Looking for a summer getaway for the whole family that doesn’t require a lot of time in the car or a stressful flight? I know just the place: Frisco, Texas! A neighbor to Dallas and the infamous spot for a quick IKEA trip, Frisco also happens to be full of incredible museums, coffee shops, restaurants, sports, and entertainment. Our family recently had the opportunity to work with Visit Frisco and MetroFamily Magazine to explore this charming city and share our recommendations!
So, we packed our bags, hopped in the car, and drove three hours down I-35, not even realizing the amount of fun that awaited us. The memories we made as a family here were some I’ll remember forever – and I’m sure the kids will too! We’re already planning our next trip back.
Read on for where we stayed, played, ate and shopped!
Stay
The Westin Stonebriar Hotel & Golf Club is a beautiful (and I mean beautiful) resort hotel that sits on over 400 acres and is situated right in the middle of Frisco’s top attractions. It was recently renovated in 2020 and includes an expansive pool + slide, wellness spa, fabulous bars and restaurants, The Westin Family Kids Club, and a Top Golf Swing Suite! Our room overlooked The Fazio Golf Course and, given that it faced west, provided some epic Texas sunsets.
We arrived on a Monday afternoon and it was raining cats and dogs outside. So, we decided to have a little fun indoors without even leaving the hotel. We booked an hour in the Topgolf Swing Suite – a private room on the first floor that includes a comfortable area to lounge, a variety of fun games to play, and our very own server + menu. The slider trio and smoked chicken wings were absolutely divine! (I feel like it’s also important to note that I won the first game.)
Play
Perhaps the one thing I was surprised by, especially as we planned this trip, was how many kid-friendly activities there are in Frisco. No matter how old your little ones are, or what they are into, you’re sure to find more than enough to keep them excited and engaged during your entire trip!
KidZania
KidZania exceeded all of our expectations! This incredible interactive city lets kids independently explore, make their own money, and try out over 100 different careers. When we entered KidZania, the kids each got their own passport and $40 in pretend money. The indoor, scaled city has everything you can imagine – a fire department, gym, pizza place, dentist office, television studio, Spotify podcasting booths, hair salons, etc. The kids get to go inside each place, be a real grown up, work with real products, and get paid for doing their job!
Here’s how it worked at the Fire Station: The kids arrive at the Fire Station to be firefighters. After entering, they spend about 15 minutes being trained on fire safety, how to put out three different types of fires, and what firefighters wear and do. Next, a siren rings and all of the kids get dressed in firefighter gear. They load in the truck and engine sirens blare. The truck drives all throughout the 7,000 square-foot facility, passing all of the other buildings and shops, then stops at a building with (pretend) fire behind the windows. The kids exit the truck and shoot real water at the building. About 5 minutes later, the fire goes out and they all cheer, high five, then get back in the truck and head back to the station. After completing their job, they get $8 in pretend money and a stamp in their passport!
At the end of the day, the kids went to a gift shop inside the city (just like a real store), and spent their money. The kids got wooden airplanes, FunDip, and suckers!
Trophy Park
We stopped here to eat dinner before heading to a baseball game, but as it turns out, it was just as much of a place to play as it was to eat! Instead of sitting at a table, we chose one of the two indoor bowling lanes to fuel up on pizza at. Outside, they have ping pong tables, a putting green, corn hole, and more!
Frisco RoughRiders Baseball Game
After dinner at Trophy Park, we headed just down the street to a Frisco RoughRiders game. The park itself is situated in the cutest area of town and we had no problem finding parking. In fact, we parked right next to the stadium and walked right in! Once inside, we loaded up on peanuts and popcorn, gave the mascot several high fives, and had the time of our life singing ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame.’
Museum of the American Railroad
Welcome to Brady’s dreamland. The Museum of the American Railroad boasts an impressive collection of artifacts and archival material from the railroad industry – dating back to the 1930s! We took a 45-minute personal tour with John, who is absolutely fantastic and knows pretty much all there is to know about trains and their significance in American culture. He guided us through their rail yard, inside some of the coolest and oldest trains, and shared their plans for future renovations. If your little ones love trains, I truly cannot recommend this place enough!
TrainTopia
Located just inside the Frisco Discovery Center, and part of the Museum of the American Railroad, sits TrainTopia, a room full of model trains rich in Texas history. Our kids had so much fun seeing all of the different landscapes and watching the trains move throughout all of the settings – from skyscrapers in Old Town Dallas to the mountains that connect New Mexico and Arizona. Plus, they have some really fun scavenger hunts on their website that the kids can do while inside.
Shop
FleaStyle
Shopping is my cardio and I had plenty of calories to burn in Frisco! As we were walking to brunch at Tupelo Honey, we noticed FleaStyle just a few doors down. This super cute spot is full of trendy home goods, fashion, accessories, and a DIY hat bar. You read that right: A HAT BAR! I was giddy with excitement because if there’s one thing I love, it’s a great hat. Parker and I sent the boys just down the corner to the Dallas Cowboys practice facility and we got busy designing.
The whole process was so fun and simple. First, you select your hat from a variety of felt options or classic Stetsons. Then, you choose your decor: silk ribbons, feathers, pins, vintage matches, etc. The sweetest girl (who happened to be from Oklahoma!) helped us put everything together. Within about 15 minutes, we were on our way out with the cutest matching hats!
Eat
There are no shortage of food options in Frisco. Outside of our dinner at The Westin Stonebriar’s Top Golf Swing Suite (and breakfast one morning at the on-site cafe), we found a variety of yummy places to eat all around us.
Breakfast: The Aussie Grind
3930 Preston Rd #120, Frisco, TX 75035
This cute spot-down-unda’ serves delicious coffee, baked goods, and egg sandwiches. We stopped here twice for coffee and once for breakfast. If I lived in Frisco, this would be my daily go-to!
Lunch/Brunch: Tupelo Honey & Kwench Juice Cafe
6725 Winning Dr, Frisco, TX 75034
Tupelo Honey is located just steps from the Dallas Cowboys practice facility and serves made-from-scratch southern dishes and craft cocktails. Given that we had a full day of kid activities ahead of us, we held off on the booze and ordered cold brews instead. They, too, were divine.
6750 Gaylord Pkwy #136, Frisco, TX 75034
Kwench Juice Cafe was just what we needed on our last day in Frisco. We stopped here after our morning at the train museum and filled up on açaí smoothie bowls and green juices. The owner was incredibly sweet and is happy to customize just about any juice or smoothie you’d like!
Dinner: Trophy Park
6770 Winning Dr #900, Frisco, TX 75034
This fun spot was a mixture of eat and play. Inside the indoor/outdoor restaurant, you’ll find a bowling alley, classic foosball tables, a putting green, and so much more. The bbq chicken and cheese pizza gets 5 stars!
Treats: Cow-Tipping Creamery & SomiSomi
3685 The Star Blvd #201, Frisco, TX 75034
You can’t go on vacation without treating yourself, am I right? We made sure to do so both nights we were in town! The Cow-Tipping Creamery is a fun spot that offers insane ice cream concoctions with more toppings than you can count. However, we opted for something a little more simple: fro-yo twist with sprinkles.
9292 Warren Pkwy #260, Frisco, TX 75035
Somisomi serves up something truly unique. They offer a special Korean dessert known as “Ah-Boong” – soft-serve ice cream in a variety of custom flavors – inside a signature goldfish-shaped waffle cones. The toppings are pretty fun too! The kids opted for sprinkles and macaron dust while I opted for Fruity Pebbles. It’s certainly worth a stop – and an Instagram photo!
As you can see, we just barely scratched the surface of what Frisco offers. The options are virtually endless and it’s such an easy drive to get there. We cannot wait to go back, and when we do, we’ll be sure to share our adventures with you right here!
Huge thanks to Visit Frisco for hosting us and helping us plan such a wonderful adventure, and to MetroFamily Magazine for giving us this incredible opportunity.
Thanks for reading!
The Kubes
Jen Kubes is a mom of three, a blogger and owner of The Neon Creative. Her House of Kubes blog is a creative space where Jen shares about motherhood, fashion, travel, baking and all the things that bring her joy.
