Salzburg with kids: the zoo, Hellbrunn's trick fountains, the Haus der Natur, the Toy Museum and the age limits

💡 The Short Version: For a dry day: Hellbrunn and the zoo, side by side. The trick fountains are €16.50 (children aged 4 to 18 €6.50) and open daily to 1 November 2026; the zoo is €17 (children 4 to 14 €7). For a wet day: the Haus der Natur (€16, about 3 hours) or the Toy Museum (€5, ages 0 to 10, closed Mondays). The fortress has a seven-station trail, the Fortress Games, and pushchairs ride the funicular free. Most museums are free under 6, but the Haus der Natur, Hellbrunn, the zoo, the Toy Museum and the boats charge from age 4. Prices are in euros. Or book a tour: the Marionette Theatre’s The Sound of Musicad is from €48 and the amphibious Splash Tourad from €42 (GetYourGuide).

What costs what for a child

Hellbrunn and the zoo

Trick fountains €16.50 · zoo €17 · both reached by bus 25

The trick fountains soak you only if you wish, and the Mechanical Theatre of 1750 has 163 figures moved by water. The Hellbrunn page has the hours. The Salzburg Zoo is next door at Hellbrunner Straße 60: 150 species and about 1,600 animals on 14 hectares. In October it is open 9:00 to 17:30 with last entry at 16:30, and from November to February 9:00 to 16:30 with last entry at 16:00. Dogs are €3.

The old entrance building of Salzburg Zoo at Hellbrunn, with the Untersberg behind. Photo: Michael Burgholzer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The Haus der Natur

€16 · daily 9:00 to 17:00 · about 3 hours

Eight levels in two buildings, with 64 aquariums and terrariums, a reptile and amphibian zoo redone in 2025 and a science centre on three levels. It is step-free, pushchairs up to 110 by 65 centimetres can go in, and dogs cannot. It is the wet-day answer: best museums in Salzburg has the prices.

Lookdown fish in an aquarium at the Haus der Natur. Photo: Wolfgang Sauber, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The Toy Museum

€5 · Tuesday to Sunday 9:00 to 17:00 · Bürgerspitalgasse 2

Three levels and about 1,500 square metres aimed at ages 0 to 10, with play areas, a children’s library, a slide and a Carrera track that can be hired for half an hour. It is closed on Mondays, and children aged 6 to 15 pay €3.

The Toy Museum on Bürgerspitalgasse. Photo: Andreas Praefcke, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.

Hohensalzburg Fortress

From €12 on foot · child tickets from €4.90

The Fortress Games are an interactive trail for young and old: pick up the game set from Zeugmeister Peter in the Paradise Garden and go after the Golden Turnip, with seven stations including a blacksmith’s duel, a wheel of fortune with peacocks, a rope-pulling test with the Salzburg bull and a ring toss. Prams ride the funicular free; the walk up takes 15 to 20 minutes and the path is steep in places. The funicular is shut 9 to 13 November 2026. The fortress page has the tickets.

Tours worth paying for

Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.

The Sound of Music at the Marionette Theatre

From €48 · 105 minutes · 4.9 stars from 169 reviews

Salzburg: The Sound of Music at Marionette Theater Ticketad is sold by the Salzburg Marionette Theatre, at Schwarzstraße 24. The show is in English, with explanations in German, Italian, French and Spanish projected near the stage, and lasts 1 hour 45 minutes with an interval. It is not suitable for children under 4. A Salzburg Museum Sound of Music ticket carries a voucher for it.

The Magic Flute at the Marionette Theatre

From €33 · 65 minutes to 2 hours · 4.7 stars from 347 reviews

Salzburg: The Magic Flute at Marionette Theater Ticketad comes in a 1-hour and a 2-hour version. The show is in German with English explanations projected near the stage, and it is not suitable for children under 4.

Amphibious Splash Tour

From €42 · 1.5 hours · 4.7 stars from 1,610 reviews

Salzburg: Amphibious Splash Tour on Land & on Waterad is run by Salzburg Stadt Schiff-Fahrt. An amphibious vehicle drives round Mirabell Palace and past Mozart’s residence and Schloss Leopoldskron, then splashes into the Salzach. It starts at Franz-Josef-Kai 1a and is not suitable for wheelchair users.

What to see

1. Hellbrunn’s trick fountains. The water-powered figures; open to 1 November 2026.
2. The zoo. Next door, so it pairs with the fountains.
3. The Haus der Natur. Eight levels, with the reptile zoo and the aquariums.
4. The Toy Museum. For the under-tens.
5. The fortress games. Seven stations in the grounds.
6. The Mirabell Gardens. Free, with the Dwarf Garden: 28 dwarfs were carved in white Untersberg marble and 17 survive in the original. It is closed in winter.

The order that works: the fountains and the zoo on a dry day, the Haus der Natur or the Toy Museum on a wet one. What to skip: the Folklore Museum with small children; it is a 10-minute walk from the palace and is not where the fountains are.

Practical information

• Under 6: at most museums children under 6 are free. A child aged 4 or 5 is charged at Bible World, the Haus der Natur, Hellbrunn, the boat cruises, the Toy Museum and the zoo, and so needs a Salzburg Card or a ticket there. The Salzburg Card is half price for ages 6 to 15.
• Pushchairs: free on the fortress funicular; allowed in the Haus der Natur up to 110 by 65 centimetres.
• Getting there: bus 25 to Hellbrunn and the zoo. Children under 6 travel free on the Guest Mobility Ticket, and children from 6 get their own.
• Winter: the trick fountains close on 1 November 2026, the Untersberg is shut to 13 December, and the Dwarf Garden is closed.
• The one thing that ruins a visit: planning a day at Hellbrunn after 1 November.

What to book in Salzburg has the closed days for every sight. Free things to do in Salzburg has the parks and gardens. Best views in Salzburg has the lift and the Untersberg. Is the Salzburg Card worth it? runs the sums for children. Sound of Music locations in Salzburg and the Sound of Music tour comparison cover the film. 3 days in Salzburg places a family stop on each day. For a bed, see where to stay in Salzburg.