Vienna for Kids

Schönbrunn Palace

The children’s museum and guided tours at this magnificent palace are particularly good – and the grounds offer a range of other amusements, including an excellent zoo, a marionette theater, and a delightful park.

Children’s Museum
Daily 10am-5pm
Guided tours in English by appointment only

This interactive museum shows what the life of an imperial child was like. Young visitors can play with Imperial toys or lay the table for an Imperial banquet. On the guided tour, they’ll learn fun facts about the palace and get to dress up as a prince or princess.

Schönbrunn Park
This large pleasure garden features a hedge maze, a labyrinth with a kaleidoscope, climbing pole, games and riddles, a spectacular glass palm house, and several charming pavilions.

Schönbrunn Tiergarten (Zoo)
One of the world’s oldest zoos, it’s home to a large variety of exotic animals. The giant pandas, Nile crocodiles and elephants are always popular, as well as the polar zone inhabited by penguins and seals. Other popular attractions include the Regenwaldhaus (rain-forest house), where a Borneo rain forest is re-created, and two panorama trains that take riders through the entire zoo.

Marionettentheater Schönbrunn
This puppet theater stages marvelous versions of the Magic Flute, Hansel and Gretel, and other popular works. Check the schedule for performances (and book in advance during the busy summer months).

Spanish Riding School

Young horse lovers will enjoy watching the famous white Lipizzaner stallions strut their stuff. Performances are seasonal and take place mostly on weekends – get seats on the ground floor or the front row of the balcony for the best view. There’s also a small museum located in the stables, explaining their history and the horses’ breeding and training.

Schmetterlinghaus

Burggarden, Opern Ring and Goethegasse (First), Vienna
Open Apr-Oct Mon-Fri 10am-4:45pm, Sat-Sun 10am-6:15 pm; Nov-Mar daily 10am-3:45pm

The park’s art-nouveau greenhouse has been transformed into a home for hundreds of free-flying exotic butterflies.

Riesenrad

Amusement Park: Hauptallee and Austellungsstrasse (Second), Prater, Vienna
Tel: +43 1 21114
Open mid-Mar–Oct 10am-1am (closes earlier in the colder months)
Ferris wheel: 10am-8pm winter, 10am-midnight summer

More than 100 years old, this giant Ferris wheel at the Prater amusement park offers fantastic views of the city.

ZOOM Kindermuseum

Museumsplatz 1 (Seventh), Vienna
Tel: +43 1 524 79 08
E-Mail: reservierung@kindermuseum.at
Opens at 12:45 Tue-Sun. Closed Mon. Advance booking recommended.

Designed just for children aged 0 to 14, ZOOM helps them develop their bodies and minds through play. Hands-on exhibits and workshops give kids fun, interactive lessons in science, art and technology.

Haus des Meeres

Esterhazypark (Sixth), Vienna
Tel: +43 1 587-1417
Daily 9 am-6 pm (Thursday to 9 pm)

Kids love this unique aquarium, located in an old WWII antiaircraft tower and home to some 3,500 animals. The marine habitats recreate an underwater journey from the North Sea to the Great Barrier Reef. There’s also a miniature rainforest with monkeys and free-flying tropical birds.

Spittelberg Christmas Market

Mid-November through December
Off Burggasse, between Breitegasse and Stiftgasse (Seventh), Vienna

This famous and colorful market occupies several streets in the historic Spittelberg district, offering handmade Christmas-tree ornaments, crafts and hot snacks.

Other popular Christmas markets are held at Schonnbrunn, Rathausplatz, Am Hof and Freyung.