For as long as I can remember my time together with Steven, we had always talked about spending some time in Solvang, Calif. This adorable little town, nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley, is best known for its old world Danish architecture and abundance of delicious pastries. As we’re still discovering all that the Central Coast has to offer — basically Steven’s work territory — we decided to spend some time exploring this area.
While we were here in an incredible Airbnb for four weeks, I have to admit that most of what you can do within downtown Solvang is totally possible in a day or two. It’s a really small town! Give yourself a bit more time if you plan on exploring the greater Santa Ynez Valley/Santa Barbara area. If you have a choice in timing to check out Solvang, I highly recommend a weekday vs. a weekend (the latter is jam-packed with tourists), and the Fall months. We had just missed the Solvang Danish Days (in mid-September), and are leaving right before Solvang Julefest (in December). For us, October and November offered gorgeous weather, but it would have been fun to see the festivities!
Even though Solvang is small, there’s plenty to do with the kiddos. Here are 12 of our favorite kid-friendly activities nearby!
Sample The Aebleskivers
You can’t come to Solvang without trying their infamous aebleskivers. These Danish treats taste like a mix between a pancake and a donut, in a ball. (Basically a kiddo’s dream dessert.) It’s fluffy and delicious, especially if you opt for the jam and powdered sugar on top! You can find these at Solvang Restaurant downtown — three for under $4. You can walk right up to the window and order fresh aebleskivers, which is all too convenient. I honestly can’t admit to how many we’ve eaten over the past four weeks… but if you were following our Instagram stories, just know that we ate some every time we had visitors! ?
Price: $3.95 for three at Solvang Restaurant
Hours: 6am-4pm daily (Sundays they open at 7am)
Feed the Ostriches and Emus at Ostrichland USA
When I was compiling my research for Solvang, Ostrichland popped up way too many times to count! It’s pretty much a landmark as far as the Central Coast goes. I mean, there’s even a mention about it in the movie Sideways!
There are over 100 ostriches and emus calling Ostrichland home, and for a buck you can watch these beasts of birds battle it out against the feed pan you’re cautiously holding out in front of you! ? If you have kids under 4 or 5, you might want to do the feeding yourself — the ostriches are really aggressive in the way that they eat. Still, the boys and I had fun laughing at the situation and these silly birds. This is a relatively quick stop too — it took us about 30 minutes to pay, feed and take some pics.
Price: $5 general admission, $2 for kids under 12; $1 per bowl of feed (we did one per person)
Hours: Open daily from 9am-6pm
Play at Sunny Fields Park
Sunny Fields Park is one of the cutest little parks we’ve ever seen! This whimsical playground is creatively built out of wood to model a fairytale-like Danish village. It truly offers hours of fun for all ages. Plus, there’s a walking path along the property that’s perfect for getting in some steps! We went here several times as it’s the kids’ favorite place. The bathrooms are super clean too, and there is plenty of space for a picnic lunch. We often did our schoolwork here at the mini picnic tables designed just for little ones. This is a must on the agenda when you’re in town!
Price: FREE!
Hours: 8am-Dusk
La Purisima Mission State Historic Park
Out of all the fun things to do with kids here near Solvang, this was one of our absolute favorites! The La Purisima Mission is located in Lompoc, which is just a quick 25 minute drive from Solvang. The structures have been extensively restored to reflect life here in the 1820s, and it’s fascinating. During that time, the land belonged to the Chumash people and Spanish settlers. As you peer at life way back when, you get a glimpse of weaving, pottery making, candle making, blacksmithing, livestock production, and leatherwork.
The park is 2,000 acres, and has over 25 miles of hiking trails too! The kids and I opted for the main loop, which led us over to the historical buildings. On our way, we saw three coyotes cross our path from afar, as well as multiple bunny sightings!
Go a bit further towards the mission, and you’ll spot various corrals with burros, horses, longhorn cattle, sheep, pigs and goats. If your children are animal lovers like mine, then they’ll be in heaven!
Price: Private Vehicles – $6.00 / Seniors – $5.00
(Side note: this place is really special given its history, and the obvious care of the state park employees and volunteers who work here. Don’t be a jerk and park across the street — just pay the $6!)
Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm, seven days a week except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Treat Yourself to a Danish
Do I even need to say more?? You can’t explore Solvang without at least trying one of the many Danish pastries on display! There are seven bakeries located just in Downtown, so if you’re in the mood for a sweets tour, it’s totally possible. Our favorite bakery was Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery. There are TONS of pastries and cookies to choose from. When our friends came into town, we picked up a variety and sampled each. The cream cheese and raspberry WinerBrod Danish pastries are perfection, as is the Danish style apple strudel and cinnamon crisps. There’s plenty to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Price: Varies, but most pastries are $3-5
Hours: Olsen’s Bakery, 7:30am-6pm daily, weekends until 7pm
Browse the Solvang Book Loft — and Learn About Hans Christian Anderson
One of my all-time favorite things to do is peruse a good, independent bookshop. The Solvang Book Loft doesn’t disappoint. There are lots of great options for adults, and their children’s section is stellar. You can also check out their game area, where you can find a variety of board games and puzzles. (Side note: the staff there are amazing! We found some really great gems before leaving Solvang.)
After, head upstairs to the Hans Christian Anderson Museum. Here you’ll find a quaint little overview of the famous author, as well as various publishings of his work.
Price: HCA Museum is free, books vary
Hours: 9am-6pm
Explore the River View Park & Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden
Solvang is quite tiny, and given that our kids have now become playground connoisseurs, we love to discover new parks and playgrounds. In a town just five minutes northwest of Solvang, Buellton, we discovered our second favorite park: River View. While we were visiting, we would have this vast place almost all to ourselves in the mornings. There’s a fantastic walking path around the parameter, as well as two playgrounds on opposite ends of the park. Plus, you can’t beat the mountain view!
Toward the north end, you can cross a little bridge into the Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden. There’s a nice little path you can walk to see native plants to the area, or check out how the Chumash Native Americans lived in one of the grass ‘aps, or houses. The kids and I loved the Willow Maze, as well as the Wishing Tree.
Price: FREE
Hours: 8am-9pm
Maximize the Fun with the Kiddos at MOXI | The Wolf Museum of Exploration & Innovation
I knew that during our month-long stay, it was likely that we’d venture down to Santa Barbara as they have TONS of kid-friendly things to do. The last time we were in the area, I really wanted to go to Moxi | The Wolf Museum of Exploration & Innovation, but we’d already exhausted the kids with other activities. So one of our first stops was at this incredible museum!
We spent the morning jumping, creating, laughing and playing until our hearts were content. This place is beyond innovative and cool — the boys and I had a BLAST exploring every inch of this interactive space!
There is so much to see and do, and it’s perfect for all ages. This three-story building offers up more than 17,000 square feet of thought-provoking play areas that stimulate creativity and hands-on learning. This particular section below was a fave: the Wind Column Workshop in the Fantastic Forces Courtyard, where you can send little fluffy balls up into tubes, and try to catch them as they pop out of different exit points!
Price: Adults (13+): $16; Children (3 – 12): $12; Children (2 and under): Free
Hours: 10:00am-5:00pm, except for holidays
Visit the Neal Taylor Nature Center at Cachuma Lake
A few of the locals had suggested that we check out the Neal Taylor Nature Center at Cachuma Lake, and we’re so glad we did! They have a really cool little natural history museum, plus a lot of spunky elderly volunteers. (The kids had a blast chatting it up with them!) We went for their Creepy Creatures event before Halloween, where we saw snakes, spiders, owls and more. The volunteers are always working on a new program depending on the time of the year, so check the website before you visit. If you have time, take a stroll around the campgrounds for some really scenic views of the lake and the Santa Ynez Mountains.
Price: Admission to the Nature Center is free. There’s a $10 vehicle day-use fee to enter the Cachuma Lake Recreation Area, except for Santa Barbara County Park permit holders.
Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 10:00am-4:00pm; Sunday 10:00am-2:00pm, Monday & Tuesday closed
Explore the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
We had a lot of family and friends visit during our stay here, so we did a lot of personal tours of Solvang! ? After a whirlwind 10 days in a row, the boys and I were looking to get out of town for the day and check out something different. Enter the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. All you really need to do is peruse their website for a few minutes to realize that you NEED to see this place!
There’s a Bird Hall with literally every winged creature known to the Santa Barbara region, as well as a Mammal Hall with dozens of kid-friendly features like touchable bones, skulls and more. The Museum has a 47-foot long Blue whale Skeleton named “Chad,” and the most complete Pygmy Mammoth skeleton ever found. There’s a whole room dedicated to Gems & Minerals, which is beyond cool. Don’t forget about the Space Sciences & Planetarium too. Our absolute favorite was the Curiosity Lab, which is where we spent the most time tinkering and playing!
Price: Adult (18-64 years): $15.00; Teen (13-17 years): $12.00; Child (2-12 years): $9.00; Child (under 2 years): Free
Hours: Open daily from 10am-5pm
See a Zonkey at the Seein’ Spots Farm
Yep, you read that right: a zonkey. A zebra bred with a donkey. This farm features this unique animal, as well as donkeys, goats, ducks, geese, a tortoise and pigs. With the exception of the zonkey, you can get up close with all of the other animals in the petting zoo area for a donation. Why a donation? Because all of these animals are rescued! (And available for adoption. You never know!)
My good friend Lauren and her daughter Grace came up to visit us, and I saved Seein’ Spots Farm for when they were here. All of the kids loved petting the different farm animals!
Price: Free, but we highly recommend making a $5-10 donation to access the petting zoo
Hours: Saturdays 11am-3pm
Go on a Nature Walk at Nojoqui Falls Park
Ready to get away from the tourists and spend some time out in nature? Or need to burn off some of that youthful energy that kids just always seem to have at the ready? Then you’ll want to check out Nojoqui Falls Park.
Not only is there a ton of open space for the kids to run wild, but there’s a super cool (and short!) trail that leads you to the seasonal waterfall. It takes about 10-15 minutes if you’re walking fast, but let the kids set the pace and take in the beautiful surroundings!
Price: FREE
Hours: 8am-Sunset
More Stops for Wine Tasting, Brews, Food, etc.
Solvang and the towns nearby are really kid-friendly (dog-friendly too, if that’s your thing!)… so if you’re looking to venture out for grub, brews or wine, try these spots!
The Good Seed: Hands down, the best coffee I’ve ever had. Grab an oat milk latte, and if you’re feeling adventurous, order the cinnamon roll (to-die-for).
Industrial Eats: We were fortunate enough to have a date night for Steven’s birthday, and we were dying to try this place. It delivered, and big time. Order “Feed Me” if there are two or more — it’s five courses, picked by the chef. Easily our best meal in this area!
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.: Just down the road from Industrial Eats lies Figueroa. We were pumped to try this because we love their beer, and they have some tasty pub food to go along with it. Pro tip: order the half pint so you can try different beers!
ONEderchild: The cutest toy boutique! Perfect if you’re looking to find a book or trinket to take home to the kiddos.
Saarloos & Sons: Amazing wine… paired with the most incredible cupcakes. Don’t sleep on this — one of our favorite places in Los Olivos.
Panino: Great sandwich shop that is a must-stop when you’re in the area. Located in Solvang and Los Olivos. Get the curry chicken sandwich — you won’t be disappointed!
Waylan Wine Co.: Cousins of Saarloos & Sons, this small lot producer also offers up really good wine with a laidback vibe. Pretty cool with the winemakers conduct the tasting, too!
Paula’s Pancake House: If you haven’t had your fill of sweets, get yourself some Danish pancakes here. Go early thought — this place gets PACKED on the weekend!
Succulent Cafe: Simple, yet delicious food with excellent service. Very family-friendly!
The Backroom: This is Solvang’s best kept secret. If you’re a craft beer fanatic, head on into Valley Brewers and ask for the back room. ?
In Summary
So that’s Solvang! If you’re planning to visit, be sure to pour yourself a glass of vino and watch Sideways with your SO after you put the kids down. It’s a fun look at the Santa Ynez area, and even though the movie is 15 years old, you’ll see a lot of familiar landmarks!
Have you been to Solvang or the Santa Ynez Valley? What were your favorite stops?
