The children’s railway is quite a unique phenomenon that originated in the Soviet Union—the world’s first children’s railroad opened in Moscow in 1932. It is a kind of educational institution where children can learn about different railway-related professions. You can still find lots of children’s railroads throughout the entire former Soviet Union, with more than 20 scattered throughout Russia alone. One of the most modern of these is St. Petersburg southern children’s railroad. You can take a tour and ride a small train with young drivers and conductors from the south of the city. The ride begins at station Molodyozhnaya and goes all the way to the station Tsarskoye Selo in Pushkin (a small historical town where the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin lived in his youth). Take a note that the children’s tourist railroad works during the summertime only. The railroad’s website doesn’t provide up to date information or schedules, so it is better to call or email in advance.
www.dzd-ussr.ru (website in Russian)
If your kids want to do something more active and fun, the amusement park Divo Ostrov on Krestovsky Island is exactly what you’ve been looking for. After all, what could be better to use up your children’s endless energy than an enormous open space with numerous rides,
www.divo-ostrov.ru (website in Russian)
Another great place for kids is the so-called dolphinarium, which is not far from the amusement park. Here you can watch exciting shows featuring dolphins,
dolphinarium.spb.
There is another dolphinarium in southern St. Petersburg that also puts on shows featuring sea animals.
дельфинарийвспб.рф (website in Russian)
Are you at a loss on how to explain the elementary laws of nature to your inquisitive child? If so, it is worth visiting LabirintUm, an interactive science museum filled with all sorts of technical exhibits that demonstrate the laws of physics,
Every child will feel like a captain on board the Aurora, a historical Russian navy cruiser that has been preserved and turned into a museum. The Aurora made it through the Russo-Japanese War, World War I, the Russian Revolution and World War II and became a key symbol of the Russian Navy. These days, the ship houses lots of interesting expositions and has a fully reconstructed historical appearance.
The St. Petersburg State Circus was Russia’s first circus that was constructed using bricks. It was founded in 1877 by Gaetano Ciniselli, an Italian circus performer. Nowadays, the Ciniselli Circus, with its famous trainers, focuses primarily on animal performances. So if your kids are fascinated by wild animals—and what kids aren’t?—we highly recommend checking it out.
The grand “
In November 2017, St. Petersburg surprised both tourists and locals by opening a new planetarium. Furthermore, it is currently the largest planetarium in the world. Both adult and child visitors can look up at the stars, take in an incredible space show, visit an interactive virtual reality hall or even take an educational class on space. The planetarium just opened and is still working in a trial regime, so check the schedule beforehand.
www.lumierehall.ru or spb.kassir.
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