Things to do in Antwerp with kids: where to go from Antwerp South

You are coming to Antwerp with children and want days that work for them, not only for you. Most lists start in the old centre. This one starts in Antwerp South, where the park is close and the tram does the rest.

What are the best things to do in Antwerp with kids outdoors?

The best outdoor things to do in Antwerp with kids are the Middelheim Museum and ZOO Antwerpen. Middelheim is an open-air sculpture park in the south; the zoo is in the centre. Middelheim is free and has room to run. The zoo says it is open 365 days a year.

Middelheim Museum and the Nachtegalenpark

The Middelheim Museum is a park full of sculptures, so children can look, walk and picnic in one place. The museum says admission is free and no ticket is needed. Picnics are welcome, and there are baby-changing tables in the museum heart and the collection pavilion.

For children aged 6 to 12, the Middelheim family page lists a free activity booklet. You pick it up at the visitor pavilion. The museum also runs family walks and workshops; check the calendar for dates.

The museum is open every day except Monday. From October to March it opens 10:00 to 17:00, with longer hours in spring and summer. Hours are as stated by the museum on 14 October 2026, so check before you go. The castle and café MIKA are closed during restoration works, so bring snacks.

Middelheim Park is about 1.9 km from the Hoost building in a straight line. Read more about the area in our guide to Antwerp South and Middelheim Park.

ZOO Antwerpen

ZOO Antwerpen is at Koningin Astridplein, the square outside Antwerpen-Centraal station. The zoo says it is open 365 days a year. You can hire a stroller at the main entrance. Ticket options and today’s hours are on the zoo’s own site.

Which things to do in Antwerp with kids work on a rainy day?

The MAS museum on the Eilandje is the strongest rainy-day option for things to do in Antwerp with kids. It is a tall museum by the water, with galleries inside and a panorama roof on top. The museum gives clear advice for families with prams and babies.

The MAS opening times page gives these hours:

• Museum: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 17:00, last entry 16:00.
• Boulevard and panorama: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 to 22:00, and until midnight from 1 April to 31 October.

The panorama roof is reached by stairs only. With a pushchair, ask for the lift at the ground-floor ticket desk, or leave it in a locked room. There is a baby-changing table on the ground floor and a breastfeeding room on the 7th floor.

Important

Plopsa Station Antwerp, still on many older family lists, is permanently closed, according to Plopsa. Check that any indoor attraction is still open before you plan around it.

How do you get to the zoo and the centre with kids from Antwerp South?

From Antwerp South, trams 2 and 6 are the easiest way to reach the zoo and the centre with kids. De Lijn says both lines run via Antwerpen-Centraal, about 6 to 8 times an hour. Both stop near the Hoost building.

Family outings from Antwerp South at a glance

For the MAS, the museum suggests tram 24 towards Havenhuis from Koningin Astridplein, then a short walk from the Londen stop. Tickets and contactless payment are explained in our guide to the Antwerp tram.

With small children, plan one big outing a day. Come back for a nap or a quiet afternoon, and go out again if they still have energy. A base with a kitchen makes that rhythm much easier.

Family accommodation in Antwerp South: what helps with children?

Family accommodation in Antwerp South at Hoost means a furnished apartment with a kitchen, a dining table and bedrooms with a door. Three of our four apartments have two bedrooms and sleep up to 4 guests. Every bedroom has a double bed.

The details that help most with children:

• Cot and high chair on request, in the ground-floor, first-floor and second-floor apartments.
• Terrace on the first floor, with an outdoor dining area.
• Kitchen with cooking basics, so meals can follow the children’s rhythm.
• Shared washing machine and dryer in the building, handy for muddy park days.
• Self check-in with a lockbox from 15:00, so you arrive at your own pace.

The ground-floor apartment has a private garden but one bedroom, for up to 2 guests. Stays start at 2 nights, which fits a family weekend. For a two-day plan that mixes the centre and the south, see our weekend in Antwerp, day by day.

When Hoost is not the right choice

Hoost is not the right choice for every family. Look elsewhere if:

• you want to be in the historic centre, with everything at the door;
• you need a parking space on site (P+R Olympiade is nearby, but there is no parking at the building);
• you travel with a pet;
• you need daily housekeeping or a hotel breakfast.

Antwerp South is quieter than the centre, and for many families that is exactly the point. Everything else about the area is in our Middelheim and Antwerp South guide. Send us your dates and the ages of your children, and we tell you which apartment fits.