Boulder with kids, free and cheap
The free list is longer than most guides admit, and one thing they all recommend is not actually open to the public.
Last checked: July 26, 2026
Boulder is an easy city with children: flat paved paths, free playgrounds, hands-on museums, and a downtown where nobody needs a car for a few hours. What follows is what things actually cost, and one correction worth having before you plan around it.
Free, and genuinely free
| Where | What it is | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Carpenter Park | Playground with crater and rock structures, skate park, sledding in winter | 1505 30th St |
| Valmont Bike Park | 42 acres of cycling terrain, plus a playground and restrooms | 3160 Airport Rd |
| Pearl Street animal sculptures | The 1977 bronze and marble Snail, Rabbit, Frog and Beaver kids climb on | 1400 block of Pearl St |
| Boulder Creek Path | 5.5 flat paved miles, the most stroller-friendly thing in Boulder | Through downtown |
| Boulder Public Library | Free storytimes and youth programs | 1001 Arapahoe Ave |
| BLDG 61 makerspace | Free drop-in workshop. STUDIO 24 is its NoBo counterpart | 1001 Arapahoe Ave |
| NCAR Mesa Lab | Science exhibits, free parking, free noon tours Mon/Wed/Fri | 1850 Table Mesa Dr |
Worth paying for, with the real prices
| Where | Cost | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| City recreation centers | $15 adults, $9 youth 2 to 17, $32 for a group of four | One pass covers all three centers the same day. Pools close for maintenance, usually August. |
| Museum of Boulder | $12 adults, $10 youth 5 to 17, under 5 free | Free with a SNAP card and free for members. The Playzeum and Google Garage are the child-focused galleries. |
| Fiske Planetarium | $12 adults, $8 youth 4 to 17, plus a $1.50 fee | Closed during Folsom Field concerts and CU home football games. |
| Scott Carpenter Pool | $15 adults, $11 youth 2 to 17, $35 for a group of four | Outdoor summer pool, separate from the free park beside it. |
| ABC Kids Climbing | Paid, price not published | Youth-specific and coach-led, built for children from two and a half up. |
| Boulder Rock Club | Day pass, price not published | Tiny Tots is 4 to 5; the teen belay class is 12 to 17. |
Two things we deliberately do not tell you
The Museum of Boulder publishes no age range for the Playzeum anywhere. Its only age language is "our youngest visitors," so this guide does not invent "ages 2 to 8" the way others do. Similarly, the city names no beginner loop or kids area at Valmont Bike Park, only "several riding styles and abilities," so neither do we.
Questions people actually ask
What are the best free things to do in Boulder with kids?
Scott Carpenter Park has a playground with crater and rock climbing structures, a skate park and open turf, and the city allows sledding there in winter. Valmont Bike Park is 42 free acres with a playground and restrooms. The Boulder Creek Path is 5.5 flat paved miles. And on the Pearl Street Mall, the bronze and marble animal sculptures children have climbed since 1977 cost nothing.
Is there an ice rink in Boulder?
Not one the public can use, and this is the correction worth carrying away. The only rink in Boulder is at CU's Student Recreation Center, and CU's own page states you must hold a Rec Center membership to use it, with skating limited to students, members and their guests. Family guides list it regularly. Following that advice costs you an afternoon. Boulder has no roller rink either.
What is the cheapest way to take a family swimming in Boulder?
The city group pass at $32 for a group of four, maximum two adults, at any of the three recreation centers. It is valid at all three on the day you buy it. Check the city's facility page first, because pools close for maintenance, typically in August.
What is there to do in Boulder with toddlers?
ABC Kids Climbing on 32nd Street says its walls, mats and routes are built for athletes from two and a half years old up. The Museum of Boulder's Playzeum is designed for what the museum calls its youngest visitors, and it runs a Bubble Storytime in the outdoor Wonder Garden on Wednesday mornings in summer. The Boulder Creek Path is flat and paved end to end, which makes it the easiest stroller outing in town.
Is the library makerspace really free for kids?
Yes. BLDG 61 at the Main Library is an open community workshop with drop-in hours, no registration and all experience levels welcome. Two rules before you go: anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian to sign a release form every single visit, not just once, and anyone under 14 must be supervised by an adult at all times.
Keep exploring
The full family guide has more detail, and the rainy day guide covers what to do when weather or wildfire smoke shuts the outdoors. For total spend, see what a day in Boulder actually costs.