Playgrounds and things to do with kids in Santa Rosa (9)

Sonoma County's hands-on kids museum: indoor science and art exhibits plus Mary's Garden outside - a water-play creek, climbing structures, and a nature zone that alone justifies admission on a hot day.

Peanuts headquarters: the Schulz Museum's comic-strip exhibits and hands-on cartooning, then walk across the street to Snoopy's Home Ice for public skating in the rink Charles Schulz built - the Santa Rosa pilgrimage for Peanuts kids.

Sonoma County's destination playground: an Old West town and Native American village kids climb through, with ramps, rubber surfacing, and sensory panels for all abilities - plus a second playground, a miniature train, carousel, and lake with boat rentals in the surrounding park.

Southwest Santa Rosa's community-built county park: playground, skate features, and sports courts, created as a neighborhood unity project - the Moorland area's gathering ground.

Northwest Santa Rosa's post-fire rebuild: brand-new equipment and clean surfacing, climbing and swings for a range of ages, and an ample lawn - newer than most city playgrounds.

Downtown Santa Rosa's shady green: a well-covered climbing structure mid-lawn, bocce and picnic tables, steps from the downtown core - the calm weekday-morning play stop.

A lake with a paved loop for scooters and bikes, a swimming lagoon in summer, and picnic tables in the shade.

A 400-acre African wildlife preserve in the hills above Santa Rosa: open-jeep safaris past giraffes, rhinos, and zebras, plus walk-through aviaries - the Bay Area's only true safari, and you can sleep in safari tents overnight.

Santa Rosa's nature-play hill: a natural play area built for climbing and digging at the trailhead, plus big-view hikes where cows graze the slopes - the outdoorsy alternative to a plastic playground.