Free Fun For Kids in Austin
What’s better than free?! We love it when we can take our kids out for a day of fun and not spend a dime. Here’s a giant round up of free fun for kids in Austin. We’ve included where kids eat free, free indoor fun, free outdoor fun, free kid-friendly events, and free seasonal fun.
Where Kids Eat Free in Austin
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This is our post on all the places where kids can eat for free in Austin, broken down by day.
Free Kid-Friendly Ongoing Events in Austin
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- The Thinkery has free community Sundays from 3-5 p.m. and Tuesdays from 3-7 p.m.
- Home Depot has free kids DIY workshops on the first Saturday of each month.
- Get free admission to the Bullock Museum on the first Sunday of each month.
- Blanton Art Museum and Laguna Gloria are free every Thursday! Laguna Gloria also has free Second Saturdays are For Families.
- Visit the Central Austin Public Library for story time Tuesdays through Fridays at 10 a.m.
- Free story time at BookPeople on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays at 10:30 a.m.
- Visit an Austin Farmers Market.
- Volunteer with kids!
- Free live music for kids & families at Cherrywood Coffeehouse on Sundays at 10 a.m.
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Indoor Fun That’s Free
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- Take a free tour of the Capitol.
- Living Spaces Furniture Store in Pflugerville has the coolest indoor playscape and IT’S FREE! Just bring your own socks.
- Visit Zookeeper Exotics and see magical critters like a real live sloth! 9012 Research Blvd, Austin
- Central Public Library is cool to visit for no reason, but if you need a reason, story time is on Tues-Fri at 10 a.m.
- BookPeople has free story time on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
- Brentwood Social House, Slackers Brewing Co, and Malone Coffee (Wells Branch) all have indoor play areas for kids.
Outdoor Fun That’s Free
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- Take a hike! Most hikes are free, here’s a list of the best kid-friendly hiking trails in Austin. One of the best hikes to do with kids is to visit the peacocks at Mayfield Park. And the Barton Creek Greenbelt is a classic Austin must-do at some point.
- Play at one of these unique playgrounds in Austin.
- Austin Nature & Science Center is hours of free entertainment (dig for dino bones, see fossils, visit the animals).
- Climb a tree.
- Brushy Creek Trail Playgrounds are all free (and Brushy Creek Lake Park has a splash pad!)
- Walk along the Ann & Roy Butler Hike & Bike Trail and feed the ducks at Lou Neff Point.
- Watch the sunset from the top of Mt. Bonnell.
- Visit Wimberley for their free Wimberley Market Days (first Saturday of the month), Pioneer Town, and the creek downtown.
- See the real dinosaur tracks in Leander.
More Outdoor Fun That’s Free
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- Take your BMX bike to the dirt jumps at 9th Street BMX or Elizabeth Milburn Park in Cedar Park.
- Mural tour of Austin (snap selfies at the famous murals like I Love You So Much, Greetings From Austin, You Belong Among the Wildflowers, and You’re My Butter Half).
- Swimming holes like Blue Hole in Georgetown, Tejas Camp, Lake Pflugerville, and Secret Beach are all free!
- Splash pads
- See free live music on weekends at Central Market while the kids run around on the playground.
- The Natural Gardener is a fun place to explore with kids. They have goats!
- Go to a local “beach” with your sand toys (like Lake Pflugerville or Secret Beach).
- Climb inside the treehouse at Pease Park.
- Climb inside the green house at Katherine Fleischer Park.
- Alliance Children’s Garden is our favorite local playground. If you come during the summer months, you can splash at the Liz Carpenter Fountain here as well.
- See Ocho, the giant octopus that lives at Jessie Andrews Park.
Seasonal Events That Are Free For Kids in Austin
Winter
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- Bass Pro Shops has free photos with Santa.
- The Zilker Trail of Lights is FREE on select nights! On regular nights, kids 11 and younger get in free with a ticketed adult.
- Mozart’s has one of our favorite lights displays in Austin. You can see it for free, or pay to reserve a table. 3825 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin
- Hogwarts is in South Austin! The display is usually up and running by Thanksgiving. Slaughter Lane and Bungalow in South Austin
- Zilker Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony has local entertainment, food, novelties, and live music at Zilker Park, 2100 Barton Springs Road (on the south side of the park).
- Light Up The Lake in Round Rock is a free 2-day holiday festival around the lake and festival area. Giant balloons hovering over the lake, light show, live music, holiday displays, holiday food and refreshments, crafts, family activities, yule log, and more! Old Settlers Park, 3300 E Palm Valley Blvd, Round Rock.
- Annual Georgetown Christmas Stroll is in historic downtown Georgetown. Parade, shopping, Bethlehem Village (live manger), Santa photos, and more! 103 W 7th St, Georgetown.
- 37th Street has been displaying the weirdest lights in town since the 1980s. The community on 37th is eager to continue the tradition with quirky displays at 37th and Guadalupe, near Dominos and Groovy Lube.
- Tuba Christmas is 200 Tuba, Euphonium, and Baritone players performing traditional Christmas music on the south steps of the Texas Capitol Building in Austin, Texas. FREE!
Spring
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- Music on Main in downtown Round Rock is free every Wednesday night in May on Prete Plaza. Bring blankets or lawn chairs and enjoy the outdoor concert.
- Pecan Street Festival is every May at 501 Old Pecan St, Austin
- See the bats along the South Congress Bridge March through October.
- Georgetown’s Red Poppy Festival every April
- Get a free comic book on Free Comic Book Day.
- Get a free cone from DQ on the first day of spring!
- National Donut Day (get a free donut!)
- Go fly at kite at ABC Kite Fest.
- Take photos among the bluebonnets!
- Go to Rodeo Austin for free during the Rodeo Rumble.
Summer
- See the bats along the South Congress Bridge March through October.
- Nature Nights at Wildflower Center Thursday evenings in June (free admission from 6-9 p.m.) and Lady Bird Day is a free day in July.
- Most splash pads are free in town. Here’s a list of where to find them!
- Zilker Summer Musical is free every year (Matilda the Musical is the one for 2023).
- H-E-B Austin Symphony July 4th Concert & Fireworks
- Spare Time Bowling Free Summer Fun Pass: kids ages 5-14 can enjoy ONE FREE Game of Bowling (shoes included) or ONE FREE Laser Tag Mission each weekday before 6 p.m.
Fall
- Music on Main in downtown Round Rock is free every Wednesday night in October on Prete Plaza. Bring blankets or lawn chairs and enjoy the outdoor concert.
- Creek Show is in November at Waterloo Park. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance. 500 E 12th St, Austin
- Pecan Street Festival is every September at 501 Old Pecan St, Austin
- See Austin museums for free on Austin Museum Day every September!
- The Chalk Walk is every October at Dell Diamond in Round Rock. 3400 E Palm Valley Blvd, Round Rock.
- Meet your favorite authors and discover some new books at the Texas Book Festival every November in downtown Austin in and around the State Capitol.
- Sweet Berry Farm has a free pumpkin patch (only pay for what you want).
- See the bats along the South Congress Bridge March through October.
- Kids get into ACL for free with an adult ticket.
Bonus: Cheap Fun For Kids in Austin
These aren’t free, but close enough!
- Barton Springs
- Quarry Splash Pad
- Cedar Rock Railroad
- Cidercade has a $10 entry fee and free all you can play games once inside.
- Dart ‘Em Up has Twofer Tuesdays: 2 can play for $10 on Tuesdays.
- Half-price Twilight Hours at Rock’N River Waterpark every night from 5-7 p.m. (closed Wednesdays) during the summer.
- Capital Gymnastics has open gym mornings every Friday. The best part is that these only cost $6! For an hour and a half, they can run around and play, jump, and flip inside the gym. Best deal in town! Sign up in advance to reserve your spot.
- Visit the “beach” at Emma Long Park.
- Garey Park in Georgetown is $2 Resident/$4 Nonresident (3 and under are free). They also have half price Tuesdays from October 1-March 31.
Bonus: Where to Live Affordably Around Austin
If you’re looking for affordable places to live around Austin, there’s a great Refin article for you to check out, that features us! Austin Fun For Kids was named a top Austin,TX, local expert by Redfin. Check out the article we were featured in: [10 Most Affordable Austin
Suburbs to Live In | Redfin]