Best Family Friendly Activities in the Midwest
Welcome to Sugar, Spice & Glitter! Please note, this post may contain affiliate links. For more details, see our Full Disclosure.
Planning a family vacation in the Midwest and not sure where to start? You’re definitely not alone! This region is packed with incredible destinations, but narrowing it down can feel overwhelming.
Whether your family loves theme parks, nature, hands-on museums or easy all-in-one resorts, there’s something here for every travel style.
These are the Best Family-Friendly Midwest Destinations we’ve personally tested and loved as a family – the ones we’d go back to again (and in many cases, already have). Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or a longer road trip, we’ve got lots of ideas to get your Midwest Family Vacation planning started.
Whether your family loves theme parks, nature, hands-on museums or easy all-in-one resorts, there’s something here for every travel style.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Great Wolf Lodge. The opinions and text are all mine.
What are the best vacations for families in the Midwest?
While we still have a lot of the Midwest to discover, we have had many amazing family adventures exploring the Midwest so far, and have lots of great recommendations to start you off with!
The official 12 Midwestern states are Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota. We have travelled to the first seven of those as a family so I’m going to leave the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota out of the post below until we can actually experience them for ourselves!
I’ve tried to suggest a variety of experiences while ensuring that all offerings had something for every member of the family, from toddlers to teens, and the adults, too. I’m a big believer that family-friendly vacations should be fun for parents, not just the kids, and with 15 countries under our belt, that has worked out pretty great for us.
From roller coasters and waterparks to charming small towns and hands-on museums, the Midwest has surprised us again and again with just how much there is to do as a family.
Great Wolf Lodge is One of the Best Family Friendly Things to Do in Ohio
Great Wolf Lodge, Sandusky: One of the easiest all-in-one family vacations in Ohio, with an amazing indoor waterpark, themed suites and daily family fun activities like dance parties, crafts, fitness classes and story time. It’s a gorgeous, lodge-style resort that has everything you need right on property and always impeccably clean. We’ve gone multiple times since Ella was little and even at almost 15 years old, she is still so excited and has a blast every time we go.
Great Wolf Lodge also has a second Ohio location in Cincinnati / Mason, OH, plus more midwestern Lodges: Chicago / Gurnee, IL, Kansas City, KS, Minneapolis / Bloomington, MN, Traverse City, MI, and Wisconsin Dells, WI.
Other Ohio attractions include the Cedar Point, Sandusky amusement parks. These are good for families with older kids and thrill-seekers, with kid zones like Camp Snoopy and Planet Snoopy plus family rides and shows to keep younger guests happy. We also enjoy the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Columbus — one of Ohio’s most popular kid-friendly attractions and a strong choice for all ages, the Columbus Zoo has a strong conservation program, many amazing behind-the-scenes animal experiences and it also has several amusement park rides available on site.
Packing List: Great Wolf Lodge
One of the easiest and most fun family vacations we keep going back to year after year is Great Wolf Lodge. All we have to do is book it, pack and show up – there’s no extra on-site reservations to make in advance and they have so much to do beyond the waterpark! Crafts, dance parties, family-friendly yoga, bowling and MagiQuest – just to name a few.
They provide life jackets, towels, RFID wristbands (Radio Frequency Identification Device) to serve as your room key and you can charge to your room with it (so no need to carry around room keys or credit cards in the waterpark area), and each child gets a welcome pair of their very own wolf ears!
There’s also seven different dining locations on property (including a Dunkin) and they have a great allergy accommodations policy, so you’ll have no problem keeping everyone in your family happy.
<video>
I also made a Printable Packing Checklist for Great Wolf Lodge that you can download here to make your own packing a bit easier.
Best Family Friendly Things to do in Wisconsin
Milwaukee attractions: Family-friendly highlights include Discovery World, Betty Brinn Children’s Museum, the Milwaukee County Zoo, Bradford Beach, and the Milwaukee Public Museum.
Great Wolf Lodge, Wisconsin Dells: Less than 2 hours from Milwaukee, this Great Wolf Lodge location is also close to Noah’s Ark Waterpark and Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park – in case those are on your family’s bucket list.
Best Family Friendly Things to do in Illinois
Chicago: Chi-Town has long been one of our family’s favorite vacation spots – we’ve been going at least once a year since Ella was two! We have several Chicago Family Travel blog posts, but if you’re planning a trip definitely start with our post on the 10 Best Things to do in Chicago with Kids.
Matthiessen State Park: Downstate you’ll find one of the best state parks for families; easy canyon hikes with lots of rewarding waterfall views.
Great Wolf Lodge, Chicago/Gurnee: Spend a fun night or two at this convenient location – just outside of Chicago and only 8 minutes away from the amusement park.
Best Family Friendly Things to do in Michigan
Frankenmuth: Affectionately known as Little Bavaria, Frankenmuth looks like a storybook come to life and was a favorite weekend trip for our family from the castle-esque waterpark hotel, famous Christmas Store and lots of yummy treats. Check out our Guide on What to Do in Frankenmuth, Michigan with Kids.
Mackinac Island: A memorable slower-paced trip with bikes, car-free streets and classic Victorian charm. The pristine beaches, horse-drawn carriages, historic Fort Mackinac and world-famous fudge all make this a memorable week or weekend trip option.
Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum: This play-based science museum features lots of interactive exhibits for kids to explore different concepts related to STEM and nature. A convenient downtown location makes this a great option if you’re in town for a game, plus it’s only 4 minutes from the University of Michigan’s Museum of Natural History. Read more about the museum here.
Great Wolf Lodge, Traverse City: If heading to the area for Sandy Bear Dunes, the National Cherry Festival or their amazing beaches, this is definitely where I’d be staying!
Best Family Friendly Things to do in Kansas
Exploration Place, Witchita: Wonderful for kids of all ages to go and explore – they change up what they have to do a few times a year. When we went it was dinosaur themed and Ella enjoyed climbing everything in sight! I enjoyed the Kansas-themed gift shop and viewing the Keeper of the Plains, a 44 foot steel sculpture which lights up at night and is absolutely stunning.
Oz Museum, Wamego: A museum centred around the Wizard of Oz (which was famously set in Kansas), they also have a beautiful tulip festival in April that features vendors and plenty of pretty photo opportunities.
Tanganyika Wildlife Park, Goddard: An interactive zoo that includes 9 animal encounters with every admission.
Great Wolf Lodge, Kansas City: This is a great spot to stay to explore both Kansas and Missouri.
Best Family Friendly Things to do in Indiana
Children’s Museum of Indianapolis: One of the best Children’s Museums out there with amazing interactive exhibits for sports, history, science and culture. The new Tiana’s Joyful Celebration is there until 2027 and we are looking to make a special trip just to see it.
Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, Santa Claus: This is just what you’d expect from a theme park and safari in a city named for the jolliest elf known to man!
Indiana Dunes National Park: A great mix of a beach destination, unique family-friendly hiking and cultural exploration, I love when a national park has a little bit for everyone in the family.
Best Family Friendly Things to do in Missouri
Swope Park, Kansas City: Of our Top 10 Kansas City Attractions for Families, Swope Park is my top recommendation. Located in the heart of the city, the 1800 acre park contains the Kansas City Zoo, Go Ape Zip Line Adventures, Starlight Theater, and Lakeside Nature Center, as well as hiking trails, a swimming pool and great splash pad for littles.
Great Wolf Lodge FAQs
A stay at Great Wolf Lodge includes water park access for registered guests, plus a number of family-friendly amenities like life jackets, towels at the water park, Wi‑Fi, daily events and activities such as arts and crafts and family dance parties. Your room also includes conveniences like an in-room coffee maker and mini-fridge.
All guests can show up to activities whenever they are scheduled – and some activities are on-going, so you can just show up at your leisure (MagiQuest, customized bracelets, etc).
While even one night allows you to have two fun days at the resort, I recommend two days at a minimum to be able to enjoy all of the resort’s offerings.
No, these are provided for all guests – though you might want to bring hooded towels or towel dresses for younger kids for more comfortable transitions from the waterpark to the room, or for taking meal breaks.
Yes! The resort provides RFID bracelets to guests to allow not just keyless entry to your rooms, but you can charge to the room with the bracelet, allowing you to leave cash and cards in your wallet and roam the resort freely.
MagiQuest is an interactive live-action game where kids use a magic wand to complete quests around the lodge, collect items, learn runes and progress through the adventure.
You can play for a few minutes or all day, and the wand can be kept for future visits. For kids who love scavenger hunts, pretend play or immersive games, it doubles as a fun activity and great souvenir.
They have a great allergy accommodations policy, so you’ll have no problem keeping everyone in your family happy.
The Midwest doesn’t always get top billing for family travel, but it consistently delivers where it matters most – variety, accessibility and experiences that genuinely work for all ages. The pace is easier, the crowds are manageable and the experiences tend to feel refreshingly grounded – less about overplanning, more about actually enjoying time together. From lakeside beach towns to hands-on museums and all-in-one resorts, there’s a surprising range of trips that work beautifully for families because in the Midwest, everything starts with family first.
Some of our easiest, most memorable family trips have happened in the Midwest and we will continue to build on this list as we continue to explore this underrated region.
Thank you to Great Wolf Lodge for not only being a mainstay in our trips – we can reliably book at any location and know we’ll have an amazing stay – but for also sponsoring this post so we could share some of our family’s favorite Midwest destinations with our readers.
