Family vacations are perfect for reconnecting and building lifelong memories together.
But which cities are optimal for keeping the kiddos entertained?
To find out, Lawn Love ranked 2023’s Best Cities for Kid-Friendly Vacations.
We compared the 200 biggest U.S. cities, looking for plenty of family-friendly accommodations, attractions, and restaurants. We also considered transportation options, affordability, and safety, among 23 total metrics.
Catch up with the kids, and use our rankings to help plan your next spring break or summer vacation.
In this article
- City rankings
- The upshot
- Surprising discoveries
- Expert take
- Infographic: Kid-friendly vacations by the numbers
- Behind the ranking
- Build memories – outside
City rankings
See how each city fared in our ranking:
The upshot
Broadway baby
Our top city, New York, has it all, including the highest number of kid-friendly attractions out of all the cities we ranked.
Grab a slice before going for a stroll in one of the city’s many museums, zoos, or parks. If walking around doesn’t blow off some steam, you can let the kids play at one of the more than 1,900 playgrounds in the city.
When they’re old enough to sit still for a couple of hours, bring your children to see an unforgettable Broadway show.
If you want to take on the town past the kids’ bedtime, NYC also has the most babysitters for hire.
Local tips:
- There are many highly acclaimed children’s theaters producing fantastic shows throughout the city, such as The New Victory Theater and New York City Children’s Theater.
The most magical place on Earth
Make your kids’ dreams come true with a family trip to our No. 2 city, Orlando, Florida.
Orlando shines with the most family-friendly accommodations and the most water parks to cool down when you’re in the hot Florida sun. Home to Disney World and Universal Studios, it’s no surprise that the City Beautiful also comes in second for its number of both kid-friendly attractions and theme parks.
The Sunshine State in general is great for outdoor fun, too. You don’t need to go camping to have nature at your fingertips in Orlando, Miami (No. 3), Tampa (No. 6), or Fort Lauderdale (No. 15). These cities offer plenty of kid-friendly outdoor activities. Not only can you head to the beach to spot crabs and dolphins, but Tampa and Miami also tie for the most zoos.
Miami is also great for families who like to feast. It’s our top city for sweet tooths and has the most kid-friendly restaurants per square mile in our ranking.
Local tips:
- Orlando: Immerse yourself in ocean life in a 360-degree ocean tunnel at Sea Life Orlando Aquarium. For a more down-to-earth day, head to Gatorland, the perfect place to learn about today’s reptilian giants in the Alligator Capital of the World.
- Miami: Soak up the sun while you admire Wynwood Walls, an outdoor museum featuring incredible street art. Need a break from the sunshine? Check out Miami Children’s Museum, Perez Art Museum, or the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science.
- Tampa: A trip to Busch Gardens is always a blast. Tampa also hosts more than 8,000 creatures at The Florida Aquarium and is home to the interactive and imaginative Glazer Children’s Museum.
Sleepy Southern cities
Small cities in the South aren’t so exciting for families with kids.
Places like Columbus, Georgia (No. 199), Fayetteville, North Carolina (No. 198), and Montgomery, Alabama (No. 196), landed at the bottom next to Clarksville, Tennessee, in last place. These cities are budget-friendly, but low safety scores and a lack of child-friendly activities and accommodations sent them to the very end of our ranking.
That isn’t to say they don’t offer anything fun for families. Each of these cities has natural spaces and historic spots to explore, as well as museums and performing arts centers. But if your child isn’t old enough to be interested in history or nature walks, their experience might not be so memorable.
Local tips:
- Columbus: Get some fresh air by taking a walk on the Chattahoochee RiverWalk. Make it an educational trip and stop by the Coca-Cola Space Science Center, National Infantry Museum, and National Civil War Naval Museum.
- Fayetteville: Spend time outside at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden or River Trail. Let your kid’s imagination run wild at the hands-on Fascinate-U Children’s Museum.
- Montgomery: As the birthplace of the civil rights movement, there are many educational spots throughout the city, including The Legacy Museum, Rosa Parks Museum, and Dexter Parsonage Museum, the home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Surprising discoveries
Vegas is always a good idea
Sin City might not be everyone’s first idea for a family vacation, but Las Vegas (No. 4) hits the jackpot as a kid-friendly travel destination.
As the Entertainment Capital of the World, there are plenty of things to do in Las Vegas for kids big and small. In fact, Vegas ties with Orlando for having the second-highest number of amusement and theme parks.
There are also abundant kid-friendly attractions, zoos, and water parks, as well as kid-friendly dining options to keep their stomachs from grumbling.
Local tips:
- Skip the casino to race around in go-karts, see the circus, or indulge at Hershey’s Chocolate World Las Vegas.
Thrifty Texas trips
Everything is bigger in Texas, including vacations.
Texas is one of the fastest-growing states, so it makes sense that there’s plenty to do in major cities like Houston (No. 8), San Antonio (No. 10), and Dallas (No. 11). Houston has numerous amusement parks, Dallas has several water parks, and San Antonio boasts plenty of both. These three cities also have zoos and aquariums for animal-loving kids.
There will be even more for families with young kids to do when visiting the Lone Star State once Universal opens its new theme park in Frisco.
One thing that isn’t bigger when it comes to Texas is trip costs. Staying, eating, and being entertained in these cities won’t hurt your wallet as much as a trip to New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles would.
Local tips:
- Houston: Engage in 90,000 square feet of fun (and education) at Children’s Museum Houston. If you have a science buff in your family, be sure to stop by Space Center Houston and the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
- San Antonio: Take the family strolling or kayaking along Texas’ top attraction, the River Walk. Other parts of the city boast fun amusement parks like Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Morgan’s Wonderland, the world’s first inclusive and accessible theme park.
- Dallas: Spot your favorite animals at the Dallas Zoo, the oldest zoo in Texas. Explore the ocean and distant parts of the world such as South Africa, Mundo Maya, and Borneo at The Dallas World Aquarium.
Expert take
It’s always nice to spend time together as a family, but being in close quarters with them round the clock can be challenging — especially when multiple age groups are involved.
We reached out to a panel of experts for their best advice on planning a fun and relaxing family vacation. See what they had to say below.
- When’s the best time to book a vacation to score deals and discounts?
- What’s your top piece of advice for parents who are trying to balance having a fun vacation with both teens and younger children?
- Would you recommend staying in a rental home or booking a hotel while planning a family vacation? Why?
- What’s your best tip for maximizing meaningful time with your partner or spouse while on a family vacation?
- What’s the best way to reduce stress while traveling with your family?
Ask The Experts
What’s your top piece of advice for parents who are trying to balance having a fun vacation with both teens and younger children?
I don’t have experience with children and teens, but I do have experience with multi-generational vacations. We frequently take my five-year-old daughter and my husband‘s 90-year-old parents on vacation and it’s really just a matter of ensuring that you have a plan to keep everyone engaged and happy. Find out what everyone wants to do and see where the consensus is. There is no vacation rule that says everyone has to be with one another 100% of the time. Let folks carve out time for themselves and the activities they want to do and ensure that there are activities for everyone to do together. My 92-year-old father-in-law didn’t want to go to the beach – and that was fine. We went while he read. But we all did take walks, eat meals, and watch TV together – and it was wonderful.
Would you recommend staying in a rental home or booking a hotel while planning a family vacation? Why?
I think the decision whether to stay in a hotel or in a vacation rental really depends on the vacation itself. If you are looking for value or planning a longer stay a vacation rental is a better way to go. You have the ability to use a kitchen, and you can book something with multiple rooms as opposed to purchasing multiple hotel rooms. Last summer we took a vacation with extended family, and we would have needed three hotel rooms at a cost of $1400 a night total for all three rooms. I found a vacation rental with four bedrooms for $700 a night. Also, vacation rentals are better, in my opinion, at fostering togetherness. One thing that I would advise with vacation rentals is to make sure that you understand what the total price will be. Most booking platforms don’t show you the total cost until you pay, and many vacation rental operators throw in extra charges for things like heating pools and Jacuzzis – which you don’t have to pay for when you book a hotel. Full disclosure, I own a vacation rental in Oceanside – and we stay in a lot of AirBnb’s and other rentals. However, there are times when we want the convenience and amenities of a hotel. It’s nice to have the choice.
What’s your best tip for maximizing meaningful time with your partner or spouse while on a family vacation?
Put your phone away. Vacations are a time for connecting and bonding with those who are on vacation with and if your nose is buried in your phone, you aren’t appreciating people or the place that you have just invested a lot of money to be at. Watch a sunrise or a sunset – or both! Take a walk. Play with your kids. Read. Get out of the hamster wheel and enjoy your time away. Time is a finite resource – especially on vacation.
What’s the best way to reduce stress while traveling with your family?
Travel days are stressful. Plan ahead! Whatever the recommended time is to be at the airport, add an hour. So many things can happen between your house and the airport. Traffic jams, late Uber driver, lines, labor issues, the last thing you want is to be running to catch your flight or worse to lose a day of your vacation.
What’s your top piece of advice for parents who are trying to balance having a fun vacation with both teens and younger children?
First and foremost know that there will be some challenges and bumps while on vacation. Do not expect perfection. It doesn’t exist in any format. Try to have your teens involved in the planning so they have an investment. Attempt to balance events/places like beaches, theme parks that have something for everyone. This also teaches your teen to think of others as well as their own desires.
Would you recommend staying in a rental home or booking a hotel while planning a family vacation? Why?
I would recommend a rental home. This allows for family meals that are more relaxed, family time together that is simply being together and also room for each member to have some space and personal time away from the others. It allows for a good balance for everyone.
What’s your best tip for maximizing meaningful time with your partner or spouse while on a family vacation?
If at all possible, it is acceptable to plan a little bit of time out to yourselves. This reflects to the family that the partnership is valuable, important and respected. If that is not possible, this is also where the rental home can be of benefit. Even if you cannot get out with your partner, after younger children are in bed (maintain bedtimes!), and your teen retreats to what they want and like to do (video games, social media), you then have some quiet relaxed time together.
What’s the best way to reduce stress while traveling with your family?
Expect the unexpected. When it happens, which it will, ty to laugh, be relaxed and not hold such lofty expectations of the perfect family vacation. Next bring things along such as new toys or books, plan for everything to take longer than you think, bring snacks to avoid irritability from hunger, and plan or book things that you can in advance. It is stressful and not enjoyable to be trying to figure things out, places to go and when to go while you are supposed to be having fun too
When’s the best time to book a vacation to score deals and discounts?
I would encourage people to follow social media pages and sign-up for newsletters. You can enter destinations you want to visit and receive updates on deals. I also encourage people planning to travel to check on costs. Sometimes we see deals if we book hotels, flights, and cars together. Sometimes this is the case and other times you can score better deals by booking each individually.
Also, be sure to collect points when you travel. You can collect air miles when you fly, stay in hotels, and also rent cars. These points add up and can help you book reward travel.
What’s your top piece of advice for parents who are trying to balance having a fun vacation with both teens and younger children?
Talk through what everyone wants to do. These can be new and rewarding trips for kids, so focusing on their interests can lead to a more enjoyable trip and allow them to explore and learn what they are interested in.
Would you recommend staying in a rental home or booking a hotel while planning a family vacation? Why?
I would recommend staying in a hotel. From a planning perspective, hotels are zoned in cities to reduce the impact on the local community. Staying in rental homes in residential neighborhoods can be disruptive to the local host community and take away from the local quality of life in a destination. Hotels also tend to be clustered closer to attractions (generally) so that visitors can easily access places to see and experience.
What’s your best tip for maximizing meaningful time with your partner or spouse while on a family vacation?
I always suggest being sporadic, finding something fun to do when you arrive, and making the most of your experience.
What’s the best way to reduce stress while traveling with your family?
Plan ahead and also understand that how things operate at home might not be the same elsewhere. Keep an open mind and just focus on the joy of being in a new place and being able to have a new experience.
Many people around the world do not and will not have the opportunity to travel. I have visited 102 countries around the world, and I always say I am fortunate to be able to do this. Make friends, meet new people, and learn about local ways of life. This helps widen our understanding and appreciation of what we have.
Be helpful and take a deep breath if you feel stressed, and remember –– you are deciding to travel (sometimes out of your comfort zone) and it is ok when things happen differently or if you have a delay. Many times these situations are out of our control.
Infographic: Kid-friendly vacations by the numbers
Behind the ranking
For each of the 200 biggest U.S. cities, we gathered publicly available data on the factors listed in the table below.
We then grouped those factors into six categories: Staying, Eating, Having Fun, Getting Around, Affordability, and Safety.
Next, we calculated weighted scores for each city in each category.
Finally, we averaged the scores for each city across all categories.
The city that earned the highest average score was ranked “Best” (No. 1), while the city with the lowest was ranked “Worst” (No. 200). (Note: The “Worst” among individual factors may not be 200 due to ties among cities.)
Sources
Alamo, American Public Transport Association, Areavibes, Association of Zoos & Aquariums, Cloud of Goods, Enterprise, Expedia, Getaround, Hertz, Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data, MallsandStores.Info, National, National Recreation and Park Association, Other LawnLove studies, Playground Buddy, RxList, TripAdvisor, Trust for Public Land, Turo, UltimateRollercoaster.com, Ultimate Waterpark, UrbanSitter, USA Zoos, U.S. News, Walk Score, Yelp, and Zipcar
Build memories – outside
People are traveling again. In November 2022, TSA screened more than 2.56 million people — the most passengers since 2019. (If you’re traveling by air, keep an eye out for delays and layovers along your journey.)
In case you need another excuse to bring your family on a vacation, kids’ screen time has increased — by more than 1.5 times since the pandemic began. Today, children spend an average of four to six hours a day looking at a screen. That goes up to nine hours for teenagers.
Vacations are a great way for the entire family to take a break from screens and spend time outside, exploring. Thankfully, you don’t have to spend a fortune on family travel to encourage your children to spend time outdoors.
Here are some tips for turning your backyard — if you have one — into an adult oasis and amusement park for the kids:
- Build a big treehouse and fill it with memories.
- Buy or make your own backyard games, like cornhole and ladder toss.
- Work on growing your green thumb by creating a fairy garden.
- Pop some popcorn and get a projector to host outdoor movie night.
- Install fencing to optimize your backyard privacy.
- Add lighting for well-lit nighttime activities.
- Build a beautiful patio space where you can relax while watching the kids play.
For more inspiration, read how to design a fun backyard play area.
Don’t stress about your lawn while you’re on vacation. Hire a local Lawn Love pro to keep it nice and tidy while you’re away with the family.
Main photo credit: iStock | Secondary photo credit: Pexels