Child Friendly Door County

You'll want to check out Wilson's Icecream Parlor (it's also a restaurant). It is very family friendly, has great food, and kids love it! (They even have mini juke boxes on each table). It does get crowded, though, especially in the evenings, so plan accordingly. You'll love Door County... my family and I went there many summers as I was growing up, and I have wonderful memories of the place! Enjoy your trip!

You'd have to go by Al Johnson's and see the goats on the roof. Eating there might not work because there is usually a long wait, but they are VERY patient with kids. We took my son last year when he was 14 months (my daughter was 5). We actually also went mini-golfing as well and had fun as a family, though we took a LONG time. The Red Putter is our favorite place and we go every time we are in Door County. Check out the activities at the Park. There are great trails to hike or rent bikes. Also a fish boil is always fun, and they have other food choices for kids, but the best part is watching the cooking. There are ALWAYS things going on in Door County. It seems like once you get there you can really find out what's happening through local papers, etc. I think you'll have a great time. We never seem to have enough time to do everything we want to do. I'm not sure when you're going but the beaches are also fun, last year we went in October, so that was out for us. There is also a place called the Ridges that pretty cool. I do think your son would appreciate the Farm. Anyway- enjoy your time in Door County! Karen

My husband and I went there for our 5th anniversary, which was before kids, but while we were there we went to a drive-in movie at the theater there. They were showing Shrek and one of the Mummy movies (the second one, I think), and there were a lot of families enjoying the evening. Just bring lots of bug spray if you intend to keep your windows open.

Hi K. Get on the internet and you can get information about Door county, Also ask them to send you information about restaurant and activities.

we went to a farm there that was fantastic. you were able to purchase bottles of milk and feed baby goats and pigs. it was such a neat experience and i havent been able to do it anywhere else. dont miss it. i cannot remember the name of the place but i am sure it was the only one of its kind in door county. check the internet.

There is a petting zoo, The Farm, just north of Sturgeon Bay, thought at 16 months your son may be a little young for that. There are great beaches for building sandcastles. I'd say the best restaurant for kids is PC Junction which has a train deliver your food if you're sitting at the bar. A 16-month-old wouldn't be able to, but they do have tables on another floor. Outside they have things to play in and recently added pedaled go-karts next door (free).
Enjoy!

K.,
We go every summer with our extended family and children of our own, now 2 and 4.
There is a ton to do... my kids love Plum Loco, it is a play place out door for kids (it's kind of hard to explain, but well worth it.and not crowded) We also go to Pennisula state park for biking, hiking, a beach and play ground. We listen to live music in the park at night ( a different town each week) We eat at a fish boil, you can take a ferry ride to Washington island. We do PC junction to eat and see the goats on the roof, all of which are very busy resturants. The green bay side of the water is warmer, but we do both that side and the lake side. There is shopping and fishing, which might not be too exciting for your little one. Every weekend there is something going on in one of the towns, from festivals to farmers markets.
Have a great time.
K.

A couple people already mentioned The Farm and Plum Loco. We have been to both and were just at Plum Loco last weekend. For your son's age, Plum Loco is a good option. It is really cute and the owners have a great life story if you get to chat with them.

Depending on what part of Door County you are staying will likely dictate the restaurants that are best due to proximity. I have to tell you that we have yet to encounter a restaurant that is not child friendly in Door Co. and our son is 4. They virtually all have kids menus - which to me means kid friendly. In Sturgeon Bay, here are a few ... Perry's Cherry Diner, Sunny's (pizza) and others. In Egg Harbor, there is Shipwrecked (my nephew is the bartender there and they make their own beer). PC Junction is fun, but pretty crowded most days and geared more towards preschool and up.

Have fun!!!

I forwarded your request to my sister who visits Door County a couple times per year the below is from her. She did say that if she thought of more, she'd let me/you know.
J.

There are two restaurants that come to mind immediately and that we always go to because of the kids. One is called PC Junction - they just added a whole bunch of things for kids to do, there are little bikes to ride, playsets, etc. etc. Inside they have a train deliver your meal if you sit at the counter. The other is the Northern Grill. They have a ping pong table outside, a large playset for the kids to play on and inside is a game room. Can't remember off hand the towns they are in but anyone up there will know and tell them how to get there.

The other thing that the kids enjoy is the drive-in. We don't have many around here anymore and they usually play something kid oriented for families.

I will be in Door County next week - not been there since '96 with kids and '05 with just my husband. We love Peninsula State Park. There is a fee to get in with your car - but go to Nicolet Bay - there is a beach, playground, picnic area and lots of room to run. We also liked Tennyson Bay - a campground in the park - go to the pier area - nice beach to throw stones in the water.

M. in Elk grove Village

I hope that you had a great time! We have been going there with our kids for 26 years and just LOVE it! We also went to The Farm for most of those years, often twice during each vacation. If it were up to me, we'd STILL be going there. I just LOVE it there. I love walk the whole tour of the whole property, and then just sit under a tree for the rest of the day, watching the kids and the animals, and feeding the animals as they walk around.

I hope your time was relaxing and memorable.