An inch-deep splash pad a toddler can handle, and soft wavy rubber under the climbers. Coffee for you is right in the park.
Much of the play is at ground level, so kids who use wheelchairs or walkers play right alongside the rest.
Gated, with a pirate ship to climb and a fast metal slide set into the hill. Shady picnic tables above for you.
An outdoor play area and old airplanes to inspect, while the real ones taxi past.
A slide built into the hillside, a stream and easy trails, and one of the best skyline views around.
Chicken tenders, tots and curly fries.
Pick the pasta and the sauce at the counter, so a picky eater can keep it as plain as they like.
Science halls where kids touch and try everything, real early space capsules, and Discovery Rooms with a pretend vet clinic for toddlers.
A market counter with French toast, burgers and sandwiches.
A big play area steps from the lake, with lotus beds and swan boat rides nearby.
A scavenger hunt for kids (finish it for a prize), a quiet room for sensory breaks and a kids' audio tour read by LeVar Burton.
Food stalls so everyone eats something different, then an old toy shop, a sticker store and donuts to wander through after.
A gated, ocean-themed playground right on the boardwalk, with the beach just past the fence.
Tokyo-style ramen and sushi in a roomy space, with a patio where a wiggly kid can move.
A landscaped pocket park with a little playground, lawns and a mosaic clock tower. A quiet break between the office towers.
Chicago deep-dish, tavern-style thin crust and vegan versions.
Where the French dip started: sawdust on the floor, long shared tables and a counter line that moves fast enough for hungry kids.
Pizza made for sharing, crayons on the table and staff who are warm with kids.
A train-themed play area sized for toddlers, and a calmer pick than the big central playground.
Ride the tram up, run around the gardens, then try hands-on art in the rooms made for kids.
Street performers, skateboarders and Muscle Beach all along the boardwalk. The people-watching is the whole show.
An old-school ice cream counter where your kid gets to choose the scoop.
Pedal a swan boat past the lotus beds with the skyline behind you. Every rider gets a life vest, and after dark the boats light up.
Dozens of stalls, tacos to ramen to pupusas, and long shared tables to meet at.
Grab a discovery guide for the galleries, then let everyone reset in the open courtyard.
Slide a tray down the line and watch the noodles get cut to order. Kids pick their own tempura.
A sunny corner patisserie with petit fours and coffee crunch cake, and jars of jam and chocolate to take home.
Vegan soft serve in a rotating lineup of flavors, sprinkles and all.
Garden patios wrapped around two old houses, with a fountain kids love and cake and pastries in the case.
Galleries of African American art and history, and hands-on workshops so your kid gets to make something too.
The crackling Tesla coil is the bit kids remember, then space exhibits, telescopes and planetarium shows with a live narrator.
Outdoor installations and an art-making activity, plus the galleries.
A T. rex growth series in the dinosaur hall, baby to full size. Then the gardens outside to burn off steam.
Hundreds of rotating flavors, from adventurous to plain vanilla.
The play space is the find here, with trains and a pretend grocery store, plus gold panning and a model horse to ride.
Animals, a zoo playground and a carousel, so there's somewhere to run when your kid is done looking.
A market street closed to cars, lined with toy stalls and taquitos, plus the oldest house in town to poke around. Hands can let go here.
Three floors of cars for your kid to hunt out favorites, plus a hands-on car space for trying things.
The birthday-cake institution since 1938. Kids press up against the case for sugar butterflies and pineapple buns; you're here for the strawberry cake.
Animation exhibits, film screenings and hands-on workshops. A kid who loves movies gets to see how they're actually made.
Wax movie and music stars to pose with, plus a superhero 4D show that sprinkles water on the audience.
Heaps of slime to squish, sensory rooms, and a slime your kid mixes and takes home.
