Places To Go In Central California Fremont Parks & Attractions   Please send us some email if you have a suggestions for more places to go with kids!   Ardenwood Historic Farm 34600 Ardenwood Blvd. Fremont, California 94555 This 205 acre historic farm is a wonderful place for families to relax and explore an earlier era.  Older children can learn about the rural life of 100 years ago through hands-on exhibits about cooking, blacksmithing, wool spinning, soap making, growing crops, and etc.  The littlest ones will enjoy just seeing the animals!  Chickens, turkeys, pigs, sheep, horses, and strolling peacocks are just part of the farm's menagerie. Bring a picnic to enjoy at one of the tables or out on picturesque front lawn of the 1890s Victorian style main house. Restrooms and group picnic facilities are available. Special weekend activities and demonstrations (including wagon rides) are augmented by seasonal events such as the pumpkin patch and corn maze in the fall, the Civil War reenactment in May, the Christmas tour of the big house in December, and etc. See website for more details. Please note that Ardenwood is closed on Mondays.       Coyote Hills Park 8000 Patterson Ranch Road Fremont, CA 94555 The East Bay park features great family hiking amidst fascinating mini biomes that include salt evaporation ponds, rolling hills, and marshes with boardwalk trails.  Restrooms are few and far between so have children plan wisely or be prepared to go "au natural".  Note that it's location next to the bay means this park gets a cool summer breeze.   Stop in at the Visitor's Center to learn about the Native Americans who once inhabited this area. The visitor center is open Tuesdays through Sundays 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., but is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. See the East Bay Regional Park District site's section on Coyote Hills Events to find about Native American Pow-Wows, guided nature walks, and other fun events.   Lake Elizabeth / Central Park 40000 Paseo Padre Parkway  Fremont CA 94538 510-790-5541 Lake Elizabeth offers an active family outing in a tranquil setting.  Multiple playground areas, 10 Reservable group picnic sites, plenty of open space and grassy lawns, all combine with the natural beauty of the lake and it's wild inhabitants.  The many ducks and other water birds will fascinate and delight young children, while the paved 2 mile walkway circling the lake is a perfect walk for parents pushing strollers, or pulling wagons, who just want a bit of exercise. The Lake Elizabeth/Central Park complex also offers 3 Snack bars, a golf driving range, boat rentals, boat launch, and boat storage.    It also provides 18 tennis courts, 6 softball fields, 10 soccer fields, 2 basketball courts, skate Park,  and a dog park.   Lake Cam Photo Gallery MAP      Mission Peak East end of Stanford Avenue, off Mission Blvd., Fremont, CA   Mission Peak offers a more challenging hiking experience ideal for teenagers and adults.  Those determined enough to reach the top enjoy fabulous views of the whole south bay area as well as some soaring mountain top denizens like hawks and turkey vultures.  Bring your binoculars and, weather permitting, you might sight Mt. Tamalpais, Mt. Diablo, and even the Sierra Nevadas, to the northeast.  29 miles of hiking trails ensure plenty of variety on your return visits.     The entire round trip journey to the top of Mission Peak is about 5 and a half miles, up and back, and it takes about 5 hours to complete, not including time spent taking in the view and etc.    Check out the video above for tips and a preview of the hike. Please note that in summer this is a very long hot haul.  Try it in spring while the hills are green and the air is cooler and cleaner.     Mission San Jose 43300 Mission Blvd Fremont, CA 510-657-1797 Mission San Jose was founded by the Catholic Church through the efforts of Father Fermin Francisco de Lasuen  in 1797.   Number 13 in the California mission chain, it was the most successful mission in the whole of California.  The mission supplied its needs, and created products for sale, by raising cattle, horses and sheep, as well as such crops as corn, wheat, and olives.  After 1834, often called the "Rancho Period", the missions were secularized, with their lands sold off and the buildings allowed to fall into ruin.  But a mere 20 years later, dDuring the California Gold Rush, the mission found new importance.   It's buildings pressed into service as a hotel, general store and Post Office and the mission complex became a new agricultural center for the area.  The Mission San Jose museum is open to visitors daily from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm.  Instructions on getting to the mission.     Quarry Lakes This huge complex, which lies northeast of Lake Elizabeth (see above), provides plenty of space for fishing, swimming, and boating.  (Please note that no gas-powered engines are allowed.)  Quarry Lakes is bordered by, or is in close proximity to, a number of community parks including Rancho Arroyo Park, Osprey Arroyo Park, the California Nursery Historic Park, and the Los Cerritos Community Center and Park. The swim center is open from April to October and features sandy beaches, a lifeguard, and vending machines.  There is a fee for entry to the swim center, and access is available to those in wheelchairs. MAP         Web Earth's Kids        Share on Facebook     Send us some email! Back to More Places To Go with Kids       Places to Go! Printable Guide. A condensed version, with emphasis on the outdoors.

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