Plan a trip to Grapevine Texas for the whole family. Grapevine has quite a bit to offer for families. We’ve listed our experiences and recommendations of things for families to do in Grapevine, TX!
13 Things For Families To Do In Grapevine TX
Last year I had an opportunity to travel to Grapevine, Texas for a Girl’s Getaway weekend, and a conference. If you don’t know, Grapevine comfortably sits right next to Dallas, and only ten minutes from the DFW Airport. I fell in love with vacationing in small towns about two years ago, and I love the chance to explore all the things to do in a small town. When many people think of vacationing in Texas, they think of Austin, Houston, Dallas, etc. But what about Grapevine?
What about Grapevine indeed.
Grapevine is a delightful little town, holding a ton of charm and gems for families, couples getaways, girlfriend getaways, and more. It’s a town for everyone!
Recently, my youngest, Zayd’n and I headed to Grapevine for a few days. This year as part of our family travel, we are doing short getaway ideas with just one child. Not only does this create bonding time for just the parent and one child, but it’s also a cheaper way to travel.
When we first arrived in Texas, after hopping into our 2017 Mazda CX-9, we put in the address to the nearest In-N-Out. Yes, if you are an In-N-Out fan, you will find them all over Texas, and even in Grapevine.
After savoring our juicy burgers, fries, and lemonade, we headed back out to the Mazda CX-9 and put in the address for Great Wolf Lodge.
Our family LOVES waterparks, and I was thrilled to have a chance to check out Grapevine’s Great Wolf Lodge. We’ve stayed at the GWL in Traverse City, Michigan, and Sandusky, Ohio.
When they say everything is bigger in Texas, everything is really bigger in Texas.
With only 48 hours to explore Grapevine, we had a lot of ground to cover. Here’s a list of things we recommend for families to check out while vacationing in Grapevine, Texas.
1. Great Wolf Lodge– You have quite a few water parks to choose from when planning your vacation to Grapevine. The Great Wolf Lodge has a lot to offer including their water park with many slides, lazy river, tidal wave, MagiQuest (this is a fun, interactive game for kids to play all throughout the resort), and more. They also have an arcade, a spa for kids, and a ropes course. And don’t forget about their storytime happening every evening. Plus, they have extra activities such as dance parties, and other fun activities for the whole family. If you are not staying on the property, you can come and get a day pass for the waterpark! {parents, they have a Starbucks!}
2. Gaylord Texan Resort- Right across the street from the GWL is the Gaylord. I had a chance to stay at the Gaylord last year and was impressed with the many indoor and outdoor activities they have for the whole family. You could plan a vacation to the Grapevine and never leave the Gaylord resort. You will also find a zip line course, several restaurants, and more! {pst, they have a Starbucks too!} Even if you are not staying on the property, you can come and get a day pass for the waterparks!
3. 9/11 Flight Crew Memorial- Just a short drive from the Gaylord and Great Wolf Lodge you will find the 91/1 Flight Crew Memorial. I recommend stopping by to read and say the names of each person who died on 9/11 trying to help others. This memorial is dedicated to the 33 flight crew members, along with many in law enforcement who lost their lives on that tragic day.
Big thanks to Mazda for letting us try out the CX-9 Grand Touring FWD during our Grapevine Getaway. I’ve driven the 2016 CX-9, and love all the room in this SUV. The 2017 model is very similar to the 2016 model. Some of my favorite features include: seats 7 people comfortably, drive seat memory, heating and cooling front seats (the cooling is definitely needed on a hot day in Texas), the Bose speaker system, and the active driving display.)
4. Grapevine Mills Malls– Take a break from a ton of water fun, and head over to this premium outlet for some shopping! As my boys get older, going shopping to buy their clothes, accessories, and shoes is something they enjoy doing. {note: they don’t the way I shop, going to store to store. But they do enjoy going to stores they like to buy their clothes.} Zayd’n and I were able to enjoy some time walking the full mall, and doing some shopping.You will also find a Rainforest Cafe, an AMC movie theater, over 180 stores, food court, restaurants and more.
5. LEGOLAND Discovery Center– Located in the Grapevine Mills Mall, is another family-friendly activity to do in Grapevine, Texas. We have a Discovery Center in Michigan, so we were curious to compare the two. The Grapevine LEGOLAND Discovery Center is bigger (but of course, Texas!), and has more hands-on activities for the kids to do. At 35,000 square feet, and featuring more than two million LEGO® bricks, the kids will have a blast. When you first walk into the Discovery Center, you are taken into a large room and given a factory tour on how Legos are made. I’ve never seen this in action before, so both Zayd’n and I were impressed. Once this ten-minute tour is complete, the doors open up to the rest of the Discovery Center. You will also find three rides, quite a few hands-on activities, a 4D Cinema, and more. During the warmer months, an outside area is a place where the kids can put on their swimsuits and get wet at Pirate Beach.
6. SEALIFE Aquarium- SEALIFE is located in Grapevine Mills Mall, right across from LEGOLAND Discovery Center. This is a 45,000-square-foot aquarium filled with a ton of sea creatures. Kids will have a chance to feed live stingrays, see some big pretty big sharks, check out the green sea turtles and more. With SEALIFE and LEGOLAND located in the same vicinity, parents can be a combo pass and save money. Then when you’re down with both activities, have lunch (or dinner) at the Rainforest Cafe.
7. Downtown Grapevine- The heart of Grapevine can be found downtown. When you shop on Main Street, not only are you shopping and buying local, but it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You will find over 80 locally owned shops, winery tasting rooms, restaurants, art galleries and jewelry stores along Main Street in Downtown Grapevine. One thing I love about small towns are the people. People fascinate me, and I love to see how they love their community. Grapevine is no exception. The locals know each other, but will also welcome a stranger in and strike up a conversation like you’ve been friends for years. The kids will be in for a special treat when you make your way down Main Street to the Grapevine Convention & Visitor Bureau. Each day at noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., and 9 p.m., two figures, known as the Would-Be Train Robbers appear at the top of the Glockenspiel Clock Tower. Guests are treated to a little show where these train robbers put together the perfect heist. This is such a fun little activity the kids will love because you can’t come to Texas without experiencing a “western story.”
8. Christmas Capital of Texas– If you didn’t know, Grapevine is the Christmas Capital of Texas. I am a HUGE lover of all things Christmas, and this is on my bucket list to do. From what I’ve heard from others (and from the photos), Grapevines sets it out around Christmas time. This whole town transforms into the perfect little Christmas town, with many events and activities happening during the month of December (over 1400 events!!!).
9. Nash Farm- This is a fun, interactive family-friendly location. This historic landmark purchased by Thomas Jefferson Nash in 1859, is one of Grapevine’s little gems. The 5.2-acre farm is FREE and open to visitors for self-guided tours. On my visit, I learned how to wash clothes by hand, got a chance to check out some of the farm animals, and learned about life on the farm. Be sure to check the hours of operation before planning your visit. Learn more information by going here.
10. Grapevine Vintage Railroad-Head to downtown Grapevine and catch a ride on an authentic 1920’s Victorian coach. This train ride will take you and your family on a trip along the historic Cotton Belt Route, which includes a stop at the Fort Worth Stockyards (usually available on the weekends). We didn’t have a chance to do this, but it’s on our bucket list for our next visit. Throughout the year, you will find special events such as Day out with Thomas and during Christmas time, the North Pole Express.
11. Museums & Galleries- Grapevine holds its share of museums and galleries. Touring their museums will give you a sense of what life was like in Grapevine years ago, along with what products were made here and other fun historical facts. Their museums are interactive, giving families a chance to get their hands dirty and have a fun experience. Touring Grapevine’s galleries where local artists are showcased is a fun educational and cultural experience.
Grapevine offers its share of the nightlight, outdoor activities, and of course, great foodie experiences. I’ve written about a few of my food experiences when I went last year for a getaway.
A few mores tips:
- Use sites like Groupon or Living Social to find deals on your hotel or resort. You can also check their website to find special deals going on. If you’re not traveling during peak season, you can always find a great deal on your upcoming vacation.
- I like to fly as cheap as possible. When we flew to Dallas from Detroit, we were able to get flights under $30 bucks each way. YES, each way. We use sites like skyscanner.com or go directly to the airline’s website to find cheap deals. {p.s. I like to use Spirit to find super low deals. They are a budget airline, but they always have CHEAP deals. I mean, I would rather fly for cheap and have more money to spend on the experiences and food during my vacation!}
- When you plan a vacation with just one child, you want to make sure all the kids are included. At the beginning of the year, each child wrote down a list of places they would like to go with one of their parents. Then, I started to look for deals for those particular destinations and started planning our vacation. Planning is really important when it comes to saving the most money. Also traveling during off-peak season or during the week is when you will find the best deals.
When traveling to Grapevine, be sure to check out Grapevine’s CVB website. Not only will you find helpful information in planning your vacation from start to finish, but you can also find out events going on during your vacation. Thank you Grapevine for helping us put together our trip to your beautiful town. Zayd’n and I had such a great time in Grapevine with only 48 hours (plus we made a quick visit to Magnolia Market, which is only about an hour and a half from Grapevine), we can’t wait to bring the rest of the family back during the Christmas season. And if you need more things to do, surrounding Grapevine is Irving, Fort Worth and Dallas, and each town/city offers family-friendly activities as well. Yes, Grapevine is a little gem which provides fun the whole family!
Need help planning your visit? Drop me a line below and let me know! Have you ever thought about taking a vacation with just one child? If you have, share your experience below! As you can see, not only does it provide bonding time for you just you and your child, you will be able to go more places, and overall save money!
Other things to do in Texas:
AnnMarie John says
I’ve never heard of Grapevine TX but seems like it’s very family friendly. I might just have to pay them a visit one day. BTW I learned how to wash by hand when I was about 10, we had no washers in the Caribbean and it’s something I still know how to do incase the washer stops working. 🙂