Birthday parties, family trips, weekend outings, homeschool field trips, and holiday excursions all have one thing in common: parents are looking for the best venues.
Weeks or even months before a party, parents start considering the possibilities. What would be the most fun? What will be educational and still engaging? Where can we make memories that my child will hold onto for a lifetime?
Yelp!, the online platform and mobile app that allows users to locate, research, and review venues from trampoline parks and beaches to museums and restaurants, decided to compile statistics showing what parents across the United States are enjoying with their kids.
What Did Parents Bookmark Most?
Since Yelp! is a review site, there are tons of metrics for comparing family fun venues. Review specifics and star ratings are a significant factor.
In this case, though, Yelp! sought to determine which places families found interesting and were incorporating into their plans, so the team started with a list of the most-bookmarked locations. That is, they found the places in each state that the most parents saved in their bookmarks, presumably because they enjoyed their first visit, or are planning a visit. Then they ranked the locations using a variety of factors, including reviews and ratings.
The end result is a list of more than fifty places that parents are excited to visit with their kids. We think some of them will excite you, too.
The Trends Yelp! Noticed In Their Bookmarked Results
Yelp! noticed the largest increase in bookmarking was in indoor play centers and play cafes. Maybe they’re heavily on parents’ minds at this time of year because of the cold and snow, but parents may also be bookmarking these fun locations for the hottest part of summer. Another bonus: indoor play places are great for parties and large groups because they keep everyone in one location.
Parents are also focusing heavily on learning locations, such as STEAM-focused sites. There’s been an increase in homeschooling since 2020, and this may drive some of these planned trips. However, parents also know that fostering a love of learning, especially in the science, technology, engineering, arts, and math realm, can set their kids up for lifelong success.
On that note, art classes and craft opportunities are another area where Yelp! saw a bookmarking boom. This, too, may link back to homeschooling. On the other hand, what could be better than our kids getting to dive into artwork, without messing up their bedroom or the kitchen?
Zoos, Aquariums, Farms, & Other Animal Encounters
To foster a love of biology and life sciences, nothing compares to encountering a variety of animals and learning all about them. In Alaska, the top-rated attraction on Yelp!’s list was the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage. In Arizona, Butterfly Wonderland was the star of the show.
Then there’s the Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo, combining kangaroos and caves for a unique experience, and in Texas, the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center offers guided tours or overnight stays in their Safari Camp.
Aquariums are tops in several states, including the Shreveport Aquarium in Louisiana and Ocean Adventures in Mississippi.
Don’t forget farms! In Virginia, the top bookmarked location was Great Country Farms, where your kids will enjoy farm animals as well as playgrounds, and seasonal pick-your-own activities, including strawberries and pumpkins.
Children’s Museums & STEAM-Centered Hands-On Adventures
Lots of museums made the list.
In Alabama, the top choice was the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf. where kids can explore exhibits like underwater shipwrecks and pilot a cargo ship. In California, it’s the Kidspace Children’s Museum, with hands-on activities for every age.
Another top pick for learning fun is the Discovery Center of Idaho, where kids can meet Tinker the T. rex and check out exhibits ranging from space to the Titanic. The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire also invites kids to explore dinosaurs, submarines, and more.
The Reigner Family Wonderscope is a children’s museum in Missouri, full of indoor and outdoor play areas and hands-on activities. If you’re headed to New Mexico, you won’t want to miss the Explora Science Center & Children’s Museum, with an endless array of indoor and outdoor experiences, including water fun.
For Rhode Island, families bookmarked the Providence Children’s Museum, where the Water Ways exhibit and the Maker Studio are just part of the fun. Tennessee parents chose the Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga for hands-on play and creative endeavors.
Spark Imagination & Science Center in West Virginia offers hands-on activities, including magnets and a plasma ball, and a fossil dig. In Wisconsin, Yelp! Users love the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum, where exhibits include a game of The Floor Is Lava and a Tooth Fairy Garden Shed.
St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site in Utah is also an active site, with fossilized dinosaur tracks discovered on location!
Indoor Playplaces & Trampoline Parks
Parents love indoor playplaces because they keep kids corralled in a controlled space while letting them run free, and because they are good in all weather.
That’s why The Wonder Place is number one in Arkansas. In D.C., families are excited about the Magic Playground, which includes an indoor play area, a coffee lounge, and computer games.
Georgia parents are taking their kids to the HippoHopp for the toddler play area, rock wall, and obstacle course. Illinois has the Purple Monkey Playroom with bounce houses and party space, and in Massachusetts, it’s Vinkari Safari, with tons of animal-themed fun. Holt Stage Hideaway in Montana has a bit of everything, including mini golf, but we’re dropping it in the indoor playground category since that’s awesome year-round.
Nevada parents are raving about Kangamoo Indoor Playground, not just because it’s fun for the kids, but because the parent lounge includes massage chairs, a jogging track, and free wifi. In Oklahoma, families are enjoying Breakaway Indoor Playground, with three separate enclosed play structures. Vermont’s top choice is an indoor playplace called Monkey Do, with activities for climbing, jumping, and running as well as pretend play, and in Washington, it’s Funtastic Playtorium, where the owners say kids need more active playtime with fewer restrictions on movement.
In Delaware, head for Shell We Bounce, a trampoline park with soft play, bounce houses, an arcade, and more. Kansas parents also choose a trampoline park, Urban Air, and North Dakota rates Sky Zone Trampoline Park as a top choice. South Dakota’s trampoline pick is Air Madness.
For indoor mini golf, Ohio loves Glow Putt. In Maryland, you’ll want to try Monster Mini Golf, where your kids can also bowl and try out a laser maze, and Michiganders are enjoying Breakout Escape Rooms Warren for a family challenge.
Creative Spaces & Art Classes
Creativity is a necessity for kids and adults.
In Colorado, the top choice on Yelp!’s list is The Craftsman & Apprentice, which offers classes, activities, and workshops for adults and kids. If you’re looking for paint-your-own pottery, parents in Iowa recommend Maker’s Club, New Yorkers love Color Me Mine, and North Carolinians give Meg-Art Pottery Painting Studio & Espresso Bar top ratings.
Oregon’s top Yelp! rating goes to Live Laugh Love Art, which offers not only pottery, but canvas painting, candle-making, and lots more.
Active Play & Sports
2026 may see a shift towards indoor playplaces and learning spaces, but that doesn’t mean families have abandoned outdoor play and physical activity.
Connecticut Yelp! users love It Adventures Ropes Course, where kids (and adults) can burn some energy on climbing courses, ziplines, and even a free fall. Ziplines, along with suspension bridges and a high ropes course, are among Florida families’ favorites at Empower Adventures in Tampa Bay.
If you’re heading to New England, you can check out the Maine Warrior Gym for obstacle training and parkour, or if you’re in the Midwest, Minnesota’s Conquer Ninja Warrior Woodbury offers a challenge. In New Jersey, it’s the Gravity Vault, for rock walls, rope climbing, and so much more.
In the Aloha State, the top attraction for Yelp! users is Nocturnal Adventures Hawaii, with paddleboarding, parasailing, and kayaking after dark.
In South Carolina, families are heading to Charleston, where they visit the Carolina Ice Palace for skating and hockey, and in Wyoming, they’re visiting Snow King Mountain for the Alpine Slide, snow tubing, and hiking.
Family Friendly Food & Fun
When it’s time to eat, but the kids are still bouncing off the walls, a venue that combines play areas and arcades with a family meal is a winner.
In Indiana, that means families are heading to Tyler’s Tender, where kids can check out model trains and arcade games while the parents finally get off their feet for a few minutes. Nebraska loves Chirpy’s Play Cafe for the same reason: parents can relax and eat while the kids play.
In Pennsylvania, there’s no question: it’s going to be Hershey. Yelp! users bookmarked Hershey’s Chocolate World, for food (not just chocolate, but plenty of chocolate!), a Hershey’s tour, and seasonal events like meeting the Reester (as in Reese’s) Bunny.