Living in Anaheim, I’ve spent a lot of time exploring every nook and cranny of this popular city. My knowledge goes way beyond Disney!
If you are visiting Anaheim (or currently planning a visit), chances are that you will be checking out a Disney Park or two while you are here. That’s great! But I want to let you in on a little secret…
There are sooo many things to do near Anaheim with kids (besides Disney), that you may want to plan a few extra days to really get the most of your family trip to sunny Southern California. No, seriously!
So to help make sure your visit to my hometown truly rocks, I will share with you some of the hottest things to do in Anaheim and the surrounding area with children of all ages.
Here’s what’s in this article:
Unique area attractions
- Knott’s Berry Farm (Buena Park)
- Medieval Times (Buena Park)
- Discovery Cube Science Center (Santa Ana)
- Pretend City Children’s Museum (Irvine)
- Adventure City (Anaheim)
- Orange County Fair (Costa Mesa)
- Orange County Beaches
- Aquarium of the Pacific (Long Beach)
- Angel’s Stadium (Anaheim)
Kid-friendly live music & nightlife
- Brewery X, Anaheim (Top Pick!)
- Anaheim Packing District (Anaheim)
- The Fifth rooftop bar (Anaheim)
- City National Grove of Anaheim (ticketed events)
- House of Blues @ Gardenwalk (Anaheim)
- Rosine’s Mediterranean Restaurant (Anaheim Hills)
- Segerstrom Center for the Arts (Costa Mesa)
- Birch Street (Brea)
- The Post at Rockwell’s (Villa Park)
Historic sites & districts
- Old Towne Orange (Orange)
- Balboa Fun Zone (Newport)
- Queen Mary (Long Beach)
- California Marketplace at Knott’s (Buena Park)
- Historic Mission (San Juan Capistrano)
- Richard Nixon Library (Yorba Linda)
Bustling shopping areas
- South Coast Plaza (Costa Mesa)
- Gardenwalk (Anaheim)
- The Outlets at Orange (Orange)
- Fashion Island (Newport)
- Irvine Spectrum (Irvine)
- Pacific City (Huntington)
- OC Marketplace (Costa Mesa)
Parks & hiking trails
- Irvine Regional Park (Irvine)
- Yorba Regional Park (Yorba Linda)
- Oak Canyon Nature Reserve (Anaheim Hills)
- Orange County Great Park (Irvine)
- Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve (Newport)
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Kid-friendly Anaheim Attractions
Knott’s Berry Farm
8039 Beach Boulevard, Buena Park, California 90620
Knott’s Berry Farm is a 57-acre amusement park in Buena Park with a cool history. Dating back to the 1920’s as a roadside attraction where Walter Knott sold his famous boysenberry products. He had a love for California history he added a replica ghost town and the park continued to grow into what it is today.
Medieval Times
7662 Beach Boulevard, Buena Park, California, 90620
Medieval Times in Buena Park, is like stepping back into a time when knights were heroes, testing their strength, endurance and coordination in front of a cheering crowd. Families get to dine on a four-course medieval-style meal as they root for their assigned knight in this two-hour tournament as he tests his might in jousting, swordsmanship, falconry, horsemanship and more.
Discovery Cube & Science Center
2500 N. Main Street, Santa Ana, CA 92705
Discovery Cube Orange County is a hands-on science education center that helps kids with STEM proficiency, early learning, healthy living and environmental stewardship through interactive exhibits.
Pretend City Children’s Museum
29 Hubble, Irvine, CA 92618
Pretend City Children’s Museum is an interactive museum that looks like a child-size city where kids can assume real-world roles while exploring what it means to be a part of a community.
Adventure City
1238 S Beach Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92804
Adventure City in Anaheim is a small amusement park aimed at big fun for families, complete with rides, petting zoo and family dance parties. In my opinion, this park best suited for younger kids (not teens).
Orange County Fair
88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
OC Fair runs during the summer months starting mid-July and goes until mid-August. The fair features exciting exhibits, animals, concerts, food vendors, rides and more. When the fair is not in town, the OC fairgrounds are used for the OC Marketplace where you can still enjoy shopping, food and live music.
Orange County Beaches
There are some great Orange County beaches near Anaheim, like Laguna Beach, a coastal resort city made famous to mass public thanks to various television shows. Then there is Newport Beach, a lux beachside city the most known for the Newport Harbor, Balboa Fun Zone and Balboa Island. Huntington Beach is California’s cool Surf City and home US Open of Surfing every summer. However, the original California surf town award goes to Dana Point, a casual yet sophisticated seaside town that is packed with adventure. For lots more details about planning a trip to these Orange County Beaches near Anaheim, see our custom guide HERE.
Aquarium of the Pacific
100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802
The Aquarium of the Pacific is a huge public aquarium located on Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach.The aquarium has over 11,000 animals on display throughout the various exhibits including sharks, penguins and sea otters.
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
2000 E Gene Autry Way, Anaheim, CA 92806-6143
The atmosphere is always fun for the kids and the Angels’ Stadium really caters to families with a family center with games, fireworks on Friday and Saturday nights and even a mini-firework display when our boys hit a home run. Go Angels!
Kid-friendly Live Music near Anaheim
Brewery X
3191 E La Palma Ave, Anaheim, CA 92806
Brewery X is a new hot spot in Anaheim that is extremely family friendly (as you can see in the video above). They serve great beer and have a large open space designed for kids including cornhole, a kids’ playground, over-sized “beer pong”, and more. They are also pet-friendly as well! Best of all, they have live music pretty much all day long. This is one of our new favorite hang-outs on the weekends.
Anaheim Packing District
440 S. Anaheim Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92805
The Anaheim Packing House is a historical landmark built in 1919 and one of the last remaining citrus packing houses in Orange County. Today, it has been given a new life as a popular food hall with over 50 culinary artisans and live music performances every weekend!
The Fifth rooftop restaurant
1650 S Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92802
The Fifth is a rooftop restaurant and bar on top of the Grand Legacy at the Park hotel in Anaheim near Disneyland. Families are invited to come and enjoy food, drinks, Disneyland fireworks and live music nightly Tuesday through Sundays. They do close sometimes for private events, so check the calendar before heading over.
City National Grove of Anaheim
2200 E Katella Ave, Anaheim, CA
The City National Grove of Anaheim is an indoor concert hall that hosts various celebrity performers, musicians and comedians. Most shows are all ages, but some (like concerts) will be more appropriate for older kids and teens. They do have shows like Peppa Pig LIVE and Charlie Brown Christmas on-stage for younger kids, so be sure to check their schedule HERE.
House of Blue Anaheim at the Gardenwalk
400 W Disney Way Suite 337, Anaheim, CA 92802
House of Blues in Anaheim is a Southern-style restaurant, bar and live music venue. Sundays are great for families as they hold the very popular and super groovy Sunday Gospel Brunch.
Rosine’s Mediterranean Restaurant
721 S Weir Canyon Rd, Anaheim, CA 92808
Rosine’s is a family-owned and operated Lebonese/Armenian restaurant that is not only the best food in town, but a great family-friendly spot for some live music and a little dancing on Friday and Saturday nights.
Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts
600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Segerstrom Center for the Arts Orange County is a great place to catch a play, musical or concert, but it also has the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza where the community gathers for a number of free events, live music and family dance nights.
Birch Street
Brea, CA
Birch Street in Downtown Brea is where to go if you want live music action. Not only do many of the restaurants that line this lively street have nightly live music, but there is always a fun event to look forward to. The Jazz Festival is great for families as there is Jazz music filling the street, arts & crafts market, fun food and a Kid Zone!
The Post at Rockwell’s Cafe & Bakery
Villa Park, CA
This a cute little place with two different lives. By day it is a sweet little cafe and bakery – but by night it is rocking with live music and dancing for locals. There are nightly specials like Martini Mondays, Taco Tuesday, Wine Wednesdays and live music on Friday and Saturday nights. It does have a lively nightlife crowd, but kids are allowed until the kitchen closes.
Historic Districts in Orange County
Old Towne Orange
Orange, CA
Old Towne Orange is a lovely historic neighborhood that was founded in 1871. Protected by the Old Towne Preservation Association and the Orange Community Historical Society, Old Towne Orange has maintained its historical charm. It is known as the Antique Capital of California with all the cute shops and restaurants that surround the original historic plaza park. It also happens to be a happening spot, hosting a number of events throughout the year like the super popular International Street Fair. See our own custom family visitor’s guide HERE.
Balboa Fun Zone
Newport Beach, CA
Balboa Fun Zone has been bringing family fun to Newport since 1936 and it is still going strong today. Enjoy restaurants, rides, arcades, the ocean science center and more along the sprinkling sea.
The Queen Mary
Long Beach, CA
Queen Mary set sail on her maiden voyage in 1936 from Southampton and for the next three years functioned as a luxury cruise liner hosting celebrity guests and British royalty regularly. Then in 1940, the Queen Mary was painted grey and served her county in WWII as the Grey Ghost before returning to her cruise liner glory again in 1947 to 1966. By 1967 her sailing days were over and the Queen Mary was moved to Long Beach, California where she sits as a famous landmark hotel today! Oh and it’s reportedly haunted, and they have an awesome Scottish Festival.
Knott’s California Marketplace
Buena Park, CA
California Marketplace at Knotts is a collection of restaurants and shops just outside the theme park and does not require a ticket to enter. Stop by for a delicious dinner at newly remodeled Mrs. Knott’s Chicken House. It’s so good, we had it catered for our wedding. No joke!
Mission San Juan Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano, CA
Mission San Juan Capistrano was founded in 1776 and is the seventh of the 21 California missions established by the Spanish Catholics. It is a beautiful mission to explore with highlights being the Great Stone Church Ruins and the Legend of the Swallows.
Richard Nixon Presidential Library
Yorba Linda, CA
Richard Nixon Library is the birthplace and burial site of US President Richar Nixon. Along with his childhood home, you can tour beautiful gardens, over 70 tech-savvy exhibits in Presidential Library and more than 300 artifacts including Marine One, the Presidential Helicopter used by presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford.
Fun places to shop near Anaheim
South Coast Plaza
Costa Mesa, CA
South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa is the largest shopping mall on the west coast and has the highest concentration of designer fashion retailers in the United States. If you like shopping high end fashion in a lux mall, this is the place to spend your afternoon.
Gardenwalk
Anaheim, CA
Gardenwalk in Anaheim is an outdoor collection of stores, restaurants and entertainment located just a block outside of Disneyland. This is the closest place to shop near Disneyland with kids and has one of my favorite restaurants – Cheesecake Factory.
Outlets at Orange
Orange, CA
The Outlets at Orange is an open air outlet shopping mall with over 120 value outlets from designer retailers. There are also a number of restaurants and a 3D IMAX movie theatre. Oh, and they have an excellent seafood restaurant called Market Broiler, which is the main reason we like to go there.
Fashion Island
Newport Beach, CA
Fashion Island in Newport Beach is a fancy open-air shopping center with a cluster of premier designer retailers, lushly landscaped piazzas, boutique shops and restaurants. You can even see the ocean from certain angles at the mall, which helps remind you that you are in friggin Newport Beach!
Irvine Spectrum
Irvine, CA
Irvine Spectrum in Irvine is a popular outdoor shopping and entertainment center, complete with a ferris wheel, fun restaurants and the Irvine Improv! You will also find a cute old-fashioned carousel that they young kids will enjoy.
Pacific City
Huntington Beach, CA
Pacific City in Huntington Beach is ocean front dining, shopping and entertainment at its best. While there, check out, LOT 579, a modern food hall with games and live music.
Orange County Marketplace
Costa Mesa, CA
The OC Marketplace in Costa Mesa fills in the fun gap when the fair isn’t in town. It is a great place to wander the outdoor market with hundreds of unique vendors, food trucks and live music. It is sort of like an outdoor flea market where you can find great deals on everyday items.
Parks and hiking near Anaheim
Irvine Regional Park
Irvine, CA
Irvine Regional Park is a beautiful outdoor space surrounded by heritage Oak and Sycamore trees with the tranquil Santiago Creek running through. There are a number of leisure activities as well as OC Zoo and Irvine Park Railroad inside the park to enjoy. They also host the number seasonal activities with Halloween and Christmas being super festive.
Yorba Regional Park
Yorba Linda, CA
Yorba Regional Park opened in 1976 as 140 acre park adjacent to the Santa Ana River. It is a fun park to enjoy a day by the water, riding bikes and playing on the playgrounds.
Oak Canyon Nature Reserve
Anaheim Hills, CA
Oak Canyon Nature Reserve in Anaheim is a 58 acre nature preserve with connecting three canyons. With four miles of hiking trails, a stream and educational nature center that hold various events and activities throughout the year.
Orange County Great Park
Irvine, CA
Orange County Great Park is located on the decommissioned Marine Corps air station, El Toro and focused on the arts, agriculture and sports. This innovative park features a giant orange hot air balloon, a carousel, a farm and food lab, farmer’s market, kids’ play areas, an art complex and trails.
Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve
Newport Beach, CA
Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve, also known as Back Bay, is a 1,000 acres of coastal wetlands and home to about 35,000 migratory birds and 200 endangered species. It has tranquil hiking trails and a popular spot for paddle-boarding and kayaking.
That’s a Wrap!
Now that you’ve made it to the end of this list, I hope you understand that there are so many fun things to do with kids in Anaheim besides Disneyland. You can go hiking and enjoy nature, visit an famed OC beach city, spend an afternoon at a museum, or shop to your hearts content. There are just so many fabulous things to do near Anaheim with children. Enjoy your visit to sunny Southern California!
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9 Comments
Being a Disney family’s the best adjective on Earth! Love the photos 🙂 Who had more fun, the parents or the kids?
Haha! It is a toss up for sure!
This is an excellent list!! Thanks for sharing. I really want to visit the Packing House now.
We were so excited when they updated to Anaheim Packing House to a full fledged Farmer’s Market type thing. It is really hopping every weekend (and hard to find parking, but valet is cheap!) and really worth a visit if you are in town.
Hello cool site.
Thank you!
We were Anaheim two year ago exactly on this day. We just did a quick two days to Disneyland, but you post definitely has me interested in returning for an Angels game and a trip to Knott’s Berry Farm.
That’s awesome! Being locals, we want to start producing more lists of things to do locally, since so many people visit Disneyland and Anaheim each year. We want people to know there is so much more to do here if they have a few extra days! I am glad you found some inspiration from our post 🙂
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