17 Best Family-Friendly Things to Do in Fukuoka: Fun Experiences to Spark Kids’ Curiosity

Many of Fukuoka’s family-friendly attractions are concentrated in Fukuoka City.
With plenty of restaurants and hotels, it’s a smart idea to build your itinerary around the city when traveling with kids.
That way, you can keep travel time to a minimum and avoid wearing yourselves out.

So you can adjust your plans smoothly if it starts raining, it’s a good idea to check indoor attractions ahead of time.
Fukuoka has plenty of indoor facilities that families can enjoy, so with a little planning, you won’t be stuck wondering where to go even if the weather turns.

Since unexpected schedule changes can mean spending more time at your hotel, it’s best to choose accommodations where adults can truly rest.
Staying in a small room as a family can make it hard to relax, so we recommend places with spacious family rooms.
And if the property has kid-friendly spaces like a play area or pool, it’ll be even easier for parents to unwind.

Opened in 1989, Marine World Uminonakamichi is an aquarium themed around “the seas of Kyushu,” with Approx. 30,000 creatures from around 350 species on display.
During its major renovation in 2017, 90% of the tanks were replaced, including a large open-ocean tank with a depth of 23 feet.
With a more realistic recreation of Kyushu’s marine environments, visitors can observe the animals in settings that feel closer to their natural habitats.

A national park located in Higashi Ward, Fukuoka City. Surrounded by the sea, its vast grounds span Approx. 865 acres and are rich in nature, with seasonal flowers blooming throughout the year.
With playground equipment that even toddlers can enjoy and “Animal Forest,” where kids can interact with animals, it’s especially popular with families and young children.

Ohori Park is beloved as a relaxing green space for locals, offering abundant nature centered around a large pond—despite being located in the heart of Fukuoka, just two stops from Tenjin Station.
Covering over half of the park’s total area of 98.3 acres, the pond was once used as the outer moat when Nagamasa Kuroda built Fukuoka Castle.
Four bridges connect the small islands in the middle of the pond, letting you cross the water as you stroll.

A zoo and botanical garden located within Minami Park, a hilly area in Fukuoka City. The zoo is in the central part of the park and the botanical garden is in the south, connected by an overpass so you can move between them.
The zoo is divided into the North Garden, South Garden, and the Asian Tropical Valley area, and houses and exhibits Approx. 100 animal species.
The botanical garden features a rose garden, a wildflower garden, and large flowerbeds, with Approx. 1,240 plant species in the main greenhouse and Approx. 1,400 more blooming seasonally throughout the grounds.

KidZania Fukuoka is the third KidZania in Japan and the first in Kyushu.
Set in a cityscape built at about two-thirds the size of the real world, it’s a kid-focused facility where children can learn how society works while having fun through jobs and services.
Inside are Approx. 50 pavilions sponsored by real companies, where kids can try around 70 activities (jobs and services) using realistic uniforms, equipment, and tools.

Dazaifu, where the museum is located, was an important hub in ancient Japanese history. It also served as the administrative center for the Kyushu region and had active exchanges with the wider world.
With that background, the museum opened in 2005 as Japan’s fourth national museum, with the distinctive concept of “understanding the formation of Japanese culture from an Asian historical perspective.”

A theme park where you can step into the world of the hugely popular anime Anpanman.
Spanning 93,650 square feet across the 5th, 6th, and 8th floors of the commercial complex Hakata Riverain Mall in Fukuoka City, it’s filled with 17 shops and play equipment—an exciting space kids can really get into.
In particular, the active play areas like “Anpanman-go” and “Baikinman’s Secret Base” are especially popular.
With stage shows and greeting events where you can take photos and interact with the characters, it’s a great place to make lasting memories.
There are also shops selling exclusive goods and a restaurant with character-themed menu items.

Nokonoshima is a small island in Hakata Bay with a circumference of 7.5 miles.
It’s an easy-to-reach resort island—just a 10-minute ferry ride from the Meinohama ferry terminal in Nishi Ward, Fukuoka City—and draws many visitors looking to relax.
The main destination is Nokonoshima Island Park.
Spread across 37 acres, the park is filled with flower fields that create beautiful seasonal scenery, with rapeseed blossoms in spring, sunflowers in summer, cosmos in fall, and daffodils in winter.

The former Children’s Cultural and Science Museum, which closed at the end of 2021, reopened as Space LABO on April 28, 2022. Through a variety of exhibits and programs, visitors can experience the wonders and fun of science firsthand.
The first floor focuses on “Kitakyushu City and Science,” the second on “Mysterious Scientific Phenomena,” and the third on “Space,” featuring interactive exhibits, panels, and more.

Opened in April 2022 as an annex of the Kitakyushu Science Museum, Space LABO.
Science classes and science shows are held mainly on weekends (advance reservations required in principle).
In addition, the on-site World Heritage Visitor Center features exhibits introducing the full scope of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site “Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution.”

A landmark of Fukuoka City, built as a monument for the Asia-Pacific Exposition held in 1989 (commonly known as Yokatopia). At 768 feet tall, it offers a 360-degree panoramic view of the city from the top observation deck.
In 2019, it was renovated to mark its 30th anniversary. With the concept “Enjoy Fukuoka’s skies and play with the views,” visitors can experience an extraordinary “sky world” using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology.

Dazaifu Amusement Park is located within the grounds of Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, famous for enshrining the deity of learning.
In addition to 28 attractions that even young children can enjoy safely, the park is well equipped with family-friendly facilities like a nursing room and rest areas.
“Dazaifu Omochya no Mori,” where kids can play with wooden playground equipment and toys, is also popular as a place for families to enjoy the warmth of wood together.
The nature experience zone also hosts activities like interacting with animals and harvesting vegetables, so there’s plenty to do.

Fukuoka City Science Museum features exhibits that help both kids and adults learn about science while having fun.
In the permanent exhibition area, interactive exhibits and science shows are offered around five themes: “Space,” “Environment,” “Life,” “Humans,” and “Future.”
At the Dome Theater (planetarium), you can enjoy immersive visuals of the night sky and space while learning, and there are also screenings of kid-friendly, space-themed stories based on popular anime like Doraemon and Anpanman.
With plenty of other exhibits and facilities as well, it’s an ideal place to nurture scientific curiosity.

Built around the concept of “Inochi-no-Tabi” (the journey of life), this museum aims to share the process of life’s evolution and human history, encouraging visitors to think about how people should live in the future.
A variety of exhibition rooms extend along a main corridor called the Earth Mall and Culture Mall, creating a sense of exploring a huge shopping mall while enjoying large-scale displays.
In the Earth Mall, skeleton specimens such as a diplodocus measuring Approx. 115 feet long and a stegosaurus line the hall—sure to leave you in awe.

BOSS E・ZO FUKUOKA opened in July 2020 next to PayPay Dome. From the first floor up to the rooftop, the entire building is packed with a wide variety of entertainment.
A standout is the rooftop area “Zekkei 3 Kyodai SMBC Nikko Securities.” Attractions include “SubeZO,” a 328-foot tube slide that sends you down along the building’s exterior from a height of 131 feet; “TsuriZO,” a single-rider suspended rail coaster experienced at 197 feet; and “NoboZO,” a climbing and bouldering facility—all full of thrills.

This waterfront area on Hakata Bay has a modern vibe, lined with Fukuoka landmarks like Fukuoka Tower and PayPay Dome. The Approx. 1-mile stretch of artificially maintained beach along Momochihama is Seaside Momochi Beach Park.
Spacious and impressively clean for a beach so close to the city center, it’s a great spot not only for swimming but also for beach sports like volleyball and soccer, and it gets lively during the summer season.

A museum introducing traditional crafts associated with Fukuoka and Hakata. From the past to the present, it showcases a wide range of beautiful craftwork passed down through generations of Hakata artisans through permanent exhibits, special exhibitions, workshops, and traveling events.

A large mixed-use commercial complex that opened on April 25, 2022, on the former site of a produce market in Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City. It’s Kyushu’s first LaLaport, with around 220 stores, including many shops making their Kyushu debut.
Inside are nine parks with different features, including indoor areas. At the Approx. 43,000-square-foot “Oval Park,” families can enjoy attractions like pop-jet fountains that spray water from the ground, as well as playground equipment.

A large complex that brings together a shopping mall, movie theater, theater, amusement facilities, and two hotels across a vast site of Approx. 468,000 square feet.
Its symbol is the Approx. 590-foot canal running through the center of a colorful cluster of buildings.
Beyond shopping and entertainment, simply being there is part of the fun—one of Canal City Hakata’s defining features. Along the canal are benches by the water, making it a convenient place to take a break.

A mixed-use commercial facility that opened in 2020 on the former site of Papillon Plaza. Across two two-story buildings and four one-story buildings, it houses around 40 shops, including a supermarket, restaurants, fashion stores, and an electronics retailer.
New-to-Kyushu openings like the outdoor shop WILD-1 and the conveyor-belt sushi restaurant Kaiten Sushi Sushiemon have drawn attention.
With the concept of an “urban patio (courtyard),” the complex features a central courtyard for recreation and wide pedestrian walkways. There’s also playground equipment for kids, creating an open, spacious atmosphere.

A striking hotel inspired by a luxury cruise ship, located in Fukuoka’s Seaside Momochi area, which was selected as one of Japan’s “100 Cityscapes.”
It’s known for its views, and all 1,052 guest rooms on its 35 floors offer ocean views over Hakata Bay.
With family rooms available, you can relax in a spacious room even when traveling with children.
There’s also a family plan with dinner and breakfast included, where you can choose dinner from sushi kaiseki or authentic Chinese cuisine, plus a commemorative photo taken by a professional photographer.

A resort hotel in Munakata City with sweeping views of the Genkai Sea (the Sea of Japan) and scenic pine groves, located Approx. one hour from Fukuoka by train and bus.
Soak in the open-air rock bath at Genkai Satsuki Onsen, which uses the hotel’s own hot spring source that flows from 3,281 feet underground, and you’re sure to feel your travel fatigue melt away.
At the restaurant, you can fully enjoy Fukuoka flavors buffet-style.
In summer, two pools (one large and one small) are open, and nearby activities for families include an aquarium and horseback riding at a riding club.

The358 SORA is located in Fukuoka Island City, an artificial island in Hakata Port.
It’s Approx. 28 minutes from Hakata Station by train and on foot, and its beautiful surroundings—sky, sea, and greenery—are a major draw.
You can choose from 16 room types, including Japanese-style rooms, Western-style rooms, and Japanese-Western rooms. The hotel is also known for seven types of family suites kids love, including dinosaur-themed rooms and rooms with athletic-style play features.
There’s also a kids’ space in the lobby, which is a welcome touch for families who want to take it easy.
With family-friendly spots like parks and an aquarium nearby, it’s a great place to enjoy special time together.