Ventura County family guide
Things to Do in Thousand Oaks with Kids
Curated by Simir Shah
Reviewed & updated August 2026 · we check listings regularly, but hours and prices change — confirm before you go.
Thousand Oaks on the map
📍 Where Thousand Oaks is
Thousand Oaks sits in Ventura County, Southern California. Nearest major airport: Hollywood Burbank (~30 mi / 48 km). It's roughly 37 mi (60 km) from Downtown LA and 142 mi (228 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.
🏡 New to Thousand Oaks? Start hereRec classes, library cards, school lookup, alerts and getting around.OpenClose
- Rec classes & camps: Conejo Recreation & Park District, separate from the city, publishes program guides five times a year; in-district residents get priority registration.
- Pools: CRPD runs the year-round Community Pool at CLU, heated to 84 degrees, and the summer-only Thousand Oaks High School pool.
- Library card: Thousand Oaks Library is city-owned, with Grant R. Brimhall Library on Janss Road and the Newbury Park Branch; apply for a card online.
- Find your school: Conejo Valley Unified serves Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park; use its Find My Assigned School lookup with your street address.
- City e-news: Sign up for the city's email newsletters for news, events and city updates.
- Alerts: The city's emergency management page links to VC Alert sign-up and its emergency operations plan.
- Wildfire ready: Ventura County Fire's Ready, Set, Go! program covers defensible space, go-bags and leaving early; the county urges planning two exits from home.
- Getting around: Thousand Oaks Transit runs six local routes and a seasonal bus to Zuma Beach and Ventura Harbor; youth ride county buses free.
- Local insider: VCTC's East County bus links Thousand Oaks Library, Moorpark Metrolink, Moorpark College and Simi Town Center on weekdays.
Things to do in Thousand Oaks
Parks & Hiking
Conejo Creek North Park
Two duck ponds, a stream, big shaded playgrounds, and a footbridge to the library — a perennial Conejo Valley family favorite for an easy afternoon. The 44-acre park's two ponds are linked by a gentle recirculating stream where ducks and turtles gather, and the footbridge across it leads straight to the Thousand Oaks Library next door. Shaded picnic areas and sand volleyball courts round out the park for a longer stay.
FreeWildwood Regional Park & Paradise Falls
A roughly 2-mile round-trip hike past Lizard Rock to a 40-foot waterfall splashing into a shady canyon pool — best after winter rains and a hit with adventurous kids. Paradise Falls and its pool sit inside the sprawling 1,765-acre Wildwood Regional Park, where sweeping grassland gives way to volcanic rock outcrops like Lizard Rock along Mount Clef Ridge. There's no fee or permit needed to hike here, and families who want a longer day can extend the loop past the falls to the rock formation and back.
Free
Borchard Community Park (Newbury Park)
A shaded 29-acre park next to Newbury Park High School, with picnic areas, BBQs, courts, fitness stations and a community center with an open gym. The district skatepark is on site, and many amenities are lit for evening use.
FreeBorchard Skatepark (Newbury Park)
A 9,000 sq ft street-style park with ledges, banks, rails, a hubba and a quarter pipe, open to skateboards, scooters and BMX bikes. Open skate is unsupervised, and helmet, elbow and knee pads are enforced. CRPD runs lessons and camps here from age 4.
Free open skate; lessons fee-basedCommunity Pool at CLU
A year-round, heated (up to 84°F) public pool on the Cal Lutheran campus, run by CRPD. The rec-swim area is 3–5 feet deep and has a shade structure. Everyone entering pays the $4 fee, swimmers or not, and no reservation is needed. The Thousand Oaks HS and Newbury Park HS pools open to the public in summer only.
$4 per person enteringConejo Community Park (Dover & Hendrix)
An oak-studded 38-acre hillside park with picnic areas and a sloped-lawn amphitheater that hosts CRPD's summer Concerts in the Park. It is home base for the district's nature programs. The community center is slated for a redesign, so expect future construction.
FreeDos Vientos Community Park (Newbury Park)
A 28-acre park in the Dos Vientos neighborhood with large and small picnic pavilions, ballfields, sport courts and a 14,000 sq ft community center with an indoor gym. Covered solar parking keeps cars cooler in summer.
FreeRancho Sierra Vista / Satwiwa (Newbury Park)
An NPS site in the Santa Monica Mountains with gentle trails, deer, hawks and Boney Mountain views. The hikers-only Satwiwa Loop is an easy family walk, and the Native American Indian Culture Center is a 0.3-mile walk up a gravel road from the main lot. There are restrooms and water at the lot and the culture center, and leashed dogs are allowed.
FreeSapwi Bike Park
A community-built dirt bike park with pump tracks, dirt jumps and skill zones from beginner lines up to an expert line of wood-ramp jumps. It is run by the nonprofit CORBA inside Sapwi Trails Community Park; enter from the Westlake Blvd terraces.
FreeSapwi Trails Community Park
The neighborhood section (2100 Scenicpark St) has a playground, shade structure, restroom and a beginners' bike pump track, with multi-use trails and a disc golf course across the wider park. Bike repair stations sit at several trailheads.
FreeStagecoach Inn Park (Newbury Park)
A small 4.9-acre neighborhood park with a playground, basketball court and picnic tables along a creek, plus a sycamore estimated at 425 years old. Restrooms are inside the adjacent Stagecoach Inn Museum, so they are only open during museum hours.
FreeThousand Oaks Community Park
The playground and 'ant hill' were rebuilt in 2022 with picnic- and insect-themed play equipment and ADA access throughout. The park also has the Rabbit Flats Disc Golf Course (first come, first served), sports courts and a community center gym, next to Thousand Oaks High School.
FreeThousand Oaks Teen Center Skatepark
A staffed skatepark that opened with the Teen Center's 2023 renovation and is open to teens only. CRPD runs beginning and intermediate teen skate classes here. Younger kids should use Borchard Skatepark instead.
Free open skate; lessons fee-basedTriunfo Community Park
The playground was upgraded in 2022 with nature-themed structures and a monarch butterfly climber. The park has rolling oak hillsides with direct trail access, plus restrooms, tennis and basketball courts.
FreeWaverly Park
A pine-shaded 8.8-acre park whose play area was rebuilt in 2016. It has a 0.6-mile walking path, BBQs and restrooms, and a community garden and orchard in one corner.
FreeAnimals & Nature
Gardens of the World
Established in 2001 as a gift to the city from Ed and Lynn Hogan, founders of the Pleasant Holidays travel agency, this free 4.5-acre garden tours England, France, Italy, Japan, and a California mission courtyard. Kids gravitate to the Japanese Garden's koi pond and pagoda and the English Garden's 400 rose bushes.
FreeConejo Valley Botanic Garden & Kids' Adventure Garden
This 33-acre hillside garden's Kids' Adventure Garden, added in 2003, is open Sundays only, with a treehouse, a pirate's cave, a zoo garden, and even dinosaur-shaped topiaries. It's free (donations welcome) and playful by design — made for curious kids to run, climb, and explore.
Free (donations welcome)Indoor Play
Boulderdash Indoor Rock Climbing
A 10,000 sq ft gym with top-rope, bouldering and lead climbing. Classes and waivers are handled online, and youth programs are listed on the site. It is on Hampshire Road near the 101, in the Westlake area of Thousand Oaks.
Check siteJumpify (The Oaks)
An indoor inflatable play space with a ball pit and foam pit inside The Oaks mall. Pricing is per child, and parents enter free. It is an easy rainy-day stop to pair with mall errands.
Per child; parents free (check site)Sky Zone Thousand Oaks
A trampoline park with freestyle jump courts, dodgeball, a foam zone, a ninja warrior course, a zip line and a warped wall. Book jump times online, and memberships are available. It is at 193 N Moorpark Rd, Suite A.
Check siteMuseums & Learning
Grant R. Brimhall Library
The main branch of the city-run Thousand Oaks Library. Storytimes run in sessions, for example Baby (Tue), Toddler (Wed) and Preschool (Thu) at 10:15am in November 2026, plus Bilingual Pajama Storytime, Music & Movement, and 'Dog Days' reading-to-dogs. Check the LibCal calendar for current dates.
FreeNewbury Park Library
The city-run Thousand Oaks Library's Newbury Park branch. It hosts after-school Reading Buddies, Dog Days reading sessions, K–8 homework help during the school year and a rotating children's craft table. Most baby and toddler storytimes are at the Grant R. Brimhall branch.
FreeOakbrook Regional Park & Chumash Indian Museum
A nonprofit museum of Chumash history and culture set in an oak woodland, with a reconstructed village area, trails and a seasonal creek. It holds homeschool days with guided hikes, crafts and native storytelling. Parking is limited (29 stalls).
Ticketed; check siteStagecoach Inn Museum (Newbury Park)
A historic inn turned museum that runs regular kids' craft days and holiday events, including 'Holidays at the Inn' in early December. Dogs are not allowed on the grounds, except service dogs. Pair it with the creekside playground at Stagecoach Inn Park next door.
$10 adults, $5 kids 5–12Arts & Culture
Bank of America Performing Arts Center (Civic Arts Plaza)
The city's main theater books regular family shows, such as Blippi (Oct 29, 2026), Dog Man: The Musical (Nov 5, 2026) and several December Nutcrackers, as well as Broadway tours and National Geographic Live. The Grant R. Brimhall Library is a short drive away on Janss Road.
Varies by showHillcrest Center for the Arts
A city-owned, CRPD-run arts center on the hill above The Oaks mall. It is home to the Young Artists Ensemble youth theater, whose 2026 shows include Matilda The Musical Jr. It also offers arts classes for all ages, but it does not book private parties.
Varies by showShopping & Treats
Conejo Valley Days
A five-day community carnival at Conejo Creek Park South with rides for all ages, midway games, live entertainment, line dancing and fair food. 2026 marked the 70th year. Weekday evenings start at 5pm, and weekends open at 1pm.
Admission and ride tickets; kids 9 & under free opening dayThe Oaks
The mall has several kids' spots: Jumpify (inflatables), Pitter-Patter Play (parent-and-me classes and sensory play), Build-A-Bear, a Joystick arcade and an AMC theater. Its free monthly Little Oaks Kids Club offers toddler crafts, music and storytimes, and a free Trick-or-Treat Spooktacular runs Oct 30, 2026, 4–6pm.
Free entryMore for families in Thousand Oaks
From our researched guides: the Thousand Oaks spots for pickleball courts, arcades, classes, camps. Hours and prices change, so check the venue's site before you go.
Pickleball courts
All SoCal pickleball courts →Del Prado Playfield
Two dedicated pickleball courts plus two shared-use courts run by the Conejo Recreation & Park District.
Venue website ↗Estella Park
Two shared-use courts. The park district's page tells players to bring their own nets.
Venue website ↗Thousand Oaks Community Center
Three indoor pickleball courts in the gym. Availability varies, so check the district's open gym schedule before you go.
Venue website ↗Show 1 moreShow fewer
Pickleball Athletic Club (PAC)
Nine indoor temperature-controlled acrylic courts on Anchor Court — all indoor, so heat and rain are non-issues. Membership is NOT required; the club states non-members are always welcome. Youth programmes, clinics, leagues and private events.
Courts $60/hr peak, $40/hr off-peak; open play $30 per person for 2 hours, or $270 for 10; memberships from $99/mo
Venue website ↗Arcades & fun centers
All SoCal arcades →Dave & Buster's Thousand Oaks
Arcade with racing games, shooters, air hockey, basketball and crane games suitable for all ages, plus a restaurant and bar, at 145 W. Hillcrest Drive. Hours and minor policies vary by location, so call ahead.
Play & Eat combos from $19.99 (entree + $10 Power Card); see site
Venue website ↗Classes & lessons
All SoCal classes →Tae Ryong Taekwondo
Ventura County Taekwondo school open since 1994 with a fully padded floor and programs for kids and families.
$$ enrollment
Venue website ↗Camps
All SoCal camps →Conejo Rec & Park District — Summer Day Camps
Five all-day district camps (Creekside, Camp Bold, Camp Brave and more) June–August; financial assistance for in-district families.
$ low-cost
Venue website ↗Farmers markets in Thousand Oaks
Thousand Oaks Certified Farmers' Market
Thursday market at The Oaks shopping center with fresh Ventura County produce, flowers, and prepared foods.
Holidays in Thousand Oaks
Lights, parades, Santa and more this season. Confirm details with the organizer before you go.
Christmas Ranch Tree Farms
Opens Fri Nov 27, 2026 · Mon–Thu noon–7pm, Fri–Sun 9am–7pm
No choose-and-cut in 2026: the farm sells pre-cut Washington Noble, Grand, Fraser and Douglas firs.
See site
Jingle Bell Hike with Santa
Sat Dec 12, 2026, 10:00am–12:00pm.
Conejo Recreation & Park District's holiday-themed family hike at Conejo Community Center, with Santa as a special guest along the trail.
Registration through CRPD (class #41305961); fee not shown on the event page.
The Nutcracker (Pacific Festival Ballet)
Dec 18–20, 2026 · Fri 7pm; Sat–Sun 2pm and 7pm
At the Fred Kavli Theatre in the Bank of America Performing Arts Center.
See site
Baywater Lights
Typically December, evenings
A home light show synchronized to music on 87.9 FM that collects donations for Manna Conejo Valley Food Bank.
Free (donations to Manna Food Bank welcome)
Sheffield Christmas Light Show
Typically Dec 1–Jan 1, 5:30–10pm
A homeowner-run show, now in its sixth season, synchronized to music on 87.9 FM.
Free
Festivals & annual events in Thousand Oaks
What Thousand Oaks is known for — the events locals plan the year around.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Interactive Show
Created by Jonathan Rockefeller, this show brings four Eric Carle tales to life with 45 handcrafted puppets and an original musical score, and it invites children to participate. It plays in the Fred Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. Tip: this is an evening show, so plan an early dinner for little ones.
Ticketed via Ticketmaster (price not listed on page)
Pumpkin Patch & Splash (CRPD Aquatics)
A fall pool party at the Community Pool at California Lutheran University (100 Overton Court) run by the Conejo Recreation & Park District. Admission is $5 per person and pre-registration is required. Tip: register online with class code C810 or call 805-241-0894 before you go.
CRPD Haunted Trail & Costume Contest
A Conejo Recreation & Park District Halloween haunted trail and costume contest; the district's page says more information is coming. Tip: haunted trails can be scary for toddlers, so confirm the age guidance with CRPD before you go.
Local restaurants in Thousand Oaks
Bandits' Grill & Bar
A home-grown Conejo Valley barbecue favorite since 1989 — tri-tip, ribs, and chicken in a casual, family-friendly setting that's racked up best-BBQ honors.
Cisco's Mexican Restaurant
An authentic family-owned Mexican kitchen serving the Conejo Valley since 1971 — generous combo plates in a lively, welcoming room.
Local shops in Thousand Oaks
The Open Book
Independently owned bookstore stocking books, comics, toys, collectibles, jewelry, and antiques — a little of everything.
Seasonal & outdoors near Thousand Oaks
The closest splash pads, patches, lights and more — distances from Thousand Oaks.
More Ventura County family guides
Browse all SoCal city guides →Thousand Oaks family FAQ
What are the best things to do in Thousand Oaks with kids?
Family favorites in and around Thousand Oaks include Gardens of the World, Conejo Valley Botanic Garden & Kids' Adventure Garden, Conejo Creek North Park and Wildwood Regional Park & Paradise Falls, and more. Our guide lists 28 spots, each with a price note and practical tips where we have them.
Are there free things to do in Thousand Oaks?
Yes — free family spots near Thousand Oaks include Gardens of the World, Conejo Valley Botanic Garden & Kids' Adventure Garden, Conejo Creek North Park and Wildwood Regional Park & Paradise Falls. Our free things to do page lists more across Southern California.
What can kids do in Thousand Oaks on a rainy day?
Indoor options in and around Thousand Oaks include Bank of America Performing Arts Center (Civic Arts Plaza), Hillcrest Center for the Arts, Boulderdash Indoor Rock Climbing and Jumpify (The Oaks), and more. Each listing in our guide is marked indoor or outdoor, so you can filter for the weather.
How can families spend a day in Thousand Oaks?
One easy plan: start outside at Gardens of the World while kids have the most energy, break for lunch at Bandits' Grill & Bar, then head indoors to Bank of America Performing Arts Center (Civic Arts Plaza) for the afternoon. Our guide has prices and tips for each stop, plus 26 more ideas to swap in.
Where can families eat in Thousand Oaks?
Local, family-friendly spots in Thousand Oaks include Bandits' Grill & Bar and Cisco's Mexican Restaurant — independent, SoCal-only eateries, never national chains.
What does the YourSoCal Thousand Oaks guide cover?
Our Thousand Oaks family guide includes 28 things to do, 2 local eats, 1 local shop and 1 farmers market — with independent, non-chain eats and shops.
Listings are curated and may change — confirm hours and details before you go.
Where to stay in Thousand Oaks
Hotels & rentals via Stay22 · we may earn a commissionCompare hotels, resorts, and vacation rentals near Thousand Oaks on one map — then book on your favorite site.