Florence Family Friendly Events & Activities

Upcoming Kid-Friendly Events

2024 Events

October 11, 2024 (Fri) - Downtown Florence Fright Fest from 5:30PM - 9PM. There will be food vendors, live music, costume contests, trunk or treat and more. Address for GPS: 100 S. Dargan St., Florence, SC 29501

October 18 - 20, 2024 (Fri - Sun) - Foodies Fest at Magnolia Mall. Free entry but they ask for registration online. There will be food and drinks for sale.  Address: 2701 David H McLeod Blvd., Florence, SC 29501

October 24, 2024 (Thurs) - Treats on the Streets in Downtown Hartsville from 5PM - 7PM. Free. Address for GPS: 106 S. Carolina Ave., Hartsville, SC 29550

October 26, 2024 (Sat) - Trunk 'N Treats at Darlington Raceway from 9AM - 12PM. Horn-free hour is 9AM - 10AM. Wear your favorite costumes. Tickets are $5 a person and ages 2 years old and under are free. Costumes are encouraged, but not required. Address: 1301 Harry Byrd Hwy, Darlington , SC 29532

October 27, 2024 (Sun) - Trunk or Treat at St. John's Church from 4PM - 5PM. Address: 252 S. Dargan St., Florence, SC 29506

October 31, 2024 (Thurs) - Halloween Family Movie & Party at Darlington Library from 3:30PM - 5:30PM. There will be goody bags with candy, games and fun activities. Movie starts at 3:30PM and activities starts at 4PM. Address: 204 N Main St., Darlington, SC 29532

October 31, 2024 (Thurs) - Haunted Hotel Invades The Center. Free event. Miracle League: 4PM - 5PM and Public: 5PM - 8PM.  This is for kids 12 years old and under, accompanied by parent or guardian. Bring your candy buckets, bags or pillow cases. There will be food trucks, coffee trucks and dessert trucks. Address: 3300 W Radio Dr., Florence, SC 29501

October 31, 2024 (Thurs) - Halloween Trick or Treat in Hartsville at Butler Heritage Foundation Gym from 6PM - 8PM. Please bring a non-perishable item to donate to the food bank. Address: 1103 S. Sixth St., Hartsville, SC 29550

Major Things to do Within An Hour or 2 Drive

TBD

Day Trip Ideas: 

Myrtle Beach
Columbia

Story Times for Kids


Florence Library Story Times (Free)

During the school season, the Florence County public library (also known as Dr. Bruce & Lee Foundation Library) offers free story time sessions during the weekdays to the public. This library is very up-to-date with their selection and family-friendly with the children's area being on the bottom floor. They also host free children's events throughout the year.  Address of the library is 509 S Dargan St., Florence, SC 29506. 

Story times at the Florence Library are grouped by age. See the times and appropriate age groups for your child below:

Family Storytime is every Monday evening during the school season starting at 6PM. (For children 2-5 years old.)

Preschool Storytime is every Tuesday during the school season from 10:30am-11:00am. (This is for 2 year olds.)

Toddler Storytime is every Tuesday during the school season starting at 9:30AM and is 20 minutes long . (Child must be between 2-5 years old.)

Baby Storytime is every Thursday during the school season starting at 10:30AM and is 15 minutes long. (For 0-23 months old. Adult must be present during the entire time.)

Barnes & Noble Florence KIDS SECTION

The Barnes & Noble Book Store is located inside of Magnolia Mall has a kid's section. They also have a train set on display that kids can play with, school-aged appropriate books and toys. Address: 2701 David Mcleod Blvd Unit # 1200, Florence, SC 29501.

Playgrounds & Parks for Kids

Timrod Park 

Timrod Park is one of the oldest parks in Florence and it is FlorenceMom.com's favorite. They don't have soft cushions like the bottom of the playground of Ebenezer Park, but it has everything a traditional park has and more! With two side-by-side  playground structures, small bridges, a lot of shady trees, lots of squirrels and birds, picnic areas and benches, it's a great place for picknicking. Address of Timrod Park: 400 Timrod Park Drive, Florence, SC 29501


Ebenezer Park & Connected Rail Trail for Hiking

Located in West Florence, this public park has modern and sturdy playground structures for babies and bigger kids. They also have benches and a grill for picnics and parties. You can also find the Florence Rail Trail near Ebenezer Park!

Florence Rail Trail is a hiking/biking trail and is dog-friendly. It's 2 miles long; making it 4 miles long with the return trip. Make sure you have some bug-repellent spray during the warm seasons and sunscreen! Walk across the street from Ebenezer Park, past the church  and continue along the road where the fire station is. You'll see the entrance to the Rail Trail right behind it.

There is also another entrance point to a shorter nature hiking trail between Hobby Lobby and Lowe's Parking lot in West Florence. You can park in the Lowe's parking lot and take the steps down. There is a trail map here that will help you figure out the other entrance points of other trails around Florence as well.

Lynches River County Park, Environmental Discovery Center & Splash Pad 

Lynches River County Park has a large playground for kids to play that is open year round. They have walking trails as well. During ideal weather, you can also rent canoes and kayaks to enjoy some water fun.

Splash Pad at Lynches River

During the summer time (starting end of May), Lynches River County Park opens a Splash Pad. Cost is only $3 for children under 17 years old. Adults are free at the Splash Pad with paid child admission. Everyone must wear swimwear to get in the water area, even if you're just chasing your toddler for a minute. Gym clothes do not count and they will not let you in the splash area if you think you can get away with it. Wear proper swimwear. I learned this the hard way. Hours during the summer are: Tuesday - Saturday 11:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M., Sunday 1:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.

(Splash Pad at the Lynches River County Park is only open seasonally during the summer time.)

I highly recommend going to the Environmental Discovery Center at Lynches River County Park when they are open. Their backyard canopy trail is amazingly beautiful for the family to walk on. It is all free and usually open year round at Lynches River County Park!

(Environmental Discovery Center)

The Environmental Discovery Center is a large cabin. You and your kids will absolutely love this educational center! See beautiful pictures of the canopy trail from FlorenceMom.com's past visit.They have live reptiles like snakes, turtles and alligators that the kids can see up close! They're open every day except for Mondays. Their usual hours are: Tuesday - Saturday: 9am - 5pm and Sunday: 1pm - 5pm. Environmental Discovery Center Address is: 5094 County Park Rd, Coward, SC 29530.

David H McLeod Park 

Address: 920 State Rd S-21-508, Florence, SC 29501

This is my favorite park to go to when we still had a dog. It has a pond in the center where you can sit by and watch the fishes swim. They also have a skateboard park, basketball courts, a baseball field and a lot of benches. Their fenced dog park there is large and located right by the pond. Remember to bring some bug spray during the summer weather as there are a lot of mosquitos by the pond. 

Freedom Florence Recreational Complex

Address: 1515 Freedom Boulevard, Florence, SC 29505

The Freedom Florence Recreational Complex hosts sports tournaments and also has a coin-operated batting cage, a gymnastics facility, public picnic shelter with outdoor grills, a pond for fishing and trails for walking, jogging and biking. For athletic kids, this is the ultimate dream park.    

Other FlorenceMom.com Favorite Places 

Florence Flea Market

Address: 4001 E Palmetto St., Florence, SC 29506

Located in East Florence, this Flea Market is one of the biggest ones in South Carolina. Admission is always free. They sell a lot of used items and cheap finds. They also have a couple of dine-in places as well. I recommend the taco shop (taqueria). It's really authentic and a true gem! See food pictures of restaurants that FlorenceMom.com has dined at. Located outdoors, the Florence Flea Market is a great place to walk around on a clear day. With the smell of hot peanuts in the air, both adults and kids will get excited walking around and finding a diamond in the rough. 

Pee Dee State Farmers Market

(Dessert from McLeod's Store at the Pee Dee State Farmers Market in Florence)

Address: 2513 W Lucas St., Florence, SC 29501

Open year round, you'll find fresh produce, trees and plants for your garden and seasonal crafts to decorate the home. Entrance to Pee Dee State Farmers Market is always free. They are usually open from Monday through Saturday. Their hours change seasonally so check with their website to see their current hours. They also have a McLeod Farms storefront here seasonally, offering fresh farmed goods and delicious desserts. McLeod Farms' main headquarters is located in McBee, SC near Hartsville. See pictures of McLeod Farms in McBee, SC. I really recommend coming to Pee Dee Sate Farmers Market on the weekends instead of the weekdays because more stands are open. 

Fitness for the Family With a Kid's play area and nursery

McLeod Health & Fitness Center 

Address: 2437 Willwood Dr, Florence, SC 29501

Located in West Florence, the McLeod Health & Fitness Center is a modern facility with a nursery and children's play area called the MACK where you can drop off your kids in this center while you work out. With the maximum childcare allotment of 2 hours per day at the MACK, you can take a fitness class and even have time to shower there before you pick up your children. They offer discounts to certain companies so check with them before you fill out the application forms.

YMCA Florence

Address: 1700 Rutherford Dr, Florence, SC 29505

Located in South Florence, the YMCA is well-known for being a family-oriented fitness center for many decades. They also have a daycare program, after-school program and camps during the summer for the kids. Like the McLeod Health & Fitness Center, the YMCA also has a nursery and kid's play area where you can drop them off while you work out. What notably sets YMCA Florence apart from McLeod Health & Fitness Center is that they have an outdoor pool with a waterslide that's open during the warmer months.

Fitness World 

3 locations in Florence (with one being ladies' only!), 1 in Hartsville, 1 in Darlington & growing

At all the Fitness Worlds, the gyms only have child care available during the times when there are fitness classes at each location. However, all of the Fitness World's facilities are open 24/7! That is a great benefit for having a membership with them. Another added bonus is one membership gets you into all of the locations! They even have a ladies only location on Second Loop in Florence! Considerably cheaper than McLeod Health & Fitness Center and YMCA, it's perfect for those who work during odd hours and are serious about working out! I only paid $1 per child when I used their childcare facility for a fitness class I was taking with my kids in tow.

Movie Theaters & Cinemas

Regal Cinemas Swamp Fox 14

Address: 3400 Radio Road, Florence, SC 29501

Located in West Florence and near the Magnolia Mall and hotels, this movie theater has a lot of movies showing every day. There is always ample parking. They are located near a lot of restaurants as well, which makes it very convenient for date nights.

JuliA 4 Cinemas 

Address: 1110 S. Irby St., Florence, SC 29501

Julia's Cinemas is a local movie theater cinema and is significantly cheaper than Regal Cinemas Swamp Fox. Parking can get full really fast on a busy day so come early. There are 4 different theater rooms.Julia's Cinemas is located in South Florence. 

  

FlorenceMom.com Facebook Page 

Get connected with FlorenceMom.com on Facebook to get updates on family-friendly events on your newsfeed!

Florence Mom

Kid's Birthday Party Suggestions

With seasonal weather here in Florence, there are many options to plan a fun birthday party for the kids! Here are some of our Kid's Birthday Party in Florence suggestions below.

Birthday Party at Chuck E Cheese

Address: 2603 David H McLeod Blvd, Florence, SC 29501

You can book a birthday party package for any day of the week! It doesn't have to be on the weekends here at Chuck E Cheese! Located at Magnolia Mall, this is a great place for the kids to play and have a party. For their birthday packages, you pay a rate per kid and that rate includes 2 slices of pizza, play points, unlimited drink refills and organized 2 hours of fun. I really think the best package is the star package, which is their standard birthday package rate per child. 

Picture below is from a birthday party I planned for my son when he turned 4. As far as birthday planning, it was the easiest and most memorable birthday party I ever had to plan for my kids because everything was provided with the package I got. No setting up or cleaning up required for me!

kids birthday party at Chuck E Cheese in Florence, South Carolina

The kids got so tired so at the end of those 2 hours. We were able to do a lot including: time is spent eating, cutting the cake and Chuck E Cheese coming out to entertain the guests! These party packages are especially great because you get to be in the private party area that's close to the Chuck E Cheese animatronic. However, I've also seen smaller parties just sit in a regular booth without needing to book a party package. It can get pretty busy during the weekends so the regular booths can fill up quickly.

Birthday Party at Ebenezer Park 

Address: 842 South Ebenezer Road, Florence, SC 29501 for GPS.

With benches and a playground nearby, this is a great place to have a picnic or birthday party. Their playground has separate areas for babies and bigger kids. They have bathrooms right by the playground and covered areas for eating. To make sure you'll get the large benches at Ebenezer Park or any public city park, you'll need to reserve it with the City of Florence. It is worth it for your peace of mind because I've heard of parties disputing over space on the benches for a birthday party and if you've already reserved it with the city then that space is guaranteed to be yours.


Birthday Party at the Splash Pad (Summer Only starting end of May) at River Lynches County Park

Address: 5094 County Park Rd Coward, SC 29530

It gets really hot during the summer time in Florence so this is a great place for the kids to cool down and celebrate a summer birthday. Located at Lynches River County Park, which is 30 mins from Florence city, it can feel isolating driving here to find the splash pad but don't worry, you'll see a parking lot when you get to the splash pad building and all the kids really enjoy the splash pad here.

Birthday Party at the MACK

Address: 2437 Willwood Dr, Florence, SC 29501

Members (and non-members) at the McLeod Health & Fitness Center can host kid's birthday parties at the MACK! Their party times are only available on the weekends. You can choose to have an indoor pool party here or rent out the MACK area for some organized fun play for your kid's birthday party. 

Birthday Party at Skateland

125 N Beltline Dr #7413, Florence, SC 29501

You can host birthday parties at Skateland in Florence, South Carolina. It is located across from the Wal Mart shopping center on Beltline in West Florence. There are a few party packages you can pick from and they all include 2 hours allotment for a party table, pizza, all paper goods and drinks. You can reserve a birthday party package for a weekday or on the weekends.

Florence Downtown Fun

Starting in April, when the weather gets warmer, the community can enjoy some outdoor time in downtown for their block parties every Third Thursday, First Friday and Last Friday (Friday After Five). The businesses of downtown come together and host an evening night of fun with free entertainment. These events are always free to attend. Some residents would even bring their own lawn chairs to get a comfortable seat while watching the bands play. Not only family friendly, usually these events are also dog-friendly. 

Many festivals and fairs are also hosted in downtown annually, such as the famous Pecan Festival in the Fall and Shamrock Festival in the Spring for St. Patrick's Day. 

The downtown area is continually changing and growing. It's been exciting to see the wonderful changes with new businesses and more community events. See recommended family-friendly restaurants in downtown.

FLORENCE COUNTY MUSEUM


The Florence County Museum is located in downtown inside a beautiful stand-alone building. This museum is always free to the public. It's a great place for locals and tourists to learn more about Florence County's history. They also host family-friendly events throughout the year. These events will be posted under the 'Upcoming Events' list at the top of this page as they draw nearer. Florence County Museum's hours of operations change seasonally so check their website to see the current season's hours. Florence County Museum Address: 111 W. Cheves, Florence, SC 29501.

Florence Little Theatre for Kids

Address; 417 S Dargan St, Florence, SC 29506

Throughout the year, Florence Little Theatre (located next to Florence Library) has many kid's play productions that is fun for all the kids to see. Don't be surprised if there is a field trip to this theatre from your child's school. They host seasonally special events for the little ones too.

See my Pictures of Restaurants in Florence, South Carolina