Thinking about taking a family vacation to Virginia? Whether you’re looking for epic outdoor excursions, expansive water parks, or arcades and game rooms, many Virginia resorts have activities for the whole family, from kids and teens to parents and grandparents. Plan your next getaway to one of these kid-friendly resorts in Virginia for a memorable vacation that everyone will love!
Great Wolf Lodge—Williamsburg
Photo Credit: The Detour Duo, @thedetour_duo
With over 67,000 square feet of entertainment space,Williamsburg’s Great Wolf Lodge is a must for family vacations in Virginia. Their gigantic indoor water park includes a towering aquatic fort outfitted with all sorts of splash features, water slides for all ages and thrill levels, a lazy river, a surf simulator, and more. Once you’ve had your fill of the water park, you’ll discover a wide array of activities to keep the kids entertained, like a miniature bowling alley, MagiQuest live-action game, laser tag, arcade, outdoor adventure ropes course, and a Build-A-Bear Workshop. The resort’s dining options are also very kid-friendly, providing meals for even the pickiest eaters.
More Kid-Friendly Things to Do Near Great Wolf Lodge:
- Busch Gardens Williamsburg
- Water Country USA
- Colonial Williamsburg
- American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
- Jamestown Settlement
Massanutten Resort—McGaheysville
Photo Credit: Sam Dean, @sdeanphotos
Massanutten Resort is a four season mountaintop haven about 30 minutes from Harrisonburg. Kids will find hours of fun at the waterpark, which has a massive indoor area filled with slides, a sprawling climbing fort, a surf simulator, and a lazy river for the cooler months as well as an equally large outdoor pool area with thrilling water slides and a wave pool.
After you’ve gotten your fill of the aquatic activities, head to the Family Adventure Park for zip lining, summer tubing, and wall climbing. The resort grounds contain mountain biking trails, with lesson packages available for riders ages 10 and up that include trail use, bike rentals, and a step-by-step lesson from the resort’s ride school. There are also hiking trails throughout the property open for guided hikes or self-exploration.
Massanutten’s family-friendly fun continues with a miniature golf course, bumper cars, go-karts, an escape room, and an arcade. Let the kids try out a new activity during your vacation with select classes available throughout the week, from learning ukulele to drawing lessons.
For winter family getaways, Massanutten has skiing, snowboarding, and tubing slopes for all skill levels. Once the sun goes down, the tubing lanes are transformed into the Northern Lights tubing course, with waves of neon lights and upbeat music pumping across the slopes.
When it comes time to chow down, Massanutten’s multiple dining options offer lots of kid-friendly fare, including BBQ, pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and more.
More Kid-Friendly Things to Do Near Massanutten Resort:
- Shenandoah National Park
- Massanutten Adventures Canoe & Kayak
- Explore More Discovery Museum
- Back Home on the Farm
- Ruby’s Arcade
- Kinetic Kids Gym
The Tides Inn—Irvington
Photo Credit: Rich Grant, @richgrantdenver
Located on the shore of the Northern Neck, The Tides Inn is well known as a luxury property, but the resort also caters to families. A stay at the inn includes pool and beach access in the summer.
Want to leave dry land and tackle a new hobby during your vacation? Kids from ages seven to seventeen learn how to handle a sailboat during the Kidsail Sailing school (available during summer months), with instructors taking them out on the water to demonstrate common sailing techniques in kid-sized boats. Separate classes for adults are also available, or consider booking a watermen’s cruise to go crabbing or learn about oyster cultivation in the Chesapeake Bay. These guided cruises give you stunning views of Virginia’s Northern Neck while also providing educational information about the history and ecology of the surrounding shorelines.
Photo Credit: The Tides Inn
Keep the kids entertained during the days at Bayside Explorer Kid’s Club (for ages 4-12 years old), a day camp designed to entertain and inspire young guests with supervised activities on the resort grounds and on Carter’s Creek, such as nature excursions, history tours at nearby museums, and creative arts and crafts projects.
Cruise around Irvington with the family on bicycles provided by the inn, or discover the beauty of the waterfront on rented stand up paddle boards or kayaks. Get competitive with a game at the inn’s on-site disc golf course, then follow it up with a few lawn games like bocce ball, croquet, corn hole, or a game of chess on the life-sized board. Learn about beekeeping and cultivating honey with the Tides Inn Beehive Experience, where you’ll take a short walk through the wildflower fields and meet with the inn’s resident beekeeper.
Photo Credit: The Tides Inn
At the end of the day, head out to the terrace or the beach with the kids to roast s’mores over the campfire.
More Kid-Friendly Things to Do Near the Tides Inn:
- Compass Entertainment Complex
- Reedville Fishermen’s Museum
- Westmoreland State Park
- Stratford Hall
- Belle Isle State Park
- Tangier Island Cruises
The Graduate Richmond—Richmond
Next time you find yourself traveling to Virginia’s capital city with your family, book a stay at the Graduate Richmond. Just a few blocks from Virginia Commonwealth University’s campus, the hotel offers spacious family suite rooms. The master bedroom in the family suite has a king bed and a workstation, while the kid’s room contains bunk beds and a sleeper sofa. Both rooms have their own bathrooms, and a TV in the suite’s lobby area allows kids to enjoy their own entertainment during their stay.
A game room off the hotel lobby is outfitted with shuffleboard, a pool table, and a ping pong table, and in the summer, head to the Byrd House, the hotel’s rooftop pool, restaurant, and bar, to cool off while getting an awe-inspiring view of the city.
More Kid-Friendly Things to Do Near the Graduate Richmond:
- Maymont Children’s Farm
- Science Museum of Virginia
- Children’s Museum of Richmond
- Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
- Kings Dominion
- Ashland Berry Farm
- Belle Isle on the James River
- Metro Richmond Zoo
- Peak Experiences Indoor Rock Climbing Gym
- Richmond Flying Squirrels Baseball Game
Wintergreen Resort—Wintergreen
Photo Credit: Sam Dean, @sdeanphotos
Wintergreen Resort is situated on 11,000 acres of the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Discovery Ridge, the family-friendly resort zone, offers activities like zip lining, summer tubing, bungee trampoline, a climbing wall, miniature golf, disc golf, and great indoor arcade and gaming outlets.
During the summer months, Wintergreen hosts live shows and family-friendly events, and at Camp Wintergreen, campers between the ages of 5 and 12 years old can play and learn, with different weekly themes such as culinary, nature, science, and adventure.
At the base of the mountain, Wintergreen Resort’s Lake Monocan features a private beach and roped-off swimming areas to allow children to safely splash with their parents. Explore this picturesque mountain lake by paddle board, kayak, canoe, or inflatable raft, available to rent at Lake Monocan’s waterfront headquarters.
In the winter, Wintergreen transforms into a ski resort, with 26 different slopes providing terrain for all skill levels, from first-time skiers and snowboarders to expert riders. If you’re looking for a high-speed snow adventure, head to the Plunge, the resort’s tubing park, and race down the mountain at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. After skiing, take the kids to the top of the slopes for a cup of hot chocolate at the resort’s dining center.
More Kid-Friendly Things to Do Near Wintergreen Resort:
- Seamans’ Orchard
- Drumheller’s Orchard
- Crabtree Falls Trail
- Appalachian Horse Adventures
- The Nature Foundation at Wintergreen
- Crozet Tunnel Greenway
The Western Front Hotel—Saint Paul
Photo Credit: David Robinson
Southwest Virginia’s Western Front Hotel brings the mountain outdoor adventure theme to life in their 30 rooms, including family rooms outfitted with bunk beds. Reclaimed wood and adventurous decor fills the space, creating a fitting ambiance for the rural landscape surrounding the hotel. Kids will love spending time at the Roost, a hangout space with a pool table, dart board, and big screen televisions. If the weather is good, head outside with the whole family for live music, lawn games, and s’mores by the fire pit in the Backyard event space.
Besides lots of family-friendly amenities and activities on the hotel property, your family can experience once-in-a-lifetime outdoor excitement by booking ATV rides, then setting out on the Mountain View Trail, which connects the towns of Saint Paul and Coeburn. This ridgeside trail winds through over 100 miles of pristine terrain, allowing your family to completely unplug from the outside world and get back to nature in one of Virginia’s most beautiful regions.
Photo Credit: Sam Dean, @sdeanphotos
In the summer, the outdoor family fun continues along the nearby Clinch River, where you can paddle, fish, kayak, and tube with the kids.
More Kid-Friendly Things to Do Near The Western Front Hotel:
- Kayak with Clinch Life Outfitters
- Hike, bike, or ride horseback or ATVs on the Spearhead Trails System
- Mountain Heritage Museum
- Heart of Appalachia Bike Trail
- The Virginia Creeper Bike Trail
The Omni Homestead Resort—Hot Springs
Photo Credit: Creative Dog Media, @creativedogmedia
Another majestic mountain retreat for families is the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs. Kid-friendly activities at the Homestead include horseback riding, hiking, fly fishing, biking, kayaking, and miniature golf. The resort’s Ridge Runner Zip Tour has eight zip lines spanning more than 4,000 feet, providing a unique vantage point to see the grounds. For older teens, falconry and archery lessons give your family a chance to try out new hobbies.
On the weekends, Homestead Adventure Kids is an activity-filled “camp” for children ages 5-10 and offers hours of supervised fun for your kids (and while they’re at camp, pamper yourself with a relaxing trip to the spa!).
Photo Credit: The Omni Homestead Resort
The Homestead’s two-acre water park, Allegheny Springs, is fed by the natural spring waters for which the resort is famous. Get a thrill on the park’s two 100-foot water slides, or opt for a leisurely ride along the 400-foot lazy river. A water play zone, sandy beach, and large family pool area make this a perfect place to take the family in the summer.
Photo Credit: The Omni Homestead Resort
If the weather is too chilly to splash around in the outdoor pool, take a dip in the historic indoor pool, kept warm by those famed spring waters. Winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, tubing, and ice skating round out the off-season activities, and you can even rent mini snowmobiles for kids ages 6-12 to ride around the mountain.
Other indoor activities available year-round can be found in the Downtime Game Room, like mini bowling, pool, air hockey, and arcade games.
More Kid-Friendly Things to Do Near the Omni Homestead Resort:
- Garth Newel Music Center
- Hidden Valley Trail
- Jackson River Scenic Trail
- Appalachian Horse Adventures
- Douthat State Park
- Falling Spring Waterfall
- Lake Moomaw
Berry Hill Resort—South Boston
Sitting on 650 gorgeous acres in southern Virginia, Berry Hill Resort is a National Historic Landmark that welcomed its first guests to the beautiful Virginia countryside in 1728 (although these guests were visiting a private estate at the time, not a resort!). This charming property is ideal for families looking to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, instead spending time enjoying a little peace and quiet in an idyllic country setting.
The front desk provides bike rentals to guests interested in exploring the 5+ miles of trails winding through the resort grounds, or check out tennis rackets and balls to get active on the tennis courts.
Dine at Darby’s Tavern, the resort’s casual on-site restaurant, and while waiting for your food to arrive, strike up a game of pool in the adjoining game room.
Spend time at the indoor pool and saunas for a little aquatic fun, which are open year-round to guests of the resort. If you need to unwind after your family swim time, head next door to the spa for some much-needed R&R.
More Kid-Friendly Things to Do Near Berry Hill Resort:
- Tobacco Heritage Trail
- Patrick Henry’s Red Hill
- AAF Tank Museum
- Danville Riverwalk Trail
- Danville Science Center
- Occoneechee State Park
- Buggs Island Lake
Lansdowne Resort & Spa—Leesburg
Image courtesy of Lansdowne Resort
The 500-acre Lansdowne Resort & Spa in Leesburg exudes elegance, but this Northern Virginia gem is also welcoming to families vacationing together. Kid-friendly amenities include a five-pool aquatic complex with both indoor and outdoor pools, hiking, biking, and walking trails with bikes available to rent, an on-site playground suitable for smaller children, and tennis, basketball, and sand volleyball courts. In the evenings, take the kids down to the outdoor fire pits to roast s’mores.
Image courtesy of Lansdowne Resort
In addition to things to do on-site, the resort staff can help you book local activities as well, from whitewater rafting on the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers to indoor skydiving and rock climbing.
More Kid-Friendly Things to Do Near Lansdowne Resort & Spa:
- Morven Park
- Leesburg Animal Park
- Steven F. Udvar-Hazy National Air and Space Museum
- Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park
- Great Country Farms
- TopGolf
- Harpers Ferry Adventure Center
Other Kid-Friendly Resorts & Hotels in Virginia:
- Kingsmill Resort—Williamsburg
- Boar’s Head Resort—Charlottesville
- Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront—Virginia Beach
- Fort Lewis Lodge & Farm—Millboro
- Mimslyn Inn—Luray
- Sunset Beach Resort Hotel—Cape Charles
- Mountain Lake Lodge—Pembroke
- Peaks of Otter Lodge—Bedford
Looking for more family-friendly fun? We’ve got plenty of kid-approved ideas for your next Virginia vacation!
Any ideas for grandparents traveling with a 3-year-old?
For Memorial Day weekend any recommendations for family with teen,
Here ya go! https://www.virginia.org/coolplacesteens/
These photos are beautiful! Should really try to make it out to one of these spots.
Try
http://www.williamsburgsampler.com
Smith mountain lake is a world class gem and accommodations are very reasonable. Try. B and B near airport. — fantastic. Rent a boat. Huge. 500 miles of shoreline
My sister and I are going to Salamander in September. Then we hope to ride the train to D C.