Vienna with Kids in Winter 2027: 9 Places, Prices and Which Week to Come

Vienna with kids in winter can fill a week: children's museums, an aquarium open until 20:00, a zoo open daily and, from 22 January, an ice rink on Rathausplatz. The Natural History, Kunsthistorisches and Technical museums are free for under-19s. It matters which week you come: in Vienna's own break, 30 January to 6 February 2027, children under 15 ride the U-Bahn, trams and buses free. Later in February they pay except on Sundays, and Vienna's school classes skate free at the rink on weekdays, 10:00 to 16:00.

Things to do in Vienna with kids in winter: 9 places at a glance#

The hours below are those listed for January and February, and every place but the zoo is indoors. To compare winter with the rest of the year, see the best time to visit Vienna, month by month.

Sources: Haus des Meeres; ZOOM, prices; Dschungel Wien; Natural History; Kunsthistorisches; Haus der Musik; Technical Museum, tickets; Schönbrunn kids' museum, prices; Schönbrunn Zoo.

ZOOM's hours are box-office hours, the Haus des Meeres prices are online prices, and the Schönbrunn children's museum notes that its prices may change with the season. By age:

• Under 3: free at the Haus des Meeres, the Haus der Musik and the Schönbrunn children's museum, and ZOOM's Ozean is free under 8 months.
• 3 to 5: ZOOM's Ozean, a 60-minute session for children up to 6, the Schönbrunn children's museum, and the Haus des Meeres at €6.50 online; the zoo is free under 6.
• 6 to 12: ZOOM's 90-minute exhibition, the Natural History Museum's room 16 on Ice Age children, with texts written for children, and the Haus der Musik, which calls itself Vienna's children's museum of sound.
• Teenagers: ZOOM's animation studio takes children up to 14, Dschungel Wien's youth shows start at 10, and the three big museums stay free until 19.

When are Vienna's school holidays in February 2027?#

Vienna's semester break runs from Saturday 30 January to Saturday 6 February 2027, the same week as Lower Austria's. The rest of Austria follows one and two weeks later:

• 8 to 13 February: Burgenland and Carinthia.
• 15 to 20 February: Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol and Vorarlberg.
• Germany: Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia are off from 1 to 6 February, with Vienna; Saarland from 8 to 12 February, Bavaria's spring holidays on the same dates, and Saxony and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania from 8 to 19 February.
• Christmas: 24 December 2026 to 6 January 2027, across Austria.

Is it better to come in Vienna's own holiday week, 30 January to 6 February?#

If you can choose your dates, come in Vienna's own holiday week: children under 15 ride free, ZOOM's box office stays open until 17:15 on weekdays and the Eistraum has no school programme. We cannot tell you which week is busier.

Vienna's week, 30 January to 6 February 2027#

Pros:

• Children under 15 ride free for nine days in a row, from Saturday 30 January to Sunday 7 February.
• ZOOM's box office keeps the hours it lists for weekends, public holidays and school holidays, 09:45 to 17:15, on weekdays too.
• The Eistraum's school programme runs only on school days, and Vienna has none that week.

Cons:

• Vienna's own children are off school too, as are those of Lower Austria and four German states.

The later breaks, 8 to 13 and 15 to 20 February 2027#

Pros:

• Vienna's own pupils are back at school.
• Children under 15 still ride free every Sunday, and children not yet at school ride free every day.
• If your break starts on 8 February, arrive on Saturday 6 February and the children ride free for your first two days.

Cons:

• School-age children under 15 need a child's ticket from Monday to Saturday.
• ZOOM's box office closes at 16:00 from Tuesday to Friday.
• On school days from 10:00 to 16:00, Vienna's kindergartens and school classes skate free at the Eistraum, around 45,000 children a year by the organiser's count.

Do children ride free on public transport in Vienna? Under 15, in school holidays#

Yes, but only on some days. Children under 15 ride free on the whole Wiener Linien network during Vienna's school holidays, on Sundays and on public holidays. The rule names no residency condition, and it follows Vienna's school calendar, not your home one.

• Not yet at school: free on any day, until the end of the school year in which the child turns 6.
• S-Bahn trains: run by ÖBB, free only until the 6th birthday.
• Free days this winter: 24 December 2026 to 6 January 2027, 30 January to 7 February 2027, and every Sunday and public holiday.

Which museums in Vienna are free for children under 19?#

The Natural History Museum, the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Technical Museum let everyone under 19 in free, so with children you pay only for the adults.

• The Natural History Museum is closed on 1 January 2027 but open on Tuesday 5 January; rooms 31 and 32 are closed for building work at the time of writing.
• At the Kunsthistorisches Museum an adult pays €22 online or €24 at the door.
• The Technical Museum is a 10-minute walk from Schönbrunn station on the U4. Holiday programmes are usually listed nearer the date; in the 2026 autumn holidays it ran one for ages 4 to 7.

Three places are best booked ahead:

• ZOOM puts tickets online 10 days ahead and cannot promise any at the door.
• The Schönbrunn children's museum sells tickets with fixed admission times, so book a slot before you go.
• The Haus des Meeres sells online tickets up to 2 months ahead and asks visitors to leave large prams at home.

Can small children skate at the Eistraum in 2027?#

Yes. The Eistraum on Rathausplatz runs from 22 January to 7 March 2027, daily from 10:00 to 22:00, on more than 10,000 m² of ice. The beginners' area turns into a curling lane at 17:00, so bring small children before then.

• About 2,000 pairs of hire skates run from size 23 to 52.
• 300 helmets, and adjustable double runners for small feet in sizes 21 to 25, are free while stocks last.
• The 2027 admission prices are not published yet; skate hire and other services are 10% cheaper in the online shop.

In a later February break, come at the weekend, or between 16:00 and 17:00 on a weekday, to use the beginners' area outside the school programme.

Is Schönbrunn Zoo open in winter? Yes, every day from 09:00#

The zoo opens at 09:00 on all 365 days of the year. It closes at 16:30 in January and at 17:00 in February, and last entry is 30 minutes before closing. The animal houses shut earlier: the bird house an hour before the zoo, most others 30 minutes before. On a January day that means 15:30 for the bird house and 16:00 for the rest.

Take the U4 from Kettenbrückengasse to Hietzing, the sixth stop, with no change. For the main entrance, go into the park through the Hietzinger Tor. Schönbrunn, one stop earlier, is the station for the palace. Its children's museum, on the ground floor of the west wing, lets children dress up in period costume and takes its last visitors at 16:00. You can visit the zoo in the morning and the museum in the afternoon.

Near the Naschmarkt: 6 indoor places within a 21-minute walk#

Our apartments are a minute from the Naschmarkt, and Kettenbrückengasse is the U4 station nearest to them. By our estimate, from that station:

• Haus des Meeres: about 8 minutes on foot, open until 20:00.
• ZOOM and Dschungel Wien, in the MuseumsQuartier: about 14 minutes on foot.
• Natural History and Kunsthistorisches museums: about 18 minutes on foot each.
• Haus der Musik: about 21 minutes on foot, open until 22:00.

Schönbrunn and Hietzing are the fifth and sixth stops on the U4, with no change.

The market's stalls may trade until 21:00 on weekdays and 18:00 on Saturdays, though many close between 18:00 and 19:00. On Sundays only its restaurants open, from 09:00 to 21:00. In a later February break that makes Sunday the day for the U4 to Schönbrunn: the stalls are shut, and children under 15 ride free.

The one long walk is to the Eistraum: about 28 minutes on foot by our estimate. If skating is the main plan, a base nearer Rathausplatz is closer.

Where to stay as a family of 4#

Two of our apartments sleep four: the MINT Artisan, 65 m² from €185 a night, and the Penthouse Maisonette, 85 m² with two bedrooms, from €375. Every apartment has a full kitchen and a washing machine. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out by 11:00, with a two-night minimum. We keep your luggage free before check-in and after check-out, so on arrival day you can walk to the Haus des Meeres first. A stay of 7 nights or more, a full holiday week, gets our Wochenend+ rate of 15% off. There is no parking, no 24-hour front desk and no daily housekeeping. For how an apartment compares with a hotel room, read a family weekend in Vienna, or check dates and book.

Frequently asked questions#

Do you need to book the ZOOM Children's Museum in advance? Yes: tickets go on sale online 10 days ahead, and the museum cannot promise tickets at the door. It is closed on Mondays, and from age 6 children can join its programmes without an adult.

What can you do with toddlers in Vienna in winter? ZOOM's Ozean is a 60-minute session for children up to 6, at €6.50 per person from 8 months. The Haus des Meeres, the Haus der Musik and the Schönbrunn children's museum let children under 3 in free.

Which places stay open in the evening with children? The Haus des Meeres is open daily until 20:00, with last entry at 19:30, and the Haus der Musik until 22:00, with last entry at 21:00. The Natural History Museum stays open until 20:00 on Wednesdays and the Kunsthistorisches Museum until 21:00 on Thursdays.

Which Vienna museums are closed on Mondays or Tuesdays? ZOOM is closed on Mondays and the Natural History Museum on Tuesdays. The Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Haus der Musik, the Haus des Meeres and the Schönbrunn children's museum open every day.

Do teenagers need ID at Schönbrunn Zoo? Yes: the €17 child ticket runs from the 6th to the 19th birthday and needs photo ID. Children under 6 go in free, and children under 14 must come with an adult.

Is there a family ticket at the Haus der Musik? Yes: €39 covers up to 2 adults and 3 children under 12, where single tickets cost €19 per adult and €8 per child under 12. For two adults and two children, that saves €15.

Can children skate on Rathausplatz at Christmas? Yes: the Eistraum runs a rink at the Christmas market on Rathausplatz from 13 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, daily from 10:00 to 22:00. It closes at 18:30 on 24 December and stays shut on 31 December.

Sources#

Our team checks the dates, prices and figures on this page by hand against official sources.

• ZOOM Kindermuseum
• Naturhistorisches Museum Wien
• Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien
• Technisches Museum Wien
• Haus der Musik
• Children's Museum Schönbrunn Palace
• Haus des Meeres
• Tiergarten Schönbrunn
• Dschungel Wien
• Wiener Eistraum 2027, organiser
• Free travel for children, Wiener Linien
• School year 2026/27, Bildungsdirektion Wien
• School holidays 2026/27, Austrian Ministry of Education
• School holidays 2026/27 in Germany, Kultusministerkonferenz
• Naschmarkt opening hours, City of Vienna
• The Naschmarkt, Vienna Tourist Board
• U4 station list, Wikipedia

Last updated: October 2026. Christian, Host & Founder, MINT @Naschmarkt.