The 2014 list of Family Fun magazine travel awards has been released, highlighting the best destinations around the country. We always enjoy comparing our little black book of travel destinations versus our bucket list to see where we should take our family.
Items bolded are locations we have been, with or without the kids.
Top 12 Favorite Family Destinations
1. Magic Kingdom Park
2. Universal’s Islands of Adventure
3. Orlando, Florida
4. The Strong Museum
5. Mount Rushmore National Memorial
6. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
7. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
8. Toledo Zoo
9. Yellowstone National Park
10. National Mall and Memorial Parks
11. San Antonio, Texas
12. Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
Top 10 National Parks and Preserves
1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC & TN
2. Yellowstone National Park, WY, MT, & ID
3. Mammoth Cave National Park, KY
4. Yosemite National Park, CA
5. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, MN
6. Acadia National Park, ME
7. Zion National Park, UT
8. Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
9. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, MI
10. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND
Top 10 Family Museums
1. The Strong Museum, Rochester, NY
2. Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, Chicago, IL
3. Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN
4. American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
5. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC
6. The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA
7. The Field Museum, Chicago, IL
8. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC
9. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Cooperstown, NY
10. Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia, PA
Top 10 Historic Sites
1. Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Keystone, SD
2. National Mall and Memorial Parks, Washington, DC
3. The White House, Washington, DC
4. Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Springfield, IL
5 . World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument (includes Pearl Harbor Visitors’ Center and 8 other sites in 3 states), HI, AK, CA
6. Statue of Liberty National Monument/Ellis Island, NY and NJ
7. Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT
8. Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, Fishers, IN
9. Minute Man National Historical Park, Concord and Lexington, MA
10. National September 11 Memorial and Museum, New York, NY
Top 10 Kid-Friendly Cities
1. Orlando, FL
2. San Antonio, TX
3. San Diego, CA
4. New York, NY
5. Washington, DC
6. Portland, ME
7. Boston, MA
8. Chicago, IL
9. Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
10. San Francisco, CA
Top 10 Theme Parks
1. Magic Kingdom Park, Orlando, FL
2. Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Orlando, FL
3. Disneyland Park, Anaheim, CA
4. Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH
5. Universal Studios Florida, Orlando, FL
6. Disney California Adventure, Anaheim, CA
7. Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Orlando, FL
8. Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Orlando, FL
9. Kings Island, Mason, OH
10. Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA
Top 10 Zoos and Aquariums
1. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Omaha, NE
2. Toledo Zoo, Toledo, OH
3. Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, IL
4. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL
5. SeaWorld, San Diego, CA
6. SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, FL
7. Fort Worth Zoo, Fort Worth, TX
8. Bronx Zoo, Bronx, NY
9. San Diego Zoo, San Diego, CA
10. SeaWorld San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
There are quite a bit of differences between the 2014 and 2013 Family Fun lists. I like seeing how our family aligns with the recommendations, as well as get ideas about new locations.
How have your family travels related to the list?
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Source: InACents