While the wine country of northern California is most well known for its, well, wine, you can still find activities for all sorts. From classic cartoon art to epic trains, we cover the top three best family-friendly attractions in Sonoma County.
Charles M. Schulz Museum
The work of Charles M. Schulz is eternal. Some of you may recall the name but can’t quite pinpoint exactly where the name comes from and who he is.
The Charles M. Schulz Museum covers the mind of the famous Peanuts creator, responsible for such endearing characters as Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Linus.
The museum encompasses a mass collection of Peanuts-related items, including iconic memorabilia, original sketches, personal artifacts, and thousands upon thousands of original artworks.
Visitors can also explore one of the museum’s most popular exhibit halls- the Strip Rotation Gallery. Here, you can come wall after wall of the original funny pages. Kids will adore the fun art whether they know Peanuts or not. A research center is available for older visitors who want to some of the classic art up close, while a shop is a great place to grab a Peanuts goodie.
Docent tours are available upon request. A rotating door of special events keeps things interesting, with visitors from current comic masters to panel discussions and free kids days.
The museum is located in Santa Rosa, full address 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa, California 95403. Santa Rosa will likely be less than a 30-minute drive from your Wine Country vacation home.
Mrs. Grossman’s Sticker Factory
Mrs. Grossman’s is one of the top family attractions in Wine Country. It is ideal for the youngest in your crew because it features something kids would easily trade in their older brother for- stickers!
Room after room of stickers, you say? Mrs. Grossman’s Sticker Factory collects some of the most dazzling and vibrant stickers this way of the Mississippi. The sticker factory is more of a touring facility than a store, but you can always grab a few special selections before you go. Visitors can tour the factory to learn about how Mrs. Grossman and her team get inspired to come up with some spectacular sticker designs- and how they make them! The tour begins with a video about the history of the factory and covers the printing process, how the design team comes up with ideas and the different finishing techniques which give the sticker its name.
The tour is approximately 40-60 minutes long and everyone gets a few free stickers along the way. Tour bookings must be reserved and are around $7 per person.
The sticker factory is in Petaluma, full address 3810 Cypress Dr, Petaluma, CA 94954. The hours are from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It is about a 30-minute drive from our Sonoma County vacation homes near Healdsburg to Petaluma.
Sonoma TrainTown Railroad
Have some seriously bold family fun with a stop by the Sonoma TrainTown Railroad. Take a day trip from your Sonoma County vacation rental to this imaginative step into the world of trains.
The TrainTown is designed to be appreciated by the ‘under sophisticated as well as the over sophisticated.’ The idea is that all ages can appreciate the eccentric desire to build an extravagant and authentic railway in Northern California, while others will come to value and appreciate the authenticity of every addition.
In short, TrainTown is a 10-acre table top railroad designed to stand as its own mini town. The town mostly includes rides, like the Iron Horse Carousel, the High Iron Ferris Wheel, and the Locomotion Scrambler. Families can walk the grounds and admire the sights and sounds of the railway. All rides are railroad-themed. The price is $7.50 per person, per ride.
The crowning sight here is the quarter scale railroad on four miles of track. Yes, you can go on the train. Cross bridges and bury through tunnels as you weave throughout the town. You will even take a stop at a petting zoo along the way!
Contact us for any more information on our available Wine Country Life Vacation Homes. Step into a world of rewarding possibilities when you venture into the redwood and vineyard coated world of northern California.
