Eat, play and stay in Bowral with kids

Updated October 2026

With its gorgeous gardens, bushland and wilderness, historic homes, museums and galleries and an incredible food scene just 90 minutes by car from Sydney and Canberra, Bowral is our top pick for a Southern Highlands fling.

Once a rural farming town, Bowral has grown into the unofficial capital of the Southern Highlands, with grand old homes, leafy streets and a distinctly villagey feel despite having plenty going on.

Whether you’re a family that prefers living it large in a country manor, trawling for collectibles or securing cultural and sugar fixes, here we share a few of the best things to do in Bowral with kids.

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Things to do in Bowral with kids

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Take pretty parklands, gardens and playgrounds, add grassy farmlands and vineyards, then mix in a few world-class museums and galleries, and you have the perfect recipe for entertaining kids.

Bradman Museum and International Cricket Hall of Fame

The hometown of the late great Sir Donald Bradman, Bowral’s Glebe Park is the location of Bradman Oval and the Bradman Museum and International Cricket Hall of Fame. In this museum collection of national significance, kids can learn about the geography and history of the world through cricket via state-of-the-art interactive experiences. Howzat!

Location: St Jude St, Bowral

Corbett Gardens

Tiptoe through Bowral’s tulips. Located in the centre of town, Corbett Gardens is one of Bowral’s oldest and prettiest public parks. Each spring it becomes the centre piece of the Tulip Time Festival with its carpet of pretty tulips. Note, entry to Corbett Gardens is normally free for visitors, but a fee applies during the festival.

Location: Wingecarribee St, Bowral

Mary Poppins Statue at Glebe Park

Let their imaginations fly with Mary Poppins in Glebe Park. This whimsical statue commemorates author Pamela L. Travers, the author of the children’s novels about the mystical and magical English nanny, who spent some of her childhood in Bowral.

Location: 6 St Jude Street, Bowral

Bowral Art Gallery

Arty types will love the Bowral Art Gallery, located behind the Bowral Library in the arts precinct. Along with the gallery and sculpture garden, there are arts workshops for adults and children.

Location: 1 Short St, Bowral

Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens

If the kids need to burn off some energy after all that eating and shopping, head to the Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens. There’s plenty of room to run around, along with a fully fenced playground, picnic areas and seasonal gardens to explore. It’s an easy family stop when you want some fresh air without committing to a serious bushwalk.

Location: 1 Old South Road, Bowral

Retford Park

For something a little more grown-up that still works with kids, Retford Park is a beauty. The former home of James Fairfax sits behind a rather fabulous Portuguese-pink Victorian mansion, surrounded by gardens, sculptures and shady lawns. Kids can follow the self-led art trail while parents admire the gardens, and you’re welcome to bring a picnic.

Location: 1325 Old South Road, Bowral

Fox in a Box Bowral

Got tweens or teens who have reached the stage where another garden sounds suspiciously like punishment? Fox in a Box Bowral has four escape rooms where teams have 60 minutes to solve clues, crack puzzles and get themselves out. It’s the sort of activity that gives competitive siblings something udeful to argue about.

Location: Unit 17, 63-69 Kirkham Road, Bowral

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Where to shop in Bowral

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I was delighted to discover that my kids share my love of scouring antique and bric-a-brac stores because their dad would rather poke himself in the eye with a rusty fork than join me for an in-store trawl. Bowral, with its antique emporiums, secondhand bookshops and eclectic shopping strip, is one of our favourite places to indulge our passion for covetable collectibles.

Dirty Janes

Dirty Jane’s vintage and antiques emporium boasts more than 50 individual dealers in one place and is packed to the rafters with cool and quirky collectibles, vintage and handmade jewellery, antique furnishings and homewares that will make your repurposed, restored and upcycled soul sing!

Location: 13 Banyette St, Bowral

Berkelouw Book Barn 

Breeders of bookworms will want to high-tail it to Berkelouw Book Barn, around an eight-minute drive from town. The rustic home of thousands upon thousands of books, exploring its literary treasures has been a long-time favourite stop of mine. Luckily my kids have caught the Berkelouw bug too. You’ll find new and second-hand books and a kids’ section, but it is their antiquarian selection that makes this book lover’s heart sing.

Location: Bendooley Estate, 3020 Old Hume Hwy

Bespoke Letterpress

If your kids are anything like my stationery-loving littles, then you’ll love this pretty store in the main street of Bowral. Designed and printed at their flagship store and studio using antique cast iron machines, their range includes greeting cards, gift tags, writing sets, notebooks and gorgeous double-sided gift wrap.

Location: Shop 2b/310-318 Bong Bong St, Bowral

The Creative Kid

Let the kids loose at Creative Kids, just off the main street in Bowral. At the oldest toy store in the Southern Highlands, you’ll find a brilliant variety of toys, games, and artistic and educational materials.

Location: 10 Boolwey St, Bowral

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Bowral’s best sweets and treats

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With high altitude and rich volcanic soils supporting some of Australia’s best produce, the Southern Highlands is renowned for fabulous food. But while Raff and I prefer to taste our way through Bowral’s many excellent restaurants and cafes, Sugarpuff (who believes that the five food groups consist of cake, cookies, pastry, chocolate and candy) was more excited by Bowral’s many sweet secrets.

Gumnut Patisserie

Kids and cake go together like, well… kids and cake! And award-winning Gumnut Patisserie has the best cakes, tarts and savoury pastries in town. My kids can’t resist Gumnut’s luscious lemon tarts and raspberry tartlets, and there is a takeaway high tea that’s the perfect thing to enjoy in one of the many pretty parks in the area.

Location: Shop 7, Grand Arcade, Bong Bong St, Bowral

Bowral Sweets & Treats 

Did someone say lolly shop? Bowral Sweets & Treats is a one-stop shop for all things sugary sweet. My kids and this candy store became well acquainted during our visit as they stocked up on lemon sherbets, sour lollies and handmade chocolates as well as bagsful of imported British sweets for their dad.

Location: High Street Arcade, 310-312 Bong Bong St, Bowral

The Pure Chocolate Shop 

My chocolate-loving children adore The Pure Chocolate Shop. There’s a range of vegan, sugar-free, dairy-free, dark, milk and white chocolate delights, including fruit-studded Rocky Road and a range of dreamy, creamy bars. But it is the free-flowing beauty of the Chocolate Lava Fountain and the delicious hot chocolates – the perfect treat on a crisp Highland day – that really have them hooked.

Location: Springett’s Arcade, Shop 21 302-306 Bong Bong Street, Bowral

Three Blue Ducks Burradoo

For a longer lunch, Three Blue Ducks Burradoo is the new kid on the Southern Highlands block. The restaurant opened in mid-2026 on a 240-hectare regenerative farm just outside Bowral, with an artisan bakery and relaxed cafe alongside the main restaurant. Kids can stretch their legs and explore the farm setting while grown-ups settle in for a proper lunch, making it a good option when nobody wants to spend two hours telling the children to sit still.

Location: 6 Railway Road, Burradoo NSW 2576

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Where to stay in Bowral with kids  

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From beautiful boutique hotels and quaint cottages to stately manors and sprawling resorts, you’ll find kid-friendly accommodation to suit every family in Bowral.

Berida Hotel

This historic Art Deco charmer, just moments from Bowral’s main street, has been beautifully renovated in shimmering shades of peacock blue and green. With family rooms, atmospheric common spaces, a heated indoor pool, games room, tennis court and Bistro Sociale on site, Berida Hotel is a particularly good option for families who want to park the car and walk into town.

→ Check current rates and availability at Berida Hotel

Location: 6 David St, Bowral

Berkelouw Book Barn Cottages

The individually designed Berkelouw Cottages offer a little rustic glamour to a Bowral stay. With one-, two- and three-bedroom cottages, they’re ideal for families. And the kids will love exploring the picturesque surroundings and getting hands-on collecting eggs and saying hello to the resident farm animals.

The individually designed cottages at Bendooley Estate bring a little rustic glamour to a Southern Highlands stay. There are studio, two-bedroom and three-bedroom options, making them a good choice for families who need a little more room to spread out. The kids will love exploring the picturesque surroundings and getting hands-on collecting eggs and saying hello to the resident farm animals, while the Book Barn, restaurant and beautiful grounds give the grown-ups a few reasons to linger.

→ Check current rates and availability at Bendooley Estate

Location: Bendooley Estate, 3020 Old Hume Highway

The Gibraltar Bowral

Just minutes from Bowral’s main street, this accessible five-star find offers a modern twist on boutique Bowral accommodation. Overlooking a gorgeous 18-hole golf course, the Gibraltar Bowral is welcoming to kids with spacious family suites along with a heated indoor pool, fine dining and a luxurious on-site day spa.

→ Check current rates and availability at The Gibraltar Bowral

Location: 7 Boronia St, Bowral

An award-winning travel writer and photographer, Aleney de Winter was fresh from school when she first set off to explore the far reaches of Australia with a two-man tent and a beaten-up Kingswood for company. Three decades, and two kids later, and she's still on the go, with her itchy-footed offspring in tow.