ne of summer’s biggest challenges is keeping the kiddos busy. Can’t have them just hanging around the house all day, face-first in a tablet. Well, we can…but we like to change things up a little. Tire them out at Bolder Adventure Park at Epic Cen- tral: this Grand Prairie park has it all, including ice skat- ing, a play area, adventure nets, tubing slides, bumper cars, ropes courses and zip lines, climbing adventures, free fall experiences, archery and an arcade. Tickets start at $14.99 and range to $49.99, depending on the attractions you want to conquer. Annual passes are also available. The Heritage Farmstead Museum in Plano makes a great day trip for the kids, allowing them to explore nature and connect with area history. Celebrating 50 years of heritage preservation and education. The Heritage Farmstead Museum is the premier North Texas Museum interpreting farm life and agricultural history. Step back in time to the 1890s and see what life was like for North Texas farmers; view the farm- house, furnished with Victorian pieces and period domestic items, including tools and farm equipment. Explore the four-acre Blackland Prairie farmstead site and a one-room schoolhouse. Hours of operation are Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10am – 2pm. Docent guided tours are $10 and self-guided grounds tours are $5. The museum comes alive with educational programs, field trips and special events throughout the year. The historic treasure is available to rent for weddings, private parties, and special occasions. Four beautiful- ly landscaped acres host the Nationally Accredited Landmark Museum, which includes the historic Far- rell-Wilson Home, a one-room schoolhouse, a farm shop, a prairie garden, sheep, chickens, pigs and more. For something with a little more dramatic flair, KD Conservatory and Studio offers a variety of camps, classes and workshops for children and teens; private coaching is also available for the theatrically-inclined. Browse offerings at kdstudio.com. The Greater Denton Arts Council offers fun family programming on Saturdays, indoor picnics on the first Friday of every month, summer camps and exhibi- tions at the Patterson-Appleton Arts Center, featuring art works in a variety of mediums for kids (and their grown-ups to explore). Visit dentonarts.com. The Irving Arts Center also has a variety of offerings to keep your family busy; from art-themed summer camp offerings to plays, comedy shows, open stu- dio for teens, storytimes, family fun days and musical performances, there’s something for everyone in your household to enjoy. Find details at irvingartscenter. com. And finally, Meow Wolf will be bringing its surreal and immersive artscape to Grapevine beginning Friday, July 14; if you’ve never had the pleasure of visiting one of their permanent installations in Santa Fe, Las Vegas or Denver, you’ll be blown away by this visual feast. Kids can spend hours going through the creatively themed exhibits, crawling through tunnels to other worlds and solving riddles. This is definitely a family excursion that will keep everyone buzzing for days. O Heritage Farmstead Museum SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER 26 DALLAS OBSERVER • SUMMER GUIDE 2023
