Weekend Activities for Kids in Pune (2026 Parents' Guide)

The reliable weekend outings for children in Pune are the zoo at Katraj, the Science Park and planetarium in Chinchwad, a working model railway off Karve Road and a handful of museums and gardens that are cheap, central and easy to combine. Add children’s theatre, workshops and, in December, two of the largest family fairs in the state. This guide covers what each place offers, who it suits, when it is closed and how to get there. For dated events such as plays, workshops and carnivals, use our kids and family events page, which updates daily.

At a glance

Place	Good for ages	Area	Open and closed	Cost
Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park	3 and up	Katraj	Weekends open; traditionally closed Wednesdays	Low-priced ticket
Pimpri Chinchwad Science Park and planetarium	6 and up	Chinchwad	10 am–6 pm; closed Mondays	Separate tickets and combos
Joshi’s Museum of Miniature Railway	4 and up	Erandwane–Kothrud	Shows need at least 3 visitors; book online	Ticketed
Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum	8 and up	Shukrawar Peth	Check the museum’s site	Ticketed
Zapurza Museum of Art & Culture	8 and up	Kudje	Weekends 10 am–6 pm; closed Thursdays	₹250
Sarasbaug	All ages	Swargate	Open daily	Free
Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden	All ages	Sinhagad Road	Open daily	Low-priced ticket

Age bands are our suggestions, not venue rules.

Science and museums

Pimpri Chinchwad Science Park and planetarium

Built by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation and opened in 2013, the Science Park near the Auto Cluster in Chinchwad is the best hands-on science stop in the region. Indoors are galleries on automobiles, energy, climate change and ‘fun science’, all built around exhibits children are meant to touch. Outdoors there is an open-air science park and a dinosaur park, and the programme includes a liquid-nitrogen show, a 3D science show, science demonstrations and sky observation. The planetarium, the Taramandal, runs separate shows. The park is open from 10 am to 6 pm, the ticket window closes at 5 pm, and since July 2026 it has been closed on Mondays for maintenance. Tickets for the galleries, the planetarium and the 3D show are sold separately, with combinations, and can be booked online. Take the Purple Line to PCMC and an auto; our Chinchwad guide has more on the area.

Joshi’s Museum of Miniature Railway

A miniature city with working trains, built by the model-railway enthusiast B. S. ‘Bhausaheb’ Joshi and housed in its present building since 1998. The layout has 65 signals, flyovers, fences and lamp posts, runs steam engines, a bullet train and a sky-train, and is presented as a sound-and-light show. It can be operated by hand or by computer, which fascinates older children as much as the trains do. Shows are run for a minimum of three visitors, so a small family should book online or go when it is busy. It is in the Erandwane–Kothrud stretch off Karve Road; Paud Phata on the Aqua Line is the nearest station.

Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum

Dr Dinkar Kelkar began collecting everyday Indian objects around 1920 and named the collection after his only son, Raja. It now holds more than 20,000 pieces, about 2,500 of them on display on Bajirao Road in Shukrawar Peth: lamps, locks, betel-nut cutters, weapons, kitchen vessels and a fine gallery of musical instruments. For children of about eight and up it works as a treasure hunt. Give them a list of things to find. Mahatma Phule Mandai on the Purple Line is the nearest metro station.

Zapurza Museum of Art & Culture

On the Khadakwasla lakeshore at Kudje, Zapurza has ten galleries, an amphitheatre, activity areas for workshops and a café serving Maharashtrian vegetarian food. It is open from 10 am to 6 pm on weekends and 11 am to 6 pm on weekdays, closed on Thursdays, and entry is ₹250 per person from April 2026. It needs a car or cab and combines well with a stop at the Khadakwasla backwaters.

Animals, gardens and open air

Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park, Katraj. The municipal zoo covers 130 acres, including the 42-acre Katraj lake, and opened in 1999, taking over from the old Peshwe Park zoo next to Sarasbaug. It has three parts: the zoo, with Asiatic lions, a tiger, leopards, sloth bears, deer and elephants in large enclosures; a snake park with pythons, cobras, a king cobra and crocodiles; and an animal orphanage. Distances inside are long, so start early, carry water and plan on two to three hours. It is about six kilometres south of Swargate on the Satara Road; take a bus or auto from Swargate metro station. The zoo has traditionally been closed on Wednesdays.

Sarasbaug. The 25-acre Peshwa-era garden at Swargate is the city’s default evening outing, with lawns to run on, the Ganpati temple at the centre and a small museum of Ganesha idols in the temple premises. Entry to the garden is free.

Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden. Ten acres on Sinhagad Road, modelled on the Kōraku-en garden in Okayama, Japan, with a stream, winding paths and a bridge over a fish pond. Walking on the lawns is not allowed, which makes it better for a calm stroll than for football. A second section is laid out as a Mughal-style garden.

Parvati Hill and Vetal Tekdi. For children who like a climb, Parvati’s hundred-odd steps and temple complex make a good one-hour outing, and Vetal Tekdi’s forest trails suit older children. Both are free. More no-cost ideas are in our guide to free things to do in Pune.

In Pimpri-Chinchwad. Bhakti-Shakti park at Nigdi, Durga Tekdi, the Bird Valley lake garden in Chinchwad and the Boat Club Garden at Thergaon, on the bank of the Pawana, are the twin city’s family parks. Facilities change, so check locally which rides and boating are operating.

History that children enjoy

Shaniwar Wada, with its spiked gate and ramparts to walk along, is the easiest monument to sell to a child. The Pune Municipal Corporation’s guided heritage walk starts there at 7 am on Saturdays and Sundays and charges ₹100 for secondary-school students and ₹200 for higher-education students, against ₹300 for adults; details are on our heritage walks page. The Aga Khan Palace, where Gandhi was interned from 1942 to 1944, suits children who have started studying the freedom movement. Sinhagad fort is the classic family trek for ages ten and up.

Theatre, workshops and festivals

Children’s theatre. Pune has a long tradition of Marathi children’s plays, staged at Bal Gandharva Ranga Mandir, Yashwantrao Chavan Natyagruha and the civic auditoriums in Pimpri-Chinchwad, mostly on weekend mornings and in school holidays. See kids’ events this weekend.

Workshops. Art, pottery, robotics, baking and theatre workshops run in studios and cafés across Kothrud, Aundh, Baner and Kalyani Nagar. Age bands are strict, so read the listing. Current ones are on our workshops page.

Pune Book Festival. Organised by the National Book Trust at the Fergusson College ground, the 2025 edition drew a reported 12.5 lakh visitors, more than 60 per cent of them young readers. The next edition is announced for 12 to 20 December 2026. Go on a weekday morning if you can. See our book festival page.

Bhimthadi Jatra. The fair of rural Maharashtra at the Agriculture College ground ran from 20 to 25 December in 2025, from 10 am to 10 pm, with 325 stalls, folk performances, baby-feeding rooms and wheelchair access. Dates for 2026 had not been announced in mid-October.

Diwali and Christmas. In Diwali week, children across Pune build killas, miniature mud forts with clay soldiers, and studios run diya-painting and lantern-making workshops; see our Diwali page. In December, Camp’s lit-up streets are an easy evening walk.

Comic Con. Pune Comic Con was held in March in both 2025 and 2026. Dates for 2027 had not been announced when we checked; our Comic Con page will carry them.

Malls for a rainy day

When the weather rules out everything else, Phoenix Marketcity in Viman Nagar, Phoenix Mall of the Millennium in Wakad and Amanora Mall in Hadapsar have play zones, arcades, multiplexes and weekend activities for children. Amanora lists daily hours of 11 am to 11 pm. Festive weeks bring free carnivals and character shows in the atria; the paid activity zones are extra. The Phoenix Marketcity page has parking and metro notes.

Tips for parents

• Go early. The zoo, the hills and the gardens are best before 11 am, especially from March to May.
• Check closed days. The Science Park closes on Mondays, Zapurza on Thursdays and the zoo traditionally on Wednesdays.
• Book what you can. Model-railway shows, planetarium slots, workshops and holiday camps all take advance bookings.
• Plan transport by area. Swargate (Purple Line) serves Sarasbaug, Parvati and the bus to Katraj; PCMC (Purple Line) serves the Science Park; Paud Phata (Aqua Line) serves the model railway. Zapurza and Sinhagad need a car.
• Carry cash for small things. Parking, snacks and some ticket counters still prefer it.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I take kids in Pune on a weekend?

The Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park at Katraj, the Pimpri Chinchwad Science Park and planetarium, Joshi's Museum of Miniature Railway, the Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum, Sarasbaug and the Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden are dependable choices, with children's plays and workshops most weekends.

Is the Pimpri Chinchwad Science Park open on weekends?

Yes. It is open from 10 am to 6 pm, with the ticket window closing at 5 pm, and has been closed on Mondays for maintenance since July 2026. Check its website before you go.

Which day is the Katraj zoo closed?

The Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park has traditionally been closed on Wednesdays. It is open on Saturdays and Sundays; confirm before a midweek visit.

What can kids do indoors in Pune when it rains?

The Science Park's galleries, the model railway museum, the Kelkar Museum, children's theatre, mall play zones and art or pottery workshops all work in the monsoon.

Which big children's events happen in Pune in winter?

The Pune Book Festival at Fergusson College, announced for 12 to 20 December 2026, and Bhimthadi Jatra at the Agriculture College ground, which has run from 20 to 25 December in recent years.

Sources checked

• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajiv_Gandhi_Zoological_Park
• pcsciencepark.org/
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimpri_Chinchwad_Science_Park
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshi%27s_Museum_of_Miniature_Railway
• www.minirailways.com/
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raja_Dinkar_Kelkar_Museum
• rajakelkarmuseum.org/
• www.zapurza.org/
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarasbaug
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pune-Okayama_Friendship_Garden
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parvati_Hill
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimpri-Chinchwad
• heritagewalk.pmc.gov.in/
• www.theweek.in/wire-updates/national/2025/12/22/bes25-mh-pune-book-festiva
• www.mypunepulse.com/?p=180890
• www.punekarnews.in/comic-con-india-announces-pune-edition-scheduled-for-march-
• www.amanoramall.com/
• www.punemetrorail.org/

Researched and written by the pune2go editors. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.