Summer Day Trips from Zionsville: Ideas for Families

Summer day trips can span different versions of fun. Some days can call for water slides and towels in the back seat. Others are better for berry picking, a hands-on museum, a river float, a state park hike, or a walkable town.

Most destinations in this guide are within about one to two hours of Zionsville, with a few slightly longer drives included for a full day trip. There are so many options within a two-hour drive that it can be hard to choose — but the nice thing about summer is that there's time to slow down and enjoy it with family.

As you prepare for your trip, make sure to check each destination’s official site, social media, or Google Maps business page for reservations, weather-related updates, and seasonal hours before heading out.

Find the Right Summer Day Trip

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Water Days for Hot Weather

Water destinations are especially appealing on hot summer days. Pools and aquatic centers let you stay in one place, while river trips and lake outings give families more space to explore the outdoors.

Monroe Lake (Bloomington, IN)

• Location: 4850 S State Rd 446, Bloomington, IN (Paynetown SRA)
• Drive: ~1.5 hrs · 75 miles SW
• Best For: Boating, beach time, and a full lake day.
• Age Range: All ages

Monroe Lake is Indiana’s largest lake, with several recreation areas around the shoreline. The Paynetown area has beach access, boat rentals, picnic areas, trails, and the Monroe Lake office nearby.

Plan on a full day if you’re coming from Zionsville. You can swim, rent a boat, paddle, fish, picnic by the water, or add a short trail walk depending on which recreation area you choose. Nearby Bloomington also gives you plenty of dinner options before the drive home.

Before you go, check the recreation area that matches your plans. Monroe Lake doesn’t have a single entrance, and amenities, fees, beach access, boat ramps, hours, and water conditions can vary by location.

Sugar Valley Canoe Trips (Marshall, IN)

• Location: 1313 IN-47, Marshall, IN 47859
• Drive: ~1 hr 20 mins · 60 miles W
• Best For: Canoeing, kayaking, and tubing with older kids and teens
• Age Range: Age limits vary with creek conditions

Floating down Sugar Creek means covered bridges, sandstone cliffs, and a pace set by the river. Sugar Valley Canoe Trips offers canoe, kayak, and tube rentals on Sugar Creek, with trip lengths as short as 3 miles or as long as 15 miles. Pass a covered bridge or two and enjoy the scenery near Turkey Run and Shades State Parks. River trips require more planning than a pool day, so check outfitter rules, age requirements, life jacket policies, weather, and water levels before booking.

Age limits depend on rental type and current creek conditions, and restrictions can change with water levels. Children under 6 must have one adult per child at all times. Call ahead or check Sugar Valley's Facebook page for current conditions before booking.

Kokomo Beach Family Aquatic Center (Kokomo, IN)

• Location: 1717 W Park Ave, Kokomo, IN

• Drive: ~1 hr · 45 miles north

• Best For: Multi-age water park day with a variety of slides

• Age Range: All ages

  Kokomo Beach is a city-run aquatic center with several water-park features such as a lazy river, zero-depth entry pool, kiddie slides, and a splash pad play area. The more adventurous will enjoy high-energy zoom slides and a tube tower with both tube and body slides. Check the weather forecast and pool hours before heading out.

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Farms and U-Pick Days

Farm outings give kids something task-oriented and educational: pick berries, walk through a market, see animals, or connect the day to food and agriculture. Some farms are quick half-day outings, while others have enough activities to fill several hours.

Fair Oaks Farms (Fair Oaks, IN)

• Location: 856 N 600 E, Fair Oaks, IN
• Drive: ~1.5 hr · 95 miles NW
• Best For: A full-day, education-focused farm experience
• Age Range: All ages

Fair Oaks Farms has itineraries designed for different trip lengths, from a focused half-day to a full day across all three farm adventures. Admission tickets include access to multiple museum spaces, the Birthing Barn, children's play areas, farm tours, educational programming, and the outdoor Mooville area.

Fair Oaks Farms operates on Central Time — one hour behind Zionsville. If you plan to arrive when doors open, account for the time difference when leaving home.

For families who want to extend the trip, two-day tickets are available, and a barn-themed Fairfield Inn & Suites is on the property. The Farmhouse, an elevated restaurant, is also on-site and serves lunch and dinner.

Beasley's Orchard (Danville, IN)

• Location: 2304 E Main St, Danville, IN
• Drive: ~45 min · 25 miles SW
• Best For: U-pick fruit, flowers, and market browsing
• Age Range: All ages

Beasley’s is a third-generation family farm dating to 1946, with a market inside a Civil War-era barn. The market stocks homegrown and locally sourced produce, baked goods, honey, jams, and barbecue sauces.

Summer u-pick starts with strawberries in late May and early June, followed by raspberries in June, zinnias beginning around mid-June, sunflowers in July, and marigolds in August and September. Availability can change with weather, bloom timing, and field conditions, so check Beasley’s Facebook page or Instagram for up-to-date information on market produce.

Chandler’s Orchard and Country Market (Fillmore, IN)

• Location: 2849 S County Road 825 E, Fillmore, IN
• Drive: ~1 hr · 45 miles SW
• Best For: Rural farm outing with seasonal extras
• Age Range: All ages

Chandler’s Orchard and Country Market is a family farm in rural Putnam County. Strawberry U-pick runs May through June — check their Facebook page before visiting for current U-pick dates and times. In the summer, zinnias and other flowers may also be available for picking. Their country store on US-40 carries jams, jellies, take-and-bake pies, cheeses, sauces, honey, locally raised meats, and other farm-market items.

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Zoos and Animal Encounters

Zoos and sanctuaries can give kids a closer look at animals they may only know from books, screens, or school lessons. Check age limits, reservation requirements, tour terrain, and weather policies before planning around a specific encounter or tour.

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (Cincinnati, OH)

• Location: 3400 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH
• Drive: ~2 hrs · 126 miles SE
• Best For: Full-day zoo and botanical garden outing
• Age Range: All ages

Founded in 1875, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is the second-oldest zoo in the United States and The 75-acre zoo features animal exhibits and a working botanical garden — giraffes, gorillas, garden paths, and flowers all in one place.

For many kids, Fiona the hippo is still the star. Born prematurely in 2017, Fiona became famous after the zoo shared her survival story with people around the world. Families can also ride the Safari Train, a nostalgic zoo attraction that takes an 8-minute scenic loop past areas near Swan Lake, flamingos, Mexican wolves, and Galapagos tortoises.

Check the daily events calendar for keeper talks, animal encounters, feeding opportunities, and seasonal activities. Before visiting, review age limits, ticket options, and reservation requirements for special experiences.

Wolf Park (Battle Ground, IN)

• Location: 4012 E 800 N, Battle Ground, IN
• Drive: ~1 hr · 60 miles NW
• Best For: Guided wildlife tour with wolves, foxes, and bison
• Age Range: All ages; free admission for children under 5

Wolf Park is a nonprofit education and research facility on more than 75 acres of rewilded farmland near Lafayette. The park provides a permanent home for wolves, foxes, bison, and other wildlife, with guided tours available almost everyday from May through November. One of its signature experiences is Howl Night: Decoding the Howl, where visitors can learn about wolf communication, listen for howls from the resident pack, and join in a group howl. Photography tours, feeding demonstrations, and other special programs are also offered throughout the season.

Regular tours follow a gravel loop trail — all-terrain strollers are recommended for younger children. Check the official site for current hours, tour availability, and reservation requirements before visiting.

Exotic Feline Rescue Center (Center Point, IN)

• Location: 2221 E Ashboro Rd, Center Point, IN
• Drive: ~ 1 hr 20 mins · 74 miles SW
• Best For: Guided tour to see rescued big cats up close
• Age Range: All ages; children under 5 must be held or in a stroller at all times

The Exotic Feline Rescue Center is a nonprofit big cat sanctuary on a 200-acre rural property between Indianapolis and Terre Haute. The center provides a permanent home for more than 100 exotic cats — lions, tigers, leopards, servals, bobcats, and cougars — that were rescued from unsafe or unsuitable situations. Visits take place through guided walking tours along a gravel path, where staff share each animal's rescue history as you walk past their enclosures. Some of those stories involve difficult circumstances, so parents may want to let the guide know if they'd prefer to keep details age-appropriate for younger kids.

Tours run daily and last about an hour. All-terrain strollers or wagons are recommended for younger children. No reservations needed for groups under 10.

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Museums and Interactive Learning Days

Indoor museums are a useful backup when summer turns hot or rainy. The destinations below are hands-on places where kids can climb, build, experiment, and learn through doing.

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force (Dayton, OH)

• Location: 1100 Spaatz St, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
• Drive: ~2 hrs 15 mins · 132 miles E
• Best For: Aviation-loving kids and adults
• Age Range: All ages

The world’s largest military aviation museum spans four interconnected hangars at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, with hundreds of aircraft, missiles, and artifacts arranged by era. Families can move through early aviation, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, Southeast Asia, the Cold War, space exploration, and the Presidential Gallery, where visitors can walk through several retired presidential aircraft. Older children may especially enjoy the simulator attractions and the F-16 sit-in cockpit.

Admission and parking are free, but simulator rides and some special experiences may cost extra. The museum is large, so comfortable shoes are a good idea, and families with younger children may want to bring a stroller or plan breaks between hangars. An on-site café is available for quick meals or snacks, but families who want more dining choices may prefer Pentagon Boulevard in nearby Beavercreek.

The Children's Museum at Cincinnati Museum Center (Cincinnati, OH)

• Location: 1301 Western Ave, Cincinnati, OH
• Drive: ~2 hrs 10 mins · 126 miles SE
• Best For: A destination museum that fills a full day
• Age Range: Infants through age 10

The drive to Cincinnati is a bit longer, but the Children’s Museum at Union Terminal can easily fill an entire day. The Children’s Museum is housed inside Union Terminal, a 1933 Art Deco landmark and National Historic Landmark that feels impressive before you even reach the exhibits. Inside, kids can climb, crawl, pretend, build, experiment, and burn energy through themed play areas designed for hands-on learning.

Families can buy a ticket just for The Children’s Museum or choose the Museum Admission ticket, which includes The Children’s Museum, the Museum of Natural History & Science, and the Cincinnati History Museum under one roof. Special exhibitions and OMNIMAX films may require separate tickets, so check current exhibits, events, and film schedules before planning your visit.

For food, Cincinnati Museum Center has several on-site dining choices, including a coffee cart near The Children’s Museum and Cr(eat)e Cafe across from The Children’s Museum. Parking is available on site for a daily fee, so check current hours, dining hours, parking information, and ticket options before your visit.

WonderLab Science Museum (Bloomington, IN)

• Location: 308 W 4th St, Bloomington, IN
• Drive: ~1.5 hr · 65 miles SW
• Best For: Hands-on science with a downtown lunch combo
• Age Range: Preschool through tweens

WonderLab offers two floors of hands-on science displays where kids can climb, build, splash, test, and explore. Younger kids may especially enjoy the two-story Grapevine Climber, while WaterWorks lets visitors experiment with moving water, flow, and simple engineering. Many children enjoy their Rube Goldberg machine, where buttons, knobs, and cranks change the direction of colorful balls.

Other exhibits focus on bubbles, sound, light, sand, and small live animal habitats — including a live axolotl as of this writing, a species many kids may recognize from recent viral videos. Because live animal exhibits can change, check WonderLab’s website when planning your visit.

The museum is located along the B-Line Trail, a popular, 3-mile paved multi-use trail in Bloomington’s downtown arts and entertainment district. After your visit, families can stretch their legs on the trail or wander farther into downtown Bloomington for food and a little local exploration before the drive home.

kidscommons (Columbus, IN)

• Location: 309 Washington St, Columbus, IN
• Drive: ~1.5 hrs · 65 miles SE
• Best For: Active kids who like to climb, build, and move
• Age Range: Toddlers through tweens

kidscommons is a good match for children who like climbing, building, pretend play, and hands-on exhibits. The museum's ExploraHouse turns an ordinary house into a kid-sized science lesson, with displays that let children explore light, heat, plumbing, and everyday systems from the inside out. Its most famous feature is the giant toilet, where kids can climb through the tank, slide into the bowl, and see plumbing up close in a way they are not likely to forget. Bubble-ology turns bubbles into a full-body experiment, while other areas give children several ways to move, create, and play.

Across the street, The Commons community center adds another indoor play area with the Luckey Climber, a large climbing structure inside the free downtown playground. Families will also find restaurants nearby, making it convenient to grab lunch or a snack before heading back out.

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State Parks and Nature Destinations

State parks are the answer when you want a full outdoor day instead of a single attraction. Choose the park based on your group’s energy level — some are better for scenic overlooks, picnic areas, and shorter trails, while others involve ladders, ravines, stream crossings, or rougher terrain.

Turkey Run State Park (Marshall, IN)

• Location: 8121 E Park Rd, Marshall, IN
• Drive: ~1 hr 15 mins · 57 miles W
• Best For: Active hiking and dramatic ravine scenery
• Age Range: All ages; rugged ravine trails are best for kids who can handle stairs, ladders, and uneven paths

Turkey Run State Park has one of Indiana’s most dramatic landscapes, with narrow sandstone ravines, forested trails, a suspension bridge over Sugar Creek, and ladders built into some of the park’s more adventurous routes. Families with younger children can still enjoy easier parts of the park, including a half-mile trail, picnic areas, playgrounds, and the nature center.

Kids who are ready for a bigger hike can head into the canyon trails, where stairs, rocky passages, creekside scenery, and rugged ravines make for a real sense of adventure. Check current trail conditions before heading out, especially after rain or high water.

Brown County State Park (Nashville, IN)

• Location: 1801 IN-46, Nashville, IN
• Drive: ~1 hr 20 mins · 65 miles S
• Best For: Hiking, overlooks, and nearby Nashville
• Age Range: All ages

Brown County State Park is Indiana’s largest state park, with nearly 16,000 acres of wooded hills, ridges, ravines, and long scenic views that earned it the nickname “Little Smokies.” Families can explore short routes like the half-mile Discovery Trail and paved Friends Trail, moderate 1- to 2-mile loops, and rugged routes up to about 3 miles. Scenic overlooks are part of the draw, and a 90-foot fire tower is open to climb when conditions allow.

Beyond hiking, the park has a nature center, horseback riding through the Brown County Saddle Barn, and fishing or paddling on Ogle Lake and Strahl Lake. Nearby Nashville adds restaurants, shops, and a walkable town center close to the park entrance.

Indiana State Parks also runs Monroe Lake, the state’s largest lake, covered in the Water Days section above.

Shades State Park (Waveland, IN)

• Location: 7751 S 890 W, Waveland, IN
• Drive: ~1 hr 10 mins · 50 miles W
• Best For: Scenic ravines and quieter hikes
• Age Range: All ages

Shades State Park shares the sandstone cliffs, shady ravines, and creek views that families may know from Turkey Run, but tends to feel quieter and less crowded. Trails range from around half a mile to 2.5 miles.

The ravines, stairs, and uneven streambeds add real adventure to even the shorter hikes. Pine Hills Nature Preserve, adjacent to the park, extends the day further with steep ravines, sandstone bluffs, and forested trails — a good option for families who want more terrain after finishing the main park trails.

Prophetstown State Park (West Lafayette, IN)

• Location: 5545 Swisher Rd, West Lafayette, IN
• Drive: ~1 hr · 57 miles NW
• Best For: Prairie walks, farm animals, and swimming
• Age Range: Toddlers through teens

Prophetstown State Park combines several outdoor experiences in one visit. Located near where the Tippecanoe River meets the Wabash, the park has an open prairie setting with tall grasses, wetlands, native wildflowers, and big sky views.

Families can walk easy-to-moderate trails ranging from 1.9 to 3.2 miles, or take the paved bike and hike trail through the park. On warmer days, the seasonal aquatic center is a good reason to pack swimsuits. The Farm at Prophetstown, a working 1920s homestead with heritage-breed animals, period farmhouses, and a barn, gives kids a closer look at Indiana farm life from an earlier era.

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Quick Planning Tips

Before you load everyone into the car, a little planning goes a long way. The most successful day trips are usually built around one main activity, with enough flexibility for snacks, rest, and the reality that summer energy can shift quickly. For reservations, weather changes, and seasonal updates, use the official site or map listing for each destination rather than rely on fixed details in an article like this.

• Leave early for outdoor destinations and water outings, especially on hot weekends.
• Pack extra clothes, towels, sunscreen, water, and more snacks than you think you'll need.
• Check reservations, creek conditions, and weather before you go.
• Choose one anchor activity and let the rest of the day stay flexible.

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If you're building out a fuller summer bucket list, this guide is one starting point. For more local options, see things to do in Zionsville for nearby parks and family activities.