Tenerife with Children: Museums

Jolita, one of the founders of Travelling with Children, has prepared a complete list of museums you can visit with your family once you’re visiting Tenerife.

Museums

Museum of Science and Space

The Museum of Science and Space is a museum that brings space closer to you. It was set up in 1993 on the initiative of the Tenerife Island Council and the Astrophysical Institute of the Canary Islands. This has been very useful in “translating” the scientific discoveries of the Universe into a more entertaining and comprehensible language for everyone around.

In this museum centre, you will find and discover almost a hundred experiments on three main topics: “The human body”, “How does it work?” And “Space”, not to mention the spectacular individual monographic rooms. The website for the museum can be found here.

Prices: €5 + €1 admission to the planetarium, free for children under 8 years.

Location on the island: north Tenerife, La Laguna. For exact coordinates, see the Tenerife Attractions Map on our website.

Pluses: lots of interactive exhibitions, an area for the little ones – there’s an area for younger children (up to 6 years old) with experiments that they will understand and be able to perform.  It’s both a traditional museum and a discovery centre where you can learn first-hand about the mysteries of science. A museum bursting with ideas and experience, where you take the lead – you can touch, climb, turn on, turn off… For children over 5 years old, there will be lots of questions – be prepared…

Cons: many of the exhibit descriptions were only in Spanish, you will have to use a mobile translator.

Tips: plan to spend at least a couple of hours in the museum. At the same time, visit the city of La Laguna, the former capital of the island. It’s a university town with a unique architecture and spirit.

Museum of Natural History and Archaeology

The museum‘s exhibitions have been prepared by three main scientific institutions: the Tenerife Archaeological Museum, the Canarian Institute of Bioanthropology and the Tenerife Natural Sciences Museum.

The archaeological and botanical departments are located on the ground and first floors. Visit these departments and learn about Canarian archaeology, see rock carvings, ceramics, tools and utensils. Here you will also learn about the botanical history of the islands, invertebrates and vertebrates. In the Natural Sciences Hall on the second floor you will be able to see a collection of minerals, rocks, fossils and marine biology, as well as an impressive collection of meteorites from North West Africa.

The Museum of Nature and Man is considered one of the most famous museums dedicated to the preservation and display of mummified human remains. The collection of Guanche mummies is very impressive too. The museum website is available here.

Prices. Free admission for all visitors on Fridays and Saturdays from 4pm until close of business.

Location on the island. The exact coordinates can be found on the Tenerife Attractions Map on the Travels with Kids® website.

Plus: you’ll learn about the origins of the Canary archipelago, see what animals live on land and in the ocean, and even find real mummies kept in fridges. Of course, we had a lot of questions from the children about these mummies.

Cons: It feels like the museum needs more interactivity.

Tips: spend at least 1.5-2 hours in the museum.

Carnival Museum

The Carnival has its origins in the Canary Islands dating back to the 16th century. By the 18th century, it had become a tradition, with people enjoying dancing and festivities in the streets. Historians say that it was a celebration that defied pre-established rules and social norms and became an expression of freedom and joy. According to travellers and chroniclers of the time, 18th-century carnivals were a big party for everyone. Everyone celebrated the carnival, despite the religious and civil ban on celebrations and wearing masks in public. In the 19th century, in addition to the traditional dances, a new type of festive event (street races, exhibitions and competitions) appeared.

The Tenerife Carnival has become the second most popular carnival in the world after Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, thanks to the glamour, quality and authenticity of its competitions, street parties and concerts.

The museum has a permanent exhibition with costumes and unique elements of the carnival. A visit to the Casa del Carnaval will undoubtedly be a unique experience thanks to the various digital applications that allow the visitor to experience how Carnival is celebrated in Tenerife.

ARTlandya Puppet World

Enter the park full of plants and visit the museum where you will find many dolls and bears. See for yourself why the private doll collection of a passionate Austrian couple is considered one of the best hidden gems in the Canary Islands. Start your journey with a short walk through the garden, full with palm trees, citrus trees and flowers, and enjoy the views of Mount Teide and the Tenerife coast. Then enter a typical stone house, where a huge collection of dolls awaits you.

See handmade dolls from all over the world on display. Discover how each doll is unique and varies from one material to the next, according to the artist’s preferences and whims. Whatever the materials, meticulous attention to detail sets the dolls apart from the rest. Take a stroll through several exhibition halls in different buildings of the museum and you will see more than 400 dolls and bears.

After your tour, relax with a cup of coffee and a cake overlooking the majestic Teide volcano.

Location of the island: Icod de los Vinos, north Tenerife. Exact coordinates can be found on the Tenerife Attractions Map on Travelling with Kids®.

Prices: 10 EUR per person for adults, 4.5 EUR per person for children aged 6-14, free for children younger than 6 years of age.

Tickets can be purchased through our partners here.

The Pyramids of Guimar

Visit the Pirámides de Guímar ethnographic park and botanical garden. Walk through the open-air museum with its six stepped pyramids oriented towards the sun on the main astronomical dates. Learn more about these strange lava rock formations from the 19th century.

Take a stroll through the park, which has twice been nominated for the European Museum of the Year award. You’ll find several outdoor trails and a specialised garden. Enjoy a wide variety of plants.

Location on the island: Guimar. Exact coordinates can be found on the Tenerife Attractions Map on the Travelling with Kids ® website.

Prices for adults start from 12.50 EUR, for children from 7 to 12 years of age the price is 5.50 EUR, and for children not older than 6 years of age can enter for free.

Tickets can be purchased through our partners.

La Casa de Los Balcones

Walk through a traditional 19th-century Canarian town house turned into a cultural museum, filled with preserved objects from the former owners and unique art and traditional handicrafts. Step inside the beautiful and impressive house and see what life was like for the family that originally lived here. Learn about their customs and see their personal antique collection. Admire the art displays and examples of traditional handicrafts called “Calados”, which feature intricately painted threads. Learn about the history of Calados and how they are made.

At the end of your visit, buy local products in the gift shop, including embroidery, lace, ceramics and regional costumes, as well as other souvenirs such as miniature balconies of La Orotava.

Location on the island: La Oratava, northern Tenerife. For exact coordinates, see the Tenerife Attractions Map in Travelling with Kids ®.

Prices. Adults – 5 EUR, children not older than 12 years of age can attend for free.

Tickets can be purchased through our partners.

Dragon Tree and Botanical Garden

Meet the Dragon Tree, the oldest tree of its kind in the world. See the impressive millennium-old dragon tree with its thick branches and leaves that resemble sharp swords. The ancient tree’s fame is due to its dense and blood-coloured resin. This stunning substance is considered a health treasure from the ancient Roman times.

Once you’ve seen the tree, take the opportunity to take a walk in the surrounding National Botanical Garden.

Location on the island: Icod de los Vinos, north Tenerife. Exact coordinates can be found on the Tenerife Attractions Map on the Travelling with Kids® website.

Prices. Adults and children from 7 years of age – 5 EUR, Children 6 years of age – 2.50 EUR, children not older than 5 years of age can enter for free.

Tickets can be purchased through our partners.

 

Guided Tour of the Mount Teide Observatory

Learn how the observatory works. A 1.5-hour tour of the Mount Teide Observatory on the highest mountain in Spain. The Canary Islands have been named one of the top 3 places in the world to watch the sky (along with Chile and Hawaii) and the Teide Observatory is currently the largest solar observatory in the world. It has many solar and night telescopes belonging to different European countries. An astronomy expert will explain what astrophysics is and how it works.

Location on the island. Exact coordinates can be found on the Tenerife Attractions Map on the Travelling with Kids ® website.

Prices. Adults – 21 EUR, for children up to 7 years of age this excursion is not a fit, but older children can attend for free (we recommend attending with parents.)

Please purchase the tour in advance by clicking here.

You may find the following articles useful:

• Tenerife with children: water activities
• Tenerife with children: parks
• Abandoned and exceptional places in Tenerife

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