One of the best places in the country to take a family vacation is in Northern California.
There are adventures everywhere, in every season.
There are numerous indoor attractions for kids that the whole family will enjoy exploring, even if you don’t enjoy being outside very much.
Here is a list of fun things to do in Northern California with kids if you consider taking your family there.
- Fairfield’s Jelly Belly
Under the name Goelitz, Jelly Belly first opened its doors in 1869 in Belleville, Illinois.
Ronald Reagan once adored it, and it produced several famous candies.
Why We Recommend This Activity
A Jelly Belly Candy Factory tour is one of Northern California’s best family activities.
Your children will learn how their favorite candies are made through this.
Additionally, they learn about the various cutting-edge machinery that the factory employs.
The tour lasts for about 40 minutes.
When you’re finished, you can always go to a cafe close to the factory to get some novelty food.
What else?
For the tour, there is no cost.
Therefore, it ranks among the best free family activities in Northern California.
Suitable Ages
The factory is concerned with safety.
Consequently, kids of all ages are welcome on tour.
- Orinda’s Redwood Valley Steam Train
The Berkeley Redwood Valley Steam Train has been running for over 50 years.
The track is only 2 km long, and the steam engines are miniature versions of the real ones.
Why We Recommend This Activity
Family-friendly transportation from Tilden Park to Point Richmond, home of the Golden State Railroad Museum, is provided by the Redwood Valley Steam Train.
The track is thorough.
It displays a recreation of the Californian scenery seen from trains.
You may stay at Tilden Park if you don’t want to visit the museum.
A walk through the Tilden Botanical Gardens or riding an antique carousel are just two examples of inexpensive, family-friendly things to do.
Suitable Ages
The Redwood Valley Train Station is kid- and adult-friendly and ideal for everyone.
- San Francisco’s Walt Disney Family Museum
Walt Disney’s daughter, Diane Disney Miller, established and funds the Walt Disney Family Museum nonprofit.
It is housed in three old structures that once were a powerful army base.
Why We Recommend This Activity
The man whose production company is in charge of both “Lion King” and “Beauty and the Beast” gives a glimpse into his life through this museum.
Visitors now have a place to view Walt Disney’s honors during his lifetime and the innovations in technology and art he made.
If learning is what you’re looking for, plan your visit around the workshop.
The museum has a theater where we can watch beloved classic Disney films for entertainment.
There isn’t even a contest here!
Without a doubt, one of the top family activities in Northern California is going to the museum.
Suitable Ages
Even if you have a young child, the entire family will enjoy a trip to the museum.
- San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences
Three years after California joined the United States, in San Francisco, close to the Atlantic Coast, the Academy was established in 1853.
Since then, it has attracted a sizable entourage of specimens and a crowd of tourists.
Why We Recommend This Activity
If you live in San Francisco and are still looking for family-friendly activities in northern California this weekend, taking the kids to the Academy might be the perfect solution.
The California Academy of Sciences has a sizable aquarium with more than 38,000 aquatic animals, including sharks and stingrays.
With all the birds and butterflies, the rainforest will probably appeal more to your family if they are more interested in the natural world.
All in all, a trip to the Academy is a sensory extravaganza you won’t soon forget.
Suitable Ages
From infants to adults, the entire family can participate in this activity.
- Boardwalk at Santa Cruz Beach — Santa Cruz
Since its founding in 1907, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk has been a family-run beachfront amusement park in California.
In all of California, it is the oldest amusement park.
Why We Recommend This Activity
Friends and family are employed to visit the amusement park.
It is the location of the Big Dipper, a thrilling roller coaster.
What else?
The Boardwalk is one of the preferred places to take kids in Northern California.
Entrance is completely free unless you’re riding a ride or participating in a game.
There is a feeling of nostalgia in the Park.
It hasn’t changed much since fifty years ago, aside from a few minor adjustments here and there.
Suitable Ages
Kids above five can enjoy the activities at the Santa Cruz boardwalk, and adults can also have a good time.
- Bravo Farms in Kettleman City
A family-run chain of farms in Traver, Kettleman City, and Tulare is known as Bravo Farms.
A roadside attraction with a Wild West theme is located in Kettleman City.
The structures take up a total of 32,000 square feet of land.
Why We Recommend This Activity
The largest of the Bravo Farms is the Bravoland in Kettleman City.
This place appears deserted, but inside, it’s a wonder to behold.
NorCal is the ideal location for family activities.
Your little ones can explore the little buildings to burn off some extra energy.
They can also go to the ice cream shop or play with toy tractors.
The farm’s wine and beer bar is open for your group’s enjoyment while the adults play.
Suitable Ages
The entire family—even young children—can enjoy themselves at Bravoland.
- The Sonoma TrainTown Railroad
The Sonoma TrainTown Railroad is an amusement park situated on 10 acres of land that was first opened in 1968 for the enjoyment of tourists and locals.
The design of the logo is based on that of the New York Central Railroad.
Why We Recommend This Activity
A toy train they can ride on is the only thing kids love more than toy trains.
Fortunately, this attraction provides that.
The Sona TrainTown is a scale model of a railroad track that travels through an early 1900s Western scene.
The TrainTown petting zoo is located in Lakeview, where the train stops.
There are other family-friendly attractions if riding the train doesn’t feel right.
Suitable Ages
Even if you have a young child, the Sonoma TrainTown is a great place to take the whole family.
- Gold Power’s Nimbus Fish Hatchery
The Nimbus Fish Hatchery is a designated section of the American River, which is 30 miles long and flows from the Sierra Nevada to Sacramento.
Fish species raised at the Hatchery include the chinook salmon.
Why We Recommend This Activity
The Hatchery is among the US’s most well-known fish breeding facilities, producing 4.2 million Salman fingerlings annually.
The breathtaking scenery in the area is matched only by the view from the Visitor Center.
Children can feed fish at The Hatchery, entertaining for teens and adults.
It has a lovely trail where you can go biking, hiking, walking, or running.
You can rent a kayak and travel through the shallow swampy areas if you’re up for it.
Suitable Ages
Kids of all ages will enjoy visiting the Nimbus Fish Hatchery.
- Calistoga’s Old Faithful Geyser
A group of explorers made the initial discovery of Old Faithful Geyser in 1870.
Since 2010, it has been erupting every 44 to 2 hours.
Why We Recommend This Activity
If you’re looking for family-friendly activities in upper Napa Valley, the old faithful geyser is a must-see attraction.
Pictures should be taken of the water shooting into the air.
You might want to see it again whether you miss it or not.
The fainting goats and other attractions can keep you entertained while you wait for the geyser to erupt.
Suitable Ages
Every family member can enjoy the Old Faithful Geyser, regardless of age.
- The Oakland Zoo
Henry A. Snow started the Oakland Zoo in 1922.
The Conservation Society of California, a nonprofit, oversees its management.
Additionally, it is home to California’s largest wild animal veterinary hospital.
Why We Recommend This Activity
One of the few fun things to do with toddlers in northern California is to visit the Oakland Zoo.
It provides kids with a ton of entertaining and instructive activities.
More than 500 standard and rare animals call Oakland Park’s zoo, which occupies 100 acres of land, home.
The Wayne and Gladys Valley Children’s Zoo at the Oakland Zoo houses alligators and vintage rabbits for children.
Suitable Ages
There is always a barrier between the animals in Oakland.
As a result, everyone in the family, from infants to adults, can use it safely.
- Minerals Found in Lassen Volcanic Park
Native Americans once called the Lassen volcanic park home and thought it would erupt anytime.
President Theodore Roosevelt designated two national monuments there in 1907.
Why We Recommend This Activity
Volcanic gas vents, boiling pools, and mud pots abound in the Lassen volcanic park.
The Park’s history is fascinating.
Pilot Pinnacle, Bumpers Hell, Little Hot Springs Valley, and Sulphur Works are a few locations in the Volcanic Park that are hypothermal.
Suitable Ages
Kids 5 years of age and older will enjoy this attraction the most.
- Yosemite National Park
A 1200-mile-long area of land with mountains, forests, and waterfalls is what the Famous National Park stands for.
More than 400 different species of wildlife can be found in the area, boasting one of the tallest waterfalls in the world at 2,425 feet.
Why We Recommend This Activity
You’re looking for a place to go with your family.
Yosemite National Park offers countless adventure opportunities all year long.
The large area of land makes it simple to go hiking, set up camp outdoors, or enjoy the wilderness scenery.
Take a guided tour that starts in Yosemite Valley if you’re not comfortable with backpacking through the wilderness.
The nearby accommodations, which range from opulent suites to tent cabins, are family-friendly, another benefit of the Park.
Suitable Ages
The Park’s activities are family-friendly and appropriate for children of all ages.
- Redding’s Turtle Bay Exploration Park and Museum
On 300 acres of land along the Sacramento River Trails, the Turtle Bay Exploration Park and Museum were constructed as a nonprofit wildlife center, museum, forestry, and botanical garden.
Why We Recommend This Activity
This attraction offers an aquarium for your and your children’s enjoyment.
Playgrounds also allow kids to engage in physical activities like swinging from nets and scaling walls.
Your kids can learn more about the region’s mining history and Native American heritage at Exploration Park by using it as a teaching tool.
If you want to learn more about the native culture of the area, you can also plan your trip around a lecture.
Suitable Ages
From infants to teenagers, the Turtle Bay Exploration Park and Museum is the ideal place for kids.
- Sequoia National Park in Kings Canyon
One of the deepest canyons in North America is located in the Park.
It is closer to Sequoia National Park and more impressive than the Grand Canyon.
Why We Recommend This Activity
This is the location if you’re looking for a breathtaking view to create enduring memories with your family.
You can go on countless adventures in the Park and easily visit its neighbor, Sequoia National Park.
The Kings Canyon National Park accommodations are lovely, picturesque, memorable family-friendly.
Suitable Ages
All ages of kids can enjoy a trip to the Kings Canyon National Park.
- Santa Cruz Wharf, Santa Cruz, California
The Santa Cruz Wharf is the country’s longest wooden pier.
It was constructed as a part of the Santa Cruz boardwalk in 1906 to serve as a landing for boats and passengers.
Why We Recommend This Activity
The Wharf would make an excellent wooden walkway.
It looks at nearby attractions, including gift shops and sea life.
You’ll probably thank us if you visit Northern California today and look for family-friendly activities there.
If you’re fortunate, you might get to see sea lions; if not, your family and you can always go fishing.
Suitable Ages
Children 5 and older are the only ones who should visit the Wharf.
The nearby attractions, however, are ideal for the whole family.
