Peoria is a vibrant city in Arizona located just northwest of Phoenix. With its sunny weather and access to ample outdoor recreation, Peoria is a popular destination for families looking to enjoy quality time together. From sports and entertainment to nature and culture, Peoria has many family-friendly attractions and activities to offer.
This article discusses 12 exciting things for families to do in Peoria. Whether you live nearby or are visiting the area, Peoria provides plenty of options to create lasting memories with your loved ones.
Spend a Day at Lake Pleasant Regional Park
Lake Pleasant Regional Park is one of the top places in Peoria for families to enjoy outdoor recreation. The centerpiece of the park is the 10,000 acre Lake Pleasant reservoir where you can boat, kayak, canoe, swim, and fish. There are sandy beaches that provide the perfect spot for families to lounge and play.
The park also features scenic hiking and biking trails to explore on foot or wheel. Pack a picnic and make a day out of watching the sunset over the lake. Lake Pleasant has areas for camping as well so families can turn a visit into a weekend-long adventure. With so many ways to stay active amid beautiful desert scenery, Lake Pleasant Regional Park is an ideal place for families of all sizes.
Visit the Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park
For an up close look at exotic animals from around the world, spend the day at Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium and Safari Park. This highly interactive zoo has animal exhibits and attractions meant to educate and delight visitors of all ages. Get eye-to-eye with lemurs in the walk-in primate enclosure. Hand-feed a giraffe from an elevated platform. Journey through the aquarium tunnels as fish, sharks, and stingrays swim overhead.
Families with animal lovers will find no shortage of wonders at Wildlife World Zoo. To top it off, visitors can board the Safari Train for a ride through a scenic section of the zoo featuring large animals like rhinos, elephants, and more roaming in expansive habitats. With shows, up-close encounters, a petting zoo, and amusement rides, Wildlife World Zoo offers an abundance of family fun.
Catch a Spring Training Baseball Game
As the Cactus League’s home for spring training baseball, Peoria Sports Complex plays host to both the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners. Families can take in exhibition games throughout March as the players gear up for the regular season. The intimate setting allows fans to get close to the action with opportunities like attending morning practice sessions and player autograph meet-and-greets.
Kids will love chasing balls during batting practice and collecting autographs from their favorite MLB stars. With two teams to choose from, convenient game times, affordable tickets, and a family-friendly atmosphere, Peoria Sports Complex is an ideal venue for families to enjoy America’s favorite pastime.
Spend a Day of Play at Peoria Sports Complex
In addition to spring training games, Peoria Sports Complex offers families year-round recreation at its manicured fields, courts, playgrounds, and pools. Soccer, baseball, softball, and basketball leagues mean there are always games happening on the sprawling complex. Rent kayaks, pedal boats, bikes, and surreys to use on the lakefront loop path. Take swimming lessons or have a free swim at the aquatic center.
Play a round at the PADRES Golf Course or work on skills at one of batting cages or pitching tunnels. With lawn space, shaded seating, and concessions, Peoria Sports Complex provides plenty of amenities to keep everyone entertained for a full day of play. Families will also appreciate the fully accessible pirate-themed inclusive playground.
Tour the Glendale Historical Society Museum
Learn about life in the early 20th century Arizona desert at the Glendale Historical Society Museum. This museum aims to educate visitors about Glendale’s founding farmers and the agricultural roots of the area. Historic farm equipment and a barn housing antique tractors pay homage to the laborers that shaped the land. Inside see recreated businesses and homes decorated with furnishings and artifacts from previous eras.
Kids can dress up like sheriffs and make play money at the vintage bank. Families will gain insight about Native American and Hispanic cultural influences along with the changes technology brought as the town incorporated. Don’t miss the Transportation Annex to see classic cars from Model Ts to Cadillacs. With hands-on exhibits, the Glendale Historical Society Museum brings history to life in an engaging way for families.
Play Laser Tag at Lazer Planet
Lazer Planet offers 20,000 square feet of multi-level laser tag arenas under black light among glow-in-the-dark neon sculptures. This immersive experience gets the whole family up and active in head-to-head laser battle. With specialty lighting and music, Lazer Planet transports players into another universe to take part in this exciting game of skill.
Laser tag participants strap on vests and carry electronic guns that count hits and deaths on score-keeping devices. Strategizing with teammates to capture bases and defeat opponents takes cooperation and communication even amid the laser chaos. Family members ages six and up can take part in the 15-25 minute playing sessions. With unique futuristic theming and next-level technology, Lazer Planet provides thrilling family bonding unlike anywhere else.
Bowl and Play Arcade Games at Lucky Strike
Lucky Strike offers families a modern spin on the classic bowling alley and arcade combo. State-of-the-art bowling with bumpers and ramps makes bowling accessible for all ages and abilities. Play games like Half Pipe and Battle Bowling that incorporate elements like basketball hoops over the pins.
Take a break from bowling to shoot hoops on the basketball court or play the latest arcade and ticket redemption games. Keep the friendly competition going at two-story laser tag structure. With lane-side dining service, upscale casual food and drinks, couches and lounge areas, Lucky Strike elevates the typical family entertainment center. From preschoolers to grandparents, Lucky Strike offers something fun for everyone.
Attend the Annual Peoria Sports Festival
Each February, the City of Peoria hosts a free Sports Festival meant to encourage an active lifestyle for the whole family. This two-day event held at Rio Vista Community Park revolves around good-natured athletic competition and trying new sports. Families can register for friendly tournaments in golf, basketball, football, soccer, volleyball pickleball, archery, and other sports.
Other activities like bounce houses, face painting, arts and crafts, and demonstrations offer alternative ways to stay engaged. Local sports leagues and teams host booths providing information for families interesting in joining city programs. With competitions, games, entertainment, and community spirit, Peoria’s annual Sports Festival gives families memorable bonding experiences centered around athletics and activity.
See Wildflowers on the Sunflower Trail
Spring in Peoria brings a colorful spectacle along the Sunflower Trail, an eight-mile paved recreational path dotted with wildflowers. As temperatures warm and rain falls, this unique urban trail comes alive with vibrant yellow, purple, and white blooms. Families can walk, jog, or bike along the path searching for desert marigolds, brittlebush, Mexican gold poppies and other blossoms. Interpretive signs educate hikers about the desert landscape, plants, and wildlife found beside the trails.
Benches and ramadas with shade make nice spots for picnics or taking a water break. With sweeping views of the mountains surrounding Lake Pleasant and brightly colored flowers, the Sunflower Trail makes for quintessential Arizona memories for families. Due to the fragile ecosystem, visitors must stay on the path to prevent damage to the landscape.
Ride the Carousel and Train at Peoria Lakeside Park
Peoria Lakeside Park offers nostalgic family fun with its vintage Allan Herschell carousel and C.P. Huntington miniature train. Kids delight riding the beautifully painted wooden horses of the grand carousel as it turns in time to the classic calliope music. After enjoying a spin on the carousel, the whole family can then board the 15-minute train ride touring the lakefront park.
Another throwback attraction is the splash pad with pop-jet fountains for cooling off on hot days. Peoria Lakeside Park also has playgrounds, lakeside wildlife viewing platforms, walking paths perfect for surrey bikes, and plenty of green grassy areas for picnics and recreation. By combining historic attractions with modern amenities, Peoria Lakeside Park offers multi-generational appeal.
Learn About Nature at the Audubon Recreation Ranch
For family-friendly outdoor learning experiences, visit the Audubon Recreation Ranch where over 100 acres have been set aside to connect visitors with plants, wildlife and natural resources in the Sonoran Desert. This nature preserve features an interpretive trail loop families can hike at their own pace using a trail guide focused on desert ecology concepts.
Kids can dig in a fossil quarry for treasures to take home or build habitats for wildlife at the Science Discovery area. Other facilities include an archery range, fish pond, butterfly garden, and enclosed ramadas for gathering as a group. Audubon Recreation Ranch makes environmental education approachable and engaging for families seeking to explore the unique desert that surrounds Peoria.
Conclusion
With so much to see and do, Peoria has options to keep families entertained no matter the age, season, or interest. The city’s abundance of outdoor spaces, sports facilities, interactive museums, and unique attractions provide backdrops for meaningful interactions and lasting memories.
Whether riding a carousel train, hiking among springtime wildflowers, or sharing popcorn at a baseball game, families will find Peoria conducive to togetherness. With great year-round weather and amenities to enrich time spent together, Peoria has rightfully earned its reputation as an ideal destination for family fun. Use this guide of 12 exciting things to do to help plan your next family adventure in vibrant Peoria, Arizona!