In Denton, Texas, you can find many fun attractions for kids of all ages. You can explore the area, relax, and enjoy nature. Here are some of the best activities in the area for you and your children.

The Fort Worth Zoo

Texas’s oldest zoo, the Fort Worth Zoo, is only about 45 minutes from Denton and boasts over 500 animal species. It attracts nearly a million visitors annually. Admission is half-price on Wednesdays, and it’s free every day for kids 2 years old and under.

Many bird species call the Fort Worth Zoo home, including bald eagles, macaws, flamingoes, ostriches, pelicans, and toucans. And you can check out classic zoo animals, such as lions, black bears, and elephants. Other animals at the zoo include black rhinos, giraffes, coyotes, gorillas, mountain lions, jaguars, and more.

It also has several other attractions, including a carousel, a 25-foot rock climbing wall, an interactive play barn for toddlers, and a 60-foot suspension bridge. For some excitement, check out the hurricane simulator or the tornado simulator. Or there’s Safari Splash, a water park inside the zoo that covers 14,000 square feet. It has four slides and several animal-shaped water cannons.

Various educational programs and camps for kids are available. For instance, zookeepers often host chats and presentations with animals during the day, and kids can ask questions to learn more about their favorite animals. This zoo also has several restaurants and concession stands, including Bluebonnet Cafe, Savanna Grill, Monkey Business, Penguin Snacks, Safari Snacks, and Crocodile Cafe. And you can enjoy your meal in several outdoor picnic areas.

Location: 1989 Colonial Parkway, Fort Worth, Texas.

Hours: You can visit on most days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, it’s open from noon to 4 p.m. And you can visit on New Year’s Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Explorium Children’s Museum

At the Explorium Children’s Museum in Denton, kids can learn about science, art, math, technology, engineering, and more. It’s popular for field trips, homeschooling, and kids’ birthday parties and designed for kids 12 years old and younger with various fun, hands-on exhibits. The museum also offers free Wi-Fi and plenty of puzzles and places to play. Admission is free with an annual membership, and you’ll also get discounts on children’s music classes, camps, and parties.

Location: 5800 I-35, Denton, Texas.

Hours: You can visit Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Stockyard Stables

The Stockyard Stables in Fort Worth is part of the Stockyards National Historic District. It has a petting zoo where you and your kids can feed goats, calves, lambs, and other animals. You can also get a picture of yourself or your child riding a real Texas longhorn.

Children 3 years and older can take 10-minute arena rides, while people 8 years and older can take a trail ride next to the Trinity River, which lasts for half an hour or an hour. The trail ride has a spectacular view of the Fort Worth skyline, and riding helmets are available. You can also take a stagecoach or carriage ride. Kids under 4 can ride for free, and those under 10 can get a discount.

Location: 157 E. Exchange Ave., Fort Worth, Texas.

Hours: You can visit every day from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Log Cabin Village

The Log Cabin Village is a living history museum in Fort Worth where you and your kids can learn more about how people lived in the 19th century. This village started with six historic log cabins in the 1950s. Then, the Foster Cabin, a plantation log house from the 1850s, was added in 1974. The Log Cabin Village also added a marine school from the 1870s in 2003 and the Reynolds Smokehouse in 2004.

These historic structures all have authentic furniture and artifacts from the Texas pioneer era. There’s also a one-room schoolhouse, a water-powered mill, an herb garden, and a blacksmith’s workshop. And historical interpreters give kids an up-close view of activities, such as making candles and weaving. As it is popular for school field trips, reservations are recommended. Admission for children 3 and under is free, while admission for people aged 4 to 17 is $6. However, parking is free.

Location: 2100 Log Cabin Village Lane, Fort Worth, Texas.

Hours: You can visit Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The last tickets are sold at 3 p.m.

The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

At the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, which opened in 1954, you and your children can learn about many exciting topics. Space lovers will want to check out the Noble Planetarium, which lets you look at the stars, and the Noble Space Gallery, which has an extensive collection of artifacts from the space race. Or you and your children can learn about dinosaurs at a replica of an archeological site at DinoDig.

There’s a Children’s Museum for kids 8 years old or younger with a child-sized grocery store. Children can also pretend to be doctors, nurses, engineers, inventors, or EMTs. People of all ages can make their own art. And in Energy Blast, kids can explore a model natural gas drilling site to learn more about how Texas generates power. Kids can also play and relax at the new Galaxy Park playground. And when you get hungry, the Stars Cafe has excellent hamburgers, cheeseburgers, pizza, chicken tenders, sandwiches, and more.

And if all this isn’t enough to wear your little tykes out, the Will Rogers Memorial Center and the National Cowgirl Museum are right next door.

Location: 1600 Gendy St., Fort Worth, Texas.

Hours: You can visit Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

These are only some awesome activities you and your family can enjoy near Denton. Did we miss any of the attractions your kids like most? Contact us at Orthopedic Specialists of North Texas and let us know which ones are your favorites. We’re open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Giraffe, Fort Worth Zoo by ghouildilocks85 is licensed with CC BY-SA 2.0