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

Last checked Oct. 6, 2026. Facts come from the City of Duluth, Downtown Duluth, Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation, the Gwinnett County Public Library and each venue’s own website, linked below.

Duluth packs a lot for families into a small downtown: a train playground in front of City Hall, a library with story times most weekdays a short walk up Main Street and a railway museum with full-size trains a mile and a half south. Here is the list, with rainy-day picks.

Kids in Duluth at a glance

• Taylor Park playground, 3167 Main St.: train-themed, ages 12 and under
• Duluth Branch library, 3180 Main St.: Preschool Storytime Wednesdays, Toddler Time Fridays, 11 a.m.
• Southeastern Railway Museum, 3595 Buford Hwy.: Thursday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Town Green fountain: warm months, closed in winter
• City programs and camps: Duluth Parks and Recreation, 770-814-6981

Playgrounds

• Taylor Park, 3167 Main St., in front of City Hall: train-themed equipment with a climbable locomotive, and next to it the oversized, climbable “Gigglebark Tree.” For children 12 and under with adult supervision, according to the Downtown Duluth directory.
• McDaniel Farm Park, 3020 McDaniel Road: a farm-themed playground at Gwinnett’s restored 1930s farm, with farmhouse tours, according to the county.
• Shorty Howell Park, 2750 Pleasant Hill Road: playgrounds, a lake and a 1.25-mile paved trail, according to the county.
• Rogers Bridge Park, 4291 Rogers Bridge Road: a playground by the Chattahoochee River and the pedestrian bridge to Johns Creek.
• Bunten Road Park, 3180 Bunten Road, and W.P. Jones Park, Pleasant Hill Road: city playgrounds, on the city’s parks list.

Story times and library programs

The Gwinnett County Public Library’s Duluth Branch, 3180 Main St., runs free programs for children through the week, according to its events calendar:

Seasonal extras this fall include a costume Halloween Storytime on Saturday, Oct. 31, and Turkey Day Storytime on Wednesday, Nov. 25, both at 11 a.m. The branch also has a makerspace. Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Rainy-day picks

• Southeastern Railway Museum, 3595 Buford Hwy.: Georgia’s official transportation history museum, with full-size locomotives, rail cars and buses, much of it in large exhibit buildings, and a train ride included with admission. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Admission is $19 for adults and $13 for children 2 to 12, according to the museum. Its Second Thursday program for little ones meets monthly from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
• Eye Candy Art Studio, 3127 Main St., 678-714-5683: paint-your-own pottery and canvas with walk-ins, plus classes, camps and birthday parties. eyecandyartstudio.net
• Cool People Sew, 3112 Main St., Suite 50, 770-315-4991: project-based sewing classes for kids and adults. coolpeoplesew.com
• The Hudgens Center for Art and Learning, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Building 300: exhibitions and year-round art classes, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. thehudgens.org
• West Gwinnett Park Aquatic Center, 4488 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Berkeley Lake, 678-407-8801: an indoor instructional pool open year-round, according to the county.

Water play

The Town Green fountain, 3167 Main St., runs 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekends in warm months and closes for winter, according to the city. Groups of 15 or more book ahead. Gwinnett’s nearest splash pads are at E.E. Robinson Park in Sugar Hill and Graves Park in Norcross; see our summer camps and pools page.

Classes, sports and camps

Duluth Parks and Recreation runs youth dance classes and youth tennis lessons and leagues at Bunten Road Park and links i9 Sports leagues, according to its programs page. Registration is on the city’s online registration site. The city’s Summer Day Camp for ages 5 to 12 is at the Bunten Road Activity Center.

Family events downtown

The city’s free events include Flicks on the Bricks movie nights on the Town Green, Howl on the Green at Halloween, Deck the Hall with real snow on Dec. 5 and Frosty Fun over school breaks, according to its events page. See Halloween events and holiday lights and Christmas events.

Frequently asked questions

When is story time at the Duluth library? Preschool Storytime on Wednesdays and Toddler Time on Fridays, both at 11 a.m., plus monthly Pajama Storytime.

Is there a train playground in Duluth? Yes, Taylor Park in front of City Hall, for children 12 and under.

What can kids do in Duluth on a rainy day? The railway museum, the library, Eye Candy Art Studio and West Gwinnett Park’s indoor pool.

Can kids play in the fountain in downtown Duluth? Yes, in warm months; it closes for winter.

What this means for you

• Pair Taylor Park with story time; the library is at 3180 Main St., a short walk away.
• The railway museum is closed Monday through Wednesday.
• Programs change week to week; check the library calendar before you go.

Related: free things to do, parks and trails and spring break.