Barcelona, Spain’s second largest city, is one of the top five best tourist cities in Europe. Spaniards love children, and almost every courtyard here is adapted for children’s entertainment. Small children up to 3 years old will be interested in the parks or gardens of Barcelona. Almost every park has a playground with slides, swings, swings, sandboxes and a safe surface. There are 90 parks in the city, and all information about them is availableon the website of Barcelona City Hall.
Feeding the seagulls and fish is another activity that is sure to excite the little ones. Grab some seeds or dried corn and head to the Maremagnum shopping center on the waterfront.
I will tell you more about the entertainment for older children.
Parque de Atracciones Tibidabo (Tibidabo Amusement Park)
The children’s amusement park, 500 meters above sea level, opened in 1889. Mount Tibidabo, on which the park is located, is the highest point in the city, from which all of Barcelona can be seen.
The peculiarity of the park is that it still has attractions from the late 19th century. The park is suitable for recreation with small children, there are no extreme amusements here.
- Opening hours: Wednesday through Sunday in July, daily in August, closed in January and February, other months on weekends and holidays. You can check the opening hours on the park’s website.
- Admission: adults — 28,5 €, children under 1,2 m — 10,3 €, pensioners over 60 years old — 9 €, children under 90 cm — free of charge.
Aquarium de Barcelona (L’Aquarium de Barcelona)
The Barcelona Aquarium is one of the best in Europe. There are 11 thousand inhabitants of the underwater world. The pride of the aquarium is the largest oceanarium in Europe with a volume of 3.7 thousand cubic meters. Here live representatives of marine fauna of the Mediterranean. You can see them by walking through a transparent tunnel 80 meters long.
On the second floor, the educational zone tells about the evolution of marine animals. An interactive zone is open for kids, where they can learn about the marine world on their own.
Children over 8 years old and adults can swim with the sharks for 150 €, and for 90 € children between 8 and 12 years old can spend the night surrounded by sharks.
- Opening hours: The aquarium opens daily at 10:00, closing time depends on the month and day of the week. For exact information, please visit the aquarium’s website.
- Admission: adult — 21 €, children from 3 years old and pensioners — from 8 €, under 3 years old — free of charge.
Barcelona Zoo (Zoo de Barcelona)
Barcelona Zoo is located in the city’s first 19th century public park, the Ciutadella (Ciutadella).
Opened in 1892, the zoo is home to more than 300 species of animals. You can rent an electric car to move comfortably around the 13.5 hectare territory.
Twice a day the Zoo’s dolphinarium hosts dolphin shows. In addition to cafes and souvenir stores, there are four picnic areas.
- Mode of operation: April — June, October from 10:00 to 19:00, November — March from 10:00 to 17:30, July — August from 10:00 to 20:00.
- Admission: adult — 21,4 €, from 65 years old — 10,5 €, children from 3 years old — 12,95 €, under 3 years old — free of charge.
CosmoCaixa Interactive Museum (CosmoCaixa)
The renovated Science Museum of Barcelona was inaugurated in 2004 with the financial support of CaixaBank. Entrance to the museum is always free of charge for the bank’s customers.
The museum has become more interesting and informative due to new technologies. Everything here can be touched and studied independently. In the museum children will learn how evolution took place on Earth, how the Universe is organized, the principle of physical processes.
- Working hours: daily, from 10:00 to 20:00.
- Admission: adults — 6 €, children under 16 years old — free of charge.
- Cosmo Caixa Museum website.
Blau Museum of Natural Sciences (Museu de les Ciències Naturals)
Museu Blau is one of the branches of the Natural Science Museum of Barcelona. It is open to the public with the permanent exhibition «Living Planet» about evolution on Earth. Interactive screens and walls present information in a fun way. The museum’s temporary exhibitions delve deeper into individual natural science topics.
The museum is free to visit on the first Sunday of the month and every Sunday of the year after 3:00 pm.
- Mode of operation: Tuesday — Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 — 20:00 depending on the season.
- Admission: adults 6 €, from 16 to 29 years and from 65 years old 2,7 €, under 16 years old free of charge.
- Admission to the temporary exhibitions: adults €6.5, 16 to 29 years old and 65 years old €4.5, under 16 years old free.
- Natural Science Museum website.
Chocolate Museum (Museu de la Xocolata)
The museum was opened in 2000 on the initiative of the Barcelona Confectionery Guild in the former convent of San Agusti. It tells about the history of chocolate, allows you to take part in the chocolate making process, and hosts tastings of the product.
- Mode of operation: Monday — Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00 (from June 15 to September 15 to 20:00), Sunday and holidays from 10:00 to 15:00.
- Admission: adults — 6 €, children under 7 years old — free of charge.
- Chocolate Museum website.
Camp Nou Stadium
A visit to the largest soccer stadium in Spain and the museum of one of the best soccer clubs in Europe — Barcelona — will be interesting for adults and children who are fond of soccer.
During the one and a half hour tour you will be told about the history of the club since 1899, shown the chapel of the soccer club, the tunnel where the players enter the field, the VIP-lounge, the press center and the locker room for visiting teams. The museum exhibits copies and originals of FC Barcelona awards and works of art dedicated to soccer.
- Tours of the stadium are held only when it is free, so you should check the schedule on the website, where you can also buy an entrance ticket.
- Admission: adult — 26 €, children from 6 to 13 years old and pensioners from 70 years old — 20 €, under 6 years old — free of charge.
Maritime Museum (Museu Marítim de Barcelona)
In 1941, a maritime museum was opened in the premises where galleys were built from the 14th century, which tells about the development of seafaring in Spain. The most valuable exhibit is a life-size replica of a 16th century «Royal» galley.
The entrance fee includes a visit to the operating schooner Santa Eulalia, moored in the port of Barcelona.
Admission to the museum is free on Sunday after 3:00 pm.
- Working hours: daily from 10:00 to 20:00.
- Admission: adult — 10 €, students under 25 years old and pensioners from 65 years old — 5 €, under 17 years old — free of charge.
What you need to know about vacationing with children in Barcelona
- Public transportation has areas for strollers and places for passengers with children. Metro stations are equipped with ramps and elevators.
- Public transportation for children under 4 years of age is free of charge.
- Children under 135 cm must be seated in a car seat when traveling by car. Remember this when renting a car!
- Baby food is sold in pharmacies or supermarkets. But in Spain you cannot buy purees of one kind of vegetables or meat, so it is better to bring them with you.
- There are many playgrounds in Barcelona. They can be found in parks, courtyards and near places of interest. The playgrounds are divided into areas for children of different ages and there are signs at the entrance with the rules for visiting them.
Spaniards love children and treat them with patience and understanding. In Barcelona, you should not worry that you and your child will be reprimanded for inappropriate behavior. Capricious children here are helped to calm and cheer up, not condemned. Therefore, traveling with a child in Barcelona is not only interesting, but also psychologically comfortable.
