Astronomical Clock in Prague’s Old Town Square.
Prague might be a city of cobbled streets – rough on strollers – and hills that are hard on little legs but dig around and the city has plenty of options for entertaining the whole family. Here are ten family-friendly activities in Prague to enjoy on a family vacation.
Grevin Wax Museum
The Grevin Wax Museum is a magical wonderland of seven themed zones – from a creepy Enchanted Laboratory to the Magical Theater – featuring celebrities ranging from Mozart to international film stars like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. The museum fills up with families every day, so book ahead and skip the lines for easy entry; kids can also take part in workshops or create their own waxwork.
Testing Family Skills
Time for families to test their problem-solving skills in two new escape games: Time Machine Live Escape gives just an hour for teams to get out of a locked room; while the Treasure Hunt Mystery Game gives families hours of outdoor fun as they race between Prague landmarks in an effort to find the treasure. Both are great challenges for families in thinking laterally and working as a team; Treasure Hunt can take four hours and may be too physically demanding for very young kids.
Astronomical Clock
Built in the 15th century, Prague’s Astronomical Clock is an elaborate timepiece found on the walls of the Old Town Hall (which also serves as the tourist information center); every hour, on the hour, the wooden figure of Christ pops out with his Apostles, followed by the sinister figure of Death tolling the hour. As most kids will love seeing these spinning figures, some forward planning is required. The square in front of the clock gets very crowded so it’s best to get there ahead of time and secure a space. Afterward take the elevator to the top of the tower for glorious views across the rooftops of Prague’s Old Town. On the weekends this is one of the most popular spots for weddings, giving kids the chance to see lots of fairy-princess brides posing outside the Old Town Hall.
Petrin Hill
The Observation Tower on the top of Petrin Hill was built in 1891 for the Jubilee Exhibition; it stands 196 ft (60 m) high and is modeled on the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Kids love climbing the 300 spiral steps to the top for endless views over Prague as it curls around a meander in the Vltava River. Other Petrin Hill attractions include a hall of mirrors, a diorama of the 30 Years War, and an observatory complete with a giant telescope. Getting the funicular up from Ujezd Street in Mala Strana is all part of the fun – there’s also a kids’ playground close to the funicular station.
Observation Tower on Petrin Hill in Prague.
Games in the Dark
Prague has a long tradition of black-light theater and this has now been transformed to sport; the latest craze to hit the city is black light mini-golf played in the dark. The 18-hole course at Prague Glow Golf is themed around the sights of the city, from Charles Bridge to St Nicholas Church, all beautifully illustrated in startling neon that leaps out of the blackness. Family fun and educational at the same time!
Marionette Theater
Puppetry is something of a tradition in the Czech Republic, and there are several marionette theaters in Prague with repertoires aimed specifically at kids with comic puppets and attention-grabbing story lines. The oldest is the Spejbl and Hurvinek Theater, which has English-language matinée performances for children and offer discounted tickets for families. The National Marionette Theater also has family-accessible daily performances of The Magic Flute, starting at 6pm.
Prague Zoo
Regarded as one of the best in Europe, Prague Zoo has more than 5,000 animals. There are guided tours highlighting the zoo’s conservation successes, plenty of free parking and a children’s tram (suitable for up to age 14) as well as a chairlift that allows excited kids a bird’s-eye view of the animal compounds below them. Along with the elephants, gorillas and tigers, there are play areas for little ones and a petting zoo with goats, ponies and rabbits. Families are well catered for with plenty of refreshment stops as well as splash-filled penguin and seal shows for all to enjoy. Teenagers can act as zookeepers for a day if you book in advance.
Creative World Park
Slightly out of the center in Zličín, Prague 5, and generally off the traveler’s radar, Creative World Park opened in December 2014 and is aimed at entertaining and educating younger children about Czech traditions and folklore. The center offers whole rafts of creative activities from baking gingerbread in a Hansel-and-Gretel-themed kitchen to treasure hunts led by green-faced witches, and learning to recognize plants or find fossils. Not all the staff members speak English but some of the exhibits are labeled in English. There’s an organic café with quality food and an indoor play area packed with toys for toddlers.
Prague Toy Museum
Found off Golden Lane in the Prague Castle complex, the toy museum is one of the biggest in the world, a seven-room, two-story romp through the history of toys from ancient to modern. There’s a lot to look at, from old Czech wooden toys and ancient Greek toys to pneumatic Barbies and butch Action Men. There’s not much for younger kids to play with and there are some steep stairs that are not easy to navigate with strollers or toddlers. However, what’s not to love about a collection of cuddly teddy bears? To help with vacation budgets, the museum offers family tickets – and while you’re at Prague Castle, time your visit to catch the pomp and fanfare of the Changing of the Guards ceremony at midday.
Prague Sea World
Prague’s undercover outpost of the international franchise is in Holesovice Park, easily reached by metro to Nadrazi Holesovice or tram to Vystaviste. It has six aquariums stuffed full of sharks, eels and rays as well as turtles in freshwater pools and the Sea World Mural, which is Europe’s largest and depicts a swirling underwater world of leaping dolphins and sinister manta rays. Sea World always fascinates kids so it’s worth making the effort to get out here, especially on Tuesday at 3pm, when there are shark-feeding displays. Family tickets are available.
– Contributed by Sasha Heseltine
Ten Family-Friendly Activities in Prague from Prague Things to Do
