Unique & Hidden Gem Activities for Families
Explore the best unique & hidden gem activities for families options for kids and families in San Juan Capistrano
River Street Ranch
Petting zoo & kid-friendly activities. Popular spot for families offers a petting zoo, train rides, panning for gold & more.
Niguel Botanical Preserve
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!
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
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Mendocino Park
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.
Bluebird Park
City park for activities & summer music. City park featuring sports courts, a children's play area, picnic tables & a summer concert series.
Dinosaur Park
Fields & a dinosaur-themed playground. Large park offering athletic fields as well as a playground with dinosaur- & fossil-themed elements.
Nerdy By Nature Escape Rooms
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Aurora Park
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.
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.
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.
Turtle Rock Nature Center
Educational nature preserve with trails. Five-acre nature preserve with trails for viewing wildlife & habitats, plus an outdoor classroom.
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.
Inspiration Point
Lookout spot with ocean views. Small observation point, popular at sunset, offering benches & a panoramic ocean view.
Bunnyhenge
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.
MUSEUM of WOMAN
Visit this great place for kids and families!
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.
Tenaja Falls
Scenic rocky hiking trail to waterfall. National forest waterfall accessed via a trailhead with spring cascades teeming with birdlife.
Ortega Falls
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Wild Goose Escape Rooms - Irvine
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.
Hidden Donkey Escape Rooms
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.
Noguchi Garden
Small, landscaped sculpture plaza. Compact, minimalist sculpture garden intended as a representation of the state of California.
Irvine Park Railroad
Recreation area with train & pony rides. Outdoor park featuring family activities including train rides, pony rides & paddle boat rentals.
The Reptile Zoo
Indoor reptile center for hand-on visits. Indoor education & entertainment center housing exotic & rare reptiles, with hands-on opportunities.
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.
Discovery Cube
Rotating displays & interactive exhibits. Educational museum with a focus on kids offers over 100 hands-on exhibits, plus special programs.
Lakepoint Park
Scenic retreat for sports & lake views. Open recreational area offering a children's playground, trails, sports fields & views of the water.
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.
Hilbert Museum of California Art
Showcase of local 20th-century art. Watercolor & oil paintings by 1900s artists, depicting diverse Californian landscapes & city scenes.
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.
Oak Canyon Nature Center
Nature park with an interpretive center. Nature park featuring oak forests, scrubland & canyons, plus wildlife & an interpretive center.
Corona Heritage Park & Museum
Historical exhibits & gardens. Park with vintage buildings, city heritage displays, gardens, an arts colony & event space.
Lower Copper Canyon Park
Retreat for outdoor sports & picnics. Neighborhood recreational park offering a baseball field, basketball hoops & trails.
Atlantis Play Center
Unique playground with splash pads. Outdoor, underwater-themed children's center featuring whimsical play structures & splash pads.
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.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Kidz Digz Gem Mining & Crystals Store
Visit this great place for kids and families!
O'side Rock Garden
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!
Glen Arbor Park
Busy park with off-leash dog areas. Tree-filled, grassy park & popular local haunt for dogs to run around off-leash.
Over The Moon Escape Rooms
Visit this great place for kids and families!
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.
Camelot Golfland
Long-running choice for mini golf & more. Amusement chain featuring mini golf courses & arcades, some branches with water slides & laser tag.
Seascape Kids Fun
Indoor playground & fun center for kids. Children's indoor amusement center for parties includes playground, ball pen & more.
Scooter's Jungle of Placentia
Inflatable play center with pizza. Whimsical, inflatable play place & party venue with bounce houses, zip lines & slides, plus pizza.
Heritage Park & Museum
Historic buildings & a gazebo. Park featuring many early 1900s buildings from downtown Oceanside & a gazebo for events.
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.
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.
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