Best Family Attractions in Arkansas: 16 Kid-Friendly Places Worth the Drive (2026)

Arkansas families can find big cats, wave pools, indoor batting cages, and a World War II airplane hangar without leaving the state. Knowing where each one sits helps a lot, since the drive from Fayetteville to Texarkana runs close to four hours.

We sorted the best family attractions in Arkansas by region so you can plan family activities in Arkansas around the part of the map you already call home. Every spot on this list comes with a GetOut Arkansas membership. Each entry spells out what the membership gets you at the door, and after the 16 picks you'll find four bonus spots past the state line, followed by planning tips and answers to common questions.

Arkansas Family Attractions at a Glance

Use this table to match each stop to your kids' ages and the weather before you pick a weekend.

Northwest Arkansas and the Ozarks

1. Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (Eureka Springs)

Seven miles south of Eureka Springs on Highway 23, Turpentine Creek gives a permanent home to big cats and bears pulled out of private ownership and roadside zoos. The nonprofit refuge covers 459 acres of Ozark hillside. Tigers, lions, leopards, cougars, and bobcats live in large habitats here, and the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries has verified the refuge for the way it cares for them.

Kids pay closer attention once a staff guide tells them how a particular tiger got here. If your crew would rather wander at their own speed, every habitat has a plaque with that animal's story.

What GetOut covers: One general admission each year. Claim it in the app, then type the code into Turpentine Creek's website to get your ticket. The refuge closes on December 25.

Best for: Kids 4 and older who love animals.

2. Lokomotion Family Fun Park (Fayetteville)

Lokomotion has hosted Northwest Arkansas birthday parties on North College Avenue for years. Outside, you'll find two 18-hole mini golf courses, four go-kart tracks, bumper boats, and Spin Zone bumper cars, all running on a seasonal schedule. When the weather turns, laser tag and a big arcade take over indoors.

Staying through dinner is easy. The kitchen serves pizza and wings.

What GetOut covers: One game of mini golf each year.

Best for: Any age, since preschoolers can putt too.

3. Arkansas Air and Military Museum (Fayetteville)

Drake Field's all-wood hangar went up in 1943 to train World War II pilots, and since 1986 it has held the Arkansas Air and Military Museum. Golden-age racing planes share the floor with helicopters, a Navy fighter jet, a Willys Jeep, and a WWII ambulance. One exhibit covers Louise Thaden, a Bentonville-born pilot who flew in the same era as Amelia Earhart.

Everything sits under a roof, so you can keep this one in your pocket for a hot August afternoon or a soggy weekend. Families who catch the museum bug can browse more museum picks from other GetOut cities.

What GetOut covers: One general admission each year.

Best for: Plane-crazy kids 5 and up, plus grandparents who enjoy military history.

4. D-Bat NW Arkansas (Springdale)

D-Bat in Springdale runs indoor batting cages with pitching machines set at different speeds. Local Little League and softball players train here all year. You can still walk in with a kid who has never faced a pitching machine and let them swing until they're worn out.

What GetOut covers: 5 credits each year during regular hours.

Best for: Ballplayers 6 and older.

The River Valley (Fort Smith Area)

5. Parrot Island Waterpark (Fort Smith)

Fort Smith and Sebastian County built Parrot Island inside Ben Geren Regional Park, and it opened in 2015. A wave pool and a 500-foot lazy river anchor the park. Older kids head for the four twisting body slides and the FlowRider surf machine, while toddlers splash around Tiny Turtle Island, a shallow pool with a Caribbean-style play structure.

Ben Geren Park has playgrounds and picnic pavilions right outside if you want to pack lunch and stay longer. Fort Smith also sits right on the Oklahoma line, so families who split their weekends between the two states can add a GetOut Oklahoma membership for venues on the other side.

What GetOut covers: One general admission each year during regular hours. Parrot Island opens for summer only, so check its website for opening dates.

Best for: Every age in the family.

6. Fort Smith Museum of History

The Fort Smith Museum of History started collecting in 1910 and now fills a 1906 brick warehouse on Rogers Avenue. Its exhibits walk through the town's frontier years with an old courtroom, military artifacts, antique cars, and early radios. Younger kids get a few hands-on corners of their own.

Save time for the working soda fountain inside the museum's replica 1920s pharmacy, where you can order floats and sundaes. If the kids still have energy for history afterward, the Fort Smith National Historic Site sits about a block away.

What GetOut covers: One general admission each year.

Best for: Kids 6 and up, and anyone who wants an ice cream float.

Central Arkansas (Hot Springs, Little Rock, and Conway)

7. Hot Springs Bicycle Touring Company (Hot Springs)

From its downtown shop, Hot Springs Bicycle Touring Company rents bikes built for both city streets and dirt trails, and it leads guided rides past the town's historic springs. With younger riders, stay on the Hot Springs Creek Greenway. It's a paved trail about 2.5 miles long.

Confident kids can try the Northwoods Trail System a few minutes north of downtown, where more than 30 miles of mountain bike trail wind through the forest.

What GetOut covers: One free hour of bike rental each year.

Best for: Kids 8 and up who ride without training wheels.

8. The Yoga Place (Hot Springs)

The Yoga Place has taught classes for every level in Hot Springs since 2013, and locals and visitors both fill its mats. One parent can use the GetOut class for a quiet hour while the other takes the kids to see the thermal water downtown. A teen who's curious about yoga could come along instead. Trying a class you'd never pay full price for is one of the easiest ways to sample a new hobby with a membership.

What GetOut covers: One yoga class each year. Look over the studio's schedule and any age limits before you go.

Best for: Parents and teens.

9. D-Bat Little Rock

D-Bat Little Rock on South Shackleford Road works the same way as the Springdale location, with indoor cages and lessons for young hitters. Because the building is climate-controlled, a sticky July afternoon won't wreck batting practice.

What GetOut covers: 5 credits each year.

Best for: Central Arkansas ballplayers 6 and up.

10. Fieldhouse Sports Training Center (Conway)

Conway's Fieldhouse Sports Training Center focuses on baseball and softball hitting. Its machines throw either kind of ball at speeds you can dial down for a beginner. If your player gets hooked, coaches there run private and group lessons.

What GetOut covers: One hitter day pass each year.

Best for: Young ballplayers around Faulkner County.

North Central and Northeast Arkansas

11. Hollywood Bowl (Batesville)

Hollywood Bowl has been open on North Central Avenue in Batesville since 1961. Bowling leagues meet at this locally owned center, and several area high school teams practice on its lanes. The GetOut offer runs in the afternoon, which lines up nicely with a stop after school.

What GetOut covers: One game of bowling every month, between 1 and 5 p.m. Shoe rental costs extra.

Best for: All ages, especially on rainy days.

12. Sharp Edges Axe Throwing (Mountain Home)

Three generations of one family run Sharp Edges in downtown Mountain Home. Before anyone steps up to a lane, coaches trained by the World Axe Throwing League show first-timers how to throw safely. Once you get the hang of axes, they'll bring out knives and target games.

The owners describe the venue as open to all ages, and reviewers mention bringing kids as young as 12. Call ahead and ask about younger children. On Friday and Saturday evenings, walk-ins are welcome.

What GetOut covers: One hour of open throwing each year.

Best for: Teens and their parents.

13. Play It Again Sports (Jonesboro)

Play It Again Sports on South Caraway Road sells used and new sporting gear, and the Jonesboro store keeps batting cages in the building. You can shop for a bigger glove before the season starts and then hand your player a bat for some cage time.

What GetOut covers: One 30-minute batting cage session each year.

Best for: Northeast Arkansas ballplayers 6 and older.

Southwest Arkansas

14. Big Dam Waterpark (Texarkana)

Texarkana's waterpark went by Holiday Springs until 2024, when new owners renamed it Big Dam and put about $1 million into upgrades. Thrill seekers climb a 65-foot tower for slides that include a trap-door drop. Everybody else can float the lazy river or ride the wave pool, and small kids get splash areas with a large water play structure.

For an extra charge, an add-on called DIVR hands swimmers VR goggles and a snorkel so they can "dive" a virtual reef. The park sits off I-30 in Crossroads Business Park, an easy stop if your family drives between Arkansas and Texas. Anyone continuing west toward Dallas can line up more outings with a GetOut Texas DFW membership.

What GetOut covers: One general admission each year. Show the GetOut app at the gate, and confirm the summer open dates before you drive.

Best for: Every age.

Anywhere in Arkansas: Smartphone Scavenger Hunts

City Fun Group runs four app-based hunts that turn a downtown into a game board. Your team walks around hunting for landmarks and snapping photo challenges while a leaderboard tracks how you stack up against other groups. Downtown Little Rock, the Bentonville square, Central Avenue in Hot Springs, and Dickson Street in Fayetteville all give you plenty to find.

Here's how the four games compare:

15. Crazy Dash and Operation City Quest (Best for Younger Kids)

Crazy Dash is the easiest of the four, built around goofy photo tasks, so it works well with grandparents along for the walk. Operation City Quest hands your team a long list of things to find and photograph. Most groups cover around 2 miles in a couple of hours.

What GetOut covers: One challenge per game each year.

Best for: Families with kids 5 and older.

16. 3Quest Challenge and Zombie Scavengers (Best for Older Kids and Teens)

3Quest Challenge runs on a clock. You work through a set of quests with checkpoints and then hurry back to your starting point to solve a final puzzle. In Zombie Scavengers, your team plays survivors hunting for food and shelter, and correct trivia answers earn virtual weapons against the horde.

What GetOut covers: One challenge per game each year.

Best for: Tweens and teens who like puzzles.

Bonus: Just Over the State Line

Your GetOut Arkansas membership also reaches a few spots past the border. If you live near the Missouri line or in eastern Arkansas, these sit within easy driving range. Kansas City families get the same Branson parks through the GetOut Kansas City membership, so cousins from up north can meet you there. Book Battlefront by phone before you go.

If your family crosses into Tennessee often, the GetOut Tennessee membership lists venues across that state.

Tips for Planning Family Activities in Arkansas

1. Plan by region. The drive from Fayetteville to Texarkana runs close to four hours, so pair stops that sit near each other. Lokomotion and the Air and Military Museum are both in Fayetteville, and a bike rental fits into the same Hot Springs morning as a yoga class.
2. Watch the calendar. Parrot Island and Big Dam open for summer only. Museums and batting cages stay open all year, which makes them dependable kid friendly places in Arkansas when storms roll through.
3. Check how often an offer resets. Most GetOut offers reset once a year. Hollywood Bowl and Fun Mountain reset every month, and Hollywood Bowl only honors its offer between 1 and 5 p.m.
4. Book wherever the venue asks. Battlefront wants a phone call first, and Turpentine Creek tickets come through its website. Set up your scavenger hunt in the app before you leave the house.
5. Get a pass for each person. A GetOut membership belongs to one person, so the savings grow when everyone in the car carries their own.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best family attractions in Arkansas for young kids?

In summer, Parrot Island and Big Dam both have shallow splash zones built for toddlers. Lokomotion's mini golf works for small hands all year. Turpentine Creek suits kids around 4 and older who can handle a walk between habitats.

What can families do in Arkansas when it rains?

Try the Arkansas Air and Military Museum or the Fort Smith Museum of History. Hollywood Bowl and the D-Bat facilities in Springdale and Little Rock sit indoors as well, and Lokomotion keeps its arcade and laser tag going in bad weather.

Which Arkansas attractions are good for teens?

Ask a teen and you'll hear about Sharp Edges Axe Throwing, the FlowRider at Parrot Island, Lokomotion's go-karts, and the Northwoods mountain bike trails in Hot Springs. For some competition, set them loose on the 3Quest or Zombie Scavengers hunts. Our list of youth-oriented activities you can try with GetOut has more ideas for that age group.

Is there one pass that covers multiple attractions in Arkansas?

Yes. A GetOut Arkansas membership covers admission or a free activity at more than 20 venues around the state, along with several just over the border. You redeem each offer in the GetOut app on your phone, and most offers reset once a year. Our guide on how to use your GetOut membership walks through each step.

Start Exploring Arkansas With GetOut

The best family attractions in Arkansas sit in every corner of the state, so your next outing depends on which direction you feel like driving this weekend. If ticket prices have kept your family at home, read how GetOut keeps family fun affordable before you plan the next trip.

A GetOut Arkansas membership loads all 16 of these spots and the bonus picks into one app on your phone. You pay once for the year and pick your next stop whenever the kids get restless.