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Inland Empire family guide

Things to Do in Murrieta with Kids

Murrieta is the easygoing, master-planned sibling to Temecula, built around young families, good parks, and the popular Town Square Park with its summer splash pad and farmers market. Families fill the fields at California Oaks and Los Alamos Hills parks, and the famously cold (and refreshing) hot springs lend the town its old resort name.

Curated by Simir Shah

Reviewed & updated June 2026 · we check listings regularly, but hours and prices change — confirm before you go.

📍 Where Murrieta is

Murrieta sits in Inland Empire, Southern California. Nearest major airport: John Wayne / Orange County (~38 mi / 62 km). It's roughly 68 mi (110 km) from Downtown LA and 58 mi (93 km) from San Diego — SoCal traffic can make a drive take far longer than the distance suggests, so plan around it.

Visiting? See SoCal at a glance, getting around and which airport.

💡 Local tip: Town Square Park's splash pad runs in the warm months and the lawn hosts free summer concerts, so bring chairs and arrive early for a shady spot.

Things to do in Murrieta

Theme Parks & Rides

Mulligan Family Fun Center

Outdoor family fun center with go-karts, bumper boats, mini golf, batting cages, and an arcade.

~$25–35 attraction packs
Parks & Hiking

Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve

Oak woodlands and seasonal vernal pools; the flat Transpreserve loop is family-doable. Little shade — summer afternoons bake.

~$4–5/adult

Farmers markets in Murrieta

Sunday · 9am–1pm

Murrieta Certified Farmers Market

A Sunday market at Village Walk Plaza with produce, food, and a friendly community atmosphere.

See all SoCal farmers markets →

Local restaurants in Murrieta

Pizza & Italian

Pizza Factory

SoCal-rooted family pizza spot, a classic kids-birthday kind of place.

Pizza & Italian

Anthony's Lounge & Ristorante

Area's oldest family-owned Italian, making everything in-house from Calabrian family recipes.

Mexican & Tacos

Alberto's Mexican Food

Homestyle carne asada burritos and combo plates served fast and cheap — a dependable family go-to that's been a local fixture for decades.

See all local SoCal restaurants →

Seasonal & outdoors near Murrieta

The closest splash pads, patches, lights and more — distances from Murrieta.

Pumpkin patch · 2 miBig Horse Corn Maze & Harvest FestivalBirthday venue · 2 miUptown Jungle Fun ParkToddler spot · 6 miPennypickle's WorkshopJuly 4th fireworks · 6 miTemecula 4th of July ExtravaganzaSplash pad · 23 miEastview County Park Splash PadChristmas lights · 25 miCandy Cane Lane (Pinecrest)Dog-friendly · 26 miCalifornia Citrus State Historic Park

Murrieta is part of the Inland Empire family guide — see the region's best things to do, local eats and events.

More Inland Empire family guides

Riverside →Redlands →Temecula →Rancho Cucamonga →Corona →Chino →Chino Hills →San Bernardino →Moreno Valley →Idyllwild →Perris →Fontana →
Browse all SoCal city guides →

Listings are curated and may change — confirm hours and details before you go.