Places to visit with children in Tallinn: museums and experience centres

You won’t find as gorgeous and well-maintained an Old Town as Tallinn’s anywhere else in the world.

If your whole family is interested in learning more about the Middle Ages, climbing the towers and city walls and walking through fascinating tunnels, then a visit to the Kiek in de Kök Fortifications Museum with its underground bastion passages and fortification towers is a must. While one of the Fortifications Museum’s attractions, the Kiek in de Kök Tower, is closed until June 2024 due to renovation works, the rest of the museum’s towers and the Bastion Passages are still happy to welcome you! In the Hellemann Tower, you can get from one tower of the city wall to the other via the 200-metre-long walkway.

You can see the 700-year-old trading shipwreck, the oldest found in Estonia, in the well-known fortification tower Fat Margaret’s Museum and Visitor Centre. Visitors can learn how the ship was built, what goods it transported and what the old ports looked like. You will be directed from the sailing ships to the steamships and from there to the modern motor vessels, where you can discover Estonia’s largest cargo, fishing and passenger ships. 

You can learn about the history of Tallinn starting from Ancient Estonia up to the 20th century in the Tallinn City Life Museum, which also hosts exhibits suitable for younger history buffs.

The little ones of the family can find many age-appropriate activities in the Museum of Puppetry Arts and the Children’s Museum Miiamilla. The Museum of Puppetry Arts takes you on a journey through the history of Estonian puppetry arts. Children can play with various puppets, learn about what jobs people have in the theatre and participate in museum games and excursions. Children’s Museum Miiamilla in Kadriorg Park offers creative activities and games as well as an awesome playground in front of the building.

The Estonian Health Museum in Old Town introduces the secrets of the human body with the “A Heart to Heart About Your Body” exhibition. The exhibition consists of themed rooms that thoroughly unravel the human body by closely examining each organ. They also touch upon topics such as evolution, a healthy diet and modern options for diagnosing illnesses.

History buffs will enjoy Maarjamäe History Centre, which is composed of Maarjamäe Palace and Maarjamäe Palace Park, along with the Film Museum and the stables. The complex represents Estonian history throughout the last century. The palace's Children’s Republic is an imaginative, educational and fun environment where children can learn the important symbols and functioning of a democratic state through play. 

If you are interested in local village life, head to the Estonian Open Air Museum. On its gorgeous territory, more than 70 authentic buildings are open for visiting, from farmhouses and dwellings to an old school and a fire station. The museum’s Kolga Farm hosts a permanent family-friendly exhibition titled “Every Little Step Counts”, which provides discoveries for children of all ages and adults. Depending on the season of your visit, you can either get a ride on a horse sleigh or carriage and meet sheep and goats near the farms.

The small but content-rich Estonian Museum of Natural History invites you to discover Estonian nature and its diversity. The museum, spanning three floors, introduces the unique aspects of Estonian nature through its various ecosystems.

If you want to see real animals, Tallinn Zoo is the place for you. Here you can find a polarium for polar bears and discover the Southeast Asian rainforests, among other things. Of course, there is also a playground and many picnic areas on the zoo’s territory. 

Tallinn Botanic Garden at the foot of the Tallinn TV Tower is a treat for all nature lovers; you can discover more than 8000 species, from common garden flowers to carnivorous plants, in its open area and greenhouses.

Inventors and discoverers will feel right at home at the Proto Invention Factory, where virtual reality meets science and fantasy. The Hands-on Science Centre SkyLab allows you to discover the enchanting world of science and engineering. At the science centre, you can take photos with extraordinary lightning effects, compete in a screaming contest and construct just about anything using mega-blocks.

If you want to learn about the rules of physics through games, head to the Energy Discovery Centre, situated in a 100-year-old power station. Exciting lightning shows, static electricity demonstrations and more than one hundred hands-on exhibits and planetarium films await visitors here. 

The 314-metre-tall Tallinn TV Tower is the highest building in Estonia as well as an experience centre. In addition to the breathtaking views, you can put your courage to the test here by walking on the edge, either in real life or through a virtual reality headset. If you are brave enough, you can gaze into the 170 metres of emptiness below through its special floor windows.

Did you know that the Tallinn Card provides free access to all the best museums? You can also use public transport for free with the Tallinn Card and get discounts in various shops, restaurants and attractions. One adult Tallinn Card will allow you to take two children under the age of seven with you for free. 

You can purchase Tallinn Cards on your smart device using the Tallinn Card app and activate them whenever you wish – the city passes will become active from the first time you use them, whether in a museum or on public transport.

The app allows you to keep the whole family’s Tallinn Cards on one device. You will also receive notifications for special events, offers or changes in opening times through the app. The map function of the Tallinn Card app allows you to always reach your destination without hassle. It also makes it easy to find places to visit based on your interests.

Download the app from Google Play or the App Store.