Plano, Texas is a quick 3 hour trip north of Austin and a city you should absolutely add to your list places to visit. The city of Plano offers 60+ public parks and nature preserves, the cutest downtown area with brick paved streets, public art galore, and multiple museums and farms to keep the whole family entertained. Below are 8 fun, family friendly things to do in Plano!
*This post is sponsored by Visit Plano.
We stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites Plano East. The hotel was great, but the pool was the real star of the show! The image below doesn’t even show the 3 fun water pouring and spraying features at the opposite end of the pool.
Downtown Plano
We had two dinners and a breakfast in downtown Plano on our weekend adventure. Needless to say, the large shady park (see #2 on the list), delicious food, brick paved streets, and funky art around every corner made us fall in love with Downtown Plano. Don’t miss food includes: Urban Crust, Urban Rio, and XO Coffee for breakfast.
1. Downtown Plano Murals & Statues
- “Echowave” on Avenue K and 15th Street by Milan Bender
- Cactus, windmill, cotton, water tower, train mural on the wall of the Georgia Farmers Market by Will Heron
- Historic street scape on Vickery Park Restaurant by Wes Hardin
- Barrett DeBusk sculpture on Avenue H between 15th & 16th
- Mother, Father, Daughter statue at the SW corner of Haggard Park by David Hickman
- Iron horse at the Downtown Plano DART station by Tom Askman
2. Haggard Park
Bring something with wheels and let the kids burn some energy racing around Haggard Park. The park is shaded by large trees with concrete pathways perfect for scooter, bike, and roller blading adventures. Kids will enjoy seeing a train car, multiple art pieces (see #1 on this list), a pond and a pavilion, plus there are 2 play areas. Don’t miss the Interurban Railway Museum! It’s open 10-4pm Tuesday-Saturday and has free admission. but when it opens back up it offers free admission for your little train lovers.
Plano Parks
There are 60+ parks in Plano, TX including the one I mentioned above in Downtown Plano. The 3 parks and preserves listed below are on the top of my list for family fun.
3. Windhaven Meadows Park
The 123 acre park has 1.9 miles of concrete trails perfect for scooter and bike adventures. The park also has a 20,000 square foot playground designed to accessible for children of all abilities. There’s also a unique splash pad, but it is currently closed due to the virus.
4. Oak Point Park
Oak Point Park is 800 acres and Plano’s largest park! Things to do at Oak Point Park include:
- Ride, jog, or walk 8 miles of concrete trails
- Ride or walk 5 miles of dirt trails
- Kayak, canoe, or stand up paddle board on the lake
- Fish in the lake or explore the winding creek
- Complete a 423 foot zip line 28 feet up in the trees with Go Ape. Children must be at least 10 years old and 4 ft 7 in.
5. Arbor Hills Nature Preserve
Arbor Hills is a 200 acre park complete with 3 miles of paved trails, 3 miles of unpaved trails for pedestrians only, and 2.8 miles of mountain biking trails. There is also a small, shaded playground for kids and free wi-fi!
Things to do in Plano
6. Crayola Experience
The Crayola Experience brings every kiddos favorite colored crayon to life! There are 20 attractions including melting a crayon into a ring, creating wax drip art, discovering Scribble Scrubbies, and crafting up your very own personalized crayon! We went on a Saturday morning right when it opened at 10am and there was ample space for social distancing, masks are required, and temperatures were taken at the door. Oh and for the reminder of 2020, Crayola Experience is offering an Unlimited Pass for the price of a single ticket!
7. Shops at Legacy West
Extra wide sidewalks, ample free parking, and tons of fun instagramable locations, the Shops at the Legacy is the perfect spot for a family meal or treat! The mural below is by Kelsey Montague and is at 5471 Legacy Drive. Pro tip: Don’t forget to visit the Sprinkles vending machine for a cupcake.
8. Heritage Farmstead Museum
Built in 1891, the Heritage Farmstead is located on 4.5 acres in the middle of Plano. The farm has been preserved to allow everyone to experience what life was like during the Victorian time period between 1890-1920. For $5 a person, you can tour the grounds and even bring a picnic lunch! You can also reserve house tours and wagon rides at the farm.
Have you ever visited to Plano, Texas? If so, I’d love to add more adventures to this list!
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