With Kids
Vienna has lots of attractions for kids, and many of the museums in the city go out of their way to gear their exhibitions towards children. Language can be a hitch, though; in that case museums with hands-on and high visual appeal are best.
In addition to the spaces created for kids in the MuseumsQuartier (see following), four museums have exhibitions that are well suited to children. The Haus der Musik (Click here) has lots of practical exhibits for almost all ages to promote an understanding of music. The Naturhistorisches Museum (Click here) has a new anthropology section where you can have a photo of yourself taken as a prehistoric human and delve into forensics. The Museum für Völkerkunde (Click here) has fascinating exhibits on indigenous cultures of the world, put together with kids in mind, while the Technisches Museum (Click here) has lots of hands-on exhibits to promote the understanding of science and technology.
WienXtra-Kinderinfo (Click here) Information centre.
Zoom (Click here) Exhibition sections and programs of hands-on arts and crafts (from eight months to 14 years old).
Dschungel Wien (Click here) Children’s theatre with dance and occasional English performances.
Playgrounds are everywhere, but the Jesuitenwiese (Click here) in the Prater – along Hauptallee, about 1.5km east of Praterstern – has a good one with a Wild West theme, while on the Donauinsel (Click here) there’s the Wasserspielplatz Donauinsel where toddlers can paddle and kids can dart across water on flying foxes and cross suspension bridges (U-Bahn station Donauinsel, then walk seven minutes downriver). Inside the MuseumsQuartier (Click here) there’s a sand pit from about May to September, as well as various events. Wiener Eistraum (Click here) has fantastic winter ice skating.
Your six- to 12-year-old will need to speak German to understand the 1.5-hour tour about the Habsburg children. A visit to the Children’s Museum (Click here) is more accessible. The Marionetten Theater (Click here) combines marionettes with Mozart and the music of other legendary composers.
The maze at Schloss Schönbrunn is good fun for everyone, and the so-called Labyrinthikon playground is designed for kids, but adults have just as much fun at the 14 playing stops for climbing, crawling and educational exploration.