The headline of this weekend’s family listings is not a museum or a theatre: on Friday 13 November the LUMAGICA light park opened in Munich, this year themed around Jules Verne’s trip around the world. The rest of the programme is quieter and cheaper, and it combines well into a full day out.
New since Friday: LUMAGICA
The route is about 1.5 kilometres long and passes light installations, handmade figures and themed zones – Europe, Africa, America, India, Asia and the Arctic. Children get a sled slide and a winter throwing game; adults get food and drink stalls and photo spots. The park runs until 24 January 2027 at the Showpalast Eventpark, Hans-Jensen-Weg 3, 80939 Munich; the nearest U-Bahn stop is Fröttmaning (U6).
Entry starts at 4.30 pm, with closing at 8.00 pm on Thursdays and Sundays and 8.30 pm on other days. Tickets start at €18 for adults and €10 for children aged 6 to 14; under-sixes go free. Booking online saves €2 per entry compared with the box office, and Thursdays carry reduced prices. For two adults and one child that is from €46 for an evening, before food and travel. The organiser points visitors to the calendar on its website; some listing sites show only Friday to Sunday, so check the exact days before you set off.
Saturday: a play and a free workshop
On Saturday 14 November, from 10 am to noon, the Münchner Theater für Kinder performs “Neues von Räuber Hotzenplotz”, after Otfried Preußler (Dachauer Str. 46, 80335 Munich). It is recommended for children aged five and up, with tickets at €13–18. Book on the theatre’s website (mtfk.de), by email at kasse@mtfk.de or by phone on 089 595454. The play is not scheduled for 15 November; the next dates are in December and January.
A free option on Saturdays is the open children’s café and woodworking workshop at the Kinder- und Jugendkulturwerkstatt of the Pasinger Fabrik: Saturdays 2 pm to 6 pm, from age six, no registration; food and drinks cost extra. It is closed during school holidays.
Sunday: robots, €1 museums and a park
On Sunday 15 November, from 11 am to 1 pm, Die Neue Sammlung (Barer Straße 40) runs a family programme for its “Robotic Worlds” exhibition. Children aged six and up and an accompanying adult look at robots and toy robots from the 1960s to today, design their own robot on paper and can try out a few real robots after “programming” them. The event page gives no price or booking details, so it is worth contacting the museum first.
Every Sunday Munich’s state museums charge €1: Alte Pinakothek, Pinakothek der Moderne, Museum Brandhorst, Glyptothek, Museum Fünf Kontinente, Museum Mensch und Natur and others. Visitors under 18 get in free at these museums. The rule usually covers permanent collections; special exhibitions, workshops and tours can be priced differently. The Neue Pinakothek is closed for renovation. Whether the €1 Sunday also applies at Die Neue Sammlung is not confirmed on the official page.
For a run-around instead, there is a free play afternoon on Sundays from 2 pm to 6 pm in the Westpark near the Bayerwaldhaus (balancing, juggling, hockey, movement equipment), weather permitting and without registration.
Our assessment: the light park’s first weekend is likely to be its busiest, and online tickets for Friday evening and Saturday should go first. If you want a calmer evening and lower prices, look at Thursday or Sunday. That is an estimate based on how the offer is structured, not a promise from the organiser.
Sources: LUMAGICA München, muenchen.de: museums, muenchen.de: free with kids, Die Neue Sammlung, Kindaling
