15 Fun Things to do in San Antonio with Kids

San Antonio is a family-friendly city with a tremendous amount of attractions and activities that kids can enjoy. The warm weather and beautiful landscape provide unlimited opportunities for outdoor fun, but there are plenty of things to explore inside too. If you are planning a visit, here are some of the best things to do in San Antonio with kids.

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What to Do in San Antonio with Kids of All Ages

1. Six Flags Fiesta Texas

You’ve probably heard of Six Flags, a national amusement chain with locations across the United States. Six Flags Fiesta Texas is every kid’s dream, with dozens of rides designed for thrills.

Attractions include the popular Batman Ride and the Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster, which is the first single-rail rollercoaster in existence. Other popular rides for kids include the Kiddie Coaster, Fireball, and Spinsanity.

Older children will love the thrill ride roller coasters including Goliath, Superman Krypton, and Poltergeist. With attractions for the whole family, this is one of the best theme parks in Texas.

Some rides do have minimum height requirements, which you might want to consider if you’re visiting with younger kids. Also, most rides require kids to ride alone, but there are a few family-friendly options if you want to ride with them.

2. The DoSeum

The DoSeum is a one-of-a-kind children’s museum that provides an interactive and fun learning experience for toddlers, older kids, and teenagers. It offers an exciting mix of programs, classes, and exhibits tailored to improving literacy in STEM education, art, math, and the sciences.

The DoSeum started as the San Antonio Children’s Museum until it changed its name to rebrand. Since then, the DoSeum has become a hot attraction for families in San Antonio. Measuring 68,000 square feet, the DoSeum facility has more than enough attractions to inspire kids’ curiosity and motivate them to increase their knowledge.

Next time you’re in San Antonio and want a fun and educational experience for your child, the DoSeum is an ideal option. You can visit the Sensations Studios, an exhibit that introduces kids to the concepts of light and sound. Or maybe your kids would like the Spy Academy where they can learn about safely communicating on digital platforms and bridging the gap between on-line and the real world through cooperative play.

3. Camping Near The City

San Antonio is surrounded by many scenic areas perfect for camping, including Texas Hill Country. There are plenty of state parks and national parks within an hour’s drive, making it the perfect getaway from the city. All you need is a large family tent and sleeping bags suitable for young campers to make it a fun family adventure.

Within driving distance, you have Guadalupe River State Park, which is 45 minutes away, and Blanco State Park, an hour away. If you’re looking for an overnight camping trip that lasts a day or an entire week, you’ll find plenty of options close to San Antonio. 

4. San Antonio Botanical Garden

San Antonio is warm most of the year, making it the perfect location for tropical plants to grow. The 38-acre San Antonio Botanical Garden houses many tropical plants and allows visitors to connect with nature.

While a botanical garden seems like a grownup-only affair, the San Antonio Botanical Gardens are ideal for families who want an exciting experience for children. There’s a 2.5-acre Family Adventure Garden that offers attractions like No-name Creek, Muhly Maze, and perennial kids’ favorite, Tumble Hill.

If you want an educational experience for your kids, the Storytime in the Garden weekly event is worth considering. Sessions feature a reading of a nature-themed book designed to help kids appreciate nature and the environment. There are also seasonal events. Lightscape happens during the winter holidays, and there’s also Día de los Muertos events.

5. Morgan’s Wonderland

Morgan’s Wonderland was born out of the need to create an inclusive space where all children could have fun, regardless of their disabilities. With 25+ attractions spread across the 25-acre facility, this theme park has something to offer for everyone.

Places you can visit at Morgan’s Wonderland include the Wheelchair Swings, the Carousel, and the Wharf. These facilities are designed to be disability-friendly, which is ideal if you have special needs kids. They also have a summer camp called Morgan’s Wonderland Camp. It’s the perfect place to send your kids and one of many summer camps in the city.

Morgan’s Inspiration Island is an extension splash park, which opened in 2017 and was on the TIME “World’s Greatest Places” in 2018. Like its sister park, Morgan’s Inspiration Island is fully accessible to everyone. Visitors have access to waterproof wheelchairs, waterproof ventilator bags, and oxygen water-collar covers.

6. Kiddie Park

Established in 1925, Kiddie Park San Antonio is the oldest children’s park in the USA. The amusement park still keeps nostalgic elements, including old-fashioned Ferris Wheel rides and the popular Herschel Spillman Carousel.

Thanks to an expansion of the original facility, Kiddie Park boasts even more space for kids to have fun and a wider collection of activities to experience. Visitors can ride the carousel, enjoy the rides, and have a great time trying the other attractions the park has to offer.

7. SeaWorld San Antonio

If you want your kids to see some amazing aquatic life, a visit to SeaWorld is a must. Famous for its marine animal shows, SeaWorld has many shows kids find exciting. Whether watching bottlenose dolphins at Discovery Point or meeting stingrays at Aquatica, there are plenty of engaging activities for kids at SeaWorld.

SeaWorld also has an amazing collection of rides and rollercoasters for kids who aren’t too enthusiastic about watching animals all day. Popular rides at SeaWorld Antonio include the Wave Breaker, Steel Eel, Tidal Surge, and Journey to Atlantis.

The Aquatica attraction doubles as a water park and has adventurous water rides, including the Tonga Twister water slide and Ihu’s Breakaway Falls, a thrilling multi-drop tower slide. And if you’d rather sunbathe and relax with your kids? Check out the many exotic white sand beaches that dot the landscape or watch them play on the splash pad!

8. The Alamo

Alamo Plaza is home to one of the city’s most popular attractions, The Alamo. The Alamo dates to the early 18th century, and is most known for The Battle of Alamo in 1836. Today, you can take a guided tour or explore on your own.

Don’t miss the Church, Courtyard, Long Barrack, and artifacts that have been discovered through the years. Their Young Texans Tour is specifically geared towards young children, making it the perfect activity for them. 

If you have time, we recommend exploring the other missions in San Antonio. There are four additional sites located outside the downtown area and you will need a car to explore them. The four Spanish colonial missions are: San José, Espada, Concepción, and San Juan.

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We think it’s one of the top things to do in San Antonio, as you can visit Mission San José, the Queen of the Missions, learn about early Texas history, and enjoy free admission.

9. Natural Bridge Caverns

The Natural Bridge Caverns is a geological attraction in San Antonio, Texas. It offers everything from underground caves to hidden passages and underground chambers. This is a great place to visit if you want to cultivate a sense of wonder in your kids.

The Twisted Trails Tykes is a specially built attraction that features a ropes course and climbing walls for younger children. Little ones can attempt to conquer the ropes while you watch nearby. Older kids will love the Amazon’ Ranch Roundup where they have to find their way out of a 5000 square foot maze.

There’s also gem and fossil mining, and don’t miss season activities like Christmas at the Caverns with holiday activities and caroling in the caverns.

10. San Antonio River Walk

The San Antonio River Walk is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the area, which explains the constant stream of visitors. You can always take a river cruise along the River Walk if you’re not up to walking.

The River Walk is in the heart of downtown San Antonio and there are different cruise operators that provide dinner boats, river taxis, and narrated tours. Narrated tours are quite educational and are a hit with kids, so you should include one in your itinerary.

Other things you can do include watching a play at the local outdoor theater, taking a ride up the Tower of the Americas to its observation deck for stunning city views, and trying different foods at restaurants near the River Walk.

11. San Antonio Zoo

The San Antonio Zoo is one of the most kid-friendly zoos you can find in Texas. It’s home to over 750 species of animals, which means your kids will want to see everything!

We love the animal experiences at the zoo which include everything from breakfast with the kangaroos to going behind the scenes with the hippos. If little feet get tired, you can take a train ride through the park. Don’t miss their seasonal events like Zoo Boo! and Zoo Lights.

If you don’t want to eat at the zoo, consider a stop at the Japanese Tea Gardens, just a 5 minute walk or short drive from the zoo. Here you can enjoy some delicious cuisine at the Jingu House, and enjoy a walk through the gardens.

12. LEGOLAND Discovery Center San Antonio

LEGOLAND Discovery San Antonio is where your child needs to be if they love LEGOS. The Discovery Center is all about the popular building-block toy, and most attractions here are created with LEGO bricks.

The LEGOLAND Discovery Center features a San Antonio Mini-land — a miniature city replica built with nothing but LEGO blocks. This exhibit is quite appealing with intricate designs, interactive lighting, and LEGO characters.

You can also build and race LEGO cars, watch 4-D movies in their movie theater, take the Kingdom Quest ride, or explore the LEGO gift shop. If your children want something more exciting, the LEGO City Play Zone offers multiple slides and tunnels.

13. The Witte Museum

The Witte Museum is located in Brackenridge Park, just down the street from the DoSeum. This is the museum where nature, science, and history come together to create some pretty amazing exhibits. There’s the Dinosaur Gallery where kids can see dinosaur skeletons and try their hand at digging for fossils.

Inside the People of the Pecos gallery, families can learn about the area’s rich history and the ancient people who once lived on these lands. And don’t miss the H-E-B Body Adventure where a virtual guide takes visitors through four floors of interactive adventures.

14. Historic Market Square

Market Square is a fun place to explore with the family. Over 100 local businesses surround the square, including restaurants, galleries, and shops. There are events happening regularly, including dancing, live music, and more. Come and soak up the fun!

15. San Antonio Aquarium

If your kids love learning about underwater animals, the aquarium is one of the best places to visit. There are animal encounters with sharks, tortoises, lemurs, and more.

Brave kids can even go snorkeling with stingrays! Nothing beats the experience of seeing fish, jellyfish, and seahorses playing in their natural habitat.

As you can see, families will love all of the fun activities offered in Texas’s second largest city. Time to create new memories with a San Antonio family vacation!

About the author: Mark Evans is an outdoors camping guide and summer camp adviser. When he’s not helping families choose a summer camp for their kid or taking them on camping trips, he enjoys traveling and hiking the outdoors.