Operation Best Summer Ever: The Ultimate End-of-Summer Kids Checklist for Appalachia’s Front Porch.
Quick Answer: What's the Best Last-Week-of-Summer Trip for Kids in the Tri-State Area?
The best end-of-summer send-off in Appalachia’s Front Porch is a four-day checklist we call Operation Best Summer Ever: two hands-on children's museums, three family entertainment centers (Dave & Buster's, Malibu Jack's, and GattiTown), the legendary Camden Park amusement park, and a rotating lineup of local pizza and ice cream stops between every activity. Every stop is within about a 20-minute drive of the others, so families, including those visiting from out of town, can build a full multi-day itinerary without long drives between states.
Here's the full breakdown, day by day, plus the local tips we'd tell a friend visiting for the first time.
Day 1: Museum Morning, Games All Night
☐ Highlands DO!zeum & Clark Family Discovery Center
Address: 1620 Winchester Ave, Ashland, KY
Hours: Tues–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat 10am–6pm
Price: $10 entry fee
Start the checklist at Ashland's hands-on science and discovery museum. The DO!zeum's interactive exhibits are built for touching, climbing, and exploring, not just looking, making it an easy first stop for kids who've got extra energy to burn before the day really gets going. There’s something for everyone to do!
☐ Dave & Buster's - Huntington Mall
Address: 500 E Mall Road & I-64, Huntington, WV
Hours: Sun–Thurs 10am–midnight, Fri–Sat 10am–1am
Price: Varies
West Virginia's first Dave & Buster's, right at Huntington Mall. It works as both dinner and entertainment in one stop, arcade games, a full menu, and enough screens that nobody has to choose between eating and playing.
☐ Frostop Drive-In
Address: 1449 Hal Greer Boulevard, Huntington, WV
Hours: Mon–Sat 11am–9pm
Price: Varies
Close out Day 1 the old-fashioned way: a root beer float in a frosty mug, served the classic drive-in way. It's a Huntington institution and a great low-key finish after a big day.
Day 2: Little Explorers to Big Games
☐ Huntington Children's Museum
Address: 1700 Washington Ave, Huntington, WV
Hours: Wed–Sun 10am–5pm
Price: $10 Adults and children aged 2 and older
A water table, an interactive sand table, a climbing area, and a kid-size city give younger kids a whole world to explore, with exhibits that rotate quarterly.
☐ Malibu Jack's Ashland
Address: 10699 US-60 W, Ashland, KY
Hours: Sun–Thurs 11am–10pm, Fri–Sat 10am–midnight
Price: Varies
Bowling, go-karts, mini golf, laser tag, indoor coasters, and a full arcade, all under one roof. A great pick for families with a wider age range, since there's something for the littlest kids and the teenagers alike.
☐ GattiTown
Address: 711 12th Street, Ashland, KY
Hours: Mon–Sat 11am–9pm, Sun 11am–8pm
Price: Varies
Dinner and dessert in one stop: an all-you-can-eat pizza, pasta, and salad bar buffet paired with its own arcade and bumper cars in the back. Local tip: kids eat free with a paying adult on Mondays, and Tuesday is Senior Day, worth keeping in mind if you can flex which day you go.
Day 3: Camden Park Day (Non-Negotiable)
☐ Camden Park
Address: 500 Waverly Rd, Huntington, WV
Hours: Thurs–Sat 12pm–9pm, Sun 12pm–8pm
Price: $31.99 on Saturdays and $28.99 on weekdays and Sundays
The main event. Running since 1903, Camden Park is a genuine old-school amusement park: roller coasters, water rides, a full arcade, and a Kiddie Land built for the under-48-inch crowd. This is the one stop on the whole checklist that's truly non-negotiable.
☐ Evaroni's Pizza
Address: 914 Oak Street, Kenova, WV
Tues–Sun 4pm–8:30pm
Price: Varies
A Tri-State pizza tradition and an easy stop on the way out of Huntington after a full day of rides.
☐ Austin's Ice Cream
Address: 1103 C St, Ceredo, WV
Hours: Sun–Thurs 11am–9pm, Fri–Sat 11am–10pm
End the day the way it started: with something sweet. Austin's has been a Tri-State ice cream staple for exactly this reason.
Day 4: Get Outside and Play!
☐ Heritage Farm and Adventure Park
Address: 3300 Harvey Rd, Huntington, WV
Hours: Thurs - Sat 10 am - 3 pm
Price: $10 - $17
A recreated 19th century Appalachian village featuring antiques, animals, artisans, and adventure! Featuring a ropes course, zip line, and mountain bike trails.
☐ Build-A-Bear, Ashland Town Center Mall
Address: 500 Winchester Ave, Ashland, KY
Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–8pm, Sun 12pm–6pm
Price: Varies
A hands-on, build-it-yourself stuffed animal experience, a nice quieter activity to pair with the last stop. Create the perfect keepsake to take home to remember your trip!
☐ Superhero Creamery, Ashland Town Center Mall
Address: 500 Winchester Ave, Ashland, KY
Hours: Mon–Sat 11am–8pm, Sun 12pm–6pm
Price: Varies
A playful, superhero-themed scoop shop tucked inside the mall. An easy, air-conditioned way to close out four days of checklist-worthy fun.
Local Tips & Tricks for Out-of-Town Families
Visiting the Tri-State area for the first time? A few things a local would tell you before you go
You're always in the Eastern time zone. Even though this checklist crosses three states, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia, all of it stays in Eastern Time. One less thing to think about while you're planning the day.
Use the exact street address in your GPS, not just the city name. Because Ashland, Huntington, and the Ohio side of the river sit so close together, mapping apps can occasionally suggest a longer route or a crossing further upriver than necessary. Punching in the full address (not just "Camden Park" or "the mall") gets you the most direct bridge crossing every time.
Huntington makes the most central home base. If you're staying overnight, Huntington sits roughly in the middle of all four days on this checklist, with easy highway access to Ashland, KY and the Ironton/South Point, OH side of the river.
Carry a little cash as backup. Most stops on this list take cards, but smaller, family-run spots can occasionally have card readers down or a preference for cash, especially for a quick counter order. It never hurts to have some on hand.
Go early for the museums, later for the arcades. Huntington Children's Museum and the Highlands DO!zeum are both most peaceful right when they open. Dave & Buster's, Malibu Jack's, and GattiTown are the opposite, they're built for evenings, and get livelier (and more crowded) after dinner hour.
Check hours before you go, especially at Camden Park. As a seasonal amusement park, Camden Park's schedule can shift with the calendar and weather. It's worth a quick check of camdenpark.com or a phone call the morning of, particularly later in the summer.
Pack for a lot of walking and some heat. Between mall parking lots, Camden Park's grounds, and museum floors, this checklist adds up to real mileage on foot. Comfortable shoes, sunscreen, and a water bottle in the car go a long way in late-summer humidity.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far apart are all the stops? All the stops sit within about 20 to 30 minutes of each other, connected by a handful of bridges across the Ohio River. It's genuinely possible to hit stops in all three states in a single day.
Is Camden Park good for toddlers, or just older kids? Both. Camden Park has a dedicated Kiddie Land built for riders 48 inches and under, alongside the bigger rides for older kids and adults, so it works for a range of ages in the same family.
Do I need to book anything in advance for this checklist? No reservations are required for any of these stops. Weekends do get busier at Dave & Buster's, Malibu Jack's, and Camden Park, so arriving earlier in the day helps beat the crowds.
What's the single most important stop on this checklist? Camden Park. It's the one non-negotiable stop on the list, a running amusement park since 1903 and the closest thing the region has to a rite-of-passage summer outing.
Is this checklist doable in fewer than four days? Yes. The four days are built so each one stands alone, pick and choose based on your family's schedule and energy level, or combine two lighter days (like Day 2 and Day 4) if you're working with a shorter visit.
Hours, admission prices, and seasonal schedules are subject to change. Call ahead before you go, particularly for Camden Park.
Appalachia's Front Porch spans Boyd, Greenup, and Carter Counties in Kentucky; Lawrence County, Ohio; and Wayne and Cabell Counties in West Virginia.
