Sacramento Zoo
A small, walkable zoo that first opened in 1927 and gets more than 500,000 visitors a year. Kids can see the whole thing in about two hours.
Tip Ticket prices change by date, so buy online ahead of time.
All guides
Sacramento guide · Updated Oct 2026
Family Day in Sacramento
William Land Park puts the zoo, Fairytale Town and Funderland within a short walk of each other, so you can…
- Best forFamilies with kids from toddlers to about 12
- WhereLand Park, Old Sacramento, River District, Rancho Cordova
- Budget$$
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9 AM
Morning: Sacramento Zoo
Get to the zoo early, while the animals are active and the paths aren't crowded. Fairytale Town is right across the road.
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11 AM
Late morning: Fairytale Town and Funderland
Both are across from the zoo in William Land Park. Split up if you have kids of different ages.
Fairytale Town
Life-size play sets based on nursery rhymes and fairy tales, with room for little kids to climb and run. Admission is $10 for adults and kids 2 to 12. Kids 1 and under get in free.
Tip Adults must come with a child. Open daily 9 to 4 from March through October, and Thursday to Sunday from November through February.
Funderland Amusement Park
A small amusement park with a carousel, a train and a kiddie coaster. Pay-one-price wristbands cost $25 for kids 34 inches and taller (through age 17), $18 for adults and $10 for seniors. Kids under 34 inches ride free.
Tip Parking is free. The 2026 season runs through Nov. 29, Friday to Sunday in the fall.
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12:30 PM
Lunch and a scoop: Vic's
A few minutes' drive from the park on Riverside Boulevard. Lunch and dessert happen at the same counter.
Vic's Ice Cream
A Land Park institution with new owners that reopened in January 2026. It serves sandwiches, burgers and salads along with the ice cream. Mint chip is the best-seller.
Tip Open 11 AM to 8 PM daily. The mango and watermelon ices are dairy-free.
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2 PM
Afternoon: Science by the river
MOSAC is in an old power station on the Sacramento River. Discovery Park is a short drive north if the kids still need to run around.
SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC)
Hands-on science, tech, engineering, art and math exhibits for all ages, plus a planetarium. On a hot day it's a good indoor option.
Tip Families with an EBT card get in free through Museums for All.
Discovery Park
A large park where the American and Sacramento rivers meet. It has playground equipment, picnic shelters and the start of the Jedediah Smith bike trail.
Tip $7 parking per car. The park can flood in winter, so check before you go.
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2 PM
Swap option: Trains in Old Sacramento
Instead of MOSAC, go to Old Sacramento for trains, wooden boardwalks and a burger.
California State Railroad Museum
Restored locomotives and train cars that kids can walk through. Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for ages 6 to 17. Kids 5 and under get in free.
Tip Open daily 10 to 5, with last entry at 4:30. Excursion train rides are ticketed separately.
Willie's Burgers
A Sacramento burger joint known for chili cheeseburgers, onion rings and milkshakes. It's an easy stop for kids a block from the museum.
Tip Open from 10 AM daily.
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10 AM
Swap option for under-5s: Children's Museum
If your kids are toddlers or preschoolers, spend a morning in Rancho Cordova instead. It's about a 20-minute drive east of downtown.
Sacramento Children's Museum
Hands-on play spaces built for kids 0 to 8. Admission is $10 per person 12 months and older, $8 for seniors and military, and free for babies under 1.
Tip Closed Mondays. Open 10 to 3 Tuesday to Friday and 10 to 4 on weekends.
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6 PM
Evening: Ice cream on Franklin
End the day at Gunther's, which has been making ice cream in Sacramento since 1940.
Gunther's Ice Cream
House-made ice cream in more than 40 flavors, plus sundaes, fruit freezes and sandwiches.
Tip Lines get long on summer evenings. Go before 7.
Questions people ask
Are the Sacramento Zoo, Fairytale Town and Funderland close together?
Yes. All three are in William Land Park. Funderland is half a block from the zoo's main entrance and directly across from Fairytale Town, so you can walk between them.
How much does Fairytale Town cost?
Admission is $10 for adults and for kids 2 to 12. Kids 1 and under and members get in free. Adults can only enter with a child.
What is there to do with toddlers in Sacramento?
Fairytale Town and the Sacramento Children's Museum in Rancho Cordova are both made for young kids. The museum is built for ages 0 to 8. At Funderland, 2-year-olds can ride 8 of the 10 rides, and kids under 34 inches get in free.
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