Frankfurt am Main is described in sources as "an important element of the global economic system, influencing the political and economic processes of major regions". Perhaps that's why travellers with children skip the city in transit, thinking it's unattractive for family tourism. Wrong: Frankfurt welcomes and entertains holidaymakers and has its gifts for the little ones.
The city has an ironic twist on being seen as a transit hub: there's even a monument to travel bags in one of its streets. If you consider your stay in Frankfurt a layover, we recommend visiting the most exciting places for children. You may want to adjust your plans and stay in the central city of Hesse for a few days.
Contents
- Day 1. City Centre, Sightseeing on a tram
- Day 2. Zoo, Panoramabad Bornheim Water Park
- Day 3. Palmengarten Botanic Garden, Senckenberg Natural History Museum
- Day 4. Doll Museum Hanau
- Day 5. Taunus Wunderland Amusement Park or Gunthersburgpark
Day 1. City Centre, Sightseeing on a tram
Frankfurt's modern skyscrapers, visible from afar, cluster delicately around the Old Town. Town Hall Square, or Römerberg, is ready to get acquainted — its nine houses have their names: the Town Hall — Römer; the Big and Small Angel; the Black Star; the Golden Griffin... These houses, destroyed during World War II, have been painstakingly restored from surviving images and today make it easy to imagine what Frankfurt was like centuries ago.
From Town Hall Square, you head towards the riverfront, where the eye can see what you're looking at. If some children see ducks swimming to the shore, stock up on a bun; the birds will gladly accept a treat. Some will listen to the creaking sound of an organ grinder, not at all at odds with the noise of the big city. Or the line up of museums, for which the street along the Main is named Museum Embankment. You can already plan your excursion programme for the coming days.
You can glimpse the old town from the window of the Ebbelwei-Express tram. Visitors don't just learn about the city's history but are also treated to Hessians' favourite drink, apple wine (children are provided with apple juice). Another way to admire Frankfurt is on a boat trip along the Main. And a child who finds beauty in skyscrapers will be delighted to leave the old town centre for the observation deck of the Main Tower, the city's most prominent building, with a view of the surrounding countryside from a height of 200 m.
Day 2. Zoo, Panoramabad Bornheim Water Park
While information about the city's history is settling in, it's a good idea to change the activity and spend half a day at the Frankfurt Zoo. Among the 500 species of animals, children are sure to encounter both familiar and unfamiliar animals. The exotic marabou stork, the sharp-eared foxy fennec, the ravenous fosse that the lemurs in the "Madagascar" cartoon were so afraid of — these are just some of the zoo's inhabitants.
And in the vast exotarium, you can peek into the most mysterious corners of the animal world: the inhabitants of both polar latitudes and tropical jungles are gathered here. In the zoo's aquarium, you can see fish and marine mammals such as seals.
If you find yourself in Frankfurt during the cold season and the weather is not conducive to walking, take a dip under the dome of the Panoramabad Bornheim water park. The water park is open all year round, with an additional outdoor relaxation and bathing area during the warmer months. While the kids enjoy the water games, parents can relax in the hot tubs or visit the sauna.
Day 3. Palmengarten Botanic Garden, Senckenberg Natural History Museum
Sometimes it seems like a wizard lives in Frankfurt and grants wishes — not all wishes, just the unbelievable ones. How else can you explain that palm trees grow in the centre of Germany in a climate that is not hot? Even the botanical garden Palmengarten is named after them — its name translates as "palm garden". Under the Tropicarium's roof are plants used in hot and humid climates.
At the Palm House, palm trees are accompanied by tree ferns, while the quietness of the greenhouse is broken only by the sound of a small waterfall and the call of cockatoos. In the Botanic Gardens, you can stroll through the bamboo grove or contemplate the eternal in the rock garden, gazing at the roses and lotuses. Almost the whole year round, Palmengarten is decorated with blooming plants. By the way, you can see the tea bush and coffee trees growing here.
The Palmenhaus may remind your child of a picture from a children's encyclopaedia: dinosaurs graze in a thicket of giant ferns. If so, it's time to visit the Senckenberg Natural History Museum, which has an extensive collection of prehistoric animal skeletons. The skeleton of a diplodocus 18 metres long looks so imposing that the mammoth against its background does not look like such a large animal.
Much of the exposition is devoted to the evolutionary processes on Earth, including the emergence of modern man. One of the museum's highlights is a reconstruction of the skeleton of Australopithecus Lucy, long thought to be the 'mother' of modern humans.
Day 4. Doll Museum Hanau
The assortment in toy shops is familiar to all parents — some of it has already migrated to children's rooms. But hardly any of the dolls and soldiers of today's children are clay or porcelain figurines. Meanwhile, children many centuries ago were given wooden, clay and ivory toys. Hanau's Hessisches Puppenmuseum, around 20 km from Frankfurt, exhibits figures and objects that children used to play with hundreds of thousands of years ago. These simple objects show how the adult world lived and how children imitated their elders in their play.
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The exhibition is divided into several parts. There are luxurious, sophisticated toys and simple toys played by the children of the poor. There's also an interesting exhibition of dolls for religious education. The showcase with mechanical toys is crowded with boys of all ages, while the girls admire the dolls' collection.
Because the museum works with the Japanese Dolls Museum, it has a collection of unique toys from Japan and other Asian countries. By the way, the Hessisches Puppenmuseum also offers parents a few tips on how to make their own children's toys.
Day 5. Taunus Wunderland amusement park or Günthersburgpark, Experiminta Museum, Communication Museum, Film Museum
If a child who has been unruffled has stood up to a museum with honour and behaved with restraint, it's worth rewarding him or her with a trip to an amusement park where rowdy behaviour is encouraged. One such place is Taunus Wunderland near Wiesbaden, half an hour from Frankfurt. There are rides for adventurous teens and cautious toddlers alike. Go on a roller coaster ride? To experience the thrill and the terror of freefall from the tower in one second? Enter a haunted house? Daredevils — this one's for you.
Children will be delighted to frolic in the playgrounds with trampolines and mazes and have fun on merry-go-rounds, while school kids can go at the children's race track or go boating. Take your child to the Mini Zoo to unwind after a day of action.
A less time-consuming but no less fascinating walk can be taken at Günthersburgpark. The park is within the city limits and easily accessible by public transport. The benefits of relaxing in a green area are complemented here by a beautiful attraction: the water curtain. The sprinkler system is only activated when the temperature is at least +22°C, so you don't have to worry about your child getting soaked and freezing. Even a sizeable modern playground pales before the fantastic possibility of escaping in a cloud of tiny water spray! In addition, there is an unusual playground in the park where children are taught how to behave safely, e.g. on a construction site or camping trip.
On a rainy day, a trip to a museum is a good solution. For pre-schoolers and elementary school children, we recommend the Experiminta Museum. The experiments, however simple, are impressive: unprepared visitors can easily lie on a board full of nails, and a skinny child can lift weights with one hand. Children at the museum must get a clear explanation of such wonders. Once children independently discover the laws of physics and mathematics, they will never get bored with the exact sciences.
If you travel with middle-school-aged children, take them to the Communications Museum. Its collection will amuse children, at the very least. Do tube televisions and disc phones seem outdated even to you? Imagine how much bewilderment children will be caused by a telegraph machine and a narrow punching tape on which a message looks like a scattering of holes. Young gadget lovers will also be amused that texting or emailing is faster than pigeons flying.
Older pupils may like the Film Museum. Its exhibition is the key to understanding why this art form is still so captivating. It's hard to equate a guided tour with studying at a film institute, but the museum reveals the film kitchen's practical secrets.
You might want to check out just a few of the children's attractions, but if you still have the energy and desire, why not pick up some of our other Frankfurt tours from our unique collection of children's and family-friendly activities?
