With kids · Bologna · Italy
Bologna with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Lorenzov79, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Bologna is an easy, low-key city for families: flat porticoed streets, gelato on every corner, a big central park and several museums with real appeal for children, from Egyptian mummies to ship models and racing motorbikes. Fresh pasta and simple dishes suit fussy eaters. Top picks: Giardini Margherita, Museo Civico Archeologico and Palazzo Poggi Museum. Families usually base themselves in Santo Stefano and Strada Maggiore.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Santo Stefano and Strada Maggiore
- Rainy-day options
- 4
Best things to do with kids
Park · Santo Stefano and Strada Maggiore
1.Giardini Margherita
Bologna's largest park, laid out in 1879 just outside the old walls by Porta Santo Stefano, has a small lake, shady lawns, playgrounds and kiosks with outdoor seating. On summer evenings it becomes a meeting place for students and families, with bars in the old greenhouse area.
Bring a picnic from the Quadrilatero and join locals on the grass on a warm evening.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Museum · Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero
2.Museo Civico Archeologico
Beside San Petronio, the civic archaeology museum displays finds from Etruscan Felsina and the Villanovan settlements that preceded Roman Bononia, and one of Italy's most important Egyptian collections, with stelae, sarcophagi and mummified animals.
Head to the Egyptian rooms first if you are visiting with children.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · University Quarter (Via Zamboni)
3.Palazzo Poggi Museum
The university museum in a frescoed 16th-century palace displays the collections of the 18th-century Institute of Sciences: anatomical wax models, obstetric teaching models, ship models, maps and natural-history specimens arranged as they were for students. The ceiling frescoes by Pellegrino Tibaldi are worth the visit on their own.
The anatomical waxes are graphic; older children tend to prefer the ship and map rooms.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
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Museum · Borgo Panigale
4.Ducati Museum
In the Borgo Panigale suburb, about 7 km west of the centre, Ducati's museum traces the company from its 1920s start making radio components to its racing motorcycles, including MotoGP machines. Guided factory tours show the assembly lines. It is one stop in Emilia-Romagna's 'Motor Valley', with the Lamborghini and Ferrari museums within about an hour's drive.
Factory tours have age and photography rules; read them before booking, especially if you are travelling with children.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Factory tours run by reservation and fill up; book online in advance.
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Architecture · Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero
5.Biblioteca Salaborsa
Inside Palazzo d'Accursio on Piazza del Nettuno, the city's public library fills a glass-roofed former exchange hall whose glass floor reveals excavated Roman and medieval remains below. The archaeological area underneath can be visited, and the library has a large children's section.
It is free, central and has free Wi-Fi, which makes it a useful rainy-day stop between sights.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Rainy day
- Kids
- History
- Architecture
Landmark · Piazza Maggiore and the Quadrilatero
6.Piazza Maggiore and the Neptune Fountain
Bologna's main square is surrounded by the unfinished facade of San Petronio, the town hall in Palazzo d'Accursio and the Palazzo del Podestà. Giambologna's bronze Neptune, made in the 1560s, stands in the adjoining Piazza del Nettuno. Under the Voltone del Podestà archway, a whisper into one corner carries clearly to the diagonally opposite one.
Try the 'whispering gallery' under the Palazzo del Podestà with a friend: stand in opposite corners facing the wall and speak quietly.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Kids
- After dark
Rainy-day ideas
- Palazzo Poggi Museum — The anatomical waxes are graphic; older children tend to prefer the ship and map rooms.
- Biblioteca Salaborsa — It is free, central and has free Wi-Fi, which makes it a useful rainy-day stop between sights.
- Museo Civico Archeologico — Head to the Egyptian rooms first if you are visiting with children.
- Ducati Museum — Factory tours have age and photography rules; read them before booking, especially if you are travelling with children.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays, luxury and families
Santo Stefano and Strada Maggiore
The streets fanning out from the Two Towers — Via Santo Stefano and Strada Maggiore — are lined with grand porticoed palazzi, antique shops and quiet courtyards. The triangular Piazza Santo Stefano in front of the Seven Churches complex is one of the loveliest spaces in the city, and the Giardini Margherita park is a short walk beyond Porta Santo Stefano.
- Good
- Beautiful and calm; Close to the centre and the city's main park; Refined restaurants
- Watch out
- Few budget options; Quiet after dark
- Nearby
- Santo Stefano, Santa Maria dei Servi, Giardini Margherita, Two Towers
Family travel tips
- Porticoes make pushchairs easy on the flat, but the San Luca climb is steep and better with a baby carrier.
- The Salaborsa library has a large children's section, useful on a rainy afternoon.
- Order 'pasta in bianco' (plain pasta with butter and Parmigiano) for small children; trattorie will make it on request.
- Plan a midday rest in July, when afternoon temperatures can pass 35 °C.
- The San Luca Express tourist train is an easier way up to the sanctuary with small children.
Day trips for families
- Ferrara (About 30–50 minutes by train) — Ferrara is a flat Renaissance city built by the Este family, with the moated Castello Estense at its centre and about 9 km of intact walls that locals circle by bike.
When to go with children
The best months overall are April–June and September–October. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Bologna good for kids?
Bologna is an easy, low-key city for families: flat porticoed streets, gelato on every corner, a big central park and several museums with real appeal for children, from Egyptian mummies to ship models and racing motorbikes. Fresh pasta and simple dishes suit fussy eaters.
+What can kids do in Bologna?
Giardini Margherita, Museo Civico Archeologico, Palazzo Poggi Museum, Ducati Museum and Biblioteca Salaborsa.
+Where should families stay in Bologna?
Santo Stefano and Strada Maggiore: Elegant palazzi, wide porticoes and the Seven Churches southeast of the towers.