Top 20 Places to Take Kids in and around Salt Lake City, UT - 2022
2022's Top 20 Places to Take Kids in the Salt Lake City Area
Every May and June, thousands of local parents, grandparents, and caregivers weigh in on their favorite local places to take kids. Typically, we showcase the Top 20 winners... but this year, in honor of KidsOutAndAbout.com's 21st birthday (we originally launched in June of 2001), we bring you the Salt Lake area's
TOP 21 Places to Take Kids!
Of course, there are literally hundreds of wonderful places to take your kids in our area, not just this year's winners! So while you're visiting KidsOutAndAbout, be sure to browse through our packed daily calendar, check out our Everything That's Free page, and sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter that shows everything happening in our area. Keep coming back... the site changes every day!
1. Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum
Discover the power of play at Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum! Located at the Gateway shopping center in downtown Salt Lake City, Discovery Gateway offers 60,000 square feet of interactive, hands-on fun. Visit the Museum to explore engaging workshops, programs, and exhibits that invite the whole family to create, learn, and play together!
2. Loveland Living Planet Aquarium
Loveland Living Planet Aquarium showcases ecosystems from around the world. Come see sharks, otters, penguins, seahorses, sea jellies, snakes, caimans, piranhas, stingrays, and more! Make sure you don't miss the Expedition: Asia habitat, featuring clouded leopards, Asian small-clawed otters, giant Asian fish, birds, and more.
3. Utah's Hogle Zoo
Visit the animals of the African Savanna, the bears and pinnipeds at Rocky Shores, or the big cats of the Asian Highlands plus much more! Classes, events, camps, and daily programs occur all summer long! Visit hoglezoo.org for details.
4. Clark Planetarium
Clark Planetarium is Salt Lake’s go-to destination for visitors of all ages who want to discover and learn about space and science. Play on the gravity floor, see a real meteor and explore other worlds. With three floors of free exhibits and two state-of-the-art theaters featuring films about space and science, you and your family are sure to have fun while learning something new.
5. Boondock's Food & Fun, Draper & Kaysville
Boondocks is an indoor/outdoor entertainment center, offering mini golf, bumper boats, go-karts, bowling, laser tag, an arcade and a restaurant.
6. Lagoon Amusement Park
Lagoon offers fun for all ages! From thrilling rides and coasters, challenging carnival games and activities, live and exciting entertainment, and the Lagoon A Beach water park, to the beautiful campground and Historical Pioneer Village, Lagoon has something for the entire family.
7. Thanksgiving Point
Thanksgiving Point Gardens, the Children’s Discovery Garden, Farm Country, and the Museum of Ancient Life, Emporium, and restaurants offer stimulating and engaging experiences in a safe, family-friendly setting. They foster learning, bring families closer together and provide beautiful gathering places for groups of all kinds, giving them opportunities to share their cultural heritage and common bonds.
8. My Local Library
Of course, our local library system is not really ONE place, it is MANY places... but it's important to emphasize how valuable libraries are for family learning and fun. The libraries in our area are wonderful about posting their events to the KidsOutAndAbout calendar so you always can get ideas for free things to do with your kids that celebrate education and imagination. KidsOutAndAbout.com takes this opportunity to salute the wonderful children's librarians who serve our community with such dedication.
9. Wheeler Historic Farm
Wheeler Historic Farm is a Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation facility, open to the public 365 days a year. A restoration of the turn-of-the-century dairy farm of Henry J. Wheeler, the farm includes demonstrations and exhibits. As an interactive working farm. Visitors can milk cows, view farm animals, and learn about the buildings and machines that made this 19th-century farm successful.
10. Natural History Museum of Utah
The Natural History Museum of Utah is a premier family attraction and active research institution located on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Guests can explore more than 5,000 artifacts on display that highlight Utah’s incredible history, from ancient past worlds ruled by dinosaurs to the biodiversity that thrives throughout the state today. Explore billions of years of awesome at NHMU.
13. Museum of Natural Curiosity
With more than 400 interactive experiences, you can choose a new adventure each time you visit the Museum of Natural Curiosity®. For more educational opportunities, visit the Exploratorium exhibit in the Innovation Gallery or take a class in one of the Dickson Academy classrooms. The options are endless for all curious minds at the Museum of Natural Curiosity.
15. Cornbelly's Corn Maze and Pumpkin Fest
Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point is home to Utah's original corn maze & most popular destination for fall family fun, including: pumpkins, hayrides, cow train, pumpkin blasters, pig races, jumbo jumper, pumpkin princess playland, Halloween parades, ropes course, bee lines, amusement rides, gemstone mining, yummy fall food, fireworks and much more.
16. This Is the Place Heritage Park
This is the Fun Place for Everyone! Ride trains, pan for gold! Meet our farm animals and ride ponies! Interact with the Blacksmith, Tinsmith and Saddle-maker! Card and spin wool, make take-home crafts, do pioneer chores, play old-fashioned games and so much more!
17. Treehouse Children’s Museum
Come and Step into a Story® at Treehouse Children’s Museum in downtown Ogden. Explore two floors of unique, interactive exhibits and participate in theater, art, and science programming daily, all included with admission admission. Treehouse also offers classes and events, plus visits with children’s book authors and illustrators, storytellers, puppeteers, and more. Go to treehousemuseum.org for details.
21. Tracy Aviary
Tracy Aviary offers opportunities to view hundreds of live birds. Families can also watch bird shows, attend classes and summer camps, take guided tours, and hand feed some of the birds. Birthday party packages are available.
Winners in Special Categories
In the second part of our survey, we asked readers to select their favorites in three categories. Here were their choices.Top Arts Educator: Hale Centre Theatre
To provide innovative, professional family theatre and theatre education that involves and elevates our community.
Top Sports Educator
Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness CenterPremier fitness & recreation facility offering a wide range of activities for the entire family. KOPFC is the ideal destination for all your fun, fitness and recreational needs. 2 time Best of State winner, our facility offers unmatched aquatics, fitness and leisure activities as well as home to the Fire Water & Ice Festival. Stop by and see for yourself why this facility should be at the top your list for all in one destinations.
Top STEM Educator: Clark Planetarium
Clark Planetarium is Salt Lake’s go-to destination for visitors of all ages who want to discover and learn about space and science. Play on the gravity floor, see a real meteor and explore other worlds. With three floors of free exhibits and two state-of-the-art theaters featuring films about space and science, you and your family are sure to have fun while learning something new.
