Baton Rouge keeps things easy with little kids: a big children’s museum, a small, cheap zoo, a downtown planetarium and free library storytimes every weekday.
Not this week’s events, just the reliable stuff. Where to eat with a toddler, where to burn off energy when it rains, where to splash, what’s worth the admission, and where to spend a night without going far.
Places where a dropped fork is no big deal and nobody minds a little noise.
A local Mexican grill with kids’ plates for ages 8 and under (tacos, quesadillas, chicken strips), each with rice and beans or fries and a drink.
A Mexican grill with a kids’ menu for 12 and under: burgers, grilled cheese, chicken strips, quesadillas and nachos.
For rainy mornings, cold afternoons and anyone who needs to run in circles for an hour.
A children’s museum built around play, with Baby Rhyme Time for toddlers and a free bookmobile. Closed Mondays; parking is free.
$5 per ticket for up to 5 people with an adult EBT card and matching Louisiana ID · Price as of Oct 1, 2026
Art galleries, science exhibits and the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, with Saturday-morning stargazing shows at 10. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
The main library, with weekly lapsit and family storytimes and a big Children’s Room.
A calm, Montessori-inspired play cafe built for ages 0–6, with no time limit on open play.
Two indoor playrooms for ages 6 months to 8 years; $11 per child covers two grown-ups.
Pools, fountains, zoos and theme parks: the big all-day outings.
A manageable zoo for little legs, with $3 admission on Wednesday afternoons.
Wednesdays 2–4pm: $3 + tax per person
A BREC park with a playground, plus the Liberty Lagoon water park in summer.
A 103-acre BREC swamp preserve with a nature center full of live animals and touch tables (snakeskin, feathers, pelts and skulls), a working beehive, and over a mile of gravel paths and boardwalks.
A BREC park with a big community playground on soft artificial surfacing (no sandy shoes) and a push-button splash pad with no standing water.
Museums, animals and farm days that hold a little one’s attention.
An open-air museum of 32 historic buildings, an exhibit barn and gardens, open every day; kids under 3 get in free.
A free exhibit hall on the LSU campus with nine dioramas and interactive exhibits for kids and grown-ups.
A Louisiana State Museum downtown, with big things kids remember: a 48-foot wooden shrimp trawler, a sugar cane harvester and a rare Civil War submarine, plus interactive music exhibits.
The State Capitol is free to visit daily; the 27th-floor observation deck is closed for renovations, but the building is open.
The veterans museum by the river stays open while the destroyer USS Kidd is away in Houma for repairs.
These don’t change week to week. Last checked . Hours and prices change, so check the place’s own site before you go. Know a spot we missed? Tell us at hello@littlesweekly.com.
Where a family can go in Baton Rouge without paying for admission. For free days, free events and this week’s free outings, see every free thing to do in Baton Rouge.
Mid City, 7711 Goodwood Blvd.Main Library at GoodwoodThe main library, with weekly lapsit and family storytimes and a big Children’s Room.FreeIndoor
Mid CityIndependence Community ParkA BREC park with a playground, plus the Liberty Lagoon water park in summer.Free13900 S. Harrell’s Ferry Rd.Forest Community ParkA BREC park with a big community playground on soft artificial surfacing (no sandy shoes) and a push-button splash pad with no standing water.Free
LSU campus, 119 Foster HallLSU Museum of Natural ScienceA free exhibit hall on the LSU campus with nine dioramas and interactive exhibits for kids and grown-ups.FreeDowntownLouisiana State CapitolThe State Capitol is free to visit daily; the 27th-floor observation deck is closed for renovations, but the building is open.FreeFree or cheap for babies and toddlers, and easy with a stroller.
Recurring and free. Times change by branch, so check the calendar.
Weekly; lapsit, toddler, preschool and family times vary by branchFree storytimes at the Main Library and branches across the parish, listed in the monthly program guide.
Schedule ↗Weekly at 3 locations; Mondays and Wednesdays, mostly morningsFree baby, toddler and preschool storytimes. This fall's regular sessions include Book Babies (Ages 0-2) (Mondays 9:45am, Denham Springs-Walker Branch) and Storytime (Ages 0-5) (Wednesdays 10:30am, Main Branch), with more at Watson Branch.
Schedule ↗Baby storytimes, places where babies get in free, and where to change and feed. For rainy days, see indoor play places; for zero-cost ideas, see free things to do.
Mondays at 9:45am · Denham Springs-Walker BranchBabies and toddlers. Calling all parents and caregivers of little ones!
Storytime calendar ↗
Under 12 months free
Admission page ↗1 and under free
Admission page ↗Children under 3 free
Admission page ↗Santa visits and Christmas lights only run part of the year, so they have their own pages with this season’s dates and prices.
The guide is the evergreen list. Here’s what’s happening in Baton Rouge right now.
Yes. It’s built for young kids, babies under 12 months are free, and there’s a Baby Rhyme Time program.
$7 for ages 2–12 and $10 for adults, with 1 and under free. Wednesdays 2–4pm it’s $3 a person.
Yes. Main Library at Goodwood, Independence Community Park, Forest Community Park, LSU Museum of Natural Science and Louisiana State Capitol are free or have a free entry. See the free list.
Go indoors: Knock Knock Children’s Museum, Louisiana Art & Science Museum, Main Library at Goodwood and Little Lennon Play Cafe. They’re all under one roof, and most work for a short visit around nap time.
Knock Knock Children’s Museum: Under 12 months free, with toddler programs. Main Library at Goodwood: Lapsit for babies. Free for the littlest: Little Lennon Play Cafe (Under 6 months free with a sibling), BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo (1 and under free) and LSU Rural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens (Children under 3 free). See best for under 3s.
East Baton Rouge Parish Library: Weekly; lapsit, toddler, preschool and family times vary by branch. Livingston Parish Library: Weekly at 3 locations; Mondays and Wednesdays, mostly mornings. Library storytimes don’t need a ticket, but times change by branch, so check the calendar first. See library storytimes, and this week’s dated sessions are on the Baton Rouge weekly list.
Every one of the 16 places is somewhere we’d take a baby, toddler or preschooler, with a note on who it suits and when to skip it. Prices, hours and menus come from each place’s own site, and 9 of them have checked admission or menu prices. The guide was last checked Oct 18, 2026. How we choose and check.
1 and under free; kids 2–12: $7 + tax; adults: $10 + tax. Deals: Wednesdays 2–4pm: $3 + tax per person. We checked this on its official site on Oct 18, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.
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