The ultimate list of airport playgrounds in the US
Written October 2026
A lot of US airports have a real playground for kids, with slides, climb-on planes and control towers sized for small kids. It's a much better use of a delay than another lap of the gate area.
Northeast
Boston Logan (BOS)
Kidport, Terminals A, B and C, past security
Logan calls its play areas Kidports, and Terminals A, B and C all have them.
Buffalo Niagara (BUF)
Fisher-Price play gates, gate areas 2, 9 and 19/21
Three play areas made of giant Fisher-Price toys: a Rock-a-Stack, a Chatterphone and Thomas the Tank Engine.
Burlington, Vermont (BTV)
National Life Let's Grow Kids Zone, past security
Play structures for young kids under a sky ceiling, with the runway and the Green Mountains out the window. Rocking chairs and charging stations for the grown-ups, and it's reachable from any gate.
Pittsburgh (PIT)
Kids Play Area, start of Concourse C
Designed with the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, around a custom runway kids are meant to run down. There's a scavenger hunt on the walls, movement chairs and interactive art.
A private nursing room, a family restroom and a place to eat are right next to it.
Rochester (ROC)
Concourse A, and Concourse B near its entrance
Both play areas come from the Strong National Museum of Play. Concourse A has a big toy dump truck, a floor game a lot like Twister and cases of flight toys. Concourse B is the arcade one, with classic video games and a table tennis game.
Washington, DC, and Baltimore
Baltimore/Washington (BWI)
Airplay Zone, D/E Connector, past security
A play area a 2-minute walk from the D/E checkpoint, with lots to climb and comfy seats with outlets for you. There's a Mamava lactation pod inside it.
Washington Dulles (IAD)
FunWay, Concourse B, near Gate B70
Kids climb aboard a supersonic jet and a hyper-wing plane, and the play tower is modeled on Dulles's own historic control tower. There's climbing luggage and tires too, all for kids 12 and under.
Washington National (DCA)
Curiosity Runway, National Hall, just past the North Security Checkpoint
The National Children's Museum built this one, between the C and D gates. Kids get a slide, a cloud to crawl through, game screens and an I Spy observation deck, and the seats around the edge have chargers.
Midwest
Akron-Canton (CAK)
Step2 PlayPort, main concourse
Kids can run, slide and teeter-totter in this jumbo activity area.
Chicago O'Hare (ORD)
Family Lounge, Terminal 2, near Gate F1
An 1,800-square-foot lounge with funhouse mirrors and charging stations. There's stroller parking, and a Mother's Room close by.
Cincinnati (CVG)
Concourse B, behind the food court
Soft surfaces and a Cincinnati Zoo animal theme, tucked behind the food court.
Kansas City (MCI)
Variety KC Family Play Zone, past security
An inclusive play area for kids of all abilities.
Milwaukee (MKE)
Make-A-Wish Kids Zones, Concourse C across from Chili's and Concourse D near Gate D30
Two zones with airplane climb-ons and views of the airfield. The carpet is a map of Lake Michigan and Runway 1L.
Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP)
Terminal 1, Concourse C near Gate C12, and Terminal 2 across from Gate H5
Both have a mock airplane and an air traffic control tower with slides, with seats for adults. In Terminal 1 it's at the middle tram stop, with a Snoopy statue at the entrance.
St. Louis Lambert (STL)
Play Port, Terminal 1, Concourse C near Gate C3
The airport calls it the St. Louis International Play Port.
The South
Houston Hobby (HOU)
Central Concourse, Level 2
Houston leans into space here: a padded playground with a rocket ship and slide, a comet to climb and an interactive light board, plus seating for grown-ups.
Nashville (BNA)
Play Nashville, Concourse B, near Gate B10
Wall games and floor activities, best for ages 3 to 7.
The Southwest and the Rockies
Denver (DEN)
Concourse C near Gate C54, Concourse A near Gate A25
The Concourse C one is outer space and aliens, a wink at the airport's famous conspiracy theories. Concourse A is aviation-themed.
Las Vegas (LAS)
D gates, tram level
Renovated, and down on the tram level between the D gates and Terminal 3.
Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX)
Play-viation Park, Terminal 3, near Gate F6
Sky Harbor's play area for kids, past security.
West Coast
John Wayne (SNA)
Terminal B, near Gates 11 and 12, past security
Soft-play beach pieces (a lifeguard tower, a sea lion, a sandcastle and a surfboard), right next to the Nursing Mother's Lounge.
Los Angeles (LAX)
LAX Beach, Great Hall of the Tom Bradley International Terminal
Foam waves, surfboards and sea life, with a slide.
San Francisco (SFO)
Kids' Spots, Terminal 2 near Gates D7 and D15, Terminal 1 near Gate B19
SFO Museum's Kids' Spots are art you can play on. The Butterfly Wall near D15 has hand cranks that move mechanical butterflies, and near D7 the benches and a big sparrow's wings play like a xylophone. Terminal 1 has Tree Town in Boarding Area B.
San Jose (SJC)
Zoom Zone, Terminal B, between Gates 24 and 25
Built for young kids by the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose, around the science of flight: air, wind and wings.
Seattle-Tacoma (SEA)
Near Gates A1 and D25
Two play areas for kids under four feet tall. The one across from A1 has a family restroom and nursing area next door and a Little Free Library for kids across the way.
More from around the world
Resorts built for children
Where to travel with a baby under 6 months
Trips with kids that never make the usual listsPhoto credits
The ultimate list of airport playgrounds in the US: ryaninc (CC BY 2.0)