Family Fun

Make a getaway as a family, whether you’re looking for outdoor adventures or indoor fun. See animals at zoos and farms, learn about the world around us at nature centers, explore history at museums and on excursion railroad lines that cater to young and old alike and embrace adventure with tubing and other family-friendly adventures.

Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania (photo by iStock)

Crowds gather in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, every Feb. 2 for a charming tradition that stretches back to 1886. 

 

The Elephant Discovery Center in Hohenwald Tennessee (courtesy of The Elephant Sanctuary)

This destination in Hohenwald, Tennessee, provides an engaging, hands-on learning experience for kids and grownups.

Lights on Stratford in Stratford, Ontario (photo courtesy of Lights on Stratford)

The winter festival transforms Stratford, Ontario’s historic square and parks with luminous art and interactive light installations.

Hall of Fame Gallery at Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio (photo courtesy of Pro Football Hall of Fame)

The Canton, Ohio, favorite celebrates the story of the NFL, mixing a deep history of its first century with fun and interactive exhibits that highlight the game’s advances and innovations.

Holiday decorations at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge Tennessee (photo by Curtis Hilbun/Dollywood)

Country music singer and actress Dolly Parton’s theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, shines during the holidays with over 5 million lights. 

Factory equipment at The Original Kazoo Co. in Eden, New York (photo from Wikimedia Commons)

After more than a century, this Eden, New York, company’s small original kazoos are still made here using the same 18-step process. 

1957 Chevy mural in Pontiac, Illinois (photo courtesy of Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum & Resource Center)

These two museums in Pontiac, Illinois, celebrate America’s obsession with the open road and historic cars from throughout history. 

A Mountain Rail Adventures train excursion through West Virginia (courtesy of the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad)

Mountain Rail Adventures offers train excursions from depots in Cass, Durbin and Elkins, West Virginia

Family skiing at Mad River Mountain in Zanesfield, Ohio (photo courtesy of Vail Resorts)

As Ohio’s largest ski area, this Zanesfield, Ohio, destination spans 144 acres of skiable terrain, including 20 trails, a tubing park, 11 lifts and 300 feet of vertical drop.

Skaters on the Howard Park Ice Trail in South Bend, Indiana

This South Bend, Indiana, destination features a refrigerated ice trail — a continuous, 15-foot-wide, 650-foot-long loop that gradually dips and climbs.