Found in the U.S. state of Arizona, Flagstaff is a picturesque city with plenty of things to see.
Amongst its impressive landscape, you will find Arizona’s tallest mountain, the gateway to the incredible San Francisco Peaks, lush pine forests, deserts, and impressive architecture in what is undeniably a beautiful city.
One of the best things about Flagstaff is the wide range of things on offer for everyone.
Whether you’re a solo traveler passing through or a small family looking to create memorable moments with your children, the city and its surroundings have something to offer.
If you’re a family traveling with kids, this article is geared for you. We’ve compiled a list of all the best things to do in Flagstaff with kids, showing you what’s on offer and what to expect.
Explore Downtown Flagstaff
One of the best things to do with your kids is to explore the heart of Flagstaff.
It doesn’t matter if your children are 4 or 5 or 8 and 9, there is something for them to enjoy downtown.
Offering plenty of things to see, you should start your downtown adventure at the visitor center that sits within the railroad station.
Here, your children can check out the trains while you pick up a free map. Your map will show you how much there is to see in downtown Flagstaff.
Of all the things to do, your kids are most likely to enjoy the art installations at Heritage Square. Here they will find colorful installations that include a fabulous mountain lion statue.
Other things your child might enjoy are the Weatherford Hotel where the “Pinecone Drop” takes place, The Golden Hive, and the Cornish Pasty Co where you can all try a British Cornish pasty.
Lowell Observatory
Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory is one of the oldest observatories in the United States.
Kids who love all things space and SciFi will appreciate you paying this place a visit.
Sitting at just over 7,000 feet high, the views from the observatory are wonderful, but it is the sky above that your kids will be interested in.
This highly educational attraction gives kids the opportunity to learn and observe space, making them feel like one of their favorite Star Wars characters.
Bookings are available for daytime and evening visits, with both sessions delivering super interesting programs.
No matter what time of day it is, your kids will also get the chance to look through the observatory’s telescope.
Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course
Commonly referred to as FLG X, the Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course is the perfect place to take your children if you want to give them some Arizona adventure without having to tackle any serious mountain hikes.
FLG X has a whopping 70 entertaining obstacles to beat and 8 fast zip lines to speed down.
These obstacles include hanging bridges, swinging logs, and scramble nets.
With regard to the zip lines, the most extreme option takes your kids 80 feet into the air, giving them the chance to try something completely crazy.
The great thing about FLG X is that the whole family can have fun, with adults also being allowed to take part too.
For those of you that don’t like heights too much, this might not be such a good thing.
The Arboretum At Flagstaff
The next thing to do on our list is to visit the Arboretum at Flagstaff.
First opened in 1991, the Arboretum consists of a 200-acre area neatly tucked away in Coconino National Forest.
Aside from giving your family the chance to observe 750 different types of native northern Arizona plants, the grounds offer a great location for you all to kick back, enjoy the green space, and indulge in a family picnic.
After eating your lunch and giving your children time to enjoy the great outdoors, why not head to the Butterfly Home to explore a delicate butterfly kingdom.
In the summer, concerts and family-friendly parties are also held here.
Museum Of North Arizona
Home to an enormous range of Colorado Plateau’s natural history and artifacts, the Museum of North Arizona is a great place to take your kids.
Opened in 1928, the museum has a variety of exhibits for your children to take a look at. To make things more interesting for little ones, a lot of the exhibits are also interactive.
On your way into the museum, you can also grab a kid’s activity book that will help them have fun along the way.
Learning all about the history of the region through fun exhibits and interesting artifacts is a great way for the whole family to learn something new.
There’s also a pretty cool dinosaur exhibit that all kids love.
Flag Tag AZ
During the hottest time of the year, you might want an activity that gets you and the kids out of the sweltering midday heat.
One awesome activity is laser tag. At Flag Tag, AZ, you’ll find a brand-new arena waiting for your children to explore. The laser tag center has over 40 different laser tag matches and state-of-the-art guns to use.
If that’s not something your kids would enjoy, why not head straight to the Flag Tag AZ arcade. Found in the same building as the laser tag arena, this arcade has plenty of modern games to choose from that suit both young children and teenagers.
Parents can also have some fun here by testing their ax-throwing skills.
Lava River Cave/Lava Tubes
Found below Ponderosa Pine Forest is the mind-blowing volcanic wonder that is Lava River Cave.
Also known as the lava tubes, this attraction gives the whole family the opportunity to explore a completely different world that was incredibly formed by the molten rock from Hart Prairie during an eruption over 700,000 years ago.
As the lava passed through the vent, the outside of the tube hardened, leaving us with a tunnel to explore.
For those brave enough to explore the cave, they are treated to a short, but amazing ¾ mile-long walk.
Make sure you wrap your kids up warm when checking this location out.
You might also want to give your kids a torch, so they can really explore the cave.
Walnut Canyon
One of the most popular places to visit when in Flagstaff is Walnut Canyon. Situated 11 miles away from the center of Flagstaff, it is definitely a place you should visit with your children.
Mostly famous for its cliff dwellers that lived in the walls of the canyon 900 years ago, Walnut Canyon is a place of incredible beauty.
In fact, a lot of people like to say it is the Grand Canyon, but with trees. One of the canyon’s best features is its vertical wall that has a 350-foot drop to the creek below.
Seeing as a lot of serious hikers also visit the canyon, you may want to take your kids along a less strenuous trail that they will find more enjoyable.
We can highly recommend the National Monument trail that runs along the Canyons rim. This is a fun, easy trail with plenty to look at. Perfect for adventurers with little legs.
Sunset Crater
Another amazing spot to explore just outside the city is Sunset Crater.
If your children are lovers of geology or volcanoes, they are sure to enjoy this attraction.
A must-see when in Flagstaff, with or without children, the Sunset Crater is a young volcano that erupted just 1,000 years ago. Now, the volcano is perfectly safe to explore, providing visitors with an interesting place to walk.
Your kids will love the fact you get to walk on solid lava as you make your way to the easily accessible viewpoints.
Exploring the odd-looking lava formations and learning about the volcanic history in Arizona is something they will benefit from massively.
There are tougher walks here too, but the best thing about the location is that you have complete freedom in the amount of walking your family does.
Dinosaur Tracks
Let’s face it, most kids love everything about dinosaurs. In all honesty, most parents do too.
If you and your children are big dinosaur lovers, you’re in luck in Flagstaff. Arizona has a big history when it comes to dinosaurs, and it’s clear to see in and around Flagstaff.
While the city offers a range of different dinosaur experiences, by far the best is the dinosaur tracks.
Unbelievably, a number of Flagstaff’s plateaus are covered in fascinating dinosaur tracks. When we say tracks, we mean it. In fact, dozens of the tracks are so impressive they look like they were made by dinosaurs just this morning.
Millions of years old, these tracks have been amazingly preserved, leaving behind the perfect place to surprise your kids.
Seeing the smiles on your kids’ faces when they find a track will light up your day.
Buffalo Park
The final thing to do on our list is to explore Buffalo Park. Buffalo Park was established in Flagstaff in 1963.
The park is a 215-acre park that has been designed to look just like a place out of the wild west.
The park is a fantastic place to have a leisurely stroll with your family while checking out the popular Flagstaff Urban Trail Systems.
Providing visitors with an excellent opportunity to be up close and personal with nature, aside from walking, your children will love riding their bikes and running wild in the park.
This location is also a great place to enjoy the San Francisco Peaks without having to venture out too far or do too much hiking.
Final Thoughts
That concludes our list of things to do in Flagstaff with children. As you can see from our list, you and your family have plenty of options to choose from.
While there may still be more things to do with your children in Flagstaff, we firmly believe that these are the best things you can do with your kids.
Flagstaff is an amazing city with so much to offer, and now you’ve been through this article, we hope you feel the same way.
Now you have our list of things to do, why not take some time to decide what you and your kids will do first.