9 Best Kid Friendly Attractions in San Diego

Boardwalk amusement parks have been a staple of family beach days spent along the coast in San Diego for more than a hundred years!

Once you’ve spent some time among the sand and waves, head to Belmont Park, a historic attraction that dates all the way back to 1925. Belmont Park is a massive playground for kids and their families, complete with rides and games alongside souvenir shops and food stands selling classic fair and carnival treats. Best of all is it right on the beach in Mission Beach.

Relax with your family at the Beach House restaurant, grab some ice cream at Sweet Shoppe, and visit the Plunge, the largest indoor swimming pool in San Diego. The famous Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster awaits for kids who enjoy thrill rides, while options like the carousel and the Belmont Express train ensure younger kids can have a fun time too.

There’s lots to do at Belmont Park with kids and that’s why it makes our grand list of the Best Things to Do in San Diego with Kids. If you have a little extra time during your trip, you might even want to come back to the park for multiple days. The most cost-effective way to do so is with the park’s ride and play combo pass which is part of the All-inclusive version of the Go City San Diego pass. Use our affiliate discount code, GVSD5OFF, for additional savings!

Plus, the Go City San Diego pass also nets you access to other popular activities around the city, from admission to The New Children's Museum to kayak rentals.

If your kids are fans of Sesame Street, then Sesame Place is a must-see attraction. Recently converted from a park by the name of Aquatica, the magic of 123 Sesame Street is now brought to life, with the chance to meet beloved characters like Cookie Monster, Grover, Oscar the Grouch, and of course, Elmo!

Not only will children love it, but character meet-and-greets also make for perfect photo ops for parents looking to capture fond memories they’ll look back on for years to come.

Sesame Place is filled with setpieces straight from the show, from the titular neighborhood to iconic spots like Hooper’s Store and Big Bird’s Nest. Parades, live shows, and dance parties take place every day. There are also amusement and water park rides for kids of all ages, including water slides, a lazy river, and some thrill rides.

With its kid-friendly atmosphere and endless opportunities for interactive fun, Sesame Place is an easy choice for our list of the Best Things to Do in San Diego with Kids.

La Jolla is best known for its abundance of surfing beaches, including the excellent Scripps beach. Some vacationers might be interested in taking a surfing lesson or renting a surfboard and hitting the waves, but if your kids aren’t quite old enough to surf yet, they can still have a blast at the interactive Birch Aquarium at Scripps.

The aquarium is home to hundreds of species of tropical fish, sharks, turtles, penguins, and other marine life. Exhibits like the interactive touch tanks in the Tide Pool Plaza let kids get hands-on experience with their nautical neighbors.

In addition to being a fun family activity, visiting the aquarium is an excellent opportunity for your kids to learn outside of the classroom. Exhibit signage teaches visitors about the natural habitats of marine mammals, as well as local environmental and conservationist efforts. This blending of education and entertainment makes a visit to Birch Aquarium truly special.

With a Go City San Diego pass, your visit doesn’t have to break the bank either. Grab a pass for discounted admission to the aquarium plus many other attractions perfect for animal lovers like the San Diego Zoo or a whale watching trip.

San Diego is home to many farms and ranches, but none are quite as inviting as Carlsbad Ranch. Stroll with your family through the fields in the spring to be surrounded by stunning floral blooms, or take a wagon ride with your kids for a tour of the ranch.

This is one of the few places where you can see rolling fields of Tecolote Giant Ranunculus, a gorgeous strain of buttercup native to Asia. Bring home a fresh-cut flower to commemorate the experience, and take plenty of pictures of the kids with the ranch’s idyllic backdrop.

Other activities offered to visiting families include picking blueberries, sifting for gems at the Carlsbad Mining Company, playing on the playground, and solving the Sweet Pea Maze!

Carlsbad Ranch is open to visitors starting in March every year, as the flowers only bloom for about six to eight weeks in the spring. The best time to visit is typically between late March and early May. If you’re planning to visit another time, check out our article on the seasons in San Diego for more information about the city at different times of year.

LEGO is one of the biggest brands in kids’ toys today. If your child is a fan, or if you’re just looking for somewhere fun to spend the day with your younger kids, the LEGOLAND California park in Carlsbad is a great choice!

LEGOLAND California has everything you could ask for in a theme park, from live performances and LEGO character meet-and-greets to dozens of themed rides, and of course, plenty of opportunities for kids to get creative and build their own LEGO creations! Head over to the LEGOLAND Water Park to cool down on slides and splash pads, or visit the park’s SEA LIFE Aquarium.

If you’re looking to upgrade your experience to the next level, why not stay right next to the park? Our team’s picks for the best hotels near LEGOLAND include the immersive LEGOLAND California Hotel and LEGOLAND Castle Hotel, which are located right by the park entrance, plus other close options like the budget-friendly Quality Inn Encinitas Near LEGOLAND and West Inn & Suites, which offers guests LEGOLAND California park packages.

Even people who have never set foot on the West Coast have likely heard of the San Diego Zoo, and with good reason! This is one of the best zoos to take kids to in the whole country, especially if you have young animal lovers at home. Located in the heart of Balboa Park it is a sight not to be missed.

The animals are the main attraction at the San Diego Zoo. From exotic species from around the globe to California natives, the zoo is sure to have your child’s favorite animal, many of which roam in open-air exhibits that are integrated into the park to provide an enriching experience for both the animals and the guests.

The San Diego Zoo also contributes to numerous conservation efforts and wildlife rehabilitation programs. Alongside the zoo’s educational and interactive shows, this is a great way to encourage an appreciation of nature in kids of all ages.

As one of the premiere attractions in San Diego, don’t forget to grab a Go City San Diego pass before you visit which will allow you to skip the ticket lines upon arrival. With an All-inclusive pass, you’ll also receive admission to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido alongside over 50 more local attractions!

Looking for more animal encounters for your family in San Diego? Look no further than SeaWorld San Diego.

SeaWorld is filled with rides and other attractions suitable for kids of any age. Some rides are tailored for young children, such as the Octarock swing and Tidepool Twist, while others like the floorless dive coaster Emperor and the immersive Journey to Atlantis are great for older kids.

The park’s biggest claim to fame is its marine life exhibits. See exciting live shows starring the park’s dolphins, orcas, sea lions, and otters. Attractions like Sea Lion Point and Explorer’s Reef Touch Pools are interactive, letting kids learn through hands-on experience with sea creatures.

Animal experiences are also part of the SeaWorld San Diego experience. These allow everyone in the family to swim with dolphins, feed penguins, see walruses up close, and much more. Some experiences are ticketed separately, but like so many of the best attractions in San Diego for kids and families, you can minimize admission costs with a Go City San Diego pass.

San Diego is full of history, from the storied streets of Old Town San Diego to the shores of Point Loma. Among the city’s most famous landmarks is the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier, which currently resides permanently docked on the San Diego Bay in Embarcadero. The USS Midway once saw active military use, though today it has been repurposed to house the USS Midway Museum.

You and your family will learn about the history of this famous naval ship as you tour its decks, from the key role it played during the Cold War in 1946 to its final missions during the 1990s. Also, be sure to stop by the Battle of Midway Theater to watch the Voices of Midway film.

Admission to the USS Midway Museum includes a self-guided audio tour you can access from your phone. You can walk through this floating museum at your own pace as you listen to tales from the past and learn what life was like for military members stationed on the ship during its operation.

The ship’s Flight Deck houses real aircrafts, while below decks you’ll find exhibits on the crew’s quarters. The museum also features flight simulators that put you right in the action.

When we were kids, we loved stringing together a railroad through the living room and taking our toy trains for a ride!

The San Diego Model Railroad Museum is a unique museum that we think your family will really love! The exhibits explain the history of Southern California’s railroad networks and the trains that enabled westward expansion. You’ll get to watch to-scale model trains and railroad tracks that carefully recreate beloved landmarks like Downtown San Diego and the Carlsbad Flower Fields.

The museum’s permanent exhibits include dioramas of the Tehachapi Pass, Pacific Desert Lines, Cabrilo Southwestern rails, and more. It’s a train-lover’s dream come true, but it’s also plenty of fun for anyone who wants to learn about the history of the area and how San Diego developed during the age of the Transcontinental Railroad.

In addition to its permanent displays, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum also has a rotating exhibit that changes every few months, so there’s always something new to see. Swing by the gift shop to grab a commemorative keepsake, from children’s books and conductors hats to plushies of the museum’s friendly mascot, Butch the Locomotive.

The Model Railroad Museum offers free admission for kids 12 and under and discounts through the Go City San Diego pass, making this one of the most affordable activities for large families!