Salt Lake City
Guide Last verified November 9, 2026. Salt Lake Valley only; every hour, price and address is from the venue's own page, parks and county grounds with no admission are called free on the city or county page, TRAX stops come from UTA, and the honest notes are ours.
Twenty-one places, grouped by the age that gets the most out of them. Each one appears once, in the band where it fits best, so the zoo is under toddlers even though a ten-year-old will still go.
A children's museum at the Gateway, with the planetarium's free exhibits a short walk away when attention runs out.
The child ticket starts at age 1, and kids under 16 need an adult along. No food, gum or drinks inside, so feed everyone first; elevators reach every floor, so the stroller comes in.
Animals outdoors for a quick visit or a full afternoon, free for anyone 2 and under, and lunch can come from home.
Single strollers rent for $9, doubles and wagons $11, first come first served and not reservable; outside food can't go into the Beastro.
Birds inside Liberty Park, with the park's free playground and walking loops, so the morning keeps going after the aviary.
Wagons and strollers are welcome. The ambassador bird demonstrations run 15 minutes, at 11am and 1:30pm, so plan the nap around them.
A working farm and public park where a two-year-old can ride a wagon and take a turn milking a cow.
Wagon rides and milking start at age 2; milking is Monday to Saturday at 5pm, so buy tokens at least 15 minutes before. The Rosebud snack store is closed November through March, so bring your own; dogs on leash.
A seasonal petting zoo, pony rides and a train in one stop, with a deli for when someone melts down.
No age rules are posted; the petting zoo and pony rides are the toddler draws, but they're seasonal with their own hours, so check before promising a pony.
A playground and three loops to walk, with Tracy Aviary in the park's southwest corner when you want a paid upgrade.
Use the Rice Pavilion playground at the northeast corner; the city lists the Rotary Play Park closed for construction through October 2026, and the Seven Canyons fountain isn't a working fountain right now.
A free, warm, indoor morning, with two play rooms for kids tucked under the library plaza.
The lower-level Children's Library has two play spaces, Grandmother's Attic and Wild Woods, plus story rooms, a baby-care room and stroller space. The parking clock covers a storytime and the play rooms, not lunch.
An indoor aquarium morning for small kids; buying ahead is the cheaper way in.
Student, senior and military rates are on the price list. Call (801) 355-3474 with questions.
Dinosaurs on the hill, and a half day of exhibits for a curious seven-year-old.
No strollers to borrow right now, so bring your own; it's ramps and stairs across five levels, with no ramp between levels 4 and 5, plus an uphill walk from the lot. Kids under 8 can't be left at the turnaround without an adult.
Three floors of free space exhibits at the Gateway, with IMAX and Dome shows when those run out.
An hour of free exhibits is the realistic attention span before a show. Scan the QR code at your space and validate before you leave, or the discount doesn't apply; during Delta Center events pick Merchant Parking.
A garden walk at half price December to February, with summer evenings open until 9pm.
The walk in from transit is uphill; the buildings, the amphitheatre and some outdoor areas take strollers, not every trail. Six free days a year through ZAP, dates at the link.
Go-karts, mini-golf, laser tag, bowling and a ropes course in one stop, with an indoor pass for winter.
Rides go by height, not age: rookie go-karts take 48 to 58 inches, laser tag and the dark ride 40 inches. Outdoor attractions are weather permitting, so in winter the indoor pass is the honest buy.
The all-in-one indoor afternoon for a birthday-party-age kid, with trampolines, slides and a ropes course under one roof.
The ropes course, bumper cars and other harness attractions open at 4pm (2pm Fridays), so a morning visit is trampolines and slides. Everyone signs a waiver, and height rules vary by attraction.
An outdoor skating loop for a school-age kid, with a free splash pad on the Common for the little sibling in season.
Rental quad skates run toddler 8 to adult 16, and the Monday beginner class is free with admission. Booking ahead is recommended; the loop closes for weather, private events and capacity, so check Instagram stories, then check in at the Adventure Hub.
A way to put a six-year-old on a lift for the price of your own ticket, with night riding most evenings.
Weekend and holiday parking needs a reservation before noon, December 4 to April 18; the free afternoon window lines up with night riding. Lesson ages TBD, check link.
A teen can spend a whole evening here, and the Youth Club meets once or twice a week after school.
Rope climbers need a belay check or the class first, so a first visit is bouldering unless a parent can belay; everyone, spectators included, signs a waiver. Youth programs run ages 3 to 18.
Rentals and climbing classes come with the day pass, and a TRAX stop is close by.
Kids 13 and under need a supervising adult with a pass, so a 14-year-old can go alone once a parent signs the waiver. Belay tests are easiest weekdays 4 to 9pm or weekends 11am to 4pm.
Skate the 400-meter Oval, the ice with more Olympic world records than anywhere else.
No skate walkers to rent right now, so a first-timer brings their own or holds the wall. Sign the online waiver before you go; medical staff aren't at most sessions.
For a teen who already skis: the ticket includes the tram, and buying two weeks ahead saves up to 15%.
Lessons start at age 3, and kids 6 and under still need a ticket to load. Buying two or more weeks ahead saves up to 15%, and a half day (from $166) pairs with the free afternoon lots.
A canyon resort a teen without a car can reach by TRAX and the ski bus.
Even a car of four needs a free reservation before 11am Fridays to Sundays and holidays, December 18 to March 28, or may be fined. Ski school and rentals stay closed until the winter season starts.
A sand beach on a reservoir in the valley, plus a playground and a paved trail for the ones who won't swim.
No lifeguard and untreated water, with swimmer's itch reports and DEQ testing linked from the city page. No dogs on the beach, no glass or grills, paddleboards need the state's mussel-aware course, and restrooms open April through October.
Cowabunga Bay is closed for 2026. Hollywood Connection's site is gone and its domain is for sale.