While Napa is known as a bucket-list destination for wine and food enthusiasts, it also appears to be a top-10 travel spot for families, according to Yelp. The crowd-sourcing review site named Napa the second most “kid-friendly” travel destination in the U.S. in March. The valley offers an array of activities — from excursions up to Calistoga to see one of the country’s three faithful geysers, to a wine (and apple juice) tasting experience that the whole family will enjoy. Whether you’re a visitor or local, here are some places to get active, get outdoors, experience Napa Valley’s art scene, or just keep the family entertained all day.
GET ACTIVE
Rockzilla Climbing Gym
Whether you can easily complete V7s or want to try bouldering for the first time, Rockzilla is your place. It’s Napa’s only indoor climbing gym and is family- owned and operated by Dwayne Robertson.
The facility has rope climbs, auto-belays, a bouldering wall, chimneys, and a textured wall. Their “pro shop” also has rental shoes and outdoor climbing equipment for purchase.
Rockzilla offers memberships for avid climbers, and day passes for people who just want to see what the hype is about. Day passes with gear are $26. The facility is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Its address is 849 Jackson St. #5a in Napa.
Diamond 360
Baseball players can also check out Diamond 360, an indoor batting cage and baseball training facility founded by college baseball teammates Michael Crandell and Dom Romero. Crandell was born and raised in Napa, and after playing college ball at Friends University, he and Romero moved back to Napa to offer specialized coaching and training for other future college athletes.
Diamond 360 hosts private lessons and small group practices daily, and will run a camp from July 9 to 11 this summer. It also offers open cage time for groups by request via phone.
“If you reach out to us via our website, email or give us a call, we definitely try to squeeze everybody in that we can,” Crandall said.
Single 45-minute private lessons are $75 and a three-pack is available for $200. Group lesson pricing is available upon request. Diamond 360 is located at 1162 Jordan Ln. in Napa. For more information, visit diamond360.com.
EXPLORE THE OUTDOORS
American Canyon Wetlands
The American Canyon Wetlands offer great walking trails, wildlife, and workout equipment. Walking or biking along the 10 miles of trails, you can see views of the Napa River and depending on the time of day, glimpses of some of the wildlife that wanders through the area. It’s common to spot night herons, river otters and raptors, according to Joy Hilton, American Canyon Community & Parks Foundation’s education director.
She said that sometimes, on a night walk around the wetlands, great horned owls emerge from the nests in the eucalyptus trees along the trails. If you choose to visit at night, Hilton recommends catching the sunset at Glass Beach on the outer edge of the wetlands, closest to the river.
While the trails are open every day, the American Canyon Community & Parks Foundation offers quarterly Discovery Days at the wetlands, which include fun activities, educational programming, and nature-based movement. Starting in May, the foundation will also begin leading monthly family nature walks every third Sunday. The wetlands’ address is 2 Eucalyptus Drive in American Canyon.
Shenandoah Park
If you can’t make a scheduled event but are still looking for some guided exploration around American Canyon’s outdoor spaces, Janelle Sellick said to visit Shenandoah Park and follow the “Story Walk” path.
“There’s a book that’s been deconstructed and broken up into 16 different pieces there,” Sellick, the executive director of American Canyon Community & Parks Foundation, said. “People can walk about a one-third-mile loop around the park and read a story as they go.”
The numbered plaques around the perimeter of the park guide visitors through a new story every quarter and include associated movement prompts for kids. The book begins at the plaque closest to Shanandoah’s parking lot and bathrooms, marked with a number one. Shenandoah is at 100 Sonoma Creek Way in American Canyon.
Playground Fantastico and Picnic Space
In Napa proper, there are also opportunities to adventure outdoors. The city of Napa’s Playground Fantastico on Old Sonoma Road has an engaging, colorful play structure for kids, as well as a group picnic space. Families can pick up sandwiches from Genova Delicatessen, a local favorite, and spend an afternoon at the park.
Public parks and open spaces
In addition to Playground Fantastico, the city of Napa has a number of public parks for playing, skating, and hiking. All are listed on the city’s parks department website.
The county is also home to three state parks — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, the Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park and Robert Louis Stevenson State Park. The three sites have campgrounds, hiking trails, and according to Cathie Bennett Warner, the president of the Napa Valley State Parks Association, Bale Grist Mill Park has one of only two operational grist mills west of the Mississippi River. More information about each of the parks and its amenities is available at napavalleystateparks.org.
Connolly Ranch Education Center
Only about 10 minutes from downtown Napa, families can visit Connolly Ranch Education Center, a working 13-acre farm with edible and pollinator gardens and 25 farm animals.
Heidi Soldinger, the ranch’s executive director, said the space offers a unique opportunity to see a part of Napa’s natural landscape that’s different from the valley’s sprawling vineyards.
“Our mission is to instill people of all ages with a deep respect for the environment, an understanding of sustainable farming and a love for the natural world,” Soldinger said. “Through their time here at Connolly Ranch, people have very magical and memorable experiences. It allows them to have this moment to connect with the natural world.”
The education center has Sunday open houses twice a month, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visitors are invited to take a selfguided tour of the farm and join in kids’ mindfulness and art classes, which run from noon to 1 p.m. on open house days.
Prices range from $2 to $10 per person. Details and dates are available at connollyranch.org. The ranch’s address is 3141 Browns Valley Road, Napa.
Calistoga’s Old Faithful Geyser
Upvalley, kids will love watching the Old Faithful Geyser (of California) erupt. One of only three geysers in the world given the “faithful” moniker, visitors are sure to see a show if they stick around for an hour or so, director Koray Sanli said. While the exact time between eruptions varies depending on weather and other factors, it is usually active anywhere between every 15 minutes to every hour and a half.
While waiting for the big moment, there are lots of other features to explore on-site. Access to a geology museum is included in the price of admission to see the geyser. The museum is the perfect place to study the science behind geysers and other natural phenomena like earthquakes and volcanoes. It also includes Northern California history exhibits.
There’s also a farm on the grounds where Nigerian Dwarf goats, alpacas and horses live. Visitors can visit the farm, and hang out at the geyser’s picnic and bocce area between eruptions.
Hours vary, but from May 1 to Sept. 30, the ground will be open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, with discounts for seniors, children, and military. The address is 1299 Tubbs Lane in Calistoga.
Carolyn Parr Nature Center
To see more animal life, head to Carolyn Parr Nature Center, where Joyce Nichols, who is the president of the Napa Valley Naturalists, works as a docent. She said that kids and adults alike especially enjoy finding birds, insects and native plants on hikes along the center’s outdoor trails. They can even bring some of the crawling critters and plant life inside, to take a closer look under one of the nature center’s microscopes.
Inside, Nichols gives tours, guiding visitors through habitat displays with animal skins and skulls they can touch. The center also has a library area with nature books, floor puzzles, board games, and hand puppets.
“The most popular one is a giant mosquito,” Nichols said.
The center is open at 3107 Browns Valley Rd in Napa on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free for members and $5 for non-members.
EXPERIENCE THE ARTS
GUILD Napa
Kids who love to cook, craft, paint, or sew will love spending the afternoon at GUILD Napa. The maker workshop offers drop-in afternoons every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Each week, the center leads visitors in a different crafting project. Carrie Saxl, the co-founder of GUILD, said that over the past few months, these have included molding clay pots, dying fabric, and stamping tea towels.
“With a lot of our kids’ crafts we try to go beyond just like glue and construction paper and give them something they can make that they’re going to take home and continue to want to display or use,” Saxl said.
GUILD also offers a few weekly classes for kids ages five to 12. On Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, it has STEAM based classes that combine elements of science, gardening, culinary arts and music with an art-based project.
On Tuesdays and Fridays, GUILD hosts “Stitches and Strings,” an after-school sewing club. Students learn to hand sew, operate a sewing machine and even print and dye fabrics.
It also offers cooking classes on Mondays. In each session, kids learn technical kitchen skills like safely handling knives, reading recipes and measuring ingredients. They also learn delicious recipes with ingredients pickier eaters might turn their noses up at at home.
“One of the recipes that we did was Korean pancakes, which are often served with kimchi,” Saxl said. “Most of the kids in the class had not tried kimchi before and a lot of them were unsure about it. In the end, I think all but maybe one of the kids really loved it.”
GUILD also hosts weeklong summer camps that feature a mix of arts, cooking, and STEAM projects. While camps are designed for kids to attend weekly, Saxl said that visitors can also call the studio and drop into a camp if there’s room. The first camp begins June 10 and sessions run for 10 weeks. The hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
GUILD is located at 575 Coombsville Road in Napa. For more information about pricing from drop-in days, camps and classes, visit guildnapa.com.
Di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art
The di Rosa Center is a great place to get out of the heat and explore a collection of contemporary art. The center currently has two exhibitions that will be viewable through the end of summer, called “Ghost in the Machine” and “To the Max!” It also has a continuing gallery called “The Incorrect Museum” which explores the history of Northern California through the “rule-breaking, iconoclastic spirit of art and artists in the region,” according to the center’s website.
According to Hugo Corro, the associate director of education and civic engagement at di Rosa, all of the art is accessible for kids, but “To the Max!’” is especially fun.
“It’s very colorful, you’ll see a lot of texture, a lot of really big elements, as well as some smaller detail. I think just as a visual thing it’s really engaging for kids,” Corro said.
He also said that di Rosa’s outdoor sculpture garden is great for children of all ages to explore.
“There’s a variety of art and nature that I think makes di Rosa unique,” Corro said. “Our site has galleries with artwork as well as outdoor sculptures, but also, this aspect where you can explore around the lake, picnic, go out to the olive grove into the meadow.”
The di Rosa Center will also hold summer day camps in July, though most sessions are full for ages 6-11. There is some availability for kids ages 12-14 at dirosaart.org/summer-camp.
The center is open for drop-in hours Thursdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $20 for the general public, with discounts available for seniors, children, military personnel and educators. It is located at 5200 Sonoma Highway in Napa.
Napa Toy Museum
For a museum geared directly toward kids, check out the Napa Toy Museum, which boasts a collection of over 500 vintage toys, popular from the 1890s to the 1960s. The museum features a vintage carousel seat, a Popeye boxing toy, and many other classics parents will recognize and children will love.
The museum is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission runs from $4 to $8 and kids under age 8 can enter for free. It is located downtown at 964 Pearl St. in Napa.
WINE
Castello di Amorosa
Of course, no trip to Napa would be complete without a wine tasting, so with kids in tow, head to Castello di Amorosa for a tasting experience perfect for the whole family. The winery is in a beautiful 14th-century style Tuscan castle and visitors can wander its courtyard, tower, chapel and great hall. It also has a special tasting for kids, which includes non-alcoholic Muscat Canelli grape juice. While children of all ages are welcome, no strollers are allowed on the grounds.
Castello di Amorosa is located at 4045 St. Helena Highway in Calistoga. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Reservations are required. Tastings are priced at $60 for adults and $25 for children.
