The Enchanted Forest is a refuge for lynx, foxes and owls. -- Photos by Peter Gilbert, Special to Sun Media

At some point in your 30s, a trip to London -- home to University of Western Ontario -- becomes less about football and frosh weeks and more about fun for kids. Your kids. This university town is packed with family friendly entertainment, particularly for the little ones.

London's main attraction is Storybook Gardens, a whimsical haven for children aged two to 12 that has been a London fixture for decades.

Based on familiar nursery rhymes and aged fables (Humpty Dumpty, Cinderella, Three Men in a Tub), Storybook Gardens is ensconced on Storybook Lane, inside London's enormous Springbank Park.

A white-washed medieval castle serves as its gate. Cross the moat on a drawbridge and enter a world full of pirates and princesses.

Also at the Garden's entrance: A carousel and a mystical wishing well shrouded in mist. Kids can toddle straight into the mouth of a giant whale. And there's a train -- the Springbank Express -- that chugs through the outer grounds of Springbank Park.

Inside the gates, winding paths snake their way past barns and ponds full of animals. Old McDonald's Farm is home to horses.

Storybook's Enchanted Forest--a rare Carolinian Forest that's part of a naturalization program--is a refuge for lynx, foxes, great horned owls, turkey vultures and red tailed hawks. Frogs, fish and turtles hang out in the Frog Pond. Seals splash in Storybook's Seal Habitat.

Owned by the city of London, Storybook Gardens was recently refurbished. While some of its attractions remain dated and tired, there are new additions that freshen it up.

Slippery's Great Escape is a splash park that's perfectly sized for small, timid kids. And Pirates' Island -- popular in the wake of Pirates Of The Caribbean -- has a rock climbing wall, rope play, a sunken ship and slides galore. The Village Stage features live theatre daily.

While the park is meant for kids aged two to 12, children up to the age of about eight will get the most out of a visit. Storybook Gardens is open year-round. Summer admission rates start at $3.50 for kids and $8.25 for adults.

Ideal for older kids visiting London is the Children's Museum on Wharncliffe Road South, and East Park Golf Gardens, which encompasses golf courses, go-karts, batting cages, rock climbing, bumper cars and London's Wally World Water Park.

For accommodation, London has an armada of motels and hotels lined up along Wellington Road near Hwy. 401. One of the most attractive for families is at the Best Western Lamplighter Inn. Its rooms surround a pool, a giant waterslide, fish ponds and palm trees, all covered by a gigantic glass atrium.

Visit storybook.london.ca or call 519-661-5770. You can also visit tourismlondon.ca.

A misty, mystical wishing well entrances visitors at the entrance to Storybook Gardens in London.