Austin has a wide spread from completely free to genuinely expensive. The good news: the free options are legitimately excellent. Here are the real numbers so you can plan without guessing.
Free Activities in Austin
Austin's parks and playgrounds are some of the best free family activities in Texas. These cost nothing and are worth prioritizing.
- Lakeline Park Playground — $0. Cedar Park. Perfect 5-star rating. Open 24 hours.
- Play for All Abilities Park — $0. Round Rock. Fully inclusive. Bring food and water.
- Pease Park Treehouse — $0. One of Austin's best free family attractions.
- Zilker Nature Preserve — $0. Barton Creek greenbelt trails. Bring your own food and water.
- Alliance Children's Garden — $0. Inside Zilker Park. Beautiful outdoor playground.
- Walnut Creek Metropolitan Playground — $0. Large city playground. Bring food and water.
- Loewy Family Playground — $0. Northwest Hills neighborhood playground.
- Great Hills Park - Playscape — $0. Free city playground in Sierra Vista/Northwest Austin.
- Katherine Fleischer Park — $0. Wells Branch, North Austin. Bring food and water.
- Butler Metro Park — $0. Barton Springs Rd. Kayak rentals nearby. One of Austin's most-used family parks.
- Springwoods Park — $0. Northwest Austin, Anderson Mill area. Has a splash pad.
- Skyline Park — $0. Easton Park development in SE Austin. Free neighborhood amenity.
- Robinson Park — $0. Jollyville (NW Austin). Managed by North Austin MUD 1.
- Zilker Metropolitan Park Playscape Shelter — $0 playground; Barton Springs Pool nearby has admission.
- Creative Playscape — $0. Georgetown municipal park. One of Georgetown's best playgrounds.
- Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Metro Park — $0. East Austin large natural park. Disc golf equipment rental extra.
- Texas Science & Natural History Museum — $0–$15 (free admission; small parking fees on UT campus).
- Mueller Lake Park Playground — $0. Combine with Mueller Lake walking path.
- Playground at The Grove — $0. Free neighborhood playground in The Grove development.
Budget Picks (Under $50 for a Family of 4)
Pikopye's Town — $30–$45 for a family of 4. Small indoor play facility with typically lower pricing than larger competitors. Good for toddlers and young kids.
Play Street Museum - Sunset Valley — $45–$55 (2 kids ~$12–$14 each; adults ~$8–$10; no food on-site). Built around imaginative role-play — grocery store, vet clinic, kid-size kitchen. Best for ages 0–8.
Indigo Play — $35–$55 for a family of 4 (admission typically ~$10–$14/child). Check current pricing at their website. Good toddler-to-young-kid venue.
Mid-Range Activities ($55–$100 for a Family of 4)
Cheeky Monkeys - Cedar Park — $55–$70 (2 kids ~$14–$16 each; adults ~$8–$12; add snacks). Local indoor playground with a multi-level play structure and 4.6 stars. Always buy tickets through their website or app.
Austin Zoo — $55–$75 (adults ~$15, kids ~$10–$12, plus add-ons). Rescue sanctuary setting. More intimate than traditional zoos. Plan 2–3 hours.
Dart'em Up — $70–$90 (2 kids + 2 adults ~$15–$22 each per game session). Foam dart tactical arena. High engagement for ages 8+. Anderson Mill location.
Blazer Tag Adventure Center — $60–$100 (game packages vary; laser tag as anchor). Austin's original entertainment center. Book game packages for better value.
Catch Air Austin — $60–$80 (2 adults free, 2 kids ~$15–$20 each; add snacks). Large indoor play structure with multi-level climbing and a dedicated toddler area.
Inflatable Wonderland — $65–$90 (2 kids ~$18–$22 each; adults often free; add snacks). Massive bounce houses and obstacle courses. 2–3 hours of activity.
Museum of Illusions Austin — $65–$80 (adults ~$18–$20, kids ~$14–$16). Optical illusion rooms. 1–1.5 hours. Weekday visits less crowded.
Mt Playmore — $50–$80 for a family of 4 (admission varies by age/session). Austin's premier indoor play center with multi-level climbing.
Altitude Trampoline Park — $70–$100 (2 kids ~$18–$22 each; adults often free or reduced). South Austin. Bring your own socks.
Toybrary Austin — $35–$50 (membership-based; drop-in rates vary; no food on-site). Hybrid toy library and open play space in Brentwood. Unique in Austin.
JUMP PARTY USA — $60–$100 (multi-attraction venue in Kyle; pricing varies by activities chosen). Mix of inflatables, bounce houses, and other attractions.
Chuck E. Cheese — $60–$90 (pizza/food ~$25–$35; play pass for 2 kids ~$15–$25 each). The nostalgia choice. Food costs can push this into mid-range quickly.
Splurge-Worthy Experiences (Over $100)
Zero Latency VR - Austin — $120–$160 (tickets ~$30–$40/person; no food on-site). 5.0 stars with 1,000+ reviews. Full-body free-roam VR in a real arena. Minimum age ~10. Book online early in the week for slightly lower rates. Worth every dollar for the right age.
Activate Games — $100–$120 (2 kids + 2 adults, ~$25–$30 each; no food on-site). Physical challenge rooms. Book online for slightly better rates. Charges per person regardless of age — not ideal for toddlers.
The Eureka Room — $100–$130 (rooms priced per group, ~$25–$30/person). Themed escape rooms in East Austin. Book in advance.
Austin Aquarium — $80–$120 (online tickets cheaper; check current pricing). Hands-on and interactive. Plan 1.5–2 hours.
K1 Speed - Indoor Go Karts — $100–$160 (single race session ~$25–$40/person). Professional electric karts. Height requirements apply.
Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park — $100–$140 (varies by pass level). Most feature-packed trampoline park in Austin beyond basic jumping.
Tom Foolerys Adventure Park — $100–$160 (admission plus attractions; food on-site is pricey). At Kalahari Resort in Round Rock. On-site food costs add up.
Money-Saving Tips in Austin
- Austin's free parks are excellent — use them. Pease Park Treehouse, Zilker area, and the northwest Austin playgrounds are all genuinely good, not just fallback options.
- Book Zero Latency early in the week. Weekday slots are slightly less expensive and have better availability.
- Texas Science Museum is free. Bring lunch to eat on the UT campus lawn and make it a full outing for almost nothing.
- Activate Games charges per person. Not worth it for toddlers or young kids who can't fully participate — save it for ages 7+.
- Pease Park Treehouse is one of Austin's best free attractions. Zero cost, 4.8 stars. Start here before spending anything.
- Combine Zilker area stops. Alliance Children's Garden, Zilker Metropolitan Playscape, and Butler Metro Park are all close to each other and all free. One drive, three activities.
- Online tickets are almost always cheaper at Austin Aquarium, Museum of Illusions, and Cheeky Monkeys. Never pay walk-in prices.
What a Typical Family Spends
1-day estimate (free + one paid): - Morning: Pease Park Treehouse + Zilker area parks — $0 - Afternoon: Museum of Illusions or Austin Zoo — $65–$80 - Food: Pack lunch + one meal out — $25–$40 - Total: $90–$120
2-day estimate (one splurge day, one free day): - Day 1: Zero Latency VR + Blazer Tag — $180–$260 - Day 2: Zilker parks + Texas Science Museum + packed lunches — $0–$15 - Total: $180–$275
Bottom line: A family can spend 3–4 days in Austin with excellent activities for under $200 by leaning on the free park network. When you're ready to spend, Zero Latency VR is the experience worth the splurge. Zilker Metropolitan Park and Pease Park Treehouse cost nothing and compete with anything you'll pay for.