Schlitterbahn is why most families come to New Braunfels. It's also a full day that burns out kids by 4 PM, which leaves you with the rest of your trip to fill. Below are six attractions we send families to when they've checked off the waterpark and still have two days to go. Most are 10 to 20 minutes from downtown New Braunfels and a few combine naturally into the same half-day. Prices and hours change seasonally, so confirm on each website before you drive out. If you need a rental home with space for a family of 6 or more, we run four in the area, including two riverfront homes in Gruene and one hilltop property with a pool and space for 16.
Natural Bridge Caverns
The largest commercially operated cavern in Texas. Guided walking tours drop you 180 feet underground through massive caverns and dramatic limestone formations. The signature Discovery Tour is a 75-minute walk and hits the photos you've seen online.
The underground stays 70°F year-round, which makes this the go-to attraction on a 100°F August afternoon when Schlitterbahn is overrun and the river has a line to get in. Book online before you drive out. Tours sell out on summer weekends.
Above-ground attractions include a zipline, gemstone-sluicing pay-per-play stations, and a restaurant. Kids under 4 go free on the main tours. Strollers are not permitted underground. Carriers okay for infants. Best for: ages 5 and up, hot-weather escape days, and anyone who hasn't seen a big cave before.
Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch
A drive-thru African safari three minutes from Natural Bridge Caverns. You stay in your own car and drive a 4-mile loop while zebras, giraffes, ostriches, and bison walk right up to your window for food. The ranch is home to hundreds of animals from 40 species, and they do come close, so expect an ostrich head in your back seat.
Buy the animal food at the entrance. It's the reason the animals approach the cars. A small walk-through section at the end has goats, peacocks, and a kangaroo enclosure. The full drive takes 60 to 90 minutes depending on traffic and how long you stop for photos.
Pair this with Natural Bridge Caverns. Both are right next to each other off 281, and a combo day gives kids the biggest variety for about $60 per person. Best for: ages 3 and up, families with reluctant hikers, and anyone whose kids have never seen a giraffe from 3 feet away.
Landa Park
A 51-acre city park built around the Comal Springs, the largest natural spring system in the American southwest. In the middle of the park is a crystal-clear spring-fed lake with paddle boat rentals, a miniature train that loops the entire park, picnic groves under mature cypress trees, a playground, and the Landa Park Aquatic Complex with pools and a 350-foot spring-fed swimming area.
This is the free (or nearly free) family day. Pack a cooler, get there by 10 AM, take a train ride, rent a paddle boat, swim in the aquatic complex, and you're set for the day. The park is a short drive from Gruene and most New Braunfels rentals.
Best for: toddlers through age 10, families who'd rather chill under trees than pay for rides, and anyone who wants to see what a real Texas spring-fed park looks like. Summer weekends get busy, so stake out your spot early.
McKenna Children's Museum
A hands-on children's museum built for ages 4 to 12. Interactive exhibits include a working kid-size grocery store, a medical simulation room (stethoscopes, exam tables, the whole thing), a flight simulator, a TV news studio, and a rotating STEM-focused exhibit. All climate-controlled, which is the main attraction on a 100°F day.
Non-profit, which keeps ticket prices reasonable and the experience quality high. The staff rotates to stay engaged with kids who are working through the exhibits. Plan 2 to 3 hours for a full visit.
Best for: ages 4 to 10, rainy or dangerously hot afternoons, and families who've already done Schlitterbahn and the outdoor stuff. Pairs well with lunch downtown New Braunfels afterward, which is a 3-minute drive.
Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo
Part roadside attraction, part legitimate zoo. Animal World and Snake Farm has lions, monkeys, alligators, a full reptile house (the Snake Farm part, with cobras, rattlers, pythons, and tortoises), and a petting zoo area with goats, pigs, and emus.
It's small. Plan 90 minutes to 2 hours, which makes this the right half-day option or the thing you do after an early-morning Schlitterbahn visit. The reptile house is genuinely well-curated and the daily live feeding is worth timing your visit around.
The off-I-35 location makes this easy to hit on a San Antonio-to-New Braunfels drive. Best for: ages 3 to 10, kids who love snakes (or kids who want to prove they're not scared of snakes), and families who want something inexpensive and quick.
Wurstfest Grounds
The Wurstfest grounds are the German-heritage festival hub in November, but off-season the property is a quiet waterfront walk along the Comal with picnic tables, the Marketplatz stage, and connected trails into Landa Park. In peak summer it's also the launch point for Landa Falls, a tube rental operator with 1,000 feet of private Comal frontage we covered in our tubing guide.
For families, the real value is the pairing. Park free here, walk 5 minutes to Landa Park for the train or the aquatic complex, then loop back through the Wurstfest grounds for a picnic. The Comal runs cold year-round, so even on a hot fall day the kids can wade in.
If you're visiting in the first two weeks of November, the actual Wurstfest is worth a stop. Giant beer hall, German food, polka bands, carnival rides. Kids under 10 get in free with an adult.