FlipKey Blog 19 Best Kid-Friendly Family Vacations In America

Family life. It can be wonderful and exhausting in equal measure. That’s why The Great Family Vacation is so important—a time to make memories and celebrate your loved ones away from the pressures of daily life. Whether you’ve got a family of ten or two, here are the best family vacation ideas your kids will love, where boredom is banned and fun is king. Best Vacation Ideas For Families With so many great family-friendly destinations in the USA, it’s hard to narrow down to the cream of the crop. While we’ve left out a few of the obvious big-hitters like Orlando, Virginia Beach, San Diego, and Myrtle Beach, we’re featuring equally amazing spots, where the amenities for children are just as great and the welcome just as warm. An added benefit? These top family vacation spots boast plenty of local rentals from FlipKey. Choose an entire house or apartment where you can all be together (while still having your own space). Swap the hotel mini-bar for a fully stocked kitchen and the communal lobby for a family living area—and maybe even a garden. Imagine an evening barbecue on the outdoor patio, a family movie night in the theater room, or a morning swim in your own private pool. Ready for a fun-fueled family trip? Pack your sunblock, swimwear, and those all-important traveling snacks. Here are 19 of the best family vacation ideas in America for happy kids and even happier grown-ups. Anaheim, California “This home was perfect for young and old. Very close to Disneyland and shopping. The pool was the favorite for relaxing and cooling off. Very friendly owners.” — FlipKey Reviewer The most obvious pull for children in sunny Anaheim is the mighty Disneyland Park—and who could blame them for begging to come here? Rides for all ages, well-known characters to meet, and all the color and excitement you’d expect from a larger-than-life Disney experience. If you’re looking for something on a smaller scale, book a pass to Adventure City. With rides, shows, and a mini train, it’s especially suited to younger children. See all FlipKey rentals in Anaheim! Gettysburg, Pennsylvania “We came to Gettysburg to visit history and were not disappointed. The house just made things very simple for us. Everything we needed was there. Great literature to assist us on our history tour. The house was clean and well kept. It was located very conveniently for touring all of Gettysburg.” — FlipKey Reviewer Steeped in Civil War history, the picturesque town of Gettysburg makes a pleasant and educational base for families. Tour the Gettysburg Battlefield, the National Military Park, and the Shriver House Museum at your leisure, or hop on a guided bus tour of the town to get the expert lowdown on all the key sights. From historical re-enactments to ghostly tours, there’s so much here to keep the whole family entertained. See all FlipKey rentals in Gettysburg! Boston, Massachusetts “We regularly stay in rented accommodation rather than hotels when we go on holiday, and this is one of the best we’ve experienced. The house is very comfortable, and well furnished and equipped.” — FlipKey Reviewer Boston has it all—the culture, the fantastic city parks, and a relaxed pace you might not expect in a city of its size. Baseball fanatics, young and not so young, will love Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox. You can take a guided tour, watch a game, and soak up some sporting history. Also check out the giant ocean tank at the New England Aquarium and board a Boston Duck Tour to be transported around this beautiful city on land and water. See all FlipKey rentals in Boston! Florida Space Coast The vibe on the Florida Space Coast is, overall, beachy and relaxed, but a vacationer’s experience depends largely on the activity you choose. Of course, they don’t call it the “Space Coast” for nothing. The thrill of watching rockets launch from Cape Canaveral, whether up close or miles away, never gets old. In fact, launches still occur (SpaceX rockets are on the launch calendar for 2017). Kennedy Space Center unpacks space-centric surprises, from the earliest days of space exploration to the exciting Shuttle Launch Experience and behind-the-gates tours. As for terra firma, beautiful Atlantic beaches await, along with wildlife at the Canaveral National Seashore, a beautiful barrier island National Park. And even if you’re not shipping out for a cruise, you and your family can marvel at large luxurious ships from Grills Seafood Deck, a family-friendly and casual venue. Over in Cocoa Beach, you can sink your toes into the sand—but if you have teens, be sure to pop in for a ubiquitous (free!) sticker at Ron Jon’s massive surf shop. You may want to pick up a bikini or t-shirt while you’re at it, too. Satellite Beach is a lesser-known but equally lovely section of the Atlantic coast. If you’re planning on visiting in June or July, you can enjoy sea turtle nesting season. Check in with the Sea Turtle Preservation Society for a guided tour. Once booked, you’ll be led out by expert guides equipped with the knowledge (and turtle-friendly lighting) to find mama turtles as they venture onshore to lay their eggs. Truly amazing! See all FlipKey rentals on Florida’s Space Coast! Long Beach, California “This adorable house was very comfortable and had every amenity needed for a family vacation. Everything was close by, from amazing restaurants to cute shops, and of course the beach. I was impressed at how quickly we were able to get to Disneyland and down the coast to Newport Beach.” — FlipKey Reviewer Locals refer to Long Beach as one giant playground, so families are certainly welcome here. And there’s one place you really can’t miss. More than 11,000 creatures await you at the Aquarium of the Pacific—you can even touch and feed some of them. Learn about who lives in and around the oceans and the importance of conserving their environment. Long Beach also has lots of family-oriented places to eat and plenty of fun watery activities, including boat tours. See all FlipKey rentals in Long Beach! Washington, DC Washington, DC is a vibrant city with dozens of free attractions and events that make it an ideal destination for a family vacation. Once you’re near the Mall, major landmarks and iconic government buildings are everywhere you look: the Capitol, the White House, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, and many more. Have your kids pull out their coins and dollar bills to see replicas of the very buildings they’re standing in front of. Book a line-skipping VIP tour and check them all off your list. The internationally-renowned collections of the Smithsonian range from a 65-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton to the original “Star-Spangled Banner” to the space shuttle Discovery. The Einstein Planetarium at the Air and Space Museum offers a constant flow of illuminating, family-friendly entertainment. The airplane buffs in your family will be happy they made the trek to Dulles Airport for the Udvar-Hazy Center, an annex of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. It’s so large that the actual planes dangling from its ceiling look like toys. The riverfront Nationals Park is a wholesome itinerary option for families who like major league baseball. Its neighborhood goes by many names at this point—Navy Yard, Ballpark District and Capitol Riverfront—but is easy to reach from any area of the city. See all FlipKey rentals in Washington, DC! Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin Billed as the Waterpark Capital of the World, Wisconsin Dells is an obvious choice for fun-seeking families. It’s hard to experience all the great attractions and activities here. Take your pick of indoor and outdoor adventures, such as Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park, Noah’s Ark Waterpark, Timber Falls Adventure Park, Circus World, Timbavati Wildlife Park…the list goes on and on. See all FlipKey rentals in Wisconsin Dells! Durham, New York Set in the Northern Catskills, where there’s lots of fresh air and space to run around, Durham makes a top family vacation base. Show your brood the best of the rural life on a tour with Farmer Frank of Hull-O Farms, where you’ll meet all sorts of friendly animals, including bunnies, piglets, and chicks. For something completely different, try the Zoom Flume Water Park, where you can rent a cabana and spend the day crashing into the water via various high-speed slides. See all FlipKey rentals in Durham! Winter Haven, Florida Your child may be on his or her way to being a master builder—or not—but either way, few Florida destinations are as child-friendly as Winter Haven. That’s because of the incredible LEGOLAND. This child-centric haven is practically overflowing with Lego bricks. What’s more, every ride in the elevator is a strobe-infused opportunity to do a happy dance, and every room is themed—from pirates to knights to adventurers. Steps away are Legoland’s theme park and waterpark. The theme park’s coasters, rides and Lego-centric sites keep the entertainment going nonstop. The waterpark’s lazy rivers, wave pools, slides, and other cooling spots offer a fun respite from the Florida heat. Parents should note that although the LEGOLAND attractions are decidedly for youngsters, the ease with which you’ll be able to move from one to the next make it appealing for parents looking for recreation that’s a little more self-contained. As a bonus, you can also enjoy a tropical cocktail by the pool while watching your kiddos. See all Winter Haven rentals from FlipKey! Indianapolis, Indiana Indy’s a pretty hospitable place. And if you’re visiting with children, there’s no better starting point than the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the largest of its kind in the world. We challenge anyone to be bored in this place, where kids are encouraged to explore arts and culture through exhibits, workshops, and live performances—there’s even a steam engine. You might also like to see the animals and plant life at Indianapolis