At the Tallahassee Museum, you can explore on the ground or from the tree tops.

Best Museums and Entertainment in Tallahassee for Kids

1. Tallahassee Museum

Come for the Tallahassee Museum, stay for the Tree-to-Tree adventure. First, explore this gorgeous 52-acre lakeside mostly outdoor museum filled with animals and historic houses on the ground. Then explore again from above in a zip-line-filled treetop aerial adventure. There are special courses for the youngest kids, but as soon as kids are 54 inches tall, they’ll want to do the full Canopy Crossing and Soaring Cypress. Keep an eye out for dinos and dingos below.

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Explore the reconstruction of the Apalachee council house at Mission San Luis.

2. Mission San Luis

My kids are veterans of the California 4th grade mission projects, and I thought we’d breeze through the San Luis Mission settlement, a little bored. (We’ve been to a LOT of missions.) Not so. This reconstructed mission is packed with historical reenactors and will teach you so much fascinating information about Spanish and Apalachee history. Plan to spend longer than you think on the gorgeous grounds.

3. Challenger Learning Center

Make like an astronaut at the Challenger Learning Center with a space simulation and other space-related activities. There’s also a Planetarium, IMAX movie theater, and cool family programs on the weekends.

4. Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratories

Touch tanks! Kids can see, touch, and often feed a variety of marine life including octopus, sharks, turtles, crabs, stingrays, and more at the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab. Choose a one, two, or three-hour tour that can include the aquarium, living dock, and marsh.

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There's so much more than just cars at the Tallahassee Automobile Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum

5. Tallahassee Automobile Museum

If you’re a car enthusiast, the Tallahassee Automobile Museum is a can’t-miss. If you aren’t a car enthusiast, this is still a can’t-miss, as there are also collections of dolls, pianos, typewriters, pedal cars, Batmobiles (yep, plural!), knives… in short this museum is a truly unique experience and a great place to spend a few hours.

6. National High Magnetic Field Laboratory - The MagLab

The National MagLab is a working lab, and the largest, most powerful magnet lab in the world! The lab hosts free public tours on the third Wednesday of each month (or you can schedule a tour if you have a group of 8 or more where the kids are 10 & up).

7. Ford Truck Graveyard

You know what makes a vacation or a road trip feel real? Something weird, wild, wonderful, and off the beaten path. Take a detour to the Ford Truck Graveyard, a field housing a dozen ancient Ford trucks, just south of Tallahassee.

8. Southern Shakespeare Company

Every spring, the Southern Shakespeare Festival performs FREE plays in Cascades Park. The Bardlings, Southern Shakespeare’s junior acting troupe, also does a shorter show every year!

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The Florida Capitol looks like a gorgeous old-timey ice cream sundae parlor! Photo courtesy of Visit Tallahassee

9. Florida Capitol Museum

The Florida Capitol Museum is a free museum that's a great place to learn about local history. It's in the Capitol building complex, so you have to be quiet when the legislature is in session, but that just means seeing history in action. With three floors of exhibits, there's a lot to take in about Florida history.

10.Doak Campbell Stadium at FSU

The Florida State Seminoles are the local sports obsession, and the only place to see them is at Doak Campbell Stadium. Catch a game if you can, it's a blast, and local fans are fanatics. (And locals will tell you that the local Seminole tribe supports the team and team name and both the tribe and the school consider themselves partners, not mascots. The Seminole people design and make "the authentic apparel worn by the FSU students portraying Osceola.")

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Explore Cascades Park for a sunset walk, daytime splash, or anytime bike ride along the rails.

Best Parks and Outdoor Fun in Tallahassee for Kids

11. Cascades Park

This gorgeous park in the middle of the city is a great place to walk off dinner (at the Edison, below), catch a Shakespeare show (above) or another show in the amphitheater, play in the water fountain on hot days or catch the fountain light show at night, play at the playground, or just ramble and watch the sunset.

12. Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park

 is a gorgeous spot, brimming with camellias and azaleas, plus a reflection pool and secret garden, you can hike, bike, and even swim here. Peak bloom season is January to  April, and during this time a fee is charged for visiting the gardens and the historic Maclay House.

13. Leon Sinks

Visit the Sinks for a day of hiking and exploration! The Leon Sinks Geological Area has 5 miles of trails with a series of sinkholes, depressions, swamps, natural bridges, and a disappearing stream. In addition to being a fascinating natural phenomenon, it's also a wildlife spot, where you might spot gopher tortoises, deer, turkeys, hawks, raccoons, snakes, and salamanders!

Can’t Miss Shops for Tallahassee Kids

14. Midtown Reader

Midtown Reader is my favorite second favorite bookstore in Florida, which is a huge compliment because my #1 favorite is Judy Blume's Books & Books in Key West. You can browse in this awesomely curated bookstore for hours. There are great local authors and really wonderful and thoughtful selections for readers of all interests and ages. Also, there's a Piebrary upstairs, where you can read your new books over some awesome pie.

15. Fallout Comics

Fallout Comics is one of the largest comic book stores in the state, and it's a great stop for the whole family because there are vintage comics, RPGs, board games, graphic novels

16. Railroad Square Art Park

Railroad Square Art Park, a former industrial park, has been converted into 10 acres of shops, art galleries, and eateries. Explore the vintage & thrift stores, art galleries, creative shops, theater, pinball arcade, gaming shop, cult cinema, and more on the First Friday Monthly Festival or anytime.

17. Flippin’ Great Pinball Arcade

Play for an hour or all day at this massive pinball arcade with no quarters and no prizes, just endless fun for pinball wizards or novices. Throwback fun for kids and parents alike.

18. Tally Cat Café

Cats! When we travel, my kids miss our cats and playing with the dogs on our street. So, we often duck into a local cat or dog cafe for an afternoon snack and break. An added bonus is that after an hour of playing with sweet kittens, my kids have become calmer and more sweet themselves, since emotions can ratchet up on vacation. This is one of the best ones I've been to as they serve a great selection of drinks and are super reasonably priced. (Tip: Ask for cat foam art in your latte!)

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This is actually the lagoon from "The Creature from the Black Lagoon".

Fabulous Day Trips from Tallahassee for Families

19. Jungle Cruise at Wakulla Springs

Wakulla Springs is one of the world's largest freshwater springs surrounded by an ancient cypress swamp. It's also the site of a lodge and hotel, where you can stay, swim, hike, and play. (You can do everything but sleep at the hotel as a daytripper.) It's a wonderful place to take a jungle cruise and see all kinds of wildlife, including loads of alligators and manatees.

But the real draw? This is where they filmed Creature from the Black Lagoon (and a few other Hollywood movies). On the jungle cruise, you go right into the creature's lair, and it's pretty amazing. It's only about a 25-minute drive from Tallahassee, so you can swing by for an afternoon or whole weekend.

20. Florida Caverns

Stay tuned for our detailed review of a visit to the Florida Caverns, coming soon! The short story is that these caverns, outfitted for tourists by the CCC in the 1930s are a gorgeous and fascinating place to see stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones, and draperies. A 75-minute drive from Tallahassee, I highly recommend taking a day trip to tour the caverns and hike in Florida Caverns State Park.

21. Panhandle Pioneer Settlement

An hour west of Tallahassee is a living history settlement that has 18 buildings on 5 acres. The buildings are from 1820 to the 1940s, so they don't represent a specific time, but give kids an idea of how things were like in different time periods. It's a really cool cross-section of history, and you can take a guided tour or just explore.

Check the website for special events before planning your visit, as if you can catch one of the events or activities, it's extra fun. Hours are limited, so call before you go.

Watch candy being made, and try some warm samples, at Lofty Pursuits. Photo by Stephanie Ogozalek

Best Family-Friendly Restaurants in Tallahassee, Florida

22. Lofty Pursuits

How to describe this old-fashioned ice cream soda fountain with homemade candy making, toys, board games, and just an overall atmosphere of fun? Eat a fabulous banana split while watching them make fresh candy which you can sample while it's warm, and then peruse the professional juggling equipment or the wall of frisbees!

23. Midtown Caboose

Salads, burgers, sandwiches, and wraps–this is really tasty food where there's something for everyone in the whole family. With unique burger combinations, vegan and gluten-free options, and fresh and tasty salads, it's a perfect lunch spot that's right near the best bookstore in the area! It's an iconic spot for a reason, and be sure to get some fries so you can try the vast variety of sauce options to dip them in.

24. Maple Street Biscuit Company

No stop in a southern town is complete without trying the biscuits, and in Tallahassee, that can only mean a visit to Maple Street Biscuit Company. The Food Network made the Squawking Goat famous, but honestly, you've got to order at least one plain biscuit with butter and jam. Chef's kiss.

25. Madison Social

This is a great place for food and football watching! Best brunch in Tallahassee.

26. Casa Grande

This family restaurant has a great kids menu, which adults can order from (for a $2 surcharge!). Which is perfect. You can also order off the a la carte menu and get exactly what your kids like. It's perfect on a hot day because there's also an extensive menu of frozen adult drinks (and virgin daiquiris for kids).

Elegant enough for parents and with fabulous kid-friendly food for all ages at The Edison.

27. The Edison & Power Plant Cafe

The Edison is in the historic electric building in Cascades Park, and while the brunch and dinner menu are upscale and delicious, there's also a good kids menu. Entrees are wonderful, but the best way to sample a little of everything is to order for the table from the Shareables section of the menu. You can also get food from the Power Plant Cafe downstairs, or even order a picnic basket to enjoy in the park.

Best Family-Friendly Hotels in Tallahassee, Florida

28. Hyatt House Tallahassee Capitol-University

Warm cookies every afternoon, washing machines in the lobby, various sized suites for families, free breakfast, a great location near Railroad Square where you can walk to a skate park and Lucky Goat for coffee, plus very reasonable rates make Hyatt House Tallahassee a superb family pick.

29. Staybridge Suites Tallahassee

Super spacious suites, a pool and recreation area, a quiet setting, free breakfast, quiet setting on a little lake, reasonable rates, and easy freeway access make Staybridge Suites Tallahassee a great base of operations for families exploring the area for more than a night.

30. Hampton Inn & Suites Tallahassee Capitol-University

With reasonably-priced suites for families (notice a theme in Tallahassee? more places should have multiple options for reasonably-priced suite hotels!), free breakfasts (or breakfast-to-go bags on weekdays, which is really helpful for families!), great location, and friendly staff, the Hampton Inn & Suites is another perfect pick for families.

31. Rent a Vacation House

There are actually loads of really reasonable, cute, and spacious vacation rental homes in Tallahassee, like this sweet house that sleeps 6, has a great front yard, is in a lovely neighborhood, and is fully stocked with everything your family could need!

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Photos by the author unless otherwise noted