The Ultimate Guide to Family Fun in Shreveport-Bossier

Whether you’re a local parent or planning a trip to Shreveport-Bossier with kids, this guide has something for every age and stage. From toddler-friendly play spaces to activities for teens, here are our favorites for family fun in Shreveport-Bossier and the surrounding areas.

Things to do with toddlers and preschoolers in Shreveport-Bossier.

When my family and I first moved to the ArkLaTex, I had a 2.5 year old son and a newborn. In those early years, all of our exploring and adventuring was focused on things that were family friendly things for littles. Here are our favorite things for families with preschoolers and toddlers:

• POP Children’s Museum at Sci-Port – It’s great for all ages but there is also a specific children’s museum inside for kids age 8 and under. It’s adorable. My son would play with the “fire hose” for hours. It’s nice to have a space just for the little ones.
• Moor Coffee – This coffee shop is on the backside of Broadmoor Baptist Church on Youree Drive. It’s a great place to enjoy delicious coffee and they have an indoor (enclosed in glass and clean) play area for children 10 and under.
• Sprout Play Cafe – Sprout is a new business in Shreveport that just opened. It’s an indoor, imaginative play center for children ages 6 and under. There is also an espresso bar and boutique inside.
• Altitude Trampoline Park – this Bossier City trampoline park has time set aside for toddlers from 10 AM to 1 PM on weekdays.
• Adventure Trampoline Park – Shreveport trampoline park with toddler time on a rotating schedule, check their website for details.

More fun for preschoolers.

• Shreveport Aquarium – This spot has been one of our favorites since it opened. There’s really something for everyone and all ages. The tunnel you can walk under is especially magical for younger children. They have special events throughout the year as well.
• Red River Wildlife Refuge – a national wildlife refuge right on the Red River. There is a nature and visitor center, trails, and a children’s garden. They have various events throughout the year, follow their Facebook Page for updates. Here’s a video of the visitor center.
• Walter B Jacobs Nature Park – While it’s currently closed for renovations and updates, you’ll want to follow this page on Facebook. It’s scheduled to reopen at the end of the summer and will have a new nature center at this 9 acre park.
• Thrifty Peanut/Book Warehouse – This is a massive used bookstore that has an equally expansive (and awesome) children’s section! It’s cozy, inviting, and has a huge assortment of books for kids of all ages. They also have games, records, books on every genre, and more. See a video here.

Things to do with elementary-aged kids.

There are lots of great places for family fun in Shreveport-Bossier for elementary aged children as well. Some of the places listed earlier overlap with this group as well because they’re really great for multiple age groups. Here are some more fun things to do:

• Surge Entertainment Center – This is a current favorite for my kids. It’s a massive entertainment center with an arcade, bowling alley, obstacle course, laser tag, sports simulators and more. It’s really great for all ages.
• Hot Wheels of Wonder – Indoor roller skating rink.
• Sci-Port Discovery Museum – Gallery of Intrigue, IMAX and Planetarium. Sci-Port is great for all ages and there is something for everyone. Be sure to add an IMAX viewing to your itinerary.
• Gators and Friends – Exotic animal zoo and adventure park in Greenwood, Louisiana.

Family fun in Shreveport-Bossier for middle and high school kids.

• Surge Entertainment Center – This spot is really great for all age groups. For the older kids, there are sports simulators, bowling, laser tag, and some VR (immersive) games. A tip – there’s a restaurant onsite too. Take a book and relax while the older kids go play.
• Risen Rock Climbing Gym – Unanimously, one of our favorite places in Bossier City. This indoor rock climbing gym has auto belay systems so no belay partner needed. There is a kids area, multiple route options for more advanced climbers, bouldering sections, a speed climbing route, and a huge boulder in the middle you can climb up and stand on. They also do birthday parties and special events.
• George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum – home of Shreveport Mudbugs hockey! They also offer leagues, lessons, and more in all different types of ice sports. Plus, birthday parties, school trips and homeschool field trips.
• Road Rage Room – Did you know there is a mobile rage room in Shreveport? A rage room is a room where you get to don some protective gear, head into a room with random things, and smash them to bits with a bat or other tool. Contact them to see where they’re parked or set up your own private event.
• Escape SBC – This escape room business has two locations, one in Bossier City and one in Shreveport. Each location has different escape room options. Most of the escape rooms are rated for age 13 and up.
• Off Limits Paintball – can accommodate groups large and small, 10 different (themed) playing fields, walk ons allowed but reservations are preferred. They do have group discounts and the fees include everything you need, including the safety gear.

Seasonal family activities.

There are ways to enjoy family fun in Shreveport-Bossier all year round, including some unique seasonal activities. From fall fun, to scary-ish, to Christmas lights, and Mardi Gras for everyone, there are many things to try. Here are some of our favorites based on season.

Fall

The weather finally starts to cool off and it’s a great time to enjoy some fall themed family fun in Shreveport-Bossier.

• Red River Revel – annual arts and music festival that runs multiple weekends at the end of September and beginning of October.
• Pirates! at the Shreveport Aquarium – a pirate theme takes over the Shreveport Aquarium and it’s a delightfully fun fall theme.
• Dixie Maze Farms – 2025 will be the last season for this delightful and charming fall farm in Shreveport. Our family loves the corn maze!

Winter

There are some really wonderful annual events that happen in the winter months in Shreveport-Bossier. See a full list here, and some of our favorites are listed below.

• Rockets Over the Red – an annual festival at Riverfront Park that includes music, fireworks, and the lighting of the Christmas Tree.
• Believe! At the Shreveport Aquarium – Christmas magic takes over the Shreveport Aquarium with this fun annual event. There are special character meet and greets and it’s a super fun event to add to your seasonal family fun in Shreveport-Bossier.
• Christmas in Roseland – The American Rose Center has a very special Christmas light display every year. You can drive through the park and there is a walking section as well. Some of the highlights are a massive LED Christmas tree, fireworks on Saturdays in December, s’mores, visits with Santa, a mini train, and a bar for 21+.

Spring

Mardi Gras in is one of the best spring events for family fun in Shreveport-Bossier. This annual festival always has a family focus and most of the parades and events are always open for everyone. One of our favorites is the Krewe of Barkus and Meow pet parade. Here are some other things to know:

• Visit Shreveport Bossier has a full Mardi Gras guide here.
• Tubb’s Hardware is a MUST visit for all of the Mardi Gras fun. They have a huge assortment of unique beads and some delicious King Cake.
• Gluten free king cakes available at Lowder Baking Company and Lilah’s Bakery – call ahead to confirm they have some.

Summer

• Sunflower trail and festival – Annual event that happens in mid June in and around Gilliam, Louisiana. Fields of sunflowers bloom along the highway. Follow their Facebook page for event updates and bloom times.

Free and low cost fun.

For free fun, the parks, playgrounds, and art galleries will always be our favorite things. The R.W. Norton gallery is on par with some of the most amazing art galleries we’ve ever been to, and it’s entirely free! For more free things, check out this post from Visit Shreveport Bossier.

Photo ops and quirky family fun in Shreveport-Bossier.

• Art the Dalmatian – Large Dalmatian dog statue with spots that light up at night – 801 Crockett St, Shreveport, LA 71101
• The Shreveport Rooster – Yes, its’ a giant rooster statue. The corner of Hope and Texas streets in downtown Shreveport.
• Back to the Future DeLorean at Future Auto Repair – 2250 Benton Rd, Bossier City, LA 71111

Rainy (or extreme heat) day activities.

If the weather is less than ideal (too hot, rainy, or too cold) there are still plenty of fun things to do in Shreveport Bossier. A few of our favorites: Surge Entertainment Center, the R.W. Norton Art Gallery, Altitude Trampoline Park, Risen Rock Climbing Gym, walking around Bass Pro Shop, and Rhino Coffee Uptown.

Field trip day – arts focused.

Looking to appreciate some art? Here’s how to do it:

• R.W. Norton Art Gallery and Gardens – We absolutely adore this museum. They always have an incredible exhibit and the permanent collection is astounding, along with the architecture and design of the building itself! They have scavenger hunts for kids of different ages and often have movies in the park or other events in the warmer months. Free admission.
• The Clayground studio – pottery and paint studio on north Shreveport.
• High Gravity Glassworks – glass blowing studio in downtown Shreveport offering demonstrations, classes, and a gift shop.
• Sanctuary Glass Studio and Agora Borealis – Sanctuary Glass offers demonstrations and classes for glass working and Agora Borealis is right next door; it’s part gallery and part gift shop with handmade art and items. Both are worth a visit.
• SRAC ArtStation – The Shreveport Regional Arts Council is housed in a historic fire station, right by Art the Dalmatian. There’s always a neat exhibit to see on the inside.

Adventurous things to do.

Ready to level up your family fun in Shreveport-Bossier? Here are some adventures for you:

• Risen Rock Climbing Gym – You can pick your routes and choose how adventurous you’re feeling.
• Zipline at Gators and Friends – If you’re feeling brave, you can zipline over the gator pond!
• Skydive Louisiana – technically not for kids, but it’s pretty adventurous. 18 and up only, see their website for more details.

Educational things to do in Shreveport-Bossier.

As a homeschool family, our adventures and field trips often have an educational focus. Some of the family fun in Shreveport-Bossier can include these museums and learning opportunities:

• Chimp Haven – Did you know that Shreveport is home to the largest chimpanzee sanctuary in the world? It’s not always open to the public, so you’ll have to watch their social pages and check their website for when tours are available. They are not low cost, but the money goes directly towards caring for 300 chimps.
• Shreveport Observatory – managed by the Shreveport Bossier Astronomical Society. Follow their Facebook page for star parties and other events.
• Red River Wildlife Refuge – The visitor center has excellent displays about the local flora and fauna.
• Louisiana State Exhibit Museum – a history museum in a stunning art deco design building.
• Herbert S Ford Memorial Museum – history and auto museum in downtown Shreveport.
• Shreveport Water Works Museum – A national historic landmark museum.
• J Bennett Johnson Regional Waterway Museum – Free museum about the Red River, pairs well with Sci-Port and the Shreveport Aquarium.
• Krewe of Gemini Mardi Gras Museum

Favorite restaurants in Shreveport-Bossier.

There are tons of amazing restaurants in Shreveport-Bossier and the food scene is pretty great. The places we frequent are places that have gluten free options and can accommodate for food allergies because I have Celiac Disease and lots of allergies. So, while we haven’t visited all of the hot spots in Shreveport, these are a few of our favorites.

• Ki Mexico
• Zuzol Coastal Cuisine
• Whole Foods deli and restaurant

My favorite coffee shops.

Anytime we travel, no matter where we are headed, the first thing that I look for are local coffee shops. There are lots of them in Shreveport-Bossier, including some I haven’t even been to yet! Here are some of my favorites:

• Rhino Coffee
• Moor Coffee
• Coffee on the Red
• XO Coffee – very cute aesthetic

An ideal day trip with preschool age kids.

If you’re feeling up for a full day of adventure, a combination of Sci-Port and the Shreveport Aquarium is a great option! You can pack a lunch and enjoy it by the river between stops. Then, grab a coffee from Rhino Coffee Downtown before heading home. Another option is Moor Coffee or Sprout Play Cafe before hitting up shops on Youree Drive, including Thrifty Peanut Bookshop.

Day trip with middle school and high school kids.

I would still have both Sci-Port and the Shreveport Aquarium as an option for older kids, though Sci-Port has more for them to do, the aquarium may not hold their interest. I would start at Coffee on the Red, then head to Risen Rock Climbing Gym, before hitting up Sci-Port or heading to other places on Youree Drive.

Family fun in Shreveport-Bossier.

Northwest Louisiana has plenty of adventures for families I hope this ultimate guide to family fun in Shreveport-Bossier has been helpful for you! If there’s anything that I missed or something that should be added, let me know! Email me at nichole@arklatexadventures.com.

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