Sacramento Attractions, Dining and Activities with Kids

The Sacramento State Railroad Museum is a must for train-hungry toddlers and their families. Located in located in Old Sacramento, the museum features 21 beautifully restored locomotives on display, ranging from steam engines and sleeper trains to the 220-mph-bullet train.

Other exhibits include artifacts, ephemera, and photographs from the museum's collection, the lives of railroaders and the diversity of people who work on railroads, and a large-scale mockup of a construction scene high the Sierra Nevada known as the ‘Sierra Scene.’

Visitors can explore a sleeper carriage by walking through the dining carriage and discovery what first-class travel was like by checking out the first-class compartment and watch a movie that chronicles the railroad journey. The Museum also offers an extensive educational program for students to learn more about railroad history using re-enactments, costumed docents, and including train rides.

125 I St, Sacramento, CA 95814, Phone: 916-445-7387, Map

The Sacramento Children's Museum (SCM) is designed to inspire children to explore, discover and learn through interactive and immersive play. Located in Rancho Cordova near Sacramento, the 7,000 square foot museum engages children and families with an array of meaningful discovery experiences that aim to develop foundational skills and encourage a love of learning.

Designed for children up to the age of eight, hands-on activities in the museum include experimenting with balls in chutes to explore gravity, playing with pressurized tubes and artificial currents, and painting and craft art activities. Immersive exhibits include a little grocery store and a pint-sized city for children to role play. >

Sacramento Children's Museum, 2701 Prospect Park Dr, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670, Phone: 916-638-7225

The Explorit Science Center is a science museum designed to foster and inspire curiosity about science and nature through exploration and discovery. The non-profit, family-friendly institution features a wealth of hands-on science fun in the form of interactive activities and programs, such as permanent and changing public exhibits, classes and workshops based on current exhibitions and other topics, weekend family programs, presentations, lectures and symposiums, science clubs, and summer camps.

Aiming to spark a lasting curiosity and interest in science and nature, the center also offers traveling programs such as classroom and after-school programs, family science nights in schools, science assemblies, teacher workshops, and science talks by topic experts.

Explorit Science Center, 3141 5th St, Davis, CA 95618, Phone: 530-756-0191

Sacramento History Museum is devoted to showcasing of the history of Sacramento and the California Gold Rush and how historical era contributed towards the heritage of the area. Located in Old Sacramento near the Sacramento River, the museum is based in a beautifully maintained building that replicates Sacramento's 1854 City Hall and Waterworks building with a façade of two stories of 14-foot double doors. Exhibits in the museum include displays about the Gold Rush and mining of the time, the fur trapping industry, local agriculture, and the cultural heritage of the Nisenan and Maidu Indian Nations.

Sacramento History Museum, 101 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, Phone: 916-808-7059

For Younger Kids

Fairytale Town is an enduring 3.5-acre children’s play park and outdoor children’s museum with a storybook theme that features an animal petting area, beautiful gardens, and a casual café. Located in William Land Park in Sacramento, Fairytale Town has provided a safe place for children and their families to imagine, play and learn for more than 50 years. The park is home to over 25 bright and colorful play sets to encourage creativity and form a backdrop for children to act out their favorite fairytales and nursery rhymes. The park also has two performing arts stages, lovely gardens to explore, and a friendly flock of farm animals.

3901 Land Park Dr, Sacramento, CA 95822, Phone: 916-808-7462

Located in William Land Park, the Sacramento Zoo is a leading conservation institution and animal sanctuary that was established to inspire a connection with wildlife and nature through education, recreation, and conservation. Home to home to over 500 animals representing more than 120 unique species, including native, rare and endangered animals, the zoo provides not only natural habitats for these animals but also provides veterinary care, welfare, and treatment for sick and injured animals.

The zoo also includes animal training which focuses on husbandry behaviors, which is a varied and wide-ranging craft that improves the lives of animals. There is also an Interpretive Center at the zoo where certain animals play a role in the zoo’s education programs by participating in wildlife stage shows and visiting schools on ZooMobiles.

3930 W Land Park Dr, Sacramento, CA 95822, Phone: 916-808-5888

For Teens and Tweens:

Nestled among 100 acres of oak woodland along the American River Parkway in Carmichael, the Effie Yeaw Nature Center is an award-winning natural wildlife oasis and environmental and cultural education center. Designed to teach visitors about the rich history and heritage of the region, along with the importance of conserving and protecting the natural environment, the center features an array of informative exhibits, animal displays, and several nature trails. The surrounding nature preserve is home to acres of pristine riparian woodland and native and non-native plants and animals, along with a replica of a village built by the Nisenan Maidu native peoples, who used this area during the summer months. A well-maintained garden of flowering plants can be found next to the natural playscape area in front of the center, and several nature preserve trails offer a unique perspective of the varied habitats.

2850 San Lorenzo Way, Carmichael, CA 95608, Phone: 916-489-4918, website, Map

Set on two beautiful acres in historical William Land, Funderland is a family-friendly amusement park with nine children-size rides and slides, including a vintage carousel, climbing and playing apparatus, and adventure-themed photo ops.

Opened in 1946, this low-key attraction is located next to the adjacent to Fairytale Town and the Sacramento Zoo and is the perfect place to spend the day with young children, who can climb aboard vehicles of all sorts from boat and plants to cars and trains, ride the Flying Dragon Roller Coaster, ride the classic Log Run, and zoom around in Backroads Buggies. Funderland can also be hired for private parties, celebrations, and other special events.

Funderland, 1350 17th Ave, Sacramento, CA 95822, Phone: 916-456-0131

McKinley Park is a relaxing nature preserve with an array of amenities for visitors of all ages to enjoy. A colorful custom-designed playground includes a historical ‘Alhambra Theater’ entry archway, a street trolley, a riverboat, a large tree house, a tower bridge, and a large climbing wall, all of which are based on the rich history of East Sacramento. Other amenities at the park include basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts, horseshoe pits, a climbing wall, a softball field, a swimming and wading pool, and a paved jogging trail. The park also features a community center, a garden and arts center, several shady picnic areas with tables and benches, a tot lot, adventure play area for toddlers and young children, and modern restrooms.

601 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95816, Phone: 916-808-6060