Greenville-Spartanburg, SC, is considered one of the most family-friendly locations in the US. It is a great place to raise a family with its abundance of outdoor activities, plentiful cultural events, and the average low cost of living. If you live in Greenville or are planning to make a move to this beautiful city, here is a list of fun things things to do in Greenville SC with kids!
A Baseball Game at Fluor Field
If your kids are avid baseball players, why not take them out to see a baseball game at Fluor Field? Fluor Field is a 67,000-seat stadium originally built in 2006. It is a beautiful field you can visit to enjoy a nice sports night with the family!
Those who visit should not miss the 30-foot-high “Green Monster,” a replica of the 37-foot one found in Fenway. You can also visit the Rooftop at Fluor Field where you can have a unique view of the baseball game paired with the Downtown Greenville skyline. You can enjoy food and beverages along with a full-service bar!
Paris Mountain State Park
Nothing beats a nice day at the park with your kids. So, the next destination in our list of things to do in Greenville SC with kids is the Paris Mountain State Park. It is one of the most popular parks located 5 miles north of Greenville, SC. The park offers 15 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and general exploring. It is further accompanied by an 8-acre lake where you can enjoy various waterfront activities, including paddling, fishing, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, and pedal boating.
For more family fun, you can also make a camping trip to the park where you can stay overnight at any of its 39 paved campsites! Each site comes with individual water and electrical hookups. The general admission fee for the park is $6 for adults and $3.50 for children, whereas rates for camping vary by season and demand.
Falls Park on the Reedy River
Another great park you can explore with the family is Falls Park, located in downtown Greenville’s Historic West End. The Falls Park on the Reedy River is considered one of Greenville’s greatest treasures, where people from the city come to relax and enjoy their time together. The park features stunning stonework, plenty of walking trails, waterfalls, lush gardens, and even areas for picnics.
You will also come across the Liberty Bridge, a pedestrian bridge located above the Reedy River, which provides a wonderful view of the park and surrounding Greenville areas. If you are not too keen on having a picnic, you can also enjoy the two on-site restaurants the park provides! Above all, admissions to the park are free, so anyone can come and enjoy their time here.
Strawberry Hill USA
If you want to explore the wonders of nature, take your kids to one of the USA’s largest strawberry farms in South Carolina. Strawberry Hill USA stretches over 115 acres of land and is a great spot to visit with your kids! Besides strawberries, they also grow peaches, blackberries, squash, cucumbers, and even corn. With so many crops constantly being sown and grown, the farm is open for visiting year-round.
The farm also has its very own cafe and ice cream parlor where you can munch on mouth-watering breakfast and lunch or enjoy ice cream made from fruits straight from the farm.
Ice on Main
Ice skating is an excellent cardiovascular exercise and a fun way to spend time with the family. If you want to incorporate fun and exercise into a nice day out, ice skating is your best bet. So, next on our list of things to do in Greenville SC with kids, is Ice on Main in Greenville. Ice on Main is a one-of-a-kind skating rink located in downtown Greenville that allows families to partake in open-air ice skating, making it one of the most-recommended things to do with kids in Greenville.
The rink is usually open 7 days a week excluding Christmas with tickets costing around $10 for adults, and $8 for children. The rink also provides hot chocolate and other seasonable treats for the visitors to enjoy!
Table Rock State Park
Table Rock State Park is a 3000-acre park located around the edge of Blue Ridge Mountain, a statement rockface originally inhabited by Cherokee tribes. Take a trip to the park with your family this summer, where you can view these great blue hills for yourself. The park has many hiking trails you can follow and explore more of the park yourself.
There are also two lakes within the park where you can go swimming, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, and pedal boating with your loved ones! For young ones with you, the park has a dedicated children’s playground to enjoy themselves. General admissions will cost around $6 for adults and $3.50 for children aged 6-15. Children 5 and under are allowed free admission!
Greenville Swamp Rabbits Hockey Game
The Swamp Rabbits are Greenville’s professional ice hockey team affiliated with the Los Angeles Kings from the National Hockey League. You can see them in action if you are planning a day out in Greenville! On selected days, they have team offs with other professional ice hockey teams in Greenville, SC. You can view the complete set of tickets available for upcoming Greenville Swamp Rabbit games on ticketmaster. Having your family close by as you watch this intense hockey game can be an exhilarating and refreshing experience! Isn’t this one of the perfect things to do in Greenville SC with kids?
South Carolina Children’s Theatre
If you want a more relaxing indoor experience with your kids, take them to one of South Carolina’s finest theaters, the South Carolina Children’s Theatre (SCCT). SCCT is also one of South Carolina’s largest theaters, visited by over 30,000 families annually. They present a number of mainstage productions, performances, and special events year-round for the family to enjoy.
Their shows are family oriented and meant to be enjoyed together. If you have younger children to entertain, take them to SCCT’s special Tell-Me-A-Story-Theatre, a fun interactive theater where young children’s books are read and acted out (and it is completely free of charge with no reservations needed)!
The Warehouse Theatre
When it comes to fun things to do in Greenville SC with kids, we can’t leave out the Warehouse Theatre. A professional theatre dedicated to the arts located in the West end of Greenville. If you want to experience high-quality, diverse, and challenging productions, visit this theatre with your family! The Warehouse Theatre is known for its complex, intense performances that carry the true soul of theatre and is a loved one among patrons of the arts.
General admission tickets to their plays will cost around $35, whereas musical productions will cost $40.
Chimney Rock State Park
For a chance to explore the great outdoors, head to Chimney Rock State Park. This park covers around 8000 acres and features hiking trails, waterfalls, and plenty of other attractions. The most notable of the attractions is the granite monolith called Chimney Rock. The flat top of this granite monolith will provide you with stunning views of the surrounding mountains, lakes, and nearby areas.
Another great point of interest is the “Devil’s Head,” a rock face peering out over the Hickory Nut Gorge within the park. This is also a wonderful place to visit for stunning views of the region. The park has native wildlife and plants, which makes it a great destination to explore with your loved ones! In short, it is one of the most fun things to do in Greenville SC.
Jocassee Outdoor Center
Greenville Spartanburg is popular for its stunning attractions and views. The Jocassee Outdoor Center is one such destination you can’t miss. This outdoor center is at Jocassee Lake and Lake Keowee. It is one of the finest of Upstate’s premier marine center.
This center has been in action since 1979 and today hosts one of the largest rental fleets of ski boats, kayaks, and pontoons in the Upstate. You can also use their guided fishing and waterfall tours around the region. The outdoor center also has onsite restaurants, picnic areas, and gift shops where you can buy souvenirs from your visit.
Greenville Zoo
Kids of all ages love the zoo, making it a great place to explore with the family. The Greenville Zoo is a recreational facility located in the heart of Greenville, SC. It first opened in 1960 and is now home to a variety of wildlife from around the world, including African elephants, giraffes, lions, anteaters, tortoises, cheetahs, red pandas, monkeys, orangutans, and a mix of domestic and reptilian animals. The zoo also has plenty of picnic tables and shelters where you can sit back and relax.
As for pricing, adults tickets is $7.75, whereas for children, it is $4.50. Admissions for children under the age of 2 are free!
The Children’s Museum of the Upstate
Children learn best in an interactive, fun environment. This is the idea behind the Children’s Museum of the Upstate. It covers 80,000 square feet and caters to kids of all ages. And more importantly, provides an experience on hands-on play and STEM-based development through interactive exhibits.
Children can explore a total of 22 unique exhibits based on arts, science, health, and the environment. The museum also has an outdoor picnic area, gift shops where you can buy souvenirs, and onsite food services you can enjoy. No wonder it is one of the most-recommended things to do in Greenville South Carolina.
General admissions tickets will cost you $12 if you are an SC resident and $18 if you are a visitor.
Gather GVL
If you want to have a fun, extraordinary dining experience, visit Gather GVL. Gather GVL is a unique twist on the traditional dining experience. They utilize old shipping containers to make a space where people can gather and enjoy food, beverages, and entertainment. In fact, kids and pets are welcome in their space as well!
Customers can enjoy live music and a central, cozy firepit while staying entertained during their visit, complementing the food offerings.
If you want to go to a fun, lively, safe space where your kids can run around and enjoy the visit just as much as you do, this is where you want to be.
Greenville Triumph game
If your kids like soccer, take them to watch the Greenville Triumphs play on the field. The Greenville Triumphs are a Greenville SC-based professional soccer team, and they partake in plenty of home matches you can enjoy in Greenville, particularly at the Paladin Stadium. With the incoming summer, you can reserve your tickets beforehand.
View their complete playing schedule for this year on their website.
O.P. Taylors
We cannot complete the list of things to do in Greenville SC without this one. O.P. Taylors are one of Greenville’s most popular toy stores, where you can find toys for kids of all ages! Moreover, O.P. Taylors are associated since 2002 and are now spread over 3000 square feet in Greenville.
USA TODAY ranked them among the top 10 best toy stores in the world due to their collection of interactive, enjoyable toys of various shapes and sizes from leading global brands. Therefore, if you want a fun day out with your kids, this is one place you can make some nice memories!
Roper Mountain Science Center
The Roper Mountain Science Center is a 62-acre campus where young children are welcome to experience hands-on STEM-based learning. Moreover, it features an array of state-of-the-art educational facilities, labs, and educators that make learning fun for kids!
The center was formed by the Greenville County school district to provide innovative learning opportunities to the students. In fact, today families attend the center year-round with their kids to explore events and seasonal shows hosted at the science center.
Frankie’s Fun Park
If your kids have a lot of energy and love running around, take them to Frankie’s Fun Park in Greenville. For instance, the amusement park features 3 go-kart tracks, 3 mini golf courses, 9 batting cages, a 60-foot Discovery Ride, Laser Tag, a virtual reality Hologate, bumper boats, and over 100 arcade games. It is one of the top things to do in Greenville with kids.
When exhausted, head on over to Frankie’s Cafe, and cater to your appetite. Entry to the park is generally free, but you have to pay for individual games and fun inside the park; the same applies to kids.
Barnet Park
Barnet Park is a lovely park located in downtown Spartanburg. While it is a pretty small park, ranging around 7 acres, it is still a great place to sit back and relax with your family. The park features 2-mile paved walking trails, a water fountain, and plenty of statues around the park for an added artistic touch. The park also has a Zimmerli amphitheater which provides outdoor theater, musicals, and drama performances.
If you want to take your kids on a short picnic to a clean, green, and peaceful park, this is the spot!
Mast General Store
Final on our list of best things to do in Greenville SC with kids is the Mast General Store, one of the oldest retail stores in Greenville. During your travels in Greenville, be sure to visit this store and buy some nice souvenirs to take with you! Besides souvenirs, you will find nearly every must-have item in this store, from clothes to trekking gear, cookware, shoes, books, jewelry, and even a fun candy section your kids will love!
Final Thoughts
There you have it, the 20 best things to do in Greenville SC with kids. Greenville is one of the best places to visit if you are planning a family-friendly vacation this summer! Besides being a beautiful, charming city on its own, it has a wide selection of indoor and outdoor services that will keep you and your kids well entertained.
