What to do in Vienna with kids
It might seem that Vienna is just another capital city with museums, galleries and monuments where children will be bored. Nothing could be more wrong! We have prepared a list for you of what to do in Vienna with kids.
When traveling with children, forget about all-day museum visits or all-day walks. Accept that these little creatures will dictate their terms to you and what you see depends only on them.
Seriously, planning trips with kids requires a lot of flexibility and switching into a different mode. Tours take place more slowly, breaks are more frequent, and you can find pleasure even in ordinary everyday activities (e.g. drinking coffee in peace). It is necessary to look for places and attractions that are suitable for children, so that the children do not get bored.
We have prepared a list of places in Vienna that we think are interesting for children. So, if you are going to this Central European city, draw inspiration that your whole family will be excited about.
ZOOM Museum
The ZOOM Children’s Museum is located in the so-called MQ (MuseumsQuartier), in close proximity to the Art History Museum and the Natural History Museum.
The very name of the museum can be misleading, because it is more of an educational or cognitive center, divided into several classrooms. You come at a specific time, to a specific room. So it is not an open area where you can freely walk between rooms. Don’t worry, there are many attractions for children within one group.
For example, an Ocean room – intended for toddlers. When you enter, you initially feel like you are at the bottom of the ocean, and then you discover other floors and rooms: the deck of the ship, the land with the jungle, the submarine.
At the entrance, the lecturers will give a short introduction to the children, although the truth is that the little ones understand so little (the lecturers speak German and English), and then the children can explore the world as they please and follow their own paths. There are different forms, structures, shapes, nooks and crannies that children can enter – everything is safe and stimulates the development of fine motor skills 🙂
Children can climb into a tunnel of mirrors, drive a boat, go down slides, fish, climb into a submarine, push thousands of buttons, turn on lights, view pictures…
In the other rooms, there are classes for older children: art and multimedia, where children playfully get dirty with sand, paint or leave the cinema hall excited
Inside there is a pleasant international atmosphere. It doesn’t matter what nationality you are. Entrance is paid. It is a good idea to book your place in advance online – here >> .
Museum of Natural History
He will be really surprised what such a museum can offer you. The tour begins on the ground floor with geological displays showing the history of the Earth, minerals, meteorites and fossil plant remains. On the first floor there are various forms of life, from the simplest, single-celled ones, through animals to humans.
Although some exhibits seem old, they include modern attractions such as animations of walking primitives or a digital planetarium.
Temporary exhibitions are also held here. Entrance fee is charged, with Vienna-Card you get a discount.
Prater Park
Prater Park is a great place for children of all ages. There are many attractions in the amusement park, both calmer for the little ones and extreme for thrill seekers.
Here you will find cars that can be driven alone or with a parent, a shooting range, dozens of slot machines and contests with mascots to win. If you are not completely interested in such attractions, the theme park has a Wax Museum (Madame Tussauds) and a Chocolate Museum. The park is also full of bars and restaurants, so you can easily spend the whole day here.
The place is colorful, bright and very loud. Especially the little ones can be distracting, so a better option would be to come during the day when the lights are off or not so intense.
And if you are not interested in the attractions of the amusement park or indoor museums, you can always go for a walk in the Prater Park – a vast green area with many children’s playgrounds, a pond and even a narrow-gauge railway.
Schönbrunn Palace
Yes, you read that right! Families with children are recommended to go to the palace and explore the interior. Don’t worry, it won’t be an ordinary tour, but an entrance to the part where the children’s museum (Kindermuseum Schloss Schönbrunn) is located – the west wing of the palace.
There are 12 rooms for children and lots and lots of accessories and props. Instead of history, the emphasis is on the life of the children in the palace, which is closer and more interesting to them. Visitors can see what toys they played with, how they took care of hygiene, what behavior was expected of them… And you know what’s best? That you can try on outfits, including beautiful, aristocratic dresses, in which girls can feel like real princesses.
Schönbrunn Park also has a zoo and a maze where you can get lost under parental supervision.
Entrance to the museum is charged, with a Vienna-Card you get a discount.
Vienna Zoo
The Vienna Zoo is part of Schönbrunn Park. It is considered a separate attraction. The biggest attraction of this facility are the panda bears.
The Vienna Zoo is the oldest working zoo in the world and is home to more than 700 species of animals. Not only is it the oldest, but it is also considered one of the most modern and best zoos.
The greatest interest is in giant pandas. There are several panda boards around the catwalk and lots of other information in the pavilion. In addition, you can find animal feeding, which also attracts crowds.
There are several restaurants, shops and refreshment stands in the area. The long queues for food were quite long.
In the area you will find, among other things, a children’s playground styled after Park Güella in Barcelona.
Admission to the zoo is paid.
House of Music (Haus der Musik)
A place that mainly appeals to older children from about 5 to 18 years old. The museum shows how sounds and music are created in an interesting and interactive way. You can try to be a conductor, play giant instruments, compose a melody. It is home to the Vienna Philharmonic Museum and lots of information about famous composers. Entrance is paid.
Butterfly house
The Butterfly House (Schmetterlinghaus) is a place where butterflies fly at your fingertips. It is an interestingly arranged palm house reminiscent of a tropical forest with waterfalls and bridges. While walking the trails, you can observe about 400 butterflies up close and learn about these creatures. Entrance is paid.
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