Kharkiv is the northern capital of Ukraine, an energetic, dynamically developing city. The bulk of the inhabitants are students, youth, and middle-aged people. Many families with small children live here. For children's leisure in Kharkiv, parks, zoos, theaters, children's centers, game and entertainment centers, a circus, a dolphinarium, museums, shopping and entertainment centers and temporary locations with masterclasses are provided.
Therefore, if you are a resident of the city or a guest of the city with children, visit the places of Kharkiv known and useful for the development of your child’s horizons.
If you arrive by train to the Kharkiv-Passenger Central Station, immediately drop by the museum with old rail transport. It is easy to reach since it is located on the territory of the station (a few minute's walk from the platforms).
What will you see here? The museum complex consists of three locations: a cafe in which tables for visitors are located around a large canvas with a model of the railway, including houses, cars, figures of people and animals, landscapes, bridges, and buildings. The ordered food will be brought to your table by a large locomotive with a wagon.
Immediately behind the cafe is the second zone of the complex - an exhibition of railway modeling of locomotives, trains, trams, steam locomotives that once traveled around the world. The scale of the sizes of the presented models varies from TT, BUT to 1: 8. In addition to them, you will see archival documents, mock semaphores, samples of the form of railway workers, samples of tickets, composters, tools, and many others. Attention is drawn to the reconstruction of the office of the head of the Southern Railway of Kharkiv, which was the very first and largest branch of the pre-war USSR (formed in 1934). The exhibition is located in three rooms, admission is free, there is a paid guide-storyteller service for 150 UAH.
The third part of the complex is an open-air exhibition of “real” trains and locomotives, starting from the 30s of the last century. The exhibits are on rails, all approaches to the equipment (cabs, ladders, stairs, bridges) are sealed. So it’s impossible to climb them, but to get visual pleasure - yes. In addition to railway passenger and repair equipment, rare automobile equipment is also represented here.
The complex is open from 9 am to 6 pm on all days except Monday and Tuesday. The entrance is free.
The most popular and most visited park in Kharkiv. This is a favorite place for families with children. The park is located in the "heart" of the city, so getting here is not a problem.
On the territory of the recreation area, there are more than 30 modern, exciting and safe for health rides designed for the smallest and adult visitors - from American, German, Italian manufacturers.
The landscape feature of the park is the abundance of greenery, old and newly planted trees, lush lawns and flowers, many alleys, flower beds. Among these decorations throughout the park are unusual sculptures made of metal in the form of children made in natural growth. Here a boy and a girl are sitting on a bench and reading a book, and here the baby is stroking the dog. Here are two children talking to each other. Similar and other installations are found in all corners of the park.
The park has a convenient, extensive and evenly distributed infrastructure with free toilets, recreation areas, fountains. There are over a dozen different cafes, restaurants, eateries, burger services for vacationers - for every gastronomic taste.
The highlight of the park is considered to be a 55 m high ferris wheel, which is a record for Ukraine and the children's railway of the Southern Railway branch located in the ecologically clean park zone of Kharkov. Taking the train, you can admire the deciduous groves and the mansions among them. The total time of the trip takes half an hour in both directions. Locomotives drive and work here children who study in the park in a special school for young railway workers. Ticket price - 10 UAH for an adult and a child.
Not far from the center of the park there is a pond where you can admire black and white swans, ducks, geese. An improvised pirate ship adorns the place, near which spectacular pictures are obtained.
For fans of extreme sports - “roller coaster”, rope park, rooms of fear, as well as several bike rental stations. Children will like the theme zone in the style of American Westerns, equipped with hanging ropes, a wooden labyrinth house.
The park has a modern cinema, playgrounds for tennis, football, volleyball, skating, several free playgrounds, each of which includes slides, stairs, swings, labyrinths, carousels.
The total area of the park is more than 130 hectares. Take a ride on a sightseeing train to view the entire park. The price of the trip is 25 UAH.
The park is open all year round, every day until 23:00, admission is free, the cost of visiting attractions is from 25 UAH.
An old, more calm and chamber atmosphere park for a leisurely vacation. Located in the historical part of the city, near the University. Karazin and Freedom Square. Now it is in a state of global reconstruction, but some areas are open to visitors.
The park, first of all, will be interesting for a large number of old trees (perennial oaks), intricate alleys, as well as a newly created landscape design adjacent to the opera and ballet theater. An alley of eminent actors, dancers and singers of the theater from the day it was founded is also organized here.
The central object of the park is the monumental monument of T.G. Shevchenko, near him there are always many tourists who want to take spectacular pictures.
The Garden has modern playgrounds for children. An excursion to the park in the summer can be done on the park tram. On hot days, visitors like to cool off near a fountain with architectural design. Hungry visitors to the park are invited to cafes, restaurants, pubs - with national, European cuisine.
Particularly noteworthy is the Crystal Cafe, which in Soviet times was known throughout the republic. Its structure is made in the form of a gem with a glass roof (designed by Kharkiv architect Boris Klein), and since 1982, soft ice cream has been considered a company dessert, followed by lines.
The garden also contains the venue "Ukraine", which hosts tours of world and domestic stars of show business; Zoo (under reconstruction), Dolphinarium “Nemo”. On the other side of the park is another famous architectural building “Cascade”, consisting of a multi-level stone staircase with flowing jets of water. At the top of the object is an observation deck from which Kharkov is visible at a glance.
The park also houses the oldest zoo in Kharkov and Ukraine, which is also closed for reconstruction until 2019. Previously, it contained lions, tigers, elephants, bears, birds, reptiles, representatives of the oceans. The territory of the menagerie was a place with many alleys, greenery, which distributed cells, pools and aviaries with animals.
From Shevchenko Garden you can go to the Opera and Ballet Theater, which is located right next to the park. Here, often, in the theater season, they give children's performances in both the large and small halls. Ticket price - from 60 UAH.
An exceptionally “childish” place that will interest adults as well is the puppet theater. Located in a historic building on several floors. During the intermission, you can admire the spectacular exhibition of theatrical dolls, as well as samples of applied art. The performance hall is equipped with soft, comfortable chairs, the halls and corridors are decorated with a huge amount of greenery. The traditional repertoire is represented by performances about Pinocchio, Three Little Pigs, Kolobok, Ay Bolite, Dunno.
The theater operates from September to July, the ticket price is 60 UAH.
Feldman's eco-, zoo- and nature park is located at the exit from Kharkov to the village. Forest. You can get here by personal car, sightseeing buses or by free transport of the park from the metro: “Heroes of Labor”, “Gosprom” and “Pobeda”, as well as the bus station “Lesopark”. The reserve is owned by a private owner and is kept for charitable contributions.
Arriving at the park, you plunge into the crystal freshness of the air and the array of greenery of trees and shrubs. The park zone has a multi-level landscape; in places there are ups and downs. The main mission of the reserve is the salvation, care and living of wild and exotic animals, which at one time were in danger of death.
Who can be seen here? Representatives of the zoo fund are kept in cages and aviaries, evenly spaced across the reserve. Walking slowly, you will see lions, tigers, monkeys, wolves, llamas, donkeys, camels, bears, cougars, panthers, cheetahs, a huge number of birds of various species, monkeys.
The kids have a contact yard for love, where you can walk, feed, pet small piglets, ducklings, geese, and kids.
Not so long ago, on the territory of the park, which is constantly in a state of modernization and renewal, inflatable children's labyrinths, slides, modern playgrounds appeared.
Not far from the lake with wild birds there is a hippo school in which young riders train. Their teachings can be viewed from wooden stands. In the summer, the ecopark hosts many thematic events for adults and children, in which anyone can participate.
To go around the whole park, see all its exhibitions, locations, admire the lake - it’s hard enough for a day. During the walk you are sure to get hungry, then by the way you will have one of the restaurants or cafes located in the central part of the reserve.
In summer in the park you can ride bicycles, gyroboards, in winter - skiing.
In the park, everything except food and car rental points is free of charge. It is open all year round, daily, until 20:00.
Another favorite place for children and parents is the Nemo Dolphinarium, located in the center of Shevchenko Garden. Near the ticket office there is always a line of people who want to look at the show of dolphins, belugas, fur seals and lions. Presentation is given every day: there are both daytime and nighttime sessions. During them you will see acrobatic stunts, staging numbers and drawing pictures of the "artists" of the show. After the show, anyone can buy a picture, take a picture with one of the sea animals.
Dolphinarium has a dolphin ride service under the supervision of trainers. Its cost is 1.5 thousand UAH. Dolphinarium is open daily; ticket price per session is from 150 UAH. On the territory of “Nemo” there is a restaurant “Burger Club” with a porthole through which you will see sea animals floating in the pool.
An oceanarium designed as a submarine is noteworthy. Walking along it you will find crocodiles, snakes, turtles, iguanas, exotic fish, frogs. The entrance here is paid separately for 100 UAH.
For guests of the city on the territory of the dolphinarium, there is a hotel offering rooms and services of different costs. Vacationers will visit the spa, fitness rooms, restaurants, bars, a bathhouse, a beauty salon, and they will also enjoy watching the dolphinarium show. In the summer, a terrace on the top floor invites you to relax and sunbathe.
Franceville is part of the French Boulevard shopping and entertainment center.
Any child will want to visit the children's country of professions and hobbies. In Kharkiv, it is “Franceville”, where space has been created for acquaintance, training with popular professions and services in the field of life and services. Here, the young “worker” will be in the role of a veterinarian, firefighter, archaeologist, policeman, seller, manager of a car dealership and a bank, postman, juice and food technologist, cashier, hairdresser, and doctor. In total there are 9 thematic zones with training and entertainment locations.
At the first visit, the child will be issued a “passport of a citizen of Franceville” and the “bank” will be given money - initial capital. It is spent and earned on the locations of “Franceville”. For the remainder, you can buy souvenirs and educational literature, or use it on your next visit.
It is very difficult to describe all the interesting places, let alone go around them in a short time. Outside of the article remained: planetarium, circus, Theater. Shevchenko, the Historical Museum, several more parks and water parks, entertainment centers scattered throughout Kharkiv.
And in order not to waste precious time on the road, to avoid difficulties and to be more with your child, take care of transport in advance. BLS company offers a huge fleet in Kharkiv for any request!