Austin has so many great parks, and the playgrounds just keep getting better! New ones are being added and old ones are being updated every year (hurray for more shade structures!), and they just get bigger and more inventive.
If you’re looking for a quick answer on the best playgrounds in Austin and the surrounding areas, here are my top 5. These playground parks have plenty to do and have areas for all ages.
- Play for All Abilities in Round Rock
- Alliance Children’s Garden in Butler Park (Central Austin)
- Walnut Creek Metro Park (North Austin)
- Lakeline Park in Cedar Park
- Skyline Park in Easton Park (East Austin)
(Updated March 2025)
In This Post
Central Austin
If you’re planning a day in the middle of Austin or if you’re visiting and don’t want to stray too far from downtown, these playgrounds are the perfect outing.
1. Alliance Children’s Garden in Butler Park
1000 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704
Alliance Children’s Garden is definitely a favorite among Austin locals, and it’s where I take out-of-town visitors to show off the city.
It’s in Butler Park and has a great view of the skyline, as well as plenty of space for a picnic, so the ambiance is perfect. The playground itself has lots of different things to do, making it great for different ages.
My kids love the turf hills with tunnels through them, climbing on the salamander statue, and the section of slides (and lots of different ways to climb to the top of them). There’s sand, a big rope structure, instruments, climbing walls, and a splash pad/fountain that’s open a lot of the year.
Parking is mostly paid here, either at the small lot by the Dougherty Arts Center or in the Palmer Events Center parking garage. Nothing is fenced in, so you have to keep an eye on where your kids are.
There are multi-stall bathrooms right by the playground, but they are sometimes closed or pretty gross.
2. Kingsbury Commons at Pease Park
1100 Kingsbury St, Austin, TX 78703
This park is one of the coolest places in Austin. It’s so charming and has a unique wooden playground, splash pad, treehouse and Malin the troll.
There’s a big wooden climbing structure that is great for bigger kids to navigate and a smaller section that’s perfect for preschoolers. My kids love the playscape, and the absolute coolest part is the big treehouse. You can hang out underneath it or on top of a giant hammock-like net.
The park has a walking path along the creek, and we could spend an hour throwing rocks into the creek at the creek crossing just north of the tree house.
Plus, the Thomas Dambo troll sculpture that was constructed in 2024!
The bathrooms at Pease Park are right by the splash pad and are normally in pretty good condition!
There is a tiny parking lot and some street parking on Parkway, but if it’s all full, you can also park for free daily at the Austin Rec Center (1301 Shoal Creek) and for free on weekends in the ACC Rio Grande garage.
3. Waterloo Park
500 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78701
This is a beautifully designed park right in the middle of downtown. It’s perfect for part of a day in the heart of the city.
The playground itself isn’t large, but my kids spend so much time go up the rocks and down the slide that it doesn’t really matter. There’s a grilled cheese food truck and the most beautiful landscaping around.
You can pay to park in the Capitol parking garage across the street.
4. Whole Foods
525 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78703
I wouldn’t say the Whole Foods playground is the BEST playground, but it is such a great playground option for a day downtown. You can grab food in Whole Foods and then take it to the rooftop to play.
There are lots of tables, turf around the playground, and a gate that sounds an alarm when it opens, so a kid can’t sneak out.
5. Central Market
4001 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78756
One of my favorite easy outings in Austin, Central Market on North Lamar is a great place for kids to run around, families to listen to live music, and parents to grab a drink or a few groceries! I love that I can get coffee or alcohol here, we can order from the cafe or we can get snacks from the grocery store.
There’s a great small playground for toddlers, and the big playground has a bridge, a couple slides, monkey bars, and several spots to climb up.
The playground area is not fenced in, so if your kid wanders, you need to keep an eye on them.
You can go inside Central Market to use the bathrooms (near the cafe or on the opposite side of the store past all the checkout aisles).
6. Zilker Park
2100 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78746
There’s so much to do at Zilker Park, including this fun playground with an old fire truck. It’s right by Barton Springs. There are different playscapes and swings for various ages, and the mini train, the Zilker Eagle, passes through the area.
It’s a great addition to a trip to Zilker Park, though I think it could use an upgrade (as long as they keep that fire truck)!
North Austin and Suburbs
1. Walnut Creek Metro Park
12138 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78753
This park is so fun and also well shaded. It has this big playground with the awesome slide for bigger kids, but it also has a little merry-go-round, dinosaurs, swings, a unique little playground (low enough so you don’t have to worry about your toddlers falling off) and even an old Fortlandia fort (a fairy house) surrounded by stumps to climb on!
Walnut Creek is also a great place to go for a hike and play in the creek, so you could make a full day of it! It’s a very dog-friendly park and has a pool as well.
The bathrooms by the pool (which is right by the playground) are sometimes open, but sometimes locked. There are also often portapotties somewhere in the area, since this is a big biking spot.
2. Balcones District Park
12017 Amherst Dr, Austin, TX 78759
My kids and I love Balcones District Park. There are two separate areas for big kids and little kids. Little kids can access some of the slides on the big playground (plus some fun underneath), but the really big slide requires kids to climb up a rope structure, so it’s super fun for big kids.
The playground for small kids has lots to do, so you can spend plenty of time here. There’s a rocking ladybug and grasshopper, swings, hopscotch, fun climbing and musical instruments.
The pool is nearby and the single-stall bathrooms are normally open.
3. Katherine Fleischer
2106 Klattenhoff Dr, Austin, TX 78728
Two playscapes, both easy enough for little kids but still fun for bigger kids. The best part is the multi-story green playhouse. It’s a magical place for kids!
Check out the homestead while you’re here. It has old buildings and a taxidermied buffalo.
Public bathrooms
4. Play for All Abilities Park in Round Rock
151 N A W Grimes Blvd, Round Rock, TX 78664
Play for All Abilities Park is definitely one that comes up time and time again when you’re talking about playgrounds — and it may be the BEST playground/park in the Austin area. I think the variety of things to do here is why it’s such a popular attraction.
Our favorite part is the race track for scooters and bikes and the tiny town complete with Chick-fil-A and car wash. We normally start there, then park the scooters and make our way around the rest of the playground. There are multiple playscapes, a sand pit, a nature play area, an accessible tree house, musical instruments, and on and on.
There are bathrooms in the playground area, as well as in the tiny town, and they’ve been pretty clean when I’ve used them. This place can be tricky with multiple kids, though. If they want to run in different directions, it’s impossible to keep eyes on them all. It’s all fenced in, but it’s a pretty large area, so it’s still stressful if you’re chasing children.
If you’re hungry but not done playing, it’s not far from one of my go-to restaurants with a playground — Hat Creek Round Rock. Multiple times, we’ve met friends for breakfast here and stayed through past lunch. (For more restaurants with playgrounds, check out my complete list here!)
5. Garey Park
6450 Ranch to Market Rd 2243, Georgetown, TX 78628
Head to Georgetown for this huge playground. It’s got big slides, a smaller playground, lots of spots little ones can play, zip lines, swings, and a splash pad that’s open more than the City of Austin splash pads. Bring lunch because you’ll be here for hours and hours.
You can also go on hikes and access the San Gabriel River here. The downside (or maybe upside because it keeps it less crowded?): it costs money to get in. Me and my 2 kids are $8.
Good public bathrooms with multiple stalls by the little kids playground.
6. Lakeline Park
1510 Alexis Dr, Cedar Park, TX 78613
This giant playground in Cedar Park is so much fun. There are zip lines, a big spinning web ball that kids flock to, and a big kids playground that has tons to do. Lots of climbing, slides, and more. The little kids playground is shaded and is great for toddlers and preschoolers. Plus swings, a little lake and trails for bike and scooter riding.
Good public bathrooms with multiple stalls between the playground and parking lot.
7. Brushy Creek Lake Park
3300 Brushy Creek Rd, Cedar Park, TX 78613
If you want a fun playground for your bigger kids, this playground (new in 2024) fits the bill. The tall playscape has lots of climbing, huge slides, and a warped wall. It’s a bit hard for little kids to navigate, but there’s a shaded playscape for little kids, and swings. This park also has a splash pad (being renovated, hopefully will be open in summer 2025) and a trail by a lake.
Public bathrooms with multiple stalls between the playground and splash pad.
8. Creative Playscapes
1003 N Austin Ave, Georgetown, TX 78626
Another Georgetown playground, Creative Playscape is really cute and unique. It looks like a little town, has a Georgetown history wall, and multiple playscapes. There are so many nooks and crannies to explore here.
If I could change one thing here, I’d make it shadier for sure.
South Austin and Suburbs
1. Circle C Ranch Metro Park
6301 W Slaughter Ln, Austin, TX 78739
When I’m in South Austin, Circle C is my favorite playground stop. Lots of different little areas to play, including climbing structures, small and big playgrounds, merry-go-round, and a sand pit. No bathrooms though — sometimes nearby portapotties!
2. Dick Nichols District Park
8011 Beckett Rd, Austin, TX 78749
I like that the Dick Nichols playground is one long playscape so it’s easily accessible for everyone, including little kids and parents. Everyone can find something to do here, and there’s a little paved walking trail to get even more energy out.
Public bathrooms
3. La Verde Park
I love this unique playscape in Kyle, south of Austin! The bobcat is my favorite, but there are also hills and slides and lots of climbing to get into a treehouse type playscape. This park also has a splash pad, green space and hammocks.
Public bathrooms
East Austin
East Austin is growing, and that includes some great new playgrounds!
1. Skyline Park
7800 Apogee Blvd, Austin, TX 78744
Easton Park is a housing development growing in East Austin, and they built the coolest playground park. There are connected treehouses with climbing and slides for little kids, a big stacked house playground for big kids (where they can hide from their parents 😂 and slide down big slides), and a splash pad.
Public bathrooms with multiple stalls.
2. Southeast Metro Park
4511 E Hwy 71, Del Valle, TX 78617
The mosasaur playground! If you have a kid who loves dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures, this park is a must. The 30-foot mosasaurus playscape is so unique and is a reference to the real mosasaur skeleton that was found in the area in Onion Creek. You can climb through its mouth and body.
There are also lots of other all-abilities play features here.
There are single-stall public bathrooms. They aren’t as new as the playground so they aren’t always clean (or free of bugs!).
3. Roy G. Guerrero Metro Park
400 Grove Blvd, Austin, TX 78741
For anyone looking for a fully fenced-in playground, Roy Guerrero is a great option. It’s big, accessible, and fun for big and littles.
4. Richard Moya
10001 Burleson Rd, Austin, TX 78719
Right across from the airport’s South Terminal, it’s a good option to know about if you’re flying out of that terminal where there aren’t a ton of entertainment options.
West Austin
1. Lost Creek Neighborhood Park
305 Quaker Ridge Dr, Austin, TX 78746
This is a great playground for little ones, ages to 2-5, especially. It’s fully fenced in so you can feel safe that you’re kids won’t run off. There are a couple playscapes and a little playhouse.
There’s a single-stall bathroom within the fence, so you don’t have to go far.
2. Lakeway City Park
502 Hurst Creek Rd, Lakeway, TX 78734
This is a fun park out in Lakeway with a couple different playscapes. There’s plenty to do with traditional playscapes, swings, as well as a (fake) log and rock obstacle course.
If the water is high enough (which it hasn’t been the past couple of years and probably won’t be anytime soon unfortunately), this is also a great spot to wade in the lake.
Check out a splash pad after your playground adventure with these awesome splash pads around Austin. Or if you’re looking for seasonal fun, go to one of these fall events or try one of these Spring Break ideas.