5 Family Activities in North Tahoe That Do Not Involve Skiing

Kid Friendly Activities in North Tahoe

Let’s face it; skiing is expensive. Between the cost of the equipment, lift tickets and the various refreshments required throughout the day, a day of skiing can break the bank quickly!  Many families like to vacation in Lake Tahoe but can’t deal with the $100-plus per day cost of skiing, and that is per kid!

Luckily, Tahoe is more than an adult playground.  There are museums, arcades, ice-skating, and family fun centers for the whole family to enjoy! So here we go with our Top 5 list:

1. Museums
• Fleischmann Planetarium – The planetarium is open all year.  Fleishmann’s hosts a planetarium show with stars and planets as well as movies on climbers ascending Mt. Everest and the Antarctic.
• Wilbur D. May Great Basin Adventure – This museum consists of the treasures Wilbur May collected on his world travels. Most visitors agree that the highlight of the museum is the room with his big-game hunting trophies.  There is also a petting zoo, pony rides, an old-fashioned log ride and a mine where kids can pan for gold.  As if that weren’t enough entertainment, there are also dinosaur replicas for climbing, and indoor gardens with ponds and a waterfall.
• National Automobile Museum – This museum has over 200 cars in 4 galleries.  They have the 1949 Mercury James Dean drove in the Reel Without a Cause and an Indy 500 race ar.  The museum is set with four period street settings, so you can have your picture taken in an old car with an authentic background.  They even have loaner period clothes!
2. Amusements Parks and Rides
• Ultimate Rush Thrill Ride- Do you like hang gliding?  Do you like skydiving?  How about a ride that combines both?  The Ultimate Rush ride straps its riders in for a 65 mile per hour free-fall, clearing the ground by a mere six feet. A second ride is it a reverse-bungee, with two people strapped in a steel cage, which is then hurled into the air by a sling-shot at 70 mph.
• Boomtown Family Fun Center – Packed with 200 video and arcade games, Boomtown is more than just an arcade. There is also a 9-hole miniature golf course, merry go-round, indoor Ferris wheel AND a theater with hydraulically activated seats that react with the movie on the screen.
3. Arcades and Games
• Grand Sierra Resort and Casino fun Quest – With over 125 video games to its credit, the Grand Sierra arcade is home to all manner of kids and kids-at-heart. In addition to traditional video games, there is a laser tag battlefield.
• Circus Circus Hotel – In the second floor if the casino is a circus and carnival complete with clowns, trapeze artists and tightrope walkers.  There are also carnival games, and video and arcade games.
• Harveys Lake Tahoe Casino and Resort – There are over 180 games in the Virtual Forest Arcade.  Half of game a re interactive video and the balance are redemption games.
4. Skating
• Ice Skating – Northstar-At-Tahoe ice skating offers complimentary skating on a 9,000 square foot rink tucked amount the quaint shops at the Village at Northstar.
• Indoor In-Line Skating – Roller Kingdom is the place to be for indoor in-line skating.  Roller Kingdom snack bar and video arcade, too.
5. Movie Theaters
• Century Theaters – There are three century Theaters in the Tahoe area.  Check out their website for movie listings and times.

Tagged as: family, lake tahoe