10 places in Moscow for children and parents
Museums, parks, swimming pools, street walks, and cafes
This is about eleven places in the capital for family entertainment: theaters, museums, cafes, and parks which are equally appealing to adults, teenagers, and young children.
Tretyakov Gallery
This museum, one of the country’s main fine art museums, is suitable for anyone: adults who want to see their favorite paintings again or for the first time, curious teenagers, and young children who are just beginning to familiarize themselves with the world of beauty. For the youngest visitors, the Tretyakov Gallery has specially developed several interesting, engaging, understandable, and exciting excursion programs. On the First Journey tour, the young attendees can learn about how the collection began to be gathered and how Pavel Mikhailovich’s house became one of the most significant museums in Russia, and they can take a look at Aleksandr Ivanov’s famous painting. The World of Fairy Tales and Dreams tour is dedicated to the fabulous: on their walk through the museum’s halls, guests will see the masterpieces of Viktor Vasnetsov and Mikhail Vrubel, namely, The Bogatyrs, Sirin and Alkonost, Ivan Tsarevich Riding the Gray Wolf, and The Swan Princess. In addition, the guide will teach them what fairy tales and myths tell us and how artists depict magical transformations and miracles. On the Journey to Ancient Russia tour, guests will be acquainted with frescoes, mosaics, and icons, and they will be told how paintings of the past have been restored based on preserved fragments and what secrets are held by ancient wooden icon boards.
10 Lavrushinsky Lane
250–500
For those who prefer individual visits over excursions, then a look at works like Vasnetsovs The Three Bogatyrs, Alyonushka, and Three Princesses of the Underground Realm should be the first priority. Then, take time to enjoy the landscapes of Savrasov, Levitan, Vasiliev, and Kuindzhi. And do not forget the beloved ‘chocolate’ painting: Morning in a Pine Forest by Ivan Shishkin.
Pushkin Museum
This equally significant museum is also open to visitors of all ages. The Pushkin Museum is generally considered to be worth a visit by children as soon as they begin to show interest in the outside world. The museum has developed various forms of introduction to art for young visitors, such as excursions, creative classes, lectures, workshops for teenagers, and family concerts. There are museum quests held daily (except for Mondays and Fridays). Together with a guide, children can make an exciting journey through the museum’s halls, solving puzzles, rebuses, and enigmas. There are several quests of this type. The Treasures of the Dragon quest has spectators move through different epochs in search of heroes prepared to face a monster. In addition to the dragon who stole the treasures and enchanted the fairy nymph, the youngsters will also meet other magical creatures, such as the Minotaur, Triton, and a griffin. The challenge of the Enchanted Forest quest is to destroy the plans of an insidious wizard who has turned the inhabitants of the magic forest into statues and paintings and to liberate the enchanted animals.
12 Volkhonka Street
150–600
For visitors who cannot participate in a quest for some reason, the museum team has prepared special instructions for parents: they will help you see a lot, not get tired, and wish to visit the Pushkin Museum again.
Dream Island
Europe’s largest indoor theme park looks like a huge mythical castle whose walls conceal the entertainment space. Dream Island is divided into four themed streets dedicated to London, Barcelona, Rome, and Beverly Hills. Each street accommodates pavilions replicating famous architectural structures such as, the Roman Colosseum or Antonio Gaudi’s House of Bones. The park has multiple attractions and more than a hundred stores and restaurants. If you wish to take a break from the fun, we advise a walk in Islands park: it is great for picnics in good weather—its meadows become neat lawns with wooden deck chairs placed everywhere.
1 Andropova Avenue
VDNKh
The main exhibition will draw the interest of both children (from toddlers to teenagers) and adults. It is the home of Europe’s largest Ferris wheel, the Sun of Moscow, which offers overwhelming views of the capital. The expositions in the various pavilions create a real museum city. A walk through it offers the chance to learn a wide variety of things: how space was studied and conquered, how writing first appeared, who invented cinema, how living things differ from the non-living, and how the city is organized. Most of the museum sites at VDNKh are interactive. For example, the museum of urban economy allows visitors to feel like a gardener, a janitor, a snowplow driver, or someone who is responsible for ensuring that there is no unauthorized graffiti in city elevators.
119V Mira Avenue
Free of charge
Obraztsov Puppet Theater
It is difficult to imagine the cultural life of a family with children without the Obraztsov Puppet Theater. It opened in 1931 and over the decades has become the main children’s theater venue in Moscow. The repertoire includes both classic and innovative performances. The oldest theatricals include At the Pike’s Behest (which premiered in 1936) and An Unusual Concert (which premiered in 1946). The newest ones most often experiment with new technologies, including the creation of the puppets: The Little Prince, The Ugly Duckling, or Baron Munchausen. The latter is presented by three rod-puppets. The largest of them is one and a half meters tall, and its arms and legs move as if they were alive. The theater foyer accommodates a museum of puppets from all over the world. They can be viewed before the start of the performance or during the intermission. The puppets and props of Ivan Afinogenovich Zaitsev, the last wandering puppeteer of Russia, are the most valuable exhibits. Every day at noon, parents and children gather in front of the theater to look at Obraztsov’s clock: music plays and little windows open one by one, from which owls, cats, and goats look out.
3 Sadovaya-Samotyochnaya Street
Ribambelle Green
Both children and their parents can have fun at Ribambelle family restaurants. The restaurants are suitable for children of any age: the owners are delighted to welcome their little guests and know what to treat them to and how to entertain them. The unique cuisine features the most popular European dishes, with a special emphasis on healthy eating. Special attention should be paid to the desserts: signature cakes and pastries. Each cafe has a creative space and playgrounds divided into age zones. Every day, entertainment teams present workshops and shows.
5 Botanicheskiy Lane
10:00–22:00
700–1,500
AnderSon
Visitors of all ages can find activities of interest at the AnderSon chain of family cafes. Every cafe must have a children’s play area: young visitors can take books from the library and play board games, consoles, or darts. In some locations, the list of activities is even wider: the AnderSon on Mira Avenue has an interactive game table and a huge ball pit, as well as a zoo corner with lizards and turtles. As for the menu, AnderSon has both a full-fledged restaurant area and a coffee and pastry bar with original desserts and hot drinks.
39s1 Gilyarovskogo Street
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun 10:00–22:00
700–1,500
Burger Heroes
This is the place for anyone who has opted for something more mature, that is, to have something other than mashed potatoes and a cutlet for lunch or dinner. The accessible burger chain is popular thanks to its original approach. The burgers are cooked with Dorblu and cream cheese, spinach and balsamic vinegar, smoked bacon and cherries with herbes de Provence, and more. A beef patty on a bun (or an alternative) can be complemented with a light salad, a side dish of potatoes or sweet potatoes, onion rings, or cheese sticks. The beverage menu includes lemonade, tea, and coffee, and adults can order wine or craft beer.
09:00–23:45
700
Arbat
The most famous pedestrian street in Russia, glorified in hundreds of poems and described in novels, remains a favorite spot for tourists. The spirit of a number of historical epochs can be felt on the street, and significant events and outstanding personalities of the past come to mind. You can wander in lanes or take family photos at the Viktor Tsoi wall or Bulat Okudzhava monument. Do not pass the Pushkin and Goncharova monument which stands near the poet’s house. The building also houses a museum dedicated to Pushkin’s Moscow life.
Arbat Street
Free of charge
There are also less serious museums on the Arbat. One such is Fairy-Tales of Arbat 16, a museum of childhood. Its exposition includes several interactive entertainment spaces: mirror and ribbon labyrinths, a petting zoo, Upside Down House, and The Giant’s House, where all the items and furniture are many times larger than those we are accustomed to.
Moreon
This is a water park for the whole family with a seaside resort atmosphere. The central part of the complex is occupied by a water park with slides totaling more than one kilometer in length and separate aquatic trails that flow into the outdoor pool. There are eleven aquatic zones, including a wave pool, a lagoon with artificial geysers, a bay with a current effect, and special spaces for children.
There is a separate floor occupied by thermal baths, about thirty baths in the traditions of the countries of the world: Finnish sauna, Turkish hammam, Greek delicate baths, as well as ice fonts and contrast baths.
16 Golubinskaya Street
