Vic's Ice Cream

Sacramento's big old park, with duck ponds, a rock garden, an adventure playground and a wading pool in summer. The zoo, Fairytale Town and Funderland are all on its edges.

A Land Park pizzeria for an early dinner with the kids, with a kid's pasta and an ice cream sandwich made with Gunther's vanilla for dessert.

A small, walkable zoo tucked into Land Park, with giraffes you can feed from a raised deck and a carousel your kid will ask to ride twice. Fairytale Town and Funderland are right across the street, so it's easy to make a whole day of it.

A storybook play park where the nursery rhymes are things to climb on, with farm animals and kids' theater in between. Grown-ups only get in with a kid (as it should be).

The Land Park bakery a lot of Sacramento kids get their birthday cakes from, with cookies and pastries in the case for a regular Tuesday. Cards only, no cash.

A tiny old-school amusement park in Land Park, sized for little kids: a two-year-old can ride most of it, from the teacups to the train. It closes for the winter, so check it's open before you promise anyone the carousel.