Munich Kids

Have you taken your kids to the Hellabrunn Zoo yet?  If not, you should plan a visit soon.  They will love it!  The grounds of the zoo are beautiful.  You walk through winding, wooded pathways to go from exhibit to exhibit.  Streams feeding the Isar flow past some sections of the zoo.  You’ll find all of the animals you would expect in any large zoo - elephants, giraffes, monkeys, penguins, plus a few surprises.  There are two entrances to the zoo.  At the Flamingo Entrance, you will encounter a beautiful flock of pink and white flamingos.  At the Isar Entrance, the first stop is the large petting area, where you can pet the goats.  A good time to visit the zoo is in the Spring, late March or early April , when all of the baby animals have arrived.  The petting area is a highlight during this time as there are a dozen or more fuzzy, baby goats running around looking for goat feed and attention.  Be careful with small children, however. The goats are pushy and can easily knock the little ones over. Also, take care for the numerous goat droppings on the pavement.  One more word of caution.  Goats like to chew on anything that smells like food.  So leave your stroller that is full of baby snacks and bottles on the other side of the foot bridge entrance!  The zoo has several very good indoor areas.  Our favorites include a beautiful and extensive aquarium and the monkey and gorilla house.  There are two very good playgrounds.  A small one in the center of the park is easier for managing multiple small children than the really big playground.  The big playground is near a biergarten and cafeteria.   It has a great play structure that the kids can climb on, and up, and slide down, and swing around on.  However, the playground is almost always crowded, and it is impossible to see from one end of the playground to the other.  As a result, supervising more than one small child with a mind of his or her own can be an exhausting juggling act.   Near the big playground and biergarten is an extended children’s area that includes pony rides, bumper cars, train rides, and more.   The zoo is open year-round.  Children up to age 4 are free.  From 4 -14, children are half-price.  10-punch cards are available and can be used in combination with the Deutsches Museum.  We found this to be a great package as you can go to the zoo during the warm months, and the Deutsches Museum in the winter.  Further details are available on the website.

The zoo also offers guided tours for birthday parties

Address:  Tierparkstrasse 30, D-81543 Munich

Phone:  (0) 89 62508-0 

Website:  http://www.zoo-munich.de

Nearest Public Transportation:  Bus 52 (Flamingo Entrance) or U3 Thalkirchen (Isar Entrance)

The Deutsches Museum is a treasure trove of activity for children of all ages, and their parents.  The main floor is full of all the kinds of exhibits that you would expect from one of the  largest museums of science and technology in the world.  My kids usually never make it past the main floor, which includes the exhibits on boats, cars, trains, and airplanes.  They have a wonderful model train exhibit. The kids could sit and watch that for hours if we would let them.  Right now, the model train is under construction, but it is expected to reopen at the end of February 2007.  The model trains run only at scheduled times throughout the day, so refer to the website for times and to confirm that construction has indeed ended.  Multiple programs for kids are on offer and more information can be obtained from the website.  The best offering for young kids is the Kinderreich, or Kid’s Kingdom.  It is housed in the underground floor.  The Kid’s Kingdom consists of an entire floor of hands-on acitivities for young children.  The museum advertises that it is for children ages 3-8. However, I started bringing my oldest son there at 15 months, and he had a wonderful time with many of the activities, as did several other babies and toddlers that were visiting at the same time.  Activities include:  a water play area; a fire engine to climb on; a large play area with giant lego blocks; interactive computers; a musical instruments area, and others.  There is a dryer near the restrooms in case your kids get soaked in the water play area, but  I would recommend bringing extra clothes.  Many of the museums in Munich are free on Sunday. The Deutsches Museum, unfortunately, is not one of them.  However,  children under 6 are always free.  Also, you can buy a 10-punch card at a slight discount.  The card can be used to visit either the Deutsches Museum or the Hellabraun Zoo.  We found that to be useful as we could visit the zoo during the warm months and the museum during the rainy or cold months of the year.

Address:  Museuminsel 1, 80538 Munich

Phone:  (089) 2179-1

Website:  http://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/

Nearest S-bahn:  Isartor  (note: the escalator at this stop is too narrow for a double stroller.  I suggest using the Rosenheimer Platz S-bahn stop instead if you have a double stroller.  The walk is about the same distance).