Unique & Hidden Gem Activities for Families
Explore the best unique & hidden gem activities for families options for kids and families in Newport Beach
Bunnyhenge
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center (main entrance)
Estuary exhibits & interactive displays. Spacious education center features estuary history exhibits & interactive displays, Tuesday-Sunday.
Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve
Birding, biking & an interpretive center. Home to many bird species, this 135-acre park offers an interpretive center & hiking/biking trails.
Inspiration Point
Lookout spot with ocean views. Small observation point, popular at sunset, offering benches & a panoramic ocean view.
The Reptile Zoo
Indoor reptile center for hand-on visits. Indoor education & entertainment center housing exotic & rare reptiles, with hands-on opportunities.
Noguchi Garden
Small, landscaped sculpture plaza. Compact, minimalist sculpture garden intended as a representation of the state of California.
IRWD San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary
Tranquil wetlands with birds & trails. Wetlands cover 300 acres at this tranquil preserve that has 12 miles of trails & 200+ bird species.
Hidden Donkey Escape Rooms
Visit this great place for kids and families!
MUSEUM of WOMAN
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Turtle Rock Nature Center
Educational nature preserve with trails. Five-acre nature preserve with trails for viewing wildlife & habitats, plus an outdoor classroom.
Wild Goose Escape Rooms - Irvine
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Nix Nature Center
Paid lot near nature center & hikes. Paid parking lot adjacent to Laguna Coast Wilderness Park's Nix Nature Center & hiking trails.
Atlantis Play Center
Unique playground with splash pads. Outdoor, underwater-themed children's center featuring whimsical play structures & splash pads.
Bluebird Park
City park for activities & summer music. City park featuring sports courts, a children's play area, picnic tables & a summer concert series.
Pretend City Children's Museum
Imaginary town & exhibits for kids. Set up as a pretend city, this kids' museum has a post office, cafe, farm & other interactive areas.
Discovery Cube
Rotating displays & interactive exhibits. Educational museum with a focus on kids offers over 100 hands-on exhibits, plus special programs.
Great Park
Park known for its giant helium balloon. Public space popular for a huge helium balloon tethered to the ground offering views from up high.
Great Park Balloon Ride
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Thrill It Fun Center
Ropes course & laser tag at a mall. Outlet-mall stop featuring an indoor ropes course, rock climbing, laser tag & an arcade.
Pirate Tower
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Citrus Ranch Park
Orchard, playground & hilltop views. Park with a lemon orchard, a playground, picnic areas with grills & a hilltop gazebo with views.
Hilbert Museum of California Art
Showcase of local 20th-century art. Watercolor & oil paintings by 1900s artists, depicting diverse Californian landscapes & city scenes.
Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge
Preserved area for migrant birds & fish. Open once a month for public tours, this natural refuge is a sanctuary for birds & sea creatures.
Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park
Huge wildlife preserve with streams. Wildlife sanctuary across 4,500 acres featuring rolling hills with trails & several types of trees.
Flightdeck + Rogue Racing
Interactive flying experience for groups. Flight simulator for ages 11 & up replicates the feeling of being in a cockpit & flying a plane.
Dinosaur Park
Fields & a dinosaur-themed playground. Large park offering athletic fields as well as a playground with dinosaur- & fossil-themed elements.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Mendocino Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Minnie's House
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Lake Forest Heritage Hill Historic Park
Calm park hosting 4 historic buildings. Petite park featuring heritage landscaping & guided tours of 4 restored buildings erected 1863-1908.
Niguel Botanical Preserve
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Adventure City
Amusement park for children. Children's amusement park for family fun via rides, a petting zoo, an arcade & more.
Nerdy By Nature Escape Rooms
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Sky Zone Trampoline Park
Indoor trampolines & fitness classes. Chain of indoor trampoline parks featuring freestyle bouncing, dodgeball, fitness programs & more.
Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center
Unique art exhibits for kids & adults. This contemporary museum hosts three inventive art exhibits a year & caters to all ages.
Anaheim Founders' Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden
Serene garden with a pond & a waterfall. Scenic park featuring a koi pond, a waterfall & 3 bridges, plus a black rock beach & a Zen garden.
Knott's Berry Farm Independence Hall
Replica of a famous historic building. Reproduction of Philadelphia's Independence Hall, including a copy of the Liberty Bell.
Irvine Park Railroad
Recreation area with train & pony rides. Outdoor park featuring family activities including train rides, pony rides & paddle boat rentals.
Aurora Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
El Dorado Nature Center
Wide-ranging park for flora & fauna. 105-acre park featuring a visitor center, flora & fauna, lakes, a stream & walking trails.
Camelot Golfland
Long-running choice for mini golf & more. Amusement chain featuring mini golf courses & arcades, some branches with water slides & laser tag.
Dana Point Caves
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Ocean Institute
Maritime science & history exhibits. Coastal visitor center with marine wildlife, school programs & interactive exhibits on oceanography.
Skinniest House In America
Visit this great place for kids and families!
River Street Ranch
Petting zoo & kid-friendly activities. Popular spot for families offers a petting zoo, train rides, panning for gold & more.
Wild Goose Escape Rooms - Fullerton
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Rainbow Lagoon Park
Japanese-style park with open turf lawns. Turf recreational lawns & waterfront walkways are the draw at this traditional Japanese-style park.
Discovery Well Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Lions Lighthouse
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Scooter's Jungle of Placentia
Inflatable play center with pizza. Whimsical, inflatable play place & party venue with bounce houses, zip lines & slides, plus pizza.
Oak Canyon Nature Center
Nature park with an interpretive center. Nature park featuring oak forests, scrubland & canyons, plus wildlife & an interpretive center.
Aquarium of the Pacific
Sea-life exhibits in a waterfront space. Pacific Ocean dwellers on display at this large aquarium with touch tanks & behind-the-scenes tours.
Seascape Kids Fun
Indoor playground & fun center for kids. Children's indoor amusement center for parties includes playground, ball pen & more.
Hilltop Park
Small park with sweeping city views. Compact green space offering panoramic vistas, BBQ & picnic areas & walking paths.
Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton
26-acre botanical garden. A sprawling, 26-acre greenspace featuring 4,000+ types of plants, walking trails & a museum.
Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary
Wildlife preserve & science center. University-run wildlife sanctuary in a canyon with a science center, amphitheater & 3 trails.
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