Unique & Hidden Gem Activities for Families
Explore the best unique & hidden gem activities for families options for kids and families in Oceanside
California Surf Museum
Historic boards, iconic surfers & more. Surf museum chronicles the history of the sport with exhibits of surfboards, famous surfers & more.
Oceanside Museum of Art
National & global artwork in a mod space. This contemporary building presents a rotating collection of modern art pieces & cultural events.
O'side Rock Garden
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Buena Vista Audubon Society
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Magee Park
Scenic park with a rose garden & gazebo. This 2.1-acre public park features a rose garden, gazebo & historic buildings, plus picnic spots.
Heritage Park & Museum
Historic buildings & a gazebo. Park featuring many early 1900s buildings from downtown Oceanside & a gazebo for events.
Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation (Discovery Center)
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DUPLO Playtown
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SEA LIFE Aquarium
Oceanic exhibits & play areas. Family-friendly exhibits featuring more than 5,000 sea creatures, plus a play area & group packages.
LEGOLAND California
Vibrant Lego-themed hotel with a pool. Vivid Lego-themed quarters in a lively hotel offering dining, an outdoor pool & free breakfast.
Oak Riparian Park
Playground with a field & picnic spots. Scenic neighborhood green space next to trails with a playground, grassy field & picnic areas.
Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum
Historical exhibits of rural life. Farming history via exhibits & demonstrations of old steam tractors, plus blacksmithing & weaving.
Rancho Guajome Adobe
Historic hacienda in a park setting. Rambling Spanish Colonial–style hacienda, built in the 19th century, with gardens & wetlands.
K1 Speed - Indoor Go Karts, Corporate Event Venue, Team Building Activities
Indoor go-kart racing. Chain of indoor racing centers featuring electric go-karting for all skill levels, plus food.
Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation
Coastal wetland & nature reserve. Protected wetland habitat with on-site parking & wildlife-viewing opportunities.
Alta Vista Botanical Gardens
Botanical park integrating art & gardens. Botanical gardens dotted with works of art offering native plants, a lotus pond & ongoing classes.
Play City
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Leo Carrillo Historic Park
Historic park in the heart of a canyon. 19th-century hacienda in a secluded & meticulously landscaped park, home to numerous wild peacocks.
Wild Wonders, Inc
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Simmons Family Park
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Stonesteps
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San Dieguito Heritage Museum at the Heritage Ranch
Community history, artifacts & exhibits. 1-acre property & museum of the history of San Dieguito in photos, stories & hands-on displays.
Moonlight State Beach
Volleyball, kids' play area & snack bar. Sandy beach with a snack bar, playground, volleyball & tennis courts & recreation equipment rentals.
Dave's Rock Garden
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San Diego Botanic Garden
Sprawling locale with unique vegetation. Large botanical garden with vistas & four miles of trails featuring flowering trees, palms & bamboo.
Discovery Lake
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San Elijo Lagoon and Ecological Reserve
Wildlife-watching & visitor center. Nature reserve with 7 miles of trails plus a visitor center with exhibits overlooking the lagoon.
Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve
Spacious park for hiking & picnics. Large park featuring native plants, picnic areas & hiking, biking & equestrian trails.
Rod McLeod Park
Picnicking, a playground & walking path. 18-acre green space offering a tot lot, paved trail & restrooms, plus benches, picnic tables & BBQs.
Sea Grove Park
Recreation lawn with an oceanfront view. Oceanside park offering lawns for relaxing & picnicking along with beach access.
San Diego Children's Discovery Museum
Playful, hands-on exhibits for kids. Lively indoor & outdoor museum providing interactive educational exhibits for children.
EcoVivarium
Reptile, amphibian & arthropod museum. Nonprofit museum dedicated to reptiles, amphibians & arthropods with hands-on encounters.
Felicita County Park
Athletic fields, playgrounds & disc golf. Expansive area offers various sports fields, two playgrounds, walking paths & a disc golf course.
Queen Califia's Magical Circle
Sizable sculptures in a whimsical garden. Walled art space in Kit Carson Park featuring large-scale mosaic sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle.
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Trails, beaches, lagoons & wildlife. Acres of oceanside trails for exploring or exercising while spotting occasional dolphins or bobcats.
Oceanview & Pala Chief Gem Mines (DigForGems.com)
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Birch Aquarium
Up-close marine life & hands-on exhibits. Interactive tide pools & exhibitions for all things under the sea in an oceanside building.
Pennypickle's Workshop
Hands-on children's museum & gift shop. Family-friendly venue with an on-site gift shop offers interactive exhibits for kids of all ages.
Temecula Valley Museum
Regional history & author memorabilia. Historic museum featuring city artifacts & a permanent exhibit on author Erle Stanley Gardner.
Rose Haven Heritage Garden
Botanical park with 1,600+ plants. This outdoor showcase for many rose varieties offers walking paths, picnic tables & kids' programs.
The Cave Store
Tunnel leading to a smuggler's sea cave. Stairs lead through a bootlegger's tunnel to this sandstone sea cave sheltering birds & seals.
Sunny Jim's Sea Cave
Tunnel built in 1902 leading to a cave. Tours of a tunnel running from a shop to a sea cave, dug in 1902 & said to be used for bootlegging.
Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Preserve
Rugged hiking site & a visitor center. 9,000-acre nature conservation with varying terrain & habitats, open trails & a visitor center.
Tenaja Falls
Scenic rocky hiking trail to waterfall. National forest waterfall accessed via a trailhead with spring cascades teeming with birdlife.
Temecula Duck Pond
Pocket park with veterans memorial. Compact park featuring ducks paddling in a petite pool & a memorial to war veterans.
Pump It Up Murrieta Kids Birthdays and More
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Candeeland Temecula
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Ocean Institute
Maritime science & history exhibits. Coastal visitor center with marine wildlife, school programs & interactive exhibits on oceanography.
Dana Point Caves
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River Street Ranch
Petting zoo & kid-friendly activities. Popular spot for families offers a petting zoo, train rides, panning for gold & more.
Kidz Digz Gem Mining & Crystals Store
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Lower Copper Canyon Park
Retreat for outdoor sports & picnics. Neighborhood recreational park offering a baseball field, basketball hoops & trails.
Glen Arbor Park
Busy park with off-leash dog areas. Tree-filled, grassy park & popular local haunt for dogs to run around off-leash.
California Dreamin' Balloon Adventures
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Ortega Falls
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Niguel Botanical Preserve
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Belmont Park
Beachside amusement park with retro vibe. Vintage games, gift shops, rides & an iconic wooden roller coaster right next to the beach.
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.
Pirate Tower
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