Unique & Hidden Gem Activities for Families
Explore the best unique & hidden gem activities for families options for kids and families in Rancho Santa Margarita
Aurora Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary
Wildlife preserve & science center. University-run wildlife sanctuary in a canyon with a science center, amphitheater & 3 trails.
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.
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.
Mendocino Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Dinosaur Park
Fields & a dinosaur-themed playground. Large park offering athletic fields as well as a playground with dinosaur- & fossil-themed elements.
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.
Great Park Balloon Ride
Visit this great place for kids and families!
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.
Ortega Falls
Visit this great place for kids and families!
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.
Niguel Botanical Preserve
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.
River Street Ranch
Petting zoo & kid-friendly activities. Popular spot for families offers a petting zoo, train rides, panning for gold & more.
Tom's Farms
Old-time attraction with restaurants. Family-friendly park with restaurants & a farmer's market, plus a steam train, pony rides & more.
Skull Canyon Ziplines
Adventure outfit with zip-lining courses. Adventure outfit offering high-speed zip-line courses amid scenic mountain terrain.
Turtle Rock Nature Center
Educational nature preserve with trails. Five-acre nature preserve with trails for viewing wildlife & habitats, plus an outdoor classroom.
Bluebird Park
City park for activities & summer music. City park featuring sports courts, a children's play area, picnic tables & a summer concert series.
Tenaja Falls
Scenic rocky hiking trail to waterfall. National forest waterfall accessed via a trailhead with spring cascades teeming with birdlife.
Citrus Ranch Park
Orchard, playground & hilltop views. Park with a lemon orchard, a playground, picnic areas with grills & a hilltop gazebo with views.
Pirate Tower
Visit this great place for kids and families!
MUSEUM of WOMAN
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.
Dana Point Caves
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Corona Heritage Park & Museum
Historical exhibits & gardens. Park with vintage buildings, city heritage displays, gardens, an arts colony & event space.
Wild Goose Escape Rooms - Irvine
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Irvine Park Railroad
Recreation area with train & pony rides. Outdoor park featuring family activities including train rides, pony rides & paddle boat rentals.
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.
Lakepoint Park
Scenic retreat for sports & lake views. Open recreational area offering a children's playground, trails, sports fields & views of the water.
Hidden Donkey Escape Rooms
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Bunnyhenge
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Inspiration Point
Lookout spot with ocean views. Small observation point, popular at sunset, offering benches & a panoramic ocean view.
Over The Moon Escape Rooms
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Oak Canyon Nature Center
Nature park with an interpretive center. Nature park featuring oak forests, scrubland & canyons, plus wildlife & an interpretive center.
K1 Speed - Indoor Go Karts, Corporate Event Venue, Team Building Activities
Indoor go-kart racing with an arcade. Electric-powered go-karting for adults & children on an indoor track, plus small arcade & gift shop.
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.
Noguchi Garden
Small, landscaped sculpture plaza. Compact, minimalist sculpture garden intended as a representation of the state of California.
Discovery Cube
Rotating displays & interactive exhibits. Educational museum with a focus on kids offers over 100 hands-on exhibits, plus special programs.
Hilbert Museum of California Art
Showcase of local 20th-century art. Watercolor & oil paintings by 1900s artists, depicting diverse Californian landscapes & city scenes.
World Museum of Natural History
University natural history museum. Natural history museum on a university campus with animal, plant & mineral exhibits.
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.
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.
Riverview Recreation Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Seascape Kids Fun
Indoor playground & fun center for kids. Children's indoor amusement center for parties includes playground, ball pen & more.
California Citrus
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.
Lower Copper Canyon Park
Retreat for outdoor sports & picnics. Neighborhood recreational park offering a baseball field, basketball hoops & trails.
California Citrus State Historic Park
Park dedicated to CA's citrus history. Park dedicated to preserving the history of California's great citrus boom of the 20th century.
Pumpkin Rock
Landmark hilltop painted rock. Painted like a large jack-o'-lantern, this rock sits at the top of a hill with sweeping views.
Camelot Golfland
Long-running choice for mini golf & more. Amusement chain featuring mini golf courses & arcades, some branches with water slides & laser tag.
The Reptile Zoo
Indoor reptile center for hand-on visits. Indoor education & entertainment center housing exotic & rare reptiles, with hands-on opportunities.
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.
Glen Arbor Park
Busy park with off-leash dog areas. Tree-filled, grassy park & popular local haunt for dogs to run around off-leash.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Southern California Railway Museum
Historic train cars & weekend rides. Sprawling educational museum with historic railway cars & locomotives, plus weekend rides.
Kidz Digz Gem Mining & Crystals Store
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Minnie's House
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Riverside Heritage House
Furnished 19th-century house & gardens. Museum in a grand Victorian residence with period furnishings & decor, plus landscaped gardens.
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