The best outings for toddlers (ages 1–3) around Dallas's northern suburbs
Every place on this list gets our top rating, 5 out of 5, for 1–3 year olds. That means short, flat paths you can push a stroller on, something to look at every few minutes (animals, water, trains), restrooms nearby, and parking that doesn't eat the morning.
Closest to the northern suburbs, the easy wins are Plano's Heritage Farmstead with its chickens and sheep, the duck-feeding loops at Bob Woodruff Park and Towne Lake, and the big playgrounds at Hope Park in Frisco and Celebration Park in Allen; when it rains or hits 100°F, switch to Sci-Tech Discovery Center, a city library or Crayola Experience. In the city, the Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden at the Dallas Arboretum, Klyde Warren Park and the sloths at the Dallas World Aquarium. For train fans, one DART ride from Downtown Plano or the vintage train in Grapevine makes the whole day.
- 40 places
- 26 free
- 40 stroller-friendly
- closest is 5 min away
40 places
Drive times from Plano
Heritage Farmstead Museum
5.0Plano · 5 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free lot at the 15th St entrance
Haggard Park (Downtown Plano)
5.0Plano · 5 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free street parking in Downtown Plano and the DART station lot
DART rail ride (Downtown Plano to Dallas)
5.0Plano · 5 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free lots at both Downtown Plano and Parker Rd stations
Bob Woodruff Park lakeside trail
5.0Plano · 10 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Several free lots on both sides of San Gabriel Dr and Park Blvd
Haggard Library children's area (Plano)
5.0Plano · 10 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free library lot
Windhaven Meadows Park (Liberty Playground)
5.0Plano · 15 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lot at the Windhaven Pkwy entrance, full on weekend afternoons
Cottonwood Park
5.0Richardson · 15 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lots on both sides of Belt Line Rd and Cottonwood Dr
Celebration Park
5.0Allen · 15 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Big free lot at the Angel Pkwy entrance
Richardson Public Library children's area
5.0Richardson · 15 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free Civic Center lot
Allen Public Library children's area
5.0Allen · 15 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free library lot
Towne Lake Recreation Area
5.0McKinney · 20 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lot at the Wilson Creek Pkwy entrance
Hope Park (Frisco Commons)
5.0Frisco · 20 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lot at Frisco Commons
Frisco Public Library (new building) children's area
5.0Frisco · 20 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lot shared with the Frisco Discovery Center
Josey Ranch Lake Library children's area (Carrollton)
5.0Carrollton · 20 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free library lot
Sci-Tech Discovery Center
5.0Frisco · 20 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free lot at the Frisco Discovery Center
Bonnie Wenk Park
5.0McKinney · 25 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lot at the Virginia Pkwy entrance
Andy Brown Park East
5.0Coppell · 25 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lot at the Parkway Blvd entrance
Flag Pole Hill all-abilities playground
5.0Dallas · 25 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free park lot on Doran Cir
NorthPark Center (Bookmarks children's library)
5.0Dallas · 25 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free mall lots and garages
Roy & Helen Hall Library children's area (McKinney)
5.0McKinney · 25 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free library lot and street parking downtown
Cozby Library children's area (Coppell)
5.0Coppell · 25 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free library lot
Klyde Warren Park
5.0Dallas · 30 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Nearby garages and street meters (about $10–15 on weekends); or take DART to St. Paul station and walk 10 minutes
M-Line Trolley (Uptown Dallas)
5.0Dallas · 30 min drive
1 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Garages and street meters around Klyde Warren Park, or take DART to Cityplace station and transfer
Dallas Arboretum & Children's Adventure Garden
5.0Dallas · 30 min drive
4 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: On-site lot about $11–15 (cheaper prepaid online), lines after 10am on peak-season weekends
Dallas World Aquarium
5.0Dallas · 30 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Parking: Paid lots around the West End about $10–15; or DART to West End station and a 5-minute walk
Autumn at the Arboretum pumpkin village
5.0Dallas · 30 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: On-site lot about $11–15, prepay online; long lines after 10am on October weekends
Grapevine Vintage Railroad
5.0Grapevine · 35 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly · reservation needed
$$ · Parking: Free lots and street parking around the Grapevine Main station
Texas Discovery Gardens butterfly house (Fair Park)
5.0Dallas · 35 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Fair Park lots, free or cheap most of the year (except during the State Fair)
Dallas Zoo
5.0Dallas · 35 min drive
4 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Zoo lot about $12/car; or take the DART Red Line to Dallas Zoo station, right at the gate
SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium
5.0Grapevine · 35 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly · reservation needed
$$ · Parking: Free parking at Grapevine Mills
Hall's Pumpkin Farm
5.0Grapevine · 35 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free grass parking next to the farm, lines on weekend afternoons
Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch
5.0Flower Mound · 35 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lot, lines to get in on weekend afternoons
River Legacy Park & Living Science Center
5.0Arlington · 40 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Several free lots at the NW Green Oaks Blvd entrance
Preston Trail Farms (Big Orange Pumpkin Farm)
5.0Gunter · 40 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Big free farm lot along Preston Rd
Trinity Park riverside trail
5.0Fort Worth · 55 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lots along University Dr and Trinity Park Dr
Dream Park (Trinity Park)
5.0Fort Worth · 55 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lot next to the playground on Trinity Park Dr
Forest Park Miniature Railroad
5.0Fort Worth · 60 min drive
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free lot next to the Forest Park station (Colonial Pkwy)
Fort Worth Botanic Garden & Japanese Garden
5.0Fort Worth · 60 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Parking: Free garden lot
Fort Worth Zoo
5.0Fort Worth · 60 min drive
4 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Zoo lot about $5/car
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
5.0Fort Worth · 60 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Parking: Free Cultural District lot (Gendy St)
💡 Good to know
- From May to September the outdoors is hot after 10am; toddler prime time is 8–10am and the evening. The rest of the year, any time works.
- Slides and playground surfaces burn in summer; touch them before you let a toddler on. Bring a change of clothes for spray grounds and beaches.