Naples · With kids

A hands-on science centre at Bagnoli on the site of an old steelworks, with a planetarium alongside the exhibition halls. Science centre and planetarium are sold separately or as a combined ticket, and the planetarium runs both 2D and live shows, so check which session you are booking.

The Stazione Zoologica's museum in the Villa Comunale at Chiaia, built around the skeleton of a sperm whale stranded on the Campanian coast, plus a six-metre wall of specimens from the Bay of Naples. Smaller and quieter than an aquarium visit, and it pairs with a walk on the Lungomare. Booking is handled through Fondazione Dohrn.

The city zoo at Fuorigrotta, now run as a bioparco with a good deal of shade and a lot of walking. It is a modest, old-fashioned zoo rather than a safari park, and it works best as a half-day for under-eights combined with Edenlandia next door.

A 1960s amusement park at Fuorigrotta, reopened after a long closure. Entry to the park and the mascot village is free; rides are paid for with a Magic Pass at €18 for 18 goes on 12 attractions, or by topping up a voucher. That pricing makes it usable for an hour rather than a whole day.

A free terraced park on the headland above Posillipo, looking down on Nisida, the bay and Vesuvius, with flat paths, benches and a playground. It is the one genuinely calm outdoor space in Naples and a good reset after a morning in the old city. Bus from Mergellina, or a taxi.