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When you want to have some fun outside…any of these places in Sacramento will be a hit with the kids!  You can click on each venue for a link to their website.

AMUSEMENT PARKS

FAIRYTALE TOWN

William Land Park, 3901 Land Park Drive, Sacramento, CA
(916) 264-7462

Fall/Winter Hours (November 1st – February 28th): Thursday – Sunday, 10 – 4
Spring/Summer Hours (March 1st – October 31st): Daily, 9 - 4
Guests in the park before 4pm may stay until 5pm.
General Admission $4.00 Weekdays/$4.50 Weekends Adults and Kids
FREE for Kids 2 and under
Annual passes available for a bargain
*Coupon available in the Entertainment Book

Ages 2 - 12 recommended

There are few places in the world like this little magical corner of Sacramento’s Land Park.  Favorite fairytales and nursery rhymes are the backdrop for more than 25 colorful playsets, all designed to inspire creativity and literacy in young children.  Nigerian Dwarf goats, Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, a miniature Sicilian donkey, and an Irish Dexter cow are among the child-friendly creatures that you’ll find here.  Located at various play sets around the park are storybook boxes.  Insert your special key and you’ll hear a story and a song.  The keys are available for purchase at the box office.  The Dish & Spoon Café has snacks and drinks available at affordable prices.  Throughout the year, both the Mother Goose Stage and the Children’s Theater are home to a variety of live performances in music, dance, puppetry, drama, storytelling, and more.

FUNDERLAND

William Land Park, 1350 17th Ave., Sacramento, CA
(916) 456-0115

Regular Hours (February – April, September – November): Fri., 12 – 5, Weekends 10 - 5
Summer Hours (May – Labor Day): Monday – Fri., 11-5, Sat. & Sun. 10 - 6
Admission is Free; Each ride requires 1 ticket per person
Weekday tickets: $1.50/each, $12.50 for Book of 10, Unlimited ride wristband $13.50
Weekend tickets: $1.75/each, $15.00 for Book of 10
*Coupons available on Funderland’s website and in the Entertainment Book
Ages 2 - 12 recommended

Funderland is a small-scale, old-fashioned amusement park.  The park’s rides include a roller coaster, steam train, airplanes, cars, a carousel and more.

GOLFLAND SUNSPLASH

1893 Taylor Road, Roseville, CA
(916) 784-1273

Castle attraction hours: Mon. – Thurs. 10 am – 10 pm, Fri. 10 am – midnight, Sat. 9am – midnight, Sun. 11 – 9
(Sunsplash info - see Water Parks)
Miniature golfing - $7.75 Ages 12 +, $6.75 Ages 4 – 11, 3 and under FREE
Indy cars and Lazer Tag -  See website for hours and rates.

*Monday nights 5 pm– close are Family Nights - $4.00 any age

SCANDIA FAMILY FUN CENTER

5070 Hillsdale Blvd., Sacramento, CA
(916) 331-0115

Summer Hours: Sun. – Thurs. 10:00 am – midnight, Fri. & Sat. 10:00 am – 1:00 am
Winter Hours: Sun. – Thurs. 10:00 am – 10:00 pm, Fri. & Sat. 10:00 am – midnight
Miniature golfing - $8.95 Adults, $6.95 Kids, 36” and under FREE with paying adult
Bumper boats, batting cages, gas power raceway, grand arcade with prize center, snack bar & new Sky Screamer attraction.  See website for rates.

SIX FLAGS Marine World

1001 Fairgrounds Drive
Vallejo, CA
(707) 643-6722

Park hours vary – see website for calendar
General Admission $44.99, Kids under 48”  $29.00, Kids 2 and under FREE
Season Passes $49.99
Online special ticket price: $29.99 for all ages

Six Flags Marine world is a unique thrill ride amusement park mixed with an aquarium and zoo. It is located 55 miles from Sacramento in Vallejo. The officials at Six Flags Marine World describe their park as a one of a kind amusement park, wildlife park and oceanarium.  Offering extreme thrills, popular appeal with Loony Toons cartoon shows and educational displays and exhibits as well as many children’s rides.

MINIATURE GOLFING

GOLFLAND SUNSPLASH

1893 Taylor Road, Roseville, CA
(916) 784-1273

Castle attraction hours: Mon. – Thurs. 10 am – 10 pm, Fri. 10 am – midnight, Sat. 9am – midnight, Sun. 11 – 9
(Sunsplash info - see Water Parks)
Miniature golfing - $7.75 Ages 12 +, $6.75 Ages 4 – 11, 3 and under FREE
*Monday nights 5 – close are Family Nights - $4.00 any age
Indy cars and Lazer Tag -  See website for hours and rates.

SCANDIA FAMILY FUN CENTER

5070 Hillsdale Blvd., Sacramento, CA
(916) 331-0115

Summer Hours: Sun. – Thurs. 10:00 am – midnight, Fri. & Sat. 10:00 am – 1:00 am
Winter Hours: Sun. – Thurs. 10:00 am – 10:00 pm, Fri. & Sat. 10:00 am – midnight
Miniature golfing - $8.95 Adults, $6.95 Kids, 36” and under FREE with paying adult
Bumper boats, batting cages, gas power raceway, grand arcade with prize center, snack bar & new Sky Screamer attraction.  See website for rates.

NATURE/HIKING

COSUMNES RIVER PRESERVE

13501 Franklin Blvd., Galt, CA
(916) 684-2816

Open sunrise to sunset, year-round
Visitor Center Open most weekdays, hours vary; 9-5 most weekends
Admission FREE
Parking $5.00/per vehicle donation

Click here for our experience at the Cosumnes River Preserve.

The Cosumnes is a small river, a mere 80 miles long. Its headwaters in the El Dorado National Forest rise at only 8,000′ above sea level.  From mostly rain, but also snow melt, the river’s water meanders from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Central Valley, just south of Sacramento.  Yet the Cosumnes River is far more important than its size would indicate. It is the only remaining unregulated river on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada.  The free-flowing nature of the river allows frequent and regular winter and spring overbank flooding that fosters the growth of native vegetation and the wildlife dependent on those habitats. More than 250 bird species, more than 40 fish species, and some 230 plant species have been identified on the Preserve.  Check their website for themed, guided walks and activities.

Two trails for hiking:
The Cosumnes RiverWalk - a 3 mile dirt trail
Lost Slough Wetlands Walk – 1 mile concrete trail, universally accessible (great for wheelchairs and strollers)

EFFIE YEAW NATURE CENTER

Ancil Hoffman County Park, 2850 San Lorenzo Way, Carmichael, CA
(916) 489-4918

Feb. – Oct. Open Daily 9-5
Nov. – Jan. Open Daily 9-4
FREE
Parking $5.00/per vehicle

Click here for our experience at The Effie Yeaw Nature Center.

The Effie Yeaw Nature Center is an award-winning environmental and cultural education center located within the beautiful American River Parkway in Carmichael, California.  Enjoy their 77-acre nature preserve featuring interpretive trails that meander through the riparian woodlands along the American River. See deer, coyotes, migratory songbirds and wild turkeys as you explore the preserve’s lush oak woodlands.  Kids of all ages enjoy the The Discovery Room interactive exhibits.  Check their website for themed, guided hikes and activities.

MAIDU INTERPRETIVE CENTER

1960 Johnson Ranch Drive, Roseville, CA
(916) 774-5934

Open Mon. – Fri. 9-4, Second Sat. 9:30-5
Daily Tours: Mon.-Fr. 10am, Second Sat. 10am & 1pm
Adults $4.00, Kids $3.75, $14 Family of Four
Weekday Afternoon Discount: Mon. – Fri. All age $2.00

The Maidu Interpretive Center and Historic Site offers a safe, fenced natural haven for families and individuals who want a brief respite from the hustle and bustle of city life. Graced by oak trees and bordered on the south by a branch of Linda Creek/Strap Ravine, the nature area offers a loop trail that takes you past ancient petroglyphs and hundreds of bedrock mortars for grinding acorns, evidence of Nisenan/Southern Maidu occupation of the site for thousands of years. Inside the museum you’ll find exhibits portraying the Maidu way of life.   Check their website for  guided hikes and activities.

Family Fun Days:
Every second Saturday from September through December, enjoy a whole day of family activities for one small price. Learn about the Maidu Indians, their culture and animals of the area and listen to traditional stories by Rick Adams.
You can spend an entire Saturday at the Center for only $14/family:
• 10:00am: Take a guided tour of the historic site, an ancient Indian village site
• 11:30am: Enjoy Native American stories around the trail or inside the museum
• 12:00pm  Enjoy a picnic lunch on the patio and watch local wildlife in the garden
• 1:00pm:  Beat the heat and enjoy the exhibits and hands on activities inside the museum
• 2:30pm: Enjoy Native American stories around the trail or inside the museum

UC DAVIS ARBORETUM

UC Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Valley Oak Cottage, CA
(530) 752-4880

Open 24 hours/day all year
FREE
Parking $6.00/car weekdays; FREE on weekends

The UC Davis Arboretum consists of 100 acres of beautiful gardens along the banks of the old north channel of Putah Creek.  There are winding paths for walkers, joggers, or bicyclists, benches and picnic tables where visitors can sit and enjoy the view.  Visitors may wander through the Arboretum on their own or join public tours.  The main path is a 3.5 mile loop.  See their website for a calendar of activities.

PONY RIDES/HORSEBACK RIDING

LAND PARK PONY RIDES

William Land Park, 3800 S. Land Park Drive, Sacramento, CA

Fall, Winter, Spring: Open Sat., Sun. 11-4
Summer: Open Tues.– Sun. 11-4
Weekends and Holidays $3.50/ride, 3 for $9.00
Weekdays $3.00/ride, 3 for $7.50
Horse Ride $4.00

The Land Park Pony Rides are located in the park, across the street from the zoo, between Fairytale Town and Funderland.  Riders must be led by an accompanying adult.

GIBSON RANCH

8556 Gibson Ranch Road, Elverta, CA
(916) 991-7592

Trail Rides offered Wed. – Sun. by reservation between 9 am and 4 pm; all year long
$32.00 per person for 1 hour guided group trail ride
$48.00 per person for 1 and a half hour trail ride
$45.00 per person for private ride

Gibson Ranch is a 300+ acre park is a working ranch right in the middle of an urban community.  They  offer guided trail rides for adults and children over 8 years old.  The trail is approximately 4 miles long and takes about an hour to complete.  The trail passes through some great scenery along Dry Creek and is a wonderful way to see the park.  Call for reservations.  A coupon for $5.00 off each rider on weekdays is available on their website.

SPRAYGROUNDS

Click here to see a list of Sacramento Spraygrounds (AKA Parks with water features).

WATER PARKS

RAGING WATERS

1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento, CA
(916) 924-3747

Open May 16th – September 20th
Park hours vary – see website for calendar
General Admission $27.99,  Kids under 48” $19.99, Kids 2 and under FREE
Season Passes – Buy one General Admission $27.99 and get Splash Pass FREE
*See website for additional charges for parking and renting tubes (for the Lazy River or Wave Pool)
*They do not allow food or drink of any kind to be brought in to the park

Formerly Waterworld USA, this park has been completely renovated and turned into Raging Waters.  Located in the heart of the city at Cal Expo, Raging Waters Sacramento features more than 25 exhilarating water attractions, breath-taking slides, a wave pool, river tubing and other fun-filled activities.  For the younger kids, there is Hook’s Lagoon, complete with water toys and slides.

GOLFLAND SUNSPLASH

1893 Taylor Road, Roseville, CA
(916) 784-1273

Water Park open daily June 9th – August 16th, then weekends through September 7th
11 am – 6:30 pm (Open some nights on summer weekends 7:30pm – 11 pm)
General Admission $25.99, Kids under 48″ $19.99, Kids 2 and under $1.00
Twilight Admission (3:00 - 6:30 pm) all ages $18.99

This fun place has two 18-hole miniature golf courses, a 5,000-square-foot laser tag arena, more than 200 arcade games and a water park. The water-park has an adventure island, a wave pool, a lazy river and eight slide towers. The park does not permit outside food or drinks. It does have a pizza kitchen and snack bars serving a variety of foods and drinks.

FOLSOM AQUATIC CENTER

1200 Riley St, Folsom, CA
(916) 355-8318

Recreation Swim Hours: May 23rd – Sept. 7th
Monday - Saturday:        1 - 6:30pm
Sundays & Holidays:      1 - 6pm
Lap Swim/Recreational swim rates:
Ages 4 - 54             $6.00
Ages 2 -3                $4.00
Ages 55 & over        $4.00
Under 2                   Free
*snack bar is cash only

The activity pool offers something for everyone.  The pool features a beach-slope entry, and two
play structures.  The Tumble Buckets feature assures you’ll get soaked; its buckets continuously fill
with water and douse anyone playing below.  The play structure features a slide, climbing ladders,
water cannons and adjustable sprayers that kids can control.  And for the daring, our giant 165-foot twisting,
turning water slide will keep you coming back for more fun! a kiddie pool, which is shallow with little sprinkler
and shooting fountain type features.

ROSEVILLE AQUATIC CENTER

3051 Woodcreek Oaks Blvd.
(916) 774-5262

Open mid-April through Labor Day each year.
Recreational Swim Monday - Friday, June 15 - August 7, 1:00 - 4:30pm
Saturday - Sunday, May 23 - September 7, 1:00 - 5:00pm.
Children under 2: FREE with an adult admission, 2 - 4 years old $2.00, 5 and over $5.00

Family Night Swim:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, June 15 - August 7, 7:30 - 9:00pm
Children under 2: FREE with an adult admission.
2 - 4 years old: $1 per person
5+ years: $3 per person

The Roseville Aquatics Complex includes the Summer Sanders Olympic-size competition pool, a zero-depth recreation pool with beach entry, a 150-foot water-slide, and a children’s interactive water play area and the Wave Cafe.

WACKFORD AQUATIC COMPLEX

9014 Bruceville Road, Elk Grove, CA
(916) 405-5600

Open May – September
Weekday Hours (June 8th – August 14th) 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Weekend Hours (May 23rd – Sept 13th) 12:00 – 5:00
Adults & kids 5 and up $5.00, Kids ages 2 – 4 $3.00;
$45.00 for 10-visit pass; Season passes available
*Buy one get one free coupon available in Entertainment Book
*Your child cannot wear floaties or a suit with floaties in it, but they have life vests available for free
*You can bring your own food and drinks

The Wackford Community and Aquatic Complex features a 25 meter by 25 yard competition lap pool, a zero-depth entry recreation pool with a 146 foot water slide and waterplay features, and a spray pool for children 6 and under.

ZOOS, Etc.

FOLSOM ZOO

403 Stafford St., Folsom, CA
(916) 351-3527

Regular Hours Tues. – Sun. 10 - 4
Summer Hours (June 1-August 31)  9 – 3
Adults $4.00, Youth 13 – 17 $4.00, Kids 2 – 12 $3.00, Kids 2 and under FREE
*Half-price Admission: The first Tuesday of every month September through February

Click here for our experience at the Folsom Zoo.

Since 1963, this small unique California zoo has been providing sanctuary to some very special animals. All are non-releasable. Many were raised, and rejected, as wild pets. Others were injured or orphaned in the wild. Most are native to North America. All have names and personalities, and their individual stories are posted at the exhibits, along with factual, up-to-date information about their species.The distinctive educational focus of the zoo promotes responsible and appropriate behavior toward all animals. The zoo teaches about common and uncommon animals, both wild and domestic, and includes those in between, like feral pigs and wolf-dog hybrids. Zoo programs stress that wild animals don’t make good pets
This is not a “mainstream” zoo. Rather, it is a sanctuary in management and philosophy, except that it is open to the public, for a fee, six days a week. Animals live out their lives here. People who “don’t like zoos” are generally comfortable here.
A highlight of this zoo for kids is their little train rides!

The Folsom Valley Railway:
Train Fare $2.00
Train Schedule: February - May: Tuesday - Friday 11am - 2pm
Saturday and Sunday 11am - 4pm
June - August: Tuesday - Friday 10am - 1pm
Saturday and Sunday 10am - 3pm
September - November: Tuesday - Friday 11am - 1pm
Saturday and Sunday 11am - 4pm
December 26 - New Year Day: Tuesday - Friday 11am - 1pm
Saturday and Sunday 11am - 4pm
January 2009: Saturday and Sunday 11am - 4pm

HAGAN COMMUNITY PARK PETTING BARN

2197 Chase Drive, Rancho Cordova
(916) 362-1841

Open May - September, Saturday & Sunday 12 - 4
FREE

Click here to see our experience at the Petting Barn.

When children visit this cute petting barn, they can interact with a donkey, goat, lamb, rabbits, chickens and more.  The park also offers a Steam Train Ride for FREE on the 1st Saturday of the month and the 3rd Sunday from 12 - 4.
Storytime in the Barn:

Offered all year long on  Tuesdays from 10 - 10:45.
$5.00/per child; $16.00 for 4-pass punch card

SACRAMENTO ZOO

3930 W Land Park Dr
(916) 508-5888

Regular hours 9 – 4 Daily
Winter hours (Nov, Dec, Jan) 10 – 4 Daily
Weekday Admission: Adults $9.00, Kids 3 – 12 $6.50, 2 and under FREE
Weekend & Holiday Admission: Adults $9.50, Kids 3 – 12 $7.00, 2 and under FREE
Zoo and Fairytale Town Combination Tickets available
*FREE Admission Day: Dec 24th
*Half-price Admission Day: November 27th

The Sacramento Zoo is home to over 140 native, rare and endangered species.  Animals you might see: Black & white ruffed lemur, Chimpanzee, Coquerel’s sifaka, Sumatran orangutan, White-faced saki, White-handed gibbon,
African lion, Jaguar, Snow leopard, Sumatran tiger, Addax, Bongo, Grevy’s Zebras, Retriculated giraffes, Bennett’s wallaby, Giant anteater, Red panda, Two-toed sloth, Reptile House – snakes, lizards, Tree frogs, turtles/tortoises,
Abyssinian ground hornbill, African gray parrot, American flamingos, Bateleur eagle, Buton hornbill, Emu, Great hornbill, Kookaburra, Lady Ross’ turaco, Ostrich.