16 Best Things to Do in Berlin with Kids
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Written by Kyle Kroeger
Whenever you think about Germany, among the first things that undoubtedly come to mind is the city of Berlin. Berlin is not only the capital of this lovely country but also a place full of delights. Due to the city’s countless outstanding attractions, there are many fantastic and fun things to do in Berlin with kids, a city that truly is for all to enjoy.
This lovely ancient town has a lot of things to do and must-see attractions for kids of all ages. Berlin, Germany, is a great tourist destination on foot, especially by bike.
Wandering through the streets of downtown and checking out Berlin’s unique sights will either transport you to the past or transport you to a spectacular landscape where past and present meet – in some parts of Berlin, I swear you can see into the future…Interested yet?
We’ve done it all and compiled a list of incredible places to see and marvelous things to do in Berlin with kids. Read on and start planning your family vacation to Berlin now!
Things to Do in Berlin with Kids
1. East Side Gallery
Address: Mühlenstraße 3-100, 10243 Berlin, Germany
If you are traveling to Berlin with your kids, the East Side Gallery is a great place to visit as a family. This is an entirely free attraction unless you want a guided tour.
The East Side Gallery is an open-air gallery, located in the former East Germany section of Berlin, created on part of what remains of the Berlin Wall by 118 artists from around the world. This gallery stretches a whopping 1.3 km from Ostbahnhof to OberbaumbrÜcke.
Its origin is seemingly humble, but it’s an important and soulful part of Berlin and Germany’s history and healing. Days after the fall of the Berlin Wall, artists began painting on a section of the wall that remained. Although some of the first pictures were painted over by GDR border guards clinging to the past, artists continued adding to the wall in the coming weeks.
This gallery is a monument commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall and the joy of a unified Germany. It is open for visits all day, every day, all through the year.
Other than the unique, poignant free art you will enjoy with your kids, you can also use this as a learning experience for them, explaining the meaning and feeling behind the art itself and what it symbolizes to Germans.
2. Labyrinth Kindermuseum Berlin
Address: Osloer Str. 12, 13359 Berlin, Germany
The approach taken by the Labyrinth Kindermuseum of including the children in their activities has helped grow it into one of the best children’s museums in Berlin and a short 7-minute walk away from PankstraBe.
The museum opened its doors in 1997, and in only a decade, it had become one of the best outings in Berlin for kids under 12. The tour will last about 2 hours, and you must book beforehand to take full advantage of this indoor playground.
You can do numerous things with your kids, such as “Platz da! Children make city,” where children co-construct a city living space. Children love working and playing with their hands, and this tactile, team-based building project is a great hit with them.
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3. MACHmit! Museum for Children
Address: Senefelderstraße 5, 10437 Berlin, Germany
The MACHmit Museum for Children was constructed in the former Eliaskirche (Church of Elijah). The activities offered in this children’s museum are based on teaching kids by letting them do things for themselves.
It’s a fun place for your kids and you because you see the little monkeys busy at work creating all sorts of art with their hands! Feel the pride! Upon entering, you’ll find a mirrored cabinet in place of the altar and congregation. The cabinet distorts the reflection of objects and people, creating humorous effects that will make you laugh.
Behind the mirror cabinet are the MACHmit Museum workshop and the Soap Shop, where kids learn about the old Prenzlauer Berg district. They also learn how to create traditional prints in the Printing Shop.
If your child is a budding bookworm, there’s the International Book Miracle Chamber, where the Berlins chapter of the EU National Institutes of Culture donates thousands of books. This one-of-a-kind library has a 7-meter-high frame with a safety net below where children can climb without the fear of getting hurt.
To keep the kids’ minds occupied and interested, the MACHmit! Museum for Children keeps the shows and children’s cinema talks on rotation – they understand better than anyone that kids get bored quickly by doing the same thing repeatedly!
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4. Berlin Zoological Garden (Berlin Zoo)
Address: Hardenbergplatz 8, 10787 Berlin, Germany
The Berlin Zoological Garden is on an 86.5-acre ecosystem with over 20,000 animals. The Berlin Zoo has a ton of history, too, as it was Germany’s first zoo, opening on August 1st, 1844, and The King of Prussia made the first huge animal donations.
Today, it is home to over 1,000 different species of animals, including an aquarium that was added to the zoo in 1913 to showcase aquatic life. It also houses the invertebrates, reptiles, and amphibians found in the zoo.
The zoo keeps on growing strong, attracting people from all over the world. It’s one of the most visited zoos in Europe, with over 3 million global visitors annually.
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5. Science Center Spectrum
Address: Möckernstraße 26, 10963 Berlin, Germany
The Science Centre Spectrum is a 4-story building that’s full of colorful experiments just waiting for your little ones to explore. This Centre strives to show kids that physics can be a lot of fun, too, and it doesn’t have to be all about technical activities! Your children will have the time in this science center with all the available experiments.
If you want to have a tour guide with you for your visit, you need to book at least a couple of weeks in advance. As you enter into the science center spectrum, you’ll come across a lovely orange Trabant that your children can actually drive! It’s located at the center of the space, making it open for all kids.
The Science Centre Spectrum tries to keep the experiments fresh and intriguing for the sake of any children who are frequent visitors. But they’ve also maintained their main attractions, which include exploring the 1400 square-foot exhibit of Physics and Technology and the Witch House.
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6. Little BIG City Berlin
Address: Panoramastraße 1a, 10178 Berlin, Germany
If you are a true history lover, then you must include a visit to Little BIG City Berlin the next time you visit Germany’s capital. It’s also perfect for the kids to enjoy and learn some history about the city. Berlin started as a town of a few medieval farmsteads and grew into the great metropolis it is today.
Germany underwent three different Reichs (The German Empire of 1871-1918, The brief Weimar Republic between the world wars, and finally, the [mercifully] even briefer Nazi German Reich) before being split in two by the Allies and the Soviets (Berlin included, despite being in East Germany). Then, reunified in 1990.
That history and change can be built and torn down quickly by kids using The Little Big City Berlin replica models (scale 1:24), available for the children to work with while creating the city’s history from scratch.
The miniature world set up is on the two floors of the TV tower building, and it uses intricate replica models for the kids to use. The Little BIG City Berlin also explains their exhibitions in English so that anyone who doesn’t speak German can still have a good time and understand what happened.
Your children will have a great time recreating the different epochs of the city of Berlin as it developed. The projection mapping video technology at Little BIG City gives a detailed and fully immersive experience of the Reichstag rising in flames during the fire of 1933.
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7. German Museum of Technology
Address: Trebbiner Str. 9, 10963 Berlin, Germany
The German Museum of Technology is dedicated to exhibiting science and technological advancements through the ages. This is located in the former Hamburger Bahnhof rail yard.
It was founded in 1982 as the Museum of Traffic and Technology, and it has been growing ever since, incorporating new exhibitions and technologies over the years to become the enthralling Museum it is nowadays.
The museum strives to help both grownups and kids learn about the evolution of technology throughout time. I got a kick out of the displays of locomotives through the ages.
Most of the new buildings at the museum are dedicated to maritime and aviation. There are numerous military aircraft on display for you to learn about, including a Douglas C-47B “Raisin Bomber” on the museum’s roof.
There’s a fantastic exhibit for those interested in the aviation industry’s growth in the 20th century, something ViaTravelers appreciates VERY much. These and the maritime exhibitions are housed in new buildings that are part of the museum’s extension.
Other exhibitions you can visit at the museum include the blacksmith’s forge and a historic brewery. You get to see how blacksmiths used to perform their work back in the day and how Germans used to make their favorite sort of bread, the liquid kind!
8. Brandenburg Gate
Address: Pariser Platz, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Brandenburg Gate isn’t just one of the most iconic landmarks in Berlin. It’s as much a global landmark as Big Ben, the Empire State Building, or The Eiffel Tower, but its meaning to Germans has constantly changed.
Its construction was ordered by King Frederick William II in 1788 as a symbol of peace in a troubled time. The inspiration for its design came from the monumental gateway found at the Acropolis in Athens. Centuries later, it symbolized the great divide between East and West Berlin during the Cold War Era. Nowadays, it has come to represent reunification.
The Brandenburg Gate is a great example of Germany’s neo-classical architecture. Though the gate suffered significant damage during the Second World War, it survived largely intact.
Go ahead and get yourself a Berlin Welcome Card to help save on transportation if you’re headed here (as well as you should). The card gets you free transportation to all the tourist attractions and museums you might want to visit in Berlin.
There are walking tours of The Brandenburg Gate available that are reasonably priced and will only take you about 2 hours to complete. You could also check out the nearby Wall and Cold War Bike Tours if you don’t like walking, driving, or public transport.
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9. Reichstag Building
Address: Platz der Republik 1, 11011 Berlin, Germany
The Reichstag Building is famous for many reasons, among them being it houses the main legislative arm of the German federal government (Bundestag). It was built to house the German Bundestag in 1894. It has housed the governments of emperors, statesmen, chancellors, and dictators.
It was badly damaged in the Reichstag Fire of 1933, a probable Nazi black flag operation used to secure more sweeping political powers across Germany and demonize any political enemies. It was later refurbished, seeing use as the seat of the Nazi regime until Soviet forces dramatically took it during the Battle of Berlin in 1945.
The grand old building, haunted by the ghosts of its former masters, fell into disuse, seeing only a partial restoration in the 1960s. Following German reunification in 1990, the building was chosen to be restored, improved upon, and its place as the seat of the German government, finally retaking the mantle in 1999.
The upper terrace and the dome are open to the public on short notice. However, you must make a reservation early to see the Bundestag chamber. This incredible building is a unique glimpse at Germany’s past, present, and future and is a beautiful destination to explore. It’s also another great jumping-off point for other great kid-friendly activities nearby.
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10. Aquarium Berlin
Address: Budapester Str. 32, 10787 Berlin, Germany
Aquarium Berlin is one of Europe’s best and largest aquariums, and it is located in Germany. It was built in 1913 to become part of Berlin’s Zoological Garden complex.
The biodiversity of the Aquarium Berlin is outstanding, with all sorts of monstrous, mysterious, and curious creatures. They range from inhabitants of the colorful coral reefs to some impressive sharks. You will also come across a few reptiles in the form of giant snakes and creepy crawlies, too!
The aquarium will surely give you a great viewing experience. The floors consist of tunnels, with fishes swimming all around guests. There are also switchbacks to offer the fish more space to move about. The well-lit displays ensure visitors can see the marine life without straining too much.
11. German Spy Museum
Address: Leipziger Pl. 9, 10117 Berlin, Germany
The German Spy Museum was inspired by the long history of espionage and the games of spies in Berlin. Former journalist Franz-Michael Günther created it, and it was officially opened to visitors on 19 September 2015.
Activities are interactive and hands-on, helping visitors of all ages understand what it was like to be a spy before, during, and after the World Wars and the Cold War. The museum covers espionage during both World Wars and the Cold War in East and West Berlin in great detail.
There’s a lot of material derived from wartime British naval intelligence operative turned author Ian Fleming and his most famous creation, James Bond, Agent 007, as well as real-life secret intelligence service operations.
One of the most fun tasks to get past is the laser-ridden corridor, whose cliched concept was born in The Return of the Pink Panther (1975) and has been a staple of spy thrillers ever since.
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12. Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum
Address: Königin-Luise-Straße 6-8, 14195 Berlin, Germany
The Berlin Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum were built on a 106-acre piece of land, which was constructed from 1897 to 1910. The main purpose of its construction was to create a suitable place for all the exotic plants found in different colonies across the growing German Empire.
Admission to the gardens is included in purchasing a Berlin Welcome Pass, one of my favorite attraction passes in Europe, allowing you to see multiple attractions for one low price.
Today, the botanical garden contains approximately 22,000 different species of plants. It has become an institute of learning for both professionals and touring visitors.
Summer is the best time to enjoy the sea of flowers outside, especially when you visit the Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum. In winter, the museum hosts Tropical Nights, where you can enjoy a drink and live music and take in the beauty of the exotic plants of the Tropical Greenhouse.
The museum is completely accessible and is designed to be wheelchair friendly. There are wheelchair lifts, wheelchair-accessible toilets, and ramps for easy movement.
The 3,000 square-meter Fragrance and Touch Gardens have been designed for low vision and visually impaired visitors and young kids learning about flora. The display is fragrant, and you are encouraged to feel the plants while visiting the garden.
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13. Computerspiele Museum
Address: Karl-Marx-Allee 93A, 10243 Berlin, Germany
Is your kid a gamer? They’re kids; they only think about Fortnite and Genshin. This next stop is a must-do activity for visiting Berlin with kids or for any gaming enthusiast! The Computerspiele Museum is an awesome videogame museum in Berlin that opened in 1997.
This museum is home to Europe’s largest entertainment hardware and software collection! This is a children’s paradise with all the video games, magazines, assorted media, and other interactive games!
A gamer’s heaven! Beyond gaming, visitors learn about the cultural history of old video games and the game-building process behind some new titles they might even be playing at home.
Some exhibits you’ll come across in the museum include over 25,000 data storage devices, videos, and about 12,000 technical magazines, as well as early arcade games the grandparents will remember.
Maybe you can show that young whippersnapper a thing or two over a few rounds of Pac-Man or Pong! Public guided tours only take place at 12:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. They are not available outside and are in German only. However, there are private tours too that you can pay for.
This comes in English and German, and you can choose from the following three tours: Overview Guided Tour, History Guided Tour, or the Culture Guided Tour….then see who’s better at Donkey Kong: your kid or the tour guide.
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14. Spend a day at Großer Tiergarten
Address: Str. des 17. Juni, 10785 Berlin, Germany
The Großer Tiergarten covers approximately 210 hectares and is near the city center. It is adjacent to the Potsdamer Platz and the Brandenburg Gate, making it a popular destination for visitors and locals.
Skaters, walkers, joggers, cyclists, and yoga groups are all working up a sweat, and those who enjoy this serene, calming pocket of green in the heart of a bustling city. It’s one of the biggest urban parks in Germany.
Großer Tiergarten is a great outdoor spot for summer activities or picnics after a long shopping spree. The outdoor playgrounds and shady trees are perfect for families on picnics, children playing ball games, or just chilling in the gorgeous summer weather in Germany.
The park also has several monuments, such as the Victory Column. The statue of the Roman goddess of victory commemorates Prussian military victories against France, Denmark, and Austria. Your kids can explore and appreciate these monuments while enjoying their time in the park.
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15. Berlin Cathedral
Address: Am Lustgarten, 10178 Berlin, Germany
Located on the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site, Museum Island, the Berlin Cathedral is the resting place of the Prussian Hohenzollern dynasty and is the largest Protestant church in Berlin.
It’s a place where you can experience a fascinating piece of German history and the history of Protestant Christianity up close. The cathedral has three domed roofs of copper, adorned with expensive decorations on the inside. The building managed to survive Allied air raids during the Second World War.
If you plan a guided tour, you should book your tour in advance. You can opt for the audio guides to do it alone or with your kids. Guided location tours have a guide that explains and shares facts about the history of the Berlin Cathedral.
These guided location tours take place Monday through Saturday at 12:30 PM, 1:30 PM, 2:30 PM, and 3:30 PM. On Sundays and public holidays, it’s at 12:15 PM, 1 PM, 2 PM, and 3 PM.
You can also opt for the group-guided tour to visit the Hohenzollern family crypt, the Cathedral Museum, and the Sermon Church. The guides here are well-trained, and they ensure you stay interested.
16. DDR Museum
Address: Vera Britain Ufer, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 1, 10178 Berlin, Germany
The DDR Museum is widely regarded as one of the most exceptional museums in the country. Its reputation stems from its extensive size and innovative approach to showcasing history.
Unlike traditional museums, the DDR Museum stands out for its hands-on, interactive exhibits that give visitors an immersive experience. This distinctive feature makes it an ideal destination for visitors looking to spend a memorable day in Berlin with kids, as it offers an enjoyable educational and entertaining experience for children and adults.
This interactive museum is conveniently located across the Spree River from the Berlin Cathedral and Museum Island. Make sure to include this family-friendly activity on your Berlin itinerary.
Tours in Berlin
If you're looking to discover the real Berlin, this half-day walking tour is a great way to do it. You'll learn about the city's rich history, from the Prussians and Imperialists to the Nazis and the Cold War. Visit some of Berlin's most iconic landmarks during the tour.
Looking to explore Berlin in a unique and comfortable way? Then look no further than this 1-hour city tour by boat! You'll get to see all the major attractions of Berlin from the comfort of a glass-covered and heated panoramic boat. You'll also learn about the intriguing history of the city through an audio guide available in 8 different languages. And guaranteed seating means you won't have to worry about being left out in the cold! So come aboard and enjoy a leisurely cruise through Berlin today.
Discover Berlin at your own pace with a hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour on an open-top double-decker bus. You'll be able to listen to an engaging recorded commentary in your choice of 8 languages, and spend as much or as little time as you wish at each stop.
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