Are you looking for the coolest things to do in College Station with kids? You’ve come to the right place! Or maybe you haven’t ever heard about this town before. Either way, after learning about everything there is to do and see in and around the town, you will be certain that you want to add it to your Texas Bucket List!
The town of College Station is located in Brazos County, Texas, and is known for being the home to Texas A&M. As such, many of the activities in town revolve around the university. However, you can also find delicious food, museums, natural beauty, and more in this cool southeastern Texas town.
While you’re in College Station, you will also find that you are in a wonderful area of Texas as there are many other fascinating Texas towns surrounding you, offering you many cool day trips. You will also notice that there is an amazing winery in town. For wine lovers, you will be in heaven in College Station!
Which of these things to do in College Station with kids will you do first?
10 Things To Do In College Station With Kids
Museum of The American GI
This museum is dedicated to those who have served in the U.S. Army. You can see weapons, uniforms, tanks, boats, helicopters, and other items related to past military operations. The museum is reasonably priced and children under forget in for free with a paying adult!
George H.W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum
The George H.W. Bush library and museum offers a look at his family history, family traditions, his road to the presidency, campaign, how he served as president, what challenges and accomplishments he had while in office, and his life of service as a whole.
You can also see exhibits about eco-terrorism, war, the Berlin Wall, Barbara Bush, and an exhibit dedicated to gifts given to Bush by other leaders from around the world. Its variety and amount of information and exhibits in the museum make it one of the best things to do in College Station with kids!
Make sure to check out the Research Park that is next to the museum! It’s a great place to watch ducks and other birds as well as have a picnic before or after you visit the museum.
Lick Creek Park & Nature Center
In Lick Creek Park there are several walking trails that you can take to enjoy this natural area of College Station. There are a lot of pretty places in College Station, but Lick Creek Park is one of the best! The nature center has an amphitheater where events are held, a native plants display, and a Monarch butterfly display.
There are also displays throughout the park to teach you about the mammals, birds, and other wildlife that you can see in the park! This is one of the best free things to do in College Station with kids and it’s also one of the best outdoor activities in College Station as you get to spend time outdoors exploring the stunning natural beauty of Texas.
Grab Lunch From Layne’s
If you’re wondering where to eat in College Station, look no further! Layne’s is one of the most popular restaurants in College Station. Grabbing chicken strips, seasoned fries, and toast from Layne’s is one of the most iconic things to do in College Station with kids. The food is quite similar to Raising Canes, but Layne’s was actually established first!
10 Things To Do In College Station With Kids Continued
Messina Hof Winery
Wait a second, a winery on this list? Yup! Wine lovers will love College Station! This College Station winery is open seven days a week. And they have said that many of their events are family-friendly, so if you love wineries, you’re in luck! You can enjoy a variety of wines and small plates in the tasting room, take a tour of the winery, eat at their Vintage House Restaurant, or stay at their Villa B&B. The Messina Hof Winery is just 10-15 minutes outside of College Station.
Children’s Museum of The Brazos Valley
Roughly a 5-10 minute drive from the George Bush library and museum, the Children’s Museum of The Brazos Valley is one of the best things to do in College Station with toddlers for those traveling with little ones! This museum offers open space for kids to explore and many different exhibits and places to play. Kids can shop in a market, pretend to be an emergency room doctor, firefighter, musician, and more!
University Art Galleries
The University Art Galleries is split into the Forsyth Galleries and the J Wayne Stark Galleries. The J Wayne Stark Galleries focus mainly on photographs, drawings, and paintings from American artists from the 19th and 20th centuries while the Forsyth Galleries showcases mainly 19th and 20th-century paintings and glasswork. For older children or homeschooled children, the art galleries are great additions to your bucket list. This is one of the most interesting free things to do in College Station with kids!
Grand Station Entertainment
This fun center is the place to be if you are wanting to have fun indoors. There are many activities to participate in at Grand Station Entertainment, including bowling, ax throwing, laser tag, and mini-golf. There’s also a sports bar and a delicious food and drink menu. Near Grand Station Entertainment there is also a Chuk E Cheese and an escape room, so you have a variety of sun centers around you to choose from depending on who you’re traveling with and the ages of everyone, making it one of the best things to do in College Station with kids!
Try a Fancy Dinner From Porter’s
Porter’s is one of the best restaurants in College Station. It’s an upscale American restaurant that offers a variety of dishes, from fried Texas quail eggs to whiskey-glazed Berkshire pork chops, the food at Porter’s is exquisite. You can find a huge variety of drinks at Porter’s as they prioritize their drink menu just as highly as their food menu. You are welcome to come to Porters for both brunch and dinner! A trip to Porter’s in the evening is one of the best things to do in College Station at night.
5 Best Day Trips From College Station With Kids
Waco
Waco is also just an hour and a half drive from College Station. Waco is an exciting city, especially for family travelers as there are many activities that both parents and children will both enjoy!
Waco is home to a zoo, a mammoth national monument, a lake, wetlands, water parks, Magnolia Market, and more! If you want to support locals while you are in Waco, consider visiting the downtown farmers market while you’re there!
Houston
Houston is one of the very best day trips from College Station. If you have explored all of the best things to do in College Station with kids, a day trip to Houston may be just what you need. There’s a huge variety of things to do in Houston!
From the zoo and aquarium to the boardwalk and space center, you can find something for everyone! You can visit the botanical gardens, nature center, waterpark, planetarium, and many other exciting things while you’re there!
New Braunfels
This city, just outside of San Antonio, Texas, makes for one of the best day trips from College Station. Two and a half hours away, New Braunfels is full of life and has so much to offers visitors to the city. For explorers and nature lovers, consider visiting the Natural Bridge Caverns, Landa Park, Prince Solms Park, Lake Placid, Hinman Island Park, or Comal Springs.
There are many water features in New Braunfels that offer swimming and water sports activities. For family travelers, you will love the Schlitterbahn Waterpark, The Tube Chute, and the Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo. There are also museums and delicious places to grab some southern Texas cuisine while in the city!
Austin
Austin is a fantastic day trip option! It’s only an hour and fifty-minute drive away and it’s overflowing with exciting things to do! Those who prefer staying indoors and nature lovers will find tons of things to do in Austin that will suit them. From the McKinney Falls State Park and Mount Bonnell to art museums and the Austin Zoo, you won’t be at a loss for things to do while you’re in the Violet Crown City!
For foodies, you will be in heaven in Austin. The city ranks highly as a foodie destination in the United States. The state is full of southern cuisine, but also other regional dishes and international cuisine as well.
San Antonio
A day trip to San Antonio is so much fun! Although the drive is just shy of three hours, you won’t be disappointed once you arrive in the city! From the popular River Walk and Alamo to Seaworld, the San Antonio Zoo, and the San Antonio Aquarium, you will be amazed by the number of fun activities that you can fit into one day trip!
You should also consider visiting the San Antonio Missions, art museums, San Antonio Botanical Gardens, Japanese Tea Garden, historic market square, as well as the drive-through zoo called the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch. To fill more like a local while in San Antonio, consider swinging by The Pearl!
Best Time of Year To Visit College Station
College Station can be joined at any time of the year but there are some things to know before you go. If you are interested in knowing the best time to visit based on the weather, you should know that from March-May and October-November may be the best time to visit for warm weather without it being too hot or cold.
The weather in College Station is actually quite wonderful, but avoiding the coldest and hottest months may make your trip more enjoyable. The town is growing in popularity for a number of reasons. Of course, there are great things to do in College Station with kids, but the weather is also a big factor in the town’s popularity! June tends to be the rainiest month in College Station, so you will be more likely to stay dry if you visit outside of June.
In terms of events and festivals in the city, there are several that occur yearly that you may be interested in attending. In May, you can attend Derby Day. This is a charity event that has live music, performers, southern cuisine, auctions, and more! This would be the perfect opportunity to taste some one-of-a-kind dishes from Texas! In December, you can attend Santa’s Wonderland. This is the perfect event to attend if you are traveling with young kids! There, you can find carriage rides, outdoor movies, shopping, live music, and more.
College Station being home to Texas A&M gives visitors the opportunity to watch a football game live in the city. If you want to be able to catch a game while you are there, make sure to visit during the fall!
Closest Beaches To College Station
If you want to take a day trip to the beach from College Station, these beaches around Galveston, Texas are some of the closest!
Jamaica Beach is just over two and a half hours from College Station and is great for family travelers as it is usually pretty calm and the sand is fine. Surf lessons and dolphin sightseeing are both great things to do in Jamaica Beach.
Bolivar Beach is just over three hours from College Station. Near the beach, you will find the Bolivar Point Lighthouse, the historic fortress in Fort Travis Park, Horseshoe Lake, as well as the Bolivar Flats where you can drive and camp on the beach!
The Galveston Island State Park is roughly two and a half hours from College Station. This is a great option for nature lovers as there is not only a beach, but also wooden boardwalks over marshes, a lookout tower, covered picnic tables, and great kayaking conditions through the marshes.
What do you think of these things to do in College Station with kids? It is a fun city full of variety and fun! From the museums and galleries to the delicious food and natural beauty, which of these things to do in College Station with kids do you think you will do first?
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