Best Family-Friendly Attractions

Explore the best best family-friendly attractions options for kids and families in Gonzales

Monolith

Monolith

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Tatum's Garden

Tatum's Garden

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Sherwood Park

Sherwood Park

Public park with sports facilities. Outdoor recreation space with a playground & gardens, plus a swim club, tennis courts & theater.

Laguna Grande Regional Park, Monterey side

Laguna Grande Regional Park, Monterey side

Waterfront area with picnic tables. Green space on the water offering a volleyball court, play area, picnic tables & public barbecues.

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Vast state park with hiking & camping. 1,000-acre state park offers a wide variety of hiking trails, wildlife, campgrounds & a guest lodge.

El Estero Park

El Estero Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Dennis The Menace Playground

Dennis The Menace Playground

Sizable kids' playground & park. Spacious kids' playground & park featuring activities such as a maze & a rock climbing wall.

Monterey County Youth Museum

Monterey County Youth Museum

Children's museum with hands-on exhibits. This colorful museum for toddlers & bigger kids features interactive exhibits with a local theme.

Monterey Sea Lions

Monterey Sea Lions

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Old Fisherman's Wharf

Old Fisherman's Wharf

Quaint landmark with dining & shopping. Iconic waterside complex & event site featuring seafood eateries, shops & water-sports activities.

Monterey State Historic Park

Monterey State Historic Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Lower Presidio Historic Park

Lower Presidio Historic Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

San Carlos Beach Park

San Carlos Beach Park

Tranquil spot with bayside vistas. 2.87-acre city park offering footpaths, benches, landscaped turf & scenic bay views.

Treasure Hunt: The Ride

Treasure Hunt: The Ride

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Cannery Row

Cannery Row

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Sprawling marine life attraction. Well-known aquarium on a rocky coastline with exhibits ranging from otter habitats to touch pools.

Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History

Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History

Free exhibitions on regional wildlife. Nature museum offering exhibits on birds, insects, plants & other wildlife, plus free admission.

Lovers Point Park

Lovers Point Park

Small beachside recreation spot. Petite beach park with swimming, surfing & other water recreation, plus kayak & bike rentals & more.

Whalers Cabin Museum

Whalers Cabin Museum

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Point Pinos Lighthouse (1855)

Point Pinos Lighthouse (1855)

Historic light tower from 1850s. Oldest continually operating lighthouse on the Pacific, offering tours of Victorian-era building.

Cypress Point Lookout

Cypress Point Lookout

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Esplanade Park

Esplanade Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Capitola Historical Museum

Capitola Historical Museum

Visit this great place for kids and families!

The Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery

The Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Walton Lighthouse

Walton Lighthouse

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Chanticleer Ave County Park

Chanticleer Ave County Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Wildlife, plant & archaeology exhibits. Galleries & interactive programs exploring flora, fauna, geology & peoples native to the Bay Area.

Lighthouse Point

Lighthouse Point

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

Exhibits exploring wave-riding culture. Rotating exhibits on surfing culture & local history housed in a historic, preserved lighthouse.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Iconic amusement park on the beach. Amusement park offers a variety of games & rides right on a mile-long stretch of sandy beach.

Sky Glider

Sky Glider

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Ocean View Park

Ocean View Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center

Theater & interactive exhibit gallery. Educational multimedia exhibits include theater, touch pools & a remotely operated underwater robot.

Neary Lagoon Park

Neary Lagoon Park

Wildlife habitat with floating walkways. Wildlife refuge with trails & floating walkways, bird-watching areas, tennis courts & a playground.

San Lorenzo Park

San Lorenzo Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History

Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History

Hands-on exhibitions & special programs. Expansive venue with hands-on art & history exhibitions, plus special programs good for all ages.

Seymour Marine Discovery Center

Seymour Marine Discovery Center

Aquarium & interactive science museum. Interactive marine science museum & aquarium, with hands-on exhibits, a touch pool & a gift shop.

Harvey West Park

Harvey West Park

Park with pools, ball fields & play area. Sporty park with swimming pools, baseball fields, a bike pump track, playground & picnic areas.

The Mystery Spot

The Mystery Spot

Iconic gravity hill offering tours. Opened in 1941, this roadside landmark is a tilt-induced visual illusion with tours & a gift shop.

Wilder Ranch State Park

Wilder Ranch State Park

Picnic areas, trails & horseback riding. Natural landscape with diverse activities including hiking trails, picnic areas & horseback riding.

UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden

UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden

Rare plants & a butterfly garden. Vast collection of rare plants with a succulent garden, a butterfly area & a eucalyptus grove.

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