gentlest first camping …
Longhorn Cavern State Park
Burnet, TX
NatureKid-friendly guided cave tour near Burnet TX - walk a mile through cathedral-sized underground rooms …
Possum Kingdom State Park
Caddo, TX
SwimmingClear blue lake swimming and canyon trail hiking. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day …
Cedar Hill State Park
Cedar Hill, TX
HikingFamily-friendly state park on Joe Pool Lake just 20 minutes from Dallas - swimming, hiking, camping, …
Guadalupe River at Horseshoe Falls
Comfort, TX
SwimmingNatural horseshoe waterfall on the Guadalupe River near Comfort. Free. Best from about age 3. About …
Daingerfield State Park
Daingerfield, TX
CampingStunning fall foliage and family lake swimming at a hidden East Texas gem - camping, fishing, …
Dallas Museum of Art
Dallas, TX
MuseumFree-admission art museum in the Dallas Arts District with a hands-on kids studio, Egyptian …
Frontiers of Flight Museum
Dallas, TX
MuseumHangar museum at Dallas Love Field with thirty-plus aircraft, the Apollo 7 capsule, flight …
Eisenhower State Park
Denison, TX
CampingBlufftop trails and lake swimming on Lake Texoma. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day …
Purtis Creek State Park
Eustace, TX
FishingStocked catch-and-release lake where kids always catch fish. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A …
Davis Mountains State Park
Fort Davis, TX
CampingCool mountain camping with skyline trail and historic pueblo lodge. Paid entry. Best from about age …
Kimbell Art Museum
Fort Worth, TX
MuseumFree permanent collection in a famous Louis Kahn building in Fort Worth, small enough for a one-hour …
National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
Fort Worth, TX
MuseumFort Worth museum of the women of the American West with a bucking bronc ride simulator, rodeo gear, …
Trinity Trails
Fort Worth, TX
BikingOver 100 miles of paved family-friendly trails along the Trinity River in Fort Worth - free biking, …
Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park Camping
Fredericksburg, TX
CampingCity-run RV and tent camping ten minutes from Main Street, the practical base for Enchanted Rock and …
Limestone Quarry Park
Frisco, TX
NatureFormer quarry with exposed limestone walls and prairie wildflowers. Free. Works from toddler age. …
Museum of the American Railroad
Frisco, TX
MuseumFrisco rail museum with full-size steam locomotives, a Pullman sleeper and vintage passenger cars …
National Videogame Museum
Frisco, TX
Indoor-PlayFrisco museum of video game history with a free-play 1980s arcade, playable consoles, and …
Galveston Island State Park
Galveston, TX
CampingBeach camping and bay-side kayaking at Galveston Island State Park - coastal wetlands, birding …
Stewart Beach
Galveston, TX
SwimmingLifeguarded family beach with rentals and food on Galveston Island. Paid entry. Works from toddler …
Garey Park
Georgetown, TX
Hiking525-acre river park with trails and splash pad in Georgetown. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A …
Inner Space Cavern
Georgetown, TX
NatureWalk through an Ice Age cave 30 minutes from Austin. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. About two …
San Gabriel Park
Georgetown, TX
BikingAward-winning playscape and river trail in Georgetown. Free. Works from toddler age. About two …
Palmetto State Park
Gonzales, TX
HikingTropical palmetto forest and warm springs along the San Marcos River. Paid entry. Best from about …
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Dallas Fort Worth
Grapevine, TX
Indoor-PlayIndoor LEGO play center at Grapevine Mills with build zones, two rides, a 4D cinema, soft play and a …
Meadowmere Park
Grapevine, TX
SwimmingSandy beach swimming on Lake Grapevine with playground and camping. Paid entry. Works from toddler …
SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium
Grapevine, TX
AquariumMall aquarium in Grapevine with eye-level tanks, touch pools and a walk-through shark and ray …
Downtown Aquarium Houston
Houston, TX
AquariumDowntown Houston aquarium with a shark tunnel, swamp alligators and white tigers, plus a small ride …
The Health Museum
Houston, TX
ScienceHouston museum of the human body with a walk-through giant heart, a climb-in brain and a simulated …
Pedernales Falls Trammel Crossing
Johnson City, TX
SwimmingHistoric river crossing with natural wading pools away from the crowds. Paid entry. Best from about …
Pedernales River Nature Park
Johnson City, TX
SwimmingQuiet Pedernales River swimming with limestone wading pools. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. …
South Llano River State Park
Junction, TX
CampingCrystal-clear spring-fed river for family swimming and tubing near Junction TX - camping under pecan …
Caddo Lake State Park
Karnack, TX
KayakingKayaking through a moss-draped cypress swamp on Texas' only natural lake. Paid entry. Best from …
Village Creek State Park
Lumberton, TX
KayakingTannin-clear creek paddling through Big Thicket sandbars. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A …
Erwin Park
McKinney, TX
Mountain-Biking10 miles of DORBA-maintained mountain bike trails in McKinney TX with a beginner skills course, …
Comal River Tubing
New Braunfels, TX
TubingGentle spring-fed tubing on the 2.5-mile Comal River in New Braunfels TX - tube rentals with shuttle …
Lake Pflugerville Park
Pflugerville, TX
SwimmingFree lake beach with swim area and 3-mile paved loop. Free. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip. …
Ray Roberts Lake State Park
Pilot Point, TX
CampingSandy beach swimming, kids fishing pond, and lakeside camping at Ray Roberts Lake - a big North …
Crayola Experience Plano
Plano, TX
Indoor-PlayTwo floors of hands-on art stations in Plano where kids name their own crayon, melt wax into art and …
Sea Rim State Park
Sabine Pass, TX
KayakingGulf beach meets freshwater marsh with paddling trails and boardwalks. Paid entry. Best from about …
Briscoe Western Art Museum
San Antonio, TX
MuseumCompact Western art museum on the San Antonio River Walk with a stagecoach, saddles, historic …
SEA LIFE San Antonio Aquarium
San Antonio, TX
AquariumSmall River Walk aquarium in San Antonio with a walk-through ray and shark tunnel plus supervised …
San Antonio Museum of Art
San Antonio, TX
MuseumArt museum in a castle-like former brewery on San Antonio's Museum Reach, holding mummies, Roman …
Rio Vista Park
San Marcos, TX
SwimmingCrystal-clear spring-fed river with natural falls for floating and swimming. Free. Best from about …
Grelle Recreation Area
Spicewood, TX
HikingUncrowded Lake Travis cove with wooded trails and swimming. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. A …
Krause Springs
Spicewood, TX
SwimmingSpring-fed pools under ancient cypress trees with camping. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A …
Krause Springs Camping
Spicewood, TX
CampingCamp above a spring-fed swimming hole and rope swing on a family-owned Hill Country property, with …
Pace Bend Park
Spicewood, TX
SwimmingRocky limestone coves and cliff jumping on Lake Travis. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A …
Guadalupe River State Park
Spring Branch, TX
SwimmingCypress-lined Guadalupe River swimming with guided paddles and hikes. Paid entry. Best from about …
Guadalupe River State Park Camping
Spring Branch, TX
CampingFour miles of cypress-lined Guadalupe River frontage with drive-up and walk-in campsites, forty-five …
Martin Creek Lake State Park
Tatum, TX
FishingYear-round warm-water fishing with unique island campsites in East Texas - a hidden gem for family …
Abilene State Park
Tuscola, TX
SwimmingSpring-fed swimming pool under pecan trees in West Texas. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A …
Tyler State Park
Tyler, TX
SwimmingSpring-fed lake swimming with a sandy beach, paddleboat rentals, and 13 miles of piney-woods trails …
Lake Whitney State Park
Whitney, TX
CampingWhite limestone shoreline swimming and easy trails on Lake Whitney. Paid entry. Works from toddler …
Blue Hole Regional Park
Wimberley, TX
SwimmingSpring-fed swimming hole with a famous rope swing under bald cypress trees in Wimberley TX - summer …
Jacob's Well Natural Area
Wimberley, TX
SwimmingCrystal-clear artesian spring swimming hole in Wimberley TX - swimming requires advance online …