Vienna with children is a very good decision. The capital of Austria boasts a children’s leisure offer that perfectly combines fun and learning. The interactive museums where little ones can touch without restrictions and which are also attractive for parents, are the crown jewel of this elegant imperial city, but not the only option to enjoy a getaway to Vienna as a family.
I will tell you in detail some plans to do in Vienna with children, both those I did during my four-night getaway to the Austrian capital with my three young children, in February 2023, and those others that I really wanted to enjoy.
Vienna with children in 16 plans
Technical Museum: 2 in 1
A bit far from the center, but very close by public transport, the Vienna Technical Museum awaits you with two successful children’s areas, in addition to fixed exhibitions, other temporary ones and even workshops for children.
Here technology is the protagonist. It is true that, a priori, the word could point to a boring museum for the youngest members of the family, however, as soon as you enter, it becomes clear that it will not be like that. As soon as you cross the entrance control, you will find a slide with a screen that measures the speed that each person reaches when sliding down it. Are you going to resist sliding down to see who goes faster, you or your child?
MiniExplorer
The star of the Vienna Technical Museum is MiniExplorer, an interactive exhibition where children venture freely, and without being aware of it, into STEM education practicing science, technology, engineering and mathematics through play.
MiniExplorer is, without a doubt, one of the best places to go in Vienna with children. It works with 40-minute sessions with a maximum capacity of 40 people counting both children and adults.
Access is included in the entrance fee to the museum, unless you want to ensure a place on a specific day and time. In that case, you can make the reservation online, but you will have to pay €2.50 per person, regardless of age. On the website it indicates availability, so I recommend taking a look and if you see that there are plenty of places left, go directly to the museum, book for free for the time you want on that same day and save yourself a bit of money.
Before entering, it’s time to take off your shoes and, once inside, let them freely explore each play proposal. The very architecture of the space already invites them to climb, slide and enter its tunnels. You will be very surprised at everything they (and you) can do.
Mini
The other children’s proposal of the Vienna Technical Museum is Mini, a two-level room with plenty of options for children to also learn while playing. They can become firefighters by climbing onto a real truck, but also builders, play with touch, with weight and a lot of other proposals.
Children from 2 to 6 years old must be accompanied. You will have to go directly to the entrance of Mini to access for 45 minutes, as long as the capacity allows it.
Be aware that beyond these two rooms, the rest of the museum is also very interesting to discover as a family. Simply seeing locomotives, small planes and a lot of technological gadgets will already appeal to them.
- Opening hours: from 9 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday and from 10 am to 6 pm Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
- Price: €16 adults. Children, young people up to 19 years old and holders of Vienna Pass: FREE
- Address: Mariahilfer Str. 212
Schönbrunn Palace Children’s Museum
Very close to the previous proposal, you have another plan to do in Vienna with children. Take note of the Schönbrunn Palace Children’s Museum or Kindermuseum if you are looking for something different that you won’t find, a priori, in other capitals. Here the little ones can step into the shoes of the Austrian emperors’ children, so much so that they can dress up in period costumes tailored to their size.
But wait, the best part is that you, dear mother or father, can also join the party because there are dresses and jackets for adults, as well as wigs, gloves or fans. Let yourselves go and take some of the most fun family photos in the purest Sissi the Empress style.
And whether before or after this great moment, the museum itself awaits you, where it shows how the emperors’ children lived, what they played with, what their routines were like, their rooms and a lot of other very curious facts that children will learn from room to room.
At the entrance to each room, there is a piece of furniture with information and the explanation of the challenge to achieve in each room so that the little ones are motivated. And yes, you will also find it in Spanish.
Note that tickets for the children’s museum are bought directly there. Do not line up at the main ticket office because you will waste your time. The entrance to this museum is at the door to your right of the palace as you look at it from the front (it took me a while to discover where it was accessed from).
- Opening hours: From 10 am to 5 pm daily.
- Price: 8 € for both adults and children (7 € with the Vienna City Card). Children under 3 and holders of the Vienna Pass FREE.
- Official website: Schönbrunn Palace Children’s Museum
- Address: Schönbrunner, 47
Please note that admission to the children’s museum is completely independent of the rest of the palace and does not grant access to its interior, nor its gardens.
More plans at Schönbrunn Palace:
- Visit Schönbrunn Palace. As you’ve just read, if you also want to visit the interior of what was once the imperial summer residence of the Habsburgs, declared a World Heritage Site, as well as stroll through its gardens, you must buy a separate ticket at the main ticket office. Another option is to book a guided tour of Schönbrunn Palace to be accompanied by a guide who, in Spanish, will tell you about the history of this incredible place. By the way, children under six can go for free on the tour.
- Get lost in a maze and play in the Labyrinthikon park. If you visit Vienna with children between April 1st and November 2nd, take the opportunity to have a great time looking for the exit in a giant hedge maze straight out of a movie and seeing the children enjoy the original activities in the playground. The entry costs 4.50 € for both children and adults, however, children under 6 and holders of the Vienna Pass enter for FREE.
- Discover the oldest zoo in the world. I am not a supporter of zoos and that’s why I didn’t visit it. But if you want to do so, know that the Tiergarten Schöbrunn zoo is very special because it opened in 1752, making it the oldest in the world. Admission is included in the Vienna Pass.
- See the puppet theater. Although the plays are in German, it can be a good idea to go to this very special theater with more than 250 years of history to see famous works such as Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’ adapted for children. Check schedules, prices, and ticket sales at Marionett Theater Schönbrunn.
- Ride the little train. Get on the Schönbrunn Panorama train with the little ones, which runs through the most emblematic places of the palace and its surroundings. In addition, it will save you a few walks because you can hop on and off as you wish at its stops. If you have the Vienna Pass, you can take it for free.
Natural History Museum
There is no European capital worth its salt that does not have a natural history or science museum, a good example of this is the Grande Galerie de l’Évolution in Paris. Therefore, the Austrian capital could not be less and stands out with its Natural History Museum, which I recommend to you as one of the best places to go in Vienna with children.
The late 19th-century neoclassical building itself is an absolute beauty, both inside and out. Upon entering, look up to admire its dome and, at some point, skip the elevator to contemplate its spectacular staircases with frescoes.
Children have plenty of material to enjoy jumping from room to room among minerals, precious stones, fossils, and the world’s largest collection of meteorites. If your child likes dinosaurs, be prepared because they will be mesmerized in front of the six-meter-high robotic replica of an Allosaurus that will roar in their face.
On the first floor, dedicated to zoology, they can discover the massive amount of fauna that inhabits the world and learn about it. Take a look at the official website because they also organize children’s activities, and it is even possible to spend the night in the museum sleeping in a bag next to the dinosaurs or discovering prehistory with a torch in hand.
- Hours: from 9 AM to 6 PM Thursday to Monday and from 9 AM to 8 PM on Wednesdays. Closed Tuesdays.
- Price: 16 € adults (10 € with Vienna City Card). Children, youth up to 19 years old and holders of Vienna Pass: FREE
- Official website: Natural History Museum
- Address: Maria-Theresien-Platz
House of Music, a must-see in Vienna with children
Do not hesitate to include a visit to the House of Music in your route through Vienna with children because it is a real gem. The four floors of this interactive museum designed for children, but also for adults, are to be explored without haste, so please, go with plenty of time, because you are going to want to try and listen to every proposal.
As soon as you enter, it will already be difficult to move forward because the children will want to go up and down the stairs turned into a piano a thousand times to invent melodies. I told you, go with plenty of time!
Not only music and the most famous composers are the protagonists of this place, but also sound, its waves, and its vibration. Children and adults alike will be surprised by everything it offers and everything you will learn. Will you be able, for example, to successfully conduct the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra itself?
As I told you in the previous proposal, keep an eye on the website when you have your travel dates to see if, with luck, you can attend one of the children’s concerts they organize and which people speak wonders about.
I’m warning you, it’s not cheap because children do pay here. You can save quite a bit with the family pass or by entering after 8 PM when admission is half price.
- Opening hours: from 10 am to 10 pm daily.
- Price: Adults: €16. Children (3 to 12 years old): €7. Children under 3 and Vienna Pass holders: FREE. Family pass: €33 for two adults and three children up to 12 years old.
- Official website: Haus der Musik
- Address: Seilerstätte 30
Zoom Children’s Museum
This is one of the plans in Vienna with children that I really wanted to do. Why? Because the high demand for this place and the fact that each thematic area has limited slots makes it indispensable to buy the ticket online ten days before your visit, right when they go on sale. I missed out on a spot because I didn’t know that fact.
For that reason, I can’t give you my opinion, but I can give you some info. Zoom Kinder Museum is a place where the little ones can play, research, and learn in different scenarios and workshops designed for different age groups.
As of February 2023, these are the museum’s offerings:
-ZOOM Exhibition for ages 6 to 12
– Ocean playground area from 8 months to 6 years old.
-Atelier workshop for ages 4 to 12;
-Animation studio for ages 8 to 14.
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:45 pm. Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 9 am to 5:15 pm. Closed on Mondays
- Price: Depends on the chosen activity but starts at €5 per child and per adult (children under 6 must be accompanied by an adult).
- Official website: Zoom Kinder Museum
- Address: Museumsplatz, 1
Prater and its giant Ferris wheel
In a corner of what was once the Habsburgs’ gigantic hunting ground, today stands the city’s most famous entertainment venue with roller coasters, all kinds of rides, leisure options such as the famous Madame Tussauds wax museum and restaurants. It is Prater, the Austrian capital’s outdoor amusement park that should definitely be on this list of places to go in Vienna with children, especially in spring and summer.
Here is one of the symbols of Vienna, the Wiener Riesenrad Ferris wheel which, after opening in 1897, has survived two world wars, although it is true it did not emerge entirely unscathed from the second, and has been the setting for several famous movies.
From its enormous wooden cabins, you will see the city from a bird’s-eye view, specifically from 64 meters high, but at a snail’s pace, because it takes almost twenty minutes to complete a full turn.
- Opening hours: The amusement park is open all year round every day, but the main season runs from March 15th, from 11 am to 10 pm. The Ferris wheel operates all year round, except for exceptions due to maintenance or bad weather.
- Price: The park is free; you only pay to go on the rides. The Ferris wheel costs €13.52 for adults and €6.50 for children from 3 to 14 years old. Children under 3 and Vienna Pass holders are FREE.
- Official website: Check the detailed hours for the Ferris Wheel and Prater
- Address: Museumsplatz, 1
*Ahórrate la cola de la taquilla, comprando por anticipado los tickets para la noria gigante de Viena.
Spanish Riding School
If your child likes horses, make a note on your route through Vienna with children to visit the Spanish Riding School located in one of the wings of the Hofburg Palace. This equestrian institution, where Lipizzaner horses respond to Spanish classical dressage, was founded in the 16th century and has remained completely faithful to its roots ever since. Its importance is such that it has even been designated as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Ideally, with the little ones, you should sign up for the guided tours for children from 3 years old, but keep in mind that they are not conducted in Spanish. It is also possible to enter to watch the training sessions, take a guided tour to admire the Baroque architecture and decoration of the most beautiful riding hall in the world, or, if you plan well in advance and are lucky, book tickets for the performances at the Spanish Riding School.
Important: Children under 3 years old are not allowed. The ticket offices at Josefsplatz are currently closed; access is under the large dome of the Michaelerplatz entrance (pictured).
- Opening hours: From Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am to 4 pm. Closed on Mondays.
- Price: Performances from €35. Training sessions from €16. Guided tours and children’s tours from €10
- Official website: Spanish Riding School
- Address: Michaelerplatz 1
Climbing the cathedral tower
One of the things, a priori, not very child-friendly that I did with my almost four-year-old daughter, but which was a success, was climbing the south tower of Stephansdom, St. Stephen’s Cathedral. 343 steps up a narrow stone spiral staircase await you until you reach the most beautiful viewpoint in the center of Vienna, at about 64 meters high out of the tower’s total 136 meters. Don’t worry, it is an enclosed viewpoint with windows that poses no danger.
Please note that they do not accept credit cards, only cash payments. And this happens in various places, like some of the hot dog stands in the center, so remember to have euros on hand. My experience was very good because the girl enjoyed it a lot, but in your case, assess their ages, stamina, and interests.
- Opening hours: From Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am to 4 pm. Closed on Mondays.
- Price: Adults €5.50, children from 6 to 14 years €2, from 14 to 18 years €3.50. Children under 6 years old FREE
- Official website: Stephanskirche
- Address: Stephansplatz 3
Ice skating
During the colder months, a spectacular ice skating rink is set up in Rathausplatz, the city hall square. The installation is called Vienna Ice Dream, it occupies the entire square, has four areas, two levels, and skating paths through the trees that connect all the rinks. At night, the light bulbs that illuminate it give the place a magical and romantic appearance.
You can rent skates there, but remember to bring gloves to be allowed access. Between a pirouette and a fall, you can recharge your strength by eating something or warm up with a drink at the gastronomic stalls that have been set up.
- Opening hours: Until March 5, 2023, every day from 10 am to 10 pm.
- Price: 4 hours of skating €8.50 for adults and €6 for children. If you buy them online in advance, you save 10%.
- Official website: Skating rink
- Address: Rathausplatz
Among butterflies and palm trees
Another place to see in Vienna with children is the butterfly house, located in an Art Nouveau greenhouse, right next to one of the most beautiful parks in the city, Burggarten, near the Hofburg palace. In addition to walking among nearly 500 butterflies flying freely, you will also walk among palm trees, tropical plants, and even a waterfall. A great plan for rainy or very cold days.
- Opening hours: From April to October, Monday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm, weekends and holidays from 10 am to 6:30 pm. From November to March, every day from 10 am to 4 pm.
- Price: Adults €9, children €5. 15% discount with the Vienna City Card. Children under 3 years old FREE.
- Official website: Schmetterlinghaus
- Address: Burggarten/Palmenhaus
The best parks in Vienna with children (and the best trains)
If you are looking for the best parks in Vienna to go with children, you will have plenty to choose from. The Austrian capital has many green areas of all kinds for you to rest and for them to get tired playing. Some of the most famous and prominent are Stadtpark, Volksgarten, Burggarten, Rathauspark, Sigmund Freud park, or Prater.
Gardens, lawns, lakes, small forests, swing areas… In the very center, for example, there is a small but highly recommended playground right in front of Karlskirche, St. Charles’ Church (in the photo).
Inside the gigantic Prater, apart from the amusement park, there are also several children’s areas, one of them adventure-style with wooden circuits.
Some of these parks also offer small trains where children will have a great time riding and going for a stroll. Take note of the Danube Park train, at Donauparkbahn, the one that runs through the Prater amusement park and the Liliput which are also steam locomotives. You can ride these little trains for free with the Vienna Pass.
If you have several days, you might be interested in taking the Vienna Heurigen Express train which will take you, through vineyards, to the curious Grinzing neighborhood which looks like a charming little village, where you can taste wine in its famous taverns. Of course, the wine tasting is only for adults, but children will enjoy the train ride just as much.
Why Vienna with kids is a good idea
The capital of Austria has a child’s soul. Not only because it has plenty of parks and green areas for the little ones to play, but because they have thought about them and it shows. There are many options for children’s leisure, and museums take them into account when scheduling exhibitions where they can touch, participate, and learn. Furthermore, in most museums, they don’t pay anything for entry.
If you are going to Vienna with kids you should know that they have free public transport until age six. But also, those under 14 pay half price for a single ticket and pay nothing on weekends or public holidays.
In restaurants, it is common to find children’s menus or smaller portions at a lower price. Keep in mind that dish sizes tend to be quite large. It will also be easy for them to have high chairs for babies, although it is true that it is more difficult to find changing tables in bathrooms. If you are a breastfeeding mother, you will see that breastfeeding in public is completely normalized, as it should be, and you won’t feel uncomfortable looks.
If you feel like copying the locals, Vienna is a very easy city to move around by bike with children. It is flat, small, with plenty of bike lanes, and it is common to see Austrians carrying their children in bicycles with child trailers.
If you feel like trying it out, you can use the municipal bike rental service WienMobil paying €0.60 for every 30 minutes. Another option is to take a guided bike tour to discover the city’s highlights, although that is only for those over 12 years old.
Where to sleep in Vienna with kids
In my case, I stayed near the Prater, in this HomeExchange house ideal for going with kids because there were plenty of toys. That way, I didn’t pay anything for the four nights of accommodation.
¿Sabes cómo funciona el intercambio de casas? Si nunca has oído hablar de esta fórmula de alojamiento cooperativo que te permite viajar por todo el mundo alojándote en casas particulares mientras tú dejas la tuya a otras personas, te invito a leer este artículo muy completo donde te explico cómo funciona el intercambio de casas. Yo siempre uso la plataforma HomeExchange en la que por solo una suscripción anual de 160 € (lo que en muchos casos te costaría una noche de hotel) puedes hacer todos los intercambios recíprocos que quieras o todos los que te permitan tus guestpoints. Durante este 2024, aprovecha el 20% de descuento en la suscripción anual por ser lector de este blog con el código ILUSIONRECUERDO2024.
If you’re not ready to try it yet and prefer to stay in a hotel, here are two options I’ve looked up that stand out for having many positive reviews and good value for money.
–Superbude Wien Prater One of the positive points of this hotel in the Prater park, very well connected to the center, is that it offers free breakfast to children under 9 years, in addition to a beautiful design. It has quadruple rooms which are great for families.
–Vienna Living Apartments Stephansdom. If you prefer an apartment with a kitchen to have more space and be able to prepare meals for the little ones, this is a great option because it is also right in the historic center, next to the cathedral. It has two-bedroom apartments so that parents and children can have their privacy.
How to save in Vienna
The Austrian capital is not a cheap city, so everything that helps to save on travel costs is welcome! There are several tourist card options to save in Vienna. In my case, I used the Vienna City Card, but here I’ll explain a bit about each one so you can see which one pays off more for you.
Vienna City Card
If you want to stop worrying about having to buy tickets at every metro, bus, or tram stop, your card is the Vienna City Card which includes unlimited access to all public transport and also offers discounts at the main attractions and museums. Always ask before buying the ticket at the box office of each site.
One of the positive points of this card for you moving around Vienna with kids is that for each adult holder of the Vienna City Card, one child up to 15 years old travels for free on public transport as well. If your little one is over 6 years old, this is great because that is the age they start paying.
Download the app and you will have the card in digital format, as convenient as it gets. As for the duration, you can choose between 24, 48, or 72 hours depending on your stay in the city. There are four modalities to choose from:
- Vienna City Card: public transport and discounts. Prices: €17 for 24 hours, €25 for 48 hours, and €29 for 72 hours.
- Vienna City Card Transfer: adds transport from the airport. From my point of view, this option is not worth it because you can get to the center starting from €5 with the train. Prices: €34 for 24 hours, €42 for 48 hours, and €46 for 72 hours.
- Vienna City Card Tour: adds the Hop-on & Hop-off tourist bus. Prices: €44 for 24 hours, €52 for 48 hours, and €56 for 72 hours.
- Vienna City Card Transfer + Tour: Offers everything above. Prices: €61 for 24 hours, €69 for 48 hours, and €73 for 72 hours.
Vienna Pass
If you’re looking to make the most of Vienna with children and want access to up to 70 Vienna attractions, museums, and points of interest, the Vienna Pass will likely be worth it for you. Also, keep in mind that for the duration of your pass, you can also ride the Vienna Hop on Hop off tourist bus. Another plus is that, in many locations, you can skip the lines and save a lot of waiting time.
The prices for the Vienna Pass are: 1 day €87, 2 days €113, 3 days €139, 6 days €169. Children from 6 to 18 years old pay half price.
Keep in mind that public transport is not included. If you want it to avoid worrying about paying for the metro, bus, tram, and urban train, you would have to add the transport card option.
Vienna Flexi Pass
The Vienna Flexi Pass is a card that gives you access to only 2, 3, 4, or 5 attractions, sites, and museums to choose from among a long list of over 40 options. You also have fast track access to save time on queues at certain locations.
When traveling to Vienna with children, especially if they are young, it’s most common to go at a slower pace, so to see if it’s worth buying these last two cards, you should plan realistically what you intend to visit and do the math.
The importance of taking out travel insurance
Even if the destination for this trip is a European capital, I recommend you go covered with a good travel insurance. Remember that although you may have obtained the European Health Insurance Card, it only covers the same as the public health system of the country you are visiting. This means you might have to pay extra as a co-payment if you need to be treated at a medical center or hospital.
For the little a travel insurance policy costs, it’s not worth taking the risk. Also, keep in mind that it covers many unforeseen events, not just health coverage. When traveling with children, I recommend Heymondo insurance, which is the one I use. Why? Because their app features a 24-hour medical chat and video consultation option that allows you to contact a healthcare professional at any time for peace of mind and to know how to proceed if you or your child get sick or have any accident. I’ve used it on more than one occasion with my baby, and it has given me great peace of mind.
Take advantage of the fact that until March 29th, you have a 30% discount on Heymondo travel insurance on the family policy. Yes, a 30% total discount on travel insurance if you go to Vienna with children or with young people up to 22 years old as long as they live in the same house.
Sigue leyendo sobre Austria: -Viena con niños: 16 planes en familia -Que hacer en Viena: 30 planazos -Graz, la deliciosa sorpresa de Austria
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