Must-See with Kids in Okoboji & Spirit Lake

The Okoboji area or "Iowa's Great Lakes" region is one of Iowa's most beloved vacation destinations, and it's easy to see why. There's fun in the water and on shore, great food and drink, cute boutique shopping, and attractions like museums, nature centers, and Arnolds Park amusement park. And while there are plenty of opportunities at Boji for 21+ fun if that's what you're seeking, there's also tons of options for family-friendly fun. I headed to Spirit Lake recently to visit some family and see the beautiful area, and we had so much fun! I also did some research online and got some helpful info from Vacation Okoboji. So, based on all of that, while its way too big of a topic to fully cover in a single post, here's my quick guide to things to do with kids in the Okoboji area:

What are the Iowa Great Lakes?

Terrace Park Beach

The "Iowa Great Lakes" area consists of several lakes that are mostly interconnected and all very near to each other geographically: Spirit Lake, West Okoboji, East Okoboji, Upper Gar, Lower Gar, Center Lake, and Minnewashta

And on these lakes you can paddle a kayak, cruise on a pontoon, go fishing, swim, or build sandcastles by the shore.

There are many beach resorts along the lakes, and there are several excellent public beaches as well. We went to Terrace Park Beach and it was really excellent for a public beach. We had so much fun playing there!

There's also much more than the beauty and fun of the lake to enjoy in the Okoboji area with kids. Here's what else to see in Okoboji with kids:

Arnolds Park

Arnolds Park is a classic theme park and boardwalk more than a century old. It's free to walk through, you just pay for the rides and games (and food and souvenirs) you choose. 

FREE fun at Arnolds Park includes:

• The Arnolds Park Museum with artifacts from throughout the park's history and a giant wooden slide
• The Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum
• The Iowa Rock & Roll Music Association Museum and Hall of Fame
• The Tipsy House funhouse
• A music themed play area in front of the row of boutique shopping

We checked them all out and enjoyed them all! I was especially impressed with the music play area and the maritime museum. They were both so well done and my family really enjoyed them. 

And then for an additional fee you can choose from a wide variety of classic amusement park rides like a vintage wooden roller coaster, a cute little train, a ferris wheel, a log ride, and many more including some that looked great for even very young children. It was a bit confusing as a first time visitor, but basically you can buy memberships for all season, wristbands for all day, or you can buy a la carte park bucks good for specific rides. 

You can also purchase a ticket for a ride on the Queen II steamboat. We saw the Queen II from various places along the lake during our visit and it was so fun to see her passing by. 

Dickinson County Nature Center

The Dickinson County Nature Center shares the natural world of the Iowa Great Lakes with its visitors, with exhibits inside and out and FREE admission to all of them. I was probably most surprised and delighted with this out of everything we saw in the Okoboji Great Lakes area. It had a beautiful classic nature center as its hub, with stunning exposed beams and overall felt like it could have been a vintage hunting lodge. 

And there was a nature playground outside that looks like a lot of fun, plus easy access to the Okoboji Gold Disc Golf Course.

But the real star of the show, that made this the top Okoboji attraction my kids want to return to, was the Pollinator Paradise. They basically created a mini children's museum in a large addition to the center, with pollination-themed play features. My preschooler especially loved the food truck, which had tons of play food and informational signage about which pollinators are key for each of the foods inside. 

My older daughter's favorite was the honeycomb climbing structure and slide. It was so cute and great for indoor active play.

And my younger son was a huge fan of a "pollen ball" launcher. The goal was to launch the yellow balls into the center of a large flower on top of one of three huge "apple trees." He could not get enough of it!

Okoboji Area Fine Arts

These fine arts attractions in the Okoboji area really stand out as family favorites, but unfortunately I haven't personally visited yet so for now they are top of my Iowa Great Lakes bucket list! 

• the Pearson Lakes Art Center: this art museum offers free admission to its galleries and to the sculpture trail outside. You can also sign up for classes and workshops to expand your skills in not just visual arts but also culinary arts!
• the Boji Bantam Theater: for some of the best live theater in the area, check out the Boji Bantam Theater, which offers children's productions several times each summer. 

Parks and Playgrounds in the Okoboji Area

East Lake Park entrance

There are many city parks throughout the Iowa Great Lakes area, and some of the most popular include:

• Aspen Seeman Memorial Park near Spirit Lake High School, known for its super tall slide
• Spirit Lake's Memorial Park, known for its splash pad (very near Burger & Company)
• East Lake Park/ the Minnie Queen with an adorable miniature version of the Queen II that kids can climb on (very near Spudnutz, so this would be a great place for a donut picnic!)

It ended up being rainy during the time we had planned to go to the park so we had to skip that this trip, but we saw these parks and they looked cute, especially the Minnie Queen! It's definitely on my bucket list for our next Okoboji area trip. 

Kid friendly food in the Okoboji Area

Burger & Company

I can only eat so much food, so I tried some really great places, but wanted to recommend a wider variety, so I'm also relying on trusted sources to compile this list of the best kid-friendly restaurants in the Okoboji area:

• Barefoot Bar (has its own sandy playground)
• Bob's at Arnolds Park for Bob Dogs, chicken tenders, pork tenderloins, and ice cream
• Burger & Company for burgers and more
• the Frozen Parrot for gelato and soda
• Maxwell's for upscale dining for adults, and kids meals served on frisbees
• O'Farrell Sisters for great breakfast options
• Okoboji Dough Company for pizza
• the Okoboji Store for lunch or dinner
• Pub19 Bar & Grill for some of the best pizza in the area
• Topog for coffee and ice cream
• Wyman's Spudnutz for amazing donuts

I personally tried and loved Bob's, Burger & Company, and Spudnutz and while I love trying new places so I'll try to explore even more eateries next Boji trip, I would also be perfectly content to eat at just these three every time I visit because they were so good! The "Bag of Burgers" at Burger & Company was especially great for our purposes-the burgers were so delicious, and the value was excellent, especially considering the high quality of food we got. And everything at Spudnutz was awesome, and very filling. Bob's was a great lunch, and I especially recommend the "Bob Dogs" with loosemeat topping. 

Donuts from Spudnutz

Most places in the Okoboji area were also very conducive to picnics, so don't hesitate to stop by a grocery store like Fareway or Hy-Vee and get sandwich supplies (or whatever other picnic foods you love) before heading out on your day's adventures. 

More information about Family Vacations in Okoboji

To find out more about taking a trip with your kids to the Okoboji/ Iowa Great Lakes area, follow Bonjour Boji on social media or Kelsey Beiermann on Instagram, check out the Vacation Okoboji website or read the excellent Okoboji posts from Des Moines Parent and Oh, My Omaha! 

Did I miss your Boji faves? Leave a comment or send me an email and I'll get them added as suggestions, and I'll try to visit them next time I head to the Iowa Great Lakes area! Based on this trip, I definitely want to go back!