Are you planning a family trip to Central California coast and looking for things to do with kids in San Luis Obispo? This part of California is often overlooked by travelling families in favor of Southern California gems such as Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and San Diego or Northern California tourism centers of San Francisco and Monterey Bay. This is unfortunate because there are so many great things to do with kids in San Luis Obispo County.
Or is it really unfortunate? Someone else’s loss is actually your gain 🙂 : this part of the state is not overcrowded and less expensive than both SoCal and NorCal. Below is perfect itinerary for a family getaway in San Luis Obispo.
Things to Do with Kids in San Luis Obispo – OLD TOWN
A visit to historic downtown in San Luis Obispo is a great educational experience for the entire family. If you have 4th graders in your family, Mission San Luis Opispo de Toloso is a must stop. It is a quiet but beautiful Mission with a great history museum inside. Also check out a couple of pretty fountains and gardens around the Mission. Entrance is by donation.
If you have younger kids, I definitely suggest stopping by San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum which is located only a block away from the Mission. The museum has many interactive exhibits that help children learn, create, discover and grow.
If you are in San Luis Obispo on a Thursday I urge you to go to the Farmer’s Market in historic downtown, open from 6 to 9 pm. I am sure you have been to farmer’s markets before but I am willing to bet, you have not had an experience like this yet. Just the scale of it is mind boggling. I have not seen so many vendors anywhere else!
And the whole experience is not just about shopping. You can listen to music performers, chat with local firefighters or police K9 unit, check out mouth watering food options (Sugar Lips Mini Donuts that are cooked right in front of you are to die for!). Kids can also have fun at a bouncy castle.
Things to Do with Kids in San Luis Obispo – MORRO BAY
Morro Bay is located just 13 and half miles from SLO and it offers some of the best things to do with kids in San Luis Obispo County. Start your day with a walk along Morro Bay waterfront towards the Morro Rock. The waters near the rock are frequented by sea otters who are most active in the morning. Everybody in our family adores sea otters because they are so cute and adorable! And the best thing? It is absolutely FREE of charge to visit and observe them in their natural habitat.
On your way back stop by Morro Bay Maritime Museum. It is a small museum but it has many cool exhibits. Most of the exhibits are dedicated to underwater exploration. You can see a 2 persons submarine and old diving equipment.
But my most favorite exhibit was Coast Guard rescue boat, which you can climb aboard. Docents at the museum are very eager to give you a tour and we were absolutely fascinated about the story of how Coast Guard officers train and operate, especially in the stormy conditions. The entrance to the museum is FREE of charge but you can leave a donation.
Things to Do with Kids in San Luis Obispo – CAMBRIA
20 miles away from Morro Bay up Pacific Coast Highway 1 is a charming little town of Cambria. We were lucky to visit it in October when the town hosts their annual Scarecrow Festival for a month. You can read more about the event in my previous post – Halloween attractions in California. Here I will mention just one thing: Scarecrow Festival is hands down the most fun thing to do with kids in San Luis Obispo County – check it out!
But any other time of the year Cambria is still a great place to visit. You can stop by small shops and cafes. Definitely taste some olive oil and balsamic vinegar at the Montello Tasting Room (FREE of charge!), and have some yummy frozen yogurt at Dolce Salato.
Our family’s most favorite store in Cambria is Home for the Holidays where you can buy home decor for most of the main holidays: Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Mardis Gras, etc. It is almost like a museum of holidays 365 days a year. My kids loved exploring room after room and did not want to leave!
Things to Do with Kids in San Luis Obispo – HEARST CASTLE
Only 10 miles from Cambria (42 miles form San Luis Obispo) is the most unique State Park in all of California – Hearst Castle. It is probably one of the most gorgeous castles that I have seen (and I have seen many in good old Europe). It is better than the Cinderella Castle in Disney Parks 🙂 It is phenomenal inside and out and its historic and art collections rival many museums.
The best way to see Hearst Castle is to book a tour (Grand Rooms Tour is perfect for first time visitors) and then after the tour you can explore the gardens and the pools surrounding the Castle on your own. Grand Rooms Tour felt just perfect in terms of length and engaging narrative and even my 6 year old enjoyed it very much.
I created a cool Hearst Castle virtual tour with the best pictures and fun fact about the attraction. You can watch it below:
Just a stone throw away from Hearst Castle is Friends of Elephant Seal Visitor Center. It is located at a beach that is frequented by these amazing animals pretty much every month of the year. Since you are already in the area, it is very easy to stop by and observe elephant seals in their natural habitat, FREE of charge. This is one of our family’s most favorite things to do with kids in San Luis Obispo County.
Additional tips for visiting San Luis Obispo with kids
This list of things to do with kids in San Luis Obispo gives you enough activities for a good long weekend. The town itself is a great base for exploring around San Luis Obispo County.
What is the best time to visit San Luis Obispo?
I would say avoid July, August and September as it can get very hot. Any other time of the year it is great. You may get some rain in winter so just check the forecast before you go. October is a great month to visit to catch the aforementioned Cambria Scarecrow Festival.
Where to stay in San Luis Obispo?
There are several great family friendly hotels in San Luis Obispo. Check out my list of cool hotels in San Luis Obispo. Check back!
Where to eat in San Luis Obispo?
If you are going to the Farmer’s Market, definitely check out food options there. Otherwise in downtown San Luis Obispo there are several good restaurants (for whatever reason many of them Italian but kids typically like Italian food, so it’s good) We liked Giuseppe’s Cucina Rustica. Outside downtown I would recommend 1865 Craft House and Kitchen for American flair.
Morro Bay has a number of nice seafood restaurants along Embarcadero.
Are there kid friendly wineries in San Luis Obispo?
There are lots of family friendly wineries in nearby Paso Robles – check my article Kid Friendly Wineries in Paso Robles for all the details.
If you found this information things to do in San Luis Obispo with kids helpful, please do me a little favor and share this information with others, for there’s a good chance that it will help them with their travel plans. 🙂 Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram where I post many more cool photos and videos about our trips than I could include in a blog post and organize some nice giveaways!
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