We’re officially in full swing of summer, and you may be attempting to do some last-minute family vacation planning. Even if you’re not ready to pack up the kids and head to Europe, there are plenty of amazing destinations right here in the U.S.
The following is a round-up of six family-friendly cities you can visit in the U.S. this summer or at any time, and some highlights of those cities to help you with planning.
Six Family-Friendly U.S. Cities to Visit This Summer
Nashville:
Nashville, Tennessee is a fabulous city to visit, no matter your age, but it’s also extremely family-friendly. During the day you can wander along Broadway and hear the music pouring out of the honky tonks. Some of them may even let people in of all ages, as long as it is daytime and not in the later evening hours.
Nashville has a lot of casual eateries, you can visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, and there’s also the Grand Ole Opry.
The Grand Ole Opry has nightly shows appropriate for all ages.
The Gaylord Opryland Hotel is a good option for families in terms of lodging because it’s huge and caters to families with things like an indoor steamboat ride.
San Diego:
San Diego has warm, temperate weather at any time of the year, and it’s beautiful. You can go to Balboa Park with is a famous zoo that also has gardens and museums.
With a Balboa Park Explorer Multi-Day Pass, it’s possible to see The San Diego Zoo and get entrance to the other museums for an entire week.
When you tire of the museums like the TheNAT San Diego Natural History Museum, head to the beaches or the tide pools at Cabrillo National Monument.
New York City:
New York City isn’t always considered a family-friendly destination, but it should be. Also, some of the most amazing aspects of the city won’t cost you anything, like walking through Times Square or Central Park. The Museum of Natural History is great for kids too.
There are some plays on Broadway that are family friendly if you can score tickets including Aladdin, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Frozen, and for older kids, Hamilton.
Washington D.C.:
Going to Washington D.C. is a learning experience, but it’s done in such a fun way that your kids probably won’t even notice the educational aspect. Washington, D.C. is also a fairly affordable city for visitors.
The Smithsonian Institute boasts 19 free museums, and of these, some of the most notable are the National Zoo, the Air & Space Museum, and the Museum of Natural History.
The moments that will leave your kids in awe include the Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial.
There are many kid-friendly hotels in the area as well. One hotel located near many of the must-see attractions is the Hyatt Place Arlington/Courthouse Plaza. Your family will have easy access to the Metro, which will bring you to all major attractions, which will reduce the stress of driving through D.C.
Boston:
Another location where history can come alive for kids is Boston. If you do opt for Boston, you might want the Boston CityPass. The Boston CityPass offers discounted admission to some of the most popular attractions in the city including the New England Aquarium, the Museum of Science, the Skywalk Observatory, and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Museum and Library.
You can also grab food at Quincy Market, or take a picnic in the Public Garden. Walk along the Freedom Trail, or take a self-guided tour of the campus of Harvard while you’re there.
There are Friday movie nights during the summer at the Hatch Shell, and admission to the Museum of Fine Arts is free for kids under 17 on the weekends.
San Antonio:
Finally, if you want to make your way down south, consider San Antonio. San Antonio is the perfect family-friendly destination, and like many other cities on our list, it’s a place you can ensure is fairly affordable.
The San Antonio Riverwalk is beautiful, and you’ll hear live music, you can take boat rides,and there are plenty of restaurants along the way. There is the old town so you can see the architecture and enjoy boutiques, and you can take in the history at The Alamo.
For the kids, there’s SeaWorld San Antonio as well as Six Flags Fiesta Texas. San Antonio is even home to Morgan’s Wonderland, which is the only amusement park in the U.S. designed for kids with special needs. There are the DoSeum interactive children’s museum and Natural Bridge Caverns for families with kids too.
San Antonio is hot in the summer, so be prepared, but you can go year-round and enjoy fairly mild weather along with great things to do.
