10 Best Family Things to Do in Milan

This major Gothic landmark that serves as the focal point of Milan is not to be missed by any visitor to the city. However, families with kids can have a great time besides taking selfies and admiring this massive architectural wonder. Young kids will have a blast playing “I spy” with the hundreds of spires and countless statues – some of the Gothic reliefs are amusingly out of place, such as tennis rackets and boxing gloves. It can also be a fun journey navigating through the maze-like cathedral and climbing up to the Duomo’s scenic terrace.

You can reach this waterpark within a half-hour’s drive west from downtown Milan. It isn’t very large, but offers a fun time out with its collection of pools and slides. Entry is around €19 for adults but free for kids under a metre tall, and locker rentals are around €5. Some of the slides require you to be at least 120cm tall. Thrill-seekers can try the 25-metre-high racetrack-style slides, as well as a spiralling Twister slide and the 90-metre-long Kamikaze. Fun bits for smaller kids include a lagoon and dedicated kiddie park.

For an educational trip that can also offer a tonne of fun and inspiration for adults, check out the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology. It houses an impressive collection of interactive and educational exhibits. Among them are 3D realisations of da Vinci’s mechanical designs, including his famous bat-like gliders and many more of his fascinating flying machines. Other multimedia exhibits serve as windows into the wondrous world of physics and astronomy. A life-size World War II submarine is parked outside, which most kids will find irresistible.

North of Sforza Castle, on the edge of Parco Sempione, the Acquario Civico di Milano (Civic Aquarium of Milan) is a good spot for families to spend a few calm hours. Don’t expect a large marine-park-like collection, though. It’s a lovely Renaissance building with a few ponds outside and its façade features a statue of Neptune and busts of various marine creatures. For around €5 for adults (free for the little ones), you can enter to walk through their small tunnel through a tank filled with rays, and explore other tanks featuring a variety of fish, starfish and sturgeon.

Milan’s Castello Sforzesco (Sforza Castle) is a good place for your kids to live their fairy-tale fantasies. The castle has a large courtyard where they can wander around, as well as circular towers and gardens that they can discover. Older kids can broaden their horizons on art and history at the castle’s library and its several museums within. Some of the castle’s galleries house important Renaissance artworks, including some by Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. There are also cats roaming freely around the castle and its dry moat.

Please the kids with a visit to this massive children’s amusement park that’s around a 45-minute drive northeast from central Milan. Leolandia occupies a vast green space that’s filled with over 40 rides and attractions suited for varying ages. Kids can meet their favourite TV and cartoon characters here, such as Peppa Pig and Geronimo Stilton, and they can even hop aboard Thomas the Train for a fun ride. Adjoining Leolandia is Minitalia, a spacious park where you can feel like a giant looking over various miniatures of Italy’s famous landmarks. Tickets are around €38.50 per person.

The Civico Museo di Storia Naturale (Natural History Museum of Milan) is housed in a 19th-century building at the edge of the Indro Montanelli Park. Highlighted ground-floor exhibits include a real T-Rex skeleton on display, mounted in a stalking stance, together with other dinosaur fossils and full-scale models. Further upstairs, you and your kids can discover the museum’s series of life-size dioramas. These feature various animals in their mock-up habitats from the world’s major continents. Tickets are €5 for adults, while kids enter for free.

Simply referred to as the Milan Planetarium, the Ulrico Hoepli Civic Planetarium is considered Italy’s largest. Established back in the 1930s, the planetarium retains much of its historical features, such as its original architectural styling and interiors with wooden chairs. Its regular schedule of family events includes a young astronomers’ club where you and your budding space explorers are introduced to the wonders of the stars, and rewarded with a special pin. Tickets are around €5 for adults and €3 for kids.

This pleasant green space right in the heart of Milan adjoins the Sforza Castle. The little ones can enjoy running freely across green lawns and even going on some classic rides or having fun in dedicated playgrounds. Meanwhile, mum and dad can enjoy the lovely views and even discover some of their own favourite spots within the park. The lake here is home to ducks and turtles, and there are plenty of places to sit and have a picnic.

The non-profit MUBA or Museo dei Bambini (Children’s Museum) of Milan features workshops and events for young kids. Most of the activities follow fixed schedules, so you’ll need to check what’s on in advance, and you’ll usually have to book ahead. Among their more popular workshops is an interactive exhibition of light and colours, suitable for toddlers. Led by a team of educators, the kids can actively learn through interactive exhibits with touch and experimentation. Tickets are around €8 for adults and €6 for kids.