Thinking about turning a vacation into an educational adventure? The Kidding Around team loves to learn on the road. From our nation’s capital to national parks, to coastal ecology tours and science and history adventures close to home, there is so much to see, memories to make, and things to learn. Here are some of the places we’ve traveled to where your family can learn something new!
This article includes:
Educational Vacations
Educational Day Trips from Upstate, SC
Looking for learning opportunities that are close to home? Here’s a list of educational things to do near Greenville, SC.
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Educational Vacations
There’s something to learn anywhere you travel. In this section, you’ll find some travel tips, plus places our Kidding Around Team members have traveled with their families and discovered really fabulous learning opportunities.
If you’re thinking about a road trip, start with the advice in Go on an Educational Road Trip With Kids from a mom who has traveled by car with 4 kids on several weeks-long adventures.
If you’re headed anywhere near a National Park, don’t forget about the free National Park Pass for 4th Graders. Every 4th grader and their family can get into National Parks for free. We’ve used this pass to visit the Grand Canyon, Arches National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and more!
- Grand Canyon, Arizona
Traveling Homeschoolers – If you’re a homeschool family who likes to travel, check out the opportunities at Traveling Homeschoolers. Here’s a review of a trip we took with them to the Rocky Mountains.
Educational Destinations in South Carolina
Educational Places to Visit in Charleston, SC
Here’s an entire trip to Charleston, SC loaded with learning opportunities for the family: Educational Trip to Charleston, SC
Plus, here are some individual educational sites and venues in Charleston:
- Black History Sites, Charleston
- South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston
- Charlestown Landing, Charleston
- Sandlapper Boat Tours Eco-Tour, Charleston
- North Charleston Fire Museum, North Charleston
- Patriots Point, Mount Pleasant
- Fort Moultrie, Sullivan’s Island
If you are planning a whole trip to Charleston, don’t miss our complete Guide to Charleston, SC.
How about a unique place to stay in Charleston? You can sleep on this yacht right in Historic Charleston.
Educational Things to do Near Hilton Head-Port Royal- Beaufort
12 Unique Ideas for Family Fun in the Port Royal-Hilton Head-Beaufort Area of the Lowcountry including:
- Port Royal Sound Maritime Aquarium, SC
- Old Sheldon Church Ruins, SC
- Island Explorer Dolphin Tour, Hilton Head
- Kayak Hilton Head, Hilton Head
- Mermaid of Hilton Head Boat Tour, Hilton Head
Need a place to stay in Hilton Head? Check out this affordable Hilton Head villa by the ocean.
Myrtle Beach, SC
Brookgreen Gardens, Myrtle Beach
Spending time in Myrtle Beach? Check out our Travel Guide to Myrtle Beach with places to stay, things to do, and great restaurants to try.
North Carolina Educational Vacation Ideas
Outer Banks, NC educational opportunities include:
- North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island
- Wright Brothers National Memorial
- Fort Raleigh, site of the lost colony of Roanoke
- Roanoke Island Festival Park, interactive indoor and outdoor exhibits celebrating the first English colony in America
Looking for a place to stay in North Carolina’s Outerbanks? Check out this beach house in Kill Devil Hills. It’s near the beach and has its own pool!
Educational Places to Visit in Tennessee
Titanic Museum, Pigeon Forge, TN
PINK Jeep Tour, Pigeon Forge, TN
Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, TN
Ripley’s Aquarium, Gatlinburg, TN
The Lost Sea, Sweetwater, TN
Chattanooga Zoo, Chattanooga, TN
For more adventure, don’t miss our Chattanooga, TN Guide.
Want to stay in the middle of it all? Here’s a gorgeous townhouse in Downtown Chattanooga.
Washington, DC
Mount Vernon
Washington, DC Guide
Florida
St. Augustine Alligator Farm, St. Augustine, FL
Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, FL
Myakka River State Park, Sarasota, FL
Blue Springs State Park, Orange City, FL
Turn your trip to the Kennedy Space Center into a fabulous beach vacation with a stay at this oceanfront condo that is just a short drive to the space center.
Educational Day Trips from Upstate, SC
There are so many educational adventures that are accessible to those living in the Upstate as day trips. There are some fabulous opportunities in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. If you’re thinking a day trip might not be enough of an escape, just string a few of these options together and grab a hotel or VRBO for a little vacation not too far from home.
Day Trips to See Dinosaurs! Plan a day trip to one of these fabulous places to see dinos in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
North Carolina Educational Day Trips
See Elk at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Cherokee, NC
Carl Sandburg Home, Flat Rock, NC
Blue Ghost Firefly Tour, Pisgah Forest, NC
Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC
WNC Nature Center, Asheville, NC
North Carolina Arboretum, Asheville, NC
Holmes Educational State Forest, Hendersonville, NC
Team ECCO Aquarium and Shark Lab, Hendersonville, NC
KidSenses, Rutherfordton, NC
Winchester Creek Farm, Waynesville, NC
Carolina Raptor Center, Charlotte, NC
Schiele Museum, Gastonia, NC
South Carolina Educational Day Trips
Fish Hatchery in Walhalla, SC
Stumphouse Tunnel, Walhalla, SC
Kings Mountain Battlefield, Kings Mountain, SC
Split Creek Farm, Anderson, SC
Happy Cow Creamery, Pelzer, SC
Duke World of Energy, Seneca, SC
Anne Springs Close Greenway, Fort Mill, SC
Eden Farms, Marietta, SC
Strawberry Hill, Chesnee, SC
SC Botanical Garden, Clemson, SC
Revolutionary War sites, Camden, SC
Pickens, SC Educational Day Trip Ideas, including:
- Soapstone Slave Cemetery, Pickens
- Table Rock Tea Company, Pickens
- Hagood Mill & Petroglyph Center, Pickens
Riverbanks Zoo, Columbia
EdVenture, Columbia
South Carolina State Museum, Columbia
Georgia Educational Day Trips
Black History sites, Atlanta, GA
Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta, GA
The Delta Flight Museum, Atlanta, GA
The Atlanta Zoo, Atlanta, GA
Dunwoody Park and Nature Center, Dunwoody, GA
Visit Blairsville, GA, learning opportunities include:
- Trackrock Petroglyphs
- Meeks Park and the Appalachian Sculpture Project
What fabulous educational adventures have you discovered while traveling? Let us know in the comments!