Dayton, Ohio, is a great place to spend some quality time with the family. With its thrilling attractions, engaging educational museums, rich history, and excellent opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors, Dayton has something for everyone. Here are some of our favorite places for family fun in Dayton, Ohio.
Scene 75 Entertainment Center
Dayton's Scene 75 Entertainment Center covers 160,000 square feet and includes 14 attractions, 150 arcade games, three full-service bars, and a full-service restaurant. Take a ride on their indoor roller coaster and two-story drop tower, and then play mini-golf or laser tag. Enjoy pizza, burgers, and sweet treats.
When you and your family visit Scene 75 Entertainment Center, your kids can even experience getting behind the wheel. The center's indoor “Racing Place” track handles speeds of up to 20 miles per hour and drivers can race with up to nine other drivers. Check out the center's ride restrictions first.
Or visit the “Spin Zone,” where you can take a ride on the center's bumper cars. These bumper cars contain targets that activate a “Spin Zone,” which, when bumped, sends the car into a three-second spin. Bumper car riders must be at least five years old and at least 48 inches tall.
Scene 75 Entertainment Center charges no admission or parking fees. The center opens at 11 a.m. every day except Saturday when it opens at 10 a.m. It closes at 10 p.m. every day except Friday and Saturday when it closes at 11 p.m.
Check out the deals and specials page before visiting. The address is 6196 Poe Avenue in Dayton, and the phone number is 937-619-3200.
Wegerzyn Garden
Image via Flickr by Ted
If you're looking to spend a low-key day with your family, try getting out into nature at Wegerzyn Gardens. Cyclists, runners, and hikers will enjoy this scenic park. Wander through the woodlands on the Marie Aull Nature Trail, an easy one-mile trail from which you can view a variety of trees, wildflowers, and wildlife. Then head over to the Swamp Forest Boardwalk and the Stillwater River Corridor.
Please note that the Children's Discovery Garden is currently closed due to COVID restrictions. Please check the website for current hours and status updates. Free parking is available, and leashed dogs are welcome.
Hours vary according to the season, so check the website for updates. Wegerzyn Gardens is located at 1301 East Siebenthaler Avenue in Dayton. If you would like to schedule a group tour, call 937-275-7275.
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
Members of the Dayton Public Library and Museum started the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery — originally named the Dayton Museum of Natural History — in 1893. The museum's long history includes efforts by prominent local citizens who helped build the museum's collection by donating items they collected on their international trips. The museum added a planetarium in 1991. In 1993, the facility added a children's museum and shifted its focus to instilling a lifelong love of learning in children.
The museum has an assortment of areas designed to spark curiosity. Stop by the Kids Place, an interactive space with hands-on activities for children four years old and younger. Then, drop in the Bieser Discovery Center, where you can examine elements of the natural world, including insects, mammals, fossils, and minerals. The center's collection contains petrified wood, natural gemstones, and trilobites, among other natural treasures. You'll also find a variety of jewelry, tools, and textile artifacts. At the Kids Place, your little ones can learn about geology, biology, and anthropology in a setting equipped with child-sized furniture to make your little ones feel at home while they explore.
The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery has a range of additional exhibits where you and your family can play and learn. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The museum's address is 2600 DeWeese Parkway in Dayton. The phone number is 937-275-7431.
Carillon Historical Park
The Carillon Historical Park is a 65-acre open-air history museum that showcases the Dayton area's transportation inventions. This park will give you and your family room to roam among its educational, historical exhibits.
Stop by the James F. Dicke Family Transportation Center, which showcases transportation through the years, including the oldest locomotive made in America. Listen to the 57 bells of the 151-foot-tall Deeds Carillon that chime every 15 minutes. Next, drop by the Heritage Center of Dayton Manufacturing and Entrepreneurship, where you can learn all about transportation, including auto assembly lines.
You and your kids might also enjoy a ride on the Carousel of Dayton Innovation. The merry-go-round's mural and hand-carved figures showcase the Wright Brothers' flying experiments and other Dayton icons.
The park is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. Carillon Historical Park is located at 1000 Carillon Boulevard in Dayton. The phone number is 937-293-2841.
Aullwood Audubon
The Aullwood Audubon aims to inspire people to “preserve, protect, and enjoy nature, farming, and the environment.” The Audubon gives adults and their families a place to experience nature in its many forms — forested areas, open spaces, and wetlands. It's a great place to learn about sustainable farming and the care of birds and their ecosystems.
Please note that Aullwood is open, but the Nature Center is currently closed; please check their website for updates and current hours.
All visitors may access the nature center trails through the farm. Aullwood Audubon has added two miles of hiking trails along which you may see various wildlife, including bluebirds, indigo buntings, red-winged blackbirds, goldfinches, wild turkeys, and Northern bobwhites.
The Nature Center's animals have been relocated and may be visited in their new location at 9101 Frederick Pike in Dayton.
The Aullwood Audubon is located at 1000 Aullwood Road in Dayton. Their phone number is 937-890-7360.
White Allen Chevrolet hopes you enjoy your family fun experiences! If you have a favorite place you'd like to add to this list, please let us know next time you stop by, or send us an email. We'd be happy to add your recommendation to our list.