Austin, TX with Kids

The Austin Nature and Science Center is located in Northwest Zilker Park where it offers a free educational and fun playground for children of all ages. The interesting Visitor’s Center is a good place to start your visit; here children will see a life-size stuffed Black Bear and can have a good poke around the shells, bones and other animal specimens in the Naturalist’s Shop. Outside the Visitor’s Center you will find a variety of orphaned or abandoned wild animals and birds (possibly including bobcat, raccoon, porcupine and owls), and the Small Wonders exhibit filled with reptiles. Younger kids will love the Eco Detective Trail and the Dino Pit where they can dig for fossils.

Austin Nature and Science Center, 2389 Stratford Dr, Austin, TX 78746, Phone: 512-974-3888

For a totally awesome adventure you can bring the children to see one of the best preserved cave systems in Texas at the Inner Space Cavern. The cavern offers tours for all ages (but you will need to carry little visitors – strollers need to be left outside the cavern). Families with younger children (under 5 years) can go on the beginner’s Adventure Tour which will take you to see most of the larger rooms and decorations along a paved and lit pathway. Older children (from 7 years up) can join the intermediate Hidden Passages Tour, an exciting exploration of newly-opened passages using torchlight. Dare-devils over 13 years of age can sign up for the Wild Cave Tour which takes around four hours while little visitors spend time in the playground and mining area.

Inner Space Cavern, 4200 S. I-35 Frontage Rd, Georgetown, TX 78626, Phone: 512-934-2283

The Thinkery Children’s Museum is a wonderful place to spend some time with your children, watching as they learn about the world around them and how it works. Here even the youngest children will learn about creative thinking and problem solving as they make their way through science, technology, arts, math and engineering exhibits. A wide variety of fun interactive exhibits await children of all ages who can enjoy water play (bring a change of clothes), inventing and making things in the Innovators Workshop and exploring physics and motion in the Ready, Set, Roll exhibit. In addition the museum offers various fun programs for children as young as twelve months.

Thinkery, Meredith Learning Lab, 1830 Simond Ave, Austin, TX 78723, Phone: 512-469-6200

At the Bullock Texas State History Museum children and their parents can spend a few interesting hours learning all about the history of the State of Texas. At the heart of the museum you will find the La Belle Exhibit, featuring the hull of a 1686 explorer ship which lay under the seas for over 300 years. Together with the retrieved and restored hull of the ship you can see many artifacts and watch the multi-sensory film Ship Wrecked. Other highlights of the museum (especially for the children) include a 1941 AT-6A airplane, a full-size windmill, the IMAX Theater and a NASA console from the Manned Flight Center. On the first Sunday of each month the museum offers free entrance and special activities for children.

Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 Congress Ave, Austin TX 78701, Phone: 512-936-8746

The Barton Springs Pool is one of Austin’s hidden gems – the ideal place to spend some family time relaxing in Austin. The pool is located in the enormous 358-acre Zilker Park where it provides a wonderful three-acre swimming pool which is fed by a natural spring and maintains an ideal swimming temperature of around 70 degrees all year round. The pool is open daily from 5am to 10pm (restricted hours on Thursdays when the pool is cleaned). Lifeguards are on duty from 8am to 6pm and there are extensive grassy banks alongside the pool where you can relax and sunbathe. The shallow end of the pool is ideal for families with toddlers and younger children.

Barton Springs Pool, 2201 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704, Phone: 512-974-6300

The Austin Toy Museum is a non-profit museum suitable for the whole family – Mums and Dads will enjoy a nostalgic walk down memory lane as they show their children the very different toys that they used to play with. In addition to old favorites like Smurf and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle figurines, there are several vintage video arcade games you can introduce your children to including Pac Man, Donkey Kong and many more – free to play with your admission ticket. Girls will be able to see what the original Barbie and Ken looked like (and how they were dressed back in the 60’s). There is also a large comic book collection for comic fans.

Austin Toy Museum, 314 Congress Ave, Austin TX 78701, Phone: 512-220-9582

When you feel the need to escape the city and spend some time in a peaceful outdoor space you can make your way to Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve. The park is located next to the Laguna Gloria Museum in Tarrytown and offers a serene environment for walking and nature observation. The preserve covers over 21 acres of natural green space where you can go walking along trails through a wildlife habitat. The park area offers over two acres of cultivated cottage gardens surrounded by towering palm trees and patrolled by a squad of resident peacocks who strut their stuff to the delight of both adults and children.

Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve, 3505 W. 35th St, Austin, TX 78703, Phone: 512-974-6797

For a fun-filled history and culture lesson second to none you can bring the children to have an adventure at the Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms in Northeast Austin. The Pioneer Farms experience includes walking tours through six themed historic areas which will lead children and their parents through the fascinating history of Texas. You will visit an 1841 Tonkawa Encampment, an 1868 German Immigrant Farm and an 1887 Cotton Planter’s Farm, amongst others. Younger children will love the Scarborough Barn where they can meet their favorite farm animals. Several children’s programs and workshops are offered where kids can learn about weaving, black-smithing and tool making. Open to the public on weekends.

Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms, 10621 Pioneer Farms Drive, Austin, TX 78754, Phone: 512-837-1215

The Yard Austin is a vibrant 150,000-square-foot retail complex housed within South Austin's former St. Elmo warehouse district. The repurpose new development strives to bring community and culture to the heart of South Austin, selecting businesses and retail tenants striving toward a shared mission and vision for the complex. Unique businesses featured at the complex include music equipment store Music Lab, screenprinting boutique Raw Paw, and concept gym MADabolic Fitness. Dining options range from casual pan-Asian joint Soursop and regional favorite chain Spokesman Coffee to craft beverage companies St. Elmo Brewing Company, the Austin Winery, and Still Austin Distillery. Visitors can also rent beach volleyball court time at Wooly's Beach Volleyball, which operates several leagues throughout the year.

440 E St Elmo Rd, Austin, TX 78745, Phone: 512- 461-5869