# Things to do with toddlers and little kids in Detroit: the parent guide > Detroit gives little kids a science center with a toddler town, a free island aquarium, a riverfront path with playgrounds and one of the country’s best zoos just north of the city. - Last checked: 2026-10-18 - 19 places for ages 0–6, with admission and menu prices from each place’s own site - Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/guide/ - This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/index.md - Visiting guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/visiting/index.md - City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/llms.txt ## Kid-friendly restaurants ### Buddy’s Pizza (Locations across Metro Detroit) - The original Detroit-style square pizza, served in casual dining rooms. - Price level: $$ - Good for: The original Detroit-style square pizza in a casual room. - Skip if: your kids only eat thin, floppy slices; Detroit-style is thick and square. - Website: https://buddyspizza.com/ ### American Coney Island (Downtown) - The classic Detroit coney dog counter, open late. - Price level: $ - Good for: A late-night coney dog downtown. - Skip if: you want a calm sit-down meal. - Website: https://www.americanconeyisland.com/ ### Slows Bar BQ (Corktown) - Barbecue served in big portions, in a lively room. - Price level: $$ - Hours: Sun–Thu 11am–9pm; Fri–Sat 11am–10pm - Good for: Big barbecue portions to share with little eaters. - Skip if: you hate a lively, loud room. - Website: https://www.slowsbarbq.com/ ### Detroit Shipping Company (Midtown) - A food hall in shipping containers with lots of choices, so everyone gets what they want. - Price level: $$ - Good for: Families who can’t agree on dinner; lots of choices in one place. - Skip if: you want table service; you order at the containers. - Website: https://www.detroitshippingcompany.com/ ## Indoor play and rainy days ### Michigan Science Center (Midtown) - Kids Town for ages 5 and under, plus a planetarium and lots of hands-on exhibits. - Price level: $$ - Tickets: Ages 3 and up $23; Under 3 free - Hours: Tue–Sun 10am–4pm - Good for: Kids Town for ages 5 and under; under 3 is free. - Skip if: your only free day is Monday; it’s open Tuesday to Sunday. - Price source: https://www.mi-sci.org/visit/ (checked 2026-10-17) - Website: https://www.mi-sci.org/ ### Belle Isle Aquarium and Conservatory (Belle Isle) - A historic aquarium and a glass conservatory on the island park. - Price level: Free - Good for: A short, free stop with low tanks. - Skip if: you want a big aquarium day. - Website: https://www.belleisleconservancy.org/ ### LEGO Discovery Center Michigan (Auburn Hills) - Indoor LEGO play areas and small rides for younger kids. - Price level: $$ - Good for: LEGO play and small rides for younger kids. - Skip if: your kids aren’t into LEGO; that’s the whole place. - Website: https://www.legolanddiscoverycenter.com/michigan/ ### SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium (Auburn Hills) - A compact aquarium with an ocean tunnel. - Price level: $$ - Good for: A compact aquarium with an ocean tunnel. - Skip if: you want a big day out; it’s small. - Website: https://www.visitsealife.com/michigan/ ## Parks and outdoor play ### Detroit Riverwalk (Downtown riverfront) - Miles of flat path, splash features in summer and playgrounds. - Price level: Free - Good for: Flat, wide, free stroller paths and playgrounds. - Skip if: it’s cold off the river. - Website: https://detroitriverfront.org/ ### Belle Isle Park (Belle Isle) - A 982-acre island park with a beach, a giant slide in season and trails. - Price level: $ - Good for: Playgrounds, a beach and room to run. - Skip if: you need indoor backup beyond the aquarium. - Website: https://www.belleisleconservancy.org/ ### Campus Martius and Beacon Park (Downtown) - Downtown parks with seasonal festivals, an ice rink in winter and open lawns. - Price level: Free - Good for: Seasonal festivals and a winter ice rink downtown. - Skip if: you’re there between events and want something to do. - Website: https://downtowndetroit.org/ ### Bowers Farm (Bloomfield Hills) - A working school farm with animals and seasonal family events. - Price level: $ - Good for: Fall wagon rides and animals, with free parking on the farm. - Skip if: it’s outside event season; check the calendar. - Website: https://www.schoolfarm.org/fall-fest-2026 ## Museums, zoos and big outings ### Detroit Zoo (Royal Oak) - A large zoo with a polar bear tunnel. - Price level: $$ - Good for: A full morning that includes the polar bear tunnel. - Skip if: you’re trying to fit it in before lunch; it fills a morning. - Website: https://detroitzoo.org/ ### Detroit Institute of Arts (Midtown) - A world-class art museum with drop-in family art making. - Price level: $$ - Tickets: General admission is free for Wayne, Oakland and Macomb county residents - Good for: Drop-in family art making on a wet afternoon. - Skip if: your toddler can’t handle quiet galleries. - Price source: https://dia.org/tickets (checked 2026-10-17) - Website: https://dia.org/ ### The Henry Ford (Dearborn) - Trains, cars and Greenfield Village, enough for a full day out. - Price level: $$$ - Good for: Trains and cars; pick the museum or the Village, not both. - Skip if: you try to do it all with a toddler. - Website: https://www.thehenryford.org/ ### Detroit Historical Museum (Midtown) - The Streets of Old Detroit and the Glancy toy trains. - Price level: Free - Good for: Free, with Glancy toy trains for train-loving kids. - Skip if: your kid wants to touch everything; the toy trains and Old Detroit streets are mostly for looking. - Website: https://detroithistorical.org/ ### Cranbrook Institute of Science (Bloomfield Hills) - Dinosaurs, a planetarium and kid-sized nature exhibits. - Price level: $$ - Tickets: kids 2–12 $15; adults $19; Under 2 free - Good for: A calmer museum with kid-sized nature exhibits; under 2 is free. - Skip if: you bring a baby to the planetarium. - Price source: https://science.cranbrook.edu/visit/ (checked 2026-10-17) - Website: https://science.cranbrook.edu/ ## Staycations and overnight trips ### The Westin Book Cadillac Detroit (Downtown) - A historic downtown hotel with an indoor pool. - Price level: $$$ - Good for: A downtown base with an indoor pool. - Skip if: you’re spending your trip in Royal Oak at the zoo. - Website: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/dtwcw-the-westin-book-cadillac-detroit/overview/ ### Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center (Riverfront) - Riverfront rooms and People Mover access. Kids love the view. - Price level: $$$ - Good for: River views and People Mover rides. - Skip if: you want a small hotel; the RenCen is huge. - Website: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/dtwdt-detroit-marriott-at-the-renaissance-center/overview/ ## Free things to do - Belle Isle Aquarium and Conservatory - Detroit Riverwalk - Campus Martius and Beacon Park - Detroit Historical Museum ## Best for under 3s - **Michigan Science Center**: Kids Town is made for ages 5 and under, and under-3s get in free. - **Belle Isle Aquarium and Conservatory**: Low tanks and a short loop. - **Cranbrook Institute of Science**: Kid-sized nature exhibits, and under-2s are free. ## With a baby or a 1-year-old ### Baby and lap-sit storytimes - **Baby Size! Story Time: Ages Birth to 18 Months** (Royal Oak Public Library): Thursdays at 10:15am · Royal Oak Public Library. Birth to 18 months https://royaloak.librarycalendar.com/events/month - **Babytime (0-2yrs)** (Troy Public Library): Mondays at 10am and 11:15am · Troy Public Library. Birth to 2 years. Join Miss Eliza for songs, rhymes, and bounces followed by a short playtime. https://troypl.librarycalendar.com/events/upcoming ### Babies get in free - **Michigan Science Center**: Under 3 free. https://www.mi-sci.org/visit/ - **Cranbrook Institute of Science**: Under 2 free. https://science.cranbrook.edu/visit/ ### Changing tables and nursing rooms - **Michigan Science Center**: Family restrooms are on the Main Level and both lower levels, and there’s a nursing room on the Main Level. ### Stroller notes - **Detroit Zoo**: Rent a single stroller for $8, or a double stroller or wagon for $12. - **Cranbrook Institute of Science**: Strollers aren’t allowed in the planetarium, so check them before the show. ## Library storytimes - **Detroit Public Library**: Weekly; days and times vary by branch. Free storytimes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers at the Main Library in Midtown and neighborhood branches. Suburban libraries run their own. https://detroitpubliclibrary.org/ - **Royal Oak Public Library**: Weekly at the Royal Oak Public Library; Tuesday–Thursday. Free baby, toddler and preschool storytimes. This fall's regular sessions include Family Story Time: Ages Birth to 5 Years (Tuesdays 10:15am) and Baby Size! Story Time: Ages Birth to 18 Months (Thursdays 10:15am). https://royaloak.librarycalendar.com/events/month - **Troy Public Library**: Weekly at the Troy Public Library; Monday–Wednesday. Free baby, toddler and preschool storytimes. This fall's regular sessions include Babytime (0-2yrs) (Mondays 10am) and Toddlertime (2-3.5 yrs) (Tuesdays 10am). https://troypl.librarycalendar.com/events/upcoming ## Happening this week - **Zoo Boo at the Detroit Zoo** (3pm–8:30pm) at Detroit Zoo. $21–$25 online, $27 at the gate; under 2 free; parking $8. https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/#e-zoo_boo_at_the_detroit_zoo - **Fall Festival at Bowers Farm** (Fri 5–9pm; Sat–Sun 10am–4pm) at Bowers Farm, Discovery Oaks Park. $15 Oakland County residents, $19 non-residents in advance; $2 more at the door. https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/#e-bowers_farm_fall_festival - **Sugar Skulls Drop-In at the DIA** (Fri 6–8:30pm; Sat–Sun 12–4pm) at Detroit Institute of Arts. Free with admission: tri-county residents free; otherwise $20 adults, $8 ages 6–17, under 5 free. https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/#e-sugar_skulls_drop_in_at_the_dia - **Halloween Party for Kids (Chase Branch)** (Sat 2pm–5pm) at Detroit Public Library, Chase Branch. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/#e-halloween_party_for_kids_chase_branch - **Kids Town at the Michigan Science Center** (10am–4pm) at Michigan Science Center. $23 ages 3 and up; under 3 free. https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/#e-kids_town_at_the_michigan_science_center Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/index.md ## Holiday pages - [Santa in Detroit: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/santa/index.md) - [Christmas lights in Detroit for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/christmas-lights/index.md) ## About this list - Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city. - How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com). - Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list. - How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote. ## FAQ ### Is the Michigan Science Center good for toddlers? Yes. Kids Town is built for ages 5 and under, and kids under 3 get in free. ### What’s free to do with little kids in Detroit? The Belle Isle Aquarium, the Detroit Historical Museum, the Riverwalk and Campus Martius are all free. Driving onto Belle Isle requires a Recreation Passport. ### What should we do in Detroit with a toddler on a rainy day? The Michigan Science Center, the Belle Isle Aquarium and the Detroit Historical Museum are all indoors. ### What’s good for babies and kids under 3 in Detroit? Michigan Science Center: Kids Town is made for ages 5 and under, and under-3s get in free. Belle Isle Aquarium and Conservatory: Low tanks and a short loop. Cranbrook Institute of Science is also easy with a baby or toddler. Free for the littlest: Cranbrook Institute of Science (Under 2 free). See [best for under 3s](https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/guide/#under3). ### Where are the free storytimes in Detroit? Detroit Public Library: Weekly; days and times vary by branch. Royal Oak Public Library: Weekly at the Royal Oak Public Library; Tuesday–Thursday. Troy Public Library: Weekly at the Troy Public Library; Monday–Wednesday. Library storytimes don’t need a ticket, but times change by branch, so check the calendar first. See [library storytimes](https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/guide/#storytimes), and this week’s dated sessions are on the [Detroit weekly list](https://littlesweekly.com/detroit/). ### How do you choose the places in the Detroit guide? Every one of the 19 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 3 of them have checked admission or menu prices. The guide was last checked Oct 18, 2026. [How we choose and check](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).