Best Family-Friendly Attractions

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

Japanese Gardens

Japanese Gardens

Tranquil botanical garden with teahouse. This 3+-acre botanical garden features traditional Japanese arrangements, a teahouse & a koi pond.

Visit
Carlos Bee Park

Carlos Bee Park

Secluded spot for play & picnics. Small, tucked away park offering a playground, barbecue & picnic shelter with many tables.

Visit
Meek Park

Meek Park

Mansion grounds with gardens & play area. Landscaped grounds of a historic mansion with play structures, picnic space with grills & open lawn.

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Kennedy Park

Kennedy Park

Green space with many amenities for kids. Big, popular park with a playground, petting zoo & train, plus greenery, trails & picnic areas.

Visit
Five Canyons Park

Five Canyons Park

Green parkland with miles of trail loops. Over 300 acres of lush outdoor space, offering hiking trails with canyons, scenic views & wildlife.

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Lake Chabot Regional Park

Lake Chabot Regional Park

Scenic park for hikes, boating & fishing. Parkland featuring a 315-acre reservoir for canoeing & fishing, plus trails, picnic areas & a cafe.

Visit
Garin Regional Park

Garin Regional Park

Hills, fields, streams & farming history. This natural area with hills, fields & streams houses a seasonal visitor center on ranching history.

Visit
Oakland Zoo

Oakland Zoo

850+ native & exotic animals on display. Long-standing zoo features 850+ native & exotic animals, a wildlife theater & educational programs.

Visit
Knowland Park

Knowland Park

Undeveloped area with diverse wildlife. This open, largely undeveloped park is the habitat for many native plants & animals.

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Coyote Hills Regional Park

Coyote Hills Regional Park

Picnicking, hiking & biking trails. 1,266 acres of rolling hills for picnicking, bird-watching, biking, hiking & nature exploration.

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Dublin Historic Park and Museums

Dublin Historic Park and Museums

Local history & 1850s-era buildings. A 10-acre park with preserved buildings from the 1850s tells the story of the city's early settlers.

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California Nursery Historical Park

California Nursery Historical Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Oakland Aviation Museum

Oakland Aviation Museum

Display aircraft & historical exhibits. Museum housing an extensive aircraft collection & various aviation exhibits in a historic hangar.

Visit
Lakeshore Park

Lakeshore Park

Waterfront area with fishing & trails. Spacious park surrounding a lake, featuring walking trails & fishing.

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Shinn Historical Park and Arboretum

Shinn Historical Park and Arboretum

Park with gardens & a historic house. Small green space featuring scenic gardens & a 19th-century house open for occasional group tours.

Visit
Alviso Adobe Community Park

Alviso Adobe Community Park

Interpretive park with historic home. Park with an original adobe house & reproduced historic buildings offering kids' camps & programs.

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Val Vista Park

Val Vista Park

Neighborhood source for sports & picnics. This 15-acre spot features a skatepark, play & picnic areas, soccer fields & an in-line hockey rink.

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Central Park

Central Park

Community park with sports facilities. Grassy park with a playground, community center, sports fields, skate park & seasonal splash pad.

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Always Dream PlayPark

Always Dream PlayPark

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park

Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park

Vast woodlands with trails & campgrounds. Sprawling forest featuring redwood groves & rare wildlife, plus trails, picnic areas & campsites.

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Vargas Plateau Regional Park

Vargas Plateau Regional Park

Hiking trails, birds of prey & sea views. Grasslands & wooded canyons home to eagles & hawks, with gentle walking routes leading to bay views.

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Central Park

Central Park

Land & water activities in a scenic spot. Lakeside park with a golf course, 4 playgrounds, boat rentals, a fishing area, picnic sites & paths.

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Aqua Adventure Water Park

Aqua Adventure Water Park

Family-friendly waterslides & pools. Recreational facility featuring waterslides, pools, swimming lessons & an on-site eatery.

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Union Point Park

Union Point Park

Waterfront playground with harbor views. Green space with a nautical-themed playground & walking paths overlooking Alameda Harbor.

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MuseumSRV

MuseumSRV

Local history in a former railway depot. Quaint exhibits dedicated to local history in a restored 1891 railway depot, with a gift shop.

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Joaquin Miller Park

Joaquin Miller Park

500-acre park & trails through the trees. Dog-friendly woodland park on 500 acres boasting rustic trails, meadows & picnic sites.

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Amador Valley Community Park

Amador Valley Community Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Museum on Main

Museum on Main

Museum with local-history exhibits. Museum featuring exhibits on the Tri Valley region's history in the former city hall & library.

Visit
Chabot Space & Science Center

Chabot Space & Science Center

All about outer space plus a planetarium. Big complex featuring interactive exhibits on outer space, a planetarium, a gift shop & more.

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Mission Hills Park

Mission Hills Park

Green space with a 50-ft. slide. Neighborhood park featuring grassy open space, a playground, a BBQ pit & a 50-ft. slide.

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Niles Canyon Railway

Niles Canyon Railway

Vintage train rides & history exhibits. Living history museum providing rides on vintage trains (1910-1960) & exhibits on railroad history.

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Sycamore Valley Park

Sycamore Valley Park

Sports facilities, BBQ pits & more. Park with ball fields, bocce courts & paths, plus a playground, picnic area & BBQ pits.

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Oak Hill Park

Oak Hill Park

Scenic setting for hikes & picnics. Picturesque park offering a picnic area, hiking & horseback trails, plus a summer concert series.

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Mariners Island Park

Mariners Island Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Children's Fairyland

Children's Fairyland

Storybook-themed amusement park standby. Vibrant, longtime amusement park pairing a storybook motif with rides & theatrical performances.

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Seal Point Park

Seal Point Park

Bayfront windsurfing area with dog park. Waterfront area featuring windsurfing, a biking trail, dog park & outdoor classrooms led by rangers.

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Ryder Park

Ryder Park

A playground, splash pad & picnic area. Neighborhood park with striking, modern picnic pavilions, BBQs, a playground & seasonal splash pad.

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CuriOdyssey

CuriOdyssey

Science & wildlife center for kids. Museum for kids focusing on environmental science & wildlife with indoor exhibits & an outdoor zoo.

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Coyote Point Recreation Area

Coyote Point Recreation Area

Large playground, trails & picnic areas. Bayside park offering a sizable playground with 6 slides, as well as trails & picnic areas.

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Flood Park

Flood Park

Oak-filled park with a baseball field. Green space with many oak & bay trees, plus a baseball field, tennis courts & several picnic areas.

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Laurie Meadows Park

Laurie Meadows Park

Large lawn with a path & a playground. Bordered by a path, this 7.5-acre park features a lawn with a softball backstop & a playground.

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Temescal Regional Recreation Area

Temescal Regional Recreation Area

Oasis for picnicking, swimming & more. Urban, lakeside retreat offering swim & picnic areas, a fishing dock, trails & playgrounds.

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Paddock Park

Paddock Park

Lawned local park with a playground. Small neighborhood park with a modern playground, lawns, picnic tables & restrooms.

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Baylands Nature Preserve

Baylands Nature Preserve

Marshland with trails & bird-watching. Vast marshland with 15 mi. of trails for walking, running & biking, plus bird-watching & kayaking.

Visit
San Mateo Japanese Garden

San Mateo Japanese Garden

Asian-inspired gardens with a koi pond. Spring blossoming Japanese gardens with a koi pond, pagoda & teahouse in a 16.3-acre city park.

Visit
Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt

Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt

Playground & creek amid redwood groves. Urban greenbelt offers a playground, climbing wall & creek amid butterfly gardens & redwood groves.

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San Mateo Central Park

San Mateo Central Park

Japanese gardens & an ice-skating rink. Vibrant, 16-acre park featuring Japanese gardens, a mini train ride, playground & ice-skating rink.

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Byxbee Park

Byxbee Park

Public park with earthworks & art. Birdwatching, cycling & walking are popular at this park with sculpted earth & conceptual art.

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Washington Park

Washington Park

Playground, ball fields & courts. City park with baseball & soccer fields, tennis & basketball courts, plus a playground.

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Old Borges Ranch

Old Borges Ranch

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Stafford Park

Stafford Park

Open space for picnicking & play. Small community park with picnic tables, playground equipment & a separate play area for toddlers.

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Castle Rock Regional Recreation Area

Castle Rock Regional Recreation Area

Woodlands, fields, a pool & picnic site. Scenic land along Pine Creek with a pool, volleyball courts, a softball field & a large picnic area.

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Civic Park

Civic Park

Green space with native gardens & gazebo. 10-acre park with gardens, picturesque views & a community center & gazebo used for weddings.

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Rinconada Cultural Park

Rinconada Cultural Park

Public swimming, sports & playground. City's 19-acre park with live oaks & redwoods, hosting a swimming pool, playground & sports fields.

Visit
Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo

Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo

Hands-on science & nature exhibits. Child-oriented venue with animals like birds & turtles, plus interactive educational exhibits.

Visit
Mission Peak Regional Preserve

Mission Peak Regional Preserve

3,000 mountain acres for recreation. Vast mountain preserve popular for biking, hiking, horseback riding, R/C flying and hang-gliding.

Visit
The Museum of American Heritage

The Museum of American Heritage

Exhibitions on inventions & technology. Charming museum in a 1907 home showcasing technology & inventions from the 1750s to the 1950s.

Visit
University of California Botanical Garden

University of California Botanical Garden

Sprawling collection of diverse plants. Established in 1890, this 34-acre garden features a collection of plants from around the world.

Visit
Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden

Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden

Public garden & historic home. A 2.5-acre plot encompassing herb & rose gardens, a historic home, a carriage house & a tearoom.

Visit

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