Summer bucket list: 15 things and counting to do with your family in Abilene
The city of Abilene is chockful of activities for kids and families. Cross each item off your summer bucket list and share the photos with The Reporter-News.
15 things to do this summer in Abilene
Attend the annual Children's Literary & Art Festival. Tickets are on sale now for this four-day festival which features a Storybook parade, Storybook sculpture unveiling and various workshops with children's authors and illustrators. This takes place each June and is an event you will be sad to miss.
Beat the heat at Adventure Cove. Enjoy multiple water slides, a lazy river, zero-entry pool and concession stand — all operated by the city of Abilene. There is an admission fee, but children under 2 are free!
Gaze at the animals of the Abilene Zoo. This accredited zoo is home to over 250 species of animals, big and small, and Dr. Jane Goodall herself visited the zoo in 2011. Catch a ride on the train or feed the giraffes by hand and enjoy the large Grover Nelson Park right outside the front entrance.
Make a splash at one of the free city-owned Splash Pads. Open every day from dawn to dusk.
Enjoy the arts at the Grace Museum. This children's museum features Texan and American historic exhibitions and hosts an art camp each summer.
Complete a sculpture scavenger hunt in the Adamson & Spalding Storybook Garden. Abilene is home to over 25 sculptures that bring children's stories to life. Find them all using the interactive free app, GooseChase.
Admire the prairie dogs at the Prairie Dog Preserve. Located adjacent to Red Bud Park is a prairie dog preserve where children can get up close to this beloved burrowing creature. Red Bud Park is also home to one of Abilene's largest parks for children to enjoy.
Get a glimpse of the wild west at Frontier Texas! Learn about cowboys, guns, buffalos and the military. Experience history firsthand and witness a thunderstorm in the prairie and a saloon shoot-out in the experience theater.
Step into a book at the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature. The NCCIL features illustrator's art and drawings from beloved children's books and hosts family art activities each Saturday.
Enjoy a concert, movie or musical at the historic Paramount Theater. From "Legally Blonde the Musical" to classic movies in the summertime, the Paramount has something for all ages.
When your toddler has energy to burn, head over to the indoor play space, Imagination City. This gymnasium hosts lots of interactive screen-free playtime.
Catch some air at Maxx Air trampoline park. When it is too hot to play out, the massive indoor park has multiple areas of entertainment for children of all ages. Compete like a ninja warrior, ride the zipline and try not to wipe out!
Step into virtual reality at the Primetime Family Entertainment Center. Experience the floor as lava or dodge lasers. When you finish, head to the bowling lanes and enjoy a slice of pizza.
Catch a cheap summer flick with the kids at Cinemark Century Abilene 12 for $1.75. Their Summer Movie Clubhouse series include such films as Shrek and Sonic the Hedgehog 2.
Cuddle up in the afternoon with a book from the Abilene Public Library with new branches across the city. From Harry Potter experiences to teen sewing classes, the library has so much to offer. And finally, no late fees!
And counting . . .
Take the kids out to the ballgame with Abilene's new minor league baseball team, The Flying Bisons. Games will be held at McMurry University, and tickets range from $10-13.
Step back through time at the Buffalo Gap Historic Village. See where Taylor County started and watch your children's faces light up as they see the old jail, barber shop and train station.
See World War II artifacts up close at the 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum just in time for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday, and military members are free.
Watch history come alive with Frontier Texas' Historic Pine Street Shootout. Witness a reenactment of the 1884 shootout in downtown Abilene every Saturday in June.
Catch a bull riding or roping event this summer at the Taylor County Expo Center and count down to the West Texas Fair & Rodeo which begins Sept. 5.
More: A day in the life: Abilene's zookeepers tend to lions, giraffes, rhinos and more
The Flying Bisons come to Abilene The bison have landed! Abilene Flying Bison knocked it out of the park with Bison Bash
More on the historic shootout Historic shoot-out at Frontier Texas!
The Bison's first game Wooly bully: Abilene Flying Bison soar in hometown debut
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Summer bucket list: 15 things and counting to do in Abilene
