Ogden Utah has been the what some may call the dangerous or ghetto part of Utah. Known for its crazy bars and brothels, and some even say a whole underground world of promiscuous activity during the prohibition. Ogden has come a long way in changing its long time bad name. Even though the Historic 25th street is still there it is now home to local restaurants and breweries fun and safe for all ages and even family friendly. In the summer time you can find the entire 25th street shut down and blocked off for an eventfull farmers market. From Fresh fruits and vegetables, to food trucks, local homemade jewelry and painting and even clothes. Saturday mornings the street comes alive with vendors of all sorts. You will typically hear some great music by a local musician on the corner waiting for you to drop a dollar while they play their music to liven up the street even more. I remember one time there were even horse rides when I was able to take my son on a horse around the park. Summer nights you will also find some great family friendly events in the park on 25th street. Tuesday nights are typically movie night in the summer, you can sit in the stadium seating or on the raised grass behind the seats. Most people like to bring a big blanket and pillows and lay down under the stars while the movie plays on the big outdoor projection screen. With the concession stand open and fresh popcorn popping you are sure to get the full movie theater experience. Now on the weekends you can typically find a local band opening for a bigger name band in the concert in the park located on the same stage they play the movies on Tuesday nights. Although the movies are family friendly and free the concerts tend to run anywhere between ten dollars and twenty dollars and are usually for the older crowd. Although kids are there and family’s are welcome it is geared more towards the 21 and older crowd with a bar and beer from the local breweries. There is a park on the other side of the fence and a play area for the kids outside of the brick wall that surrounds the stage and seating area. All and all 25th street is a very popular and happening place for all different ages and types of events.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about Christmas Village. Christmas village is lit up after thanksgiving and taken down after new years. Ogden Christmas village is just that a Village of all sorts put up to celebrate the holidays. Local businesses in Ogden can rent a spot and put up a miniature house decorated however they would like. The miniature houses have a few small windows or a large window in front displaying something festive. Some of the houses are animated and have little elves hammering away, others have kids playing, or little ice skaters skating about. Some have a theme that has to do with the type of business they are or representing the type of work or service they provide. This is a very family friendly event to come bundled up and buy some hot chocolate or coffee and walk the park looking at hundreds of fun Christmas decorated and themed houses. In the center of the park you can take the smaller children to ride the little train around and through a little tunnel. Not many people find themselves driving to Ogden Utah from Salt lake city or other of the larger surrounding cities however this is one event that is often worth taking the drive for.
Ogden is a great place to be and especially down town if you are a foodie and love the art of local craft beers and amazing food. There are so many different varieties to choose between from Chinese to American grill, sushi, Thai, Greek, Italian food and of course the I don’t know what to call it but it tastes amazing food. One of the most unique restaurants in Ogden would have to be Pig in a Jelly Jar, they definitely do not have health in mind with most of their food options like deep fried chicken waffle topped with bacon however the flavors are amazing. The Portions at Pig In a Jelly Jar in Ogden are very large so if you don’t have a huge appetite you should plan on sharing a meal or taking home leftovers. They are located right on 25th street in Ogden and they have amazing outdoor seating… weather permitting of course.
Ogden has so many fun things to do and what makes it nice is there is plenty to do with your family even if that little family includes small children. The five top things to go and do with your family in Ogden Utah are by fat the most popular and my favorite to do with my child as well. Summer Spring and fall are typically more popular season here in Utah. If you love the snow and you don’t mind being outside in the cold then you can add Winter to your list and you will love every day of every season here in Ogden. Hiking is by far one of the best things to do with your family not only are you getting out and enjoying nature and the beauty of the Wasatch Front Mountain Range you are getting good exercise and well being a great example to your children. The Hiking trails in Ogden are by far some of the best. The trails are bike friendly for the more talented mountain bikers. The trail system in Ogden is also Dog friendly and it is highly encouraged to pick up after your animals with doggie bags to keep the trails clean for others. The great part about the four seasons and the hiking trails in Ogden is that the trails are open in the winter time for cross country skiing or even snow shoeing. I think the most fun we had was going show shoeing to find a good hill then we took our tubes and sleds down the hill. Even though it is cold if you remember to dress appropriately you will stay warm and enjoy the adventure.
Now that we are on the subject of winter there are just those days especially with your kids that you just want to get the kids to do something inside. During our time in Ogden we got a season pass for our son to the Treehouse Museum. There were days in the summer that we did go to this playhouse museum however we spent most of the summer days in the sun and water. The Treehouse Museum in Ogden is a great place for kids to learn and discover new things. This Giant Museum has 2 levels and each area is sectioned off with a new experience for the little ones. Once a day in the downstairs stage area they have a singalong and a little skit that they allow the kids to join in and be apart of. Upstairs once a day they have a craft time and a fun hands on activity for the kids to use paint and glue things together. All the fun messy stuff that is better off not in your house because f the mess. They have great instructors that work with the kids and help them have fun while they discover their arts and crafts skills. Some of the other areas that are sectioned off is the diner where the kids can pretend to prepare cook and serve food to each other or the adults that are there with them. They get to be creative, learn to work together and even learn to take your order off the menu. The music room is another fun room that has lots of different instruments and the kids are encouraged to play loud and have fun. Most of the instruments are different types of percussion instruments since that is the best way to keep from spreading as many germs. From the Firehouse and Firetruck where the kids can dress up like a fire fighter and the farm where they can milk a cow there are so many different things to explore.
As I mentioned before most of our summers were spent in the water and that means there were weeks spent at the water park there in Ogden right off of Riverdale road. The Classic Water park is one of our favorites still. There are three main slide you can go down as is or on a speed mat they allow you or your child to go solo or even go down doing doubles. Out of the three slides there is one that is a little smaller and slower then there are two that go a bit higher and have more turns and twists. There is a splash pad off to the side and a small speed slide with five little slides right next to each other. Around the corner there is a supper wide slide that lands in a slash pool and last but not least there is a whole toddler area with the water only a few feet and a few little slides for the little ones to safely play around and explore. This classic water park in Ogden had shaved ice and a full concession stand, everything you need for a full day of fun in the sun and in the water.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about Christmas Village. Christmas village is lit up after thanksgiving and taken down after new years. Ogden Christmas village is just that a Village of all sorts put up to celebrate the holidays. Local businesses in Ogden can rent a spot and put up a miniature house decorated however they would like. The miniature houses have a few small windows or a large window in front displaying something festive. Some of the houses are animated and have little elves hammering away, others have kids playing, or little ice skaters skating about. Some have a theme that has to do with the type of business they are or representing the type of work or service they provide. This is a very family friendly event to come bundled up and buy some hot chocolate or coffee and walk the park looking at hundreds of fun Christmas decorated and themed houses. In the center of the park you can take the smaller children to ride the little train around and through a little tunnel. Not many people find themselves driving to Ogden Utah from Salt lake city or other of the larger surrounding cities however this is one event that is often worth taking the drive for.
Ogden is a great place to be and especially down town if you are a foodie and love the art of local craft beers and amazing food. There are so many different varieties to choose between from Chinese to American grill, sushi, Thai, Greek, Italian food and of course the I don’t know what to call it but it tastes amazing food. One of the most unique restaurants in Ogden would have to be Pig in a Jelly Jar, they definitely do not have health in mind with most of their food options like deep fried chicken waffle topped with bacon however the flavors are amazing. The Portions at Pig In a Jelly Jar in Ogden are very large so if you don’t have a huge appetite you should plan on sharing a meal or taking home leftovers. They are located right on 25th street in Ogden and they have amazing outdoor seating… weather permitting of course.
Ogden has so many fun things to do and what makes it nice is there is plenty to do with your family even if that little family includes small children. The five top things to go and do with your family in Ogden Utah are by fat the most popular and my favorite to do with my child as well. Summer Spring and fall are typically more popular season here in Utah. If you love the snow and you don’t mind being outside in the cold then you can add Winter to your list and you will love every day of every season here in Ogden. Hiking is by far one of the best things to do with your family not only are you getting out and enjoying nature and the beauty of the Wasatch Front Mountain Range you are getting good exercise and well being a great example to your children. The Hiking trails in Ogden are by far some of the best. The trails are bike friendly for the more talented mountain bikers. The trail system in Ogden is also Dog friendly and it is highly encouraged to pick up after your animals with doggie bags to keep the trails clean for others. The great part about the four seasons and the hiking trails in Ogden is that the trails are open in the winter time for cross country skiing or even snow shoeing. I think the most fun we had was going show shoeing to find a good hill then we took our tubes and sleds down the hill. Even though it is cold if you remember to dress appropriately you will stay warm and enjoy the adventure.
Now that we are on the subject of winter there are just those days especially with your kids that you just want to get the kids to do something inside. During our time in Ogden we got a season pass for our son to the Treehouse Museum. There were days in the summer that we did go to this playhouse museum however we spent most of the summer days in the sun and water. The Treehouse Museum in Ogden is a great place for kids to learn and discover new things. This Giant Museum has 2 levels and each area is sectioned off with a new experience for the little ones. Once a day in the downstairs stage area they have a singalong and a little skit that they allow the kids to join in and be apart of. Upstairs once a day they have a craft time and a fun hands on activity for the kids to use paint and glue things together. All the fun messy stuff that is better off not in your house because f the mess. They have great instructors that work with the kids and help them have fun while they discover their arts and crafts skills. Some of the other areas that are sectioned off is the diner where the kids can pretend to prepare cook and serve food to each other or the adults that are there with them. They get to be creative, learn to work together and even learn to take your order off the menu. The music room is another fun room that has lots of different instruments and the kids are encouraged to play loud and have fun. Most of the instruments are different types of percussion instruments since that is the best way to keep from spreading as many germs. From the Firehouse and Firetruck where the kids can dress up like a fire fighter and the farm where they can milk a cow there are so many different things to explore.
As I mentioned before most of our summers were spent in the water and that means there were weeks spent at the water park there in Ogden right off of Riverdale road. The Classic Water park is one of our favorites still. There are three main slide you can go down as is or on a speed mat they allow you or your child to go solo or even go down doing doubles. Out of the three slides there is one that is a little smaller and slower then there are two that go a bit higher and have more turns and twists. There is a splash pad off to the side and a small speed slide with five little slides right next to each other. Around the corner there is a supper wide slide that lands in a slash pool and last but not least there is a whole toddler area with the water only a few feet and a few little slides for the little ones to safely play around and explore. This classic water park in Ogden had shaved ice and a full concession stand, everything you need for a full day of fun in the sun and in the water.