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

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

Niguel Botanical Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Ocean Institute

Ocean Institute

Maritime science & history exhibits. Coastal visitor center with marine wildlife, school programs & interactive exhibits on oceanography.

Dana Point Caves

Dana Point Caves

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park

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

Pirate Tower

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Mendocino Park

Mendocino Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Sky Zone Trampoline Park

Sky Zone Trampoline Park

Indoor trampolines & fitness classes. Chain of indoor trampoline parks featuring freestyle bouncing, dodgeball, fitness programs & more.

Bluebird Park

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

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

Nerdy By Nature Escape Rooms

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Aurora Park

Aurora Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Nix Nature Center

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

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

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

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

Great Park Balloon Ride

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Great Park

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

Inspiration Point

Lookout spot with ocean views. Small observation point, popular at sunset, offering benches & a panoramic ocean view.

Bunnyhenge

Bunnyhenge

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary

Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary

Wildlife preserve & science center. University-run wildlife sanctuary in a canyon with a science center, amphitheater & 3 trails.

MUSEUM of ​WOMAN

MUSEUM of ​WOMAN

Visit this great place for kids and families!

IRWD San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary

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

Tenaja Falls

Scenic rocky hiking trail to waterfall. National forest waterfall accessed via a trailhead with spring cascades teeming with birdlife.

Ortega Falls

Ortega Falls

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Wild Goose Escape Rooms - Irvine

Wild Goose Escape Rooms - Irvine

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center (main entrance)

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

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

Hidden Donkey Escape Rooms

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Citrus Ranch Park

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

Noguchi Garden

Small, landscaped sculpture plaza. Compact, minimalist sculpture garden intended as a representation of the state of California.

Irvine Park Railroad

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

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

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

Skull Canyon Ziplines

Adventure outfit with zip-lining courses. Adventure outfit offering high-speed zip-line courses amid scenic mountain terrain.

Discovery Cube

Discovery Cube

Rotating displays & interactive exhibits. Educational museum with a focus on kids offers over 100 hands-on exhibits, plus special programs.

Lakepoint Park

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

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

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

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

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

Corona Heritage Park & Museum

Historical exhibits & gardens. Park with vintage buildings, city heritage displays, gardens, an arts colony & event space.

Lower Copper Canyon Park

Lower Copper Canyon Park

Retreat for outdoor sports & picnics. Neighborhood recreational park offering a baseball field, basketball hoops & trails.

Atlantis Play Center

Atlantis Play Center

Unique playground with splash pads. Outdoor, underwater-themed children's center featuring whimsical play structures & splash pads.

Flightdeck + Rogue Racing

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

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Kidz Digz Gem Mining & Crystals Store

Kidz Digz Gem Mining & Crystals Store

Visit this great place for kids and families!

O'side Rock Garden

O'side Rock Garden

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Minnie's House

Minnie's House

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Glen Arbor Park

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

Over The Moon Escape Rooms

Visit this great place for kids and families!

California Surf Museum

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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