By Antonia Grant
National Museum of Denmark
Copenhagen, Denmark
The National Museum of Denmark is one of the best museums I have ever visited — with kids or not. There are many great exhibits that are well-described and easy to access. For kids, I believe it is most notable because of the phenomenal Children’s Museum tucked away on the first level. It is THE BEST children’s museum I have ever been to with my daughter, who was three at the time we visited.
At the time we went, there were no other kids or families, which was shocking given the quality of the museum. There were so many artifacts that children could touch and interact with inside the museum. I was really surprised at what they had available to kids. My daughter loved going into the viking ship, serving us food in the castle, and having tea party in the Pakistani exhibit. One of the most impressive exhibits, in my opinion, was the “Curate Your Own Exhibit” area. There were shelves and boxes available for kids to create their own displays. My daughter took 30 minutes thinking about what she wanted to display and then choosing how to display it. I was fascinated watching her think about each piece and why she wanted to include it. It was truly a special moment and definitely tops the list of our time in Denmark!
Den Blå Planet, the National Aquarium of Denmark
Copenhagen, Denmark
Den Blå Planet was one of my daughter’s (age 3 at the time) favorite sites in Copenhagen (second only to Tivoli!). A modest aquarium in total size, there are some really fantastic exhibits for kids and adults alike! My daughter particularly enjoyed the large aquarium with huge stingrays, the outdoor playground, and the touch tank. I, however, was enamored with the giant octopus! During our visit, we meandered through the various areas, all labeled and displayed well. The shark feeding was well worth listening to — it was very informative, though a little too long for our daughter. Older kids may enjoy it more. We had extra time, so the playground outside was perfect for our daughter to interact with other kids and enjoy some outdoor time. There is a relatively inexpensive restaurant on-site and it has fantastic food! It is probably the best “museum food” I have ever had.
Den Blå Planet is located really close to the airport (you can see the airport from outside the aquarium). Because of this, it is an easy stop on your way out — or during a long layover. We took public transportation, but there is also a bus that regularly loops between the aquarium and the airport. They also have large luggage lockers available to rent at a very inexpensive rate — handy when traveling!
