Troy, Michigan is a vibrant suburb located just north of Detroit. With its excellent schools, beautiful parks, and abundance of family-friendly attractions, it’s no wonder why Troy is such a popular place to raise a family. If you’re looking for ideas on how to spend quality time with your family in Troy, this article outlines 12 fantastic things to do that will appeal to all ages.
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Explore Outdoors at Boulan Park | Features woodland trails, a sensory trail, and various family amenities. |
| Troy Museum and Historic Village | Offers a glimpse into 1800s life with historic buildings and interactive exhibits. |
| Paddle a Canoe on the Detroit River | Engage in water-based recreation with scenic views and wildlife. |
| Pick Fruit at Almond Orchards | A family-friendly orchard offering seasonal fruit picking and fresh produce. |
| Get Active at Troy Sports Center | A multi-facility center with ice rinks, pools, and sports fields. |
| Adventure Park | Features thrill rides, mini-golf, and an arcade for family entertainment. |
| Stage Nature Center | A nature preserve with trails, wildlife, and educational programs. |
| Giant Golf | Offers an 18-hole mini-golf course with unique challenges and night play. |
| Detroit Zoo | Home to over 2,000 animals with interactive and educational exhibits. |
From outdoor adventures like canoeing and hiking to interactive museums and hands-on activities, there is something on this list that every member of your family will enjoy. Keep reading for the inside scoop on the top attractions and things to see and do during your next family outing in Troy.
1.Explore Outdoors at Boulan Park
Name and Location: Explore Outdoors at Boulan Park
History and Significance: Opened in 1972, Boulan Park spans over 90 acres offering recreational amenities like wooded trails, sports fields, playgrounds, ice rink, aquatic center, pavilions and vibrant open spaces in Troy, MI – providing community wellness and gathering place opportunities.
What to Expect: Hike/bike scenic trails, play soccer or lacrosse on 25 athletic fields, cool off at splash park, skate the concrete plaza, have a catch, picnic under pavilions or winter sled, ski and ice skate for year-round family fun.
Visitor Information: Boulan Park Dr & Crooks Rd. Open daily 7am-10pm. Free admission to grounds, trails and playgrounds. Pool/rink fees apply in season. Leashed dogs permitted. City site details park amenities.
Boulan Park is one of Troy’s gems when it comes to the outdoors. This large park features woodland trails that are perfect for taking leisurely family walks surrounded by nature. One unique aspect of Boulan Park is its sensory trail, which has educational components designed to engage the senses.
As you meander down the trail, you’ll encounter stations with different textures, sounds, sights, and smells. It’s a great way to connect with nature while teaching kids about the environment. The park also contains an open-air pavilion overlooking a pond, athletic fields, and a playground area with equipment suitable for all ages.
Spend a few hours picnicking, hiking the trails, flying kites in the open fields, or playing on the playgrounds for an enjoyable outdoor adventure.
2.Tour the Troy Museum and Historic Village
Name and Location: Tour the Troy Museum and Historic Village
History and Significance: Established in 1966, this sprawling site with over 60 restored 19th-21st century buildings collects, preserves and interprets the heritage of Troy (and Michigan) through costumed reenactments, seasonal programs and immersive exhibits spanning multiple eras across local history.
What to Expect: Step back in time exploring a historic village via interpreters demonstrating blacksmithing, baking, farming practices and more among other eras represented. L. Brooks Patterson Library and modern Welcome Center provide added insight and context expanding beyond.
Visitor Information: 60 W Wattles Rd. Open year round 7 days a week, hours limited off-season. Free admission and parking always. Facility/group tour rentals offered based on availability.
For a family-friendly trip back in time, head over to the Troy Museum and Historic Village. This outdoor museum aims to preserve Troy’s heritage and contains actual historic buildings from the 1800s that have been relocated and restored.
Inside the buildings, you’ll find exhibits displaying what life was like for early settlers and pioneers. Costumed docents are available to answer questions and provide demonstrations. The littlest members of the family will enjoy activities like churning butter, pumping water at the well, and visiting the various farm animals around the village.
Be sure to save time to stroll through the heirloom gardens, play old-fashioned games, and take a ride on the handcar along the railroad tracks. With the sights, sounds and smells of the 19th century, the Troy Museum is an immersive destination perfect for curious young minds.
3.Paddle a Canoe on the Detroit River
Name and Location: Paddle a Canoe on the Detroit River
History and Significance: For over 300 years, the Detroit River served as a vital water route connecting the upper Great Lakes to points beyond – rich in natural beauty, wildlife and history. Today multiple access points in Troy let you launch boats/kayaks to paddle along Coast Guard patrolled scenic sections.
What to Expect: Launch sites like Erie Metropark and Pointe Mouillee with nearby parking allow you to embark on river excursions – view lush riverbanks, observe boat traffic, dock at islands and perhaps glimpse rare birds migrating through the international wildlife refuge nearby.
Visitor Information: Know all rules and wear PFD lifejackets. Avoid freighter lanes. Launch ramps can close due to conditions. Park passes needed at Metroparks. Be prepared for any weather.
For a family adventure that gets you out on the water, rent a canoe or kayak and paddle along the Detroit River. Several liveries and marinas near Troy offer boat rentals and shuttle services. Once you obtain your vessel and equipment, you can launch your canoe right into the river.
Paddling down the Detroit River, you’ll be treated to lovely waterfront views of both Detroit and Windsor as you pass by Belle Isle, Milliken State Park, and other scenic places.
It’s a relaxing way to bond with family while getting some exercise and enjoying nature. Pack a picnic lunch and make a day out it. Many consider canoeing the Detroit River to be one of the most fun and affordable family-friendly activities in Troy.
4.Pick Fruit at Almond Orchards
Name and Location: Pick Fruit at Almond Orchards
History and Significance: Family owned for over 40 years, this working fruit farm allows visitors to pick tree-ripened peaches, apples, pears and cherries straight from their organically managed orchards during harvest months July-October as generations of metro Detroit families have done, creating lasting memories.
What to Expect: Walk the neat rows of high bush trees before selecting ripe fruit by hand to take home. Pay by the pound harvested. Also find jams, local honey/syrup and pre-picked produce in their farm market. Area farms offer similar seasonal PYO fruit.
Visitor Information: 2245 25 Mile Rd in Shelby Township. Phone recording announces open U-pick conditions. Free admission, no minimum purchase. Pre-picked fruit and activities also available.
For a wholesome outdoor activity the entire family will enjoy, head over to Almond Orchard, a pick-your-own fruit farm open seasonally in Troy. At this classic fruit orchard, you can pick ripe apples, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, pears, and plums straight from the tree depending on what’s in season.
After filling up baskets full of fresh fruit, relax under the shade of the pecan grove while the kids play on the farm-style playground.
Other activities at Almond Orchard include tractor-pulled wagon rides through the orchards, feeding the farmyard animals, and enjoying freshly baked fruit pies, cider slushies, jam, and other homemade treats from the farm bakery. With rows of fruit trees ready for picking, Almond Orchard promises wholesome fun the whole family will remember.
5.Get Active at Troy Sports Center
Name and Location: Get Active at Troy Sports Center
History and Significance: Opened 1989 with ongoing upgrades, this active complex houses an NHL regulation ice arena hosting hockey and figure skating events/leagues plus indoor turf field, basketball courts, concessions and pro shop – providing recreation opportunities to learn new sports or cheer on community teams nearly year round.
What to Expect: Youth and adult sports programming includes skating lessons, hockey camps and drop in court/field rentals. Public skates, stick times and open hockey sessions fit casual play. Schedules and fees updated online for the variety of sports and leagues.
Visitor Information: 1819 E Big Beaver Rd. Most facilities open daily with hours varying – call or check site for public sessions. Equipment rentals, parties and team events can be booked through guest services.
When you need to let the kids burn off some energy, take the family to the Troy Sports Center. This large recreation center features an indoor ice arena hosting open skates, hockey games, and figure skating. Even if you’re not interested in ice sports, the arena is open for public skating.
At the Sports Center, you’ll also find an indoor aquatic park complete with a lap pool, a recreational pool with a slide and splash toys, and a hot tub to relax those tired muscles after swimming. An indoor turf field at the Sports Center provides space for soccer, lacrosse, football and baseball.
With so many options for active fun under one roof, the whole family will enjoy a day playing sports or swimming at this premier recreational destination in Troy.
6.Learn Something New at the Troy Historic Village
Name and Location: Learn Something New at the Troy Historic Village
History and Significance: Spanning 30+ heritage buildings active with role playing interpreters and exhibits, the village immerses visitors into 19th century daily life – including farming, dining, homemaking and more – through first person stories and demonstrations from earlier eras bringing learning local history to life.
What to Expect: Costumed historians provide hourly tour highlights among the historic buildings – allowing you to discover sights, smells and sounds transporting you back to earlier time periods. Special events, seasonal activities and access to research library onsite as well.
Visitor Information: 60 W Wattles Rd. Hours limited off-season, tours on a set schedule. Entry donations welcomed. Annual memberships provide added access to limited spaces tours, events and facility rentals.
Immerse your family in local history with a day of exploration at the Troy Historic Village. This interactive open-air museum aims to preserve the heritage of Troy by relocating and restoring actual historic buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Inside the historic structures, you’ll discover exhibits displaying what life was like for early pioneers and settlers in Troy through artifacts, stories, and displays. Costumed docents provide additional information and even demonstrations of tasks like pumping water, grinding corn, cooking over a fire, and more so you can really step back in time.
Kids will love activities like playing traditional games, pumping water, taking a ride on a handcar along the railroad tracks that run through the village green, and visiting with the farm animals. With concerts, seasonal events, special exhibitions, and even summer camps, there’s always something new to see or do during return visits to this beloved local history museum.
7.Have Fun at Adventure Park
Name and Location: Have Fun at Adventure Park
History and Significance: Spanning 7 acres, this family fun park opened in 1996 delivers smiles via amusement park rides, challenging mini-golf, laser tag battles, arcade games and birthday party rooms able to host events both big and small throughout the year just off the banks of scenic Walled Lake.
What to Expect: Midway games like bumper cars, tilt-a-whirl, carousel and drop tower. 36 holes of mini golf with waterfalls, pirates and dinosaurs. Dark maze laser tag and 100+ redemption arcade games under one roof. Food counter on site.
Visitor Information: 2240 W. Walled Lake Dr. in Walled Lake. Open daily, hours vary by season. Wristband passes maximize ride values. Parties booked online in advance receive bundled discounts.
For thrill rides, games, mini golf, and more – all in one place – the whole family will enjoy a day at Adventure Park. This family entertainment center located in Troy features Go Kart rides along twisting tracks that both kids and adults will love. The park also contains an 18-hole miniature golf course complete with caves, waterfalls, bridges, and other obstacles.
When you need a break from the attractions, step inside to the arcade and redemption center which offers hundreds of games, skee ball, air hockey, and more. Hungry after all that fun? Grab a bite at the on-site restaurant and bar which offers casual dining options and sports viewing. With rides, games, food and entertainment all under one roof, Adventure Park is one-stop destination for family fun in Troy.
8.Take in Nature at Stage Nature Center
Name and Location: Take in Nature at Stage Nature Center
History and Significance: Encompassing over 150 lush acres, this reserve first opened 1981 as an Audubon Society sanctuary to foster environmental stewardship via 7 miles of trails hosting diverse plants/wildlife plus environmental programs exploring vernal ponds, prairie, pine forest and wetland habitats through each season.
What to Expect: Interpretive center with native creature exhibits, educational programming plus guided nature walks and bird watching meetups. Miles of looped trails allow you to hike, jog, bike, snowshoe or cross country ski while surrounded immersed in nature just 20 minutes from Detroit.
Visitor Information: 6685 Coolidge Hwy in Troy. Trails open daily 8am-30 minutes after sunset. No entry cost but donations appreciated. Some programs ticketed, check schedule.
Stage Nature Center is Oakland County’s wildlife preserve, aimed at helping people connect with and understand nature. Families can explore the center’s trails, native plant gardens, and variety of wild critters in their natural habitats. Knowledgeable naturalists often lead programs on topics like bees, birds of prey, wild turkeys, owls, and many other native Michigan wildlife species.
The Nature Center also contains indoor exhibits of taxidermy animals, bird specimens, animal tracks, and more so kids can learn all about Michigan’s wild inhabitants. Special events held regularly at Stage Nature Center include themed-hikes, school break camps, outdoor skill-building programs, and concerts.
With biking and hiking trails, gardens, and forested areas rich in wildlife, this nature preserve makes an educational and enlightening family outing.
9.Play Mini-Golf at Giant Golf
Name and Location: Play Mini-Golf at Giant Golf
History and Significance: Constructed 1963 with ongoing creative renovations, this beloved mini golf course packs 54 holes across three cleverly landscaped tracks winding under giant fiberglass dinosaur and animal sculptures through tunnels, hillsides and water features – entertaining generations of families and competitive players alike.
What to Expect: Colorfully creative holes traversing stairs, ramps and surprises with some skill-testing layouts from angles to ricochet bumpers waiting to trap your ball as you tally scores on each themed course. All ages facilities, cash only. Pro shop and concession stand on site.
Visitor Information: 4555 John R Rd. Troy, MI. Open daily late April through September. Nominal fees for round, club and ball rentals available. Cash only, ATMs nearby.
For kid-friendly putt putt fun, bring the family to play a round of mini golf at Giant Golf’s newly upgraded course in Troy. This classic mini golf course contains 18 unique holes set among landscaped gardens, ponds, and water features.
As you make your way through the cleverly-designed course, you’ll encounter obstacles like loops, bumps, bridges, inclined ramps, and more making for an entertaining challenge as you putt your way through with family. Giant Golf has lighting at night so you can even play a round after dark for something unique.
The family-owned establishment also offers amenities like picnic tables, a concession stand, and arcade games when you need a break from mini golf. With affordable rates,challenges for all skill levels, and unlimited rounds of golf, an afternoon at Giant Golf promises hours of family fun.
10.Explore Hands-On Exhibits at the Detroit Zoo
Name and Location: Explore Hands-On Exhibits at the Detroit Zoo
History and Significance: Founded 1928, this 125-acre zoo with award winning habitats houses hundreds of animal species – including endangered rhinos, kangaroos, penguins, giraffes and more – joined by a botanical garden, petting farm, nature-based playscapes plus a wild adventure ropes course welcoming over 1.5 million annual visitors.
What to Expect: Get eye level with exotic creatures in realistic environments thanks to state-of-the-art enclosures focused on conservation like the Polk Penguin Conservation Center and humongous chimpanzee habitat. Feed rainbow lorikeets or touch sharks on specialty adventures.
Visitor Information: Located at 8450 W 10 Mile Rd Royal Oak. Open daily, hours vary by season. Admission $14.95-24.95 depending on age. Book animal encounters and theme tours in advance online.
Animals from around the globe take the spotlight at the renowned Detroit Zoo located just a short drive from Troy in Royal Oak. This 125-acre zoo is home to more than 2,000 diverse animals representing 230 species from amphibians to zebras.
With specialized habitats like the Arctic Ring of Life, Australian Outback Adventure, Great Apes of Harambee, and more, zoo goers can explore the creatures’ natural environments. Interactive exhibitions like the Wildlife Interpretive Gallery, Holden Reptile Conservation Center, and the National Amphibian Conservation Center further Zoo’s education mission through hands-on displays.
Families with kids of all ages will enjoy this world-class zoo where exhibits like the butterfly garden, petting farm, carousel, and splash pad make it an unforgettable family experience.
11.Step Back in Time at the Troy Museum
Name and Location: Step Back in Time at the Troy Museum
History and Significance: Charting over 200 years of local history since 1966, this Smithsonian affiliate museum engages visitors through impactful permanent exhibits like a 1920s Troy grocery store plus rotating multimedia displays, artifacts and seasonal events – bringing to life defining eras, people and moments across metro Detroit’s past via public programs.
What to Expect: Peruse displays on defining events like 167th Infantry in WWI or Detroit’s 1967 Rebellion enhanced by audio, imagery and memorabilia conveying broader context. Research library onsite. Heritage shop offers regional books/souvenirs.
Visitor Information: 60 W Wattles Rd. Free admission, donations appreciated. Open Tuesday-Saturday, hours vary. Group tours need one week notice. Closed major holidays.
Travel back in time to the 19th century with a visit to the Troy Museum, located right in the heart of Downtown Troy. This engaging museum aims to preserve the heritage of Troy through exhibits and restored historical buildings. Inside the museum’s main center, you’ll discover displays and artifacts showing what life was like for early pioneers and settlers in Troy.
But the real highlight is exploring the village green located just behind the museum. Here you’ll find actual homesteads, churches, shops, and community buildings dating from the 1800s that have been fully restored and filled with period pieces. Costumed docents provide tours and demonstrations at each building so you can immerse yourself in history.
Kids will love activities like churning butter in the farmhouse, riding along the tracks in a handcar, or visiting the heritage garden. Through the sights, sounds, and smells of Troy’s past the museum provides the perfect family-friendly glimpse into local history.
Conclusion
With its excellent schools, vibrant communities, and abundance of family attractions, Troy offers an outstanding quality of life for those raising families. The wide variety of museums, parks, recreation destinations, and family entertainment options highlighted in this article reveal why Troy is such an ideal place for family fun.
From outdoor adventures like canoeing the Detroit River or fruit picking at orchards to historical attractions like the village museums, there are activities the whole family can enjoy. Indoor destinations like the Troy Sports Center and Detroit Zoo guarantee year-round options when Michigan weather drives you inside.
With so many things to see and do, Troy has something to delight family members of all interests and ages. Use this list to plan your next memorable family day exploring all that Troy has to offer. No matter the season or weather, Troy promises wholesome fun, learning, and adventure for families.