Taichung is a relaxed city with children. Its best family sight, the National Museum of Natural Science, is cheap and free for under-6s, and the parks and the Calligraphy Greenway give little legs room to run between stops. The short version:
- Spend a morning at the science museum. NT$120 for adults, NT$60 for ages 6 to 11, free under 6.
- Walk the Calligraphy Greenway. A 3.6 km park strip between the science museum and the free art museum.
- Avoid Mondays for museums. The science museum and the fine arts museum both close.
- Plan for heat and rain. Summer afternoons bring storms; keep outdoor sights for the morning.
Getting around with kids
- The MRT. Taichung Metro lists lifts from street level to the platforms at its stations, which helps with a stroller. The Green Line serves the 7th Redevelopment Zone, the National Taichung Theater area and the high speed rail station. → The MRT: fares, rules and how to ride
- Buses. For the museums and the old town you'll mostly ride the Taiwan Boulevard buses from Taichung Station (300 to 310 for the science museum). → City buses
- Taxis. With small children, a taxi is often the easiest way to places off the MRT, like Rainbow Village or Fengjia. → Taxis and ride-hailing
- Facilities. Taichung Metro lists restrooms, breastfeeding rooms and water dispensers among its station facilities, in the unpaid area at Beitun Main Station, for example.
National Museum of Natural Science
The big one. The National Museum of Natural Science (國立自然科學博物館) is Taiwan's first science museum, with six main exhibition areas, a Space Theater, a Science Center and a Botanical Garden greenhouse. It is a full morning, indoors, which makes it the best rainy-day plan in town too.
- Hours Tuesday to Sunday 09:00 to 17:00; closed Mondays
- Entry exhibition halls NT$120; NT$60 for children 6 to 11; free under 6. In 2026 the exhibition halls are free on Fridays from 14:00 to 17:00. Space Theater NT$100 (NT$50 under 6); Science Center and greenhouse NT$20 each (NT$10 for ages 6 to 11, free under 6)
- Getting there buses 300 to 310 from Taichung Station to the 科博館 stop; shuttle bus 159 from the HSR station to the Botanical Garden stop
→ Our full science museum guide
Parks and open space
Calligraphy Greenway (草悟道). A long, wide park strip, open around the clock, running 3.6 km from the science museum to the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. Park Lane by CMP, on the greenway, has a children's section among its shops. → West Taichung
Taichung Park (臺中公園). The city's old park, with a lake and the 1908 lake pavilion, about 1 km from Taichung Station. A good place for a break between the old town and the snack stalls of Yizhong Street. → Taichung Park
National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (國立臺灣美術館). Free to enter, at the south end of the greenway, and open to 18:00 at weekends. → The fine arts museum
Rainbow Village (彩虹眷村). Children usually love the bright murals. It is small, and it is close to the high speed rail station, so it works as a short stop on the way in or out. → Rainbow Village
Further out, Gaomei Wetlands on the coast is a big, open sunset walk that suits all ages. → Gaomei Wetlands · Taichung's parks
When it rains
Have an indoor plan for wet days, especially from May to August. The science museum is made for it, and the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts is free. Department stores and the shops at the National Taichung Theater are dry places to wander. → A rainy day in Taichung · Taichung museums
Food with kids
Feeding children in Taichung is easy. Convenience stores are everywhere, most open 24 hours, with water, snacks and cheap meals. Miyahara's ice cream is a reliable bribe in the old town, and the night markets are fun with older kids, though Fengjia gets very crowded on weekend nights. → Food guide · Practical basics
Summer and holiday camps
Staying a few weeks, or here over the school holidays? Camps.Asia keeps a verified list of kids' camps in Taichung, with ages, prices and the language each camp is taught in. Many camps are taught in Chinese, so check the language before you book.
Good to know: bring your child's passport. Child prices and free entry for under-6s at museums often need proof of age, and without ID you may pay the full price.
Sources
Science museum prices, free hours and buses: National Museum of Natural Science, tickets and getting here; description and hours from the Taichung City Government tourism site. The Calligraphy Greenway, Park Lane by CMP and Taichung Park: Taichung City Government tourism site (Calligraphy Greenway, Park Lane by CMP, Taichung Park). Fine arts museum hours and entry: National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts. MRT station facilities: Taichung Metro station information. Monthly rainfall: Central Weather Administration. Camps: Camps.Asia. Checked October 2026.