20 Best Cities for Kid-Friendly Vacations

Got kids? Then you’ll want to hold onto this list of the best cities for a kid-friendly vacation. You’re not likely to hear sighs of boredom in any of these must-go destinations, whether for summer vacation or a fall break.

Lawn Love used data points to compile a list of the very best cities for kids and families. They considered not only family-friendly things to do, but also kid-friendly restaurants and accommodations, as well as affordability, safety and ease in getting around town. Here is the ranked list, which includes must-dos that make each city an all-round family favorite.

There’s a lot to love about Atlanta when you’re thinking about a family vacation destination. In the downtown tourism-friendly part of the city you can park once and be a short walk from top-rated attractions, like the Georgia Aquarium, Centennial Olympic Park, World of Coca-Cola and the Children’s Museum of Atlanta. There are fun new attractions, too, like the highly interactive Museum of Illusions and the reimagined LEGO Discovery Center. Slime-obsessed kids will go ga-ga for the Sloomoo Institute, a kid-friendly space that’s all about slime. There’s even a DIY slime bar. For outdoor loving families, head to the Chattahoochee Nature Center for nature trails and hands-on wildlife exhibits. Kids (and parents, too) will appreciate walking or biking the Atlanta Beltline, which boasts a playground and skateboard park and connects to the food hall Ponce City Market, a great place to grab a bite from restaurants and food stalls with something for everyone. Head to the Ponce City Market rooftop to check out the many entertainment and food options at Skyline Park, which includes vintage games and amusements. For kids who love nature there are plenty of great options including Fernbank Museum of Natural History, which features loads of interactive exhibits and wonderful Fernbank Forest to explore, and the Atlanta Botanical Garden, which has a special children's garden.

Pittsburgh is a fun and family-friendly destination with a variety of activities for all interests and ages. Start your day at the Carnegie Science Center, which has exhibits that range from the Little Learner Clubhouse, a nature-inspired zone for kids age 6 and under, to SpacePlace, a hub that allows big kids to explore rockets, space missions and planets. Space-crazed kids will also love the new hands-on Moonshot Museum. Enjoy a picnic and hiking trails at Point State Park, then take a ride up Mount Washington on the Duquesne Incline to the observation deck for scenic panoramas across Pittsburgh.

In Phoenix, one of the most popular family attractions is the Musical Instrument Museum, which houses 15,000 instruments from over 200 countries. In the museum’s Experience Gallery, children can play instruments like the Peruvian harp and West African djembe. At the Desert Botanical Garden, take in a manicured display of more than 50,000 plants that live in the arid Sonoran Desert. Walk the garden trails, then immerse yourself in the butterfly pavilion. In neighboring Scottsdale, the Arizona Boardwalk houses eight kid-friendly attractions, including an aquarium, a mirror maze and an indoor playground with inflatables and a climbing structure.