Planning a family vacation that everyone will enjoy can be a bit of a challenge. Fortunately, there are several wonderful destinations in the South that offer an array of activities, ensuring the whole family has a great time! Plan your next family adventure to dig for diamonds, explore the limits of science, enjoy thrilling rides, or get up close and personal with an array of wildlife. These fun locations are sure to please even the pickiest adventurer in your family. 

 

Crater of Diamonds State Park 
Murfreesboro, Arkansas 

Enjoy some family fun with the chance to strike it rich at Crater of Diamonds State Park. This Arkansas attraction is one of the only places in the world where you can search for real diamonds in their original volcanic source, making this a one-of-a-kind experience! Visitors can search over 37 acres of an eroded volcanic crater for a variety of rocks, minerals, and gemstones, including diamonds. Rent mining equipment from the park, or bring your own, and anything you find is yours to keep or sell. 

The Diamond Discovery Center at the park features interactive exhibits about the area’s unique history and geology as well as information about the various minerals and gemstones found at the park and how to search for diamonds. Aside from diamonds, you may find amethyst, garnet, jasper, agate, and quartz. Since the park opened in 1972, visitors have found more than 75,000 diamonds. Notable finds at the park include the largest diamond discovered in the United States, the 40.23-carat Uncle Sam. Other noteworthy diamonds include the 16.37-carat Amarillo Starlight, the 15.33-carat Star of Arkansas, and the 8.52-carat Esperanza. 

Other amenities at Crater of Diamonds State Park include walking trails, picnic areas, campsites, a gift shop, and Diamond Springs Water Park, which is open in the summer so you can cool off after a day of digging for diamonds. Be sure to visit the park’s website for tips on what to bring and what to wear for your diamond-digging excursion. 
arkansasstateparks.com/parks/crater-diamonds-state-park 

 

Scott Family Amazeum 
Bentonville, Arkansas 

This museum for families with children of all ages features more than 50,000 square feet of hands on, interactive exhibits designed to bring learning to life and enhance family involvement. Each area of the museum is meant to evoke a sense of curiosity and discovery for young minds. The exhibits engage children with the land, industries, and people who built and continue to sustain Arkansas culture. 

In addition to the array of activities in the indoor space, approximately one acre of outdoor space encourages year-round learning with experiences inspired by the seasons. Learn about weather with a touchable tornado, then climb a watchtower to get a new perspective on weather and nature. The Homestead Cabin offers a life-sized look at primitive life in a one-room cabin. The Canopy Climber lets kids reach new heights in a safe environment, and a play cave ensures the safety of little explorers while showcasing the geological wonders of the Ozarks. 

Rotating and permanent indoor exhibits encourage creativity and teach kids about the wonders of science and technology. The Hershey’s Lab is where kids can indulge their sweet tooth while exploring the world of science with hands-on experiments. This exhibit requires admission tickets not included in the general admission, so arrive early if you want to participate in this activity. The Art Studio has all of the supplies that children need to unleash their creativity, including smocks and water-based paint. Older kids will enjoy the 3M Tinkering Hub, which features a variety of fun activities based on science, technology, engineering, art, and math. The Eric & Elda Scott Cloud Theater gives children a quiet space to take a break, and features calming music and peaceful time-lapse cloud visuals. 

These exhibits and much more can provide your family with a day full of fun and learning. Parking is free and conveniently located next to the Scott Family Amazeum. Complimentary shuttle service is also available to take you to the Crystal Bridges Art Museum. 
amazeum.org 

 

Lake Oconee 
Greensboro, Georgia 

For some outdoor family fun and adventure, you can’t go wrong with a trip to Lake Oconee! This beautiful lake offers plenty of unique water sports, fishing opportunities, and boat cruises, and you can find a variety of fine dining, boutique shopping, and entertainment venues in the area. 

History buffs can learn of past Lake Oconee residents with the Famous Authors Driving Tour, with featured stops highlighting authors like Alice Walker, Joel Chandler Harris, and Flannery O’Conner. The Yesterday Café serves a delicious buttermilk pie made from an historical recipe, and you can tour The Old Gaol, which is the oldest standing masonry jail in Georgia. Constructed in 1807, the jail is made of granite from a local quarry and has walls that are two feet thick. Or, hike at Rock Eagle or Rock Hawk, the only two bird effigy mounds east of the Mississippi River. These archeological sites were created by the Woodland Indians and are thought to be 1,000 to 3,000 years old. 

In town, you will find the Oconee Brewing Company for some local craft beers or locally sourced wine. Visit The Plaza Arts Center, Festival Hall, or Madison-Morgan Cultural Center for history museums and live entertainment from local and national performers. Rent an electric bike or jet ski for a quick zip around the lake. Shop until you drop at several unique boutiques that offer one-of-a-kind pieces you won’t find anywhere else. For a truly relaxing experience, visit one of the local spas for a therapeutic massage. Enjoy family night at the movies at Parkside Main 8, which opens their Balcony Bar and Grill on the weekends with full drink menus and kid-friendly fare like burgers, pizza, chicken tenders, and soft pretzels. 

The Lake Oconee area is also home to several incredible golf courses. The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds has six sprawling courses to choose from. Other popular courses include Harbor Club at Lake Oconee and Uncle Remus Golf Course. Both courses are ranked in the top ten in Georgia, and are sure to please any golf enthusiast. 

Take the fun to the water with a wide range of activities like kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, and tubing. These water sports are the perfect way to keep cool in the summer sun. After an exciting day on the water, relax and unwind with an evening cruise and marvel at the breathtaking sunset views. 
visitlakeoconee.com 

 

Branson, Missouri 

Branson, Missouri is loaded with family fun activities, and there’s truly something for everyone here. Race each other in go-karts, get up close to sea creature, view oddities you won’t believe, or embark on a thrilling virtual reality journey. There’s no shortage of thrilling entertainment in Branson! 

At The Track Family Fun Parks, your family can choose from 12 exciting go-kart tracks. Tracks include a metal four-story high rise, several wooden tracks, a road course, and classic go-kart tracks for experienced, beginner, and younger drivers. After racing each other to the finish line, get a bird’s-eye view of Branson from the Ferris wheel, enjoy more thrill rides in the park, win prizes at the arcade, or engage in a friendly game of laser tag. 

For up-close encounters with underwater creatures, you’ll want to bring the family to the Aquarium at the Boardwalk. After snapping a family photo in front of the giant Pacific octopus on the Boardwalk, head inside to see the real thing! Next, take a 5D submarine ride to explore ten different zones of fish before coming back to the surface. The Jelly Infinity Room has hundreds of the bioluminescent creatures in a color-changing environment that you can control. A walk-through tunnel in the heart of the aquarium surrounds you with a variety of sharks and other tropical fish as they swim all around you. Pose for another unique photo opportunity in the Mermaid Palace, and stop at the Touch Pools to pet rays, sharks, crabs, starfish, and anemones. 

Curious minds of all ages will be intrigued by the wonders of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! This unique facility features eight themed galleries full of incredible artifacts, works of art, animal oddities, pop-culture memorabilia, interactive games, and stories of people and places that are strange but true. With more than 500 exhibits on display, you’ll be amazed at every turn! 

One of the most popular attractions in Branson is Beyond the Lens! This “techno-tainment” facility has more than 150 interactive exhibits, all designed for maximum fun. You’ll find endless Instagram-worthy photo ops, virtual reality rides, interactive games, a hunt for Big Foot, escape rooms, a pop culture exhibit from the 1960s through today, and much more. There’s so much to see and do that everyone is guaranteed to have a great time! 
bransontracks.com 
aquariumattheboardwalk.com 
ripleys.com/branson 
beyondthelens.com/branson 

 

Skidaway Island State Park 
Savannah, Georgia 

Embark on a wildlife adventure the whole family will love! Just outside of historic Savannah lies Skidaway Island State Park, featuring over seven miles of nature trails in a lush forest and salt marshes where you can experience the spectacular wildlife found on this barrier island. A boardwalk leads to an observation tower for viewing deer, fiddler crabs, raccoons, and a variety of bird species. The park’s Interpretive Nature Center houses a giant ground sloth exhibit, birding station, reptile room, and other natural and cultural displays. Programs are for all ages and are offered year-round. The 558-acre park is one of Georgia’s most pristine recreational areas, and it is situated on a barrier island along part of the state’s intracoastal waterway, the Skidaway Narrows. 

Stay at the scenic campground nestled under live oaks and Spanish moss, or reserve at spot at one of the RV sites. The campground provides open-air picnic shelters, and there is an enclosed group shelter that is a popular spot for parties, reunions, weddings, and other celebrations. If you prefer the comforts of home, the park has three camper cabins available for rent. Cabin amenities include screened porches, air conditioning, a bathroom with a shower, a kitchen, a master bedroom, and a sleeping loft for the kids. Outside of each cabin is a picnic table, grill, and fire ring. A laundry center is also available on the campgrounds. 

There’s plenty to see and do at the park with activities like bike rentals for riding on the trails, two playgrounds, an amphitheater with seasonal programs, bird watching, and hiking. The most popular trails in Skidaway Island Park are the Sandpiper Loop Trail, the Big Ferry Trail, and the Avian Loop Trail. The one-mile Sandpiper Loop takes you over tidal creeks and salt flats through maritime forests. The flat trails and boardwalks are ideal for those using wheelchairs and strollers, and along the way you can spot crabs, minnows, and other marsh animals. Highlights of the Sandpiper Loop include an observation tower, a 1930s liquor still, and earthworks dating back to the Civil War. Big Ferry Trail’s two-mile loop is bicycle friendly and has several points of interest including oyster shell mounds, abandoned liquor stills from the Prohibition era, and saltwater sloughs full of marine life. An observation tower provides a birds-eye view of the marshlands, the Skidaway Narrows, and local wildlife. On the Avian Loop Trail, you may see dolphins and osprey as you watch the coastal tides roll in on the one-mile loop. This trail follows the Intracoastal Waterway and features sandy shores and marsh creeks. Access the Avian Loop through the one-mile Connector Trail or from the westernmost edge of the Sandpiper Trail. 
gastateparks.org/SkidawayIsland 

 

Mid-America Science Museum 
Hot Springs, Arkansas 

Engage curious young minds with a visit to the Mid-America Science Museum. With more than 100 exhibits, it is the largest hands-on science center and first Smithsonian Affiliate. The interactive exhibits explore the wonders of energy, matter, life, and perceptions.  

The museum is well-known or hosting the world’s most powerful conical Tesla Coil, which produces 1.5 million volts of electrical energy. The Marvelous Motion Gallery explores basic concepts in physics with interactive exhibits like the Sand Pendulum, a Vertical Wave Machine, the Bicycle-Wheel Loopy Lasso, and the Turntable, which never stops spinning. The Light Bridge uses floor to ceiling windows to take advantage of the natural light and examine prisms, filters, and color. Arkansas Underfoot explores the wonders beneath your feet, such as the caves, fossils, and crystals found throughout Arkansas. Here, visitors will find a life-size mastodon skeleton, a 3D Mapping Table, and a giant tree reading nook. 

The cutting-edge Oaklawn Foundation Digital Dome Theater offers a unique and immersive experience as state-of-the-art digital projection technology takes you on a virtual tour through space. These planetarium shows use this advanced technology to create a seamless and immersive environment with topics ranging from astronomy and astrophysics to Earth science and more. 

The museum’s DinoTrek exhibit takes visitors on an immersive journey through prehistoric times with life-like dinosaur replicas along a mile of paved walkways in the woods. These creatures roar and sound realistic for an authentic and thrilling experience. The attraction provides education about various dinosaur species, their evolution, and their role in Earth’s history. 

Perhaps the newest and most exciting exhibit at the Mid-America Science Museum is the Hall of Heroes. This exhibit celebrates and explores how superheroes have impacted our pop culture throughout the 20th century and beyond. Visitors to the exhibit are encouraged to explore, learn, and test their heroic abilities with engaging and challenging interactive stations. The Hall of Heroes includes a 1966 George Barris Batmobile and interactive Batcave environment, interactive dioramas of heroes in American culture from comics and radio, unique photo opportunities, and four themed areas. 

With so many diverse exhibits, this museum can be enjoyed by everyone in the family, from young to old. 
midamericamuseum.org