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Palo Alto is an easy place to travel with children. It is flat, green and calm, with wide sidewalks, dozens of parks and a city-run zoo a short walk from downtown. It also sits within an hour of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, San Francisco's science museums and the tech museum in San Jose. A week gives you time for all of that without dragging anyone through a schedule.
This plan runs Saturday to Friday. It mixes one big outing with one slow day, so younger kids get playground time and naps. Each day ends early, which suits Palo Alto, where many kitchens close by 9 p.m. Our Palo Alto with kids guide lists more ideas if you want to swap a day.
The week at a glance
| Day | Big stop | Easy extra |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday | Junior Museum and Zoo | Downtown farmers market, Rinconada Park |
| Sunday | Santa Cruz Boardwalk | Redwoods and a steam train in Felton |
| Monday | Stanford campus | Cactus garden and the Rodin sculptures |
| Tuesday | The Baylands | Magical Bridge Playground, ice skating |
| Wednesday | San Francisco by Caltrain | A cable car ride |
| Thursday | Deer Hollow Farm | Lunch in downtown Los Altos |
| Friday | The Tech Interactive, San Jose | Ice cream before the flight home |
Saturday: zoo, market and park
Start at the downtown farmers market on Gilman Street, which runs from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. Kids can graze on fruit and pastries while you shop for the week. Dogs are not allowed except service animals.
Then walk or drive about a mile to the Junior Museum and Zoo at 1451 Middlefield Road. The city-run museum, founded in 1934 and rebuilt in 2021, has about 400 animals of 60 species plus hands-on science exhibits sized for young children. Entry is by timed ticket booked online. It is closed on Mondays and from November 1, 2026 it closes at 4:30 p.m. Afterward, let everyone run in Rinconada Park next door. The Children's Library at 1276 Harriet Street is close by if you need a quiet hour.
Sunday: Santa Cruz
Sunday is the Santa Cruz day because the Boardwalk rides run mostly on weekends outside summer. Leave by 9 a.m. and drive Highway 17, about an hour. You need a car. If you flew in, compare rental cars and ask for child seats when you book.
Walking the Boardwalk and the beach is free. Rides use a card or an all-day wristband and payment inside is cashless. The 1924 Giant Dipper wooden coaster has height limits, so check before small kids get their hopes up. Check ride days on the Boardwalk website before you leave. Our Santa Cruz guide covers parking.
On the way home, stop in Felton. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park has a flat Redwood Grove Loop of 0.8 miles, with an accessible 0.75-mile route, for $10 per vehicle. Next door, Roaring Camp runs a 75-minute steam train into the redwoods: $42.35 for adults and $26.45 for ages 2 to 12. Its beach train is not running until spring 2027.
Monday: Stanford for kids
Ride the free Marguerite shuttle from the transit center up Palm Drive. It runs on weekdays only. Older kids like the Main Quad's arcades and the gold mosaic on Memorial Church. Younger ones like the open lawns of the Oval. The Cantor Arts Center is free and open on Mondays. Its Rodin Sculpture Garden outside is open around the clock, but nobody may climb on the bronzes. Walk on to the Arizona Cactus Garden near the Stanford Mausoleum, where the strange shapes go down well with kids. Our Stanford with kids guide adds the Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden, Lake Lagunita and places to eat on campus.
Hoover Tower's observation deck is closed until January 25, 2027, so skip the elevator ride this season.
Tuesday: the Baylands and a playground
Drive or bike to the end of Embarcadero Road for the Baylands. The boardwalk over the marsh is free and the duck pond is a favorite, though feeding wildlife is banned in city parks. The Lucy Evans nature center sits beside the boardwalk. The Environmental Volunteers EcoCenter nearby runs Science Days on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., so save it for another trip if Tuesday does not fit.
After lunch, head to Mitchell Park in south Palo Alto. Its Magical Bridge Playground, opened in 2015, was designed so kids of every ability can play together. Adobe Creek runs beside it and the Mitchell Park Library is across the lawn. In the late afternoon, lace up at the Winter Lodge on Middlefield Road, an outdoor rink open from October 16, 2026 to April 11, 2027. Tickets are sold online only and in advance.
Wednesday: San Francisco by train
For many kids the train is the highlight. Ride Caltrain from Palo Alto to Fourth and King, about 40 minutes on an express. Weekday express times are on the Caltrain timetable. Then pick one big museum. The California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park has an aquarium, a planetarium and a rainforest dome under one roof. Adult tickets are $49 standard and $55 peak. Children 3 to 12 pay $39 to $45 and kids 2 and under are free. The Exploratorium at Pier 15 is the other great choice, open Tuesday to Sunday.
Ride a cable car if the lines are short. It costs $9 a ride and is free for ages 4 and under. Strollers must be folded before you board. For skip-the-line tickets, browse San Francisco family tickets. Catch an early train home so dinner does not run late.
Thursday: farm animals and Los Altos
Drive about 20 minutes to Rancho San Antonio, entered from Cristo Rey Drive in Cupertino. Deer Hollow Farm is a 10-acre homestead with 75 to 100 farm animals, about a mile's walk from the main parking lot. It is free and open Tuesday and Thursday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Go early, since the lot fills on nice days.
Lunch in downtown Los Altos, ten minutes north. State Street Market, the food hall on State Street, lets everyone order something different. If your kids prefer planes to goats, swap the farm for the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with admission of about $22 to $23 for adults.
Friday: The Tech Interactive
Ride Caltrain south to San Jose Diridon, then walk under 20 minutes or take VTA light rail to The Tech Interactive at 201 S. Market Street. In fall 2026 it lists hours of Wednesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $38 for adults and $28 for ages 3 to 17, including one IMAX film. It suits kids from about 6 up. Back in Palo Alto, end the week at Rick's Ice Cream in the Charleston Center, which has scooped since 1956.
Where families should stay
Suites save a week-long trip. A kitchen covers breakfasts and a separate room lets parents stay up after bedtime. Our family-friendly hotels guide compares the options: Homewood Suites and both Residence Inns have kitchens and free hot breakfast, Hilton Garden Inn Palo Alto has an indoor pool and the Graduate offers family suites. Compare family hotels in Palo Alto and check that cribs are available.
Good to know
- California law requires a helmet for every bike rider under 18 and for children in bike seats or trailers.
- Rain is most likely from November to March. Swap the farm or the Baylands for a museum on wet days.
- Happy Hollow Park and Zoo in San Jose opens only on weekends in November 2026, plus Friday, November 27.
- Pack layers for Santa Cruz and the Baylands, where wind makes it feel colder than town.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to do in Palo Alto with kids for a week?
Plenty. Palo Alto has the Junior Museum and Zoo, the Magical Bridge Playground, the Baylands and an outdoor ice rink in winter. Within an hour you add the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, San Francisco's science museums, The Tech Interactive in San Jose and two working farms in the foothills.
When is the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo open?
It is open Tuesday to Sunday and closed on Mondays. From November 1, 2026 it closes at 4:30 p.m. Entry uses timed tickets booked online, so reserve a slot before you go, especially on weekends and school holidays.
Are the Santa Cruz Boardwalk rides open in winter?
Outside summer the rides run mostly on weekends and holidays and some days have only limited rides. Walking the Boardwalk and the beach is free. Check the Boardwalk's own calendar before you drive over Highway 17.
What are the best free things to do with kids in Palo Alto?
The Magical Bridge Playground at Mitchell Park, the Baylands boardwalk, Gamble Garden in daylight and the Cantor Arts Center are all free. Deer Hollow Farm at Rancho San Antonio is free too and has 75 to 100 farm animals about a mile from the parking lot.
Which Palo Alto hotels work best for families?
Suites with kitchens help on a week-long trip. Homewood Suites and the two Residence Inns have kitchens and free hot breakfast. Hilton Garden Inn Palo Alto has an indoor pool. Our family-friendly hotels guide compares them.