Kinzua Dam

Kinzua Dam is a fun, educational place to visit with children. Located in Warren, Pennsylvania, the dam is only a short distance from Jamestown, NY. The dam has abundant wildlife, several hiking trails, a local waterfall, and a visitor's center.

Kinzua Dam Address:


Kinzua Rd, Mead Twp, PA 16365
(814) 726-0661

Directions to Kinzua Dam from Jamestown, NY


From downtown Jamestown, go south on Main St. (Rte. 60) and turn left on Foote Avenue. Take Foote Avenue/Rte 60 Arterial Highway for approximately four miles to US-62 S. Turn right on US-62 S: this highway will take you into Warren, Pennsylvania. Stay on US-62 S for about 15 miles. Turn right onto 4th Avenue in Warren, PA and then make a slight left onto Crescent Rd/Crescent Park. Follow Crescent Park and take the second left to US-6 E. Make a slight left onto Kinzua Road/PA-59 and follow this road for approximately 5 miles. The visitor center will be to the left of the road, about 1/4 mile ahead of the dam.

Kinzua Dam Amenities

• Visitor's Center, open seasonally (closed in winter and early Spring).
• Nature Trail
• Hiking Trails
• Playground

The Kinzua Dam playground is simple, but fun for small children. The playground is located next to the visitor's center and may be used year-round.

Take note that the visitor's center is closed in the winter and early Spring, which means there are no available restrooms during this time of year. The visitor's center features bathrooms and information about the dam in the summer months.

The Kinzua Dam nature trail is short and features beautiful trees and rocks, with some trees actually growing around the giant boulders. My two young sons (ages six and four) spent a lot of time climbing over the rocks and tree roots. There are also letterboxes hidden in the local area, for families who enjoy that activity. 

Be sure to take the short trail to the stream bed, as there is a lot of wildlife down by the river. My boys enjoyed skipping stones and watching the rush of water from the dam. Obey all safety signs and do not go past the marked boundaries, as the river may suddenly rise if the dam spillways are opened.

This area is a fantastic place to stop for a picnic lunch and a short hike. Bald eagles are often spotted in the area on migratory flights and you are sure to see birds, dragonflies, and other wildlife during most of the year. We often make day trips to the dam and nearby Jake's Rocks and Rimrock, which are Pennsylvania state parks.

Viewing the dam from an observation deck. 

Kinzua Dam as viewed from an overview at Jake's Rocks.

Roseland Playground

Located on Fluvanna Ave. in Jamestown, the Roseland Playground was completely renovated in 2011. This universally accessible playground offers a modern playground with climbing nets, an obstacle course, merry-go-round, sway deck, swings, and more.

Directions

From Jamestown, take Washington Street until it ends at Fluvanna Ave. Turn right on Fluvanna Ave. and the playground will be on your right.

Amenities

• Picnic tables
• Universally Accessible
• Slides
• Swings
• Sway Deck
• Educational features (kaleidoscopes and sensory boards)
• Obstacle course
• Climbing nets
• Merry-go-round
• Padded playground surface

Looking through a kaleidoscope

Climbing on the equipment

Going down the slide

A safe merry-go-round

Warren Municipal Pool

The Warren Municipal Pool is located on Pool St. in Warren, PA. This is a convenient day trip from the Jamestown area, and offers a spectacular children's pool, water slide, and swimming pool for a low cost.

In 2011, the fees for non-residents are:

Children under age 6: $1.75
Youth under age 18: $2.50
Adults: $4.00

Directions

To get to the Warren Pool from Jamestown, take NY-60 (south)/Foote Ave. Turn right onto US-62 South. This route will take the driver through downtown Warren: US-62 will turn into Market St.

Turn left onto US-6 BUS (Pennsylvania Ave). The street is signed as "Penna Ave." Take the third right onto Oak St. Follow Oak St. until the street ends (Oak St. turns into Pool St.).

There is plenty of free parking, and a playground outside of the pool area.

Amenities:

• Zero-depth entry for children and those requiring wheelchair access

• Geysers, sprinkler, and shallow children's pool

• Large water slide

• Restrooms

• Snack Bar

• Large lawn for resting

• Lifeguards

Lucille Ball Memorial Park

Lucille Ball Memorial Park is located in the village of Celeron, on the shore of Lake Chautauqua. Lucille Ball spent summers here as a teenager, selling hot dogs. The park contains a dock, boat launch, playground, and a small lighthouse. This is also the location where the Summer Wind sight-seeing cruise departs. Children love feeding the local ducks, and many kids play in the water near the boat launch and pier. Many people fish off the dock, so swimmers should beware of fishing lines and fishing hooks. This park does not feature a beach or lifeguards.

Location:

21 Boulevard Ave Celoron , NY 14720

Amenities:

• Boat launch

• Playground

• Dock

• Picnic tables

• Ball field

• Walking paths along the lake

• Picnic shelters

• Restrooms

The playground offers slides, a bridge, and monkey bars. The surface is bark mulch, and the playground is not universally accessible. Children love running along the walking paths by the sea wall along the lake. A statue of Lucille Ball is located in this park, immortalizing a scene from the Lucille Ball show (the statue is selling "vitameatavegamin" syrup from an episode of the show).

Jamestown Children's Museum

Update: The Jamestown Children's Museum no longer has a building, as the former benefactor passed away prior to the completion of the lease agreement. The museum is looking for a donation of a space containing at least 5,000 square feet, and will remain unopened indefinitely.

The Children's Museum of Jamestown is located in the heart of the city, and offers a variety of fun and educational hands-on opportunities for young children and their parents. The museum features an arts-and-crafts room, a medical sciences room, an area for young toddlers to safely explore, musical activities, and more. In addition to the indoor exhibits, an outdoor park will be cordoned off in the spring and summer. Hours and the official opening date are to be determined.

Playing in the bounce house is fun!

Exploring medical science with real X-rays.

A special area for the 0-3 age group

Location: 300 N. Main Street, Jamestown, NY - on the corner of Main St. and 3rd St.

Admission: Suggested donation of $1 per child. Adults without children will not be admitted.

Amenities:

(available during preview)

A sailboat to climb on and explore
Arts and Crafts
Toddler play room
Medical Science Exploration
Music and Sound Exploration
Bounce House
Train Table
Air Hockey table
Microscope with various objects to inspect

Note: At the time of the preview, the museum was still under construction and many more exciting exhibits will be available when the official opening day arrives.

Earl Lawson Town Park

A rather nice, quiet park is located in the Town of Busti. The playground equipment is rather dated, but this is one of the few playgrounds to have a merry-go-round as part of the play equipment. The park also sports a volleyball court with sand, basketball courts, tennis courts, and a picnic pavilion. The water fountain is powered by an old-fashioned hand pump, which children find quite entertaining.




Location:

Lawson Road, Busti, NY

(From Jamestown: take Southwestern Drive (Rte. 45) to the "5 Corners" intersection. Continue straight through the intersection and make a right on Lawson Road. The playground is about 1/2 mile up the road and on the left).

Amenities:

Picnic Pavilion
Playground
Water-pump water fountain
Volleyball Court
Basketball Court
Tennis Courts

Chautauqua Gorge

The Chautauqua Gorge is part of the NY State Forest system and has several trails for hiking, day-use picnic areas, and fire rings. Fossils can be found in the shale lining the river. The shale becomes very slippery in wet areas, so watch small children when hiking in wet areas.




Location:

Hannum Road, Chautauqua, NY. From Mayville, take Rte. 430 west to Hannum Road. Hannum road continues for some distance and becomes a dirt road. To reach the swimming holes, drive to the end of the road and park. The trail is at the end of the road and goes downhill to the river and swimming holes.

Amenities:

Picnic shelters
Fire rings
Swimming holes
Hiking trails
Fossils