# Things to do with toddlers and little kids in Jacksonville: the parent guide > Jacksonville is spread out, but it’s easy with little kids: a big zoo, shady arboretum trails, free storytimes at more than 20 libraries and the beaches close by. - Last checked: 2026-10-18 - 15 places for ages 0–6, with admission and menu prices from each place’s own site - Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/jacksonville/guide/ - This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/jacksonville/index.md - Visiting guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/jacksonville/visiting/index.md - City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/jacksonville/llms.txt ## Kid-friendly restaurants ### Maple Street Biscuit Company (San Marco) (San Marco, 2004 San Marco Blvd.) - The original Maple Street, with big biscuit plates and a short kids’ menu (a half waffle, egg and biscuit, or tenders and biscuit). - Price level: $$ - Hours: Mon–Fri 7am–2pm; Sat–Sun 7am–3pm - Good for: An early breakfast before the zoo or the river. - Skip if: you’re after lunch past 2pm on a weekday; it closes early. - Website: https://www.maplestreetbiscuits.com/florida-locations/san-marco ### V Pizza + Tap Garden (Mandarin) (Mandarin, 12601 San Jose Blvd.) - A brick-oven pizza spot with an outdoor tap garden and a kids’ menu of noodles and a 10-inch cheese pizza. - Price level: $$ - Hours: Sun 11am–9pm; Mon–Thu 11am–10pm; Fri–Sat 11am–11pm - Good for: Pizza outside on a nice evening. - Skip if: you need it quiet; the garden has live music some nights. - Website: https://www.vpizza.com/locations/mandarin-jacksonville-fl/ ### The Block Jax (Southside, 7520 Quarter Mill Dr.) - An outdoor food hall with eight vendors under a big covered pavilion, next to a fenced play area for ages 2 to 10. - Price level: $$ - Hours: Food vendors open Wed–Sun; opens 11am Wed–Fri and Sun, 9am Sat (see the site for closing times) - Good for: Everyone picks their own food, and the kids play in the fenced area. - Skip if: you have a baby who wants the play area; it’s for ages 2 to 10. - Website: https://www.theblockjax.com/faq ## Indoor play and rainy days ### Jacksonville Main Library (Downtown, 303 N. Laura St.) - The big downtown library, with Little Readers storytimes. - Price level: Free - Good for: A free indoor morning downtown. - Skip if: it’s a Sunday morning; check hours first. - Website: https://jaxpubliclibrary.org/ ### Play Jungle Indoor Adventure (Northside, 11257 Alta Dr.) - A clean indoor play place for ages 0–12 with a separate toddler area and foam benches for parents. - Price level: $$ - Tickets: kids $19.99 for 2 hours (1–12); siblings $15.99; Single child under 1: $5.99 - Hours: Mon–Tue 10am–4pm; Wed–Sun 10am–6pm - Good for: A hot afternoon with a toddler and an older sibling. - Skip if: it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas; it’s closed. - Price source: https://playjunglekids.com/ (checked 2026-10-18) - Website: https://playjunglekids.com/ ### Kids Empire Jacksonville (Crossroads Square, Blanding Blvd.) - A big padded play maze for ages 1–12, with a toddler zone for 1–3s (mini slides, soft blocks and a small ball pit). - Price level: $$ - Tickets: kids 1–12 $22.90 all day; adults $5 each additional adult - Hours: Mon–Thu 10am–8pm; Fri–Sun 10am–10pm - Good for: A rainy or very hot day; sign the waiver online first. - Skip if: you forgot socks; they’re required (extras for sale). - Price source: https://www.kidsempire.com/store-locator/kids-empire-jacksonville (checked 2026-10-18) - Website: https://www.kidsempire.com/store-locator/kids-empire-jacksonville ### We Rock the Spectrum Jacksonville (Southside, 9357 Philips Hwy., #3) - A sensory-friendly gym built for kids of all abilities; a grown-up stays with the child. - Price level: $$ - Tickets: kids $14; siblings $12; all-day pass $25 - Hours: Open play daily; check the site for times - Good for: A calmer play session for a kid who gets overwhelmed in big play places. - Skip if: you don’t have socks for the grown-ups; they’re required on the gym floor. - Price source: https://werockthespectrumjacksonville.com/open-play/ (checked 2026-10-18) - Website: https://werockthespectrumjacksonville.com/ ## Parks and outdoor play ### Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (Northside, 370 Zoo Pkwy.) - A big zoo and botanical garden on the Trout River. - Price level: $$ - Tickets: Children 2 and under free. Prices vary by date; see the zoo’s ticket page. - Hours: Daily 9am–5pm (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day); day-of tickets until 4pm - Good for: A full morning of animals and gardens. - Skip if: you come late; last tickets are sold at 4pm. - Price source: https://www.jacksonvillezoo.org/plan-your-visit (checked 2026-10-18) - Website: https://www.jacksonvillezoo.org/ ### Jacksonville Arboretum & Botanical Gardens (Arlington) - Wooded trails and a lake, home to Glowing Gardens at the holidays. - Price level: $ - Tickets: adults $3; Children 3 and younger free - Hours: Daily 8am–7pm, last entry 6:30pm (winter hours, daily 8am–5pm, start Nov 6) - Good for: A shady stroller walk. - Skip if: your stroller can’t handle dirt trails. - Price source: https://jacksonvillearboretum.org/visit/ (checked 2026-10-18) - Website: https://jacksonvillearboretum.org/ ### Tree Hill Nature Center (Arlington, 7152 Lone Star Rd.) - More than 51 acres of preserve with seven short walking trails (about a third of a mile each), a hands-on kids’ museum on Florida natural history, butterfly and hummingbird gardens, a seasonal live butterfly exhibit and animals. - Price level: $ - Tickets: kids 3–17 $4; adults $6; 2 and under free - Hours: Mon–Sat 8am–4:30pm (last admission 4pm) - Good for: A short trail and the kids’ museum with a preschooler. - Skip if: it’s Sunday; it’s open Monday to Saturday. - Price source: https://www.treehill.org/visit (checked 2026-10-18) - Website: https://www.treehill.org/visit ### Fort Caroline National Memorial & Theodore Roosevelt Area (Timucuan Preserve) - Free National Park Service grounds, plus the Ribault Club visitor center and trails in the Theodore Roosevelt Area. - Price level: Free - Tickets: Free - Hours: Fort Caroline grounds Wed–Sun 9am–5pm; Theodore Roosevelt Area sunrise to sunset - Good for: A free nature morning with a carrier or a sturdy stroller. - Skip if: it’s Monday or Tuesday; Fort Caroline’s grounds are closed. - Price source: https://www.nps.gov/timu/planyourvisit/fees.htm (checked 2026-10-18) - Website: https://www.nps.gov/timu/planyourvisit/hours.htm ### Little Talbot Island State Park (12157 Heckscher Dr.) - One of the few undeveloped barrier islands left in Northeast Florida, with more than 5 miles of beach, a playground, a picnic pavilion and restrooms. - Price level: $ - Tickets: $5 per vehicle - Hours: Daily 8am to sunset - Good for: Shelling and a picnic on a mild day. - Skip if: you want lifeguards and boardwalk shops; it’s a wild beach. - Price source: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/little-talbot-island-state-park (checked 2026-10-18) - Website: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/little-talbot-island-state-park ### Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park (Jacksonville oceanfront) - A city oceanfront park with 1.5 miles of beach, more than 20 miles of trails, a 60-acre lake (no swimming) with kayak and pedal-boat rentals, and a kids’ splash park in the warm months. - Price level: $ - Tickets: $5 per car (up to six people); $3 per walker or cyclist - Hours: Daily 8am–8pm during daylight saving time; 8am–6pm the rest of the year - Good for: A beach-and-trail day for $5 a car. - Skip if: you’re counting on the splash park in fall or winter; it runs from the first weekend in May to the first weekend in October. - Price source: https://www.jacksonville.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/jaxparks/oceanfront-parks/kathryn-abbey-hanna-park (checked 2026-10-18) - Website: https://www.jacksonville.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/jaxparks/oceanfront-parks/kathryn-abbey-hanna-park ## Museums, zoos and big outings ### Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens (Riverside) - An art museum with riverfront gardens, free on Museums on Us weekends for Bank of America cardholders. - Price level: $$ - Good for: A garden stroll by the river. - Skip if: you need hands-on exhibits for toddlers. - Website: https://www.cummermuseum.org/ ### MOCA Jacksonville (Downtown, 333 N. Laura St.) - The University of North Florida’s contemporary art museum, free every Saturday, with a Kids Art Lab for ages 6–10 on second Saturdays at 12:30pm and a coffee shop inside. - Price level: Free - Tickets: Free every Saturday and on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, 5–9pm - Good for: A free Saturday art stop downtown. - Skip if: your kids are too little to keep hands off the art. - Price source: https://mocajacksonville.unf.edu/ (checked 2026-10-18) - Website: https://mocajacksonville.unf.edu/ ## Free things to do - Jacksonville Main Library - Fort Caroline National Memorial & Theodore Roosevelt Area - MOCA Jacksonville ## Best for under 3s - **Jacksonville Main Library**: Storytimes for little ones. ## With a baby or a 1-year-old ### Baby and lap-sit storytimes - **Baby Storytime** (Jacksonville Public Library): Tuesdays at 2pm · Argyle Branch. Birth to 12 months https://jaxpubliclibrary.libnet.info/events - **Baby Storytime** (Jacksonville Public Library): Wednesdays at 2pm · Highlands Regional branch. Birth to 12 months https://jaxpubliclibrary.libnet.info/events - **Baby Storytime** (Jacksonville Public Library): Fridays at 10:15am and 11:15am · Pablo Creek Regional branch. Birth to 12 months https://jaxpubliclibrary.libnet.info/events - **Baby Storytime** (Jacksonville Public Library): Mondays at 10:15am and 11:15am · Southeast Regional branch. Birth to 12 months https://jaxpubliclibrary.libnet.info/events ### Babies get in free - **Play Jungle Indoor Adventure**: Single child under 1: $5.99. https://playjunglekids.com/ - **Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens**: Children 2 and under free. https://www.jacksonvillezoo.org/plan-your-visit - **Jacksonville Arboretum & Botanical Gardens**: Children 3 and younger free. https://jacksonvillearboretum.org/visit/ - **Tree Hill Nature Center**: 2 and under free. https://www.treehill.org/visit ## Library storytimes - **Jacksonville Public Library**: Weekday mornings at most branches. Free Little Readers, baby and sensory-friendly storytimes at the Main Library and branches across the city. https://jaxpubliclibrary.org/ ## Happening this week - **Spooktacular at the Jacksonville Zoo** (Timed entry 6–7:30pm or 7:30–9pm) at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. $35 nonmembers, $25 members in advance ($40/$30 day-of); 2 and under free. https://littlesweekly.com/jacksonville/#e-spooktacular_jacksonville_zoo - **Family Fall Fest at the Jacksonville Arboretum** (Sun 4–7pm) at Jacksonville Arboretum & Botanical Gardens. $3 general admission; members free. https://littlesweekly.com/jacksonville/#e-family_fall_fest_jacksonville_arboretum - **Fall Festival & Trunk-or-Treat at Hodges Church** (Sat 4–6pm) at Hodges Boulevard Presbyterian Church. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/jacksonville/#e-fall_festival_hodges_presbyterian - **Murray Hill-O-Ween** (Sat 5–9pm) at Murray Hill (Edgewood Avenue). Free to attend. https://littlesweekly.com/jacksonville/#e-murray_hill_o_ween - **Count Your Buttons Day: Pete the Cat Meet & Greet (South Mandarin)** (Wed 10:30–11:30am) at South Mandarin Branch. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/jacksonville/#e-pete_the_cat_count_your_buttons_south_mandarin Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/jacksonville/index.md ## Holiday pages - [Santa in Jacksonville: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/jacksonville/santa/index.md) - [Christmas lights in Jacksonville for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/jacksonville/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 ### What can we do in Jacksonville with a toddler when it rains? The Main Library and regional branches run free storytimes most weekday mornings, and the Cummer Museum is mostly indoors. ### Are there free things to do with little kids in Jacksonville? Yes. Jacksonville Main Library, Fort Caroline National Memorial & Theodore Roosevelt Area and MOCA Jacksonville are free or have a free entry. See [the free list](https://littlesweekly.com/jacksonville/guide/#free). ### What’s good for babies and kids under 3 in Jacksonville? Jacksonville Main Library: Storytimes for little ones. Free for the littlest: Play Jungle Indoor Adventure (Single child under 1: $5.99), Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (Children 2 and under free), Jacksonville Arboretum & Botanical Gardens (Children 3 and younger free) and Tree Hill Nature Center (2 and under free). See [best for under 3s](https://littlesweekly.com/jacksonville/guide/#under3). ### Where are the free storytimes in Jacksonville? Jacksonville Public Library: Weekday mornings at most branches. Library storytimes don’t need a ticket, but times change by branch, so check the calendar first. See [library storytimes](https://littlesweekly.com/jacksonville/guide/#storytimes), and this week’s dated sessions are on the [Jax weekly list](https://littlesweekly.com/jacksonville/). ### How do you choose the places in the Jacksonville guide? Every one of the 15 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 10 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/). ### How much is the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens for a toddler, and who gets in free? Children 2 and under free (prices vary by date; see the zoo’s ticket page). We checked this on [its official site](https://www.jacksonvillezoo.org/plan-your-visit) on Oct 18, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.