Lone Star State children’s museums cater to the young…and young at heart.
Some Texas children’s museums land on national “best of” lists consistently. When you are visiting these regions of Texas and need to keep the family fun going, check these out.
Houston and the Gulf Coast
Planning your next family beach vacation to the Texas Gulf Coast? Make sure to stop by the Children’s Museum Houston while you’re in the area! This museum is billed as “a playground for your mind,” and it delivers, offering nearly 20 different environments to traverse. The Maker Annex engages curious children ages 8 and up with 3D printers, laser cutters, and more. Or crack codes, look for clues, and outsmart villains with the Secret Spy Game. When you’re ready to refuel after all that fun, head to the nearby Barnaby’s Café — its hefty menu has something for everyone, including hungry parents.
The Fort Bend Children’s Discovery Center in nearby Sugar Land is an affiliate of the Children’s Museum Houston. Children of all ages will find fascinating fun at five main exhibits offering hands-on, interactive experiences, including Dragons and Fairies, which explores Vietnam and its people through folktales, and How Does It Work? a gallery that prompts kids to explore how the natural world works. Other offerings include Sensory Friendly Days when the center is open only to children on the autism spectrum and their families.
East Texas
Known as the Piney Woods region for its majestic towering trees, East Texas is a family-friendly destination that captivates visitors with its natural beauty and outdoor adventures. The Big Thicket National Preserve offers fun for all ages with mountain biking trails, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing among the massive cypress trees. Explore the charming city of Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas, or hop aboard the historic Texas State Railroad, where steam engines take passengers on a nostalgic four-hour, round-trip journey between Palestine and Rusk. Springtime brings vibrant blooms and family-friendly festivals, including the stunning Tyler Azalea Trail, the Jasper Azalea Festival, and the celebration of the lacy white dogwood trees in Palestine, making it the perfect season to visit.
While you’re here, don’t miss the Discovery Place Children's Museum. This children’s museum is in a partnership with The University of Texas at Tyler, and as a result, its exhibits, play areas, special events, and camps reflect the latest and greatest thinking on the importance of play and learning about science, community, and more. Conduct toy trains, man a rocket ship, dig for dinosaur bones, explore a vet’s job, or play restaurant at the One World Bistro, among other activities for all ages. While you’re in Tyler, make sure to stop and smell the roses, too — flowers bloom year-round in The Rose Capital of America. Besides the Tyler Rose Museum and garden, the family will enjoy The Earth and Space Science Center with a special planetarium, as well as the notable Bragg Train Collection of Lionel electric trains, just part of the experience at the Cotton Belt Railroad Depot Museum.
Hill Country and South Texas
There’s a lot to explore when you’re in Austin, the Texas State Capital! Visit lush Zilker Metropolitan Park and take a dip in the famously refreshing waters at Barton Springs. Afterward, hop aboard the Zilker Eagle mini train for a gentle journey around the park. Nearby Zilker Botanical Gardens offers 28 acres of paths through various gardenscapes, including a Japanese garden. With streams and Koi-filled ponds, the garden offers a peaceful break in the middle of the city. You’ll also enjoy the Austin Nature and Science Center, which provides hands-on nature exhibits. Kids can become a human sundial, observe a honeybee hive, and dig for fossil casts modeled after ancient specimens.
Another Austin highlight for curious kiddos is The Thinkery, a big red building in downtown, which contains exhibits and events that make this children’s museum a must-visit. Lights, shadows, and color enliven the Light Lab space that’s created to let you draw, play, and build with light and shadow. The Story Nook invites little booklovers to cozy up with a good book and a family member, or to attend one of the many regularly scheduled story times. Throughout The Thinkery, thoughtful suggestions give adults ideas of how to guide their little ones for heightened engagement and learning.
Visitors can enjoy a day trip to New Braunfels, located between the cities of Austin and San Antonio. Here, you can make a day of it at Schlitterbahn Waterpark or rent a tube and float the Comal River. On dry land, there’s more to explore at McKenna Children’s Museum, where children can hands-on activities and crafts entertain and educate. Amazing Airways demonstrates air pressure and wind resistance by using compressed air blown through its maze of pneumatic tubes, sending balls whooshing from station to station. Make a splash at the outdoor water table. Children under three will enjoy testing their motor skills at the Tot Spot. Older children love the operating room and ambulance with flashing lights in the Kids Clinic.
After taking a boat ride along the San Antonio River, strolling the famed River Walk, and touring the Alamo, the family might be ready for something different. Head over to The DoSeum kids’ museum, a palace to the power of play. In addition to several permanent exhibits like the Semmes Spy Academy and tinkering-intensive Innovation Station, DoSeum’s special events entice visitors to attend maker workshops or go sock-skating in the winter. The family can grab a bite after a busy day of play in one of the many restaurants that line the River Walk nearby. Or head to the San Antonio Zoo, located in the city’s Brackenridge Park, or ride to the observation deck at the top of the Tower of the Americas in Hemisfair Park for a breathtaking view of the San Antonio skyline!
Panhandle Plains
Headed West on a family road trip? Don’t miss Palo Duro Canyon near Amarillo, America’s second-largest canyon after the Grand Canyon. Other must-see spots include Cadillac Ranch, an art installation of ten fin-tailed Cadillacs buried headfirst along Interstate 40. When visiting Amarillo, take a break from the action at The Don Harrington Discovery Center. You’ll find child-centric spaces like the Kinder Studio’s performance stage, tumbling space, and natural materials for creative play. Critter Row provides an opportunity to see and sometimes interact with live animals from around the globe like a bearded dragon, tarantula, or snake. Don’t miss Space Gallery, where visitors get a peek into how our weather works, and can learn all about space phenomena, including cosmic rays, auroras, solar flares, and more. Hungry? Head to the Big Texan Steak Ranch, home of the famous 72-ounce steak dinner, along with plenty of other menu offerings to feed your group, including a kids menu. Amarillo is also a great place to stargaze — parents can enjoy a romantic evening under the stars after putting the kids to bed.
Dallas–Fort Worth Area
Two zoos — one in Dallas, one in Fort Worth, the Fort Worth Stockyards, the Dallas Arboretum, the Six Flags Over Texas theme park…these are just some of the many family fun things to do in the DFW area. Add incredible shopping, dining, and entertainment, and you have the makings of a great family getaway. Add the Moody Family Children’s Museum to your travel itinerary. Because it’s contained within the must-see Perot Museum of Nature and Science, in Dallas, families can first enjoy the children’s museum’s exhibits and activities like a scavenger hunt and a make-believe farmer’s market, before moving on to the larger museum for further explorations of dinosaur bones, the world of birds, gems, and minerals, and more. Or check out the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, whose children’s museum provides a play space where kids 8 and younger can shop at a kid-size grocery store. The DinoLab and outdoor DinoDig take young visitors back to prehistoric times, and the Noble Planetarium and new Omni IMAX Theater both offer mesmerizing viewing experiences.
Looking for more wonderful world-class museums to delight the kids? There are more family-friendly destinations here than you’d have time to visit, but here are two more to consider. Explorium Denton is located north of Dallas. Geared for children 10 and younger, the Explorium is small but mighty with thoughtful indoor play spaces, musical story time puppet shows, and special events like Touch a Truck. The Explorium also offers sensory-friendly sessions and other special programing for toddlers. South of Dallas, in Rio Vista, The Texas Children’s Museum is completely run by volunteers. Hands-on, interactive play is the focus here. Visitors make music, engineer water, shovel dirt with toy trucks, and play at an enormous toy train table.
