For families

The best of Berlin for families

Museum Island

Depending on the length of little legs, the world famous Museum Island is just a 15-minute walk from The Circus. The Neues Museum is particularly brilliant for families, with its Egyptian collection including the famous bust of Nefertiti and interactive displays that bring ancient civilisations to life. Children are often mesmerised by the museum’s mummies and can explore how archaeologists piece together the past.

While the Pergamon Museum remains closed for renovation until 2027, the temporary Pergamonmuseum Das Panorama offers an immersive experience with Yadegar Asisi’s spectacular 360-degree artwork that transports visitors to ancient Pergamon. It’s the sort of experience that captures young imaginations in ways traditional museum displays sometimes struggle to achieve.

Bodestraße 1-3, 10178 Berlin, Google maps
Getting there from The Circus (Rosenthaler Platz): Tram M1 to Hackescher Markt (approx 15 mins) or walk (approx 20 mins).

German Museum of Technology

For families with curious minds and busy hands, the German Museum of Technology is an absolute treasure. Located about 20 minutes from The Circus by public transport, this sprawling complex houses everything from vintage locomotives and aircraft to working mills and printing presses. Children can climb aboard historic trains, watch demonstrations of traditional crafts and explore the museum’s extensive collection of vintage computers and telecommunications equipment.

The museum’s approach to learning through doing makes it particularly engaging for younger visitors, while the breadth of the collection ensures there’s something to capture every family member’s interest.

Trebbiner Str. 9, 10963 Berlin, Google maps
Getting there from The Circus (Rosenthaler Platz): U8 to Kottbusser Tor and then U3 to Möckernbrücke (approx 35 mins).

Tiergarten and Zoo

Berlin’s abundance of green space means families never need to feel hemmed in by city life. The nearest park with a fine playground for smaller children is two minutes walk from all three Circus houses, while the Tiergarten – Berlin’s central park – is easily accessible by public transport and transforms into a natural playground where children can run freely while parents enjoy the tree-lined paths and unexpected clearings. The park’s size means you can easily spend a morning here, perhaps combining it with a visit to Berlin’s Zoo at the western end.

Hardenbergpl. 8, 10787 Berlin, Google maps
Getting there from The Circus (Rosenthaler Platz): U8 to Gesundbrunnen and then U9 to Zoologischer Garten (approx 30 mins).

Children’s Farm Pinke-Panke

A more hands-on experience with animals is the Children’s Farm Pinke-Panke in Pankow, where kids can help staff feed more than 70 animals, let off steam in the playground and sit around the open fire. This is one of a number of petting zoos or urban farms in the city, and is right next to the Bürgerpark where you’ll find a nice playground and a cafe in the summer. 

Am Bürgerpark 15-18, 13156 Berlin, Google maps
Getting there from The Circus (Rosenthaler Platz): Tram M1 to Berlin, Bürgerpark Pankow and then walk (approx 35 mins).

Swimming at Humboldthain

Families staying during the warmer months should make time for Berlin’s excellent swimming options. The Sommerbad Humboldthain, just three stops from us on the U-Bahn, offers a perfect introduction to Berlin’s outdoor swimming culture with dedicated children’s areas, slides, and plenty of grass for picnics.

Wiesenstraße 1, 13357 Berlin, Google maps
Getting there from The Circus (Rosenthaler Platz): U8 to Gesundbrunnen and the walk (approx 15 mins).

Computer Games Museum

This is arguably the perfect family-friendly option, especially when the weather is bad, and even more so when mum and dad have fond memories of computer games during their own youth. The Computer Games Museum on Karl-Marx-Allee is a hit with all ages, and its more than 300 exhibits include a spot of time travel as you return to the 1970s for a game of Pong, challenge yourself to game of Space Invaders as if you are in the best 1980s teen movie, or take Super Mario on romp through Marioworld as if we were still in the midst of a summer of Britpop. 

Karl-Marx-Allee 93a, 10243 Berlin, Google maps
Getting there from The Circus (Rosenthaler Platz): U8 to Alexanderplatz and then U5 to Weberwiese (approx 20 mins).

Everyday life in East Germany

Berlin’s complex past might seem challenging to navigate with children, but the city excels at making history accessible and engaging. The Everyday Life in the GDR exhibition, just a short walk up the hill from The Circus, uses historical artefacts to tell the story of East Germany and understand daily life behind the Iron Curtain through interactive displays.

For older children and teenagers, a section of the Berlin Wall Trail is easily accessible at Bernauer Straße, not far from The Circus. The memorial site here tells the story of divided Berlin through personal accounts and preserved sections of the Wall, making abstract historical concepts tangible and real.

Knaackstraße 97, 10435 Berlin, Google maps
Getting there from The Circus (Rosenthaler Platz): Tram M1 to Eberswalder Straße (approx 15 mins).

Legoland Discovery Centre

When the weather doesn’t cooperate, Berlin’s indoor attractions ensure families never run short of options. The Legoland Discovery Centre offers hands-on building experiences and rides designed specifically for younger children, while the nearby Cinemaxx multiplex cinema has daily screenings of major films in the original English-language version, which is not always a given in Germany!

Potsdamer Str. 4, 10785 Berlin, Google maps
Getting there from The Circus (Rosenthaler Platz): U8 to Gesundbrunnen and then S1, S2 or S25 to Potsdamer Platz (approx 35 mins).

Labyrinth Children’s Museum

The Labyrinth Children’s Museum, housed in a former factory building, creates immersive environments where children can explore different themes through play, from understanding how cities work to discovering the secrets of the natural world.

Osloer Str. 12, 13359 Berlin, Google maps
Getting there from The Circus (Rosenthaler Platz): U8 to Osloer Straße and then Tram M13 to Osloer Straße/Prinzenallee (approx 20 mins).

Family stays at The Circus Apartments

Travelling as a family should be fun. It should be about spending time together, experiencing new things, discovering new places and having quality time away from the everyday stresses and strains of life. And the last thing you want is those stresses and strains to follow you while on holiday. So on your next trip as a family, what kind of place do you want to stay in? 

At The Circus Apartments we’ve tried to think of everything to create your perfect home-from-home in Berlin and a base to explore all that our home city has to offer. 

In your apartment…

We can equip the apartments with baby cots (120 x 60cm) or kids beds (160 x 70cm). We can provide baby chairs, a baby bathtub, toilet-seat reducer and changing table, all on request and for free. Our concierge team can make sure you have table angle protection and plug-socket covers, and that the kitchen is supplied with bamboo cutlery, baby cups and bibs. 

In case you need some down time, or the weather isn’t playing along, we can set up table tennis / table football in the apartment, and provide you with toys for children of all ages. And if you fancy a bit of parent alone-time, our concierge team can help you book professional babysitting service.

In the city…

With everything settled back “at home”, you’ll want to get out and explore Berlin. To see the city from two wheels, we have modern city bikes for rent. And the newest addition to our bicycle fleet – and especially useful if your little ones are too short to peddle on their own, is the Babboe Electric Cargo Bike.

This market-leading cargo bike was developed in the Netherlands in 2005 and with electric paddle assistance, you won’t even really raise a sweat. So you can tour the city with little ones safely stowed away, or even use the bike to stock up for your next culinary masterpiece in your Circus Apartment kitchen.

Let us be your guides…

Whatever your family is into, our concierge team can help you with tips and activities for young, old and everyone in between. Don’t forget to check the events page to see what’s going on at The Circus during your stay, including our exclusive programme of tours and activities that will take you to the places in Berlin that would otherwise be hard to reach.

Regardless of what your family is looking for during your time in Berlin, we’ll do our best to help you make it happen. If you have any specific requests or requriements, including children’s and baby beds, and other supplies mentioned above that you would like to have waiting for you when you arrive, please get in contact with us.

We can’t wait to meet you and your family soon.

Oleksii and The Circus Apartments team

Travel tips and information for your visit to Berlin

If you want even more tips and ideas for your visit to Berlin, check out the rest of our Experience Berlin blog or follow us on Instagram. 

We also have special deals for those who book their trip to Berlin early or want to stay longer. Check out our special offers page for more details.