Guides / Things to do
Things to Do with Kids in Fort Worth: The Big List
TL;DR: The zoo is half price every Wednesday ($9–11/person). Three Cultural District museums are always free (Amon Carter even for special exhibitions). The LEGOLAND+SEA LIFE combo is $29.99 online with 14 days to use both. Burger's Lake is $20 cash. The Botanic Garden closes at 3 p.m. all summer — mornings only.
Every price and hour below was checked against official sites in July 2026. Anything seasonal can change mid-summer — the official link is on every listing so you can confirm day-of. Two big heads-ups right now: the Botanic Garden closes at 3 p.m. in July–August, and the Zoo’s elephants are temporarily off exhibit.
Fort Worth Zoo
- Where: 1989 Colonial Pkwy (off University Dr).
- Price: Adults (13+) $22 · kids 3–12 $18 · under 2 free · parking $5.
- ** The best budget hack in Fort Worth: Half-Price Wednesdays — every Wednesday, all year.** No code, no advance purchase. Expect crowds; come at 9 a.m. open or after 1 p.m.
- Hours: Mon–Fri 9–4, Sat–Sun 9–5, open 365 days.
- Right now: the new Predators of Asia & Africa habitat (lions, tigers, clouded leopards) is open, and the renovated air-conditioned Mountains & Desert building in Texas Wild is a legit mid-day heat escape. Elephants temporarily off exhibit for habitat work.
- Membership math: Adult $80, child $40 — unlimited admission, free parking, 10% off food, reciprocal deals at 100+ zoos. Pays for itself in ~3 visits.
- Mom strategy: arrive at 9 sharp — animals are active before 11 and the park wilts by early afternoon in July. Outdoor loops first; save the indoor buildings for midday.
- fortworthzoo.org
The Cultural District Museums (the free trifecta)
- Amon Carter Museum — always free, including special exhibitions. Free parking. Sketchpads welcome in the galleries; free stroller loans. cartermuseum.org
- The Modern — under 18 always free; adults free on Fridays, half-price Sundays. The reflecting pond wows kids even when the art doesn’t. Friday until 8 p.m. themodern.org
- Kimbell — permanent collection always free; special exhibitions half-price Tuesdays & Fridays after 5. Free Kimbell Kids drop-in studios on selected Saturdays. kimbellart.org
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
- Price: Adults $16 · kids 3–11 $12 · under 2 free — includes the Cattle Raisers Museum and Noble Planetarium. Active-duty military families free through Blue Star Museums (May 16–Sept 7, 2026).
- Hours: Tue–Sat 10–5, Sun 12–5, closed Monday.
- The news: the reimagined TCU Children’s Gallery opened March 2026 — an interactive miniature Fort Worth built with Trinity Metro and Cook Children’s. Toddler gold.
- Strategy: DinoLabs + planetarium + Children’s Museum = a solid half-day indoors. Go at 10 a.m. before the camp groups land. Pairs with the free Amon Carter across the street.
- fwmuseum.org
Fort Worth Botanic Garden + Japanese Garden
- Price: Adults ~$14–15 · kids 3–15 ~$8–9 · one ticket covers everything including the Japanese Garden.
- ** Summer hours:** normally 8–6, but in July and August the Garden closes at 3 p.m. (last entry 2 p.m.). Mornings only.
- Kid highlight: koi feeding in the Japanese Garden.
- Free days 2026: Celebramos kick-off Sept 19 · Veterans Day Nov 11. Save the date: Fall Japanese Festival Nov 7–8.
- Strategy: be at the gate at 8 a.m. — shade and breezes are gone by 11. Free parking.
- fwbg.org
Fort Worth Stockyards
- The Herd cattle drive: FREE, twice daily at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. (weather permitting, ~8 minutes). Best viewing in front of the Livestock Exchange Building. In summer, do the 11:30 — the brick streets radiate heat by 4.
- Add-ons: Cattlepen Maze $8 (half price Tuesdays, code word “Cowtown”) · Barnyard Petting Corral $3/person + $3 feed cup.
- Arrive 30–45 minutes early for parking + a rail-side spot.
- fortworthstockyards.org
Grapevine Mills: SEA LIFE + LEGOLAND (the A/C day)
- SEA LIFE Aquarium: from $19 online ($24 walk-up), 10–7.
- LEGOLAND Discovery Center: $21.99 online ($27.99 walk-up), 10–5:30. Adults generally need a kid with them.
- ** The combo ticket is the move: from $29.99 online — and the second attraction is valid up to 14 days later.** A Peppa Pig World of Play combo exists too.
- Fully indoor: aquarium + LEGO + Peppa Pig + food court = a complete 105°-day itinerary. Buy online; the walk-up markup is $5–8/person.
- visitsealife.com/grapevine · legolanddiscoverycenter.com
Splash Pads & Pools
- City of Fort Worth spraygrounds — free, seasonal; pads close intermittently for maintenance, so check with Parks & Rec (817-392-5700) before driving.
- Forest Park Pool — the historic pool by the zoo: $6 adults / $5 kids, ~noon–6, late May–early September.
- Marine Park Pool (north side, near the Stockyards) — Tue–Sun noon–6.
- Regional list of free pads: DFWChild’s roundup.
Water Parks
| Park | Price | The verdict |
|---|---|---|
| NRH2O (North Richland Hills) | Weekdays from $19.99 online (under 48”) | Gentlest big park, cleanest, best for mixed ages |
| Hurricane Harbor (Arlington) | From $29 online | Thrill-seekers 8+ — but new-for-2026 Splash Island (110 water features, 17 slides, tipping bucket) shifts it younger |
| Epic Waters (Grand Prairie) | ~$40–44, twilight from ~$29 | Fully indoor, 80° year-round — the rainy-day water park |
| Burger’s Lake (Fort Worth) | $20 cash at the gate | Spring-fed swimming lake since 1954 — diving boards, 20-ft slide, the trapeze. Bring a cooler and cash |
Free & Nearly Free Classics
- Airfield Falls (Westworth Village) — free. Tarrant County’s largest natural waterfall; flat 0.4-mile walk, creek wading below the falls. Go before 10 a.m., bring water shoes; best after rain.
- Forest Park Miniature Railroad — $8–10, Wed–Sun, trains hourly 10–5. A ~5-mile, 45-minute ride through Trinity Park; a Fort Worth childhood rite of passage. Bring cash. forestparktrains.com
- Fort Worth Library Mayor’s Summer Reading Challenge — free, all ages, May 30–Aug 8, 2026, sign up on Beanstack (no library card needed); log minutes, earn prizes (signup alone earns a free IHOP short stack). 1,000+ free branch programs all summer. fortworthtexas.gov/library/summer
100°+ Day Indoor Escapes
- Cidercade Fort Worth — $12 admission, then all 275+ arcade games are free-play; under 5 free. Kid-friendly by day (18+ after 9 p.m.), cider and pizza for the grown-ups. cidercade.com/fortworth
- iFLY indoor skydiving (min age 3) — splurge-tier bucket-list birthday.
- Main Event — bowling/laser tag/arcade; watch for summer weekday all-activity passes.
- Coyote Drive-In (Panther Island) — ~$10 adults / ~$8 kids 5–11 / under 4 free, nightly, gates 6–6:30 p.m. Playground + free retro arcade for the pre-movie wait; kids in pajamas in the truck bed is the summer memory. coyotedrive-in.com
Worth the Drive (Dallas side)
- Dallas Zoo — summer special: $15 admission through Sept 3, 2026 (parking $14). Verify day-of hours — summer heat hours can shorten.
- Perot Museum — ~$25–30 adults / ~$15–20 kids (dynamic pricing). The Moody children’s floor alone is worth the drive.
- Dallas World Aquarium — the rainforest-in-a-building downtown; sloths and toucans overhead. Stroller-tough — babywear if you can.
The Budget Cheat Sheet
| Free | Under $15/kid | Full-price day |
|---|---|---|
| Stockyards cattle drive (11:30 & 4:00) | Zoo on Half-Price Wednesday | Zoo regular ($18–22 + parking) |
| Amon Carter (always) · Modern on Fridays | Forest Park train ($8–10) | LEGOLAND+SEA LIFE combo ($29.99) |
| Kimbell permanent collection | Forest Park Pool ($5–6) | NRH2O (from $19.99 online) |
| Airfield Falls + city splash pads | Cattlepen Maze ($8, ½ off Tue) + petting corral ($3) | Hurricane Harbor (from $29) |
| Library summer challenge (May 30–Aug 8) | Cidercade ($12, under 5 free) | Epic Waters / Burger’s Lake ($20 cash) |
Last verified July 20, 2026 against official sources. Texas summer hours shift fast — tap the official link before you load the car.
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