8 Best Things to Do with Kids in Austin

The 351-acre metropolitan park south of the Colorado River from downtown Austin is packed with fun things to do. There are beautiful picnic sites, playgrounds, volleyball courts, botanical gardens, an outdoor theatre and a nature centre. Kids will especially enjoy the 20-minute tour of the park provided by the Zilker Zephyr miniature train. The star attraction, however, is the Barton Springs Pool. Formed by natural springs and spanning 3-acres, the water here is at a constant temperature of about 20°C throughout the year. It’s a popular place for Austinites to relax and cool off in summer.

This museum was designed to tell “the Story of Texas”, and does so across 3 floors of interactive exhibits. Each floor has a different theme covering the Texan land and identity. The star attraction is the 400-seat IMAX theatre, which shows new and classic movies. Be sure to check out the original NASA Mission Control consoles and oil field drill bits on the 3rd floor. Head to the Story of Texas Café for local comfort food and snacks.

This museum in Zilker Park focusses on the hands-on approach to learning about the natural world. Children are encouraged to touch and handle exhibits while learning an increased appreciation for the environment around them. There are both indoor and outdoor exhibits, including a dinosaur pit where kids can practise excavating fossils, a butterfly garden, a nature walk and even a small zoo. Best of all, entrance is free, though some special workshops come with a small fee.

Austin is known for its weird and wonderful attractions, and Peter Pan Mini-Golf is perhaps one of the best examples of that. It opened in 1948 and has two 18-hole courses, both littered with bizarre statues and obstacles. Many of them are naturally related to the popular tale of the boy who never grew up, though others are just completely random. I’m pretty sure there was no mention of a T-Rex stomping about Neverland in the original text! A round of one course costs about $7 for adults and $5 for kids, with the east course supposedly being the easier of the two.

The Austin Toy Museum on Congress Avenue is dedicated to vintage playthings, games and action figures. For parents, it provides both a nostalgia trip and an interesting look at childhood education and entertainment through the years. The best bit about it, for children of any age, is that many of the exhibits can be handled and played with, making it almost more like a giant toy box than a museum. Admission costs $9 for adults and $4 for children.

Thinkery is a hands-on learning lab for youngsters, focussing on lessons surrounding science, technology, engineering, maths and arts. Located in the northeast of the city, near Mueller Lake Park, the museum has plenty of art spaces, play areas, workshops and other areas where kids can exercise their creativity while developing their skills and knowledge, with the help of expert staff. Thanks to tailored activities, it’s suitable for any age group and has a flat admission rate of $23 per person.

Pioneer Farms brings the early days of Austin to life in a 90-acre living museum and park. The area is split into 6 themed areas, including a Native American encampment, a petting zoo and various kinds of farms and villages you’d typically find on the edge of the Wild West around the mid- to late-1800s. You can taste old-fashioned foods, try your hand at historical trades and crafts and see demonstrations of the farming practices of the time. Tickets cost $8 for adults and $6 for children.

Pinballz Arcade has a truly massive selection of pinball machines spread across 3 Austin venues. However, it’s more than just bouncing silver balls around – you can also play modern and retro arcade and video games and take on the escape room puzzle. If you need a break from the fun and games, there’s a café serving all-day breakfast tacos. It’s a popular establishment with local Austinites, who are fond of their old-school entertainments (and their tacos).