The Perfect Havre de Grace Day Trip With Kids

havre de grace day trip

We always love spending the day at Havre de Grace and here are some of our top picks for the perfect Havre de Grace day trip with kids!

About Havre de Grace

Havre de Grace sits at the mouth of the Susquehanna River and the head of Chesapeake Bay. It is named after the port city of Le Havre, France, and is located in Harford County.

Havre de Grace is a super charming and incredibly scenic town with great parks, history, and loads of fun activities for kids and families. It’s such a great place the Smithsonian Magazine recently named it one of the best places to visit!

havre de grace

Millard Tydings Memorial Park

millard tydings memorial park

Related: The Best Easy Hikes in Maryland for Kids!

Millard Tydings Park is also called Concord Point Park. The entire park is lovely… plenty of picnic tables, space to run around, and a fantastic playground.

millard tydings memorial park

This playground is really huge with loads of fun features for younger and older kids. Also, it’s right on the water so the views are gorgeous!

millard tydings memorial park

You can access the Promenade from this park or just spend some time here letting your kids burn some energy.

Parking: There is street parking and various public parking areas nearby.

Click here for Google Map Directions

Related: 75+ Awesome Maryland Playgrounds (grouped by location!)

Walk the Promenade

havre de grace promenade

If you visit Havre de Grace, you absolutely have to walk along the promenade! This is a beautiful 3/4 mile boardwalk that gives stunning views of the Susquehanna River and connects Millard Tydings park and the Concord Point Lighthouse.

havre de grace promenade

This would be a fantastic multi-generational activity to do. There are railings along the promenade so it’s safe for younger kids.

havre de grace promenade

Parking: There is street parking and numerous public parking areas at either end of the promenade.

Click here for Google Map Directions

Related: Check out another Maryland Lighthouse at the Calvert Marine Museum

Concord Point Lighthouse and Keepers House

concord point lighthouse

Concord Point Lighthouse is one of the prettiest and most accessible lighthouses in Maryland. You can literally park right next to it (or just down the street). This is the second oldest lighthouse in Maryland and you can actually visit it and the Keeper’s house.

You won’t need to spend a ton of time here, but you will want to because the views are spectacular!

concord point light

Hours of Operation- open April through October Saturday 10am-2pm and Sunday 1pm-5pm.

Google Map Directions click here.

Visit a Museum

decoy museum

Havre de Grace Decoy Museum

The Havre De Grace Decoy Museum is a very unique museum that houses probably the best collection of Chesapeake Bay decoys and decoys in general. Decoys really are both functional and decorative works of art… and this museum is definitely worth a visit!

There is a small parking lot in front of the museum. Hours of operation: Monday-Saturday 1030am-430pm and Sunday 12-4pm. Admission fee: Adults: $6.00; Seniors: (age 60 and older) $5.00; Youth: (ages 9 to 18) $2.00; Children: (ages 8 and under) FREE

Google Map Directions here.

martime museum
photos courtesy of theharfordcountymom.

Havre de Grace Maritime Museum

This small museum is totally worth a stop if you are visiting Havre De Grace. Their exhibits include info on life saving efforts on the bay, the US Coast Guard, ice harvest, commercial fishing, and the story of Native American tribes in the area.

The space is very easy to navigate and takes about an hour to complete. The first room you enter includes a variety of exhibits that include life on the bay, a ship’s navigation, life saving equipment, the ice harvest, and so many more.

They have a great Kid’s Corner that includes a sand table within a boat, blackboard for drawing, coloring table, marine themed books, and a nature themed felt wall.

The lower level includes a small nature center with turtles and additional displays.

The museum is currently open 5-days a week for the spring and summer and costs $5 per person or $10 per family (max 2 adults) to visit.

Google Map Directions click here.

Related: Check out this comprehensive guide to indoor fun in Maryland!

Have Tea at Bella’s Tea Room

bella's tea room
photos courtesy of theharfordcountymom.

Bella’s Tea Room in Havre de Grace is the perfect spot for a kid-friendly tea! There is a kids menu and an adult menu with choices that include pastries, scones, soups, and tea sandwiches.

There are delicious hot and cold tea options. Kids drinks are served in fancy plastic cups. Each room is filled with fun decor to explore and there is a hat wall for playing dress up.

Kid’s Tea- $12 per child
Kid’s All Tea- $18.99 per child

Open Wednesday through Sunday, 11-4pm. Reservations are recommended.

Google Map Directions click here.

Related: 45+ Kid Friendly Restaurants in Maryland with Play Areas

Susquehanna State Park

susquehanna state park
photo courtesy of @baltimorefamilyfun

Susquehanna State Park is a great state park in Harford County that is great for families. And it’s only 15 minutes from downtown Havre de Grace.

One of the parts of the park we really love are the historical parts. The Rock Run Historic Area has a working gristmill, remains of the Susquehanna & Tidewater Canal, and other historic buildings.

There are 8 trails throughout the park. All are clearly marked by color. They range in length from .9 miles to 3 miles.

The trails are generally kid friendly, but not stroller friendly. We loved the historic purple trail that takes you from the mansion to the grist mill and then to the water. It was a decent walk and does have an incline.

Hours of Operation: The Deer Creek Picnic Area and Carter-Archer Mansion areas are open from 9 a.m. to sunset April – October and 10 a.m. to sunset November – March.

Day-use Admission Fee: Deer Creek Picnic Area (November through February, open weekends only). March through October: Maryland residents $2/vehicle; out-of-state residents $4/vehicle

Google Map Directions

Related: The Best Maryland State Parks for Families

steppingstone farm museum
photos courtesy of theharfordcountymom.

Steppingstone Farm Museum celebrates the rural heritage of Harford County through a variety of living exhibits. There are multiple buildings throughout the property that showcase various trades and other historical aspects of farming from the 1880’s-1920’s.

There are six working shops and over 20 individual exhibits. The museum is very kid-friendly and the outdoor walkways are great for strollers. The museum is located within Susquehanna State Park.

Hours of Operation: The museum is open on weekends from April-October; 11am-3pm. The grounds are open year round daily from 9am-dusk.

Admission is free except for special events.

Google Map Directions

Havre de Grace Library- Schooner Cove

schooner cove
photos courtesy of theharfordcountymom.

The Havre de Grace library has an amazing free interactive learning area known as Schooner Cove.

Schooner Cove has seven areas for interactive play. These include: the Lagoon for infants and babies, the Schooner Cove Power Station, the Ranger Station, Fish Tail Beach, the Schooner ship, the Shipping Yard, and the Pond. They also have a fun treasure hunt posted on the wall when you enter.

It is definitely designed for younger children. The HCPL website recommends 6 and under. If you have kids in this age range, definitely plan a trip!

Hours of Operation: Monday-Thursday 10am-7pm; Friday-Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday-closed

Google Map Directions click here.

Related: 100+ FREE Maryland Activities for Kids

Where to Eat!

hopkins farm brewery
photos courtesy of theharfordcountymom.

Hopkins Farm Brewery

Hopkins Farm Brewery serves craft beers and seltzers on the farm, surrounded by open fields and gorgeous farm views, this is a great place to relax with family and friends.

In the fall there are sunflower fields behind the barn as well!

While they don’t serve food, they have different food trucks almost every day. Check their social media pages before you go to see what times the food trucks will be arriving. You can also bring your own food with you.

Google Map Directions

Tidewater Grille

The view at the Tidewater Grille is phenomenal. It’s located right on the lower Susquehanna and the Chesapeake Bay.

There are so many great seafood dishes, including crabs (of course.. it is Maryland!). They also have sandwiches, salads, and pasta. Even though it’s not on the website, there is a decent kid’s menu too!

Google Map Directions

Bombay’s Homemade Ice Cream

Bombay’s Ice Cream is the best ice cream in Havre de Grace! They are known for their amazing homemade ice cream and customers rave about flavors such a Cookies Galore, Duck Duck Goose, and Myrtle Turtle. 

Google Map Directions

Related: The best places to grab a scoop of ice cream in Maryland

The Promenade Grill

The Promenade Grill is a great family friendly restaurant near Millard Tydings Memorial Park. Dining here is meant to be outside on picnic tables and the food has great reviews! There is a kids menu and lots of burgers and fish options. Apparently the ice cream is amazing for dessert too!

Google Map Directions

La Cucina

Talk about family friendly. La Cucina is an authentic Italian restaurant (the owners immigrated from Naples!) serves up delicious pizza, homemade pastas, and baked favorites like lasagna and manicotti.

Google Map Directions

Concord Point Coffee

This Havre de Grace coffeehouse offers fresh brewed coffee, lattes, espresso, mocha, iced coffees, blended drinks, and a wide variety of delicious baked goods!

Google Map Directions

Related: The Best Maryland Coffee Shops (reader recommended)

Abbey Burger Bistro

As the name states, Abbey’s specializes in burgers. You can build your own burger or order one of their specialty burgers like Southwest Bison Burger, Peanut Butter Burger, or the Fried Green Tomato Burger. Kids will dig the grilled cheese, mac n cheese, sliders, or chicken tenders. And of course the milkshakes and chocolate chip cookie sundae.

Google Map Directions

Parking and getting around town

There is plenty of free parking in downtown Havre de Grace. It will typically get busy during special events. Otherwise, we have never had a problem parking right next to wherever we wanted to go.

havre de grace trolley
photos courtesy of theharfordcountymom.

‘The Tide’ Trolley

Not only is this a super fun way to get around town, it is completely FREE.

There are a total of 13 trolley stops. Each are clearly marked with the blue “Ride the Tide” signs. The trolley runs from Millard-Tydings Park to the Lock House and back. This is a total of 3.5 miles and approximately a 30 minute ride. You can enter and exit at any stop, or just enjoy the whole ride. Each car holds 8 passengers. Seatbelts (lap belts) are in every seat.

Click here for more info!

Public Art Trail

havre de grace murals

Public art is a big deal in Havre de Grace. If you want some very instagrammable photo opportunities, check out this link for the details and locations of over 20 murals and public art sculptures.

Public Restrooms

havre de grace restrooms

I love this about Havre de Grace. They have dedicated public restrooms right in the downtown area. Actually, they are literally across the street from the Concord Point Lighthouse. The restrooms are clean and one potty per room.. so private. There are also public restrooms at Millard Tydings Park.

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havre de grace day trip with kids

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