How to Spend a Weekend in Saginaw with Kids
Hoping to take your family someplace special, where everyone is bound to have a blast? Saginaw, Michigan is that place! With hands-on, interactive museums, zoos & petting farms where your hearts will melt, and opportunities to bounce sky-high or squeal with excitement aboard a choo-choo train — Saginaw is a kid-friendly spot that adults will love, too!
Follow this itinerary exactly or mix things up and make it your own. Either way, welcome to Saginaw — or as locals call it, “Saginawesome”!
Mid-Michigan Children's Museum
Day One:
Heart of the Matter
Heart of the Matter
MMCM | @mmcmadventures
Breakfast: Begin your day like locals do at Fuzzy’s Restaurant, and order the Cinnamon French Toast. (Grab a loaf of Fuzzy’s homemade iced cinnamon bread to-go. You simply must!)
Explore: Make your way to the Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum and prepare for hands-on exploring and downright fun! This museum is 16,000 square feet of interactive galleries like “A-Mazing Airways,” "Tinker Track," and “Water, Water Everywhere,” and you won’t want to miss one inch of it!
Meet Old Town: Park your car and enjoy Old Town Saginaw on foot. Situated along the Saginaw River, enjoy the views and three-ish blocks filled with shops to explore.
Heads Up: You’ll find large, colorful murals peppered throughout Old Town, especially at the Old Town Saginaw Street Art Park. Let each family member pick their favorite, and be sure to snap a photo in front of it!
Lunch: Pull into Old Town Drive In, a 1950s-style carhop restaurant, and enjoy Coney dogs, burgers, fries, and homemade, original recipe draft root beer brought right to your car! Or, swing by Fralia's cozy, lunch-only deli to order from a menu of more than 20 sandwiches, plus salads and soups, all made in-house daily.
Saginaw Children's Zoo | @shineonsunfish
Celebrate Riverfront: Check out SVRC Marketplace in Riverfront Saginaw — an indoor, European-style city market with eateries galore, unique shops, and plenty of places to purchase sweet treats! Be sure to visit the on-site Downtown Saginaw Farmers Market under the outdoor pavilions, too.
Go Wild: Just minutes from the market, you'll find the Saginaw Children’s Zoo, home to more than 150 animals! Discover the Fossil Find, Wetland Experience, and Walk-Thru Aviary — and take a ride on the miniature train and hand-carved carousel. (Splurge on unlimited day passes so the kids can ride 'til their little hearts are content!)
Splash & Play: A 30-second drive away, head to Frank N. Andersen Celebration Park. This four-acre park features a playscape with rock-climbing wall, skateboard park, a pavilion with picnic tables, and a large viewing deck overlooking Lake Linton.
It’s also home to Celebration Square Splash Park if free water fun sounds like something your family will love! Here, the kids can play in a zero-depth splash pad (with three bays that cater to kiddos of different ages).
Dinner: Introduce the family to artisan fire-roasted pizzas at Goose Tooth Co.! Let the little ones order off the Gosling Menu while the "big kids" bite into slices of Stacked Hot Honey Pepperoni or Harvest pizza, with 24 brews on tap to wash it down.
Into the Eve: Dabble in it all at 906 Lapeer, with an indoor 3D blacklight GellyBall arena, four escape rooms, and a full-scale professional haunted house, if you dare! Or, see what’s happening while you're here at The Dow Event Center, home to past shows from the Shrine Circus to Disney on Ice. Catch an exciting performance together — then call it a night!
William H. Haithco Recreation Area
Day Two:
Get Out + About
Get Out + About
Johnny Panther Quests
Breakfast: Pop by to see The Bread Gal in Old Town for delicious pastries, baked fresh daily. (The kids will go crazy for a Cinnamon Snail or flaky Chocolate Croissant, and you simply have to try the Cardamom Bun!)
Adventure: Plan to hop aboard a boat with Johnny Panther Quests Adventure Trips! You’ll experience fresh air & wildlife sightings and be guided through the pristine Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge by the one-and-only Johnny Panther, who calls it the "Everglades of Michigan.” Enjoy every minute!
Lunch: You’re bound to see a Tony’s Restaurant while in Saginaw — there’s more than a handful around! Each is independently owned and all offer a great steak sandwich, soups, a kids' menu... and epic portions!
Or, make your way to Big O Burgers and Barbecue to enjoy mouthwatering brisket, ribs, burgers, pulled chicken & pork — and share some Peach Cobbler for dessert!
Kokomo's | @moodini31
Indoor Fun: Have some high-energy fun inside at Airborne Adventure Park! With wall-to-wall trampolines, a Ninja Warrior Course and Foam Zone, this place is sky-high fun for all ages!
Outdoor Options: You could also spend the afternoon on the beach at Haithco Recreation Area. This beautiful park offers a 40-acre lake, playground, splash pad, fishing access — and paddleboat, rowboat, canoe & kayak rentals!
Dinner: Bring the kids to Benihana, where a teppanyaki cooking show by trained chefs will set the stage for a memorable evening! Enjoy expertly prepared hibachi — and let the little ones order from the Kabuki Kids Menu.
Into the Eve: Live it up together at Fun Way Amusement Park, with go-karts, bumper boats, miniature golf, laser tag, and arcade games that’ll keep the whole family entertained for hours!
Or, spend your evening inside Stardust, a bowling alley and epic entertainment center with more than 60 games in the video arcade, bumper cars for whirling and whamming, four escape rooms, and a two-story laser tag challenge!
Saginaw | @winsomeglimpse
Day Three:
Before You Go
Before You Go
Saginaw | @gonzalezfamilyof7
Breakfast: Start with classic eggs & hash browns or pancakes & bacon at Bringer Inn. The kids will love this restaurant’s downhome atmosphere and open kitchen. Sit at the bar for a closer view, and watch your breakfast get made for you!
Photo Op: Head back to Frank N. Andersen Celebration Park and let the kiddos burn off energy before getting in the car. Located within eyeshot of the Park is a huge sign made up of bright, bold letters: S-A-G-I-N-A-W. You can’t miss it — and you can’t miss your opportunity to take a photo together in front of it! It’ll surely be a framer and will always remind you of your weekend spent in Saginaw.
On Your Way Out: Visiting in the fall? Bayne's Apple Valley Farm, Leaman's Green Applebarn, and Johnson's Pumpkin Farm are sure bets for a day of fun (and the perfect ending to your family vacation in Saginaw)!
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Author
Jen W. O'Deay + Go Great Lakes Bay
By: Jen W. O'Deay | Updates: Go Great Lakes Bay | Jen is a Saginaw native and owner of Feel These Words, an independent copywriting studio & home to the free "5 Day Website MiniBoost". Jen specializes in writing that connects, delivered through website copy, branded content articles, and WingWoman writing services. You'll find Jen camping with her family, laughing, and at feelthesewords.com
