Originally published on Texas Travel Talk; written by Kim Croisant, My Traveling Roads. Follow Kim on Instagram @mytravelingroads.
Brody and I recently visited Plano for a weekend and enjoyed every bit of our time in the city. Believe it or not, the one thing I thought I would not enjoy is the very one I enjoyed the most. Read on to find out what it was. Your family (I almost promise) will love these family-fun attractions in Plano, Texas.
The City of Plano has many family-fun attractions around every corner. From bowling, escape rooms, trampoline parks, museums, and the Crayola Experience, you’re sure to find many things to do that will suit the whole family. Being just 30-minutes from the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Plano, Texas, is one of North Texas’s top destinations to visit all year round. On our recent visit, we did not have time to venture out to the Downtown Plano Arts District, but it is a community of urban living, performing arts, galleries, event venues, unique shops, and restaurants that are independently owned. When you’re there, take some time to visit the Interurban Railway Museum and Haggard Park. I hear both of worth a trip to see!
DIVE INTO THE CRAYOLA EXPERIENCE
Crayola Experience is an experience that will be unforgettable. Not only will you and your family enjoy interactive exhibits, but your kids can dip one of their fists in wax – literally! Now, that’s a souvenir worth keeping! There’s an extra cost for doing this – I think it was $15. But of course, there are plenty of free activities to do for the price you pay to enter. Each paying person receives a bag of goodies, including clay, crayons, etc. We built fun figures with the clay and used our Crayola crayons to draw our own coloring page. Way more to do than I can remember. Check out the website, and you’ll see it all.
My grandson and I had a wonderful time there and spent over 3 hours, and I’m not sure we finished seeing it all. Depending on your family size, allow yourself at least three hours here. There is also a food counter if you get the munchies. The Crayola Experience is located inside The Shops at Willow Bend, with free covered parking.
GO HORSEBACK RIDING AT SOUTHFORK RANCH
There are plenty of reasons people visit Southfork. I think everyone knows it was the setting of the famous TV show – “Dallas.” From 1978 to 1991, the Ewing family filled up our homes with stories about lust and money, and we were glued to the TV. The series is long over, but Southfork Ranch remains alive and thriving. It offers home tours of the main house, trail rides, horseback riding lessons, and an excellent museum that recreates various scenes of the show.
WATERFRONT DINING AT GRANITE PARK
The Boardwalk at Granite Park offers superb waterfront dining at several casual restaurants. Start walking and take your pick from the row of eateries. Most, if not all, offer indoor and outdoor seating. Fans are on when it’s hot, and some have firepits when it’s cold outside.
We ate at two restaurants; I let my grandson pick one and I decided on the other. He chose Fork & Fire, where he had a “grown-up” meal of shrimp and scallops. The next night we ate at Union Bear. The homemade mac & cheese he ordered was so big we took it back to the hotel and finished it up the next day.
If you’re coming to Plano for more than a day to enjoy Granite Park, you’re steps away from the Hilton Plano Granite Park, where we stayed for two nights. It’s a hop, skip, and a jump to The Boardwalk. And we especially loved walking around the water to get there. Legacy West shopping center is minutes away for some great shopping.
Check out Kim’s remaining three family-fun filled attractions in Plano here on TexasTravelTalk.com.
Photo credit: Kim Croisant
