City Island in Harrisburg is a really fun place to take a family. You have to pay for parking, but not to get in, so it's ideal for a large family. There are some free things to do there, and the island is really pretty just to walk around. If you want to do a lot of activiites, it could get pretty expensive.
Train rides, mini golf, delicious french fries, horse drawn carriage rides, and Senators baseball games are all options on City Island! If you're bored there, you're doing something wrong! Senators games may not be sold out, but they are a great idea for a fun afternoon! Dogs are ok on leash and there is even a beach on the far side of the island.
City Island sits in the middle of the Susquehanna, a spot of greenery amid the water. Its sixty-three acres of parkland now include Riverside Stadium, where the Senators play Class AA minor league baseball. You’ll also find a steam train for children, a paddle-wheel riverboat, an arcade, miniature golf, jogging and skateboarding facilities, a free nautical-themed playground, Riverside Village Eatery, carriage rides, HarbourTown, and more. To get there from downtown, take the pedestrian-only Walnut Street Bridge. There’s also parking on the island.