Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 Tempe Beach Park (playground, paddle boats & splash pad) — Tempe, AZ

🐠 SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium — Tempe, AZ

🦖 Arizona Museum of Natural History — Mesa, AZ

🎨 Arizona Science Center — Phoenix, AZ

🚴‍♀️ Papago Park (hiking & “Hole-in-the-Rock” overlook) — Phoenix, AZ

🛝 Kiwanis Park (splash pad, playground & paddle boats) — Tempe, AZ

🎢 Big Surf Waterpark — Tempe, AZ

🎭 Tempe Center for the Arts — Tempe, AZ

🧗‍♀️ Uptown Jungle Fun Park — Chandler, AZ

🎡 Desert Botanical Garden — Phoenix, AZ

🌿 Phoenix Zoo — Phoenix, AZ

🐊 Butterfly Wonderland — Scottsdale, AZ

🎳 FatCats Entertainment Center (bowling, movies, arcade) — Mesa, AZ

🎢 Crayola Experience — Chandler, AZ

🦋 Children’s Museum of Phoenix — Phoenix, AZ

🚂 McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park — Scottsdale, AZ

🎨 i.d.e.a. Museum (interactive art exhibits for kids) — Mesa, AZ

☀️ South Mountain Park & Preserve — Phoenix, AZ

🌆 Tempe Town Lake (kayaking & scenic walking paths) — Tempe, AZ

🎠 Old Town Scottsdale (shopping, art walks & family dining) — Scottsdale, AZ

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 The Chuckbox — Tempe, AZ

🍕 Venezia’s Pizzeria — Tempe, AZ

🥞 Snooze, an A.M. Eatery — Tempe, AZ

🌮 Someburros — Tempe, AZ

🍗 Four Peaks Brewing Co. (family-friendly during the day) — Tempe, AZ

🍦 Sugar Bowl Ice Cream Parlor — Scottsdale, AZ

☕️ Cartel Roasting Co. — Tempe, AZ

🥗 Postino WineCafe (kid-friendly before evening hours) — Tempe, AZ

🍔 In-N-Out Burger — Tempe, AZ

🍩 Bosa Donuts — Tempe, AZ

University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 Reid Park Zoo — Tucson, AZ

🎨 Children’s Museum Tucson — Tucson, AZ

🦖 Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (zoo, aquarium, & botanical garden) — Tucson, AZ

🐠 Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium (on UA campus!) — Tucson, AZ

🛝 Trail Dust Town (mini amusement park with old west shows) — Tucson, AZ

🎢 Get Air Trampoline Park — Tucson, AZ

🎭 Gaslight Theatre (family-friendly comedy & musicals) — Tucson, AZ

🧗‍♀️ Rocks & Ropes Indoor Climbing — Tucson, AZ

🎡 Pima Air & Space Museum — Tucson, AZ

🌿 Tucson Botanical Gardens — Tucson, AZ

🐊 Tohono Chul Gardens, Galleries & Bistro — Tucson, AZ

🚴‍♀️ The Loop (multi-use paved trail system) — Tucson, AZ

🎳 Lucky Strike Bowl — Tucson, AZ

🦋 Brandi Fenton Memorial Park (splash pad, playground & picnic space) — Tucson, AZ

🌆 Mount Lemmon Scenic Byway — Tucson, AZ (~30 minutes; gorgeous drive)

🎠 Rillito Park Farmers Market (weekend markets & kids’ zone) — Tucson, AZ

🦓 Agua Caliente Park — Tucson, AZ

☀️ Himmel Park (library, tennis & shaded playground) — Tucson, AZ

🎨 DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun — Tucson, AZ

🚂 Old Tucson (movie studio turned family theme park) — Tucson, AZ (~25 minutes)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Zinburger — Tucson, AZ

🍕 No Anchovies (pizza & rooftop views) — Tucson, AZ

🥞 Prep & Pastry — Tucson, AZ

🌮 Seis Kitchen — Tucson, AZ

🍗 El Charro Café (famous for its carne seca) — Tucson, AZ

🍦 The Screamery Ice Cream — Tucson, AZ

☕️ Cartel Roasting Co. — Tucson, AZ

🥗 Wildflower — Tucson, AZ

🍔 Graze Premium Burgers — Tucson, AZ

🍩 La Estrella Bakery — Tucson, AZ

Baylor University (Waco, TX)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Mayborn Museum Complex — Waco, TX

🌳 Cameron Park Zoo — Waco, TX

🎨 Waco Mammoth National Monument — Waco, TX

🌊 Hawaiian Falls Water Park — Waco, TX

🥤 Dr Pepper Museum — Waco, TX

🌸 Magnolia Market — Waco, TX

🏄 Waco Surf — Waco, TX

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Health Camp — Waco, TX

🍕 Shorty’s Pizza Shack — Waco, TX

🍦 Katie’s Frozen Custard — Waco, TX

Brigham Young University (Provo, UT)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 Provo Canyon (scenic drive, waterfalls & picnic areas) — Provo, UT

💦 Bridal Veil Falls (easy hike & waterfall views) — Provo, UT

🎨 BYU Museum of Paleontology — Provo, UT

🦖 BYU Museum of Art — Provo, UT

🐠 Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum — Provo, UT

🎢 Seven Peaks Water Park — Provo, UT

🛝 Provo Beach (indoor family fun center with surfing, ropes & arcade) — Provo, UT

🧗‍♀️ Lowe Alpine Rock Canyon (hiking & rock climbing) — Provo, UT

🌿 Utah Lake State Park (boating, fishing & picnics) — Provo, UT

🚴‍♀️ Murdock Canal Trail — Orem, UT

🎡 Thanksgiving Point (farms, gardens, & museums) — Lehi, UT (~25 minutes)

🦋 Butterfly Biosphere at Thanksgiving Point — Lehi, UT

🎳 FatCats Entertainment Center — Provo, UT

🐊 Hogle Zoo — Salt Lake City, UT (~30 minutes north)

☀️ Canyon View Park — Provo, UT

🌆 Downtown Provo (shops, murals, ice cream & live music) — Provo, UT

🎠 Splash Summit Waterpark (formerly Seven Peaks) — Provo, UT

🎨 Nickel City Arcade — Orem, UT

🚂 Heber Valley Railroad (scenic rides & themed events) — Heber City, UT (~30 minutes)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Cubby’s — Provo, UT

🍕 Slab Pizza — Provo, UT

🥞 Magleby’s Fresh — Provo, UT

🌮 180 Tacos — Provo, UT

🍗 Black Sheep Café — Provo, UT

🍦 Rockwell Ice Cream Co. — Provo, UT

☕️ Juice ‘n Java Café — Provo, UT

🥗 Guru’s Café — Provo, UT

🍔 JCW’s The Burger Boys — American Fork, UT

🍩 Provo Bakery — Provo, UT

University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 Smale Riverfront Park (fountains, playgrounds & river views) — Cincinnati, OH

🐠 Newport Aquarium — Newport, KY (~10 minutes)

🎨 Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal — Cincinnati, OH

🦖 Cincinnati Museum of Natural History & Science — Cincinnati, OH

🛝 The Children’s Museum at Union Terminal — Cincinnati, OH

🎢 Urban Air Adventure Park — Cincinnati, OH

🎭 Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park — Cincinnati, OH

🚴‍♀️ Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden — Cincinnati, OH

🌿 Krohn Conservatory — Cincinnati, OH

🎡 Coney Island Park (water park & family rides) — Cincinnati, OH

🧗‍♀️ RockQuest Climbing Center — Sharonville, OH (~25 minutes)

🎳 Scene75 Entertainment Center — Milford, OH (~25 minutes)

🐊 Sharon Woods Park (lake, trails & playground) — Sharonville, OH

🦋 Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park — Hamilton, OH (~30 minutes)

🚂 EnterTRAINment Junction (massive indoor model train attraction) — West Chester, OH (~30 minutes)

🎢 Kings Island Amusement Park — Mason, OH (~30 minutes)

☀️ Sawyer Point & Yeatman’s Cove Park — Cincinnati, OH

🌆 Fountain Square (downtown events, skating, and dining) — Cincinnati, OH

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Taste of Belgium — Cincinnati, OH

🍕 Dewey’s Pizza — Cincinnati, OH

🥞 Maplewood Kitchen and Bar — Cincinnati, OH

🌮 Bakersfield Tacos — Cincinnati, OH

🍗 The Eagle — Cincinnati, OH

🍦 Graeter’s Ice Cream — Cincinnati, OH

☕️ Coffee Emporium — Cincinnati, OH

🥗 Sleepy Bee Café — Cincinnati, OH

🍔 Arnold’s Bar and Grill — Cincinnati, OH

🍩 Holtman’s Donuts — Cincinnati, OH

🍻 Madtree Brewing- Cincinnati, OH

🍺 50 West Brewing -  Cincinnati, OH

🌭 Skyline Chili — Cincinnati, OH

University of Colorado (Boulder, CO)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 Chautauqua Park (flatiron views, easy trails & playground) — Boulder, CO

🚴‍♀️ Boulder Creek Path (bike & stroller-friendly path through town) — Boulder, CO

🎨 Museum of Boulder — Boulder, CO

🦋 Butterfly Pavilion — Westminster, CO (~25 minutes)

🎢 Gateway Park Fun Center (mini golf, go-karts & arcade) — Boulder, CO

🛝 Play Street Museum — Broomfield, CO (~25 minutes)

🐠 Downtown Boulder Farmers Market (weekends, April–Nov) — Boulder, CO

🌿 Boulder Falls — Boulder Canyon, CO

🧗‍♀️ ABC Kids Climbing — Boulder, CO

🎳 The Wild Game Entertainment Experience — Longmont, CO (~25 minutes)

🦓 WOW! Children’s Museum — Lafayette, CO (~20 minutes)

🎡 Valmont Bike Park (pump tracks, skate park & playground) — Boulder, CO

🚂 Colorado Railroad Museum — Golden, CO (~30 minutes)

🎨 Fiske Planetarium (on CU campus!) — Boulder, CO

🐊 NCAR Mesa Lab (interactive science exhibits & hiking trails) — Boulder, CO

☀️ Scott Carpenter Park (space-themed playground & pool) — Boulder, CO

🌆 Pearl Street Mall (street performers, shops & family dining) — Boulder, CO

🎢 Urban Air Adventure Park — Westminster, CO

🎭 Dairy Arts Center — Boulder, CO

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 The Sink — Boulder, CO

🍕 Beau Jo’s Colorado Style Pizza — Boulder, CO

🥞 Snooze, an A.M. Eatery — Boulder, CO

🌮 T/ACO — Boulder, CO

🍗 The Buff Restaurant — Boulder, CO

🍦 Sweet Cow Ice Cream — Louisville, CO

☕️ Ozo Coffee Company — Boulder, CO

🥗 Zeal — Boulder, CO

🍔 Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery (family-friendly atmosphere) — Boulder, CO

🍩 Lucky’s Bakehouse — North Boulder, CO

University of Houston (Houston, TX)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 Discovery Green (downtown park with splash pad & playground) — Houston, TX

🐠 Houston Zoo — Houston, TX

🦖 Houston Museum of Natural Science — Houston, TX

🎨 Children’s Museum Houston — Houston, TX

🚴‍♀️ Hermann Park (pedal boats, train ride & picnic areas) — Houston, TX

🛝 Levy Park (modern playground, splash zone & green space) — Houston, TX

🎢 Altitude Trampoline Park — Houston, TX

🧗‍♀️ Momentum Indoor Climbing — Houston, TX

🎡 Space Center Houston (NASA exhibits & kids’ exploration area) — Houston, TX (~25 minutes)

🌿 Buffalo Bayou Park (kayaks, trails, & skyline views) — Houston, TX

🎳 Bowlero Houston — Houston, TX

🦋 Cockrell Butterfly Center — Houston, TX

🚂 The Health Museum (interactive human body exhibits) — Houston, TX

🎢 Urban Air Adventure Park — Houston, TX

🐊 Downtown Aquarium (rides, restaurant & sea life exhibits) — Houston, TX

🎨 Museum of Fine Arts — Houston, TX

☀️ Smither Park (art park filled with colorful mosaics) — Houston, TX

🌆 Kemah Boardwalk (rides, dining, & waterfront views) — Kemah, TX (~30 minutes)

🎠 The Galleria (ice skating rink & family shopping) — Houston, TX

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 The Burger Joint — Houston, TX

🍕 Star Pizza — Houston, TX

🥞 The Breakfast Klub (famous for wings & waffles) — Houston, TX

🌮 Ninfa’s on Navigation (iconic Tex-Mex) — Houston, TX

🍗 Frenchy’s Chicken (local legend near campus!) — Houston, TX

🍦 Milk + Sugar Creamery — Houston, TX

☕️ Blacksmith Coffee — Houston, TX

🥗 Tiny Boxwoods — Houston, TX

🍔 Rodeo Goat — Houston, TX

🍩 Shipley Do-Nuts — Houston, TX

Iowa State University (Ames, IA)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 Reiman Gardens (butterfly house, train garden & sculpture walk) — Ames, IA

🎨 Octagon Center for the Arts — Ames, IA

🦋 Ada Hayden Heritage Park (walking trails & lake views) — Ames, IA

🦖 Science Center of Iowa — Des Moines, IA (~30 minutes)

🐠 Blank Park Zoo — Des Moines, IA (~30 minutes)

🎢 Perfect Games (bowling, arcade, & laser tag) — Ames, IA

🛝 Ames Miracle Park (inclusive playground & splash pad) — Ames, IA

🧗‍♀️ Climb Iowa — Grimes, IA (~30 minutes)

🌿 Ledges State Park (hiking, creek play & picnic areas) — Madrid, IA (~25 minutes)

🚴‍♀️ High Trestle Trail Bridge (iconic lighted bridge for bikes & walkers) — Madrid, IA (~25 minutes)

🎡 Iowa Arboretum & Gardens — Madrid, IA (~25 minutes)

🦓 Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad (vintage train rides) — Boone, IA (~25 minutes)

🎳 Bowlero Ames — Ames, IA

🐊 Furman Aquatic Center (water slides & lazy river) — Ames, IA

🎨 Brunnier Art Museum (on ISU campus) — Ames, IA

🌆 Downtown Ames Main Street (shops, treats & murals) — Ames, IA

☀️ McFarland Park — Ames, IA

🎠 Snus Hill Winery & Farm (family events & live music) — Madrid, IA

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Hickory Park Restaurant (famous BBQ & ice cream) — Ames, IA

🍕 Great Plains Sauce & Dough Company — Ames, IA

🥞 The Café — Ames, IA

🌮 El Azteca — Ames, IA

🍗 Wallaby’s Bar & Grille — Ames, IA

🍦 Sweet Caroline’s Ice Cream & Coffee — Ames, IA

☕️ Café Diem — Ames, IA

🥗 The Grove Café — Ames, IA

🍔 Cornbred Barbecue — Ames, IA

🍩 Daytime Deli & Donuts — Ames, IA

University of Kansas (Lawrence, KS)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 Clinton State Park (hiking, beach area, camping & playgrounds) — Lawrence, KS

🎨 Spencer Museum of Art (on KU campus!) — Lawrence, KS

🦋 Prairie Park Nature Center — Lawrence, KS

🦖 KU Natural History Museum (hands-on science & fossils) — Lawrence, KS

🚴‍♀️ South Park (playground, splash pad, & farmers markets) — Lawrence, KS

🛝 Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center — Lawrence, KS

🎢 Epic Fun Center (arcade, laser tag, & games) — Lawrence, KS

🎳 Royal Crest Lanes — Lawrence, KS

🌿 Baker Wetlands Discovery Center — Lawrence, KS

🐊 Powell Gardens (nature trails & children’s garden) — Kingsville, KS (~30 min)

🎡 Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead — Overland Park, KS (~30 min)

🧗‍♀️ Climb Lawrence (indoor rock climbing) — Lawrence, KS

🎢 Urban Air Adventure Park — Overland Park, KS (~30 min)

🎨 Lawrence Arts Center — Lawrence, KS

☀️ Riverfront Park (walking trails & kayak access) — Lawrence, KS

🌆 Downtown Lawrence (Massachusetts Street shops, murals & family dining) — Lawrence, KS

🚂 Midland Railway (themed train rides) — Baldwin City, KS (~25 min)

🐠 SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium — Kansas City, MO (~30 min)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 The Burger Stand at The Casbah — Lawrence, KS

🍕 Limestone Pizza Kitchen Bar — Lawrence, KS

🥞 The Roost — Lawrence, KS

🌮 Jefferson’s Restaurant — Lawrence, KS

🍗 Bigg’s BBQ — Lawrence, KS

🍦 Sylas & Maddy’s Homemade Ice Cream — Lawrence, KS

☕️ Java Break — Lawrence, KS

🥗 Ladybird Diner — Lawrence, KS

🍔 Free State Brewing Co. — Lawrence, KS

🍩 Munchers Bakery — Lawrence, KS

Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🌳 Manhattan City Park (playground, splash park, & trails) — Manhattan, KS

🦋 Sunset Zoo — Manhattan, KS

🦖 Flint Hills Discovery Center (interactive science & nature museum) — Manhattan, KS

🎨 Beach Museum of Art (on K-State’s campus) — Manhattan, KS

🎢 K-State Inflatables & Family Fun Center — Manhattan, KS

🛝 Manhattan Indoor Playground — Manhattan, KS

🌿 Konza Prairie Biological Station (family hiking trails & overlooks) — Manhattan, KS

🚴‍♀️ Linear Trail (walking, biking, stroller-friendly) — Manhattan, KS

🎡 Tuttle Creek State Park (lake, beach, camping & playgrounds) — Manhattan, KS

🎭 Manhattan Arts Center — Manhattan, KS

🧗‍♀️ Wildwood Adventure Park (ziplining & obstacle courses) — Manhattan, KS

🐠 Sunset Zoo’s Nature Play Area — Manhattan, KS

🎳 Little Apple Lanes — Manhattan, KS

🎢 Jumpin’ Junction Trampoline Park — Manhattan, KS

🐊 Lazy T Ranch Adventure — Manhattan, KS

☀️ Pillsbury Crossing Wildlife Area (shallow waterfalls & picnics) — Manhattan, KS

🚂 Midwest Dream Car Collection — Manhattan, KS

🎨 Strecker Nelson West Gallery — Manhattan, KS

🌆 Aggieville District (shops, dining, & family events near campus) — Manhattan, KS

🦓 Rolling Hills Zoo — Salina, KS (~30 minutes)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 So Long Saloon — Manhattan, KS

🍕 AJ’s NY Pizzeria — Manhattan, KS

🥞 The Chef Café — Manhattan, KS

🌮 Taco Lucha — Manhattan, KS

🍗 Cox Bros. BBQ — Manhattan, KS

🍦 Call Hall Dairy Bar (on K-State campus – famous ice cream!) — Manhattan, KS 🍦

☕️ Radina’s Coffeehouse & Roastery — Manhattan, KS

🥗 Bourbon & Baker — Manhattan, KS

🍔 Rock-A-Belly Deli — Manhattan, KS

🍩 Varsity Donuts — Manhattan, KS

Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Oklahoma WONDERtorium — Stillwater, OK

🌳 Boomer Lake Park — Stillwater, OK

🎢 Lost Creek Safari — Stillwater, OK

🎨 Prairie Arts Center — Stillwater, OK

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Eskimo Joe’s — Stillwater, OK

🍕 Hideaway Pizza — Stillwater, OK

🍦 Blue Spruce Ice Cream — Stillwater, OK

Texas Christian University (Fort Worth, TX)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Fort Worth Museum of Science & History — Fort Worth, TX

🐾 Fort Worth Zoo — Fort Worth, TX

🎨 Kimbell Art Museum — Fort Worth, TX

🌳 Trinity Park — Fort Worth, TX

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Dutch’s Hamburgers — Fort Worth, TX

🍕 Olivella’s Pizza — Fort Worth, TX

🍦 Melt Ice Creams — Fort Worth, TX

Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Science Spectrum Museum — Lubbock, TX

🐾 Prairie Dog Town — Lubbock, TX

🎨 Museum of Texas Tech University — Lubbock, TX

🌳 Mackenzie Park — Lubbock, TX

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Blue Sky Texas — Lubbock, TX

🍕 One Guy from Italy — Lubbock, TX

🍦 J’s Creamery — Lubbock, TX

University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🎢 Universal Orlando Resort — Orlando, FL

🧠 Orlando Science Center — Orlando, FL

🌳 Lake Eola Park — Orlando, FL

🐠 SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium — Orlando, FL

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Shake Shack — Orlando, FL

🍕 Blaze Pizza — Orlando, FL

🍦 Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream — Orlando, FL

University of Utah (Salt Lake City, UT)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum — Salt Lake City, UT

🐾 Hogle Zoo — Salt Lake City, UT

🎨 Natural History Museum of Utah — Salt Lake City, UT

🌊 Liberty Park — Salt Lake City, UT

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Crown Burgers — Salt Lake City, UT

🍕 The Pie Pizzeria — Salt Lake City, UT

🍦 Normal Ice Cream — Salt Lake City, UT

West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV)

Kid-Friendly Activities:

🧠 Spark! Imagination and Science Center — Morgantown, WV

🌳 Dorsey’s Knob Park — Morgantown, WV

🎢 Launch Pad Trampoline Park — Morgantown, WV

🌊 Cheat Lake Park & Trail — Morgantown, WV

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Black Bear Burritos — Morgantown, WV

🍕 Mountain State Brewing Co. — Morgantown, WV

🍦 Cold Stone Creamery — Morgantown, WV