Last updated: July 2026
It's your first weekend in Jacksonville with a half unpacked house and no clue where to go with the kids, what do you do? Jacksonville and Onslow County are genuinely great for families, it's not always obvious and you have to do some looking around sometimes. There are some cool and fun things to see and do around the area from splash pads and parks to unique shops and day trips around the surrounding counties.
This guide is for the new Camp Lejeune or Jacksonville parent written by a parent who started PlayventureGuide because how often he heard "there is nothing to do for kids here."
Get oriented
Once you get a feel for the map and where things are it get easier:
- Jacksonville is the main city, shopping, restaurants, and errands happen here for the most part.
- Camp Lejeune borders Jacksonville to the south and runs all the way to the ocean. If you live on base, your drive times are different from everyone else's depending on where you are.
- Swansboro is located about 25 minutes east, a small waterfront historic town that sits between Jacksonville and the crystal coast beaches.
- Sneads Ferry and North Topsail Beach are south, toward Topsail Island.
- Richlands and Hubert are smaller inland communities.
The main directions for small day trips are east to the Crystal Coast (Emerald Isle, Atlantic Beach, Beaufort), south to Wilmington, and north to New Bern. All roughly an hour or less. There are a lot of cool spots within a 3 hour range from Jacksonville including Raleigh, so longer range day trips are possible too.
Easy visits while you get used to the area
These are cheap or free and introduce you to different areas, but are easy to get to.
1. Walk the Riverwalk at Wilson Bay Park
Jacksonville's downtown waterfront. Boardwalks out over the water, playground equipment, fishing, public restrooms. An easy spot to hang out and enjoy the water and burn off some energy. Watch out for alligators though they do hang out in the river. One of the great things about this spot is the shade and the breeze. The picture on this article is from Wilson Bay Park.
2. Zing Zumm Children's Museum
A small hands-on children's museum located near City Hall. Pretty good stop for kids in the toddler to early elementary range. It's not huge but big enough to spend an afternoon and a perfect spot to get out of the rain or heat. A pretty regular spot for local parents so it's also a good spot to meet other parents.
3. Get a library card
Onslow County Public Library has branches in Jacksonville, Swansboro, Richlands, and Sneads Ferry. They are definitely worth keeping an eye on. They usually run events like free storytimes, summer reading programs, themed events like a small Ren Faire, and free or discounted passes and programs.
Onslow County Public Library - Main Branch
4. Northeast Creek Park
One of the bigger Jacksonville parks closer to base with a lot to do. This park has a splash pad, water access, baseball and soccer fields, frisbee golf, nature trails, and a water boardwalk that is currently closed for repairs. A good spot to visit for anything from a picnic, for the splash pad, or for fishing.
5. Bicentennial Park and the Swansboro waterfront
Once you start feeling like exploring take a trip to Swansboro and park downtown. Check out Bicentennial Park and then take a walk around Front Street and the waterfront. Stop and get some ice cream and head over to Pirates Den Park or Riverview Park.
The beaches
Onslow Beach is located on base. With base access this is a good beach to check out. It can be a bit calmer and less packed than some of the other beaches and has MCCS facilities. Also has some camping ranging from sites to cabins for a close by weekend stay. Check with MCCS Lejeune for hours and access information.
North Topsail Beach the close beach to the south. A little quieter with less amenities, but a great beach to visit.
Emerald Isle is about 45 minutes to the east and well worth the drive. Family oriented and plenty to do and see from mini golf to Fort Macon and the NC Aquarium. Some great spots to eat and hang out with public access and public parking. Parking is paid in season but off season it is usually free.
Hammocks Beach State Park in Swansboro is a must see. Bear Island is an undeveloped barrier island only reachable by boat. There are public ferry's that run from the mainland to the island. Once you get to the island it is about a quarter mile walk to the beach. It's a really quiet beach in a pristine environment, a great trip to make. There is also limited camping on the main land and on the beaches, fair warning the sand fleas can get wild camping on the beach at certain times of the year. We learned that one the hard way the first time we went.
Dealing with rain
Jacksonville, and coastal NC in general, in the summer means afternoon thunderstorms most days, and hurricane season is something we have to keep an eye on and occasionally deal with storms.
Some indoor ideas for those days:
- Local museums
- Library branches
- Bowling and the movies
- NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores (about an hour east). This is a great trip with a lot to see and if the weather clears up there is a nature trail and playground
- Indoor play and trampoline places around Jacksonville and inside the mall
Day trips
After you get comfortable driving around these are some great stops close by.
Fort Macon State Park (Atlantic Beach, ~1 hour): A restored Civil War-era fort right on the water, free to enter, with a beach attached. You can hit the aquarium while you're here and make it a full day.
Beaufort (~1 hour 15): Historic waterfront town where you check out Wild horses on Carrot Island from the boardwalk. The NC Maritime Museum has some cool pirate history, Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge was found nearby, and artifacts are on display. You can also take a ride on a real pirate ship if you check out Beaufort Pirates Revenge.
Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (Surf City, ~40 min): A spot to check out sea turtles being nursed back to health. This center is fairly small with limited hours. Worth checking the hours and schedule before heading out.
New Bern (~1 hour): Tryon Palace and gardens, plus the town where Pepsi was invented, which children find weirdly compelling. Good walkable downtown.
Wilmington (~1 hour 15): Battleship North Carolina is a great spot to check out. You can climb through most of it. There is so much more to do in Wilmington like Airlie Gardens, the riverwalk, the Wilmington Childrens Museum, or the shopping and food. Good for a weekend trip too if you grab a hotel for Saturday night. You can also see some cool events here from ballets to college basketball.
Croatan National Forest: Some great outdoor adventures like hiking and paddling. Less polished and more wild.
The things nobody tells you
- Hurricane season runs June through November. Have a plan and be ready to lose power. Local schools and base will communicate, but the first time you experience a storm it's a lot. Follow the evacuations if the are issued don't try to ride out the storm. Hurricane season is tough but bad weather is a part of living here, we can get some severe weather in Spring and late Fall so being weather aware and prepared is real.
- Summer is genuinely hot and humid. Splash pads and morning outings are the way to go from late June through September. Afternoons are definitely for indoor trips with AC.
- The Marine Corps calendar shapes the whole town. Traffic, restaurant waits, and event crowds all are influenced by deployments and pay day. Friday night on a pay day weekend dinner waits at popular restaurants can be rough, go a bit earlier in the evening if you can.
- Jacksonville is a town of nomads. A good number of the people you meet either just came here, came and stayed here, or their parents did. People are unusually open to making new friends because they have to be. Go to the storytime. Talk to the other parent at the playground. People are generally friendly and welcoming here.
- Deployments are hard. Solo-parent outings need shorter drives and easier exits. Plan ahead, bring snacks, know where the good bathrooms are.
Start with one thing
You don't need to do all of these. Pick one or two things for your first-weekend and then just keep exploring.
We send five things to do with your kids on the weekend every Thursday, local, free, and specific to Onslow, Carteret, and Pender counties. It's the easiest way to stop wondering what's happening this weekend.
Welcome to Onslow County. It grows on you faster than you'd think.
Have a spot new families should know about? Tell us. We're always adding.