Things to do with kids in Gdańsk: 15 places, indoors and outdoors

Updated: 2 September 2026

Gdańsk with children has two faces: the summer one, with the beach and the Motława, and the autumn and winter one, when the day has to be planned under a roof. Below are 15 places that work with children from one year old to teenagers, split into what works in any weather, what is free and what is worth saving for a sunny day. Most of them are in the very centre or a quarter of an hour away by public transport. As of September 2026; check opening hours and prices on the venues’ own websites before you set off.

Things to do with kids in Gdańsk: a quick comparison

Indoors, within walking distance of the Old Town

The Maritime Culture Centre stands next to the Crane and is a branch of the National Maritime Museum. Children steer model ships across a pool, load a container ship with a crane and find out how a lock works. It is the most hands-on museum in the centre, good for two hours with children from four years old. The Crane itself, a medieval port hoist, takes a quarter of an hour to visit but impresses everyone.

The Museum of the Second World War has a separate exhibition for children aged 6 to 12, “Journey Through Time”, built around the story of one Warsaw family across three rooms. The main exhibition is for older visitors: heavy in subject matter and spread over several hours. With a child under twelve, plan only the children’s part and the café with a view.

The European Solidarity Centre runs the Play Department, 400 square metres for children up to ten years old, with toys and tasks built around cooperation and reaching agreement. A parent can see the permanent exhibition in the meantime, though it will interest a teenager more than a preschooler.

The Hewelianum Centre on Gradowa Hill is a science centre inside old fortifications: interactive exhibitions indoors and, in good weather, tunnels, ramparts and a viewpoint over the whole city. It is a ten-minute walk uphill from the main station. A good half-day when one day is rainy and the next is not.

The Amber Museum in the Great Mill shows insects trapped in resin tens of millions of years ago, which for a six-year-old is often more interesting than the jewellery on the floor above. On Mondays entry to the permanent exhibition is free. The DejaVu Museum on the Long Market is optical illusions and 3D rooms: an hour of fun and a phone full of photos, good for the end of the day, when children have no patience left for display cases.

Whatever the weather: full days indoors

Majaland Gdańsk in Kowale is open all year. In autumn and winter what counts is the indoor part: carousels, a rollercoaster for the youngest, the Maya the Bee and Smurfs zones and shows on stage. A full-day ticket costs PLN 119, children under 85 cm pay one złoty, and an afternoon ticket for the last two hours costs PLN 83 (September 2026). Out of season the opening hours are shorter, usually 10:00–17:00 on weekdays and until 18:00 at weekends; check the park’s calendar, because on some days it is closed. We have put the details of getting there and visiting in a separate article: Majaland Gdańsk, everything you need to know.

Loopy’s World is the largest indoor play centre in Gdańsk: around 3,000 square metres of slides, trampolines, obstacle courses and a zone for toddlers from their first year. Entry is charged by the hour and parents sit in a café overlooking the whole thing. A rescue for a day when it rains from morning on.

Fun Arena in the Polsat Plus Arena in Letnica has trampolines, an obstacle course, an indoor rope park, a skate arena and laser paintball. Better for school-age children and teenagers than for preschoolers. PIXEL XL in Oliwa has games controlled with your whole body on floor mats; an hour is enough to wear anyone out.

The Miniatura Theatre in Wrzeszcz plays for children from the youngest ages, with a repertoire divided by age group. Tickets for weekend performances go early, so buy a week ahead.

Outdoors, when the weather cooperates

Gdańsk Zoo in Oliwa is open all year and in winter has one advantage few people know about: it is almost empty, and some animals are more active then than in the heat. The grounds are large and hilly, so with a small child bring a pushchair or hire one on site. Next to it is Oliwa Park with a palm house, warm whatever the season, and the Whispering Grottoes, where children test whether a whisper really does carry to the other side.

AmberSky, the 50-metre observation wheel on Granary Island, has enclosed cabins, so it works on cold days too. Fifteen minutes above the roofs of the Main Town; children under three ride free. The beaches at Brzeźno, Jelitkowo and Stogi are, out of season, a place for a walk on empty sand and hot chocolate in one of the bars open all year by the Brzeźno pier. The tram from the centre takes 15 to 25 minutes.

Free of charge: Gradowa Hill with its viewpoint (the grounds around Hewelianum are open without a ticket), a walk along Długie Pobrzeże and around Granary Island, and the Maiden in the Window on the Long Market every day at 13:00. Free admission days: Monday at the Amber Museum and the Main Town Hall, Tuesday at the Museum of the Second World War and the National Museum, Wednesday at the Maritime Culture Centre and the Crane (as of 2026, check before your visit).

If you have more than a weekend: Gdynia and Sopot

The SKM commuter train takes half an hour from Gdańsk Główny to Gdynia. Waiting there are the Experyment Science Centre, a large science centre for children from preschool to secondary school, and the Gdynia Aquarium at the end of Skwer Kościuszki. In Sopot there is an Aquapark with slides and a toddler zone, enough for a whole rainy day. All of it works as a day trip with your accommodation in the centre of Gdańsk, without repacking your suitcases.

How to put it together: three days in Gdańsk with children

Day 1, the Old Town: the Maritime Culture Centre and the Crane in the morning, lunch on the Long Market, DejaVu or the observation wheel in the afternoon. Day 2, history for children: the children’s exhibition at the Museum of the Second World War, a walk to the Shipyard and the Play Department at the ECS, the Miniatura Theatre in the evening. Day 3, depending on the weather: Majaland or Loopy’s World if it rains; the zoo and Oliwa Park if the sun is out. Everything from days one and two is within walking distance or one stop from apartments in the centre.

Frequently asked questions about Gdańsk with children