During the autumn season, Gothenburg is full of family-friendly activities. This guide is constantly updated with dates and activities, and there’s much more to discover in our events calendar.

Halloween at Liseberg

Every autumn, the amusement park opens for Halloween at Liseberg with seasonal spooky fun. Five different themed houses of horror greet all daring visitors over 11 years (15 years if you want to experience Seven), and many of the park’s attractions are open through autumn. In the Rabbit land, the smaller children can hop on thrilling rides, bounce to lively disco dances and cuddle with the rabbits.

Credit: Peter Kvarnström/Göteborg & Co

Space travels and rain forest safaris 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! During the autumn, you can experience when Universeum in a “Halloween costume” and get up close to snakes and creatures, taste insects, make your own slime or enjoy exciting shows.

Credit: Elvira Sandell

Kid-friendly museums

The World of Volvo experience centre opened in April 2024 and has become one of Gothenburg’s new landmarks with its cutting-edge Scandinavian architecture. At the centre’s interactive exhibition, you can both revisit Volvo’s iconic vehicles and explore various innovations.

A shark swim in 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. During the autumn holidays, The Maritime Museum and Aquarium offers, as usual, a packed program Tuesday to Friday. Listen to exciting stories about sharks, the animals of the deep and octopuses and make your own lucky charm in the museum’s magical workshop. You also get to meet all the animals that live in the coral sea in the Aquarium.

There is much to explore and do in the Children’s Museum exhibition at Göteborgs stadsmuseum. Come and climb high-rises, crawl in tunnels, build a castle or skyscraper, swing in the Eriksberg crane or why not take grandpa on a tram ride? The children’s museum is most popular with ages 0-5, but older children are also warmly welcome.

The Museum of World Culture is an amazing museum exploring every corner of the world and the history of human creations and creativity. The museum has several permanent exhibitions, including the children’s exhibition “Together”.

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.

A family with children in front of the castle Gunnebo outside of Gothenburg.
The castle Gunnebo House with its beautiful gardens is a popular daytrip destination. Credit: Happy Visuals/Göteborg & Co

Vibrant autumn colours in parks and gardens

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.

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.

Credit: Maritimans arkiv

Maritime adventures

Maritiman is the world’s largest floating ship museum, located in the river Göta älv. During the school breaks, the museum organises seasonal activities.

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.

The Ocean Bus sightseeing tour is an exciting way to experience Gothenburg from land and water in one and the same vehicle – an amphibious bus. Ocean bus runs all year round, see website for current schedule.

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.