Guide to Sonoma County Family Fun

Beyond the wineries, Sonoma County offers  family-friendly, exciting activities that will make the trip extra mem­o­rable. Here are just a few of these kid-approved experiences:

Outdoors

Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, Guerneville

Arm­strong Red­woods State Reserve provides a great place for your fam­ily to walk among towering coast redwood trees.

Some of the most pop­u­lar trees include the Ici­cle Tree, with its mys­te­ri­ous “burl” for­ma­tions, the Colonel Arm­strong Tree, esti­mated to be over 1,400 years old, and the Par­son Jones Tree, reach­ing heights of over 310 feet tall (that’s taller than a football field is long).

Candy & Kites and Second Wind, Bodega Bay

With some of the best-ever kite-flying conditions found along Sonoma County’s breezy coast, it’s no wonder the tiny town of Bodega Bay boasts two kite stores. Bring your own kite, or shop for one in town at Candy & Kites and Second Wind, both located on Coast Highway 1. Plus, the nearby Doran Regional Park hosts the Castles and Kites festival each May, with spectacular kites, demonstrations, and kite-flying training on the beach, as well as sandcastle sculpture creations. 

Howarth Park, Santa Rosa

This 152-acre community park includes an amusement park with a miniature train ride, carousel, animal farm, and pony rides. It also includes unique playground structures, a beautiful lake for fishing and boating, a softball field, tennis courts, picnic areas, and miles of hiking and jogging areas.  

Petrified Forest, Calistoga

Step back in time, over 3 million years, and witness redwood trees that were turned to stone 3.4 million years ago by a local volcano.  Both guided and self-guided tours are available. Although the post office lists this as a Calistoga (Napa County) address, the park is located just over the border in Sonoma County.

Safari West Wildlife Preserve & African Tent Camp, Santa Rosa

Enjoy a “wild” time by riding in an open-air safari vehi­cle through this 400-acre wildlife pre­serve. You’ll catch sight of giraffes, lemurs, chee­tahs, and wildebeests. And it gets even better — you can stay overnight in one of their luxurious safari tents.

Sears Point Driving Experience, Sonoma

If you need some excite­ment, check out the Sears Point Driving Experience for a cool kart rac­ing expe­ri­ence on California's longest track (for ages 13 and older; those under age 18 must have a parent or guardian present at time of rental). Or, let your teens try rac­ing lessons or even take the defen­sive dri­ving course.

Sonoma Canopy Tours, Occidental

Go soaring through the treetops of a redwood forest. A zip line lets the magic of gravity do all the work. Fitted with a specially-designed harness, you'll reach speeds of up to 25 miles per hour on the fastest zips. (Patricipants must be 10 or older, and weigh at least 70 and no more than 250 pounds.)

Sonoma Plaza, Sonoma

This eight-acre park in the center of town includes a duck pond and two playgrounds. This is a great place for kids to burn off some energy on the playgrounds, enjoy a picnic (tables are available, and the park is cool and shady), and feed the ducks. Surrounding the plaza you’ll find shops, restaurants, and historic sites, including the last and northernmost of the California missions.

State and Regional Parks, throughout Sonoma County

There’s a wide array of family fun, including fishing, kayaking, and horseback riding along the Pacific Coast or Russian River, hiking and biking dedicated trails in more than 55 state and regional nature parks, or discovering Sonoma County and California’s rich heritage in several history parks. 

TrainTown, Sonoma

This old-fash­ioned, scaled-down rail­road will delight young train fans. The 20-minute train ride goes over bridges, through tun­nels, and stops in its minia­ture town, “Lake­view,” which includes a pet­ting zoo. Kids will also get to enjoy six other rides includ­ing a carousel and Fer­ris wheel. 

Water Fun: 

The Russian River Resort Area

Enjoy kayaking, canoeing, swimming, fishing, and relaxing along the Russian River.

Finley Community Center & Aquatic Complex, Santa Rosa

In addition to swimming at the Finley Aquatic Complex (with two pools), this 12.2-acre community park offers a large, fun playground area; picnic tables and barbecues; basketball, tennis, horseshoe, and sand volleyball courts; and paved walking trails.

Ridgway Swim Center, Santa Rosa

This year-round public swimming center offers a nine-lane competition lap pool and a more shallow pool (2 to 3.5 feet deep) with a 140-foot water slide. Public swim sessions provide a fun time in the water for all ages and are typically offered spring to fall; lap swim sessions are typically available daily.

Water Park in Spring Lake Swimming Lagoon, Santa Rosa

This colorful, inflatable water playground lets children (age 6 or older) and adults bounce, climb, slide, and balance on a series of floating play stations. Open daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekends.

Indoors: 

Cal Skate, Rohnert Park

As one of the North Bay Area’s only roller skating rinks, Cal Skate lets you strap on skates or blades and glide away. The Club Friday Night series offers games, socialization, theme nights, and modern hit music, for a fun night out.

Children's Museum of Sonoma County, Santa Rosa

Dedicated to instilling a sense of wonder and teaching children (and their parents) about the arts, sciences, and the world around them, the Children's Museum provides hands-on, interactive exhibits and activities in a safe environment that are custom designed for families with children ages 10 years old and younger. 

Driven Raceway, Rohnert Park

For kids who are a minimum of 48" tall, you can try out the electric indoor go-kart racing in Rohnert Park, which offers the extreme experience for all your family party needs.

Scandia Family Fun Center, Rohnert Park

Scandia Family Fun Center is a kid’s fantasy land which includes two 18-hole miniature golf courses with tiny buildings, bridges, and waterways. Also featured are 18 batting cages with slow pitch and fast pitch. Bumper boats, equipped with water sprayers, are a great way to cool off on a warm day. And the Lil’ Indy Raceway gives a racing experience with its straight track and banked turns.

Fundemonium, Rohnert Park

This toy, hobby, and game store offers 14,000 square feet of fun. Options include a children’s play area, a slot car track, a 1,200-square-foot indoor radio-controlled car track, rock tables for radio-controlled rock crawlers, a snack bar, and LEGO play. 

Charles M. Schulz Museum, Santa Rosa

If you hap­pen to have some Peanuts fans in the fam­ily, visit the Charles M. Schulz Museum and research cen­ter. This fun, laid­back museum has some inter­est­ing exhibits about the famed car­toon­ist and his beloved Peanuts char­ac­ters. Directly across the street is Snoopy’s Home Ice sta­dium for ice skat­ing with the family. For more details about all things Peanuts, read Explore Snoopy and the Peanuts in Sonoma County 2-Day Itinerary.  

Pacific Coast Air Museum, Santa Rosa

Imag­i­na­tion takes flight at the Pacific Coast Air Museum. The museum displays historic aircraft and features antique World War II planes. The museum’s mission is to preserve aviation history and educate children. “Climb Aboard” special events occur throughout the year and in August, there's the “Wings Over Wine Coun­try Air Show.”

See Sonoma County's safety tips for water activities here.

Family Friendly Wineries

Con­sider vis­it­ing winer­ies that offer a kid-friendly atmos­phere and some space, like a nice big lawn for them to run on. Lit­tle extras like a fish pond, pic­nic area, or gar­den to explore will help make the day fun.

There are sev­eral winer­ies that go a step fur­ther by pro­vid­ing some spe­cific things to enter­tain kids dur­ing their visit. The fol­low­ing exam­ples will give you a taste of what’s out there. 

Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Gey­serville

Relax in this resort-like winery setting, with beau­ti­ful grounds and a lovely swim­ming pool (tick­ets required in advance) where you can reserve a cabine, which includes pool passes, lounge chairs, tow­els, and wine tast­ings (be sure to reserve early). Enjoy live music on sum­mer week­ends, children's activ­i­ties, bocce ball courts, and more.  

Alexander Valley Vineyards, Healds­burg

You’ll fine a toy chest in the win­ery, and wine caves that keep lit­tle peo­ple happy while adults have fun too. Experience enter­tain­ing events such as the Har­vest Party in Sep­tem­ber, which includes grape pick­ing, bless­ing of the grapes, brunch, a grape stomp com­pe­ti­tion, music, bocce ball tour­na­ment, and more. 

Belden Barns, Farmstead & Winery, Santa Rosa

Belden  recently unveiled special scavenger-hunt backpacks for kids who accompany their parents for tastings. While mom and dad taste the latest releases (by appointment only) in a rustic century-old dairy barn, kids can borrow the packs and wander the 55-acre property in search of flora, fauna, and other random or whimsical items. 

Benziger Family Winery, Glen Ellen

This organic win­ery features a play­ground, small bird zoo, beau­ti­ful gar­dens, pic­nic grounds, hourly tours, and fun Bio­dy­namic Vine­yard Tram tours in a tram pulled by a tractor.

Buena Vista Winery, Sonoma

Explore the oldest premium winery in California, which includes fun winery tours with the "Count," a maze, a "history" hillside, a wine cave, and a Wine Tool Museum. 

Chateau St. Jean, Kenwood

Play bocce ball or test your puzzle-solving skills in the Unlock the Chateau Escape Room at this quintessential Sonoma winery. Picnic in select areas on the gorgeous Mediterranean-style property. In addition to tasting flights, wines are available by the glass or bottle, along with a selection of cheese and charcuterie.

Cline Family Cellars, Sonoma

This family-run operation offers an unpretentious, farmhouse tasting experience, and kids will love the property, with its resident turtles, birds, fish, and donkeys. Pack a picnic, take a guided tour to learn about the history of the winery, and visit the California Missions Museum, with its historic displays of all 21 California missions (built to scale in 1939 for the California Pacific Exhibition). 

Landmark Vineyards, Ken­wood

Located at the base of Sug­ar­loaf Moun­tain, this beautiful winery offers a bocce ball court, pic­nic area, col­or­ing books and crayons in the tast­ing room, and horse-drawn wagon rides in the summer.

Larson Family Winery, Sonoma

The Lar­son Fam­ily Win­ery is an old rodeo ranch-turned-win­ery, which spells fun for fam­i­lies. This cowboy-style atmos­phere is very relaxed and comes with farm ani­mals, a bocce ball court, and grass area for pic­nic blankets.

Preston Farm & Winery, Healdsburg

A must-visit for any kid who loves cats, this feline-friendly winery (leave your dog at home) also has gardens, bocce, and sheep. If you're lucky, your little one can help bottle-feed a little lamb. You can bring a picnic, and the farm shop features fresh produce.

Truett-Hurst Winery, Healdsburg

Nestled on a biodynamic farm in the heart of Dry Creek Valley, Truett Hurst is known for its Zinfandel and Petit Syrah as well as their iconic creekside red chairs and a salmon habitat restoration area. The property includes goats, chickens, and sheep, and, as a bonus, also hosts the tasting room for VML Winery (reservations recommended). 

Family Friendly Hotels & Campgrounds

Here is a selection of family fun hotels and campgrounds.

Doubletree By Hilton Hotel Sonoma Wine Country

Surrounded by two 18-hole PGA certified championship golf courses, this Tuscan-style hotel features 245 spacious guest rooms, an elegant selection of suites, and 18,000 square feet of indoor meeting space. 

Located in family-friendly Rohnert Park, the Doubletree is near kid-friendly activities such as Driven Raceway, an indoor go-kart raceway; Scandia Family Fun Center, with bumper boats and miniature golf; Double Decker Lanes for bowling; Cal Skate roller rink; and much more.

A scenic hour drive from the world famous San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge and only 20 minutes from the Sonoma County Airport, guests can visit more than 190 wineries in the immediate area.

Flamingo Resort

The Flamingo Resort, in Sonoma Wine Country, is a Santa Rosa historic landmark. With the classic charm of the resort hotels of the 1950s and all the contemporary amenities important to today's guests, it is the perfect location for exploring Northern California's premier Wine Country.

The pool is perfect for kids, and families can get some of the rooms on the bottom floor around the pool, with easy access to kid-friendly diversions, including tennis courts and basketball hoops. It's also just a short walk to nearby restaurants, a pharmacy, and grocery stores. 

Petaluma KOA/San Francisco North

One of the top-rated camping and RV parks in the nation, this 70-acre, full-service campground and RV park in Petaluma features 20 lodges (sleeps six with kitchen, private bedroom, full bath, and TV), 34 camping cabins, a tree-covered tenting area, 30amp/50amp large pull-thru RV sites, and six large group areas.

All total, there are more than 300 sites, and each comes with a picnic table and fire ring; 189 have full hook-ups, and 16 are partial (water and electric). Amenities include a large pool, hot spa, off leash dog park, bocce ball court, horseshoe pits, rock wall, petting farm, hayrides, outdoor movies, and karaoke night (May to October).

Cloverdale Wine Country KOA Camping Resort

Tucked in the hills overlooking the magnificent Alexander Valley, this resort provides 60 acres of enjoyment.

Wooded tent and RV sites, combined with charming Kamping Kabins and lodges, make for an ideal location to setup base camp while you visit wineries, canoe, fish, and marvel at the towering redwoods and the gorgeous coast.  

Sunny days and cool nights create a perfect climate for the more than 50 award-winning wineries nearby. Recreation sites such as Lake Sonoma, Warm Springs Dam, and the Russian River provide an exciting range of outdoor activities. 

Starry nights, wireless Internet, a bountiful country store, mini-golf, large solar-heated summer pool and year-round spa on a hillside overlooking the Alexander Valley, basketball half-court, hungry fish in a catch-and-release pond, a gathering hall, and, of course, warm showers – all that you would expect of a KOA, and a whole lot more. This resort is a haven for cyclists, birdwatchers, grape lovers, and photographers.

Casini Ranch Family Campground

Casini Ranch Campground nestles among beautiful hills resting on a gentle meander along the Russian River near Duncans Mills, just minutes from the Pacific Ocean. One mile of river runs along this 110-acre part of the ranch, offering campers a memorable camping experience.

The area hosts numerous events and activities at and around Casini Ranch. You will find something for everyone to enjoy just minutes away. Casini Ranch is open year round. Onsite facilities include the well-stocked Moscow General Store, complete with laundry facilities and video arcade. The Moscow Barn, a restored historic barn, is used as a recreation hall for clubs, groups, and special events such as weddings or family reunions. It offers a large kitchen, dining hall/meeting room, upstairs dance hall (the old hay loft), and a large outdoor patio to enjoy the summer sun. 

Restrooms with hot showers are located throughout the park, and various watercraft rentals are available to enjoy on the mile-long beach amid the surrounding beauty of the Russian River. Casini Ranch offers a range of RV and tent sites with various features. Many sites have spectacular views of the river; others are secluded in wooded pockets and clearings, while some are large and expansive where the entire family can gather together. 

Dawn Ranch Resort

Dawn Ranch Resort is a 15-acre property nestled among towering redwoods on the banks of the Russian River. Just 20 minutes from the beautiful Pacific Coast, it offers rustic tranquility and a contemporary atmosphere. 

Individual cottages blend harmoniously into the stunning landscape of ancient apple orchards, bamboo groves, grassy meadows, and beautifully landscaped gardens. 

A century-old guest ranch, Dawn Ranch Resort was renamed in 2006 in celebration of the rare Dawn Redwood; two mature trees are on the grounds. Originally believed to be extinct for over 15 million years, the Dawn Redwood was rediscovered in the 1940s growing in remote provinces in China, and a handful of saplings were reintroduced to North America. The 70-year-old trees grew from these original saplings.

For more ideas, read Guide to Camping in Sonoma County and check our listings of all Sonoma County Hotels, Motels & Boutique Inns and Campgrounds & RV Parks.