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Summer means warmer weather, more time together as a family… and lots of free time. After the hectic pace of the school year, this more relaxed lifestyle is often welcomed at the beginning of the summer, but as the weeks pass by, most families start looking for things to do outside the home. In order to help you find fun and educational ways to thrive with your children this summer at home or away, we’ve compiled a list of free things to do this summer in the Southeast. The best part is that they are all either free or very inexpensive. May your summer be full of water fun, reading good books, watching great movies, and listening to beautiful music!
Note: This list is accurate as of May 2023. Please be sure to check the websites before you go somewhere!
300+ Free Things to Do This Summer in the Southeast
Nationwide Events
- Krispy Kreme National Doughnut Day – June 2, 2023
- Cinemark Summer Movie Club – $1.50 movies
- Regal Cinema Summer Movie Express – $2 movies in select cities
- Kids Bowl Free – 2 free bowling games per day
- Barnes & Noble Summer Reading
- Kids Skate Free – Passes to Skate All Summer at participating rinks
- Home Depot Kids’ Workshops
- Vacation Bible Schools—check local listings
Alabama
Birmingham (Southern Savers Top 25 Free Things to Do in Birmingham)
- Birmingham Museum of Art
- Moss Rock Preserve
- Turkey Creek Nature Preserve
- Cahaba River
- Jemison Park Nature Trail
- Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum
- The Color Tunnel
- Museum of George Washington
- Aldridge Gardens
- Sloss Furnaces
- Kelly Ingram Park
- Cathedral of St. Paul
- Birmingham Public Library Summer Reading
- Birmingham Botanical Gardens
- Symphony in the Summer @ Railroad Park
- List of Central Alabama U-Pick Farms and Orchards
Huntsville/Decatur
- Concerts in the Park
- Huntsville Splash Pad
- Huntsville-Madison County Public Library Summer Reading
- Huntsville and Northern Alabama U-Pick Farms and Orchards
- July 4th Spirit of America Festival
- Decatur Geocaching Passport
Mobile/Gulf Shores
- Mobile Public Library Summer Reading
- Mobile-area U-Pick Farms and Orchards
- Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo
- Balloon Festival
- Spectra Light Show at the Wharf
- Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge
Montgomery
- Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site
- Alabama Department of Archives and History
Arkansas
Little Rock (Southern Savers Top 25 Free Things to Do in Little Rock)
- River Market Concerts and Movies
- Burns Park
- Official Visitors Center
- Little Rock Central High School
- Historic Arkansas Museum
- MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History
- Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden
- Central Arkansas Nature Center
- Mount Holly Cemetery
- Arkansas Civil Rights History Tour
- Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
- MacArthur Park
- Arkansas River Trail
- Pinnacle Mountain State Park
- Old State House Museum
- Plantation Agriculture Museum
- Central Arkansas Library System Summer Reading Club
- List of U-Pick Farms and Orchards in Pulaski County
- Peabody Splash Pad @ Riverfront Park
- Arkansas Entertainers’ Hall of Fame
Northeastern Arkansas
Florida
Jacksonville
- U-Pick Farms in Northern Florida
- Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve
- Jacksonville Public Library programs
- Jacksonville Beach community events
- South Beach Park/Playground/Splash Pad
- Jacksonville Skyway
Miami (Southern Savers Top 25 Free Things to Do in Miami)
- Free Splash Pads in South Florida
- Free Movies @ SoundScape
- U-Pick Farms in Southeast Florida
- The Library for Children
- Free Events at the Arsht Center
Orlando (Southern Savers Top 25 Free Things to Do in Orlando)
- Winter Park Community Playground
- Phillips Community Park and Splash Pad
- Lake Eola community events
- Cranes Roost Park free movies
- Orange County Regional History Center—free from 5-8 pm on the third Thursday of the month
- The Morse Museum of American Art
- Rollins Museum of Art
- Mead Botanical Gardens
St. Petersburg/Tampa
- Dell Holmes Park Splash pad
- Sunsets at Pier 60 free events
- U-Pick Farms in West Florida
- St. Petersburg Library System events
- Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative events
Georgia
Athens
- Bear Hollow Zoo
- UGA State Botanical Gardens
- Walker Park Splash Pad – $1 admission per person
- Athens-Clarke County Library
Atlanta (Southern Savers’ Top 25 Free Things to Do in Atlanta)
- Movies in the Park
- List of spray pools and splash pads around Atlanta
- Fulton County Library System
- U-Pick Farms in Atlanta and surrounding counties
- Best Free Summer Concerts in Atlanta
Columbus
- Riverfront Splash Pad @ Woodruff Park
- Chattahoochee Valley Library events
- Bridging the Gap Playground @ Columbus Public Library
- Columbus Museum
Savannah (Southern Savers’ Top 25 Things to Do in Savannah)
- National Wildlife Refuge
- Forsyth Park
- Live Oak Public Library events
- Skidaway Island State Park – $5 to park
- Berry Picking at Bamboo Farm
- List of parks in Savannah – look for the ones with spray pools!
Kentucky
Frankfort
Lexington
- Lexington-area Summer Reading Programs
- Listen to jazz at Moondance at Midnight
- Explore Legacy Trail
- Central Bank Thursday Night Live
- Lexington-area free summer movies
Louisville (Southern Savers Top 25 Free Things to Do in Louisville)
- Shakespeare in the Parks
- Schimpff’s Confectionary
- Louisville Splash Pads
- Louisville Nature Center
- Carnegie Center for Arts and History
- Jefferson Town Museum
- Louisville Main Street Walking Tours
- Patriots Peace Memorial
- Explore the Parklands
- Falls of the Ohio State Park Discovery Center
- Summer Reading at the Louisville Free Public Library
- Abraham Lincoln Birthplace
Louisiana
Baton Rouge (Southern Savers Top 25 Free Things to Do in Baton Rouge)
- Baton Rouge Area Guide to Splash Pads, Water Parks, and Pools
- East Baton Rouge Parish Library
- U-Pick Farms in Louisiana
Jennings
- Feed baby alligators at the Chateau des Cocodries
- Laccasine National Wildlife Refuge
- Jennings Carnegie Public Library
- U-Pick Farms in Louisiana
New Orleans (Southern Savers Top 25 Free Things to Do in New Orleans)
- Swim at one of New Orleans’ free public pools
- Play at City Park
- New Orleans Public Library events
- U-Pick Farms in Louisiana
Shreveport
Maryland
Annapolis
- City of Annapolis Summer Concert Series
- Anne Arundel County Library Summer Reading
Baltimore (Southern Savers Top 25 Free Things to Do in Baltimore)
- Hybridoma Organic Fruit Farm
- Patterson Park Summer Concert Series
- Enoch Pratt Free Library
- Days End Farm Horse Rescue
- Anita C. Leight Estuary Center
- Walters Art Museum
- Baltimore Museum of Art
Columbia
Eastern Maryland
- Assateague Island—has fee free entrance days
- Salisbury Zoo
Northern/Western Maryland
- Washington County Museum of Fine Arts
- Swallow Falls State Park
- Brookside Gardens
- Spruce Forest Artisan Village
Southern Maryland
- Mallows Bay National Marine Sanctuary
- AnnMarie Sculpture Gardens and Art Center
- Calvert Cliffs State Park
Mississippi
Biloxi/Gulfport/Bay St. Louis
- Biloxi Visitors Center
- Hurricane Katrina Memorial
- Cinema By The Shore
- Alice Moseley Folk Art Museum
- Mississippi Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Columbus
Jackson
- U-Pick Farms in Mississippi
- The Help Driving Tour
- Mississippi’s Governors Mansion
- Mississippi Museum of Art
North Carolina
Chapel Hill/Durham/Raleigh (Southern Savers Top 25 Free Things to Do in Raleigh/Durham)
- North Carolina Botanical Garden
- Chapel Hill Parks and Playgrounds
- Raleigh Water Options
- Get some exercise at Chapel Hill Skate Park
- Visit Genesis Farm
- Sarah P. Duke Gardens
- Organic Farms near Chapel Hill and Durham
- Museum Park at North Carolina Museum of Art
- U-Pick farms in North Carolina
- Wind Down Wednesdays @ Waverly Place
Charlotte (Southern Savers Top 25 Free Things to Do in Charlotte)
- Free and Cheap Swimming in the Charlotte area
- Reed Gold Mine – free admission; $3 to pan for gold
- Summer Outdoor Movies – some are free
- Charlotte Spraygrounds
- Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Summer Reading
- U-Pick farms in North Carolina
South Carolina
Charleston (Southern Savers’ Top 25 Free Things to Do in Charleston)
- Waterfront Park
- Free Walking Tours
- Charleston Tea Garden
- The Battery
- Charles Pinckney National Historic Site
- Charleston County Public Library Summer Reading
Columbia (Southern Savers Top 25 Free Things to Do in Columbia)
- Guide to Splash Pads, Spray Parks, Mist Pads, and Water Parks
- Explore Congaree National Park
- Columbia Fire Department Museum
- Virginia Hylton Park
- Columbia Canal and Riverfront Park
- McKissick Museum
- Community Park of Irmo
- SC Military Museum
- Richland Library Summer Learning Challenge
- Guide to Columbia’s pick-your-own farms
Greenville
- Furman University Music by the Lake
- Places to swim in Greenville – some are free
- Greenville County Public Library Summer Reading
- U-Pick farms in South Carolina
Tennessee
Chattanooga (Southern Savers Top 25 Free Things to Do in Chattanooga)
- Walnut Street Walking Bridge
- Explore Coolidge Park
- Trade your books at McKay’s Bookstore
- Nightfall Concert Series
- Chattanooga Swimming Holes
- Riverfront Nights
- Chattanooga Public Library events
Knoxville
- Free Outdoor Concerts
- Knoxville Splash Pad Round-Up
- Knox County Public Library children’s events
- McClung Museum
- Knoxville Museum of Art
- Museum of East Tennessee History – free on Sundays
Memphis
- Orion Free Concert Series
- Memphis Public Library storytimes and summer reading
- Shelby Farms Park Playground and Splash Pad
- Suggs Park Splash Pad
- Peabody Hotel Duck March
- Pick your own fruit at Jones Orchard
Nashville (Southern Savers Top 25 Free Things to Do in Nashville)
- Movies in the Park @ Elmington Park
- Fannie Mae Dees Park
- TN Agricultural Museum
- Fort Negley
- Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park
- Nashville Public Library Summer Challenge
- Get wet at one of Nashville’s spraygrounds
- Tennessee State Museum
- The Warner Parks
Texas
Austin (Southern Savers Top 25 FREE Things to Do in Austin)
- Visit the turtles at the UT Turtle Pond
- Mayfield Park
- Austin’s Bat Bridge
- Red Bud Isle Park
- Austin Public Library Summer Reading
- Lady Bird Lake
- Bull Creek District Park and Greenbelt
- Roy G. Guerrero Metro Park
- Book People
- Play Disc Golf
- Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park
- Play with toys at Terra Toys
- Play at the Central Market Playground
- Enjoy nature at one of Mueller’s Parks
- Discover dinosaurs at the Austin Nature & Science Center
Dallas/Fort Worth (Southern Savers Top 25 Free Things to Do in Dallas / Fort Worth)
- Free splash pads and play fountains in Dallas/Fort Worth
- Visit the Fort Worth Stockyards
- Klyde Warren Park
- The Samurai Collection
- Little Elm Park—free on Mon-Thur
- Freedman’s Cemetery
- White Rock Lake
- Fort Worth Water Gardens
- Ride the M-Line Trolley
- African American Museum of Dallas
Houston (Southern Savers Top 25 FREE Things to do in Houston)
- Art Car Museum
- Nature Discovery Center
- The Menil Collection
- Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
- Public Splash Pads in Houston
- See bats at the Waugh Drive Bat Colony
- Houston Arboretum – free parking on Thursdays
- Explore Houston’s underground tunnels
- Catch a performance at the Miller Outdoor Theater
- Shows at Historic Market Square
- Discovery Green Park
San Antonio
- The Alamo Church
- San Antonio Historic Missions
- Party on the Tower Plaza Concerts
- Friday Storytime at the Twig Bookshop
- Movies by Moonlight at Travis Park
- San Antonio City Pools
- San Antonio Public Library Summer Reading
- San Antonio Parks
- Cibolo Nature Center and Farm
Virginia
Richmond
- Richmond Public Pools and Splash Pads
- U-Pick Farms in Southeast Virginia
- Library of Virginia
- Three Lakes Nature Center
- Henrico County Public Library Summer Reading
Virginia Beach/Norfolk/Chesapeake
- Beach Events
- Norfolk Public Library kids’ events
- Virginia Legends Walk
- Virginia Beach Library Summer Reading Challenge
Washington, D.C., and Fairfax County, Virginia (Southern Savers Top 25 Free Things to Do in Washington, DC)
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- National Gallery of Art
- National Museum of Natural History
- National Museum of American History
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
- National Museum of the American Indian
- National Museum of African American History and Culture
- National Archives
- The National Zoo
- Rock Creek Park
- Free/Cheap Spraygrounds
- DC Public Library
- Free Summer Concerts in the DC Area
- National Air and Space Museum
- Fairfax County free summer concerts
- Friendship Park
Did we miss something fun and free in your town or area? Is your town missing from our list? Let us know and we’ll be happy to add it!
