9 Things To Do With Kids In Vienna, Austria

Vienna is one city that requires no introduction. We had high expectations for the Austrian capital and home to the Vienna Schnitzel. 

Although the city has a well-known history associated with classical music, operas and art, it is also home to schnapps, Swarovski Crystals, and psychoanalysis. All the sorts of things that most young children will yawn at.

But we still found plenty to amuse, entertain and educate our kids in the 5 days we spent in Vienna. Here’s how we did it:

Tip: Find amazing places to stay in Vienna on Airbnb.

1) House of Music (Haus der Musik)

I don’t play an instrument and I love top 40 music, rarely listening to anything else. And while the idea of a House of Music sounded like a yawn-fest, I admit defeat. This place was awesome.

This unassuming building houses 5,000 square metres of interactive discovery on anything musical. Each of the 5 floors is packed with exhibits like famous composers of the past, scientific displays on how sound is generated, a strange room filled with swirling sounds of the womb, concert halls with interactive screens where kids can play digital music or make their own CD. And I can’t forget our favourite - conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Kids and adults will love this place; it’s certainly one-of-a-kind. 

2) Big Bus Hop-on-Hop-off Bus

This is always one of our favourite ways to get an overview of a city and get our bearings. This particular bus tour has 2 routes. The Red Route took approximately 90–100 minutes. While the Blue Route took approximately 85 minutes.

We got to see all the big sights like the Vienna State Opera, Natural History Museum, Parliament, Vienna City Hall, St Stephen’s Cathedral, Hofburg Imperial Palace and even the Schonbrunn Palace.

It was perfect since the weather was particularly dreary during our stay, so we still got to see everything, even in the rain. 

3) Prater Theme Park

The Wiener Prater was walking distance from our hotel and holds the title of the oldest amusement park in the world, “Wurstelprater”.  It’s origins date back to 1162 AD, and it was donated to the people of Vienna in 1766. Entry into Prater is free of charge, but the individual attractions charge. If you’re thinking of trying several different rides the Pratercard is useful, or you can save your pennies and just look around. 

As we made our way through the park we did let the kids choose a ride each and then Josh choose one for me.  It happened to be the Prater Turm, 117 metres tall and with a maximum speed of 60 km/hr – it is the highest-flying swing in the world. You have to watch it to believe it. It offered insane views of the park if you were still long enough to see them. It was only €5 and worth every penny.

Prater Turm: the tallest flying swing in the world

4) Giant Ferris Wheel

To get sturdier view of Vienna and Prater amusement park, I recommend a ride on the Wiener Riesenrad. A super sized ferris wheel with a really interesting cultural influence and architectural history. In fact, it’s one of the oldest wheels of it’s kind in the world. Entry also included access to a cute historical display that incorporated miniature models of the ferris wheel at different stages of it’s life.

5) Bogi Park

The largest indoor playground in Vienna. I think my kids can say this was their favourite part of Vienna. It was located outside the city walls and took a while to reach on foot from the train station, but was certainly worth it. There was a great big net to climb, go karts to drive, trampolines to bounce on and free Wi-Fi for the adults.

6) Schönbrunn Palace

Younger kids might find this a bit of a challenge, but good news is there are extensive gardens to play in and next door a children’s museum (see next point). Older kids will love the history and story behind this palace. Built in the 17^th century, it has played a central role in Vienna’s political landscape. The rooms are beautiful to they eye and a photographer’s dream (although no photography is allowed inside, argh!). 

Shhhhh, don’t tell anyone about these photos

The elaborate palace gardens are alone worth the visit

7) Children’s Museum (Kaiser Kindy)

If the palace is not the kid’s ideal vacation activity then next door is just for them. From the moment you step in, it’s fun all the way. The kids can dress up as princes and queens, sit on a throne or change their outfits to suit their mood. There are toys to play with from imperial times and they can even decorate old-style white wigs, or set the table for an imperial banquet.

Everything is based around imperial Vienna so the kids can learn about the food they ate, how old the palace is and so much more. Our kids didn’t want to leave.

8) Vienna Zoo(Tiergarten Schönbrunn)

This zoo was founded in 1752 which makes it the oldest zoo in the world. Today its main purpose is for species conservation and general nature conservation.

There are buildings on the grounds that still stand from the 18^th century and make an absolute gorgeous addition to the beautiful surrounds.

It is one of the few zoos to house pandas, which we absolutely loved. But it also featured an amazing rainforest house and an aquarium the kids really enjoyed. But the best part for us was the newest exhibit – the polarium for Arctic animals, namely those absolutely gorgeous polar bears!

9) Spanish Riding School (Spanische Hofreitschule)

Unfortunately we had our days mistaken and missed our scheduled time at the Spanish Riding School. But I bet the kids would have loved it. It’s the only institution in the world that has practiced classical equitation for nearly 450 years.

You can go see the horses train or you view an actual show. I am sure it would have been a winner if we had made it. 

Family Friendly Accommodation

While we were in Vienna we enjoyed our stay at two different hotels. 

Hotel Franzenshof was a basic, friendly hotel walking distance to Prater amusement park. Check latest prices here. 

Our second stay was at the 4 star Best Western Hotel Hermonie. We loved this hotel, from it's very friendly staff, to the afternoon cake and tea to the delicious breakfast. It is located in the trendy Serviten quarter and highlights a unique art concept of dance and paint. Check the latest prices here.

For more space, find the latest vacation apartments in Vienna on Airbnb.

Final Word

When it comes to culture, there are few places in the world that compare to Vienna. And while this aspect is a drawcard for adults, we discovered the side of this city that youngsters can appreciate. Weather it’s high above the cityscape, in front of an orchestra or sitting on a throne, there’s fun to be had by all ages in this unique metropolis.