Touring the Ben & Jerry’s factory in Vermont, braving the rollercoasters at Dollywood in Tennessee and horse riding at Idaho’s Red Horse Mountain Ranch are among the family friendly offerings in Brand USA’s 50 Family-friendly Travel Experiences.
Starting in the Northeast, family friendly experiences include the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, home to a lawn maze, interactive exhibits and puppet shows, as well as Massachusetts’ Old Sturbridge Museum, a living history village.
In the Mid-Atlantic, New York City’s New Victory Theatre, featuring plays, circus acts and more, as well as Washington DC’s 17 Smithsonian museums.
For Kiwis heading to the Midwest, recommend the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and Kansas City’s The Rabbit Hole, a story book-themed wonderland filled with interactive experiences, as well as Wisconsin Dells, offering indoor and outdoor waterparks.
. . . Florida
In the South, Disney World theme parks are the obvious pick in Florida, but also worth a mention is Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, home to 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats Mar-Oct, and the US Space & Rocket Center in Alabama.
Southwest options include Albuquerque’s Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, with traditional dance performances, exhibits and hands-on cultural programming, as well as Nevada’s Neon Museum and the new Universal Kids Resort in Frisco.
In the Pacific Northwest, there’s Ape Cave in Cougar, an underground journey through lava-formed tubes, while Pacific Coast recommendations include San Francisco’s Circus Center, a nationally-recognised circus school, as well as Anaheim’s Disneyland Resort.
In the mountain states, picks include Colorado’s Dinosaur Ridge which offers more than 250 fossil tracks and Park City’s Utah Olympic Park, home to ziplines, summer tubing, and an alpine slide.
Kiwis bound for Hawai‘i are recommended the Polynesian Cultural Centre in Oahu, which boasts six island villages with hands-on activities, music, dance, and traditional storytelling. See the full list HERE.
