Things to Do in Madrid With Kids, and the Two Hours the City Shuts
Fourteen things to do in Madrid with children, checked against the operators' own sites in August 2026. Two facts shape every day here. Children up to 14 travel free on Madrid transport, which is the most generous rule in Europe. And the city's indoor options close in the early afternoon in summer, which is precisely when a family needs them.
Children under 4 travel free with no ticket at all, ages 4 to 6 travel free on a free card, and ages 7 to 14 travel free on the Abono 7-14. The theme parks price by height rather than age: at Parque de Atracciones and Faunia the bands are 100 cm and 140 cm. Reina Sofia is free for under-18s always and free for everyone in the two hours before closing. The Teleferico is closed for refurbishment.
What should we actually do in Madrid with kids?
Get the transport sorted first, because it is free for anyone under 15 and that changes what a day costs. Madrid Rio is the best free thing in the city for under-10s and its water basins are the honest answer to the heat. Measure your child before booking a theme park, because Parque de Atracciones and Warner both price by centimetres and a child under 100 cm gets in free and can ride almost nothing. And plan the middle of the day carefully: the Planetario shuts at 13:45 and the natural history museum closes at 15:00 through August.
The 14 things worth doing, easiest first
Easiest first. Stamina here means what the thing costs a child rather than what it costs you. In Madrid it also means shade and timing, because AEMET puts the mean maximum at the Retiro station at 32.1 degrees in July and 31.3 in August, and several of the best indoor options are shut through the hottest part of the day.
Arganzuela, along both banks of the Manzanares
Madrid Rio and its playgrounds
The linear park built over the buried M-30, carrying the city's largest concentration of playgrounds plus shallow water basins children can get into. Nearest transit: Principe Pio, Piramides or Legazpi, though the operator publishes no station.
A solid half day2 hours to most of a dayThe single best free thing in Madrid for under-10s- Cost
- Free.
- Booking ahead
- None. It is an open park with no published hours.
- If it rains
- If it rains: None, and it is the least shaded entry here. The water basins are the heat answer rather than shelter.
Retiro
Parque de El Retiro and the rowing boats
Madrid's central park, with a municipal rowing-boat concession on the Estanque Grande run by the city. Nearest transit: Retiro on line 2, Ibiza on line 9, or Estacion del Arte on line 1.
Easy on everyone45 minutes for the boat, half a day for the parkThe boats work from about 3 up, the playgrounds from walking age- Cost
- 6 euro per boat on weekdays and 8 euro at weekends and on public holidays. There is no child price, because the boat is priced as a unit for up to four people.
- Booking ahead
- None. Note that the city publishes two different sets of boating hours on two of its own pages.
- If it rains
- If it rains: The Real Jardin Botanico at the park's western edge is the shadiest ground nearby, though it is not indoors.
Atocha, at the southern end of the Paseo del Arte
Museo Reina Sofia
The national modern art museum, and the building that holds Guernica. Nearest transit: Estacion del Arte on line 1, or Lavapies on line 3.
Easy on everyone1.5 to 2 hours, or 40 minutes if you go straight to GuernicaNothing here for under-6s, and the free entry does not change that- Cost
- 12 euro general, and free for everyone under 18 at all times. Free for all in the two hours before closing, which means 19:00 to 21:00 on Monday and Wednesday to Saturday.
- Booking ahead
- Not required. Closed every Tuesday.
- If it rains
- If it rains: It is the best free indoor option in Madrid after 19:00, which is also the hour the city becomes bearable.
Retiro, on Plaza de Murillo beside the Prado
Real Jardin Botanico
The national botanical garden, terraced planting and glasshouses immediately south of the Prado, run by the CSIC. Nearest transit: Estacion del Arte on line 1.
Easy on everyone45 minutes to 1.5 hoursA run-around space from toddler age, and genuinely dull under 6 as a garden- Cost
- 4 euro general, 1 euro reduced, and free for everyone under 18 at all times. Free for all on Tuesdays from 10:00 to 13:30.
- Booking ahead
- None. Open every day of the year except 25 December, from 10:00.
- If it rains
- If it rains: Its glasshouses are enclosed but hotter than outside in July, so they are not a heat answer.
Arganzuela, in the Parque Tierno Galvan
Planetario de Madrid
The municipal planetarium, with a 17.5 metre dome and free exhibition halls around it. Nearest transit: Mendez Alvaro on line 6.
Easy on everyoneAbout 45 minutes for a session, 1.5 hours with the exhibitionsThe dome works from about 5. Below that the dark and the stillness do not- Cost
- 3.60 euro a session, and 1.65 euro for under-14s and over-65s. The exhibition halls are free at all times and only the projection room is ticketed.
- Booking ahead
- Sessions are timed. Closed every Monday.
- If it rains
- If it rains: A strong heat answer with one catch: it shuts at 13:45 and does not reopen until 17:00.
Arganzuela, in the former Delicias station
Museo del Ferrocarril de Madrid
The railway museum inside the 1880 Delicias trainshed, where you walk between locomotives under a single iron roof. Nearest transit: Delicias on line 3.
Easy on everyone1 to 1.5 hoursThe best entry here for a train-obsessed 3 to 8 year old- Cost
- 7 euro general and 4 euro for children aged 4 to 12.
- Booking ahead
- None. Closed 25 December and 1 and 6 January.
- If it rains
- If it rains: It is indoors, but the trainshed is a glazed iron roof rather than an air-conditioned gallery, so it is shelter from rain rather than from heat.
Chamberi, near Nuevos Ministerios
Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales
Spain's national natural history museum, with mounted skeletons, taxidermy halls and a Mediterranean biodiversity gallery. Nearest transit: Gregorio Maranon on line 7, or Nuevos Ministerios.
Easy on everyone1.5 to 2 hoursStrong from about 4 to 12 on the skeletons and the big mounted animals- Cost
- 7 euro general and 3.50 euro for ages 4 to 16, free under 4. Free for everyone on Tuesdays from 15:00 to 17:00 and Sundays from 18:30 to 20:00.
- Booking ahead
- None. Closed Mondays except bank holidays.
- If it rains
- If it rains: It is itself the answer, with one serious catch: through August it opens only 10:00 to 15:00, which is the one month a family most needs it in the afternoon.
Palacio, west of Sol
Palacio Real de Madrid
The Bourbon royal palace, visited as a route through the state rooms plus the Royal Armoury, which is the half children remember. Nearest transit: Opera on lines 2 and 5.
A solid half day1.5 to 2 hoursGenuinely dull under 6. State rooms behind ropes are the least child-legible thing here- Cost
- 18 euro self-guided, 9 euro for ages 5 to 16, free under 5. Free entry for EU citizens and residents Monday to Thursday, 16:00 to 18:00 from October to March and 17:00 to 19:00 from April to September.
- Booking ahead
- Worth booking a slot. Closed 1 and 6 January, 1 May and 24 December from midday.
- If it rains
- If it rains: The palace is cool inside, but the queue is on an unshaded courtyard, so it is a poor choice at two in the afternoon in July.
San Sebastian de los Reyes, north of the city
Micropolix
An indoor role-play city where children work at scaled-down jobs and earn a park currency, across 12,000 covered and climate-controlled square metres. Nearest transit: Hospital Infanta Sofia on line 10.
A solid half day3 to 4 hoursThe operator's own band of 4 to 14 is honest. Under 4 is free and pointless- Cost
- Children 4 to 6 from 12.50 euro online depending on the day, and adults 15 to 60 from 9.50 euro. Gate prices are higher.
- Booking ahead
- Book online and check the day: it opens to the general public only Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday.
- If it rains
- If it rains: It is the strongest heat answer in the Madrid area, at 12,000 climate-controlled square metres.
Valdebernardo, east Madrid
Faunia
A biodiversity park built as walk-through climate ecosystems, including a refrigerated polar enclosure and a covered jungle. Nearest transit: Valdebernardo on line 9, or EMT bus 71 to the gate.
A solid half day4 to 5 hoursThe best of the three animal parks for under-6s, because the ecosystems are short and enclosed- Cost
- 16.90 euro online for anyone over 140 cm, and 16.90 euro online for children between 100 and 140 cm. Gate prices rise to 33.95 and 27.95.
- Booking ahead
- Book online. The gate price is roughly double, and hours are published only through a per-date calendar.
- If it rains
- If it rains: The refrigerated polar enclosure and the covered jungle are genuine cool spaces, which makes this the animal park that works in a heatwave.
Casa de Campo
Zoo Aquarium de Madrid
Madrid's zoo and aquarium with a dolphinarium and the giant pandas. Nearest transit: Casa de Campo on line 10.
A whole day, and they will be finished4 to 6 hoursWorks from about 3 to 11, and the price band jumps at 8- Cost
- 19.90 euro online for ages 8 to 64, and 16.90 euro for ages 3 to 7, free under 3. Gate prices are 29.50 and 23.90.
- Booking ahead
- Book online, and note the eighth birthday: it moves a child from 16.90 to 19.90 euro.
- If it rains
- If it rains: The aquarium building is the only substantial indoor space on site.
Parque del Oeste, near Plaza de Espana
Templo de Debod
A second-century BC Egyptian temple given to Spain and rebuilt in a park above the city, with reflecting pools around it. Nearest transit: Plaza de Espana on lines 3 and 10, or Ventura Rodriguez on line 3.
Easy on everyone30 to 45 minutes, and longer if you stay for sunsetThe interior is dull under 6. The outside and the sunset are not- Cost
- No admission figure could be read from an operator page, so none is published here. Check the Ayuntamiento's own site before you go.
- Booking ahead
- The interior is time-slotted. The park around it is open and free.
- If it rains
- If it rains: Not an indoor option in any useful sense: the interior is tiny and entry is time-slotted.
Casa de Campo
Parque de Atracciones de Madrid
Madrid's city amusement park, with a separate small-children zone and adult thrill coasters. Nearest transit: Batan on line 10.
A whole day, and they will be finishedA full dayThe height bands tell the story better than ages do100 cm is the threshold where a child moves from free to a paid reduced ticket, and 140 cm is where full admission starts- Cost
- 23.90 euro online for anyone 140 cm and over, 44.90 at the gate. Children between 100 and 140 cm pay a reduced rate, measured at the gate rather than by age.
- Booking ahead
- Book online, because the gate price is nearly double, and check the seasonal calendar.
- If it rains
- If it rains: None worth the name. This is a day to abandon rather than shelter in.
San Martin de la Vega, outside the city
Parque Warner Madrid
The large theme park south-east of Madrid, with a separate water park attached. It is outside the Metro network and needs Cercanias or a car.
A whole day, and they will be finishedA full day plus travelUnder 100 cm a child is free and can do very little, which makes free feel expensive100 cm and 140 cm are the pricing thresholds- Cost
- 32.90 euro online for anyone over 140 cm, 62.90 at the gate. The junior band, 100 to 140 cm, is also 32.90 online and 54.90 at the gate.
- Booking ahead
- Book online well ahead. The gate price is roughly double and there is no indoor alternative on site.
- If it rains
- If it rains: None. If the weather turns the day is lost, which is why the gap between the online and gate price matters so much.
What parents ask about Madrid
Do children pay for transport in Madrid?
Almost nobody under 15 pays, and Madrid is unusually generous about it. Children under 4 travel free with no ticket at all and need nothing. Children aged 4, 5 and 6 travel free but need the Tarjeta Transporte Publico Infantil, which is itself free. Young people aged 7 to 14 travel free on the Abono 7-14, also published as free, with 30-day validity. The catch for a visiting family is the card rather than the fare: the free travel is real but it is attached to a card you have to obtain, so check the application route before you arrive rather than at the barrier.
Why do Madrid theme parks measure my child?
Because they price by height rather than age, and the thresholds are 100 cm and 140 cm. At Parque de Atracciones, anyone 140 cm and over pays the general rate and children between 100 and 140 cm pay a reduced one, measured with a foot rule at the gate. Faunia and Parque Warner use the same two bands. The consequence worth planning for is at the bottom: a child under 100 cm gets in free and can ride almost nothing, so free can feel expensive once you have paid for the adults. Measure before you book rather than after.
What is free for children in Madrid?
More than most European capitals. Reina Sofia is free for everyone under 18 at all times, and free for all in the two hours before closing. The Real Jardin Botanico is free for under-18s always, and free for everyone on Tuesday mornings. The natural history museum runs free windows on Tuesday afternoons and Sunday evenings. The Palacio Real is free to EU citizens and residents on weekday late afternoons. Madrid Rio and its playgrounds cost nothing at any time, and the Planetario's exhibition halls are free with only the dome ticketed.
Getting around with children
Transport is close to free for a family here. Everyone under 15 travels free, though ages 4 to 14 need a card or pass to do it, and only the adults need a ticket. For visitors the Abono Turistico covers Zone A at 10.30 euro for one day, 17.50 for two, 23.10 for three and 43.20 for seven, with Zone T versions at 15.40, 26.20 and 35.00 for the same periods if you are going out to Warner or the airport. Children under 11 get 50 per cent off the tourist pass, which is a discount rather than a separate product. The city centre is flat and walkable between the Retiro, the Prado and Sol, and the Metro matters most for the outer trips: Casa de Campo for the zoo and the amusement park, Valdebernardo for Faunia, and San Sebastian de los Reyes for Micropolix.
Where to base yourself in Madrid
Stay near the Retiro or in Barrio de las Letras if the parks and the Paseo del Arte are the trip, because that puts the Retiro, the Botanico, Reina Sofia and the natural history museum within a short walk or one Metro stop. Anywhere on lines 1, 2 or 3 works, given that everyone under 15 travels free.
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What to skip
Three things. The Teleferico de Madrid is not running: the Ayuntamiento publishes that it is under refurbishment, and confusingly it continues to display the old fares beside the closure notice, so a list quoting 6 euro return is quoting a cable car you cannot ride. It is still on nearly every Madrid-with-kids page. Second, do not assume CosmoCaixa is here: it is in Barcelona, and Fundacion la Caixa's Madrid centre is CaixaForum on the Paseo del Prado, which is a different institution. Third, and most practically, the summer timetable works against you. AEMET puts the mean maximum at the Retiro station at 32.1 degrees in July, and through August the natural history museum closes at 15:00 while the Planetario shuts from 13:45 to 17:00. The reliable air-conditioned afternoon is Reina Sofia, where under-18s are always free and everyone is free from 19:00.
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