Things to do in Geelong with kids

The best things to do in Geelong with kids are mostly on or near the waterfront. Ride the 1890s carousel, swim at Eastern Beach in lifeguard hours, play at MoPA (for ages 1 to 7, booked ahead), and spend a summer day at Adventure Park. Fairy Park, the You Yangs and Serendip Sanctuary’s kangaroos and emus are all within 40 minutes.

A lot of it is free.

The quick list

Idea	Cost (checked October 2026)	Where
Geelong carousel	$6 a ride	Waterfront
Eastern Beach and children’s pool	Free	Waterfront
MoPA, Museum of Play and Art (ages 1 to 7)	Check website; book ahead	51 McKillop St
Playgrounds	Free	Citywide
National Wool Museum	Child $8, family $40	26 Moorabool St
Geelong Gallery	Free	Little Malop St
Baywalk bollards	Free	Waterfront
Adventure Park	From $54; under 90 cm free	Wallington, 20 min
Fairy Park	$28 ages 14+, $16 ages 3 to 13	Anakie, 40 min
Serendip Sanctuary	Free	Lara, 25 min
You Yangs	Free	35 min
Bellarine beaches	Free	25 to 35 min

Drive times are from central Geelong, without traffic.

On the waterfront

The carousel. Built around 1892 by the Armitage-Herschell company of New York, with 36 horses and 2 chariots, and restored for the waterfront in the late 1990s. It runs daily from 10 am to 5 pm, and a ride costs $6 for adults and children alike ($5 concession, $50 for a multi-ride pass). The pavilion is free to walk into and houses the waterfront visitor information centre.

Eastern Beach. The 1930s swimming enclosure has a children’s pool, open around the clock, with lifeguards from 1 November to 19 April. Between 22 December and 28 February they’re on from 10 am to 7 pm. Next to it is a playground, one of the council’s top 10, with barbecues and toilets. Our Eastern Beach guide has the details.

The bollards. More than 100 painted wooden figures line the bayside path, from sea captains to old-time swimmers. The trail runs about 30 minutes one way from Rippleside to Limeburners Point. See the bollard trail.

Put those three together and you have a free morning, plus whatever the carousel costs. The Geelong waterfront guide maps it out.

MoPA, the Museum of Play and Art

MoPA is a play museum for children aged 1 to 7, at 51 McKillop Street in the Wintergarden Building, a two-level 1960s building with a rear garden. It opened in September 2024 with areas including Soft Play for toddlers, Sunset City for bigger kids, a Wind Wall, a LEGO-filled Zoom Room and an art car (a real VW Beetle that children decorate).

How it works:

• Book first. All children and adults must buy tickets before arrival, so the museum doesn’t get crowded.
• Open every day. Hours vary by listing, so check when you book.
• Food: only food from the museum cafe can be eaten inside.
• Parking: on McKillop Street at the door; nearby streets are unrestricted on weekends and 2 to 4 hours on weekdays.

We couldn’t find a current official price list, so we don’t quote one. The booking page shows the price for your date.

Playgrounds

The council publishes its own top 10 playgrounds. The ones most useful to visitors:

• Eastern Beach, Geelong: right by the beach and children’s pool.
• Barwon Valley Fun Park, Belmont: on the Barwon River, with a toddler area, three barbecues, toilets, shade and an 18-hole disc golf course.
• Rippleside Park, Rippleside: not on the council’s top 10, but it has an inclusive fenced playspace, accessible barbecues and a Changing Places toilet. The playspace is closed for maintenance from 9 to 20 November.
• The Heights Playground, Fyansford: close to Buckley Falls if you’re doing the river walk.

Dogs must stay at least 10 m from playgrounds and barbecues under council rules.

Day trips with children

Adventure Park Geelong. The summer water and theme park at Wallington reopens on 21 November 2026. Day tickets run from $54 to $64, and children under 90 cm are free. Check heights: the biggest slides need 120 cm.

Fairy Park. A fairytale park on a hill at Anakie, open since 1959, with more than 22 animated storybook scenes. Opens on selected days only, entry 10 am to 3 pm, pay at the gate.

Serendip Sanctuary. Free, with wide, flat paths, at Lara. Kangaroos, wallabies and emus live wild in the reserve, and more than 150 bird species have been recorded. Open 8 am to 4 pm. No dogs. It sits at the foot of the You Yangs, where Big Rock is only 100 m from its car park.

Beaches. For calm water away from the city, Portarlington’s bay and the river side of Barwon Heads are favourites with young families. The Geelong beaches guide has patrol times.

What happened to Jirrahlinga?

Jirrahlinga Koala and Wildlife Sanctuary at Taits Road, Barwon Heads closed in 2022, after more than 45 years. The owners sold the site and moved the animals to their centre at Chewton, near Castlemaine, which is now the Jirrahlinga Dingo Conservation and Wildlife Education Centre. Visits there are by appointment or booked tour.

Many listings still show the Barwon Heads sanctuary as open. It isn’t. For koalas near Geelong, Parks Victoria mentions a resident koala on the Anakie Gorge walk in the Brisbane Ranges, and koalas are among the animals seen in the You Yangs.

What’s on for children

Events change every school holiday, so we don’t list them. Check:

• the City of Greater Geelong’s events calendar at geelongcity.vic.gov.au;
• Visit Geelong and the Bellarine, the regional tourism site;
• the National Wool Museum and Geelong Gallery websites for current exhibitions and activities.

Rainy-day plan

MoPA first (book the morning slot), then the National Wool Museum, which is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm with child tickets at $8 and a family ticket at $40. Finish with a ride on the carousel. Geelong Gallery is free if anyone still has energy.

If you’re staying over, the where to stay in Geelong guide lists apartments and hotels with pools.