If you’re looking for kid-friendly fun in Woodburn Oregon, you’ve found it! Whether you’re here visiting family, shopping at the Woodburn Premium Outlets, or enjoying the colors of the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival, Woodburn is great for the whole family.
Table of Contents
Woodburn is centrally located in the Willamette Valley, a half hour drive from either downtown Portland or Salem. The surrounding area is full of natural beauty, rich farmland and historic sites in small town settings. Here’s our top things to do as a family in Woodburn.
Woodburn Dragstrip
Racing fans and car enthusiasts will love this! Our oldest son loves everything with an engine, so when we took our three sons to the Dragstrip it was one of their favorite memories.
The Woodburn Dragstrip hosts racing events for hot rods, dragsters, jet cars, motorcycles, VW Bugs and more.
@dinkumtribe Our boys loved watching cars race at the drag strip in Woodburn! @dinkumtribe @dinkumtribe @dinkumtribe #dragstripracing #dragstripready #soupedup #racecars #racingcar #adhdfamilytravel #familytravelcreator #familytraveltiktoker #oregonfamily #pnwfamily #pnwfamilies #oregonfamilies #familytravelvlog #familytravelblog #familytravelblogger #familytravelvlogger #familytravelinfluencer #travelwithkids #familyadventures ♬ original sound – DinkumTribe ADHD family travel
The main season runs from March through October, and hours vary seasonally. Be sure to bring earplugs for kids and those with sound sensitivities!
Updates on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/woodburndragstrip
Woodburn Premium Outlets
Woodburn Premium Outlets can be a great kid-friendly outing. With family-friendly stores like the Disney Outlet, Build-A-Bear, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and more, the Outlets are a good place to hang out on rainy days.
The Funtastic Arcade inside the Outlets has all kinds of arcade games like Mario Kart, Guitar Hero, and more. Kids and adults will love trying out the claw machines or playing Skeeball together when they need a break from shopping.
If you’re visiting from outside Oregon, you’ll love tax-free shopping at the Woodburn Outlets. Plus, you can find a great deal on Oregon souvenirs at the Made in Oregon store or the Pendleton store.
Woodburn’s beautiful parks and playgrounds
@dinkumtribe This was so much fun for our boys! #dinosaursarecool #dinosaurpark #dinosaurio #dinosaurus🦖🦕🦖 #playgroundfun #parksandplaygrounds #creativeplayground @dinkumtribe @dinkumtribe @dinkumtribe #adhdfamilytravel #familytravelcreator #familytraveltiktoker #oregonfamily #pnwfamily #pnwfamilies #oregonfamilies #familytravelvlog #familytravelblog ♬ Jurassic Park – The Original Movies Orchestra
Legion Park
Legion Park first caught our attention as the “Fossil Park.” We were looking for something fun and different to do with the kids, and the online photos and reviews sold us on Legion Park.
Our younger children loved climbing around on the Pleistocene-themed play equipment! There are some interpretive plaques nearby that tell the story of ancient plant and animal life found in the Woodburn area, including an ice age bison skeleton in 2008.
Legion Park also has sports fields, picnic tables and a covered pavilion, exercise equipment, and walking paths that wind through a fir tree grove. In August the Fiesta Mexicana is held at Legion Park (details further down in the post).
@dinkumtribe We had a great day exploring this beautiful old park in Woodburn, Oregon. #adhdfamilytravel #familytravelcreator #familytraveltiktoker #oregonfamily #pnwfamily #pnwfamilies #oregonfamilies #familytravelvlog #familytravelblog #familytravelblogger #familytravelvlogger #familytravelinfluencer #travelwithkids @dinkumtribe #dinosaurplay #dinosaurplace #fossiltok ♬ Try Everything (From "Zootopia") – Movie Sounds Unlimited
Centennial Park (splash pad & dog park)
Centennial Park is a community meeting place for the city of Woodburn, and hosts a big 4th of July event every summer. It has plenty of sports fields, a playground, a dog park, a splash pad and a picnic shelter. Note that the splash pad is active only during the summer months.
Settlemier Park (skate park)
Settlemier Park has a playground, walking paths, covered picnic shelters, and a beautiful fir tree grove. There’s also a skate park with rails, ramps and bowls for your skater kids to enjoy. Settlemier Park is right behind the Woodburn Aquatic Center.
Woodburn Aquatic Center
Woodburn’s Aquatic Center offers fitness classes, swim lessons and more year-round. Besides a standard lap pool, there’s also a wading pool, a water slide, a rope swing, spa and saunas. This would make a great place for kids and teens to burn off energy indoors on a rainy day.
Mill Creek Greenway Trail and Hermanson Pond
This collection of trails and park areas includes several paved walking paths and gravel paths around Hermanson Pond. The pond is home to wildfowl and small wildlife with a viewing deck so visitors can enjoy the natural setting. There’s also a playground with a rock wall feature at Hermanson Park.
Historic SP1785 Locomotive
The Historic SP1785 Locomotive sits at the heart of Old Town Woodburn alongside active train tracks. It’s a 1902 steam engine that’s been beautifully restored as a tribute to Woodburn’s railroad history.
It’s fenced to protect it, but our kids still enjoyed looking all around it.
@dinkumtribe This beautiful restored historic locomotive in Woodburn Oregon, is a fun place to stop right across the street from the old town. @DinkumTribe ADHD family travel @DinkumTribe ADHD family travel @DinkumTribe ADHD family travel #oregontravelideas #oregonhistory #locomotive #familytravelblogger ♬ Train Travel – ZydSounds
Woodburn Historical Museum & Bungalow Theater
At the Woodburn Historical Museum, visitors can learn all about the events that shaped this city. From ice age bison, to the indigenous Kalapuya peoples, to Jesse Settlemier and the railroad, the museum has artifacts, photos and artwork to tell the story of Woodburn.
The Bungalow Theater next door houses some movie history and artifacts, and also serves as a community gathering place for special events.
Special Events and Activities
Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm (spring)
Every spring, Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm hosts TulipFEST, with acres of gorgeous tulips in bloom. This popular attraction is one of our favorite springtime activities to enjoy with kids and adults of all ages.
Besides the vibrant tulip fields, there’s also carnival rides, wooden shoe carving demos, farm fun and tulips for sale. The gift shop is full of cute garden, tulip and wooden shoe themed items, so don’t forget to check it out, too. Other special activities include hot air balloons and giant kites.
Wooden Shoe Vineyards has a wine tasting room in the Red Barn where you can enjoy small bites along with a glass of Oregon Pinot Noir. For adults, you can also take a wine and tulip tour. The gift shop and Vineyards are open most of the year.
@dinkumtribe I’ve visited the TulipFest multiple times with an infant, and with young children. These are my best suggestions for a fun and memorable day with neurodivergent kids. It’s important to know ahead of time that you aren’t allowed to pick your own tulips (to protect the bulbs for future years). Also, you’re not supposed to run through the rows, or even walk through the rows. Burning off the excess energy before going to the fields was really helpful for my boys so that they could comply with the rules. We had a fantastic visit! #tulipfest2024 #tiptoethroughthetulips #oregontulipfestival #oregontulips #oregontulips #woodenshoetulipfestival #neurodivergentkids #parenthack #autismmom @Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm @DinkumTribe ADHD family travel @DinkumTribe ADHD family travel @DinkumTribe ADHD family travel ♬ original sound – DinkumTribe ADHD family travel
Taste of Woodburn at Downtown Plaza (June)
Taste of Woodburn is a weekend festival in June that brings together food, vendors and music. See the website for details about the specific offerings each year.
Fiesta Mexicana (August)
Fiesta Mexicana celebrates Woodburn’s Mexican heritage with a 3-day event in Legion Park. A parade, lucha libre, a soccer tournament and a car show are just a few of the fun things to experience at the Fiesta. This event is free for kids.
More places to visit within a short drive of Woodburn
French Prairie Gardens (St. Paul)
French Prairie Gardens is a popular place to purchase farm produce, enjoy a light meal and local brews, or buy plants for your garden. Seasonal events for families include a pumpkin patch with lots of kid-friendly activities and pig races, sunflower fields, a tulip event and more.
Bauman’s Farm (Gervais)
Bauman’s Farm is one of our kids’ favorite places to visit! You can pet farm animals, play in the giant play area, ride mini tractors and enjoy fresh apple cider donuts. The activities are free for kids with a $20 purchase.
Bauman’s has one of the best-rated pumpkin patches around in the fall, including a giant pumpkin drop! Adults will enjoy the huge farm and garden store, fresh apple cider and other produce and baked goods in the farm market.
Champoeg State Park
Champoeg State Heritage Area is one of the most popular state parks in the Willamette Valley, and with good reason! Tucked along the bank of the Willamette River, Champoeg has miles of hiking and biking trails through wooded areas and around historic sites.
There’s plenty of camping available, including tent camping and RV full-hookup sites. Your family can watch for wildlife, enjoy a walk by the river, fish or kayak, or play disc golf.
At the Champoeg Visitor Center, detailed interactive exhibits tell the story of the native peoples and early settlers who lived here. Our kids loved learning a few words of the indigenous language, and trying on pioneer clothes!
Nearby family-friendly cities
Silverton
Silverton has plenty of things for families to do together. The Oregon Garden is a gorgeous botanical garden with several sections, including a whimsical children’s garden. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Gordon House is located on the grounds as well, though it’s best for older kids or teens and adults.
Silverton is known as the city of the Falls because it’s also the gateway to Silver Falls State Park, one of the best loved state parks in the Pacific Northwest.
Silver Falls State Park has something for everyone, with playgrounds, hiking trails, biking, horseback riding, old growth tree climbing and the Trail of Ten Falls.
Silverton is about 25 minutes from Woodburn, while Silver Falls State Park is about 40 minutes away.
Mt. Angel
Mount Angel is known for its Oktoberfest, an annual family-friendly harvest festival on the second weekend in September.
Our kids had a blast at Oktoberfest, watching the performances, seeing the car show and playing in the free Kinderland.
Mount Angel Abbey is also an interesting place for families to visit. This seminary has beautiful grounds, including a paved walking path that follows the Stations of the Cross.
There’s also a fascinating museum open some weekdays that has all sorts of curiosities (admission by donation).
Molalla
Molalla is best known for its Buckeroo Rodeo over the 4th of July, but there’s plenty of other kid-friendly activities in Molalla year-round. Several excellent public parks, including a splash pad and skatepark, provide good options for families.
Molalla also has a miniature train park that offers free rides on Sundays from about May through October. For paintball fans, the Splat Action paintball facility is one of the oldest and largest paintball destinations in the Pacific Northwest.
What will you do in Woodburn with your kids?
Whether you’re climbing fossils at Legion Park or watching hot rods race at the Dragstrip, Woodburn provides plenty of great ways to have fun. And once you’ve explored Woodburn, check out our other posts about kid-friendly cities in the Willamette Valley:
- Kid-friendly things to do in Molalla
- Family activities in Silverton
- Indoor things to do with kids in Salem
- McMinnville family guide
©️ Copyright Jennifer D. Warren 2025.
