Greenville, South Carolina

If you’re looking for the best things to do in Greenville with kids, you’ve come to the right place. Greenville surprised me. I don’t know what I expected, but I can tell you it far exceeded that. From the massive chilfren’s museum to the downtown waterfront trails and all of the delicious food and drinks; Greenville is perfect for families. We visited with 2 young children; ages 1 and 2. We found the restaurants to be family-friendly, there is close-by downtown parking, and the people were very friendly.

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Where to Eat in Greenville:

What to do in Greenville with Kids:

Where to Stay in Greenville

Downtown Convenience & Luxury: We stayed in a family-friendly Airbnb in Greenville with 2 adults, 2 children (1 and 2 years old). The hosts provided a pack-n-play and also had box fans for each room which we loved and used to keep the babies sleeping. The apartment was clean and very close to downtown. They left a couple of snacks out and had plenty of kitchenware, towels and had very comfortable beds. The internet was fast, there was ample parking, and there is a small, but very private back patio. We were able to store our hitch trailer back there during our stay. Overall, I highly recommend this apartment in Greenville.

Click to get $55 off your first airbnb stay

If you’d rather stay in a hotel in Greenville, choose one that suits your family size and budget here. I recommend staying near Falls Park on the Reedy or directly off of S Main St downtown!

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Follow our 2-Day itinerary for Greenville with Kids:

Day 1: Downtown Greenville (Main Street) & Trio Italian Eatery

Greenville with Kids #bigbravenomad #greenville #familytravel

As soon as we drove into Greenville, I knew I was going to love it. It is a city with a small town feel. Our drive in took us past the downtown area which was decorated for Christmas. Our apartment was brand new and close to everything. We quickly settled in and headed for downtown to explore and eat some dinner.

Since we visited Greenville the day after Thanksgiving, the downtown area was bustling with families. We had to pay $5 to park, but there was no limit on our time. We stopped for food at Trio – an Italian eatery with delicious brick oven pizza. This place does not mess around and their bread before dinner is AMAZING. I recommend this place for any family or anyone wanting some satisfying comfort food and Italian wine.

After dinner, we perused main street. They had street performers, gorgeous Christmas decorations, and we really liked walking through Mast General Store. Across from Trio is a pedestrian friendly area with a large fountain. We stopped there for a while and let the kids run.

Day 2: Sully’s Steamer, Falls Park on the Reedy, Liberty Bridge, Medusa Tree, Children’s Museum of the Upstate, Grill Marks, Roper Mountain Holiday Lights

This was our full day in Greenville. I wanted to make the most of everything, but also wanted to take it slow since I was emotionally drained. We decided to start the morning downtown with breakfast at Sully’s Steamers. They have homemade steamed bagel sandwiches which melt in your mouth. HIGHLY recommend a stop here.

We walked from main street down to Falls Park on the Reedy. It was a very easy walk. We started exploring by taking a walk across Liberty Bridge and taking in the views of the falls. The suspension bridge is beautifully done and very stroller friendly. We saw several runners pushing strollers and we also had two strollers on the pedestrian bridge.

After the bridge, we asked around to find an elevator to get down to the falls. The Elevator is located by the PNC bank and Spill the Beans Café. It will take you down to the paths and water.

We walked along the pathways, down to the lower part of the park and let the kids run free. We walked along the river, down to the waterfalls and fed the ducks, then headed over to the incredible Medusa Tree. This tree grew into the side of a hill and its entire root system is exposed. The tree is a wonder photo opp and great learning opportunity for grade school children.

We started our walk back toward main street and decided to try and find some of the “Mice on Main” which are tiny little bronze mice statues hidden up and down Main Street. We found two of the ten with the help of a local. This would have been a lot of fun with older kids and gives everyone something to look for!

We walked down Main Street to the Children’s Museum of the Upstate. If you only have time for one thing in Greenville with kids – GO HERE. We have been to several museums in the US specifically for children and this one moved right into the number one spot. They have things for every age group from crawlers to big kids. There is seriously something for everyone here. Latham played until he fell asleep and Charletta spent a solid 2 hours running 90 mph around every single attraction and climbing their incredible central tower. When we left the museum she passed out in her stroller for almost 2 hours and slept through lunch!

This is our freak shake from Grill marks

After some quick research, we decided to have lunch a Grill Marks. They did not disappoint. There was a line out the door, but it was worth the wait. Not only are their hamburgers some of the best we’ve ever had, their specialty French fries were delicious, BUT their desserts stole the show. We ordered a Salted Caramel & Heath Bar Crunch Freak Shake. Nothing I ever say will do that creation justice, so I will just leave a photo to make your mouth water.

Once we were good and full, we headed back to the apartment for some downtime before we ventured out to the famous Roper Mountain Holiday Lights. It was their final time showing their lights after 26 years, so we were sure to get in line early. We waited about 35-40 minutes in the car before being led into the show. It was totally worth the money. We drove the whole thing, then decided to get out and walk the walking show. The kids loved the balloons, the light shows, and the hot chocolate. The best part about Roper Mountain is you can go around and see the lights as many times as you want, so we did the drive one more time before we left.

Needless to say, both of our kids slept solidly through the night.

The next morning, we packed up and headed back to Florida and back to reality. If you ever get the chance to visit Greenville, we give it a 10/10. It left nothing to be desired because there is truly something for everyone.

Have you been to Greenville, South Carolina? Let us know about your trip in the comments!