The 17 best things to do with kids in Apeldoorn

Amazing experience. If you have a stroller, they will get on the stroller. They provide free anti-primate bags to put your stuff in. You get to be so close to the animals! There are activities throughout the park to keep kids entertained and engaged. As well as fun facts and other educational things along the way.

Apenheul is a beautiful park with great visibility of the monkeys and superb, friendly staff. The landscaping is lovely, and the whole place feels clean and well-kept. The only downside: the paper maps often end up soggy in the water, which makes things messy — a digital app or clearer route signs would be a big improvement. Avoid going in the summer break — it’s just too crowded and very loud. For children who get easily overstimulated, a weekday in low season is a much better choice. The food is below average, even though there are plenty of food squares to choose from. The park also has several playgrounds that are both challenging and fun for younger kids, which is a real plus for families. The walk through the park is long but very scenic if you enjoy nature. Parking looks like it could be chaotic on busy days, but thanks to the staff’s excellent handling and clear protocols, there’s really no room for chaos — they keep everything moving smoothly. One tip: don’t bring small items in your pockets (sunglasses, phones, etc.). Consider adding a small travel lock to your bag, otherwise you’ll be required to carry one of the free Apenheul monkey-proof bags. They’re big enough, but when packed too heavy, they can become a real strain on your shoulders. All in all, a beautifully maintained park with wonderful staff and a unique experience — best enjoyed outside peak season.

Apenheul is an absolutely amazing place — it’s worth visiting Apeldoorn just for this park! The entire experience was fantastic. Even on a very hot day, the park feels pleasant and refreshing thanks to the tall trees and natural shade everywhere. You can walk among various monkey species freely, and it’s incredible how close you can get to them while still respecting their space. The animals seem very well cared for, which really adds to the experience. One small downside: the video shown during the gorilla feeding session was only in Dutch with German subtitles. It would have been more inclusive if English subtitles were also available. The live presentation was also in Dutch, but considering that most visitors are from the Netherlands and many are children, it’s understandable. If you’re anywhere nearby, I highly recommend visiting. A truly unique and enjoyable experience!

We visited Apenheul and absolutely loved it. The monkeys are adorable 😍🐒 and you can see many of them up close as they move freely around the park. There are also other animals, like capybaras. The whole park is very well equipped, with plenty of rest areas and even sunscreen dispensers available throughout. Everything is clean, well maintained, and organized. The staff is friendly, very attentive to both visitors and the animals, always ready to help. The gorilla presentation was a real highlight. It’s definitely a great place for families with children, but we’re a couple in our twenties and we had a fantastic time too 😊😊

Apenheul – Where the Monkeys Are Better Behaved Than Some Visitors Apenheul was pure magic. The park (and the nearby public park) is spotless, beautifully kept, and just a short walk from a spacious parking area. The real highlight? Dozens of monkey species roaming free, completely at ease – it’s like stepping into their world instead of peering at them from behind glass. At the entrance, you get a free monkey-proof bag to protect your belongings from curious little hands. You can skip it if you’ve already made your own “thief-proof” setup (think carabiners locking your zippers) – but trust me, the monkeys will test your security system. Friendly staff are everywhere, making sure both monkeys and humans stay safe – a small miracle considering there are still the occasional unsupervised kids and the inevitable wheeled trailers people insist on dragging along. The feeding sessions are a must. Check the website or park guide for times – you’ll learn a lot and it’s a joy to watch. Huge applause for the staff, who clearly care deeply for the animals and create an experience that feels respectful, educational, and unforgettable.

Amazing experience. It was a bit crowded, but there wasnt a long wait to get in. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. The habitats were spacious, clean, and well-maintained. Very educational and unlike any "zoo" experience I've had in the past.

One of the coolest most immersive and beautiful zoos with apes and monkeys that have plenty of space and safe interactions with visitors.

Amazing palace, a must visit when you are around. The garden is precious and highly recommended to spend some time outside. The sculptures as well as the plants and flowers are beautiful. The design of the landscape is so cool. Plus, the restaurant is also very good with a scenic view.

Arguably the most magnificent palace in the Netherlands and it is easily reachable by public transport. It's massive so you really need a full day to explore the palace AND the fabulous gardens. Everything is breathtaking!

Its a great place to visit. The tours inside the palace are nice. You can do a tour with a book so you can read from a folder you can get at the start or do an audio tour. Then the gardens are amazing especially when the weather is in your favor. Parking is close and not expensive (€8 for the day day)

Nice to see inside what furniture and style is in every room. Gardens are nice. But comparing to some other palaces and castles this one is not my top. But it is nice. What I loved is a restaurant inside where they have high tea, really nice design. And nice terrace outdoor. Plus they have some activities like archery or some other games that make you feel like you travel back in time.

The graden at the Palace is super cool. There are different types of plants, labelled. A lot of mini activities for kids for example archery. Coming to palace itself, it was pretty awesome. A lot of rooms to explore, though some of the floors are not meant for visitors. The roof is accessible as well via a lift - and there can be queues at the lift. Outside the palace, at the initial entrance, there are some historical artifacts to explore as well like the cars driven by the Royals and other stuff. Would like to complement the staff, who are really nice and approachable.

Second time visiting after more than 5 years. A great destination to visit with family or friends. A great day out to visit not only the palace but also the garden, the antique cars & carriages collection and the exhibitions. Good facility for visitors such as the toilets, lockers, parking, etc.

We didn’t go inside the palace, but with such beautiful weather we didn’t mind at all. The terrace was a lovely spot to sit, and the gardens are truly worth the visit : peaceful, well kept, and full of charm.

Great amusement park for young kids (<10). Best for toddlers. Not too big, they can't get lost. If you arrive around 10:00, you can park at P1. If you are there after 10:30, don't even bother and head straight for P2. Oh and though the park opens at 10:00, you can't go in before 10:30 so you stand around in the food court behind the entrance. There is a little sign and dance show for the little ones.

Great amusement park for kids to enjoy. Parents can join kids in pretty much every ride. The staff at the rides are also very kind and polite. There can be pretty big queues at each ride.

Very fun park for kids and adults to join in. Good - many good attractions - attractions are not scattered across are large area. - many places to sit and rest - allowed to bring your own food and drinks - plenty of food and drinks stalls - parking P1 is next to the park, P2 is 5min ride with the bus (free provided by the park) - instead of closing down all the attractions at once, they gradually close between 17 and 18, reducing the crowd at the exit, very smart!

It's a wonderful park specially designed for kids of all ages. Adults could also enjoy rides along with their little ones.

Sort of like an overgrown Kermis. Mostly Carnival rides. Some rides you or a friend operate the attraction, pulling yourself up or starting the ride by pressing the buttons. The park had a delayed opening and technical difficulties due to a power outage in the morning. Cute shows for the kids. Kids sit up front. Parents and families sit in the back, it's gives you a few minutes to sit at least. If you buy the character cups, ask for the one want. They should have all of them. A sweet girl change it for us! We didn't fully understand why there were barrels with the cavemen and dinosaurs. This ride also had an extremely long wait. I'm not sure why the gentleman was taking so long to send the cars after they loaded. I assume they didn't have enough cars on the track, but it just seemed to take so long.

Great fun for kids in the toddler and younger (<13) age bracket. Super fun rides which the adults will also enjoy riding with their children. Park is well laid out, not too big to walk from ride to ride. Great large playground and trampoline area. Lines were never too long (max we waited was 20 minutes for the dinosaur tour) and the kids are so excited by everything they see around them that it's not hard to distract them from getting frustrated. The shows with the mouse and Dino characters are great for kids 2 - (9/10). Our 4 year old daughter was in heaven. Good place to also think about "practicing" patience before trying out a larger place like Efteling or Disneyland Paris.

Great park with attractions for children. Large selection of attractions from small to medium children. I recommend to visit.

A beautiful small lake to walk around, with stunning views from every angle. There are lovely water feature incorporated that feed into the lake and overall it is very well maintained and has a brilliant variety of plant life. There are artworks dotted all around so there is always something extra to see. I also explored surrounding areas and got to see deer and boar. Amazing stuff, free to visit. We barely scratched the surface, but if I were in the area again I would happily visit.

It's a beautiful garden with an amazing landscape. We really enjoyed our walk through the garden and wished for a little more time on our hands to adventure further! Would definitely recommend it for a day tour.

Beautiful park with many activities for all the family in the area. You can simply stroll around and have a picnic or enter some of the activities in the area including the fantastic Klimbos (tree climbing).

Beautiful part and a lot of plants, trees etc.

This park is more then meets the eye so be sure to come prepare because unless you are a local you wouldn't know your all day parking fee is only 10 Euros. You also wouldn't know about the Ape Empire inside at an additional cost. You will probably miss the high tree zip line, also at an additional cost. All worth it though. You want to bring your own food and have a picnic while the children play. Having said that, bring an extra set of clothes for the kiddoes because there is a pile of mud where they can play, but don't worry, you also have a water pump you can use to clean them up. Overall, just come prepare to admire the breathtaking scenaries all around you. Oh, and don't forget to climb the watch Tower.

This Park is beautiful coming here alone or with friends or family you're gonna spend a wonderful afternoon.

A very nice day to spend in this park with a variety of activities, beautiful gardens and wild life.

Had a quick visit to this museum but unfortunately it was for me. The exhibitions were nice and greatly displayed but beside that it didn’t interest me personally to much. Also the museum seemed very small. Took me about 30 minutes to walk through it.

Apeldoorn is called "City in Green", and it mainly thrives on the beautiful surroundings in which it is located. In terms of museums, there is less to do than in many other cities, but the CODA museum is highly recommended. It's not big, but definitely nice for a rainy afternoon. The public library and the municipal archives are located in the same building. The CODA museum offers changing exhibitions with modern art, visual art, contemporary fashion and jewelry by (inter)national designers and artists. In addition, there are thematic exhibitions and presentations about the history of Apeldoorn and its surroundings. The biennial Paper Art exhibition is a must-see. Every year you will be surprised by very beautiful and original designs made of paper, ranging from small works of art, objects and jewelry to life-size installations, made by Dutch and international artists. You fall from one surprise into another when you look at the often very beautiful and very original works of art. Well worth your time and attention! Also interesting for school children. This Covid-19 year - 2021 - there is also a small exhibition of very special and artistic masks. The facilities are excellent, the building is wheelchair accessible and wheelchairs can be borrowed. At the CODA café you can enjoy hot and cold drinks, delicious pastries, snacks and lunch dishes.

Cute small modern art museum.

The staff is nice and helpful. Its a ling walk from train station so better ride a bicycle. The entry in the museum is free if you get a membership of Library. Very easy to get a book and return it. Student playing area also has video games and other activities along with books.

This museum is very poorly signposted - despite it being quite small, we really struggled to find 2 of the 3 exhibitions ("Sprekende juwelen" and Henk Visch) even after asking staff. Instead of having placards next to pieces in these exhibits, you are given printed booklets that you have to keep flipping through to find info on what you're seeing which was both frustrating and a huge waste of paper. The new Travelling Bricks exhibition itself was nice, but a real shame that none of the Lego builders/creators are credited. Luckily entry was free with the Museumkaart because I certainly would not be pleased to pay for this experience.

Museum for modern art. Exhibitions change regularly and have usually a philosophical point of view/ idea.

This is a nice museum. Be sure to check out what exposition is currently displayed as it is not such a big museum. The lay out is pretty well thought through and the small collection of friends art work is definitely worth checking out. Plan your visit to be roughly around 1 hour to 1 hour and a half. Don't forget to like this review, if you find it helpful.

We went on a weekday but a school holiday. There are many different activities inside. You can ride a sea bike, jump on an inflatable hill, play with many toys and visit a small zoo. You can benefit from many activities in a wide area. Open at 5:00 on regular days, but until 6:00 on holidays. You can park in the nearby free parking lot. Ten euros per person for a child and adults. Free for children under one-year-old. Nice but a little expensive.

This place is amazing, it has allot to offer! For adults, young children. But also, for older children. They have lots of different slides, within the woods but also on a playground like side. The also have animals for the youngest and a traffic square with go-karts (manual food thrust) for the older kids. It has multiple catering houses, you can drink eat etc. In the sun or shadow, lots of benches to sit on and enjoy. Definitely a place to go back with the family! Also, see the photos.

This place is fun for kids and worth a visit when your nearby. For just 10 euro p.p your kids can enjoy several playgrounds and other fun stuff. There are also lots of animals to see. Its a 10 euro well spend!

This place is amazing for kids and also for their parents. Maybe a bit overpriced but the service and the cleanliness is excellent. We had so much fun here. The pedal boats can have some maintenance.

My love loves this place. Nice nature and playgrounds.

Lots to see and do, some great play equipment. Nice and spacious grounds, with plenty of picnic tables.

An amazing kids animal farm, well organized and includes kids show. The kids had a great time there.

It's so beautiful, especially in spring. A very big, green park with fountains and colorful tulips everywhere. I believe it's the best park in Apeldoorn.

Here for a Liberation event that was VERY touching - the wreathes & flowers were still undisturbed 3 days later!

Small but nice park.

Best season to visit in Spring and Summer (july-august) and voor (trouwedag fotos) wedding photos! Photos were taken at August 2017.

Good park and quiet place when you want to have your time also with friends

Beautiful good for relaxing doing summer 🌞🌞

Excellent park, with the old age maturity feel. Temp was -4 degrees but we still enjoyed the stroll. Would be lovely in 🌞. Great villas around the park, reminder of the elite that must have lived here.

Unfortunately totally the tourist restaurant, attracts with a bouncy castle, service was very inattentive, waited quite a long time for the food, which was then not even cooked through. The salad was completely lacking any sauce, and at a mega overpriced price! Not recommended. Unfortunately I forgot my child’s pullover. After many mails they are not able to send it to me although I would pay for it- just don’t answer!

We went to the restaurant twice in a week. The food was excellent (especially the spear ribs). The service was excellent and somwas the atmosphere and the place is really kids friendly! If I'd be here another week I guess we would have been back for a third time.

Great Service, Great food, Perfect for kids. Parents enjoy a pleasent meal while the kids are playing on the trampoline and slides. The kids even got drawings to paint!

Another fantastic place to eat. We sat on one of many outside tables on a lovely sunny day. Food, service and atmosphere excellent. The occasion was my grandsons 2nd birthday. The staff and owners came to the table and presented the birthday boy with a gift and a flaming candle, whilst singing happy birthday. Thank you for making our day.

Went for lunch on Saturday, which was our first visit. Had a nice table next to an open fireplace. Service was fast and friendly and had an amazing lunch. Positive surprise, we will definitely come back here

Good food with best being the spare ribs. Not many veg option in the main. Fair price to quality on most of the dishes. Drinks n dessert are fine. Family ambience or want to go with children..Next to a petting area Visited again! Still a nice place after many years! Infact I felt they got even better! Tip: Skip the bread basket! Doesn’t worth! Instead opt a starter! Except that everything is awesome. Staff is friendly.

Nobody paid attention to me. I was been seated after 10min. Then i was waiting about 20min for menu. Left the restaurant.

Fun place! I do recommend laser tag and bowling. Carting is quite slow...

2 of us are familiar with escape room and it was the worst we ever did. On the phone they told us it was 60€ but once there they charged us 90€. We felt robbed, like throwing money by the window. It is still a hard pill to swallow. We came here with 2 fist timer adults and 2 kids (9 and 12 years). Even tho we chose the easiest level it was way out of their capabilities but they didn’t warn us anything. You are alone with a tape recording machine and there is no game master to help you even tho you are filmed. You are in the same tiny room pressing on a screen for 60 minutes but we only did 20 minutes. The missions are not understandable and it get way too hot in the room 🥵 We tried to keep going but as we failed every mission our excitement quickly faded. When we left the room we eyed contact the counter lady and she quickly went at the back to not confront our frustrations. We tried to let her know our complaints but she didn’t care less nor she tried to propose us anything to help cope our frustration. She rather avoid us again going at the back of the counter dancing with a colleague, so unprofessional. The worst clients service, felt like it was a scam. 20 minutes, 90€, 6 disappointed persons that the whole staff noticed but couldn’t care less. Although the laser game is a good one that we did few years ago, we will never go back there !

Loads to do. Great set up. We done bowling and pool, beer and snacks. But plenty more on offer. Ecarts looked amazing. Will go again when we visit in the future.

Really liked the place I went go karting here and i gotta say i really enjoyed it was a lot of fun going fast and trying to draw ft through the track. I didn't try anything else but at least for the karting aspect this place is really solid. Totally recommend.

Brilliant place staff helpful, spent hours here

Great place with fair prices and friendly staff. Looks clean, well maintained. Can only recommend the karts, as it was too much fun to try out the other activities :). Beat 21.93.

Karting was fun. The track is nice although overtaking isn't that easy but, karts are equal and in good condition.

This store is not that big but filled with loads of games and very, very, VERY knowledgeable staff; I dare you to ask them about any of the games from the store and be amazed as they tell you how they work time and time again.

Many games. Easy atmosphere. No role-playing games.

Superfijne service!

(Translated by Google) Super nice and helpful owner! Asked a question via Facebook and was helped quickly! We had a look around the store and saw a great selection of games, puzzles and more. Definitely recommended if you are in Apeldoorn :) (Original) Super leuke en behulpzame eigenaar! Vraag via fb gesteld en werd snel te hulp gestaan! In de winkel nog even rond gekeken en erg veel en tof aanbod van spellen, puzzels en meer. Zeker aanrader als je in apeldoorn bent :)

(Translated by Google) Super fun toy store. They have a very extensive selection and knowledge of games. A surprisingly large selection of (small) children's games. The salesperson was very friendly and helpful. You really don't see shops like this in other cities. (Original) Super leuke speelgoed winkel. Zeer uitgebreid assortiment en kennis van spellen. Verrassend groot assortiment van (kleine) kinderspellen. Verkoper was zeer vriendelijk en behulpzaam. Zulke winkels mis je echt in andere steden.

(Translated by Google) Lots of options and lots of knowledge, do you want a board game? Then the chance that you will not succeed is very small! (Original) Veel opties en veel kennis, wil je een bordspel? Dan is de kans erg klein dat je niet slaagt!

(Translated by Google) Shop with many puzzles and games. The seller explains the games. (Original) Winkel met veel puzzels en spellen. De verkoper geeft uitleg over de spellen.

(Translated by Google) The owner is friendly and welcoming. Takes the time to handle everything. (Original) De eigenaar is en vriendelijk gastvrij. Neemt de tijd om alles af te handelen.

(Translated by Google) Fair price and always excellent service. Service is really great. (Original) Eerlijke prijs en altijd uitstekend geholpen. Service is echt top.

(Translated by Google) A professional company where the customer is truly king. Would recommend anyone to buy a car here! (Original) Een professioneel bedrijf waar de klant echt koning is. Zou een ieder aanraden hier een auto te kopen!

(Translated by Google) Honest company. Better price than We Buy Cars. NL (Original) Eerlijk bedrijf . Betere prijs dan Wij Kopen Auto's. NL

(Translated by Google) 100% service Man of his word (Original) 100% service Man van ze woord

(Translated by Google) You couldn't wish for better service (Original) Betere service kun je niet wensen

(Translated by Google) Reliable trader treated nicely (Original) Betrouwbare handelaar netjes behandeld

(Translated by Google) No telephone contact possible, everything via email. After only having contact by email, I had to transfer 1800 euros, but I was unable to contact them by telephone to do so. Felt a bit bad.... (Original) Geen telefonisch contact mogelijk, alles via mail. Na alleen mail contact gehad te hebben moest ik 1800 euro overmaken maar kon daarvoor niet even telefonisch contact hebben. Voelde toch een beetje naar....

(Translated by Google) We took a beautiful winter train trip through Switzerland with friends. Everything was arranged down to the last detail. The contact with Dennis was pleasant and accurate. We will certainly make more use of their expertise. Kind regards, Mirjam and Wim (Original) We hebben met vrienden een prachtige winter treinreis door Zwitserland gemaakt. Alles was tot in de puntjes geregeld. Het kontakt met Dennis was fijn en accuraat. Wij gaan zeker nog vaker gebruik maken van hun expertise. Mvg Mirjam en Wim

(Translated by Google) Just opening the tickets feels like your journey is beginning. Contact is fast and pleasant and I would recommend everyone to book your tickets through this agency (Original) Alleen al bij het openmaken van de tickets voelt het alsof je reis begint. Contact is snel en prettig en zou het iedereen aanbevelen om via dit bureau je tickets te boeken

(Translated by Google) Very well organized and everything taken care of down to the last detail. Communication was very pleasant. Highly recommended! Next year by train again. (Original) Erg goed geregeld en alles tot in de puntjes verzorgd. Communicatie verliep erg prettig. Een echte aanrader! Volgend jaar weer met de trein.

(Translated by Google) Highly recommended! Everything arranged from A to Z. This way, train travel is much nicer than flying. Good service. (Original) Echt een aanrader! Alles van A tot Z geregeld. Op deze manier is treinreizen veel fijner dan vliegen. Goede service.

(Translated by Google) Booked several times and received excellent help from Dennis. (Original) Meermaals geboekt en uitstekend geholpen door Dennis.

(Translated by Google) Excellent online travel agency that will arrange your trip perfectly. (Original) Prima on-line reisbureau, dat je reis prima regelt.

Really nice day out, massive and growing collection of steam trains, many working. All of the volunteers were very nice, knowledgable and helpful, even though we could only speak English. Would definitely visit again.

Excellent for train fans and people interested in technology. The crew is very passionate about what they do and very happy to answer your questions. Great experience and can recommend also for kids.

Brilliant day out to see these beautifully restored steam engines in Holland. The journey was excellent and not crowded with plenty of opportunities to photograph the engines. Also a great opportunity to see the turntable in operation.

Abusolutely lovely day trip and step back in time! Feels like a mini holiday outside Netherlands. The only tip is if you come with a baby, the child carriage won’t fit in these old steam trains. And dress up warm in autumn/winter because there is no heater inside the train.

Historically important, yearly event and often openings year round. Impressive collection of steam trains. People take the time to explain the origin of the machines, the state of maintenance and their functions. Allowed to come inside some of the hot and living. Note: steam and diesel (depot has many of them)

Fantastic working steam train to visit, 2 hour round trip with drinks and snacks available on board. You can also walk around the yard with many other locomotives in various states. On return to the yard the locomotive did a full rotation on the turntable before shunting some trucks around and returning to the engine shed allowing views of the whole locomotive.

Great experience, you can also visit the cabin of the steam engine. The views are quite good also.

Beautiful park next to the Palace Paleis het Loo. Perfectly kept garden. With flowers, fountains, fruit trees, picknick area, games, etc. Take your time to stroll through the park. A little kiosk is open as well. And if you have time, don't forget the maze.

Beautiful place with outstanding nature and a great historical palace. 😍🏞️🏰

The Loo Palace is gorgeous, especially after the recent new opening. Make sure you take the audio tour, there are 2 available and both take about 30 minutes. You can easily spend 3 hours here, visit the exhibits, stunning garden and rooftop platform for the ultimate experience. Oh, and don't forget the gift shop!

Beautiful place to visit and take a walk in nature

Beautiful park and wonderful museum. Highly recommended

The summer palace of William and Mary. Includes a stable and car collection with a restaurant opposite. Then a short walk to the palace. Amazing baroque gardens still under construction in some parts. Lots of rooms to visit with an audio guide that provides history of the items and William and Mary. €19.50 entry and €7.50 to park. No dogs in the grounds. Recommended

Really a beautiful park for a day visit. We visited when the weather was not great but it was definitely worth the trip. The gardens are beautiful and the wood all around is just perfect to go for a little hike and get lost in nature. At the time of our visit the palace was closed for renovation. Definitely recommended!!

So much fun. Good pricing structure. Rides all super safe, well designed. Plenty of space.

The play area is very nice. Bigger than some of the other MonkeyTowns. They also have a good selection of food. Only reason for not giving 4 stars is because the last couple of times our children had problems with other children "bullying" them. Yes children do that sometimes, but we have only experienced it at this MonkeyTown and no other for some reason.

Nice place for childern, they can play whole day. Sometimes when it is busy it is not that kind of clean and neat. But totally we all love it

We went there on the occasion of a birthday with ten children of age about seven. We could relax for three hours because the children were carried away by the playground. They offer affordable arrangements for food and drinks.

It was amazing! My kids (3years and 10 months) had both a very good time! It is very clean their and the food is delicious ! Very good coffee :)

Very good place for small kids...

Insane waiting time for food. We ordered 4 sandwiches and had to wait an hour. The only excuse was the number of kids parties. Their solution? As the kitchen was open from 10, order earlier. Not a single"we're sorry", no attempt to set things right. I left the rest of my pre purchased tickets on the counter. Not returning.