University of Illinois (Champaign, IL)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Orpheum Children’s Science Museum — Champaign, IL

🌳 Meadowbrook Park — Urbana, IL

🎢 Sholem Aquatic Center — Champaign, IL

🎨 Krannert Art Museum — Champaign, IL

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Seven Saints — Champaign, IL

🍕 Jupiter’s Pizzeria & Billiards — Champaign, IL

🍦 Jarling’s Custard Cup — Champaign, IL

Indiana University (Bloomington, IN)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 WonderLab Museum of Science — Bloomington, IN

🦋 Wylie House Museum Gardens — Bloomington, IN

🎨 Eskenazi Museum of Art — Bloomington, IN

🌊 Lake Monroe Recreation Area — Bloomington, IN

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍕 Mother Bear’s Pizza — Bloomington, IN

🍔 Nick’s English Hut — Bloomington, IN

🍦 Bruster’s Ice Cream — Bloomington, IN

University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Iowa Children’s Museum — Coralville, IA

🌳 Terry Trueblood Recreation Area — Iowa City, IA

🎨 Stanley Museum of Art — Iowa City, IA

🚴 Hickory Hill Park — Iowa City, IA

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍕 Wig & Pen Pizza Pub — Iowa City, IA

🍔 Pullman Bar & Diner — Iowa City, IA

🍦 Heyn’s Ice Cream — Iowa City, IA

University of Maryland (College Park, MD)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 College Park Aviation Museum — College Park, MD

🌳 Lake Artemesia Park — College Park, MD

🎢 Six Flags America — Bowie, MD

🎨 Smithsonian’s College Park Campus (archives & displays) — College Park, MD

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 The Board and Brew — College Park, MD

🍕 Ledo Pizza — College Park, MD

🍦 The Spot Mini — College Park, MD

University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum — Ann Arbor, MI

🌳 Nichols Arboretum — Ann Arbor, MI

🦋 Matthaei Botanical Gardens — Ann Arbor, MI

🎨 University of Michigan Museum of Art — Ann Arbor, MI

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Frita Batidos — Ann Arbor, MI

🍕 Mani Osteria — Ann Arbor, MI

🍦 Blank Slate Creamery — Ann Arbor, MI

Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Impression 5 Science Center — Lansing, MI

🌳 Potter Park Zoo — Lansing, MI

🎨 Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum — East Lansing, MI

🌊 Hawk Island Park — Lansing, MI

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍕 DeLuca’s Restaurant — Lansing, MI

🍔 HopCat — East Lansing, MI

🍦 MSU Dairy Store — East Lansing, MI

University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🎢 Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America — Bloomington, MN

🪓 Fair on Four — Bloomington, MN

🧠 Minnesota Children’s Museum — St. Paul, MN

💡 Science Museum of Minnesota — St. Paul, MN

🦒 Minnesota Zoo — Apple Valley, MN

🐾 Como Park Zoo & Conservatory — St. Paul, MN

👧 Kids Empire — Bloomington, MN

🛝 Slick City — Maple Grove, MN

🛒 Como Town — St. Paul, MN

🌳 Minnehaha Falls Park — Minneapolis, MN

🏫 Mill City Museum — Minneapolis, MN

🌉 Stone Arch Bridge — Minneapolis, MN

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Matt’s Bar (home of the Jucy Lucy) — Minneapolis, MN

🍕 Punch Pizza — Minneapolis, MN

🍦 Grand Old Creamery— St. Paul, MN

🥗 Sebastian Joe's — Minneapolis, MN

University of Nebraska (Lincoln, NE)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Lincoln Children’s Museum — Lincoln, NE

🐾 Lincoln Children’s Zoo — Lincoln, NE

🎢 Sunken Gardens — Lincoln, NE

🌳 Pioneers Park Nature Center — Lincoln, NE

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Honest Abe’s Burgers — Lincoln, NE

🍕 Mellow Mushroom — Lincoln, NE

🍦 Ivanna Cone — Lincoln, NE

Northwestern University (Evanston, IL)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌊 Evanston Beaches — Evanston, IL

🧠 Kohl Children’s Museum — Glenview, IL

🎨 Block Museum of Art — Evanston, IL

🌳 Dawes Park — Evanston, IL

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Edzo’s Burger Shop — Evanston, IL

🍕 Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria — Evanston, IL

🍦 Andy’s Frozen Custard — Evanston, IL

Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 COSI Science Center — Columbus, OH

🐾 Columbus Zoo & Aquarium — Powell, OH

🌳 Franklin Park Conservatory — Columbus, OH

🎢 LEGOLAND Discovery Center — Columbus, OH

🛍️ Easton Town Center — Columbus, OH

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍕 Adriatico’s Pizza — Columbus, OH

🍔 Thurman Café — Columbus, OH

🍦 Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams — Columbus, OH

🥗 Northstar Cafe (Beechwood Location) — Columbus, OH

🍨 Graters Ice Cream — Columbus, OH

Penn State University (State College, PA)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 The Arboretum at Penn State — State College, PA

🧠 Discovery Space Children’s Science Museum — State College, PA

🎢 Tussey Mountain Adventure Center — Boalsburg, PA

🚶 Millbrook Marsh Nature Center — State College, PA

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍕 Faccia Luna Pizzeria — State College, PA

🍔 The Field Burger & Tap — State College, PA

🍦 The Creamery — State College, PA

Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Imagination Station — Lafayette, IN

🌳 Columbian Park Zoo — Lafayette, IN

🎨 Art Museum of Greater Lafayette — Lafayette, IN

🌊 Prophetstown State Park — Battle Ground, IN

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Triple XXX Family Restaurant — West Lafayette, IN

🍕 Bruno’s Pizza — West Lafayette, IN

🍦 Silver Dipper Ice Cream — Lafayette, IN

Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Rutgers Geology Museum — New Brunswick, NJ

🌳 Rutgers Gardens — New Brunswick, NJ

🎢 Bowlero North Brunswick — North Brunswick, NJ

🌊 Cheesequake State Park — Matawan, NJ

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Stuff Yer Face — New Brunswick, NJ

🍕 Panico’s Italian Restaurant — New Brunswick, NJ

🍦 Thomas Sweet Ice Cream — New Brunswick, NJ

University of Wisconsin (Madison, WI)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🐾 Henry Vilas Zoo — Madison, WI

🧠 Madison Children’s Museum — Madison, WI

🌳 Olbrich Botanical Gardens — Madison, WI

🎨 Chazen Museum of Art — Madison, WI

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Dotty Dumpling’s Dowry — Madison, WI

🍕 Ian’s Pizza — Madison, WI

🍦 The Chocolate Shoppe — Madison, WI

University of Oregon (Eugene, OR)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 Alton Baker Park — Eugene, OR

🧠 Science Factory Children’s Museum — Eugene, OR

🎨 Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art — Eugene, OR

🌊 Cascades Raptor Center — Eugene, OR

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Cornucopia — Eugene, OR

🍕 Track Town Pizza — Eugene, OR

🍦 Prince Pückler’s Ice Cream — Eugene, OR

University of Washington (Seattle, WA)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Pacific Science Center — Seattle, WA

🐾 Woodland Park Zoo — Seattle, WA

🌳 Discovery Park — Seattle, WA

🎨 Museum of Pop Culture — Seattle, WA

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Dick’s Drive-In — Seattle, WA

🍕 Pagliacci Pizza — Seattle, WA

🍦 Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream — Seattle, WA

UCLA — University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🎢 Universal Studios Hollywood — Los Angeles, CA

🧠 California Science Center — Los Angeles, CA

🌳 Griffith Park & Observatory — Los Angeles, CA

🐾 Los Angeles Zoo — Los Angeles, CA

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 The Apple Pan — Los Angeles, CA

🍕 800 Degrees Pizza — Los Angeles, CA

🍦 Salt & Straw — Los Angeles, CA

USC — University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County — Los Angeles, CA

🎢 California Science Center & Space Shuttle Endeavour — Los Angeles, CA

🌳 Exposition Park Rose Garden — Los Angeles, CA

🎨 LA Memorial Coliseum Tour — Los Angeles, CA

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 The Lab Gastropub — Los Angeles, CA

🍕 Pizzeria Mozza — Los Angeles, CA

🍦 Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams — Los Angeles, CA