Have you heard of Fairfield, California? I am willing to bet that it has been flying under your radar even if you drove past it a hundred times. If you ever traveled to Lake Tahoe (and back) on HW-80 you passed right by it but probably never stopped. Which is exactly what happened to us until Visit Fairfield tourism bureau reached out and asked if we wanted to check out all the fun things to do in Fairfield, CA.
If you have been following my blog for a while you know that we love discovering hidden gems so I jumped at the opportunity to learn more about Fairfield attractions for families. Fairfield is located 47 miles from San Francisco which makes it a perfect destination for a day trip from San Francisco but if you have a weekend to spare, trust me, you will have the time of your life!
There are lots of great things to do in Fairfield for both kids and adults so in my view it is an excellent NorCal family travel destination.
We are grateful to Visit Fairfield for hosting us and for creating a perfect Fairfield travel itinerary. It was lovely that I didn’t have to do any research or preparation whatsoever for a change and now you can use this itinerary as well without any hassle and just enjoy your weekend!
Things to Do in Fairfield CA – Stop #1 Western Railway Museum
When someone says “train” my heart skips a beat. I grew up in Russia, our family did not own a car and air travel was very expensive. So the only way we traveled was by train. To me a trip by train is an epitome of travel. If you invite me for a train ride I will be ready in 5 minutes, bags packed and ready to go!
That’s why when I saw Western Railway Museum on my Fairfield travel itinerary, I started jumping with joy! This museum turned out to be a true diamond! There are 2 parts to your visit: taking a scenic train ride and doing a walking tour to see some amazing train cars, locomotives and trolleys.
In terms of the scenic ride, it takes you on a true Time Travel journey – you are going to ride in a 100 years old trolley on a 100 years old track and see how California looked like 100 years ago!
In terms of the Museum exhibits’ tour, I don’t want to give away too much, but be prepared for some cool surprises: I bet you have never seen a boat car (yes, a train car shaped like a boat) or have never imagined stepping on board the same type of car that Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and the gang rode on in “Some Like it Hot” movie.
The docents who guide you through the scenic ride and the walking tour a so knowledgeable and so enthusiastic about the Museum and its collection that you can’t help but get excited yourself! Check out our detailed video review of this fantastic Museum:
The visit to Western Railway Museum is one of the best educational things to do in Fairfield, both for kids and adults. The Museum is great for visiting any time of the year but it offers double the fun with special events on special occasions such as Halloween and Christmas. Check out the Museum website for events details.
Things to Do in Fairfield CA – Stop #2 Suisin Valley Wine Co-op
Did you know that Fairfield has its own wine growing region? It is called Suisin Valley. It is overshadowed by its famous neighbor, Napa Valley, but it is a great little gem with some delicious wines, laid back atmosphere and no crowds.
Suisin Valley Wine Co-op is an institution that represents 3 small family wineries and when you come wine tasting here you can try wines from all three wineries. It is totally your call which wines you’d like to try and each winery has something unique up their sleeve. The whole tasting experience costs $15 and there is no limit on how many wines you could try (but, please, drink responsibly).
We loved the Wine Co-op’s outdoor set up with a relaxing Japanese foot spa and the fact that most of the tasting room staff are actual wine producers and grape growers. They take time to talk to you about their wines, methods of production and so much more. It was one of the most educational wine tasting experiences we have ever had!
We were also lucky that we visited in mid September, the time of grapes harvest, and so our host, Fah from Sunset Cellars, let us try different types of grapes and kids had grape juice tasting of their own.
Things to Do in Fairfield CA – Stop #3 Scandia Family Center
Scandia Family Fun Center is a place where you can literally spend the whole day. It offers several cool attractions: mini golf, lazer tag, bumper boats, race cars, arcade games, batting cages and kids Clubhouse. We only tried 3 things: mini golf, bumper boats and race cars and we spent about 2 hours doing just that.
Bumper boats are great for a hot summer day because each boat is equipped with a water gun and you can spray each other from head to toe.
Race cars were super cool – this is what my boys wanted to try most of all and they had a blast. My 8 year old was not tall enough to ride on his own but even small children are allowed to ride in a 2-seater racer with a parent at the wheel.
Mini golf field at Scandia looks like a fairytale land from Northern Europe, or “Scandinavia”, hence the name of the place, “Scandia”. You feel like you are playing your way through a European village with interesting structures and tons of fountains.
Playing at Scandia is the most fun thing to do in Fairfield, California and your kids will definitely thank you for that. One tip for visiting this attraction: it gets the most crowded in the evening, after 6 pm, so plan accordingly. We were there between 4 and 6 and it felt like it was the perfect timing with less heat outdoors and smaller crowds.
Things to Do in Fairfield CA – Stop #4 Jelly Belly Candy Factory Tour
Jelly Belly Candy Factory and Visitor Center is probably one of the most famous family attractions in Fairfield, California. Jelly Belly Candy company has been in existence for 150 year, they have come up with 50+ unique flavors of Jelly Bellies and they still keep innovating. For instance, just recently they started producing organic candy.
Jelly Belly Candy Factory self-guided tour is a lot of fun. You pay a nominal fee ($5 for adults and $2 for kids) and you are able to walk around to see the whole production floor, play some fun games and check out an amazing Jelly Belly art gallery displaying unique mosaics made with Jelly Belly candy.
If you come on the weekend the factory floor will not be in operation but you can see educational videos on your tour route so you pretty much get a good picture of how Jelly Belly candy is made.
At the end of the tour don’t miss the Jelly Belly Candy store where you can get lots of different candies, this is on top of the small Jelly Belly Candy packet that you get with your tour ticket. Check out our video review of this fun family friendly attraction in Fairfield below:
There is no doubt in my find that Jelly Belly Candy Factory is the most delicious thing to do in Fairfield California.
Where to Eat in Fairfield CA
Upon the recommendation of the locals we stopped by 2 great restaurants that I can now personally highly recommend:
Chez Soul is a place to go to if you like authentic Southern style cuisine, especially from Louisiana. The dishes here remind me of hearty home cooking. But please, be aware that most of iconic Louisiana dishes such as Gumbo, Etoufee and others are spicy. If you cannot eat spicy food, try a sandwich or fried chicken. I would personally come back here for dessert: Chez Soul offers over a dozen of varieties of classic cakes and pies and they are finger licking good!
Please, note that if you visit during the time of CPVID-19 pandemic, Chez Soul only serves take out, no dine in.
Two60 Kitchen and Bar is an awesome place for dinner. Their website says that they offer New American Cuisine but I can tell you that it is very Italian leaning. How delicious is their food? Well, they had my kids gobbling down Brussel sprouts – enough said. We tried a couple appetizers and 4 different main courses and they were all excellent.
This restaurant is conveniently located next to Scandia Family Center so it makes sense to put these two together on your itinerary.
Where to stay in Fairfield CA
Fairfield has lots of lodging options. We are big fans of Hilton family of hotels (check out my earlier post about how hotel loyalty programs work for your benefit). So we spent the night at Hilton Garden Inn in Fairfield. This hotel is conveniently located next to HW-80 and Jelly Belly Candy Factory.
Hilton Garden Inn has big “family” size rooms, a pool and a spa tub. You can have your breakfast at the hotel for an addition charge but if you are a member of Hilton Honors loyalty program you can earn points and get free meals, isn’t it great?
When is the best time to visit Fairfield CA?
Fairfield is a great travel destination year-round. Granted, some days in summer may be too hot and some days in winter may be rainy but all the family attractions in Fairfield that I described above are either 100% indoors or have good indoor options. For instance, you can do wine tasting indoors or outdoors; Scandia’s arcade games are indoors; the Railway museum has all its train cars displayed in covered hangars and the scenic ride is in a covered trolley; and, finally, Jelly Belly Candy factory tour is 100% indoors.
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I’ve never spent time there despite visiting nearby Tahoe several times. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Yes, that’s the culprit for many! It is an interesting town. They also have kayaking option since you like outdoor activities, but we could not try it with kids because the only have single kayaks and my 8 year old wouldn’t manage on his own. 🙂
This Fairfield, CA guide is incredibly helpful. You’ve really thought through everything you need to know before planning a trip. Thank you for this helpful resource. Saving this guide for later!
Thank you for your feedback! I am so glad you found this Fairfield guide useful. I hope you’ll be able to explore it yourself and enjoy your trip.