This relaxed stretch of California wine country can be a surprisingly family-friendly getaway. For starters, there are parks, museums, and wildlife in the area. Plus, a number of wineries not only welcome kids but offer fun activities for the smaller set.
Family-Friendly Wineries in Sonoma County
Sonoma County’s wine country isn’t just for adult tastings—many wineries offer family-friendly activities. Healdsburg’s Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves, for example, combines impressive underground cave tours with open lawns and picnic spaces where kids can run and families can relax together before or after sipping the estate’s handcrafted wines. The dramatic caves themselves are an adventure for kids—and exploring is encouraged.
At Francis Ford Coppola Winery, near Geyersville, the family-friendly vibe is part of the destination. Coppola’s expansive property features lush grounds, an onsite swimming pool, bocce courts, and galleries of film memorabilia that engage visitors of all generations. Parents can enjoy wine flights and food pairings while kids can eat gelato or lounge in shaded outdoor spaces.
Other Sonoma family-friendly wineries include Larson Family Winery in Sonoma, known for its welcoming atmosphere thanks to bocce, cornhole, lawn space, and picnic areas where children can play as adults sip wine. Benziger Family Winery in Glen Ellen offers tram tours through the vineyards that appeal to families and introduce kids to the farming side of wine country. Alexander Valley Vineyards in Healdsburg is noted for being family-owned and kid-friendly too, with lots of outdoor spaces to explore.
Family-Friendly Outdoor Fun in Sonoma County
Sonoma Valley’s family-friendly attractions go well beyond wineries. Grab a few paddles at Burke’s Canoes in Guerneville for a day trip down the Russian River, with redwood-shaded picnic spots along the banks. Smaller kids, or grown-up train fanatics, love Sonoma TrainTown Railroad, a 10-acre park with quarter-scale replicas of classic locomotives and train cars. A 20-minute ride on the train travels through tunnels and over bridges and finishes near the park’s petting zoo and six carnival rides.
Other kid favorites include General Vallejo’s 1836 working ranch at Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park, where special events include special sheep-shearing days and living history performances about pre–Gold Rush California. (Check the park’s schedule for details.)
Charles M. Schulz Museum
In Santa Rosa—which was the longtime home of celebrated Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schulz—let the kids clamber onto statues of Snoopy and his pals on the grounds of the Charles M. Schulz Museum. Inside, kids (and grownups) can enjoy thousands of original sketches and cartoon strips, sign up for special lessons on how to draw cartoon characters, or watch screenings of 1965’s A Charlie Brown Christmas and other Peanuts classics in the museum’s theater. Afterward, strap on some skates and take a spin at the adjacent Snoopy’s Home Ice, a Swiss chalet–style ice rink (be sure to have a cocoa at the rink’s Warm Puppy Café).
Luther Burbank Home & Gardens
Also in Santa Rosa, consider a visit to the Luther Burbank Home & Gardens, where kids can smell roses, learn about growing vegetables, and look for birds in the famed horticulturist’s one-acre homestead. Young visitors will love spotting unusual plants developed by Burbank himself, from giant cacti to colorful hybrid flowers. Interactive displays and easy-to-follow garden paths make the site especially engaging for curious kids, offering a hands-on way to explore nature and science.
Wildlife in Sonoma County
If your kids love wildlife, Sonoma County offers many opportunities to see it in action, year-round. From gray whales migrating along the coast in winter and spring to Pacific harbor seals lounging on beaches in summer, families can enjoy nature at every turn. Birdwatchers will delight in ducks, herons, and warblers in regional parks, while tide pools reveal starfish and hermit crabs along the shore. The Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue in Petaluma further connects visitors with native animals and conservation education.