St. Nicholas Day 2026: Days Out with Kids in Germany

In 2026, St. Nicholas Day falls on a Sunday: on 6 December families have the whole day, and the boots go out by the door on Saturday evening. So the day does not end once the boots are emptied, we have collected outings that work with children: for rain, for under-fives, for teenagers, on a small budget, and as a day trip from Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne or Frankfurt. All hours and prices come from the operators' own pages. Where something is not confirmed yet, we say so.

St. Nicholas Day 2026 at a glance

Date	Sunday, 6 December 2026. The evening for the boots is Saturday, 5 December.
The Monday after	Monday, 7 December, is a normal working day. The Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and the Deutsches Technikmuseum are closed on Mondays.
Winter hours	Zoos have shorter days in December: Berlin, Hagenbeck, Munich and Frankfurt close between 4:30 and 5 pm.
Prices	The Deutsches Museum in Munich raises its tickets on 2 November. We quote the new prices.
With a Nicholas programme	Sauschwänzlebahn (Nikolaus trains on 5 and 6 December), Markt der Engel in Cologne (Nicholas hands out gifts, no date given)

What is behind 6 December?

6 December is regarded as the day Saint Nicholas died and is remembered, a bishop of Myra in Asia Minor in the 4th century. Little is known for certain about his life. The legends about him shaped a custom that is still alive: children put shoes or boots outside the door, and Nicholas secretly leaves small gifts inside. According to the University of Innsbruck, the feast day was fixed on 6 December between the 13th and 14th centuries, with the medieval children's bishop festival as a forerunner. In many places, frightening companions appear alongside him; in Germany, Knecht Ruprecht is a well-known one.

For you, that means the morning belongs to the boots. The rest of Sunday is free for an outing.

Sunday, and the Monday after

On an Advent Sunday, expect more crowds at zoos and museums. Book timed tickets where they exist and arrive early. On Monday, 7 December, this is what applies to the places in this article:

• Closed on Mondays: Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin (both according to the operators). Ahrensburg Palace is open in winter only on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
• Open on Mondays too: Deutsches Museum Munich (daily 9 am to 5 pm), Tierpark Hellabrunn (365 days a year), Berlin Zoo (daily), Miniatur Wunderland (365 days), Therme Erding (Monday to Friday 10 am to 11 pm).
• Chocolate Museum Cologne: The operator lists Monday closures on 2, 9 and 16 November 2026; no closure is listed for 7 December.

We have not checked the other places for a Monday. Take a quick look at the operator's page before you go.

For rain: museums children love

Deutsches Museum, Munich

The Deutsches Museum on Museum Island is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, last entry 4:30 pm. From 2 November a day ticket costs 18 € for adults, children and young people from 6 to 17 years pay 11 €, and the family ticket costs 40 €. Children up to and including age 5 get in free. According to the museum, all exhibitions have hands-on stations and experiments. There is a separate area for the little ones, more on that in the next section.

Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin

The Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin-Mitte has a dinosaur skeleton in its great hall and the T. rex "Tristan Otto" in its dinosaur exhibition. It is open Tuesday to Sunday until 6 pm and closed on Mondays. Adults pay 11 €, children from 6 pay 5 €, and children under 6 get in free. A family ticket (two adults with up to three children under 14) costs 18 €. Sunday, 6 December, works well; Monday does not.

Chocolate Museum, Cologne

The Chocolate Museum on the Rhine is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm; last entry is one hour before closing. Children and students up to 18 pay 10 € Monday to Friday and 11.50 € at weekends. The family ticket costs 35 € or 38 €. A good Nicholas afternoon when it is wet outside, because inside there is chocolate to taste.

More rainy-day ideas for the capital are in our article Berlin museums for a rainy day.

With children under 5

For little ones, short distances, animals and things to touch count. In December, plan half a day, not a whole one.

Kinderreich at the Deutsches Museum

According to the museum, the Kinderreich at the Deutsches Museum is meant for children from 3 to 8. You visit together with up to two adults; there is a marble run, a hall of mirrors and a shadow theatre. A traffic light on the museum's page shows in real time whether there is still room, which helps on a Sunday.

Berlin Zoo, Hagenbeck, Hellabrunn and Opel-Zoo

Zoos work in winter too, because many animal houses are warm. The hours are shorter, though, and the animal houses often close earlier than the zoo itself.

• Zoologischer Garten Berlin: 26 October to 31 December daily 9 am to 4:30 pm, last entry 3:30 pm. Children from 4 to 15 pay from 7.50 € online and 12.50 € at the ticket office; children under 4 are free.
• Tierpark Hagenbeck in Hamburg: the zoo 9 am to 4:30 pm, the Tropen-Aquarium 9 am to 6 pm. Children from 4 to 16 pay 19 € for the zoo and 17 € for the Tropen-Aquarium. The aquarium is the dry half of a rainy visit.
• Tierpark Hellabrunn in Munich: from 25 October to 19 March 2027 daily 9 am to 5 pm. Children from 4 to 14 pay 9 € (10 € with the voluntary species-protection euro).
• Opel-Zoo near Frankfurt: winter hours 9 am to 5 pm; according to the operator you can stay on the grounds until dark.

For a full overview of the capital, see our article Zoos and animal parks in Berlin.

With teenagers

Therme Erding

Older children want action. Therme Erding near Munich has a wave pool and the "Galaxy" slide world. On Sunday, 6 December, the thermal spa opens at 9 am and closes at 11 pm. The Galaxy slide world is open 9 am to 9 pm on Sundays and from 1 pm on Mondays. The spa tariff at weekends is 32 € for two hours, 44 € for four hours and 59 € for the day; on weekdays 25 €, 37 € and 52 €. Children up to 3 are free; for older children, check the operator's price list. The sauna area is for guests from 16. The outdoor slides run only at 18 degrees or more and in fine weather, according to the operator, so in December expect the indoor slides.

Deutsches Technikmuseum, Berlin

Here teenagers have the advantage that they pay nothing: the Deutsches Technikmuseum offers free admission under 18. According to the operator, the ticket also covers the Science Center Spectrum on Möckernstraße. Hours: Tuesday to Friday 9 am to 5:30 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 6 pm, closed on Mondays.

Miniatur Wunderland, Hamburg

Miniatur Wunderland is open 365 days a year, with hours that change daily. You find the calendar on the operator's page. Admission is 22 € for adults and 13 € for children up to and including 15; children under 1 metre are free. The operator warns that it is almost always crowded and recommends a ticket with a time slot. On a Sunday, even more so.

With a St. Nicholas programme

Nikolaus trains on the Sauschwänzlebahn

The Sauschwänzlebahn in the southern Black Forest offers "Nikolausfahrten" (Nicholas trips) on 28 and 29 November, on 5 and 6 December and on 12 and 13 December 2026, according to the operator. Trains leave Fützen at 2:30 and 4:50 pm and Blumberg-Zollhaus at 3:30 and 5:50 pm. The page names a diesel train and says there is no guarantee of steam or diesel operation. Tickets are booked in the online shop. Prices for the Nikolaus trips are not on the page. For comparison, according to our card a regular diesel return trip costs 28 € for adults, children from 4 to 15 pay half, and under-4s ride free. There are also torchlight walks from Blumberg-Zollhaus on 6 and 13 December, 5:30 to 7 pm, which you register for by phone.

Markt der Engel, Cologne

At the Markt der Engel in Cologne, the organiser says an angel rides in on horseback with Nicholas and hands out small gifts to children. The page names no fixed date, so confirm it with the organiser before you count on it. The market runs from 16 November to 23 December, Sundays 11 am to 9 pm. More about the Cologne markets is in our article Cologne Christmas market 2026.

Ahrensburg Palace and Moritzburg Palace

Ahrensburg Palace near Hamburg is open in winter on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm. Children from 4 to 14 pay 4 €, adults 9 €. On 12 and 13 December the palace holds "Schloss im Advent", 3:30 to 6:30 pm each day, with live music, crafts for children and a playroom. Tickets cost 25 €, children from 4 to 18 pay 12.50 €. Sales began on 1 October; ask the palace whether tickets are still available. The date falls a week after St. Nicholas Day and makes a plan for the second Sunday of Advent.

Moritzburg Palace near Dresden shows, according to our data from 10 October, the winter exhibition "Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel" (Three Wishes for Cinderella) from 20 November 2026 to 28 February 2027, daily 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. Children from 6 to 16 pay 4.50 €, adults 12 €. The operator's page could not be reached at our last check, so verify these details before you travel.

Free or cheap

• Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin: free under 18, with the Science Center Spectrum.
• Museum für Naturkunde Berlin: free under 6, 5 € from age 6.
• Zoo Frankfurt: adults 12 €, children and young people from 6 to 17 pay 6 €. Winter hours daily 9 am to 5 pm; dogs are not allowed, according to the operator. Children up to 5 are free according to our data.
• Berlin Zoo: online tickets are much cheaper than the ticket office, children from 7.50 € instead of 12.50 €.
• Christmas markets: most are free to enter. You only pay for what you eat or ride. For an overview, see Christmas markets in Germany 2026.

Day trips from the big cities

Start	Ideas
Berlin	Museum für Naturkunde, Technikmuseum, Berlin Zoo or Tierpark Berlin. More in Berlin Christmas market 2026.
Hamburg	Miniatur Wunderland, Tierpark Hagenbeck, Ahrensburg Palace (open Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays). Hamburg Christmas market 2026
Munich	Deutsches Museum with the Kinderreich, Tierpark Hellabrunn, Therme Erding. Munich Christmas market 2026
Cologne	Chocolate Museum, Markt der Engel with Nicholas gifts.
Frankfurt	Zoo Frankfurt, Opel-Zoo, the Senckenberg Natural History Museum with its dinosaur hall and research workshop for children. Frankfurt Christmas market 2026

We have not opened an operator page for the Senckenberg museum for December. According to our data from 10 October it is open Monday and Tuesday from 9 am to 5 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 6 pm, and children from 6 to 17 pay 6 €.

Practical tips for St. Nicholas Day

• Arrive early: In December many zoos close at 4:30 pm. Last entry is an hour before closing or earlier.
• Buy tickets online: It saves money at Berlin Zoo and time at the Wunderland and the Deutsches Museum.
• Dress warmly: At a zoo you spend a lot of time outside. Pack spare gloves and something warm to drink.
• Check the details: Operators change winter hours and rates fairly often. A look at the page the day before pays off.

A keepsake: If you want to remember the outing, design a personal poster of your route with us.

Frequently asked questions

When is St. Nicholas Day 2026?

On Sunday, 6 December 2026. Children usually put their boots out the evening before, Saturday, 5 December.

Why do children put boots outside the door?

The custom goes back to the legends about Saint Nicholas of Myra. Nicholas secretly leaves small gifts in shoes or boots set outside the door or by the window.

Is everything open on 7 December?

No. The Museum für Naturkunde and the Deutsches Technikmuseum in Berlin are closed on Mondays. The Deutsches Museum, Berlin Zoo, Hellabrunn, Miniatur Wunderland and Therme Erding are open on Mondays.

What can I do in the rain with small children?

The Kinderreich at the Deutsches Museum (ages 3 to 8), the Tropen-Aquarium at Hagenbeck or the natural history museum in Berlin are good options. At the Museum für Naturkunde, children under 6 get in free.

Are there Nicholas train trips?

Yes: the Sauschwänzlebahn runs Nikolaus trips on 5 and 6 December 2026, from Fützen and from Blumberg-Zollhaus. The page names a diesel train and gives no guarantee of steam or diesel. You can book through the online shop.

Which outing is cheapest?

The Deutsches Technikmuseum in Berlin: admission is free under 18. Zoo Frankfurt costs 6 € for children from 6 to 17.

Keep reading

For the weeks until Christmas: you find all the big markets of the country in our overview Christmas markets in Germany 2026. For Berlin, zoos and animal parks and museums for a rainy day help.

And when the day is over: keep the route on a route poster.

As of: 26 October 2026. We retrieved the operators' pages between 10 and 26 October. We will check hours and dates again before 6 December.

Sources

• https://www.uibk.ac.at/de/geschichte-ekw/datenbanken/feste-und-braeuche/nikolaus/
• https://www.deutsches-museum.de/museumsinsel/besuch/preise-und-tickets
• https://www.deutsches-museum.de/museumsinsel/besuch/oeffnungszeiten
• https://www.deutsches-museum.de/museumsinsel/ausstellung/kinderreich
• https://www.museumfuernaturkunde.berlin/besuch-planen/
• https://technikmuseum.berlin
• https://www.schokoladenmuseum.de/besuch-planen/
• https://www.zoo-berlin.de/de/tickets-service/oeffnungszeiten
• https://www.zoo-berlin.de/de/tickets-service/tickets-preise
• https://www.hagenbeck.de/
• https://www.hellabrunn.de/parkbesuch/allgemeine-informationen/oeffnungszeiten-anfahrt
• https://www.hellabrunn.de/parkbesuch/allgemeine-informationen/tickets
• https://www.opel-zoo.de/de/oeffnungszeiten__329/
• https://www.zoo-frankfurt.de/de/zoobesuch-planen/oeffnungszeiten
• https://www.therme-erding.de/infos/preise-oeffnungszeiten-revisionen/
• https://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/besuchen/planen/oeffnungszeiten
• https://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/besuchen/planen/preise
• https://www.sauschwaenzlebahn.de
• https://www.markt-der-engel.de/
• https://www.schloss-ahrensburg.de/

Image credits

• Photo: H. Zell, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cover)
• Photo: Almondox, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
• Photo: Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg GmbH, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
• Photo: Schermuuser, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0