Kids' activities in Tuscaloosa: Mason's Place playground, splash pads, free library story times, indoor playgrounds and rainy-day museums, with hours.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Facts come from the Tuscaloosa County Park and Recreation Authority (PARA), the Tuscaloosa Public Library’s events calendar, the City of Tuscaloosa and each museum’s own page, linked below. Library program times are the October 2026 schedule; check the calendar for the current week.

Tuscaloosa families lean on three things: PARA’s parks and activity centers, the public library’s free weekly programs, and the University of Alabama’s museums on campus. One big change this year: the Children’s Hands-On Museum downtown closed after Aug. 1, 2026, and plans to reopen inside the Saban Center in late 2027.

Who to call

  • PARA (parks, camps, activity centers): 205-562-3220
  • Tuscaloosa Public Library, Full STEAM Ahead registration: 205-345-5820
  • Alabama Museum of Natural History: 205-348-6383

Playgrounds and parks

  • Mason’s Place, PARA’s all-inclusive playground in Sokol Park South, 5901 Watermelon Road, Northport, with restrooms; open dawn to dusk. 205-562-3210.
  • City parks with playgrounds and trails include Snow Hinton Park, and the city’s park venues list hours of 6 a.m. until one hour after sunset. Our parks and trails guide has the full list.
  • The Riverwalk along the Black Warrior River has restrooms, lighting and a splash pad.
  • Hurricane Creek Park, 7005 Old Birmingham Highway, for creek-side walks; wildflowers bloom from February to May (PARA).

Splash pads and pools

The Harrison Taylor Splash Pad in Palmore Park, 3701 Fosters Ferry Road, opens Memorial Day weekend; in 2026 it ran 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, $6 a person, with children under 2 free. Children under 14 must be with an adult. PARA’s Bowers Park Pool and indoor pools are on our summer camps and pools page.

Story times and library programs

The Tuscaloosa Public Library runs free weekly programs. In October 2026:

Program Ages When and where
Little Library Playdate, an hour of free play 0 to 6 Mondays, 10 to 11 a.m., Main Library, 1801 Jack Warner Parkway
Storytime Stars, books, music and movement 3 to 6 Tuesdays, 10 to 10:30 a.m., Weaver Bolden Branch, 2522 Lanier Ave.
Teensy Weensy Tales, early-literacy story time 0 to 3 Thursdays, 10 to 10:30 a.m., Main Library
Full STEAM Ahead, art and science crafts School age Thursdays, 4 to 5 p.m., Main Library Learning Lab; register at 205-345-5820

The library also runs one-off programs such as Morning Makers for ages 5 to 12; they are on the same calendar.

Indoor play and rainy days

  • PARA indoor playgrounds are at the McDonald Hughes Community Center, 3101 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (205-562-3215), and the Bobby Miller Activity Center, 300 Bobby Miller Parkway (205-758-0419), according to PARA’s indoor playground list. Call ahead for open hours and any membership or day fee.
  • Alabama Museum of Natural History, in Smith Hall, 427 Sixth Ave., on the UA campus, with the Hodges meteorite on display. Call 205-348-6383 for hours. Its free Halloween night is Oct. 27, 2026 (UA Museums).
  • Paul W. Bryant Museum, on campus, open Tuesday through Sunday; $3 for K-12 students and free for children under 5 (museum).
  • Bama Theatre, 600 Greensboro Ave.: the Arts Council of Tuscaloosa posts family films and shows on its calendar.

Camps and school breaks

PARA runs paraKids day camps on school holidays through the year, including Thanksgiving week (Nov. 23-25, 2026), winter break, spring break (March 22-26, 2027) and the spring holiday (April 15-16, 2027), and a summer day camp for grades K-5. Details are on PARA’s paraKids page and our spring break and summer pages.

Free family events this season

  • Tech or Treat, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, 6 to 8 p.m., the Gateway, and Boo! in the Park, Saturday, Oct. 31, Sokol Park North: see our Halloween events page.
  • Tinsel Trail and Santa photos, Government Plaza, from Nov. 23: see our holiday lights page.

Closed: the Children’s Hands-On Museum

The Children’s Hands-On Museum, 2213 University Blvd., closed to the public after Aug. 1, 2026, after 40 years. It plans to reopen as a science center in the Saban Center in late 2027, its website says.

Frequently asked questions

Are there free story times in Tuscaloosa?

Yes. In October 2026 the Tuscaloosa Public Library ran Teensy Weensy Tales for ages 0 to 3 on Thursdays at 10 a.m. at the Main Library and Storytime Stars for ages 3 to 6 on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. at the Weaver Bolden Branch. Both are free.

Is there an all-inclusive playground in Tuscaloosa?

Yes. Mason’s Place, an all-inclusive playground, is in Sokol Park South, 5901 Watermelon Road in Northport, open dawn to dusk. Call PARA at 205-562-3210.

What can kids do in Tuscaloosa on a rainy day?

The Alabama Museum of Natural History in Smith Hall and the Paul W. Bryant Museum are on the UA campus, the public library has free playdates and story times, and PARA has indoor playgrounds at the McDonald Hughes Community Center and the Bobby Miller Activity Center.

Is the Children’s Hands-On Museum open?

No. It closed to the public after Aug. 1, 2026, and plans to reopen as a science center in the Saban Center in late 2027, its website says.