Weekend Activities for Kids in Bengaluru: 24 Family Ideas (2026)

The short answer for a weekend with children in Bengaluru (Bangalore): do the science museum and Cubbon Park on one day and Bannerghatta or a play zone on the other, and check our listings for a workshop or a children’s play in between. This guide has 24 ideas, grouped by type, with 2026 prices, age limits and closing days, because half of a good family outing is knowing what’s shut on which day. Dated events such as workshops, storytelling sessions and camps are on our live kids’ events page.

Costs and closing days at a glance

Activity	Good for	Cost (2026)	Closed
Visvesvaraya museum	5 and up	₹100; under-fives free	Deepavali, Ganesha Chaturthi
Nehru Planetarium	6 and up	₹100; ₹60 under-16	Mondays, second Tuesdays
Bannerghatta zoo	All ages	₹120 adult, ₹60 child	Tuesdays
Bannerghatta bus safari + zoo	4 and up	From ₹370 adult, ₹210 child	Tuesdays
Indian Music Experience	4 and up	₹150–₹300	Mondays
Fun World	Rides vary by height	₹1,499 adult, ₹999 child	Open daily
Snow City	2 and up	From ₹650	Open daily
Museum of Art & Photography	6 and up	₹50 for ages 6–18; under-sixes free	Mondays
Science Gallery Bengaluru	Teenagers	Free	Mondays, Tuesdays
Cubbon Park	All ages	Free	Open daily

Prices are the latest we could confirm in October 2026. Bannerghatta figures come from a 2026 travel guide, as the park’s own site wasn’t loading, so confirm them at the counter.

Science and space

1. Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technological Museum. The city’s hands-on science museum on Kasturba Road has an engine hall, a space gallery, a walk-through dinosaur gallery and a full-scale replica of the Wright Flyer. It’s open from 9:30 am to 6 pm every day except Deepavali and Ganesha Chaturthi. Buy tickets online and arrive before 5 pm. See the museum’s page. Cubbon Park (Purple Line), about 600 m.

2. Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium. Sky shows run at 12:30 pm and 4:30 pm in English and 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm in Kannada, with extra shows at 10:30 am (English) and 11:30 am (Kannada) at weekends. Book the right language. It’s closed on Mondays and second Tuesdays. Vidhana Soudha (Purple Line), about 1 km.

3. Know Your Stars. On the first Sunday of the month the planetarium runs an evening sky-watching session at 6:30 pm for ₹75, with tickets at the booth, and a free Ask an Astronomer session at 5:15 pm. Note that 1 November 2026 is a holiday there.

4. ParSEC, Jayanagar. A science experience centre run by the Param Foundation, with seven galleries of hands-on exhibits. Tickets are sold on District and BookMyShow, and there’s a second centre in Whitefield.

5. Science Gallery Bengaluru. Free, and aimed at teenagers and young adults rather than small children. The current exhibition is called Quantum. It’s open until 8 pm from Friday to Sunday. Ballari Road, Sanjaynagar; no station nearby.

Animals and the outdoors

6. Bannerghatta Biological Park. About 25 km from the centre, with a zoo, a butterfly park and bus safaris through lion, tiger and bear enclosures. Zoo entry is ₹120 for adults and ₹60 for children. The non-AC bus safari with zoo entry is ₹370 for adults and ₹210 for children on weekdays, and ₹420 and ₹260 at weekends; AC buses cost more. Zoo entry prices rose by 20% in August 2025. Go early, because safari queues build by late morning.

7. Cubbon Park and Bal Bhavan. Sunday is the day to go, when several of the park’s roads are closed to traffic. Bal Bhavan, the children’s complex inside the park, has play areas and a toy train that was restored in 2023; check that the train is running before you promise a ride. See Cubbon Park. Cubbon Park (Purple Line).

8. Lalbagh. Wide paths for running around, a lake with birds, and a rock to climb. The Republic Day flower show in January is the big family draw; our flower show page has ticket prices. Lalbagh (Green Line).

9. Sankey Tank or a lake walk. Sankey Tank in Malleshwaram has a paved path all the way round, and Agara Lake in HSR Layout has a walking and cycling track.

10. Nandi Hills. A sunrise drive of about 60 km to a hill station at 1,478 metres. It suits older children who can manage an early start and some walking.

Rides and play zones

11. Fun World. The amusement and water park at Palace Grounds on Jayamahal Road charges ₹1,499 for adults and ₹999 for children between 80 and 140 cm tall, including GST. The rides are open from 10 am to 7 pm and the water park from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm.

12. Snow City. In the same complex as Fun World. Tickets start at ₹650 and are ₹100 cheaper online. Sessions last an hour, with about 45 minutes in the snow, and children under two aren’t admitted.

13. Wonderla. The big amusement and water park off Mysuru Road, open since 2005, has 55 rides on an 82-acre site. It needs a full day and a car. Check current ticket prices on its website.

14. Play Arena. A sports and games complex at Kasavanahalli, off Sarjapur Road, with go-karting, bowling, paintball, laser tag and soft play among 28 activities. It runs on a load-a-card system and is open from 6 am to 11 pm.

15. Mall play zones. Timezone has arcades at Mantri Square, Orion Mall, Phoenix Marketcity, Phoenix Mall of Asia, Nexus Koramangala and Nexus Shantiniketan, and Funcity is at Phoenix Mall of Asia. SkyJumper runs a trampoline park on the sixth floor of Garuda Mall on Magrath Road.

Museums they’ll actually enjoy

16. The Indian Music Experience. Nine galleries of interactive music exhibits in JP Nagar, and a Sound Garden outside with ten installations that children can play. Under-13s pay ₹150 on weekdays and ₹200 at weekends, and children aged five and under are free. See the IME page.

17. Museum of Art & Photography. Children aged 6 to 18 pay ₹50 and under-sixes are free; on Tuesdays everyone is. It’s next to the science museum, so the two make one trip.

18. NGMA. Free for school students up to Class XII with ID, and open until 8 pm at weekends.

19. The Vidhana Soudha walk. For older children with an interest in how the state is run. KSTDC’s guided tours run on Sundays and second and fourth Saturdays, and students up to Class 10 are admitted free with a ticketed adult.

Theatre, stories and books

20. Children’s theatre at Ranga Shankara. The JP Nagar theatre runs AHA!, a programme of theatre for children, with an annual festival that was held from 24 to 31 May 2026. Ages are set play by play, and some sessions are box-office only. Bangalore Little Theatre, founded in 1960, also produces children’s theatre. Our theatre listings show what’s on.

21. Storytelling. Kathalaya, founded in 1998 by Geeta Ramanujam and based on Bannerghatta Road, is the city’s best-known storytelling institute. Storytelling sessions also turn up at bookshops and festivals.

22. Champaca’s children’s library. The bookshop has a library for children up to 12. The Vasanth Nagar shop is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 7 pm, and is reached by stairs only; the Indiranagar shop is open daily until 8 pm.

Seasonal picks for the next few months

23. Sunday Soul Sante, 25 October 2026. The Diwali edition at The Bay, Ecoworld, in Bellandur runs from 11 am to 10 pm, with creative workshops for children among the stalls. Entry is ₹399, or ₹1,399 for a family pack of four.

24. December’s festivals. The Bangalore Literature Festival on 11 to 13 December has a free children’s strand, C|L|F, which ran more than 75 sessions for ages 4+, 8+ and 12+ in 2025. The annual cake show at Palace Grounds charged ₹150 last season, with under-threes free; its 2026–27 dates had not been announced at the time of writing. The Kadalekai Parishe groundnut fair on 7 December is fun for children in the morning, before the crowds build. Our Christmas events page will list the rest.

A rainy-day plan

Bengaluru’s showers usually arrive in the late afternoon between May and October. Start outdoors in the morning, then move inside: the science museum and the Museum of Art & Photography are a short walk apart, and the planetarium’s afternoon shows start at 2:30 pm. For more options, see our indoor things to do page.

Tips for parents

Check the closing day first. Planetarium, MAP and the Indian Music Experience on Monday; Bannerghatta on Tuesday; Science Gallery on both.
Go early. The science museum and Bannerghatta are far calmer before 11 am, especially at weekends and during school holidays.
Plan one area per day. Traffic turns two stops on opposite sides of the city into a long day in the car.
Read the age line. Workshops and plays are designed for specific age bands, and the planetarium and Snow City have minimum ages.
Carry a change of clothes for Snow City, water parks and any outdoor event in the monsoon months.

More ideas, including this weekend’s workshops and shows, are on the kids and family events page and in our 36 weekend ideas.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best places to take kids in Bengaluru on a weekend?

The Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technological Museum, the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, Cubbon Park with Bal Bhavan, Bannerghatta Biological Park and the Indian Music Experience are the most dependable. Fun World, Snow City and mall play zones cover rides and indoor play.

How much is the entry fee for the Visvesvaraya museum?

₹100 for general visitors from 1 April 2026, with children under five free. The 3D show and Science on a Sphere are ₹50 each, the Taramandal show ₹20 and the Wright Flyer simulator ₹60.

Can I take a toddler to the planetarium?

No. The Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium does not admit children under three to its sky shows. Tickets are ₹100 for adults and ₹60 for under-16s.

Which day is Bannerghatta Biological Park closed?

Tuesday. On other days the zoo and butterfly park are open from 9:30 am to 5 pm and safaris run from 10 am to 4:30 pm.

What can kids do in Bengaluru when it rains?

The science museum, the planetarium, the Indian Music Experience, the Museum of Art & Photography, mall play zones such as Timezone and Funcity, Snow City and children's theatre are all indoors.

Are there free activities for children in Bengaluru?

Yes. Cubbon Park, Sankey Tank and the lakes are free, Science Gallery Bengaluru is free, the Museum of Art & Photography is free for under-sixes and for everyone on Tuesdays, and NGMA is free for school students with ID.