Venturing out with two babies in Frankfurt was a delight every time we did it. I’m not saying it was a breeze and that diaper blowouts and an escaping toddler didn’t make things difficult, but I just loved walking around the wide clean streets and being able to ride public transportation without a hassle even with a stroller in tow.

During one of my walks around the neighborhood we stayed in, Evan spotted a couple of very very big dinosaurs standing on the middle of the road and staring down at the passersby. As we approached these big fellows we realized there was a Natural History Museum right behind them so I made it a purpose to go back the next day.

Armed with a full diaper bag, a baby carrier, and a pedal-less bicycle we ventured into the Bockenheimer Warte neighborhood and arrived at the Senckenberg Museum around 10:00 am. The staff was very helpful, spoke perfect English and showed me a place were we could park Evan’s bike. After paying only 6,00 € for my ticket and realizing kids under 6 entered for free I was happy and ready to explore the museum without any pressure and thinking that I could stay for as little or as much as the kiddos allowed and not feeling like I had wasted my money.

The museum is not humongous but it has three floors with great exhibitions including of course biodiversity, geology and human biology. I didn’t make a point of reading every sign on every exhibition and I just let the boys, mostly Evan, guide us thru their eyes and take us wherever they wanted to go.

Naturlich, the first stop was the small kid play area on the ground level. Puzzles, toys and kid-friendly exhibitions kept Evan entertained for about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, Joshua enjoyed looking at the colorful wallpaper and looking at the bigger kids play around.

Evan was very impressed by the skeletons on display and really enjoyed every part of the museum that had a tactile exhibition. Personally, I loved looking at all the different bird species that call Europe home and was very impressed by the explicit yet simple descriptions.

We spent about 3 hours in the museum. We did speed thru some of the exhibitions but had a great time stopping wherever Evan felt compelled to do so. I just enjoy taking the kids to museums like this one where the kids can learn and interact with the exhibitions. It reminds me of when we visited some of the Smithsonian museums in DC. I just want to ignite that spark of curiosity in my boys and encourage them to absorb all the knowledge available to them.

Tips if you are visiting the Senckenberg Museum with Kids

1. Plan a 15 to 20 minute delay during your visit because your kiddos will most likely want to check out the dinosaurs outside the museum and on the park in front of the museum.
2. If your kids are old enough to walk for a few hours, avoid bringing a stroller. Although there are elevators available, some are for wheelchairs and not the easiest to operate. If you have a stroller there is a parking area available.
3. If your kids are very curious just be aware that there is a somewhat explicit human biology area. Make sure you are ready to answer some questions if you decide you are ready for it.
4. The cafeteria on the 3^rd floor is a great place to get a nice snack. You are able to find traditional German fare. Although a bit pricier than outside (5 €vs. 2 € for a sausage) it’s a great place to sit down, relax and drink an apfelschorle.
5. The museum is very accessible and is easy to reach by U-Bahn, Bus and Tram. Make an adventure out of it!

Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum
Senckenberganlage 25
60325 Frankfurt am Main