11 Kid-Friendly Outings in Downtown Akron

Looking for kid-friendly fun? Look no further than downtown Akron. All year long, the neighborhood is full of unique, enriching, and even educational things to do, perfect for keeping the kids entertained while enjoying family time in downtown Akron.

Photo: Akron Children's Museum

1. Visit the Akron Children's Museum

The Akron Children’s Museum opened in 2016 and is a gathering space for children and families where play inspires exploration, discovery, and problem-solving. The museum houses nearly 20 interactive exhibits for kids to learn and play. Throughout the year, they host special events, like All Aboard the Akron Express, and every Thursday, they’re open late.

Photo: Shane Wynn

2. Stroll Through the Akron Zoo

Aside from being home to animals from around the world, the Akron zoo prioritizes education and important conservation work that helps save animals from extinction and fight climate change. They’re the third zoo in the past 50 years to receive a ‘clean’ accreditation inspection from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Accreditation Commission, which is a pretty big deal. The zoo is also the second zoo in the nation to have become inclusive to kids (and adults) who have sensory processing needs. Visit the zoo to see over 2,000 animals and participate in special kid-friendly events.

Photo: Shane Wynn

3. Take Advantage of The Library

Remember what it felt like to go to the library when you were a kid? It was magic, ripe with potential for a thousand different adventures within the pages of books on the shelves. Give your kids the opportunity to feel that, too! In addition to having literally millions of books (and other media) available to borrow, the library holds programming for kids of all ages—seriously, from babies to teenagers—every week. Check out their website for an extensive list of free, kid friendly events and to register.

4. Cheer On the Akron RubberDucks

The Akron RubberDucks’ tagline is “Affordable. Family. Fun.” for a reason: It’s a perfect summer outing for people of all ages! Games are packed with family fun promotions, and many weekend home games are followed by dazzling fireworks displays. So take your kids to watch Akron’s very own minor baseball team in action at Canal Park. The whole family is guaranteed to have a good time.

Photo: The Green Dragon Inn

5. Play a Game at The Green Dragon Inn

Take family game night to the next level at the Green Dragon Inn Board Game Bar & Café. Located on the second story of its building on East Market Street, it's sure to surprise and intrigue family members of all ages with its immersive medieval-themed décor and 750+ board games to borrow. Play one with your kids while you munch on appetizers and handhelds and enjoy one of their hit mocktails.

Photo: Akron Art Museum

6. Try Akron Art Museum's Family Activities

Who says high art has to be for adults? The Akron Art Museum offers a variety of family and kid friendly programming that encourages people of all ages to nurture their creativity, learn about art, and spend time together as a family. The museum regularly hosts Family Day events where kids of all ages can experience art. It also has Open Studio in its lobby, which offers sensory activities for babies, messy art materials for school-age kids, and art opportunities for adults. Aside from these predominantly kid-specific activities, admission to the museum is always free to visitors under the age of 18. Learn more about the art museum’s family programming on their website.

Photo: Richard Walter

7. Visit Clayton Bailey’s World of Wonders

Human-sized robots, mechanical wonders, and a slew of other curiosities: what could be more fascinating to onlookers of all ages? Ceramic and metal artist Clayton Bailey has created a museum’s worth of artifacts that, according to Rick Rogers, founder of Curated Storefront, offers “ongoing commentary on some of our greatest fears and fascinations during the Sixties and Seventies—from pollution to space exploration.” Not to mention, the exhibition is simply really freakin’ cool. Visit the Polsky Building (accessible from Main Street) to be dazzled by legendary robots at World of Wonders: Mechanical Molecules.

Photo: Dale Dong

8. See a Show at the Akron Civic Theatre

The beautiful Akron Civic Theatre is designed to resemble a Moorish castle and holds tons and tons of shows throughout the year—both on their spectacular main stage, and in the smaller Knight Stage space. Shows run the gamut from nationally famous musicians and comedians to Broadway shows, tribute bands, dance troupes and more. The shows are generally open to people of all ages, but some are even kid-specific and feature favorite childhood characters. Visit the Civic’s website to see their schedule of events and to purchase tickets.

Photo: The Great Escape Room

9. Test Your Wits at The Great Escape Room

Give the kids a chance to solve a puzzle at the Great Escape Room. This experience is ideal for groups of at least four and up to 10 people, and people of all ages can participate (those under 16 just require parental accompaniment). They’ve got several immersive experiences to choose from. Each room is full of opportunities to use deductive reasoning and your scavenger hunting expertise to solve the puzzle, and maybe even save the world from nuclear Armageddon.

Play during their regular business hours, or book a private session at whatever time is most convenient for you and your group.

10. Visit a Downtown Festival

Summertime is ripe with opportunities to attend downtown festivals of all sizes. There are tons to look forward to in the newly renovated Lock 3, like Polymer Palooza, the Bicentennial Heart of Akron Festival, Akron Picklefest, Akron Pizza Fest, Akron Pride Festival, Akron Latin Festival, and much more. Each festival features great food and beverage options, unique (and often free or low-cost) activities and performances, and plenty of outdoor space for the kiddos to run around and blow off some steam. Keep an eye on our event calendar to see which festivals are coming up soon.

11. Join Us for Skate Night on the Plaza

Summer is for roller skating, and the best part is it's fun for the whole family. Come to Cascade Plaza on select summer Saturdays for some themed, old-school roller-skating action, and bring your kids. There's always family-friendly music, yard games, and skates to rent for $2 per pair, or you can bring your own and skate for free. Snacks and beverages are available for purchase.

See our updated traffic advisories and parking information to navigate and park downtown with ease.

Mentioned in this Post