During the autumn seaseon, Gothenburg is full of family-friendly activities.
Halloween at Liseberg
On October 6, the amusement park Liseberg opens its gates for this year’s Halloween season. As every year, there will be activities for the whole family – from cosy thrills, candy mysteries and pumpkins, to five different haunted houses, 35 rides and 250 actors ravaging the area as demons and zombies.
Halloween at Liseberg is open October 6–8, 13–15, 20–22, and from October 26-November 5. Tickets on sale from September 12 at liseberg.se.
Space travels and slime labs at Universeum
At the Universeum science centre you can explore both Earth and space. Go on a rainforest safari, travel to the moon, conduct lab experiments like a scientist, learn about the human heart, and dive down into the depths of the oceans – all in the same house! At the 3D-cinema Wisdome, Sweden’s largest visualization dome, you can go back in history to the time when dinosaurs ruled the earth or take a dive into the coral reefs.
From October 6 the Halloween themed activities Creepy science starts at Universeum. Make your own slime, meet creepy creatures and experience science in new forms.
Theatre shows and kid-friendly museums
Alfie Atkin’s Cultural Centre
The children’s literature character Alfie Atkins’ Cultural Centre is located in the beautiful city park Trädgårdsföreningen. The house, best suited for children ages 0-8 years, is dedicated to the magical world of Alfie and his friends, and year-round you can watch children’s theatre, play in the different play areas, learn exciting things, and discover a lot of quirks. From October 1 to November 5, the cultural centre is visited by ghosts, bats and spiders, and you can partake in reading, theatre, disco and creative workshops.
Museum of World Culture
The Museum of World Culture is an amazing museum exploring every corner of the world and the history of human creations and creativity. The permanent exhibition Together is about the wonders and the difficulties of living together. Here, children 0-12 years explore, play and learn with their all their senses. The new exhibition A World of Games lets 4,000-year-old board games meet today’s gaming culture. Challenge your friends, learn about forbidden games, and play games from the collections.
The Maritime Museum and Aquarium
The Maritime Museum and Aquarium re-opened in December 2022 with six new exhibitons for all ages and a brand new aquarium underground. In the new children’s exhibition Big Blue and the play area Knattegatt, children and their adults can discover and explore the wonders of the sea together in imaginative environments.
Vibrant autumn colours in parks and gardens
Pumpkin parade in the Botanical Garden
The Gothenburg Botanical Garden is one of the foremost botanical gardens in northern Europe. Here, more than 20 000 species of plants are spread out in green houses and inviting areas. The Botanical Gardens is a lovely place to just wander about with tranquil spaces such as the Japanese glade. October 21-29 the garden invites you to a Pumpkin parade with different species and varieties of pumpkin and winter squash.
Go on a daytrip to a castle
Gunnebo House and Gardens outside of Gothenburg is one of the finest 1700s estates in northern Europe. Originally a summer villa, Gunnebo is now a thriving cultural landmark with guided tours and events, an eco-certified restaurant, a shop, and a farm.
Maritime adventures
Sea monsters at Maritiman
Maritiman is the world’s largest floating ship museum, located in the river Göta älv. During the autumn break October 28–November 5, the museum organises seasonal activities. In the workshop you can craft your own sea monster, the younger recruits can go on a playful fairy-tale walk among the ships or join in on an experiment in the sea lab.
Go on a seal safari
The archipelago outside Gothenburg is filled with adventures and animal life to explore. From the island Hönö, you can go a “seal safari” with Kastor Boat trips. The trip is 1 h long and takes you around the beautiful archipelago with a good chance to see a seal. During the weeks 40, 42 and 44 the seal safari be booked daily.
Wizzards and witches on stage
Harry Potter in concert
For the first time in Gothenburg, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire™ In Concert is being shown. The film’s soundtrack is performed by a large symphony orchestra , while the classic film is shown in its entirety on a big screen.
Gothenburg Film Festival Prisma
October 25-30 it’s time for the annual Gothenburg Film Festival Prisma – a festival for all young film lovers. During the festival, you and your children can watch great children’s and youth films from around the world and try out various activities. Read more (in Swedish) at prisma.goteborgfilmfestival.se.
Visit the opera house
The Göteborg Opera’s Skapa Days (Creative Days) inpires children and youth to discover and love the magic of the performing arts. During the Swedish autumn break, October 27 Oct–Nov 5, children betwen the ages 9 to 16, recreates the classic tea party scene from Alice in Wonderland together with the opera’s team.
On September 16, it’s the Swedish premiere of the hit musical Wicked at the Göteborg Opera.The musical tells the story of what happened in the land of Oz before Dorothy came there (in the classic film The Wizard of Oz), from the perspective of the two witches Elphaba and Glinda. Wicked is suitable for children over 8 years, and runs until April 24, 2024.
Autumn activities at Gothenburg’s museums and galleries
The Gothenburg Museum of Art
During 2023, The Gothenburg Museum of Art shows a large-scale collection of expressive works by the 1930s art group The Gothenburg Colourists (read more about the era at goteborgskonstmuseum.se). The exhibition also features works by other Scandinavian colourists, who were role models and parallels to the Gothenburg artists, for example Edvard Munch. For children there are several activities linked to the exhibition: Go detail hunting or be creative in the museum’s workshop Studion.
The Museum of Gothenburg
The Museum of Gothenburg exhibits the history of Gothenburg, from pre-historic time to 20th century iconic objects. This year Gothenburg celebrates its 400th anniversary as a city, and the museum dedicates an exhibtion to all four centuries. At the museum, children and their adults can participate in various activities such as family Sundays, family tours and creative workshops. In addition, there is the Children’s Museum on the top floor, with a cosy place for meals.
Crime walks and mysteries for young detectives
If you are into “true crime”, Crime Walks organises differents exciting, educational and sometimes scary walks around Gothenburg. Keep in mind that some are made for adults and not for children.
For those who are more interested into mystery-solving yourself, you can can visit one of Gothenburg’s many “escape rooms”. Since Gothenburg has the most escape room games in Sweden, there is a large and wide range of them, with something that will surely suit everyone.
