Things to do in Co. Kildare
14 places
1.Caragh Open Farm
Petting farm with pony rides from €5
A five-acre family-run open farm near Naas where children hold rabbits, bottle-feed lambs and ride ponies — deliberately low-key, with picnics encouraged and a café on site.
- Highlights
- Nearly 30 types of animals across 5 acres
- Pony rides and animal feeding included
- Go-karts, obstacle course, hay-bale jumping and playgrounds
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
2.Clonfert Farm
mini zoo with three playgrounds and soft play
A family farm and mini zoo in the Kildare countryside, blending farmyard and exotic animals with three playgrounds, indoor soft play and plenty of picnic space. It is a solid wet-or-dry day out for young children, just minutes from Maynooth.
- Highlights
- Meerkats, lemurs, arctic foxes and wallabies alongside farmyard animals
- Three playgrounds plus zipline, go-karts and adventure golf
- 600 sq ft indoor soft play for rainy days
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
3.Irish National Stud & Gardens
Thoroughbreds and Europe's finest Japanese garden
A 850-acre working thoroughbred stud farm where world-famous stallions and retired champions graze beside Europe's finest Japanese gardens. A trip here blends horse-racing heritage with serene, symbol-laden landscapes.
- Highlights
- 850-acre working stud farm
- Japanese Gardens regarded as Europe's finest
- Retired champions including Hurricane Fly and Sizing John
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
4.Japanese Gardens
A "Life of Man" garden among champion racehorses
Laid out between 1906 and 1910 by Japanese master horticulturist Tassa Eida and his son Minoru, these are the finest Japanese gardens of their kind in Europe — a garden that maps the "Life of Man" onto paths, rock and water, set inside a working thoroughbred stud farm.
- Highlights
- Japanese Gardens: a 'Life of Man' allegory created 1906–1910
- St Fiachra's Garden: waterfalls, lakes and monastic cells
- Over 300 foals born each spring, February to May
- Facilities
- Dog-friendly · Wheelchair access
5.Kildare Farm Foods, Open Farm & Shop
Free farm entry with animals and a railroad ride
A third-generation family farm in County Kildare where free pre-booked entry opens up animal feeding, a miniature railroad ride and 18 holes of crazy golf, just five minutes from the M7.
- Highlights
- Free pre-booked entry to the Open Farm
- Over 20 friendly animals to meet and feed
- Railroad Adventure train tour of the paddocks
- Facilities
- Restrooms · Wheelchair access
6.Redhills Adventure Kildare
Airsoft battles and a giant slip 'n' slide
An outdoor adventure centre in the Kildare countryside, 5km from Kildare town and handy off the M7, with combat games, archery, axe throwing and a giant summer water slide. Most activities run year-round for pre-booked groups, with open sessions at weekends.
- Highlights
- Big Red, a giant inflatable slip 'n' slide (summer only)
- Airsoft combat games from age 12
- Junior Airsoft and Splatmaster junior paintball for kids
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
7.Donadea Forest Park
Free entry, castle ruins and a 9/11 memorial
A 243-hectare former Aylmer estate turned forest park, Donadea pairs ruined castle walls and a lily-covered lake with marked woodland trails and an unexpected limestone 9/11 memorial.
- Highlights
- 0.8 km wheelchair-accessible Lake Walk
- Castle ruins, walled gardens and St Peter's Church
- 9/11 memorial to New York firefighter Sean Tallon
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly · Wheelchair access
8.Lullymore Heritage & Discovery Park
a bog island of peatland trails and play areas
A family day out on a mineral island in the Bog of Allen, where peatland trails, heritage cottages, a road train and play areas sit side by side.
- Highlights
- Mineral island surrounded by the Bog of Allen
- 60 acres of trails, lakes and ancient woodland
- Ten-minute electric road train ride
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
9.Mullaghreelan Wood
A hilltop rath walk with views over Kilkea Castle
An old Coillte woodland wrapped around a hilltop rath beside Kilkea Castle, with two 2 km waymarked loops, a spring bluebell display and wide views west over east Laois.
- Highlights
- Two waymarked 2 km walks, each about 45 minutes
- Hilltop rath with views over Kilkea Castle and east Laois
- Spring bluebells in an old woodland site
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly · Wheelchair access
10.The Kildare Maze
Leinster's biggest hedge maze, 2km of paths
Leinster's largest hedge maze, cut in the shape of St Brigid's cross, with over 2km of paths leading to a central viewing tower — plus a wooden maze, zip wire, crazy golf and a toddler play area, all included in one ticket.
- Highlights
- 1.5-acre hedge maze with over 2km of paths
- Viewing tower with views over the maze and countryside
- Wooden maze with 8 control points
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
11.Airtastic Entertainment Centre Kildare - Bowling, Laser Tag, Mini Golf, Soft Play, Amusements, NY Kitchen
Ten-pin bowling, laser tag and mini golf in one place
A big all-weather family entertainment centre on the edge of Celbridge, packing ten-pin bowling, laser tag, space-themed mini golf, one of the country's biggest soft play centres and an American-style diner under one roof.
- Highlights
- Ten-pin bowling alley with bumpers and ball-guiding aids for kids
- Battle for New York themed laser tag arena (ages 6+)
- Space-themed mini golf course
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
12.Jungle Den
Three-storey soft play, laser tag and a sensory room
Jungle Den Naas is Kildare's biggest indoor play centre, a family-run, all-weather venue with a three-storey soft play frame, a neon laser tag arena, a purpose-built sensory room and a full café under one roof.
- Highlights
- Three-storey soft play frame with the signature Snake Slide
- Dedicated under-4s toddler zone with parent seating
- Multi-level neon laser tag arena (ages 6-13)
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
13.Burtown House & Gardens and The Green Barn Restaurant
A walled kitchen garden 150 years in production
A three-century-old family estate near Athy where twelve acres of garden, woodland and meadow sit alongside a garden-to-table barn, pantry, shop and gallery. The gardens are private; today you visit for the food, the farm walks and the seasonal landscape.
- Highlights
- 12+ acres of gardens, woodland and parkland
- Walled kitchen garden in production for over 150 years
- The Nutgrove, an island woodland garden ringed by water
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
14.KBOWL
12 lanes, soft play and an arcade under one roof
KBOWL is Naas's all-weather family entertainment centre, packing twelve bowling lanes, a soft-play area, an arcade and its own diner under one roof. Everything is step-free and wheelchair accessible, so the whole family can join in.
- Highlights
- 12 state-of-the-art bowling lanes with automated scoring
- Fully wheelchair-accessible lanes and a lift
- Wacky World soft play for kids and toddlers
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access