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Expert Travel Guide: Exploring North Austin with a Toddler

April 1, 2021 by Angela Leave a Comment

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View of downtown Austin from Zilker Park.
View of downtown Austin from Zilker Park.

Austin, TX is one of the most kid-friendly cities I’ve been to in the U.S. One of our favorite things about Austin was all of the outdoor activities available which made living in Austin with a toddler during a pandemic a lot easier. We regularly went kayaking, hiking, paddle boarding and bicycling with our kids. And with a plethora of good restaurants, breweries and coffee shops you’ll have a hard time narrowing down a list of favorites.  

If you’ve only got 24 – 36 hours to spend in Austin with your toddler or young child in Austin, we highly recommend checking out the itinerary below. While we chose to leave off some of the major tourist sites, we built this suggested itinerary with the best spaces to be found for families exploring Austin with a toddler.

For our favorite tips on traveling with toddlers check out this article.

Suggested Itinerary:  24 hours in Austin with a toddler

*To cut down on travel time, our suggested route starts in North Austin and has suggestions for working your way towards South Austin/Downtown. Try to avoid driving during rush hours.

*If you have your heart set on a specific place to eat, make sure to call ahead and see if reservations are needed. Especially during COVID.

*For all of the location suggestions, make sure to check open hours as some places are not operating at full capacity due to COVID.

Morning:

Breakfast at your hotel or Breakfast tacos!! Our favorite breakfast taco – although not technically a breakfast taco – is the fried avocado taco from local chain Torchy’s Tacos. 

Activity:

Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms: A living history museum operating as a working farm from past times. This farm is full of interactive activities, exhibits, animals and walking trails. Great for a wide range of ages!

Laguna Gloria and Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve: There’s something magical about walking amongst the peacocks at this preserve. The peacocks are free to roam and guests are responsible for maintaining a safe distance. My three year old did fine here and did not get too close to the peacocks. The grounds of the preserve also have a number of easy hiking trails that parallel the lake. Be aware, not all hiking trails are stroller friendly. 

Mid-morning Snacks and Coffee: 

Brentwood Social House: Excellent coffee and healthy snacks, indoor playroom, and an enclosed outdoor playscape with a pirate ship as the play structure. My son would be content to just stay here all day. 

Mozart’s Coffee: This coffee shop is close to Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve. My son loves to sit at the tables right next to the lake and look for turtles. They have great coffee, bagels, and bakery items. 

Activity: 

Thinkery: A play based museum where children learn STEM concepts through engagement and interactive exhibits. Check before going as you may need advance tickets. This is one of Austin’s most popular family attractions. 

The Thinkery is based in the Mueller neighborhood. Mueller is a completely walkable development with several great restaurants, ice cream shops, a farmer’s market and a large community park. You could easily pass an afternoon just in Mueller. For lunch, take it to-go and picnic by the water at Mueller Lake Park.

Austin Central Library for some quiet reading time. The Austin Central Library goes way beyond a typical library. They also offer: 

  • A well stocked children’s area with toys.
  • Hands-on exhibits for kids
  • Storytime with the librarian
  • Art exhibits
  • And a rooftop garden!!

For easy lunch options, Austin Central Library has a recently opened cafe. The downtown Whole Foods location has an excellent food court with an enclosed playground and dining area on the roof. 

Activity:

Zilker Park (go canoeing, afternoon swim, enjoy the botanical garden, or ride the train) or Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Dinner:

Check out our list of Austin restaurants with playgrounds for places to unwind in Austin with a toddler after a long day.

The above schedule would make for a very packed day. Slow it down or break it out into 2 – 3 days as needed to make sure you’re matching your toddler’s energy level. 

Swimming hole in Austin full of people on a bright, sunny day

Some additional ways to spend time in Austin with a toddler:

  • Austin is an outdoor lovers city. There are countless parks throughout the city. Pack a picnic or grab some takeout and head to a park for a leisurely lunch in the sun. 
  • Alamo Drafthouse is a movie theater and restaurant that has a number of toddler friendly showings. Check their schedule if you need an indoor activity. 
  • Both the Austin Zoo and the Austin Aquarium are toddler friendly with several interactive activities. If your little is an animal lover we’d recommend stopping at one of these spots. 
  • The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center does an annual exhibit called Fortlandia. My son is obsessed with forts and loved exploring this exhibit. 
  • Visit a farm or farmer’s market. Some of our favorites are:
    • Austin Area Farmer’s Markets: A Running List
    • Boggy Creek Farm
    • Sweet Berry Farm
  • Rent a canoe, kayak or paddle board at Zilker Park and get out on the water! The rental shop has life jackets for every size. My sister and I rented a canoe and the boys sat in the center. We also tried paddleboarding with one boy sitting on each paddleboard. The paddle-boards can get wet so make sure not to go on a super windy day if you want to paddleboard!  We enjoyed great views of the downtown skyline while the boys “helped” paddle by hand and searched for turtles in the water. 
    • Zilker Park has an abundance of things to do. You could easily spend a whole day there. Some of the options are to explore the botanical garden, ride the train,  enjoy the vintage fire truck at the playground, take a dip at the swimming hole or relax on the great lawn with a picnic.

Recommendations in Austin’s surrounding areas and suburbs

  • Visit the Dinosaur Park for a memorable and educational hike. This is a short trail. My 3 year old was able to walk the whole thing in about an hour. Make sure to bring water and sunscreen. They also have a small playground and picnic tables.  
  • McKinney State Falls, Emma Long Metropolitan Park, and other state parks. We love the state parks in and around Austin. They generally have well kept trails and other facilities. Due to COVID, most now require reservations and are booked out weeks in advance on weekends. Make sure to plan ahead for any state parks and check the website for updates. 

Final Thoughts . . .

Austin was an incredible city to live in for a year and we immensely enjoyed exploring all of the family friendly attractions. Personally, I struggled with living somewhere that was so heavily car dependent. While I have no plans to move back to Austin, I’d highly recommend the city for an affordable family vacation for active and outdoorsy families.

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