Late summer brings the city's biggest family festivals, one after another. Theater Spektakel's lakeside stages run into early September, one ticket opens dozens of museums late into the night, and the Knabenschiessen weekend fills the Albisgüetli with rides while teens compete in the old shooting contest (city schools close on the Monday). Here's what we checked, from the Long Night of Museums to ZFF for Kids.
Once a year, many of Zurich's museums keep their doors open long after closing time, and families hop between them by shuttle bus, bike or boat. Kids can see zoo animals that only wake up at night, visit the Urania observatory in the dark and play football late at the FIFA Museum.
It suits school-age kids who can stay up past bedtime. A couple of stops lean spooky.
Knabenschiessen is a custom more than 100 years old and Zurich's biggest folk festival. Young shooters compete in a shooting contest, and the winner is crowned Schützenkönig or Schützenkönigin and paraded along Uetlibergstrasse.
For most families the draw is the Chilbi, the huge funfair that fills the grounds around it. With around 850,000 visitors, it suits kids who like a busy, loud fair.
ZFF for Kids is the children's program of the Zurich Film Festival: a lineup of films chosen for young audiences, shown in the festival cinemas around Sechseläutenplatz in the city center.
It makes a good first taste of a film festival for a child who can sit through a whole film in a dark theater. Very young or restless kids may find a long screening hard going.
Zürcher Theater Spektakel is Zurich's big theater festival, heading into its 48th edition. It gathers many separate performances under one name on the Landiwiese meadow in Wollishofen, so a family can pick the shows that fit.
It suits kids who are curious about live theater and can sit through a performance. The next program is not out yet, so read each show's listing before booking with younger children.
Late summer brings the city's biggest family festivals, one after another. Theater Spektakel's lakeside stages run into early September, one ticket opens dozens of museums late into the night, and the Knabenschiessen weekend fills the Albisgüetli with rides while teens compete in the old shooting contest (city schools close on the Monday). Here's what we checked, from the Long Night of Museums to ZFF for Kids.
Once a year, many of Zurich's museums keep their doors open long after closing time, and families hop between them by shuttle bus, bike or boat. Kids can see zoo animals that only wake up at night, visit the Urania observatory in the dark and play football late at the FIFA Museum.
It suits school-age kids who can stay up past bedtime. A couple of stops lean spooky.
Knabenschiessen is a custom more than 100 years old and Zurich's biggest folk festival. Young shooters compete in a shooting contest, and the winner is crowned Schützenkönig or Schützenkönigin and paraded along Uetlibergstrasse.
For most families the draw is the Chilbi, the huge funfair that fills the grounds around it. With around 850,000 visitors, it suits kids who like a busy, loud fair.
ZFF for Kids is the children's program of the Zurich Film Festival: a lineup of films chosen for young audiences, shown in the festival cinemas around Sechseläutenplatz in the city center.
It makes a good first taste of a film festival for a child who can sit through a whole film in a dark theater. Very young or restless kids may find a long screening hard going.
Zürcher Theater Spektakel is Zurich's big theater festival, heading into its 48th edition. It gathers many separate performances under one name on the Landiwiese meadow in Wollishofen, so a family can pick the shows that fit.
It suits kids who are curious about live theater and can sit through a performance. The next program is not out yet, so read each show's listing before booking with younger children.
