Located near Denver, Colorado Springs is the second largest city in Colorado and a place that has so many activities to offer if you are looking for things to do with kids. Through my partnership with Visit Colorado Springs, today I am sharing lots of fun kids activities in this lovely city. From family-friendly Colorado Springs attractions to awesome Airbnb rentals that will take your stay from good to great!
Best Things to Do in Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is an excellent hub for families to explore many fun and educational things. So, below are the five best kid-friendly fun things to do in Colorado Springs.
1. Whitewater Rafting
The thrill of whitewater rafting is a bucket-list type item for adventurous families visiting Colorado Springs. Also home to the Arkansas River, it is one of America’s top rafting destinations. No matter if you want a lazy river perfect for the little ones to an intense run of rapids for over the top teens, there’s something here.
2. Hot Air Ballooning
One of the best kid friendly things to do in Colorado Springs for those looking for more unique activities is going on a hot air balloon ride . The entire family including children aged 5 and above can enjoy this exciting experience. Gaze upon breathtaking the Rocky Mountain views of Colorado while your guide points out interesting facts. Top it off with a buffet-style breakfast that goes great alongside coffee or hot chocolate and there is no better way to finish an serial adventure!
3. Biking
Looking for some pure, simple kid fun in Colorado Springs? Try a bike ride. From leisurely cruises in the city to rocky mountain trails and turning heads with electric bike rentals, Colorado Springs has it all.
4. Explore Pikes Peak
From the beautiful 19-mile highway route you can easily traverse in your car, Pikes Peak is one for everyone. Views of it’s beauty can be seen via easily accessible drive, with activities that one will not run short on including seasonal fishing, hiking trails and picnic areas to name a few; complemented by even having a gift shop available.
5. Ghost Town Wild West Museum
Colorado Springs Ghost Town Museum is a great family-friendly experience. The preserved town includes buildings from the Pikes Peak region, so children can explore. Kids can enjoy everything from panning for gold to making butter. Add in the low cost of admission to make this one of the best things for families visiting Colorado Springs.
6. Horseback Riding
Colorado Springs has awesome views and what better way to experience spectacular than from a saddle. Whether you head out into the city itself, with its many parks and trails including iconic locations such as Garden of the Gods or Cheyenne Cañon; If you want the full experience however, plan to not only camp but also stay in one of the region’s dude ranches. This will be No. 1 for me on the list of family things to do in Colorado Springs!
7. Explore Cave of the Winds Mountain Park
Explore the marvels of Cave of the Winds Mountain Park as it unfolds into a new adventure at every bend. There’s plenty to test your courage like the Bat-A-Pult, put yourself through your paces on the Wind Walker Course or jump off a cliff as you fall 150 feet into then canyon at close to 100 miles an hour! Best of all, families with young children can tour the cave for free for kids 0-5.
8. Experience a Mountainside Zoo
Located on the mountain side, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is a dizzying experience you will not find at any other US zoo. At an elevation of 6,800 feet above sea level and houses over 750 animals. Fists will fly because kids love all that, plus hand-feeding the giraffes and riding the zoo’s skylift for a birds-eye view of everything.
9. Gray Line Bus Tour to a Rocky Mountain Peak
One of our renowned attractions, the Broadmoor Pikes Peak Cog Railway is presently shut down but you can be transported up to and from the top. While hiking to the top of this 14,115-foot mountain peak you will see some magnificent landscapes from Colorado and also possible wildlife too. This intermediate level tour is ideal for a family with young children who want to explore the majestic Rocky Mountains without having to worry about their kids being able to hike.
10. Visit the Florissant Fossil Beds
In Colorado Springs, another one of the best things to do with kids is visiting Florissant Fossil Beds. The site is home to one of the world’s largest petrified redwood stumps, measuring a whopping 14 feet across on top. You will be amazed by the thousands of different and very detailed fossils like insects, plants etc.
So, as part of the National Parks Service $5 per day for anyone 16 years and older (children under that age get in free).
11. Explore the Broadmoor Seven Falls
True to it’s name — this breathtaking site displays seven falling cascades, each one more beautiful than the last. The falls can be easily accessed with short walk and an elevator, or stair way path which little workout. Many will want to continue their trip and the park offers additional trails with also one zipline allows visitor more opportunities to be in nature.
12. Explore the Cliff Dwellings
The Manitou Cliff Dwellings, ancient ruins built by the Anasazi people over 700 years ago; a family favorite. Equally, the artifacts of history are sure to tempt kids into exploring them further by walking inside and touching these incredible relics.
13. Visit a Castle
A castle in Colorado? Absolutely! Located on the border of Garden Of The Gods, Glen Eyrie is a grand Tudor style home that looks just like an English castle allowing children to experience something different when in Colorado Springs. The 800-acre preserve is open for public visitation and also offers guided tours lasting up to an hour. Take a castle tour that includes an elegant three-course High Tea, or stay overnight in luxury at Glen Eyrie’s beautifully refurbished estate.
14. Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum
Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum: Explore the history of Colorado Springs with a trip to this restored 1903 El Paso County Courthouse which houses collections that include pioneer artifacts, quilts and regional paintings. Saturday is a free day, and there’s Children’s History Hour on the third Wednesday — plus last Saturday (though with specific age points). Reservations are strongly recommended, and reservations required for the Children’s Hour.
15. Cornerstone Art Center
Colorado Springs has its share of art lovers, and if your family is one of them you owe it to yourselves to visit the Cornerstone Art Center. The building is LEED certified for its sustainable architecture and guests will find a public art gallery with rotating exhibitions inside.
16. Explore Bear Creek Regional Park
A short drive from town, you will find the 545-acre Bear Creek Regional Park with activities for kids that include archery; tennis; hiking and basketball court plus horseshoes. The trails are well-marked, and while some of the hikes can be steep they should not discourage families that do regular hiking.
17. Enjoy Acacia Park
Uncle Wilbur’s Fountain There’s nothing like a hopping through in a fountain on a hot day and Acacia Park is the perfect spot for that with Uncle Wilbur’s, which has over 200 pop-up jets to get you running around it; this kid-favorite park right near the U.S. Ice Skating and Stabler Arena provides hours of excitement close enough to hop inside for free-time fun when they’re hungry or need some extra adult-support from all those busy days at home learning math stuff! There are also picnic tables available in the park making it a wonderful place to bring family and friends for lunch or dinner during Colorado’s nice weather.
18. Penrose Heritage Museum
The Penrose Heritage Museum houses an extraordinary collection of 31 original horse-drawn carriages; 13 The museum also offers other exhibits, all showcasing notable vintage riding tack, antique firearms and portions dealing with Native American artifacts (Getty Villa). The museum provides an impressive insight into the past.
19. The United States Air Force Academy & Cadet Chapel
The United States Air Force Academy is one of the most reputed institutions in the U.S. It can be visited from 8 AM –6 PM on all days The Visitor Center is available from 9.00 a.m to 5 p.m giving a brief history and information beforehand. And then from there you can go see the incredible stained glass chapel or take a guided tour of the academy.
20. Visit the Peterson Air & Space Museum
Peterson Air & Space Museum in Colorado Springs — a budget-friendly outing. Kids will enjoy being able to walk into the planes and have them explained by experts, but better still, admission is absolutely free.
21. Explore the Shrine of the Sun (FREE with Zoo Admission)
Looking for unique and free family activities in Colorado Springs? Cheyenne Mountain Zoo What It Is: You can’t come to Colorado Springs and not go hiking, even in a zoo — especially when one of the key features is allegedly “the smallest chapel in America!” Right behind the zoo is The Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun and this is included in your admission fee to get into the zoo! The Shrine offers panoramic views of bustling Colorado Springs and also includes a small museum with information you won’t find in books.
22. Memorial Park
Memorial Park Colorado Springs With Kids This vast park has something for every family with beautiful well-maintained fields of soccer, baseball, softball and football plus tennis courts waiting to be used or a horseshoe pit set up. Add in this Ice Center and the city’s second largest skate park – you would have thought everyone had all disappeared back into their hideaways since it looked awfully deserted at 9:00pmERC only; Better watches to Aaron before he was brought crashing out from his hiding space . Features included a street course, backyard pool with skull-caps and bowls over the nearly 40,000-square-foot park. This is perfect for anyone that inline skates, skateboards or BMX bikes. Or, if you want to kick back, recline on one of the stone boulders or in the picnic pavilion.
23. Paint Mines Interpretive Park
You can check it out on your way to Paint Mines Interpretive Park, one of the other free things you will do when in Colorado Springs, this place also has a serious WOW factor with amazing and colorful rock formations that are some 9.000 years old! The Preserve is open to the public, with nearly four miles of trails and a restroom facility in addition to interpretive signage making it an ideal destination for families looking to explore or educational outings.
24. New Santa Fe Regional Trail
The 14-mile New Santa Fe Regional Trail So Much Eye CandyYou can soak in more of Colorado Springs’ gorgeous scenery on the 14-mile New Santa Fe Regional Trail. Built along an old railroad right-of-way through the U.S. Air Force Academy, this trail provides a great opportunity to view wildlife and geology from the user-friendly pathway The area offers interpretive signs that reveal more of the history behind it.
25. Visit Red Rock Canyon Park
Red Rock Canyon Park — Located just south of US 24 between Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs, this larger park (787 acres) is a really fun place for kids to run around! There are hiking, biking and climbing trails through the park for families to explore. This park is a great one for the rock climbers out there, with over 80 bolted climbs — meaning your day trip to SNP will prove to be an active.
26. Visit the Olympic Training Center
Colorado Springs is the home of the famous Olympic Training Center where athletes and coaches spend years preparing for future games, making it one proud city in regards to its name called — Olympic City USA. Your family can visit this iconic location (reservations recommended) via a short introductory film about the Olympics and guided walk around typically lasting two hours. You might even run into some of the fastest people in world and one or two future Olympians!
27. Enjoy an Evening at Flying W Ranch
Flying W Ranch For Late Spring–Early Fall, An Unforgettable Evening for the Family Best Of Colorado Springs With Kids: Western Heritage Night – Looking for fun things to do in Colorado springs with your kids? Spend an evening steeped in the Old West. With your ticket, you will enjoy a hardy dinner of smoked meat beans potatoes and applesauce along with an evening entertainment. Nationally recognized for their music and humor, the Flying W Wranglershave entertained fans of all ages around the world with more than 7 million people in attendance since its first performance in 1953.
28. Explore the Western Museum of Mining and Industry
Western Museum of Mining and Industry Age Groups: Preschool, Elementary Our Family visited The Western Museum of Mining & Industry in Colorado Springs. Where would you can also take a guided tour at 10 am and 1 pm with your paid admission, the kids will especially love the opportunity to pan for gold (included in price of ticket)while learning everything there is to know about mining through some super cool movies & exhibits.
29. Embark on an Extra Adventure in Manitou Springs
Located a quick drive from Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs is an adorable mountain town great for wandering around. Famous for it’s natural hot springs, the town has a total of eight within it all presumed by many to have healing properties. After having enough of the springs, take a stroll to through the cute old town where you can find an arcade center, ice-cream parlors and try some delicious crepes.
30. Feed the Giraffes at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
By definition, located a mile high in the sky at more than 6,000 feet above sea level makes it one of America’s top zoos and allows for sweeping mountain views. But take a stroller for younger kids if you’re visiting there, because it has hills. A popular spot for both locals and tourists, the zoo features an activity that is consistently ranked among parents’ top things to do in Colorado Springs with kids: hand-feed giraffes at eye level.
Why You Should Visit
I hope this list of kid-friendly things to do in Colorado Springs provides you with the ideas and inspiration needed for your most memorable trip yet! One of the most beautiful spots in the Mountain West, Colorado Springs offers experiences for both parents and kids that are not only fun but also unforgettable.
