Whether you’re traveling with teenagers or tots, Sidney is a welcoming place for a family weekend getaway. Let’s go explore!
Sidney’s strollable downtown includes Buddies Toys, the Sidney Museum, Tanner’s Books (which includes a children’s section), and plenty of family-friendly eateries and ice cream shops. There’s even a candy store! Check out Lolly Gobble, inside Home Hardware.
There are also beaches—Sea Glass beach is right at the bottom of Beacon Avenue—and playgrounds too! Tulista and Iroquois are an easy walk from downtown, and contain a spray park, two playgrounds, a skateboard park, putting green and beach volleyball.
If your family likes to bowl, Miracle Lanes has five-pin bowling, including Glow Bowling at select times every day. Up for a movie? You can catch the latest blockbuster at Sidney’s Star Cinema, or see a live performance at The Mary Winspear Centre. You can also time your visit to coincide with one of our many community events. See our Events calendar for more details!
No family trip to Sidney is complete without a visit to the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea aquarium. Just outside the aquarium, is the Sidney Pier, where you can watch local fishermen feed the resident seals at the historic Fish Market. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of our resident orcas!
If you’d like to venture beyond the downtown boundaries, there are hiking trails, farm cafes, an airport bike path, and the Panorama Rec Centre complete with a swimming pool and an ice rink. If you don’t mind a short drive to Brentwood Bay, you can spend an afternoon surrounded by lush tropical plants, turtles, flamingos, and hundreds of fluttering creatures at Butterfly Gardens. And if you really want to experience some magic, visit the indoor Rose Carousel at Butchart Gardens.
Of course you’ll be hungry during your stay, and Sidney has plenty of family-friendly places to dine. Be sure to check out our For The Foodie post or find a complete listing of restaurants at sidneybia.ca/restaurants.