Best Family-Friendly Attractions

Explore the best best family-friendly attractions options for kids and families in Urbandale

Breakout Games

Breakout Games

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Walker Johnston Park

Walker Johnston Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Living History Farms

Living History Farms

Outdoor agricultural-history museum. Iowa farming-history exhibits on a 500-acre site with an 1875 village & educational programs.

Terra Park

Terra Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Jordan House

Jordan House

Underground Railroad exhibits & history. Landmark Victorian home features guided tours, Underground Railroad history exhibits & artifacts.

Raccoon River Park

Raccoon River Park

Spacious park, beach & sports complex. Large sports & recreation venue with athletic fields, a swimming beach, fishing pier & nature trail.

Des Moines Water Works Park

Des Moines Water Works Park

Daytime activities in open woodlands. Daytime spot with jogging & cycling trails, fishing, a picnic area with grills & sports fields.

Riverview Park

Riverview Park

Charming park with trails & lakes. Sprawling city park known for its green expanses, biking & walking paths & numerous bodies of water.

Pappajohn Sculpture Park

Pappajohn Sculpture Park

Pedestrian space with public attractions. Park housing a sculpture garden, dedicated chess & picnic tables, the Central Library & more.

Gray's Lake Park

Gray's Lake Park

Park with a lakeside walking loop. 167-acre park featuring a 1.9-mi. lighted walking path around a lake with small boat rentals.

Rotary Riverwalk Park

Rotary Riverwalk Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Birdland Park

Birdland Park

Public park with trails & a marina. Park on a lake with trails, a marina & a boat ramp, plus enclosed shelters to reserve in advance.

Cowles Commons

Cowles Commons

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Robert D. Ray Asian Garden

Robert D. Ray Asian Garden

Garden park with pagodas, a pond & more. Garden park featuring an Asian pavilion, stone pagodas, a pond, a series of waterfalls & more.

Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

Horticultural exhibits & art galleries. Seasonal blooms showcased outdoors & in a geodesic dome, plus educational programs & art shows.

Science Center of Iowa

Science Center of Iowa

Hands-on exhibits, IMAX theater & more. Science-focused interactive galleries & learning labs plus a planetarium & IMAX cinema.

Union Park

Union Park

Storied park with BBQs & nostalgic rides. Public park since 1892, with an old-fashioned carousel, water play area, BBQ grills & sports courts.

MacRae Park

MacRae Park

Hilltop park with city views & a pond. Green space on a bluff with dramatic downtown views, tennis courts, a pond & a playground.

Blank Park Zoo

Blank Park Zoo

Indoor/outdoor animal exhibits & more. Train rides, petting areas, carousel, concessions & more in a year-round zoo & conservation center.

Explore More Activities

Discover more events and activities happening in the city.