The Jurupa Valley gem for dino-obsessed kids: nine acres of botanical gardens dotted with more than a dozen life-sized dinosaur sculptures, plus a mammoth. Admission is free, so bring $40 to spend in the nursery or gift shop and your parking gets rebated. Go early on a Saturday before the heat and the school buses arrive.

Free admission; $10 parking (rebated with $40 nursery/gift-shop purchase)