The Ultimate Family Weekend Getaway in Grapevine, Texas
Did you know that the Dallas-Fortworth (DFW) metro is the fourth largest metropolitan area in the United States?
While neither Dallas nor Fortworth are in the top five largest cities list, combined—along with many other cities that make up the metro area—they hold a population of nearly 7.5 million people! That’s a larger population than 37 entire states!
With so many people and so many cities in DFW, that means there are also so many attractions, restaurants, and things to see and do. If you are visiting the area with your family for the first time and wondering how to spend your time, this guide will help you focus on one area that is especially great for traveling families: Grapevine, Texas.
Grapevine is well-known among DFW locals, but to out-of-towners, it feels like a hidden gem! I know before I lived here, the only Grapevine I had heard of is the awfully busy and sometimes treacherous highway that connects Southern and Central California.
Here in Texas though, Grapevine is not a dreaded part of road on a family road trip. Rather, it is a place where children and adults alike get excited about visiting because that can only mean one thing: FUN!
There are so many fun things to do in Grapevine, Texas that could fill your whole summer, but I’ve compiled the perfect itinerary for a long three-day weekend, in case you just have a few days to get away. Everyone in your family is sure to enjoy this trip!
For another awesome family vacation, see my Salt Lake City Family Guide. Or, for an ultimate family vacation that you may need to save up a lot of money for, head to Orlando and visit Disney World. I am a former cast member and have many tips for visiting Magic Kingdom.
Day 1 - Grapevine Wolves
Yes, you read that correctly: wolves. Texas doesn’t have real wolves in the wild anymore, but Grapevine has several attractions that coincidentally have a wolf theme, so why not do them all in the same day and tell your children that was intentional?
Great Wolf Lodge
The first wolf stop of the day is Great Wolf Lodge. This is a super fun Grapevine hotel that you can choose to stay at, or just visit for a day to play in their massive water park. With five thrilling water slides, a giant bucket that periodically pours out water like a waterfall, a lazy river, and several pools, there is endless fun at Great Wolf Lodge’s indoor water park. Plus, since most of it is indoors, it can be enjoyed year round, whether in winter or in the crazy heat of a Texas summer.
Hotel guests get unlimited access to the water park as part of their hotel stay, along with other fun amenities, such as games and crafts, as well as paid add-ons, like an arcade and bowling. We stayed there for a weekend and thought it was a lot of fun, but check in is very crowded, so be prepared for a long wait.
After you have all swam to your heart’s content (which, believe me, may take longer than you expect—my nephews are major swimmers and would rather swim all day in hotel pools than go anywhere on vacation), get back in your explorer adventure clothes and head down the road to Grapevine Mills.
Meow Wolf
Grapevine Mills is a big mall in Grapevine packed with fun family attractions. You’ll return on Day 2, but for Day 1 there is only one thing you need to worry about there: Meow Wolf!
Meow Wolf started in Santa Fe, New Mexico and has grown to several funky, trippy, otherworldly locations throughout the US. The one in Grapevine—which they call The Real Unreal—is set in a normal-looking suburban house… until you take a closer look! Kids will have so much fun discovering weird things around every corner, solving a mystery of a lost boy, and seeing colorful rooms that will give them a different perspective.
Meow Wolf is great for families, but it may not be suitable for toddlers and infants or children who have stimulation sensitivities. There are dark rooms, mazes, weird aliens, and just generally a lot going on everywhere. If that sounds like too much for your family, see Day 2 for other options in Grapevine Mills to do instead.
Restaurants in Grapevine, Texas
After all this exploring and fun, your family will probably feel like ravenous wolves! Check out Grapevine’s website for some great restaurants to eat at before heading back to your hotel for the night.
Day 2 - Grapevine Mills
As fun as Day 1 was, Day 2 is packed with so much more to do. So hop out of bed early (should today’s theme be bunnies?), gather the family, and head back to Grapevine Mills! Now that we are a bit more familiar with Grapevine Mills, let’s take off the rose-colored glasses: it’s not the prettiest, cleanest, newest mall out there. BUT, what it lacks in character, it definitely makes up for in immersive experiences.
So don’t be dismayed as you walk through the drab corridors between adventures. When you are in each of these places you’ll forget all about the rest of the world.
There are three really fun attractions all right by each other, but if your family likes to take their time at each place, you may need to choose two out of three and call it a day with that.
Peppa Pig World
It wouldn’t be right to visit a pig-themed attraction on Wolf Day, so save Peppa Pig World of Play for Day 2 of your family’s Grapevine, Texas weekend getaway. If you have little children who are still in their Peppa Pig phase (so sad my nephews just got out of this cute stage), then visiting this place is a must. You will find all things Peppa, including themed areas of all the major locations in the show, and even a Peppa character to meet.
Legoland Discovery Center
Before you get too excited, Legoland Discovery Center is not like the fully-fledged amusement park near San Diego, California. This Legoland is a much smaller version, but it is still great for Lego lovers of all ages. (Which, in this day and age, who isn’t? Even my mom builds Lego sets on the daily!) What your family will find at this location are a few small rides, VR experiences, Lego building areas, and Lego characters to take pictures with.
By this point, if you are getting hungry, stop by the Grapevine Mills food court for a casual bite to eat. They have typical fast food chains, including Taco Bell, Sonic, Popeye’s, and Panda Express.
Sea Life
Instead of escaping to another fantasy land, the rest of the day will focus on animal encounters. Sea Life is an aquarium where your family can see sting rays, sharks, sea turtles, and more. Kids will love being able to feel a few of the sea creatures, like anemone and sea stars. The aquarium is well-built and packs so much in the space—from the glass tunnel that provides a fun view of the animals from all sorts of angles to the cave-like feel throughout the exhibits.
Rainforest Cafe
I always dreamed of eating at Rainforest Cafe as a kid and on my birthday last year my husband made that a reality. I counted over 30 animals in this restaurant, that moved and made animal sounds and really enhanced the jungle theme of the restaurant.
The food was actually really good—I expected it to just be okay since the experience was a tad gimmicky and it seems like a tourist trap in most major tourist areas—and my birthday dessert at the end was so fun. If you are traveling to Grapevine, Texas to celebrate someone’s birthday in your family, this is definitely a memorable place to take them.
Because of its popularity, a reservation made in advance is strongly recommended. We were told we would have a three-hour wait, but luckily on our way to get ice cream while we waited, we were notified that our table was ready after only thirty minutes.
If you do have a long wait for your table, check out the stores around Grapevine Mills. There is a Build-a-Bear Workshop, a Disney store, Toys R Us, and many clothing stores.
Day 3 - Historic Grapevine
Your final day in Grapevine, Texas on your family weekend getaway will be less touristy and more local. Get away from the mall of the mainstream tourist hot spots and head to what makes Texas so charming: its small towns and outdoor escapes.
Historic Downtown Grapevine
Start the day in Historic Downtown Grapevine where cute shops and cafes line the charming street. They have kids toy stores, candy and soda stores, seasonal decor stores with miniature villages, a pie shop, and so much more. You could easily spend a few hours here, so grab lunch at one of the local downtown restaurants and then move on to your next adventure.
Grapevine Vintage Railroad
The Grapevine Vintage Railroad train station is located in the Historic Downtown Grapevine area, and is an operable train that can take your family on a fun little adventure. One of the most popular train rides goes to the Stockyards in Fort Worth, a few towns over. You can get out and wander around the Wild West town for two hours before the return train comes to take you back to Grapevine. There are shorter routes as well, in case you don’t want to spend two hours at the Stockyards on this trip—although I will say that is a very fun place for families just down the road from Grapevine.
During the winter, the Grapevine Vintage Railroad turns into the Polar Express! See the end of this post for more Christmas fun if you decide to visit in the winter.
Nash Farm
Nash Farm is very close to Historic Downtown Grapevine and is a fun stop while you’re in the area. They put on events throughout the year, including workshops where your family can learn skills that people in the late 1800s used—from making jams and jellies to cheesemaking to crocheting.
No matter what time of year you visit Nash Farm, you can learn a lot about early Grapevine history and what it was like to be a pioneer in the prairie region of Texas. Kids will love the hands on activities, exploring old farm buildings, and talking with people dressed as pioneers, ready to greet you and teach you a thing or two about life back in their day.
Gaylord Texan
End your evening with a stroll through Gaylord Texan. This fancy hotel has an enormous atrium that is free for the public to wander through (just note that you will have to pay for parking and it isn’t cheap).
In the atrium, there are areas that represent famous Texas landmarks, including the Alamo, San Antonio River Walk, and Texas desert. There are also many unique and impressive plants. Children will enjoy seeing the miniature train wandering through the gardens and seeing the fish in the river.
You can either eat dinner at one of the restaurants in the Gaylord Texan, or try one of the places left from my Day 1 list.
Seasonal Add-Ons
Summer: Grapevine Lake
If you visit Grapevine during the summer, be warned that Texas summers can be scorching! You’ll either want to avoid being outside, or spend any time outside in the water. Grapevine Lake is a beautiful large lake, popular for boating, swimming, fishing, and paddle boarding, so gather the family for a fun day at the lake.
Winter: Christmas Capital of Texas
Grapevine, Texas is known as the Christmas Capital of Texas and for good reason: they go all out! The Gaylord Texan puts on an exciting ice sculpture exhibit called ICE! that attracts visitors from all over each December.
Historic Downtown Grapevine becomes a Christmas dream, with candy cane lanes and buildings covered in tinsel and garland. There are photo ops around every corner, with Santa, a giant teddy bear statue, sleighs, red trucks hauling Christmas trees, and more. A seasonal ice skating rink is put up and vendors selling Christmas treats set up shop during December weekends. Plus, the Grapevine Vintage Railroad turns into the Polar Express with fun for the kids—milk and cookies included!
Nash Farm also has Christmas events, as do many other attractions throughout Grapevine, Texas. Definitely check it out if you visit around the holidays.
Every Adventure Has an End
Whether Grapevine, Texas was on your radar before reading this or not, I hope you are convinced that Grapevine is a wonderful family getaway. There is so much fun packed into one town, especially in Grapevine Mills, which makes getting from one adventure to the next super convenient. Let me know if you make it to any of these places and what you think.
Stay tuned for another great family attraction coming to DFW in 2026: Universal Kids, which will be located in Frisco. I live close by and love seeing the progress being made on bringing it to life. For now though, just head to Universal Orlando and check out the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
If you love Texas, be sure to also check out my Amarillo Guide. Any other Texas adventures you want to hear about next? Let me know in the comments!
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