Huntsville is often known for rockets, engineering, and Space Camp, but there is a lot more to the city than just its aerospace reputation. If you’re planning a family trip to Huntsville, Alabama, there are quite a few kid-friendly activities in and around the area that make it a fun destination for a weekend away. From hands-on museums to gardens, shopping, and easy dining spots, Huntsville has plenty to offer families.
One of the things I like about visiting Huntsville with kids is that you can make the trip whatever you want it to be. You can plan a more relaxed getaway with a hotel near the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and a few easy outings, or you can fill your days with museum time, gardens, creative spaces, and family-friendly dining. There really are enough family-friendly things to do in Huntsville to build a fun trip around several different interests.
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Huntsville Family Travel Guide Highlights
- Stay near the U.S. Space & Rocket Center if you want a hotel that keeps the trip easy
- Visit the U.S. Space & Rocket Center
- Spend time at Huntsville Botanical Garden
- Walk through Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment
- Go back in time at Burritt on the Mountain
- Plan some time in downtown Huntsville to see Big Spring Park or EarlyWorks Children’s Museum
- Stop by Bridge Street Town Centre for shopping
- Add family-friendly dining at Campus 805 or Stovehouse
- Include a few extra Huntsville-area stops if you have more time
The Rocket City is a fun place to visit and there’s lots to do here for the whole family!
Get our free city travel guide printable to plan for your trip!
Where to Stay in Huntsville With Kids
For a family trip, I would personally lean toward staying in the area around the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. That part of Huntsville is especially convenient for families because it puts you close to one of the city’s biggest attractions, and it also gives you easy access to hotels, restaurants, and a few other popular spots without needing to spend too much time driving around town.
Our two top recommended places to stay in Huntsville with kids are Drury Inn & Suites at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and Huntsville Marriott at the Space & Rocket Center. Both are good options if you have a child attending Space Camp, but they also work really well for a regular family trip to Huntsville because of how convenient the location is.
Drury Inn & Suites at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center
If convenience is your biggest priority, Drury Inn & Suites is one of the easiest picks for a Huntsville family trip. It is located very close to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, along with other area attractions like Huntsville Botanical Garden.
That makes it a practical option if you want to keep your itinerary simple and avoid too much back-and-forth across the city.
The Drury Inn offers a full breakfast in the morning that is included with your stay, and a cocktail hour in the evening where you can stop in for a light meal and drinks. This is a nice perk for families that may be dropping off a child at Space Camp and staying around for the week to explore.
Huntsville Marriott at the Space & Rocket Center
The Huntsville Marriott at the Space & Rocket Center is another strong choice for families, especially if your trip is centered around Space Camp or the museum. Its location near Redstone Arsenal and Cummings Research Park makes it a really convenient home base for visitors.
You’re within walking distance to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center from the Marriott as well, which is convenient if you’ll mainly visiting to go to Space Camp. There’s no food included with your stay here, but they do have a restaurant and bar onsite.
Dining and Restaurants in Huntsville
Huntsville has a lot of food options for families, and one of the nice things about planning a trip here is that you can keep meals pretty easy.
Dining Near the U.S. Space & Rocket Center
If you’re staying near the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, that area is especially convenient because you can pair museum time and hotel time without having to drive all over the city for meals.
There are many restaurants within close driving distance. This is one reason the area works so well for families visiting Huntsville, especially if you are traveling with kids for Space Camp or planning a shorter weekend trip.
Huntsville Restaurant Suggestions
Two of the dining areas specifically worth highlighting for a Huntsville family trip are Campus 805 and Stovehouse. Both give you more than just one restaurant stop, which can be helpful when you’re traveling with a group and want options.
Campus No. 805 is a redeveloped school property that now serves as a dining, entertainment, and event destination. That makes it a fun place to visit if you want a casual outing with food choices in one location.
Stovehouse is another good pick for families. It’s a mixed-use campus with restaurants, drinks, shopping, and regular live entertainment, all built on the grounds of the old Martin Stove Factory. It feels like an easy place to spend part of an evening because it offers dining and a little atmosphere without needing to make complicated plans.
Bridge Street for Shopping & Dining
Bridge Street Town Centre is one of the easiest places in Huntsville to combine shopping and dining. If your family wants a lower-pressure afternoon where you can browse a little, grab a meal, and let everyone pick out something they enjoy, this is a very easy addition to your trip.
It is an outdoor air mall with a good range of recognizable shops, and there are major restaurant chains here like P.F. Chang’s, Cheesecake Factory, Bravo Italian Kitchen, Conners Steak & Seafood, Kona Grill, and more!
Things to Do in Huntsville With Kids
Wondering what to do while you are in Huntsville with the family? Here are some of our favorite family-friendly things to do.
U.S. Space & Rocket Center
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is one of the best family attractions in Huntsville and one of the easiest places to recommend if you’re visiting with kids. It gives you a full outing, and it has enough variety that it works for a wide range of ages. It is also home to Space Camp, which is one of the biggest reasons many families plan a trip to Huntsville in the first place.
The museum includes major artifacts and exhibits like the National Historic Landmark Saturn V Moon Rocket, the Pathfinder full-stack space shuttle display, the Apollo 16 Command Module, Skylab Orbital Workshop, and an Apollo 12 Moon Rock. That mix makes it feel like much more than a quick stop and helps it fill a solid half day or more.
There are hands on activities here that make it well suited for all ages, and it will keep little ones as well as grandparents entertained all afternoon! Plan to spend at least 4 hours here to see both buildings and the outside installments as well.
For space enthusiasts this can even be a multi-day destination! When we lived in Huntsville we were members to the museum and would visit often for special events. There are also add-ons like seeing a movie in their IMAX Planetarium or a ride on Hypership that can be a great addition to your visit!
Huntsville Botanical Garden
If your family likes outdoor attractions, Huntsville Botanical Garden is another easy pick for a Huntsville family trip. The garden is open year-round and offers a wide variety of seasonal and educational experiences, so it can work for a relaxed outing while still giving kids plenty to explore.
The garden spans 118 acres and includes a mix of ecosystems, walking paths, gardens, and family-friendly discovery spaces. It’s a really good option if you want something scenic, slower paced, and easy to pair with one larger attraction earlier in the day.
They have an awesome kids garden area with lots of space to play, and this was one of our favorite places to visit when we lived in Huntsville! Make sure to bring a swimsuit, as the children’s garden has water play areas in the warmer months!
The grounds are large and make a great location to get a lot of steps in. There is also a butterfly house that you won’t want to miss!
Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment
One of the more unique things to do in Huntsville is visit Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment. This is the kind of stop that gives you something memorable and different without feeling overly complicated with kids.
Lowe Mill is the largest privately owned arts facility in the United States and is located inside a repurposed historic textile mill. It includes more than 150 working studios, galleries, performance spaces, and places to eat, which makes it a fun place to explore if your family likes art, creativity, and wandering through interesting spaces.
We love spending the afternoon here and just wandering through the facility to see what we find!
Burritt on the Mountain
Make sure to check their hours of operation before planning your trip. If you’ll be in Huntsville at a time when Burritt on the Mountain is open, this is both a scenic and historic location to visit!
Here you’ll find live animals and a turn of the century setup of a small village in early America! On the weekends, you can even find tradespeople in period costume working in the local village.
The view from Burritt on the Mountain looking out onto Huntsville is also unmatched! Definitely worth the drive up here for an afternoon adventure!
Downtown Huntsville: Big Spring Park, Children’s Museum & Huntsville Art Museum
Huntsville has a vibrant downtown with actually quite a few spots that would be fun for tourists to visit. Big Spring Park is located in the heart of downtown Huntsville, and this is worth the stop if you have young kids around. Parking is general available throughout downtown and there is a large lake with fish and ducks. This would make a great place to have an afternoon picnic!
If you’re looking for a quieter afternoon activity, visiting the Huntsville Art Museum is the perfect place to visit. Take in scenic art and afterwards enjoy downtown Huntsville.
EarlyWorks Children’s Museum is also located in downtown Huntsville. They have a number of hands on activities for littles and this location is best suited for ages 2-8. It would make a great activity if an older sibling is off at Space Camp, and you’re looking for something geared towards little ones to explore.
Bridge Street for Shopping
If you want an easy shopping stop to add to your trip, Bridge Street Town Centre is one of the simplest family-friendly options in Huntsville. It works well as a more relaxed outing and can be especially helpful if you want to combine a meal, shopping, and a little downtime all in one place.
Transportation and Getting Around Huntsville
For families, I would definitely recommend having a car in Huntsville. This isn’t the kind of trip I would plan around only walking or rideshares unless you’re staying very close to one main attraction and keeping the rest of the trip minimal.
By Car
A rental car or your own vehicle is probably the easiest way to do this trip, especially if you want to visit the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville Botanical Garden, Lowe Mill, Stovehouse, Bridge Street, and a few other spread-out spots.
Staying near the Space & Rocket Center also makes driving between major stops fairly manageable.
Parking
Parking will vary by attraction and hotel, but Huntsville is generally much easier to navigate than a larger downtown-heavy city. Even so, it’s still smart to factor parking and driving time into your plans, especially if you are visiting during busy summer travel dates for Space Camp.
There are large parking lots at all of the museums that tend to have enough parking for all of those destinations. If you’re headed downtown, you may want to look into a parking garage if you don’t want to find street parking.
Tips for Planning a Family Trip to Huntsville
When you’re planning Huntsville with kids, I think it helps to approach it as a trip with one major anchor attraction and then build around that. Get our free travel guide checklist to help with your packing and planning!
First, staying near the U.S. Space & Rocket Center usually makes the most sense. That area is especially practical for families, and it keeps one of the city’s biggest attractions right nearby.
Second, mix active attractions with slower ones. A high-interest stop like the Space & Rocket Center pairs really well with a calmer outing like Huntsville Botanical Garden or a more flexible browse-around stop like Lowe Mill or Bridge Street.
And finally, leave room for easy dining nights. Huntsville has several spots like Stovehouse and Campus No. 805 that make family meals simpler because they give you multiple options in one place. That can take a lot of pressure off your itinerary and help the trip feel much more manageable with kids. They get a chance to run off some energy, and you get a chance to have a nice meal. Win, win!
Visiting Huntsville With Kids
Huntsville may be best known for rockets and Space Camp, but it can also be a really fun family destination when you plan your trip around the right places. Between the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville Botanical Garden, Lowe Mill, shopping at Bridge Street, and easy dining stops like Stovehouse and Campus No. 805, there are plenty of ways to build a family-friendly Huntsville itinerary that feels easy and enjoyable.
If you’re looking for a city getaway that gives you a mix of educational attractions, outdoor spaces, shopping, and flexible dining, Huntsville is a great place to consider for your next family trip. And if your visit includes Space Camp, staying near the U.S. Space & Rocket Center can make the whole trip feel that much easier.
Check out our other city guides for travel destinations to visit with kids!
** All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. Being Mommy with Style is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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