What Can I Do with Kids in Bay City, Frankenmuth, Midland, and Saginaw, MI in the Fall? A Local Guide

What are some affordable fall vacation ideas for families in Michigan?

There are tons of fun & inexpensive things to do with kids in Michigan this fall when you Go Great Lakes Bay, including: exploring Dow Gardens and taking in fall color along the country's longest canopy walk; enjoying apple orchards & pumpkin patches like Leaman’s Green Applebarn and Johnson’s Pumpkin Farm; spending the day at zoos & farms including Wilderness Trails Zoo, Saginaw Children's Zoo, and Grandpa Tiny's Farm; warming up at two of Michigan's best indoor waterparks in Frankenmuth; and discovering the Mid-Michigan Children's Museum and Delta College Planetarium.

Apple Orchards & Pumpkin Patches

Savor cider sundaes at Leaman’s Green Applebarn! Hop onto a hayride, enjoy fresh donuts, pick a peck, and ride the Apple Barrel Express.
Pet farm animals and pick huge pumpkins at Johnson’s Pumpkin Farm! Cider & donuts await at the end of the sunflower maze, along with horse rides.
Grandma’s Pumpkin Patch is a must for cider & donuts — and the Kidland Play Yard! Join a hayride, pick pumpkins, pet farm animals, and explore the corn maze.
See a cider press in action at Bayne’s Apple Valley, and savor the results — along with gigantic caramel apples & delicious cider donuts!
Have fun getting lost in the Frankenmuth Corn Maze! Play yard games, stop by the petting zoo, and take a hayride.

Zoos & Farms

Snap fam photos in the pumpkin patch and travel the corn maze at Grandpa Tiny’s Farm. Relax on a hayride, savor cider & donuts, and pet & feed the animals.
Go for spins on the hand-carved carousel & miniature train after meeting more than 150 animals at the Saginaw Children’s Zoo!
Reserve a guided Immersive Rainforest Encounter at Wilderness Trails Zoo, home to 200 exotic animals.

Outdoors & Nature

Roam Dow Gardens, alive with fall color, and catch bird’s-eye views from a canopy walk, four stories high in the forest!
Explore 19 miles of trails together at Chippewa Nature Center — and hands-on exhibits at the Homestead Farm & Ecosystem Gallery.
Soar through the colorful treetops at Frankenmuth Aerial Park, on an obstacle ropes course that combines climbing & ziplines!
Discover the changing season at Bay City State Park. Walk through a lagoon full of wildlife, and climb observation towers in Tobico Marsh.

Tours & Experiences

Follow your taste buds to treats of the season along our self-guided Cider & Donuts Tour!
Cruise into fall as a family on a horse-drawn carriage with Fantasy Carriage Company or H&H Acres and Carriage Service.
Tour Frankenmuth on the Golden Ticket Trolley, where kids can play an I-Spy activity and choose a prize at the end of the route!

Indoor Waterparks

Make a splash at Michigan’s biggest indoor waterpark & family fun center, Bavarian Blast Waterpark! Try 16 new waterslides and a wave pool, then tackle the ropes course, rock climbing, and laser tag.
Fall into fun on tube slides, brave the six-story family raft ride, and relax while dining poolside in your private cabana rental at Zehnder's Splash Village!

Indoor Family Fun Zones

Bowl for strikes, play two-story laser tag, and hop into bumper cars at Stardust before hitting the arcade.
Soar through Urban Air Adventure Park, with giant trampolines, climbing walls, indoor ziplines, laser tag, and bumper cars!
Grab a roll of quarters for retro gaming fun at Crazy Quarters Arcade, filled with arcade classics and dozens of pinball machines.
Choose your adventure at Valley Lanes, whether it’s bowling, indoor mini-golf, bumper cars, or arcade games.
Get to Brinstar for arcade games & pinball machines, but stay for burgers & fresh-cut fries the whole family will love!
Battle in the action-packed arcade at Funway Amusements Saginaw and enjoy games, giggles, pizza, and pop.
Bring outdoor fun in this fall at Little Builders Play Yard, a giant indoor sandbox filled with cool construction toys!
Let the kids burn energy at The Playground — a playscape where parents can kick back with a latte while kids have a ball.
Fly on wall-to-wall trampolines at Airborne Adventure Park and defy gravity on more than a dozen attractions.
Test your skills in the River Place Game Room, then giggle at views of your crew inside the Ultimate Mirror Maze.
Twirl laps around The Roll Arena inside Captain Dave’s Family Entertainment Center.
Have some colorful competition inside the 3D UV blacklight Saginaw GellyBall arena at 906 Lapeer.

Museums & More

Find infinite fun at the Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum, with interactive galleries like the Tinker Track and Water, Water Everywhere.
Explore outer space without leaving your seat at Delta College Planetarium, then visit the gift shop for stellar souvenirs!
See the world’s largest collection of motorized fire trucks — and tons of Tonka® toys — at the Antique Toy and Firehouse Museum.
Spend quality time personalizing a piece of pottery together at Painterly Pottery or Space Studios.

Live Family Entertainment

Catch a kid-friendly show at Midland Center for the Arts, The Dow Event Center, The Temple Theatre, or State Theatre of Bay City.
See NHL hopefuls defend, shoot, and score at a Saginaw Spirit OHL hockey game!

Kid-Friendly Fall Festivals

Enjoy street fare from over 20 food trucks during Funtown Chowdown Food Truck Festival, or launch the pumpkin catapult during Scarecrow Fest!

Kids’ Shopping

Start getting into the holiday spirit at Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland, the world’s largest Christmas store!
Hunt for souvenirs together at Frankenmuth River Place Shops, then sample fudge to gourmet cupcakes before hitting the arcade.
Explore an underground castle filled with toys, candy, and souvenirs at the Bavarian Inn Castle Shops.
Discover over 100 stores at Birch Run Premium Outlets, with Go! Games & Toys for kids to Pottery Barn Outlet for parents.
Peruse a “mountain of toys” at Toyberg, from puzzles to building sets.
Wander into Joyful Tantrum to experience “a toy store, unplugged.”
Uncover a colorful, candy-filled wonderland while strolling through Tummy Ache Candy Store.
Treat the kids to St. Laurent Brothers’ nostalgic candies & hand-dipped chocolates.
See taffy pulled at Frankenmuth Taffy Kitchen or fudge paddled at Zak & Mac’s Chocolate Haus or Frankenmuth Fudge Kitchen.

Things To Do

Favorite Apple Orchards, Cider Mills + Pumpkin Farms in the Great Lakes Bay

Enjoy a leisurely hayride, get lost in corn fields, find future jack-o-lanterns, and absolutely indulge in the quintessential combo of fall — cider & donuts! Grab a fleece, gather your flock, and enjoy a crisp autumn day when you Go Great Lakes Bay in Michigan!