Hemisfair Playground and Splash Pad

If you live in San Antonio and haven’t taken your kids to Hemisfair on a hot afternoon, you’re missing out. The splash pad is the obvious draw in summer, but the climbing structures and slides here are genuinely unlike anything else in the city — more sculptural than your typical playground setup. Little ones can dig around in the sandbox while older kids figure out the musical equipment, which sounds chaotic in the best way. Shade trees and covered seating actually make it bearable for parents to hang around, which isn’t something you can say about every urban park. Right downtown, so easy to tack onto a day out.