A family day out doesn’t need to have all the bells and whistles. Many of our most memorable childhood days would have cost little or nothing. So swerve the theme parks and attractions with hefty entrance fees and seek out thrifty places for fun instead. We take a look at some of the best places to go and things to do on a budget across the states. Prices were correct at the time of writing. For attractions with free admission, donations are hugely welcome.
Calling all cadets: Alabama’s US Army Aviation Museum is bound to be a big hit with anyone (small or big) with an interest in the army or aircraft. The free museum in Fort Rucker near Daleville has some impressive exhibits, including one of the largest collections of military helicopters in the world. It traces the use of aircraft in the military and includes a replica of the Wright Brothers' Model B military biplane along with an AH-64 Apache from Operation Desert Storm.
There are family bike rides and then there is the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, which skirts along the shore of Cook Inlet from downtown Anchorage. The paved path is 11 miles (17.7km), so depending on energy levels pick a section or go the whole length. It wends past coastal marshes with incredible views guaranteed and ends in Kincaid Park, a sprawling green space with yet more trails where moose (and the occasional bear) can be spotted.
Immerse the kids in the wilds of the Mojave Desert, just outside Las Vegas. The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area’s epic 13-mile (20km) scenic drive loops around the park with plenty of places to pull over and explore on foot. Opt for the Lost Creek Children’s Discovery Trail for an hour-long hike to discover edible plants once eaten by the Southern Paiute people, rock shelters with pictographs and a hidden waterfall (it trickles from December to April). Its $15 per car to enter.
The kids will love seeing this organic flour mill in the Ozarks in action. Located in War Eagle Valley, the War Eagle Mill is the last working gristmill in Arkansas, powered by a huge waterwheel. The mill welcomes visitors to watch the waterwheel and learn about its history. It has a restaurant, where homemade bread and soups will hit the spot, and a store where you can buy flour to bake with the kids later. It’s also handily close to Hobbs State Park Conservation Area, the state’s largest park, where they can let off steam.
Tales of the Wild West come to life at Bodie, a gold-mining ghost town to the east of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Peep into decrepit houses and the school room (still scattered with books) and play sheriff in the dusty streets by the old saloon. If they’re super interested, look out for one of the free history talks or sign up for the Stamp Mill Tour ($6) to learn about extracting gold and the stamp mill (one of the most intact ones from the late 1800s). Admission fees are $8 per adult and $5 per child. Children aged under three are free.
Keep everyone sweet on a free factory tour of Hammond’s Candies HQ in Denver. The kids will love having their very own Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-style adventure around the candy company that was founded here in 1920. After they’ve seen their favourite treats being pulled, twisted, shaped and packaged by hand they can, of course, visit the store to purchase them. Free 30-minute tours take place every half an hour from Monday to Saturday.
Diddy dinosaur fans will love the Dinosaur State Park, just south of Hartford. It opened in 1968 after 2,000 dinosaur tracks were accidentally uncovered during an excavation. Today more than 500 of the tracks are enclosed in its geodesic dome (closed for maintenance until the summer). Outside nature trails go through a variety of habitats, including a red maple swamp, shrub swamp, forests, open meadows and a traprock ridge, plus there are dino-themed activities including track casting. Entrance is $6 for adults and teens, $2 for children and under fives are free.
Got a history buff in your party? Take a deep dive into the past on this free trail around Dover, the state capital since 1777. Described as an “urban park without boundaries", the First State Heritage National Park links various historic and cultural sites and tells the story of Delaware, the first state to ratify the United States Constitution. Head to the Welcome Centre & Galleries in the Delaware Public Archives building to start, then join free walking tours on the historic Dover Green where guides, kitted out in historic costumes, bring the past to life.
By day, the best thing to do as a family in Key West is to hit the beach. But come dusk, the historic Mallory Square is the place to be for its nightly sunset festival. The kids’ eyes will be out on stalks as they watch performers sword swallowing and fire throwing, among other things. But the magic really happens when the crowds gather at the water's edge to watch the sun sink into the Gulf of Mexico. It can get busy, so get there early.
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Sombre, sobering but undisputedly inspiring, Atlanta’s Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park is an engaging free-to-enter park that incorporates a range of sites associated with the icon of history, including his tomb. Walking in King’s footsteps, especially visiting the house where he was born, is bound to engage children in human rights. Don’t miss the hands-on Children of Courage area in the King Visitor Center.
Everyone loves pineapple, right? Discover how these tropical fruits grow (spoiler: they don't grow on trees) at a historic plantation on Oahu. Admission to Dole Plantation's grounds is free, with a range of activities on offer such as pineapple-cutting and chocolate-making demonstrations. You can do others for extra costs, such as the plantation garden tour ($7.75 per adult and $7 for children aged 4-12). This should leave some cash for a tub of its famous DoleWhip, soft-serve pineapple dessert – a good way to sweeten them up for a trip to nearby Pearl Harbour (free).
More food-related fun can be had at Idaho’s spud-themed museum. After you’ve taken the obligatory family portrait with its giant baked potato, head inside to discover a world of objects relating to the tuber, from its arrival in America and Idaho’s farming history to cooking. There’s a fun section with potato-based science experiments and Mr Potato Head racing. Satisfy carb cravings at the Potato Station Café, which serves up the starchy veg every which way, even in cakes. The museum costs $6 per adult, $3 for children aged 5-12 and is free for 4s and under.
The only downside to Maggie Daley Park Play Garden, a world of adventure in the centre of Chicago, is kids won’t want to go anywhere else. Highlights of this three-acre hub for imaginative outdoor play and sensory exploration include The Sea with its huge play ship, whale and lighthouse tower (with kid-powered light generation). The Enchanted Forest has peaceful paths and upside-down trees, while the Slide Crater is all about slipping and sliding. On hot days the Watering Hole comes into its own. And it’s all free.
A magical creative space that’s “not bound by traditional ideas of art education”, ARTSPARK will unleash everyone’s imagination. Covering over 9.5 acres, the interactive outdoor sculpture park has more than 27 sculptures to be discovered and enjoyed. Open from dawn to dusk, the site can be accessed from the Indianapolis Art Center. It has “no gates, no fences, no admission charge, no barriers to creativity.”
Railroads are deeply rooted in America’s history – something which is explored vividly in Council Bluff’s Union Pacific Railroad Museum, located in a beautiful Beaux Arts building by the Missouri River. The city was the eastern terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad. Even if your little ones aren’t mad about trains, they’ll love stepping into vintage carriages, gawping at memorabilia from a bygone time, watching model railways and trying out various train-themed activities. Admission is free.
This small state park near Salina in north-central Kansas gives off serious Alice in Wonderland vibes with its mushroom-shaped rock formations. It’s a great place to let the kids off the leash and explore the surreal shapes while you find a lovely spot to set up a picnic. The rocks, which are remains of beach sands and sediments from the Cretaceous period, were used as meeting places and landmarks for Native Americans along with early pioneers.
An impressive reconstruction of Kentucky’s second settlement, Fort Boonesborough, this state park in Madison County gives a glimpse into frontier life. As well as exploring the fort and chatting to resident historians and storytellers about the settlement, which was established by Daniel Boone in 1775, stay to watch demonstrations of crafts typical of the 18th century. Entrance fees are $8 for adults, $5 for children (6-12).
Riding the vintage streetcars is a New Orleans must and a wonderfully inexpensive way to get little legs around the city too ($1.25 per fare or get a $3 unlimited day pass). For amazing city views, take a trip on the Algiers Ferry. These historic ferries cross the Mississippi River at the end of Canal Street, just near the French Quarter, to the characterful Algiers Point neighbourhood, packed with 19th-century buildings. Crossings cost $2.
A popular day trip from Portland, small and sleepy Peaks Island in Casco Bay has all the right ingredients for a family outing: beaches, cafés, ice cream stalls, walking trails and a scattering of historic sites. The 17-minute journey is all part of the adventure, with ferries crossing the water from Portland’s historic Old Port neighbourhood. Fares cost $7.70 per adult and $3.85 per child for a round trip. Pay a little extra and take your bikes.
For some good-old-fashioned family fun, buy a baited line and dip net and head to a boardwalk or pier on Chesapeake Bay. Famed for its Chesapeake Bay blue crabs, going crabbing is a great Maryland summer tradition. North Bay and Assateague Island are good places to try your luck.
Known as Old Ironsides due its impenetrable strong oak hull, the Constitution launched in 1797 and served in the War of 1812. It’s the oldest commissioned warship in the USA and still sails through Boston Harbour for special anniversaries and commemorations. The ship can be boarded in Boston’s Charlestown Navy Yard, with guided tours given by US Navy sailors. It’s free to visit on a first come, first serve basis from Tuesday to Sunday, while the museum has a suggested donation as admission.
Search for shipwrecks, visit lonely lighthouses and scamper on long beaches at this national park that lines the shores of Lake Superior. One short trail leads from Hurricane River Campground to the Au Sable Light Station, active since 1874 and with its original keeper’s house now a little museum. Look out for exposed wrecks as you walk – the beach before the lighthouse is a great place to see some. The lighthouse tour fee is $5 for those aged six and older.
Budding outdoor adventurers should make a beeline for 75 of Minnesota’s state parks and recreation areas. The state’s 2022 I Can! Programmes are all about getting families outside and learning new skills, from camping, canoeing and kayaking to mountain biking, archery, and fishing. The special activity sessions include hands-on instruction from experienced guides. Some are free (although vehicle access passes are required to enter the park) while others incur a fee. Reservations are essential.
Space exploration enthrals all ages. Step inside America's largest rocket propulsion test complex on a tour of StenniSphere, the visitor centre at NASA's Stennis Space Center. It lets visitors see spacecraft up close, discover how space affects the human body and experience what life is like at the International Space Station in a full-scale mock-up. Admission is free but tours must be booked in advance.
Explore the eerie ruins of a crumbling turn-of-the-century castle then seek out sinkholes, caves, a huge natural bridge and springs. The Ha Tonka State Park is full of adventures and is more than likely to be a hit with kids of all ages. After all that activity, find a secluded spot for a picnic as you gaze across views of the Lake of the Ozarks.
Montana is peppered with dinosaur fossil sites, including the Hell Creek area near Jordan where the world’s first identified Tyrannosaurus rex was found in 1902 by palaeontologist Barnum Brown. Discover some of Montana’s natural history on the state-wide Dinosaur Trail, which covers 14 dino-focused museums, states parks and field digs – many of which are free, like the Carter County Museum. You can pick up a Prehistoric Passport at any of its sites for $7 and get stamps at places you visit along the way.
Rising out of flat plains by the North Platte River, these sandstone formations have long been a landmark for travellers, from the first inhabitants of the region – the Native Americans who camped on their slopes – to early European explorers, fur traders and emigrants. Between 1841 and 1869 over 350,000 people travelled west past Scotts Bluff. Discover the landmark's history on a walk along the Oregon Trail Pathway, lined with replica-covered wagons, and imagine what life was like for these travellers. There are no entrance fees.
Unearth Nevada’s mining history at one of the Silver State’s most famous old silver mining towns, Tonopah. This large historic site, which lies along the Free Range Art Highway, covers the original 1900 discovery site, which later turned into the Tonopah Mining Company. Explore original preserved equipment and buildings and visit its exhibits on a self-guided walking tour. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children and under sevens are free.
All the fun of the farm is on offer at this lovely museum and working farm along Route 125. Located in two late 18th-century farmsteads, it celebrates and preserves New Hampshire’s rural and agricultural heritage. A collection of historic buildings and barns, including a blacksmith shop, cobbler shop, a pole barn, chicken coop and cider mill can also be explored. Be sure to visit its heritage breed farm animals and have a turn at grinding corn before exploring the gardens and walking trails. Pick up produce at the country store for a picnic. It's $25 for a family pass (two adults and two children).
Built in 1862, these imposing brownstone twin lighthouses have long been a landmark on the Highlands of Navesink, which overlook the entrance to New York Bay. The museum is free to visit and it’s possible to climb the North Tower for free off-season, while the South Tower is accessible by tour with the site historian ($12 per adult, children 10 and under are free). Even if you don’t go inside, the views from the grounds are exceptional.
Where better to delight in the wonders of balloons than the ballooning capital of the world? Albuquerque hosts the world’s largest hot air balloon festival every October and celebrates all things balloon at this niche but delightful museum. There are lots of interactive exhibits to fire their imagination. Adults cost $6, children $3 with fives and under free.
New York has endless opportunities for family fun, but many of its attractions come with a high price tag. Not so Governors Island, a 172-acre green space lying just south of the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan. Hop on a ferry from Manhattan or Brooklyn ($4 per adult, free for 12s and under and free for all on Saturdays and Sundays before noon) and spend a day exploring. A host of festivals and performances take place in the summer, plus there are art installations and street food trucks to enjoy. But the kids will want to make a beeline to Slide Hill, home to the longest slide in NYC.
There’ll be no cries of “Are we nearly yet?” on the Blue Ridge Parkway, a scenic 469-mile (755km) driving route that snakes through the mountainous forests of Virginia and North Carolina to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. The views will have all your passengers transfixed. Drive a section in North Carolina that takes in numerous spectacular sights such as Linville Falls, an awe-inspiring three-tiered cascade; and Rough Ridge, a scenic lookout on Grandfather Mountain. Keep watch for bears as you go.
It’s not just Australia that has a love for “Big Things” by its highways, America has some too including the world’s largest buffalo, which has overlooked Jamestown since 1959. Once you’ve admired the meaty roadside attraction, head to the free-to-enter Frontier Village to wander around original village buildings. Then learn about the significance of the American buffalo at the National Buffalo Museum ($8 for adults, $6 for children aged 6-14).
Hands-on activities and playful workshops inspired by works of art from its collection ensure even the littlest minds are engaged and filled with creative possibilities at this historic Ohio museum. The Cleveland Museum of Art was founded in 1913 with a mission to make art accessible to all, an ethos that still stands, with admission free and a host of family-focused activities and events taking place alongside its collections and special exhibitions (which do incur a fee).
Forget superheroes and take the kids to learn about real-life heroes instead at Oklahoma City’s fascinating firefighters museum. It charts the history of the vocation and has an extraordinary collection of antique fire apparatus and equipment dating back to the mid-1700s. Along with vintage fire trucks, it also has a replica of the first fire station built in what was then Oklahoma Territory in 1869. Admission is $7 for adults, $3 for 6-12 year-olds and free for fives and under.
A world of wholesome adventures awaits on Sauvie Island, a large river island just northeast of Portland, with its beaches, bike trails and farms. Spend a day picking some of the island’s famed produce at one of its U-Pick farms. From June to August it’s berry season when you can pick your fill of strawberries, blueberries and blackberries along with northwest hybrid varieties like loganberry, marionberry and boysenberry. Just pay for what you pick.
For just $5 you can take a ride up and down on the funicular railways that have operated up the steep slopes of Pittsburgh’s Mount Washington neighbourhood since the 1870s. Known as the Pittsburgh Inclines, there are two: the red Duquesne Incline and the yellow Monongahela (or Mon) Incline. Both offer thrilling views of the city and its three rivers.
Buggy-free families should set off for a fun-filled cliffside hike along Newport’s eastern shore. As well as ocean views, there are tunnels to explore, wildflowers to spot and grand houses to marvel at along the way. Newport’s shoreline is edged by the opulent and iconic Newport Mansions (seaside retreats for the country’s elite in the 19th century). The walk is just over three miles (5.6km) so pack a picnic to enjoy along the way.
Along with Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie stands at the entrance of Charleston Harbour. It sits on Sullivan's Island and is where patriots fought off the British and kept Charleston from occupation in 1776. It was also the entry point for nearly half of all enslaved Africans shipped to North America. Look for The Bench by the Road, a black steel memorial bench near the visitor centre, which was placed by the Toni Morrison Society to remember these people. The fort costs $10 for adults (a seven-day pass) while children aged 15 and below are free.
Dare you take a dip in the Devil’s Bathtub? Find out on a short but at times challenging trail through Spearfish Canyon, an ancient creek-carved gorge in the Black Hills and a haven for bikers, hikers, climbers and fishers. Despite its devilish name, the secluded little limestone canyon, all natural pools and waterslides carved by the creek through the rock, is delightful. Go for a swim in the pool or slide down the chutes.
Budding musicians will love Nashville with scores of opportunities to enjoy free live music. Take a walk along the city's world-famous Honky Tonk Highway to see the bright lights, stop and watch street performers and seek out child-friendly bars. The Nashville Farmers' Market is another great spot to lap up the city’s cool atmosphere, buy local treats and listen to performers. Riverfront play park Cumberland Park is a great place for a romp.
Fighter jets, helicopters, and missiles are just some of the amazing machines on display both inside and outside at this free-to-enter museum in Utah’s Hill Air Force Base. Learn about the fighters and bombers that were used during the Second World War and wander around its eclectic collection of memorabilia including military uniforms from across the ages. Little ones will enjoy taking part in a scavenger hunt.
Get up at dawn and go on a bird walk; find a carnivorous plant; build a natural shelter that can shield you from the rain. Just a few of the activities that families can tick off after downloading Vermont State Park's 2022 Venture Vermont Outdoor Challenge. The green state has 55 state parks such as the gorgeous Jamaica State Park, set on a bend of the West River in the southern Green Mountains, where you can do these activities. Day passes cost $4 for adults and $3 for children (4-13). You can also camp in most for $19 per tent per night.
While away a few hours watching boats come and go at Ballard Locks, a top Seattle attraction and National Historic Site in Salmon Bay, just west of upper Lake Union. Picnic on the grounds and explore its visitor centre. It’s not just boats that use the locks: three species of Pacific salmon pass through, using a manmade fish ladder, as they journey upstream from Puget Sound to Lake Washington. Go between June and September to watch them pass upriver through an underwater window. Admission is free.
Sprawling across Virginia into Kentucky and Tennessee, there’s lots to do in this national park, from playing in the pioneer playhouse and spotting ramshackle historic sites to backcountry hikes. Beneath its rolling mountains lies a network of subterranean passages, home to curious creatures and geologic formations. Visit one of its incredible underground cathedrals, Gap Cave, with park rangers to see sparkly stalagmites and spot bats. There are no entrance fees to the park, but cave tours cost $8 for adults and $4 for children aged 5-12.
Set in the Appalachian Mountains of southern West Virginia, the New River Gorge should top the list for all active families. Not only is the scenery seriously ravishing but with more than 70,000 acres to explore it’s a veritable outdoor adventurer’s paradise. It has a range of walking trails, from easy hikes for little ones (the aptly named Tunnel Trail is fun) to challenging ones for thrill-seeking teens, plus everything in between. Biking trails offer the same diversity and the whitewater rafting is exceptional, if budgets permit. Look out for free ranger-led activity programmes.
Roll up, roll up and get your tickets for the Circus World Museum in Baraboo. This fun-filled space celebrates Wisconsin’s circus heritage, particularly the story of famous circus owners the Ringling Brothers who began in Baraboo in 1884. Magical wonders and circus artefacts sit alongside the world’s largest collection of authentic wood-carved parade wagons. There are also daily performances. Adult tickets are $9.99, children (5-12) are $4.99 and under fives are free.
Excitement will reach peak levels at the sight of this awe-inspiring rock that protrudes out of the flat plains above the Black Hills in north-eastern Wyoming. The Devil’s Tower is a site of special significance to many Native American tribes in the region who know it by different names – the Cheyenne call it “Bear's Lodge”,"Bear's House", "Bear's Tipi," and "Bear Peak”. The monolith is a magnetic sight: follow trails to see it from all angles then watch daredevil climbers scale it. A vehicle pass costs $25 and can be used for up to seven days.