Best Family-Friendly Attractions
Explore the best best family-friendly attractions options for kids and families in Hayward
Japanese Gardens
Tranquil botanical garden with teahouse. This 3+-acre botanical garden features traditional Japanese arrangements, a teahouse & a koi pond.
Carlos Bee Park
Secluded spot for play & picnics. Small, tucked away park offering a playground, barbecue & picnic shelter with many tables.
Meek Park
Mansion grounds with gardens & play area. Landscaped grounds of a historic mansion with play structures, picnic space with grills & open lawn.
Kennedy Park
Green space with many amenities for kids. Big, popular park with a playground, petting zoo & train, plus greenery, trails & picnic areas.
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.
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.
Garin Regional Park
Hills, fields, streams & farming history. This natural area with hills, fields & streams houses a seasonal visitor center on ranching history.
Oakland Zoo
850+ native & exotic animals on display. Long-standing zoo features 850+ native & exotic animals, a wildlife theater & educational programs.
Knowland Park
Undeveloped area with diverse wildlife. This open, largely undeveloped park is the habitat for many native plants & animals.
Coyote Hills Regional Park
Picnicking, hiking & biking trails. 1,266 acres of rolling hills for picnicking, bird-watching, biking, hiking & nature exploration.
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.
California Nursery Historical Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Oakland Aviation Museum
Display aircraft & historical exhibits. Museum housing an extensive aircraft collection & various aviation exhibits in a historic hangar.
Lakeshore Park
Waterfront area with fishing & trails. Spacious park surrounding a lake, featuring walking trails & fishing.
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.
Alviso Adobe Community Park
Interpretive park with historic home. Park with an original adobe house & reproduced historic buildings offering kids' camps & programs.
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.
Central Park
Community park with sports facilities. Grassy park with a playground, community center, sports fields, skate park & seasonal splash pad.
Always Dream PlayPark
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park
Vast woodlands with trails & campgrounds. Sprawling forest featuring redwood groves & rare wildlife, plus trails, picnic areas & campsites.
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.
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.
Aqua Adventure Water Park
Family-friendly waterslides & pools. Recreational facility featuring waterslides, pools, swimming lessons & an on-site eatery.
Union Point Park
Waterfront playground with harbor views. Green space with a nautical-themed playground & walking paths overlooking Alameda Harbor.
MuseumSRV
Local history in a former railway depot. Quaint exhibits dedicated to local history in a restored 1891 railway depot, with a gift shop.
Joaquin Miller Park
500-acre park & trails through the trees. Dog-friendly woodland park on 500 acres boasting rustic trails, meadows & picnic sites.
Amador Valley Community Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Museum on Main
Museum with local-history exhibits. Museum featuring exhibits on the Tri Valley region's history in the former city hall & library.
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.
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.
Niles Canyon Railway
Vintage train rides & history exhibits. Living history museum providing rides on vintage trains (1910-1960) & exhibits on railroad history.
Sycamore Valley Park
Sports facilities, BBQ pits & more. Park with ball fields, bocce courts & paths, plus a playground, picnic area & BBQ pits.
Oak Hill Park
Scenic setting for hikes & picnics. Picturesque park offering a picnic area, hiking & horseback trails, plus a summer concert series.
Mariners Island Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Children's Fairyland
Storybook-themed amusement park standby. Vibrant, longtime amusement park pairing a storybook motif with rides & theatrical performances.
Seal Point Park
Bayfront windsurfing area with dog park. Waterfront area featuring windsurfing, a biking trail, dog park & outdoor classrooms led by rangers.
Ryder Park
A playground, splash pad & picnic area. Neighborhood park with striking, modern picnic pavilions, BBQs, a playground & seasonal splash pad.
CuriOdyssey
Science & wildlife center for kids. Museum for kids focusing on environmental science & wildlife with indoor exhibits & an outdoor zoo.
Coyote Point Recreation Area
Large playground, trails & picnic areas. Bayside park offering a sizable playground with 6 slides, as well as trails & picnic areas.
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.
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.
Temescal Regional Recreation Area
Oasis for picnicking, swimming & more. Urban, lakeside retreat offering swim & picnic areas, a fishing dock, trails & playgrounds.
Paddock Park
Lawned local park with a playground. Small neighborhood park with a modern playground, lawns, picnic tables & restrooms.
Baylands Nature Preserve
Marshland with trails & bird-watching. Vast marshland with 15 mi. of trails for walking, running & biking, plus bird-watching & kayaking.
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.
Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt
Playground & creek amid redwood groves. Urban greenbelt offers a playground, climbing wall & creek amid butterfly gardens & redwood groves.
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.
Byxbee Park
Public park with earthworks & art. Birdwatching, cycling & walking are popular at this park with sculpted earth & conceptual art.
Washington Park
Playground, ball fields & courts. City park with baseball & soccer fields, tennis & basketball courts, plus a playground.
Old Borges Ranch
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Stafford Park
Open space for picnicking & play. Small community park with picnic tables, playground equipment & a separate play area for toddlers.
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.
Civic Park
Green space with native gardens & gazebo. 10-acre park with gardens, picturesque views & a community center & gazebo used for weddings.
Rinconada Cultural Park
Public swimming, sports & playground. City's 19-acre park with live oaks & redwoods, hosting a swimming pool, playground & sports fields.
Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo
Hands-on science & nature exhibits. Child-oriented venue with animals like birds & turtles, plus interactive educational exhibits.
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.
The Museum of American Heritage
Exhibitions on inventions & technology. Charming museum in a 1907 home showcasing technology & inventions from the 1750s to the 1950s.
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.
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.
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