Family Activities in Montevideo

October 20, 2026

Montevideo is an easy city for families: it has parks, a planetarium, an amusement park and city beaches. Prices below are in Uruguayan pesos (UYU), a bare “$” on a sign means pesos, and about 40 UYU buy US$1. Hours change, so check before you set out. Street crime exists in the capital, so keep bags zipped and phones out of sight, and take a taxi or ride-hailing car after dark.

Parque Villa Dolores

The park at Avenida General Rivera 3245 is open Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 18:30. It is a park with a small animal reserve, and the reserve is open Wednesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:30. Both are closed on Monday. The old caged zoo closed in 2014, and there are no big cats here. The park also has the inclusive Parque de la Amistad and the Planetario Municipal. Planetario shows are free but need a reservation, and reservations open on Tuesday at 18:00 for that week. Entry to the park has been reported as free, so check at the gate. The Intendencia’s Villa Dolores page lists the current hours.

Parque Rodo

Parque Rodo is a park with a lake. Its amusement park added a new roller coaster on 20 April 2026, and it also has a ride called Caida Libre. Guides say the rides open at weekends only, and prices per ride are not confirmed, so check the park’s own page. One guide mentions pedal boats on the lake, but treat that as unconfirmed.

Espacio Ciencia

The science centre run by LATU sits in the Parque de Innovacion at Avenida Saldun de Rodriguez 2037. A general ticket cost UYU 400 in 2025, and the exhibits are designed for ages 3 and up. Check the LATU site for opening hours before you go.

Museo del Futbol

Children under 12 enter free at the football museum under Estadio Centenario. Foreign adults pay UYU 400. It is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00 and Sunday from 11:00 to 15:00. Check ahead for match days. The stadium page has the entrance details.

Beaches: Pocitos and Ramirez

Pocitos and Ramirez both have lifeguards in the summer season, which has run from 15 November to 31 March across 19 beaches. The water is a brown to green estuary and is brackish, not clear. A sanitary flag, red with a green cross in the centre, means no bathing for health reasons. Keep children off sand with green residue and out of the streams that reach the beaches. The city advises against swimming for 24 hours after rain. Playa del Gas, Puerto del Buceo and Miramar are not for bathing. If someone is stung by an aguaviva (jellyfish), avoid touching the area, rinse it with sea water and do not rub it with sand. The beach notices are published in the Intendencia’s beach bulletin .

Parque Lecocq

Parque Lecocq is a separate municipal zoo-park at Kilometre 19.5 on Avenida Luis Batlle Berres,. Current hours and prices are not confirmed, and it has closed at times because of fire risk, so call or check before you make the trip.

Getting around with children

A one-hour city bus ticket costs UYU 52 with an STM card or UYU 64 in cash. Restaurants, bars and cafes cut VAT from 22% to about 13% for card or electronic payment, which helps on a family lunch bill. Mercado del Puerto is busy at weekend lunch, so go early. Family-friendly tours and day trips are listed on GetYourGuide .