The Visalia Rawhide (minorleaguebaseball.com), a minor league baseball team established in 1946, plays at the historic Recreation Park in the city. Affiliated with major league baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, the team caters to families. The team has special days for kids and families including "Kids Eat Free Wednesdays" and "Family Fun Sundays" where kids get to run the bases. Kids can also join the Rawhide Kids Club and receive gifts, tickets to games and opportunities to meet players. Golf courses in Visalia offer family-oriented activities. Valley Oaks Golf Course (playvalleyoaks.com) has three 9-hole courses for players of all abilities. Youth and adults can take free lessons at Valley Oaks taught by instructors from the Northern California Golf Association (ncga.org). At Riverway Sports Park (no website; 3611 North Dinuba Blvd.; 559-713-4365) facilities include playgrounds, soccer fields, a BMX track and picnic areas.
Visalia has a diverse assortment of museums, galleries and theaters. The ImagineU Interactive Children's Museum (imagineumuseum.org) is a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to exposing children to art, nature and science exhibits in an interactive and playful environment. The museum's year-round activities include classes and workshops where kids can learn art skills, participate in science experiments and play games. The Enchanted Playhouse Theatre Company (enchantedplayhouse.org) shows family-friendly plays and has an art gallery.
Adventure Park has seven acres of fun activities and rides that cater to all ages. Groups can play laser tag, race go-karts, play miniature golf, visit a large arcade, ride bumper boats and more. The park is free to enter and rides and games are pay as you play (adventurepark.com). The wonders of the San Joaquin Valley's agricultural industry are on display at the AgVenture Learning Center (heritagecomplex.com/AgVentures), a part of the Heritage Argi-Center. AgVentures has interactive exhibits for kids of all ages from preschool and up showcasing how food is grown and delivered. For a nostalgic view of farm life, the Antique Farm Equipment Museum (heritagecomplex.com/Antique-Museum) has vintage farm equipment on display including a crop duster airplane from the 1920s.
The city of Visalia's Parks and Recreation Department (ci.visalia.ca.us) manages over 30 parks that offer a wide range of outdoor recreation all year long including movies in the park, holiday celebrations and festivals. The city publishes a parks activity guide that can be downloaded from its website. Visitors to the area who want to experience camping can stay at the Visalia KOA (koa.com/campgrounds/visalia). It has full-hookups, Wi-Fi and onsite activities like volleyball, a pool and a game room. For more adventurous hiking adventures, take a short drive to Sequoia and King's Canyon National Parks (nps.gov/seki) to walk among the giant sequoia's, the world's largest trees on earth.
