Borghese Gardens in Rome

Off the Beaten Path Rome – Borghese Gardens and Museum

This was the first Rome visit for the kids but the third for me and I was dying to visit something new.  I love sculpture and the Galleria Borghese museum was at the top of my list!

What a great choice for a family adventure in Rome because the Galleria Borghese museum is located in the middle of a fantastic park, Villa Borghese Gardens, and makes for a great way to spend part of a day in Rome. You can visit Rome with children and soak up the culture.

This 3 square mile park, Villa Borghese Gardens, like Central Park in NYC, is a green area with lovely trees and pathways and a wonderful respite in the middle of the big city of Rome. This off the beaten path spot will be a great breath of fresh air in the middle of your trip!

When you travel with the kids you’ll want to be aware of opportunities to  burn off a little steam. While the grownups will all be exhausted from walking alls ay but the kids will still want a certain amount of wiggle time that all the ordinary walking in the world won’t burn off. We love traveling with a small ball for playing catch or a frisbee or hacky sack. This outdoor green space park allows for kid friendly games of tag, too. Don’t be surprised if the local kids come over to join you. What better way to meet the locals!

 There are several entrances to this fantastic park, but we recommend the Via Veneto entrance. You’ll walk through the ancient Roman wall at Porta  Pinciana on your way which is an amazing site. The Via Veneto entrance will also take you directly the kid stuff!

*cafe

*kids’ arcade

*bike rental

*small train (our kids loved this!)

*pony rides

Consider taking a picnic to eat in this lovely green oasis in the middle of Rome.

Also inside the park is Rome’s zoo. Get your culture fix at the Galleria Borghese museum and then head to the zoo for some kid friendly fun. The zoo is one of Europe’s oldest and has lots of animals you might expect to see at the zoo. The kids never really care which ones are there. They seem to love all animals, don’t they?

CLICK HERE  for the Kids’ Activity Travel Guide to the Museum

One extra cool exhibit to see is the Kleinmann’s tortoise. This tortoise is nearly extinct in the wild but got a boost from an unlikely source. Here, in 2005, these tortoises were taken from a smuggler’s suitcase. Then, they were successfully bred in 2007. Interesting conversation starter about animal conservation.

Villa Galleria Borghese Gardens – Bioparco Zoo in Rome Hours –

Open everyday except Christmas Day

January 1 – March 24              9:30 – 5:00

March 25 – October 29            9:30 – 6:00

October 30 – December 31     9:30 – 5:00

Late Hours –

Saturdays, Sundays, Public Holidays         9:30 – 7:00

NOTE – Last entrance 1 hour before closing.

Some exhibits close early so plan your zoo visit carefully if your child has a special animal request.

Cats – Closes 1 hour before zoo closing

Reptiles – Closes 1 hour before zoo closing

Chimpanzees – Closes 45 minutes before zoo closing

Giraffes, Bears and Elephants – Close 30 minutes before zoo closing

Villa Galleria Borghese Gardens – Bioparco Zoo Ticket Price

Adults 16 euros

Children (Under 10 and taller than 1 meter/3.2 feet) 13 euros

Children (Under 1 meter/3.2 feet) FREE

Seniors 65+ (must have ID) 10 euros  Wednesday 6 euros

Villa Galleria Borghese Gardens – Bioparco Zoo Information

Inside the zoo you’ll find:

3 coffee bars (So many coffee choices at the zoo – so Italian, right?)

restaurant

Caffe de Parco, rooftop garden

playground

bookshop

For years, I felt visiting something like a zoo in a far away country would be a ‘waste’ of time. After all, we can see a zoo at home, right? I must prefer to see something new and exotic that I can’t see at home when I travel.

BUT

One wonderful part of raising your kids to be global citizens is to teach the kids while we are all different we really have a lot more in common. Enjoy showing the kids new and different things but also take time to point out the things we share. Kids in Italy enjoy parks, sports, the zoo, pizza and ice-cream (gelato) just like kids in the US.

Reading before you travel teaches the kids about your family vacation destination. It gives them something to look forward to and helps them make mental pictures.

CLICK HERE – Books about Italy to read before you travel. Read before you go!

While you are visiting the Villa Galleria Borghese Park you must visit the museum! It has fantastic sculptures and is one of my all time favorite museums.

This museum is the reason The Educational Tourist activity travel guides for kids exist! When I planned to take my kids, then ages 5 and 7, to this museum I desperately wanted to enjoy and savor the statues. I planned careful, researched and created a guide just for the kids. This guide kept them interested, engaged and focused on the art which let ME focus on the art. The travel activity guide was a complete success!!

CLICK HERE to get YOUR copy of the Galleria Borghese museum activity travel guide for kids.

This activity travel guide was such a success that I’ve created 12 MORE and we never travel without one. Take YOUR kids anywhere in the world and enjoy  making memories on your family vacation while raising global citizens.

CLICK HERE to see ALL the destinations available in The Educational Tourist activity travel guides for kids.

The Educational Tourist is proud to be listed NUMBER ONE on this list of Top Family Blogs.

Happy Travels,

Natalie, The Educational Tourist