Jacksonville is a fantastic place to raise kids! Take it from me, I’m a mama to four! I have a 12 year old, Abigail, an 8 year old, Adelaide, a 5 year old, Leo, and a 2 year old, Beatrix. When it comes to keeping them occupied, I like to find activities that the whole lot of them will enjoy and with any luck, ones that won’t break the bank!! From parks and candy making to toy stores and museums, Jax has it all!

1. Sweet Pete’s Candy Shop

400 N Hogan St Jacksonville, FL 32202

Sweet Pete’s is an experience that you’ll be sure to remember! Sweet Pete’s is located in downtown Jacksonville in the historic mansion formerly known as The Seminole Club. Here, you can indulge in a wide-array of handmade candies, take candy making classes, watch candy being made, and host stellar birthday parties! Oh, and if you’re hungry for lunch you can also enjoy a bite to eat at Fizzies & Fare, the restaurant right inside Sweet Pete’s. They offer burgers, hotdogs, sandwiches, and a unique selection of bottled sodas. There is truly something for everyone here!

2. Jacksonville Public Library: Main Branch

303 N. Laura St Jacksonville, FL 32202

The public library is an enriching and affordable way to spend your day with your kids. The Main Branch is an especially fun experience for my family! The Library offers a myriad of children’s classes and events each month. This month they’re featuring “Sensory Friendly Storytime,” “Homeschool Art Club,” and “Drop-in Movie Day: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” to name a few. Duval County alone boasts 21 locations so find your neighborhood branch and the adventures will never end!

https://jaxpubliclibrary.org/

3. Ride the JTA Skyway over the river

Riding the Skyway is always a hit with my crew! The Skyway is a monorail that travels across The St Johns River from San Marco to Downtown. It operates from Monday to Friday from 6:00am- 9:00pm. The Skyway cars arrive every 4 minutes and are FREE! Park at Kings Avenue on the Southbank of San Marco and hop on the Skyway for a fun little outing! You can even make an afternoon of it by hopping off at The James Weldon Johnson Park Station and hitting up Sweet Pete’s, The Main Library, Chamblin’s Bookmine, and/or MOCA!

https://www.jtafla.com/ride-jta/skyway/

4. Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville (MOCA)

333 North Laura St Jacksonville, FL 32202

This modern art museum is great for all ages! Their exhibitions are ever-changing, but this past weekend we got to experience Project Atrium: Milagros, The Flutter Zone! This project featured a giant air filled painted-fabric bubble that we got to ENTER!!!! It was so cool! The colors and patterns surrounded us from every which angle and each of our senses were engaged from the touch of the foam creatures and blocks, the feel of the fan wind whooshing around us keeping the blob-like creation inflated, and the sound of the neon-painted organ that we played. There are a ton of opportunities to gain free entry to this attraction making it an accessible activity/experience for all!

https://mocajacksonville.unf.edu/visit/

5. Catch a movie at Sun-Ray Cinema

1028 Park St Jacksonville, FL 32204

Sun-Ray is a locally-owned movie theatre featuring two movie screens. It’s located in Riverside’s historic Five-Points and in 1927, it was the first theatre in Florida to screen “talking pictures!” What’s super fun about going to this theatre is their unique food delivery system. You order your food at the counter (which is totally delicious by the way), then you take your seat in the theatre, and a staff member brings your order out to you as you’re enjoying the movie! Wooden tables are situated in front of the movie chairs so you can comfortably eat.

https://www.sunraycinema.com/location/sunraydrivein

6. Hey Day Toy Store

2016 San Marco Blvd Jacksonville, FL 32207

I don’t know how many times I’ve thrown my hair into a “mom bun” and loaded my littles into the car for a fun filled jaunt through Target to look at the sights. But all the same items lose their luster after a while. Hey Day Toy Store is the perfect switch-up! They have a great selection of toys and clothes. Many of the toys are right at kid eye-level so they can sample the toys for themselves! The best part is that It’s locally owned and the staff really knows how to make a magical kid-friendly experience! After we poke around the store, we like to grab a coffee at Bitty and Beau’s and walk down to Landon Park to play! This’ll get ‘em niiiiiiice and ready for nap time!

7. Walk the bridges

Did you know that Jacksonville features a whopping NINE bridges!? One of my family’s favorite pastimes is walking the downtown bridges! We like to park at The YMCA’s riverfront parking lot or The Fresh Market’s lot in Riverside. From there and on foot, you’ll head North on Riverside Ave towards downtown. Stay on the right side of Riverside Ave and head up the walking path to The St. Elmo W. Acosta Bridge. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a glimpse of the historic train bridge to the right of The Acosta being lowered for the train to cross the river and oh boy, that’s a SIGHT! Once across the first bridge, use your GPS to get you to The John T. Alsop Jr Bridge (or the Main Street bridge). The Main Street Bridge is a traditional draw bridge and it has to be raised to allow taller boats to go underneath it. It’s such a treat when you get to see the drawbridge rise up while you’re at the foot of the bridge!! Witnessing the mechanics of it all will spark a ton of questions from your kids. If you’re quick enough, you can catch one of the bridge operators on the bridge and enjoy a quick lesson on how it all works!! Once back on the Northbank of the river, you’ll pass through an outdoor, riverfront exercise station. Climb the staircase just beyond it and you’ll land right in the middle of an impressive local art installation by David Nackashi! Nackashi’s vibrantly painted path will lead you back down to your car where you can call it a day OR grab lunch at First Watch! Did you know that The St Johns River has brackish water which makes the perfect home for DOLPHINS? Be sure to keep an eye out for dolphin pods on your journey!

david nackashi’s art- northbank of river

8. Riverside Park

753 Park St Jacksonville, FL 32204

What kid doesn’t love a day at the park! Jacksonville is dotted with fantastic parks. One of our faves is Riverside Park! It features a sizable playground, plenty of trees to climb and observe, and an huge spring-fed lake with ducks and turtles galore!!! There’s even a dog park where you can let your pup run freely if you’d like! The one downfall to this park is that there are no restrooms so plan accordingly!

9. Wicked Barley Brewery

4100 Baymeadows Road Jacksonville, FL 32217

Wicked Barley is a brewery/restaurant located on Goodby’s Creek in the Baymeadows area. You can reach this place by car, paddleboard, or boat! What’s so fun about it is a little sandy beach area right on the creek! We like to take our kids to eat there and while we visit with the adults at the picnic tables, the kids like to play on the beach and down in the creek. They like to climb up on the Cypress Knees and collect minnows and tadpoles. This is really a fun place for the adults to relax and let the kids interact with nature! The waitstaff is really incredible and they deserve alllllll the tips for dealing with kids running around as they expertly serve everyone! Keep an eye on Wicked’s Instagram for all the events they host throughout the year!

https://wickedbarley.com/

10. Riverside Arts Market (RAM)

715 Riverside Avenue Jacksonville, FL 32204

Riverside Arts Market is an ultra fun marketplace that’s located underneath the Fuller Warren Bridge and takes place every Saturday from 10:00am-3:00pm. Here, you can find dozens of local creators, fresh local produce, and food trucks! Often times, there are performances scheduled on a stage right on the river. Enjoy river breezes while supporting Jacksonville’s art community!

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Top 10 Fun Places With Kids