17 Kid-Friendly Things to do in Fort Pierce
Some of our favorite kid-friendly things to do in Fort Pierce are free!
St. Lucie County is the most populous county in the Treasure Coast, and there are several kid-friendly activities in Fort Pierce.
Published: April 2024
We love exploring our community, and have been searching for the best family things to do! Here is a helpful list of places and activities for kids in Fort Pierce. Be sure to check back often, as the list grows with the community!
Related Post: 50 Favorite Things to do on the Treasure Coast with Kids
Heathcote Botanical Gardens
Botanical gardens are always great places to take kids because adults get to enjoy it, too! Taking a stroll through this beautiful garden is a great idea for an afternoon outdoors. The Children’s garden includes a seating area and stage for shows and story time, and outdoor musical equipment, playhouses, a fairy garden, whimsical art pieces, and more. You can go for a scavenger hunt, have a picnic under a shaded tree, take a guided nature walk, or attend a Childrens activity. Leashed pets are allowed on the property.
- $10 Adults – $8 (65+)
- $3 Ages 6 to 12 (Children Under 6 Free) Free for Members, Veterans, and Retired & Active First Responders with I.D. (excluding special fundraisers)
- Accessible – Wheelchairs Available
Fort Pierce Playgrounds
We spent a lot of fun time trying to find the best playgrounds in Fort Pierce, and these are the best two:
Related Post: The Best Playgrounds on the Treasure Coast
Kid’s Crossing (Rotary Park)
23rd St & Virginia Ave
(Fenced in; Some shade; Mulch; Restrooms)
(Fenced in; No shade; Rubber floor, Restrooms)
I love this playgound! I just wish it was shaded. It’s right near the water, so swimming, fishing, boating and all of that are available. There is a toddler playground (pictured) and one for bigger kids. The equipment here is new, well-made and thoughtful designed. There is a zipline that the kids love! I just wish they had put shade overhead!
Jaycee Park- Fort Pierce
Manatee Observation Center
The best place to spot manatees is Fort Pierce! They get 300-400 manatees per year. The “cold” months are the best times to go, as manatees do not like or tolerate cold water, and will travel all the way down the U.S east coast as early as November, to stay warm. The nature/education center has a touch-tank, activities, an 800-gallon aquarium with unique marine-life and other tanks with reptiles.
There is no shortage of information on manatees. Outside has two stories for spotting manatees up high. There is also a small butterfly garden overlooking the marina, and it is such a nice place to hang-out and spend some time. They have a great gift shop, too!
U.S Navy Seal Museum
Located on the training grounds of the original Navy combat divers, the Frogmen; the National Navy SEAL Museum is the only museum dedicated solely to preserving the history of the United States Navy SEALs and their predecessors. The museum achieved national stature in 2007, and serves as a landmark for tourists and visitors.
Things to do here for kids: interactive exhibits, combat vehicles and tanks that can be explored on or sat in, outdoor helicopter and boats, plenty of memorabilia and seal weaponry, collections of artifacts, and a Navy Seal obstacle course where you can test your skills and strength, or otherwise, burn some energy.
Other things to know: This museum is located right next to a playground and a beach! Pepper Park Beach is a nice beach in Fort Pierce with mostly shallow waters, and serves as a popular place for pickle ball and as a spot for snorkelers. The playground itself does not have shade, but it’s a nice option if you are planning to go to the museum.
FAU Harbor Branch
This research facility and campus for marine biology students is 144 acres large, has an interactive visitors center, a pontoon boat tour, a tram tour, and serves as a growing hub for seagrass, seaweed, fish, and more.
We did the 36 foot passenger pontoon boat tour, which was led by a marine biologist! She gave us a guided tour as we cruised down the Indian River Lagoon, and we were lucky enough to spot two dolphins!
This is an educational boat tour that is great for families, especially if you have kids that will sit and appreciate the views, shells, and marine-life that they catch from the bottom of the lagoon and bring onboard. My 3 year old loved it!
If you want to experience the tram tour, you’ll get to see the emergency medical service truck that they use to rescue injured whales and dolphins, as well as other interesting exhibits.
I also recommend booking the boat tour for visitors from out of town, so they can learn a little about Florida marine and wildlife!
Walk the Jetty
The Fort Pierce Jetty is a large boardwalk with views of the ocean! We love walking the jetty after going to one of the restaurants in the area. Most of this area is walkable. We’ve done this a couple times, and one of our itinerary’s was having an early dinner at the Manatee Bar and Grill, where we had ocean views, then walking east toward the jetty.
There is a playground and beach just west of the restaurant. (South Causeway Beach) and then as you get closer to the jetty, there is another little beach that is better for just collecting shells or taking a stroll.
South Causeway Beach is very popular because the water is shallow and if you can find parking, the sand is really close by, so there’s not much distance to lug all of your beach gear. Parking can get tricky here, but you can also look for parking more south near the Museum Pointe Park sign. Speaking of Museum, there is in fact, a museum.
Smithsonian Marine Station
The Smithsonian is a facility of the National Museum of Natural History, and is a complex of research, education and innovation. We are lucky to have a small slice of that at our museum in Fort Pierce! It features marine-life from the Indian River Lagoon and Atlantic Ocean. While the museum is small, you can visit the touch tank, and enjoy hands-on interactive activities.
Adults: $4.25
55+: $3.25
Children 4 to 17 years old: $3.25
Children under 4 are free.
Farmers Market
Related Post: Farmers Markets on the Treasure Coast
Downtown Fort Pierce Farmers Market is every Saturday-8 a.m-12pm, rain or shine in Historic Downtown Fort Pierce at Marina Square just across from the Fort Pierce Library. This market is highly rated. We love fresh flowers from local florists, honey, produce, meat, incredible bread and so much more. This market is along the water. There is another market that you can walk to (the Jazz Society Arts and Crafts Market.) You’ll find plenty of free parking at the Avenue A Parking Garage next to City Hall (between Avenue A and Orange Ave.) There is also a free shuttle every 15 minutes from 8am to 12pm.
Guided kayak tour
We had an amazing time on our kayak tour with Rivers to Ocean Kayaking. Our tour guides/owners were wonderful, and informative about native Florida wildlife. The best part about kayaking with kids,was the sandbar that we were led to. After sight-seeing and kayaking through the mangroves, we touched our feet on some sand and shallow water, which made the kids excited to splash and play with some water toys.
My other suggestion is booking your kayak in Fort Pierce with Get up and Go Kayaking. On this Kayaking adventure, you get to see so much with clear bottom kayaks! It’s so neat being able to see right through your kayak into the clear water.
Drive-In Movie at Treasure Coast Park and Watch
Have you ever been to a drive-in threatre? This is so fun for everyone, especially little kids who get to sit on comfortable pallets in the trunk and watch a fun movie. Tune in on your FM radio or listen to it on their loud speakers. The concession stands offer food and drinks including popcorn, soda, candy, pizza, hot dogs, and ice cream!
Beach Tours on Horseback
If your kiddo is 10 years and up, they can ride a horse on the beach! This is fun for a day date too, but I wanted to include something for older kids on this list of kid-friendly things to in Fort Pierce.
Fort Pierce Inlet State Park
Related Post: Best Florida Kid-Friendly Beaches for families
One of our favorite beaches is Fort Pierce Inlet State Park. It’s on the Northside. If you see South Causeway, you need to get on the other side. This beach is in a state park, so it’s maintained and kept clean. There is also an $8 fee to park, which sometimes defers people but it’s worth it to us!
Places to eat with kids in Fort Pierce
Cream Republic is the best place to get Ice Cream near the beach on a hot summer day! So creamy and lots of flavors.
By far our favorite place to get pizza in Fort Pierce is Pie hole. This wood-fired pizza is delicious! They use a special NY water filter for their dough. The kids menu has the best sphagetti and meatballs that my kids like to share. I also love their salads. Definitely check it out!
Archie’s Seabreeze is a fun, tropical outdoor dining spot with a laidback vibe. They offer a kids menu for children under 12, and an interactive “Selfie scavenger hunt” with a treasure chest prize at the end. Children are welcomed to play cornhole or ring games.
Storytime at a Fort Pierce Library
Here is a one-stop shop link to all of the library schedules on the Treasure Coast. The Kilmer branch is located downtown Fort Pierce right in front of the water. The location makes a great spot for grabbing a coffee at Old Florida Coffee Co. and going to rhythm and movement.
Check out: 50 Favorite Things to do on the Treasure Coast with Kids
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