A rainy day with kids in Vienna

Florian Mahrl · As of 6 November 2026 · 4 stops

The day is planned. We checked the opening hours on the museums’ own websites on 6 November 2026. And it ends in the evening at a Christmas market that is open then.

I’m Florian. We live in Vienna with our two kids. When it rains at the weekend, a day at home does not go well for long.

So we spend the morning indoors. At 10:00 the Natural History Museum and its dinosaurs, at 13:00 lunch in the café under the dome. At weekends there is time for an hour at the ZOOM Children’s Museum (ticket only). When it gets dark, at 15:30, we walk over to the Christmas village at Maria-Theresien-Platz. It rains there too. With a hot kids’ punch nobody minds any more.

Not every day works: the NHM is closed on Tuesdays. Each stop below has opening hours, public transport, pushchair access and a map link.

10:00 Natural History Museum Vienna
13:00 Lunch
14:45 ZOOM Children's Museum
15:30 ☾ Christmas village at Maria-Theresien-Platz

The day

10:00–13:00 · 3 h (suggested)

Natural History Museum Vienna

Dinosaur hall, meteorites, Venus of Willendorf. Sat/Sun 11:15 Mini-Treff for ages 3+ (separate tour ticket).

Opening hours
Mo 9:00–18:00, Di geschlossen, Mi 9:00–20:00, Do–So 9:00–18:00; „Einlass bis 30 Minuten vor Schließzeit“; „An allen österreichischen Feiertagen geöffnet.“ (außer 25.12. und 1.1.) (as published by the museum, checked on 6 November 2026)

Getting there
U-Bahn: U2, U3 (Volkstheater Station); Tram: 1, 2, 46, 49, 71, D; Bus line: 48A

Pushchair
allowed · step-free · source

Where
Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Wien · Map · nhm.at
13:00–14:15 · 1 h 15 min (suggested) same museum

Lunch

Natural History Museum Vienna

Museum café under the dome of the NHM.
6 min on foot (estimate, 341 m as the crow flies)

14:45–15:45 · 1 h (suggested) If there is time

ZOOM Children's Museum

Sat, Sun, public holidays and school holidays only

Only with a ticket for the start time

Instead of a break: ZOOM Ocean (up to age 6) or ZOOM Atelier (3–12) in the MuseumsQuartier, a 5-minute walk. Only with a ticket for the start time, online up to 10 days ahead. Then the market at 16:00.

Opening hours
KASSA ÖFFNUNGSZEITEN: Dienstag bis Freitag: 8.30 - 16.00 Uhr; Samstag, Sonntag, Feiertage & Ferien: 9.45 - 17.15 Uhr; Montags geschlossen. Weihnachten: 24.12. bis 26.12. Haus geschlossen; 27.–30.12. Ferienöffnungszeiten 09:45 – 17:15; 31.12. bis 01.01. geschlossen; 02.–03.01. Ferienzeiten; 04.01. geschlossen; 05.–06.01. Ferienzeiten (as published by the museum, checked on 6 November 2026)

Getting there
U-Bahn – U3 Volkstheater; U2 Museumsquartier; Straßenbahn Burgring, 49 Volkstheater; Bus – 48A Volkstheater, 57A Museumsquartier, City Bus 2B Museumsquartier

Pushchair
no information on pushchairs · step-free · source

Where
MuseumsQuartier/Hof 2, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Wien · Map · kindermuseum.at
289 m as the crow flies from ZOOM Children's Museum

from 15:30 · ✦ In the evening

Christmas village at Maria-Theresien-Platz

When it gets dark, the lights come on.

Dates
20 November to 26 December 2026

In a normal Advent week
Mon–Fri 11:00–21:00; Sat, Sun 10:00–21:00 (as published by the organiser, checked on 6 November 2026)

Exceptions
24 Dec 11:00–16:00; 25 Dec 11:00–16:00; 26 Dec 10:00–15:00

Getting there
U2 Museumsquartier; U2/U3 Volkstheater

Where
Website · Map

On the day itself the app picks the nearest market that is open then. Outside the season (after 26 December 2026) this stop is left out.

Other markets nearby: Christmas market at Spittelberg (317 m), Wiener Christkindlmarkt and Eistraum at Rathausplatz (759 m)

Good to know in winter

NHM closed on Tuesdays (except 8 Dec, 29 Dec 2026, 5 Jan 2027). The market is open 20 Nov–26 Dec 2026.
Works on: Mon, Wed–Sun.
Ages: For preschool and primary school children; ZOOM areas by age.