Free & Cheap Things to Do with Kids

Explore the best free & cheap things to do with kids options for kids and families in Merced

Merced Multicultural Arts Center

Merced Multicultural Arts Center

Galleries holding temporary exhibitions. Galleries showcasing temporary exhibitions by local & national artists.

Visit
Merced County Courthouse Museum

Merced County Courthouse Museum

Exhibits on local history & a gift shop. Local history museum in a restored 1875 building housing rotating exhibits, artifacts & a gift shop.

Visit
Kiwanis Kiddieland

Kiwanis Kiddieland

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Laura's Fountain

Laura's Fountain

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Merced's Applegate Park Zoo

Merced's Applegate Park Zoo

Green space & zoo with rescued animals. This park with picnic areas & a playground is home to a small zoo that shelters native wildlife.

Visit
McNamara Park

McNamara Park

Local park with a pool & playground. Community park offering over 8-acres of green space & recreational amenities, including a pool.

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Play Adventures

Play Adventures

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Oh Wow Nickel Arcade

Oh Wow Nickel Arcade

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Fahrens Park

Fahrens Park

Outdoor space with a paved biking trail. The Black Rascal Bike Path passes through this recreation area with a playground & disc-golf course.

Visit
Kids Discovery Station

Kids Discovery Station

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Joe herb park

Joe herb park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Elmer Murchie Park

Elmer Murchie Park

Playground, sports courts & picnic space. A fenced playground, walking path, sports courts & picnic area with BBQs are the draw at this park.

Visit
Hunter Farms

Hunter Farms

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Castle Air Museum

Castle Air Museum

Up-close views of vintage aircraft. Aircraft museum housing more than 40 WWII & Cold War airplanes including a Grumman US-2A Tracker.

Visit
Osborn Park

Osborn Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Merced National Wildlife Refuge

Merced National Wildlife Refuge

Revered wintering spot for waterfowl. 10.2-acre wetlands & grasslands known as a legendary wintering habitat for waterfowl & shorebirds.

Visit
Riverdance Farms Gate

Riverdance Farms Gate

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
McConnell State Recreation Area

McConnell State Recreation Area

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Great Valley Grasslands State Park

Great Valley Grasslands State Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Hilmar Cheese Company Visitor Center

Hilmar Cheese Company Visitor Center

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
R.A.M. Farms Inc.

R.A.M. Farms Inc.

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Crane Park

Crane Park

Triangular park with tennis courts. Wedge-shaped outdoor area with tennis & basketball courts, a playground & picnic tables.

Visit
Turlock Historical Society Museum

Turlock Historical Society Museum

Exhibits focused on local history. Free museum dedicated to the history of Turlock, ranging from its founding to community life.

Visit
Carnegie Arts Center

Carnegie Arts Center

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Columbia Park

Columbia Park

Neighborhood park with a swimming pool. Leafy neighborhood park featuring children's play structures, basketball courts & a swimming pool.

Visit
Broadway Park

Broadway Park

Park with picnic & water play areas. Modest park with a basketball court, water play area, playground & a picnic pavilion with tables.

Visit
Get Air Trampoline Park

Get Air Trampoline Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Donnelly Park

Donnelly Park

Playground & a lake with ducks & geese. 10-acre, community park featuring a lake with geese & ducks, a wooden play structure & picnic areas.

Visit
Pedretti Park

Pedretti Park

5-field baseball & softball complex. City facility featuring 5 fields for softball & baseball, a snack bar & a playground.

Visit
Dutch Hollow Farms

Dutch Hollow Farms

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Freedom Park

Freedom Park

Picnicking & a play area for children. Urban green space offering picnic areas & a playground along with restrooms & a seasonal splash pad.

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Sanders Community Park

Sanders Community Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Downey Community Park

Downey Community Park

Community green space with a playground. Recreational park offering picnic tables, a modest playground, restrooms & a tennis court.

Visit
McHenry Museum

McHenry Museum

History museum in a grand 1912 library. Regional history museum in a grand former library building completed in 1912.

Visit
Ustach Park

Ustach Park

Playgrounds, a bike path & picnic areas. Park with picnic facilities, a bike loop, basketball courts & playgrounds for toddlers & big kids.

Visit
Modesto Arch

Modesto Arch

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Modesto Children's Museum

Modesto Children's Museum

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Graceada Park

Graceada Park

Tree-topped park with playground & music. Community park with shaded paths & a large playground, plus tennis courts & live-music events.

Visit
Knights Ferry Recreation Area

Knights Ferry Recreation Area

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
The Cowboy Museum

The Cowboy Museum

Local exhibits on ranching & rodeo life. Western history museum with a gift shop & exhibits exploring the area's ranching & rodeo traditions.

Visit
Oakdale Museum & History Center

Oakdale Museum & History Center

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Funworks Modesto

Funworks Modesto

18-acre amusement center with go-karts. 18 acres of kid-centric fun, this amusement center offers go-karts, batting cages & miniature golf.

Visit
Kids Club

Kids Club

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Davis Community Park

Davis Community Park

Playground, green space & sports fields. Picnic area, athletic fields, open green space & a playground are the draw at this expansive park.

Visit
Great Valley Museum and Planetarium

Great Valley Museum and Planetarium

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Jacob Myers Park

Jacob Myers Park

Picnicking, camping, fishing & hiking. Green space offering a boat ramp, camping area & fishing, plus a picnic gazebo, playground & trails.

Visit
Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum

Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
PLAY Modesto

PLAY Modesto

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Boomers Modesto

Boomers Modesto

Family fun center with mini-golf & more. National amusement center chain featuring mini-golf, go-karts, bumper boats & arcade games.

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California Gold Panning

California Gold Panning

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Riverbottom Park

Riverbottom Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Gold Prospecting Adventures

Gold Prospecting Adventures

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Soroptimist Park

Soroptimist Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Llamas of Circle Home

Llamas of Circle Home

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Stallion Park

Stallion Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Island Waterpark

Island Waterpark

Summertime spot for water rides & pools. Open during the summer, this water park offers water rides, pools, slides & kid play areas.

Visit
The Motherlode Escape Rooms

The Motherlode Escape Rooms

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Caswell Memorial State Park

Caswell Memorial State Park

Park running along the Stanislaus River. Covering more than 250 acres along Stanislaus River, this park is home to many endangered species.

Visit
Dragoon Gulch Trail Head

Dragoon Gulch Trail Head

Oak woodland with hiking trails. A 2.5-mile hiking trail system looping through 35 acres of scenic oak woodland.

Visit
Tuolumne County Museum

Tuolumne County Museum

County history exhibits in a former jail. Photos, antiques & artifacts on county history & the California Gold Rush, displayed in an old jail.

Visit
Figarden Loop Park

Figarden Loop Park

Spot with a baseball field & splash pad. 5-acre green space with a baseball field, playground & splash pad, plus picnic tables & barbecues.

Visit
Heaven For Kids Playground

Heaven For Kids Playground

Wooden play equipment & a skate pak. Popular spot with wooden play structures for young & older kids, a skate park & picnic tables.

Visit
Tuolumne County Veterans Hall And Museum

Tuolumne County Veterans Hall And Museum

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Inspiration Park

Inspiration Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Syctron

Syctron

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Forestiere Underground Gardens

Forestiere Underground Gardens

Unique complex of sunken gardens. Extensive network of below-the-surface gardens, grottoes & courtyards, with seasonal guided tours.

Visit
Mistlin Sports Park

Mistlin Sports Park

Recreational facility with a playground. This 80-acre community space features a gazebo, play area with splash pad & multiple sports fields.

Visit
Mark Twain Cabin

Mark Twain Cabin

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Glory Hole Recreation Area

Glory Hole Recreation Area

Lakeside park with campgrounds & more. Waterfront park with campgrounds, trails, visitor center & amphitheater, plus fishing & boating.

Visit
Xcape Room Fresno

Xcape Room Fresno

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Visit
Oso de Oro Park

Oso de Oro Park

3-tiered park for recreation & picnics. Area with 3 different elevations offering picnic spots, play areas & a wheelchair basketball court.

Visit
Indigeny Reserve

Indigeny Reserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

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Explore More Activities

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