Kids' activities in Augusta: playgrounds, story times, rainy days

Last checked Oct. 6, 2026. Places, hours and prices come from each venue’s own site or the city’s park finder, linked below. For dated events this month, see things to do this month.

Augusta’s best kid days are mostly free: library story times most weekday mornings, playgrounds and splash pads in city parks, alligators and boardwalks at Phinizy Swamp, and free Sunday afternoons at the Morris Museum of Art. On a wet day, the Kroc Center’s indoor pool and the Augusta Museum of History are the fallbacks.

Who to call

• City parks and programs: Augusta Recreation and Parks, 706-796-5025
• Library: Augusta-Richmond County Public Library headquarters, 823 Telfair St., 706-821-2600
• Something broken at a playground: Augusta 311, dial 3-1-1 or 706-821-2300

Story times

The Augusta-Richmond County Public Library runs free story times for young children at its branches. Its calendar for the week of Oct. 5, 2026, listed:

At Friedman, a staff member or volunteer reads themed stories; all ages are welcome and no registration is needed. Check the calendar before you go, because times change by season. The headquarters library at 823 Telfair St. opens 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday (library hours).

Playgrounds and splash pads

From the city’s park finder:

• Playgrounds at the Riverwalk downtown, Lake Olmstead Park (2205 Broad St.), Pendleton King Park (1600 Troupe St.), Diamond Lakes Regional Park (4335 Windsor Spring Road) and Eisenhower Park (1488 Eisenhower Drive).
• Splash pads at Wood Park, 1898 Highland Ave.; Brookfield Park, 2740 Mayo Road; and McBean Park, 1151 Hephzibah-McBean Road.

City parks are generally open dawn to dusk.

Nature

Phinizy Swamp Nature Park, 1858 Lock and Dam Road, has the half-mile Beaver Dam Trail, the 0.8-mile Pond Trail and a floodplain boardwalk with an observation deck (Phinizy Center). Visit Augusta notes visitors may spot birds, turtles and alligators. The Phinizy Center also runs Puddle Ducks, a nature program for children ages 2 to 4 and their caregivers, and a summer camp; see summer camps and pools.

Museums

• The Morris Museum of Art, 1 Tenth St., runs FREE Sundays and Artrageous! Family Sundays with crafts and stories (Morris calendar).
• The Augusta Museum of History, 560 Reynolds St., is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, $5 for children 6 to 18 and free under 6; 706-722-8454 (Augusta Museum of History).

Rainy-day and indoor picks

• The Salvation Army Kroc Center, 1833 Broad St., has an indoor aquatic center with a lazy river, small slides, a splash pad and an enclosed 180-foot slide, Visit Augusta says. The center is open 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and closed Sunday except for worship; ask the front desk about guest passes (Kroc Augusta).
• The Augusta Aquatics Center, 3157 Damascus Road, has open swim from noon to 4 p.m. weekdays and noon to 3 p.m. Saturday; a student day pass is $3 (Aquatics Center).
• The headquarters library, 823 Telfair St., is free and open six days a week.

Seasonal

Halloween events, holiday lights, Easter egg hunts, spring break and summer camps each have their own page.

Frequently asked questions

Are there free story times in Augusta? Yes. The Augusta-Richmond County Public Library runs free story times at its branches; in early October 2026 its calendar listed Diamond Lakes, Friedman and Wallace on Tuesday mornings and Jeff Maxwell on Wednesday.

Where can kids play indoors in Augusta on a rainy day? The Kroc Center on Broad Street has an indoor aquatic center with a lazy river and slides, the Augusta Aquatics Center has open swim, and the Augusta Museum of History is free for children under 6.

Where are the splash pads in Augusta? Wood Park, Brookfield Park and McBean Park.

How much is the Augusta Museum of History for kids? $5 for children 6 to 18 and free under 6. It is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

What this means for you

• Tuesday mornings are story time across the library branches.
• Sundays: the Morris is free in the afternoon.
• Rain: the Kroc’s indoor pool or the Museum of History.

Related: parks and trails, free things to do and things to do this weekend.