Midwest Travel Destinations For Families With Boys

This summer, you may want to join us in considering some great Midwest travel destinations that are great for families with boys. We love travel, but the boys may get bored with all of the museums and gardens I prefer, so these places offer some fun interactive options that kids will totally love. I always like finding a place that offers me some great culture while I can spend the daytime hours giving them the fun activities that burn their energy fast and leave them with smiles on their faces.

Midwest Travel Destinations For Families With Boys

Wichita, Kansas: This little unassuming town in Kansas actually offers some fun things for kids and families to enjoy together. While many of these attractions are actually around the city of Wichita, the area itself is thriving with fun family friendly activities and culture. Not only do they have a great downtown food scene, you might even find yourself dancing the night away at the largest country dance club in the region.

Cosmosphere: About an hour away from Wichita in Hutchinson Kansas is one of the best space centers in the nation. This location features tons of artifacts from the NASA missions as well as up and coming information on space exploration, the Mars missions, and even regular rotating exhibits for math and science features.
Old Cowtown Museum: Takes you back to the old west with rides in carriages and fun-filled activities for the entire family to experience.
Exploration Place: This hands-on kids museum is a fun interactive location for hours of family friendly fun. Education meets playtime for happy kids and parents.
Great Plains Transportation Museum: If you have a train lover in the group this is the perfect place to spend a few hours learning about the addition of railroads in the Midwest and how they helped travel westward.
Kansas Aviation Museum: For those who love a little history and planes this is a great place to begin your travel adventures. Tons of classic and new aviation technology on display with a few hands-on experiences in the mix.

Branson, Missouri: This bustling city in the Ozarks is the ideal choice of Midwest travel destinations for a family to visit. Branson boasts more live entertainment than many destinations, but one of the best features is the local amusement park that takes you back west for days of fun. You can read all about our adventures to Branson, Mo, including Ziplining, Silver Dollar City, and the Dixie Stampede.

Silver Dollar City: An old western themed amusement park with roller coasters, classic carnival rides, glass blowing, blacksmith shops, food, barbecue, underground caves, and more!
White Water Branson: This classic water park with rides, a lazy river, and tons of options for the entire family to cool off in warm summer months.
Branson Scenic Railway: Enjoy a classic train experience while viewing some of the most beautiful scenery in the Midwest.
Titanic Museum: This hands-on museum features a full-scale exterior replica of the ship with tons of historic information about the passengers and the crew.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not: All of the classic wild and zany exhibits are perfect for kids to enjoy. Some areas may be frightening for younger kids, so ask in advance and be cautious if your kids are sensitive.
Dixie Stampede: Dolly Parton’s dinner and a show featuring horses, music, and tons of cheering is one of the most popular places to dine with your family. Expect great classic country food, country music, and a lot of flag waving on beautiful horses.
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Along with these popular destinations, you can find hundreds of options for music and theater experiences. Country and Gospel music take top billing in Branson, but you’ll be able to find tons of rock and pop music scattered throughout. There are some great cover shows for classics like Elvis, or you can pay a premium to watch Cirque de Solei or even Donnie Osmond featured in various theaters.

Dallas, Texas: Some would say Dallas isn’t quite in the Midwest, but we believe it is and include in our top Midwest travel destinations for good reason. There is so much life and adventure in this big city that every family will love visiting for a weekend or longer. Adults can enjoy some local breweries, great steaks, and shopping. I recently take a girlfriend getaway to Dallas, and many of our activities are also perfect for families.

6th Floor Museum: For a bit of history, you can tour the museum next to the street where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. You’ll learn more about the history of his death and the theories behind it. While a bit adult in theme, it can be a great location to visit for older kids.
Six Flags over Texas: This amazing theme park has roller coasters, thrill rides, food, fun, and in the summer months amazing concerts. It’s an ideal location for kids to go run off tons of energy.
Legoland Discovery Center: Located in the Grapevine Mall, the Legoland Discovery Center is one of the most fun places to visit in the area for a Lego fan. A fun tour with a few indoor rides, play areas, a food court, and of course, the Lego shop to buy all the extra pieces you may need.
Perot Museum of Nature & Science: This museum has tons of great hands-on exhibits that rotate throughout the year. With state and science history staying year round, you can mingle with crowds as well as have hands-on fun in designated areas.
Dallas World Aquarium: For a real amazing aquarium experience this is the best destination for you and your family. World renowned and featuring all of your favorite fish and sea life, this is a perfect destination for the kids who love learning about what may be swimming around them in the water.

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For adults, a visit to Grapevine offers several great wine tasting venues, but kids may prefer to stay closer to the city and enjoy a meal at Medieval Times, or our personal favorite Fuzzy’s Tacos. To make your trip even better on your budget, take advantage of the deals offered by CityPASS for the popular local venues.

Michigan. Although Michigan is home for us, it’s still a great Midwest destination. Many times we will play tourist in our city and state. There are so many great places to visit all over the Mitten state, it’s hard to pin down just one area.

Illinois:

And of course, we are in close driving distance to the windy city, Chicago, where you can find over 50 things to do for FREE (and all great ideas for boys).

Ohio:

You can also plan quick getaways to the Put-in-Bay area in Ohio, which is also very close to Cedar Point in Sandusky.

Indiana:

These Midwest travel destinations are just a few of our personal favorite places to visit with our sons. Not only do we know they are going to be close enough for us to visit easily, they are budget-friendly and offer something for everyone in our family to enjoy.

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Comments

AnnMarie John says

May 13, 2017 at 12:26 am

You’re missing Colorado but maybe when you visit you’ll have some more to add. BTW, is Michigan considered Mid-West?

Lindsay @ Let Me Give You Some Advice says

May 25, 2017 at 7:26 pm

What a great post! I’ve got 2 boys and we’re always looking for new places to explore around the Midwest. Love the idea of thinking about places that appeal to my boys.

Midwest Travel Destinations For Families With Boys