Kids in Madison, Alabama: Kid's Kingdom inclusive playground, library story times every week, Dublin Park's pools, escape rooms and rainy-day picks.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Details come from City of Madison Parks and Recreation, the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library’s calendar and each venue’s own website, linked below.

Madison’s best free things for children are its inclusive playground at Dublin Park, its 32 neighborhood parks and a full week of library story times. For wet or hot days, there are indoor pools at Dublin Park, escape rooms in Town Madison and, in Huntsville, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

At a glance

  • Free playground: Kid’s Kingdom, Dublin Park, 8324 Madison Pike, daylight hours
  • Story times: Madison Public Library, 142 Plaza Blvd., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings
  • Pools: Dublin Park indoor pool year-round; outdoor pool and kiddie pool in summer
  • Parks and Recreation: 256-772-9300. Library: 256-461-0046

Playgrounds

Kid’s Kingdom at Dublin Park. The original wooden playground was built by the community in six days in October 1997. The city replaced it with an inclusive playground for children of all abilities, which reopened in November 2023 with new restrooms, new equipment and a soft-landing surface. It is free and open during daylight hours, and its pavilions rent for birthday parties, according to the city.

Sunshine Oaks, 228 Mose Chapel Road, has a playground, pavilions, restrooms, green space and an 18-hole disc golf course on the Bradford Creek Greenway, open sun up to sundown, per the city.

Neighborhood parks. The city’s 32 neighborhood parks are aimed mostly at children’s play and are open sunup to 30 minutes after sunset; see our parks and trails guide.

Story times and library programs

The Madison Public Library, 142 Plaza Blvd., runs children’s programs most weekdays. Its events calendar listed this fall:

Day Time Program
Monday 9:30 a.m. First Steps Storytime
Tuesday 9:30 a.m. Toddler Stories and Songs
Tuesday 10:30 a.m. Preschool Stories and Songs
Thursday 9:30 a.m. Toddler Tales with Puppet Pals
Thursday 10:30 a.m. Preschool Puppet Palooza
Friday 9:30 a.m. STEAM Storytime or Preschool STEAM
Second Sunday 2 p.m. Kids Read to a Therapy Dog
Tuesday 4 p.m. Teen Takeover

Some weeks swap in special events, such as Baby’s First Halloween Rave on Oct. 29 and Homeschool STEAM sessions on Wednesdays. Check the calendar before you go.

Pools and sports

  • Dublin Park pools, 8324 Madison Pike: a heated indoor pool all year and, in summer, an outdoor pool with a diving well and kiddie pool. Children under 11 need an adult in the pool area, per the city’s pool rules. Membership or day fee.
  • Swim lessons run through the year, with the largest sign-up in May; call 256-772-2560.
  • Tennis for ages 5 to 18 at the Dublin Tennis Center, and city youth leagues, through the youth camps and programs page and the Madison Parks and Recreation app.

Rainy-day picks

  • Escapology, 143 Stadium Way in Town Madison: private escape rooms with a kid-friendly mode for ages 7 to 14, according to its Madison page.
  • U.S. Space & Rocket Center, One Tranquility Base in Huntsville; hours and tickets on its website.
  • Family Night at the Madison Community Center, 1329 Browns Ferry Road: a free, quarterly come-and-go evening for families of all abilities; the next is Family Fall Night, 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, per the city.

Toyota Field

Toyota Field, home of the Rocket City Trash Pandas, has a play area for children, according to Town Madison. The 2027 season runs April 2 to Sept. 12. Seasonal events there include trick-or-treating on Oct. 31 and Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 12; see our Halloween and holiday lights pages.

What this means for you

  • Kid’s Kingdom is free every day; bring water in summer.
  • Check the library calendar each week; special events sometimes replace regular story times.
  • Sign up for day camp and swim lessons in spring; see our summer guide.

More guides: free things to do and spring break in Madison.

Frequently asked questions

When is story time at the Madison Public Library?

This fall the Madison Public Library, 142 Plaza Blvd., holds First Steps Storytime at 9:30 a.m. Mondays, toddler and preschool story times at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and STEAM story time at 9:30 a.m. Fridays. Check its online calendar for each week.

Is Kid’s Kingdom playground free?

Yes. Kid’s Kingdom at Dublin Park, 8324 Madison Pike, is open to the public free of charge during daylight hours. The inclusive playground reopened in November 2023 with new restrooms, equipment and a soft-landing surface.

Is there a splash pad in Madison, Alabama?

The City of Madison’s parks pages list no public splash pad. Dublin Park’s outdoor pool has a kiddie pool in summer; a membership or day fee applies.

What can kids do in Madison on a rainy day?

Try the Madison Public Library’s story times and kids’ programs, the indoor pool at Dublin Park, an escape room at Escapology in Town Madison (kids mode for ages 7 to 14), or the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville.