Tempelhof Airport is steeped in history and was the site of the famous 'Berlin Airlift'. The airport ceased all commercial flights in 2008 and has since been home to a number of events since including Berlin Fashion Week, Berlin Design Week and many more. Meanwhile, the old runway and surrounding grass land has been put to good use and turned in to a massive park space and it's great fun to visit with children for oh-so-many reasons...
Tempelhof's old airfield has been sectioned off in to a number of accessible areas. There are 3 special sections for dog owners to give their pooches a good run around, 3 grill areas where people can have barbecues, 2 nature reservation areas have also been created especially to help wildlife, insects and Mother Nature's creatures to thrive. There are also plots filled with allotments, where people are growing their own fruits and vegetables and there's a special artist designed mini golf. Alongside this, you will find a small football/soccer areas, a baseball pitch, basketball pitch around the edges of the park and special markings have been laid out on the ground for runners, cyclists and skaters who want to train.
All photographs in this post are my own / ©Sarah Winborn Photography
A project has been created that is specifically aimed at families visiting the park. It's called Lernort Natur and has the aim of encouraging children's curiosity for nature and their own natural environments. Different 'stations' are set up around a large area of the park which focus on the different elements of nature such as water, air, earth. You can find out more about the Lernort Natur project here. You can find out more about the many projects running on the Tempelhofer Feld here (in German).
Adult bikes, kids bikes, pedal cars, skateboards, unicycles, tricycles, BMX's, goKarts and the like can be rented from the Mobilcenter located in the park between 10am - 7pm. I have seen bikes with children's seats to rent as well and they are priced by the hour, with some offering a day rate.
The prices can be steep depending on what you are renting and you will need to bring along some official ID as well as pay a deposit (we paid a €50 deposit when renting a four-person bike) to rent one of their vehicles. We had great fun on one of their four-person bikes, sitting our toddler in one of the front seats (which had a strap) whilst we cycled around the park. It's a fun way to see larger parts of the park (it really is HUGE) and whilst it was expensive at €5 every 10 minutes, we enjoyed it for 'the experience', as did our little boy.
The prices can be steep depending on what you are renting and you will need to bring along some official ID as well as pay a deposit (we paid a €50 deposit when renting a four-person bike) to rent one of their vehicles. We had great fun on one of their four-person bikes, sitting our toddler in one of the front seats (which had a strap) whilst we cycled around the park. It's a fun way to see larger parts of the park (it really is HUGE) and whilst it was expensive at €5 every 10 minutes, we enjoyed it for 'the experience', as did our little boy.
I've included some photographs below from our mini bike ride adventure and you can find more info about the rentals here or go visit the Mobilcenter at the park.
Tempelhofer Freiheit is often home to kite flyers both amateur and professional as the field of course attracts wind, due to it's open landscape, and makes for great kite-flying conditions. Very fun for the kids. Tempelhofer Freiheit has even been home to a yearly kite flying festival thanks to it's conducive conditions for the sport. It is also a common site to spot windsurfers using the space to train, plenty of skateboarders and cyclists and others just enjoying a lay down on the grass.
One of my favourite things about the park is how varied it's landscape is. From the tough, long floor of the former runways, to the wild grass that you can wander through, to the old railway line slicing through one section. Tempelhof features many different faces.
All photographs in this post are my own / ©Sarah Winborn Photography
Opening times:
January 7:30 am – 5 pm
February 7 am – 6 pm
March 6 am – 7 pm
April 6 am – 8:30 pm
May 6 am - 9:30 pm
Juni 6 am – 10:30 pm
July 6 am – 10:30 pm
August 6 am – 9:30 pm
September 6 am – 8:30 pm
October 7 am – 7 pm
November 7 am – 6 pm
December 7:30 am – 5 pm
The main entrances to the park are on Tempelhofer Damm, Columbiadamm and Oderstraße. Travelling by train, the easiest way is to get off at S Bahn Tempelhof and it's just a couple of minutes walk away.
Public Transport options:
S41, S42, S46, S47 S-Bahn station Tempelhof
U6 U-Bahn station Tempelhof or Paradestraße
Bus 104 to bus stop “Friedhöfe Columbiadamm” or “Golßener Straße”
For ideas of what to do with children in Berlin, check out my 'To Do in Berlin' section.
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