Unique & Hidden Gem Activities for Families
Explore the best unique & hidden gem activities for families options for kids and families in Solana Beach
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.
Sea Grove Park
Recreation lawn with an oceanfront view. Oceanside park offering lawns for relaxing & picnicking along with beach access.
Dave's Rock Garden
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Moonlight State Beach
Volleyball, kids' play area & snack bar. Sandy beach with a snack bar, playground, volleyball & tennis courts & recreation equipment rentals.
San Diego Botanic Garden
Sprawling locale with unique vegetation. Large botanical garden with vistas & four miles of trails featuring flowering trees, palms & bamboo.
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.
Stonesteps
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Trails, beaches, lagoons & wildlife. Acres of oceanside trails for exploring or exercising while spotting occasional dolphins or bobcats.
Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation
Coastal wetland & nature reserve. Protected wetland habitat with on-site parking & wildlife-viewing opportunities.
Birch Aquarium
Up-close marine life & hands-on exhibits. Interactive tide pools & exhibitions for all things under the sea in an oceanside building.
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.
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.
Simmons Family Park
Visit this great place for kids and families!
LEGOLAND California
Vibrant Lego-themed hotel with a pool. Vivid Lego-themed quarters in a lively hotel offering dining, an outdoor pool & free breakfast.
SEA LIFE Aquarium
Oceanic exhibits & play areas. Family-friendly exhibits featuring more than 5,000 sea creatures, plus a play area & group packages.
DUPLO Playtown
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve
Spacious park for hiking & picnics. Large park featuring native plants, picnic areas & hiking, biking & equestrian trails.
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.
Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation (Discovery Center)
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Discovery Lake
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Felicita County Park
Athletic fields, playgrounds & disc golf. Expansive area offers various sports fields, two playgrounds, walking paths & a disc golf course.
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.
Play City
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Oak Riparian Park
Playground with a field & picnic spots. Scenic neighborhood green space next to trails with a playground, grassy field & picnic areas.
Buena Vista Audubon Society
Visit this great place for kids and families!
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.
San Diego Children's Discovery Museum
Playful, hands-on exhibits for kids. Lively indoor & outdoor museum providing interactive educational exhibits for children.
Rod McLeod Park
Picnicking, a playground & walking path. 18-acre green space offering a tot lot, paved trail & restrooms, plus benches, picnic tables & BBQs.
EcoVivarium
Reptile, amphibian & arthropod museum. Nonprofit museum dedicated to reptiles, amphibians & arthropods with hands-on encounters.
Belmont Park
Beachside amusement park with retro vibe. Vintage games, gift shops, rides & an iconic wooden roller coaster right next to the beach.
Alta Vista Botanical Gardens
Botanical park integrating art & gardens. Botanical gardens dotted with works of art offering native plants, a lotus pond & ongoing classes.
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
Visit this great place for kids and families!
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.
Heritage Park & Museum
Historic buildings & a gazebo. Park featuring many early 1900s buildings from downtown Oceanside & a gazebo for events.
Old Trolley Barn Park
City park with a playground. City park on the site of an old streetcar barn, offering a playground & summertime concerts.
Lara's Labyrinth
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Harper's Topiary Garden
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Harbor Island Park
Bay views, a bike route & a walking path. Tranquil public park overlooking the bay with a shoreline path for walkers & a route for bicyclists.
Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
Rocky cliffs overlooking the ocean. Natural cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean offer views of the coast & the occasional cliff diver.
Balboa Park Miniature Railroad
Antique train ride for kids & adults. Open-air antique train takes kids & adults on a 3-minute journey through the park.
Balboa Park Carousel
Early 1900s carousel with a brass ring. Traditional merry-go-round built in 1910, with hand-carved animals & chance to catch the brass ring.
Moreton Bay Fig Tree
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Alcázar Garden
Formal Spanish-style oasis. Landscaped garden with a gazebo & Moorish tiles, inspired by the Alcazar Castle gardens in Spain.
San Diego Natural History Museum
Big, comprehensive science museum. Large natural history museum with rotating displays on animals, dinosaurs & earth science.
San Diego Model Railroad Museum
Scale models of California railroads. Kid-friendly museum featuring many working scale models of California rail lines & landscapes.
Desert Garden
Scenic park with a variety of cacti. Various cacti bloom in this unique, scenic garden with several trails for walking.
Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum
Bonsai trees, koi ponds & garden tours. Balboa Park's Japanese gardens have koi ponds, bonsai trees, garden tours & more.
Wild Wonders, Inc
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Golden Hill Fountain Grotto
Visit this great place for kids and families!
The New Children’s Museum
Hands-on artwork & creative play spaces. From creative classes to climbable sculptures, contemporary art for kids, in a bright, modern space.
FUNbelievable
Indoor play center catering to families. Indoor play spot for kids 12 & under, with toddler area, cafe & party facilities; sock-feet only.
Jingle Bell Hill
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Lemon Grove Hidden Murals
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Explore More Activities
Discover more events and activities happening in Solana Beach.