Things to do with kids in George Town

Things to do with kids in George Town

1. See

   Armenian Street

   Armenian Street, once home to some of the city's prominent Armenian merchants is now one of the hippest streets, with a number of interesting crafts shops, temples, at least two museums and probably most importantly, Zacharevic's street art of the two kids on a bicycle.

2. See

   Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion

   The Blue Mansion

   Built in the 1890s, and restored in the 1990s (earning it a UNESCO award in 2000), this indigo-blue Chinese mansion was the main residence of Cheong Fatt Tze (called Zhang Bishi in China), known as the Rockefeller of the East and J.P. Morgan of China. The mansion was built according to feng shui principles by master craftsmen from China, who used their skills to fashion a sprawling mansion of 38 rooms, 5 granite-paved courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 windows. The mansion features in various films, including the 1993 Oscar-winning Indochine and the 2018 movie Crazy Rich Asians. Lodging is also available; see the sleep section.

   Guided tours are available at 11AM and 2PM. Each tour lasts 45 minutes.·RM16 for adults and RM8 for children below 12

3. Do

   ESCAPE Theme Park

   The ESCAPE Theme Park consists of two parts - one for jungle-themed activities and another for aquatic games. The former includes zip-lines, bungee jumping and rock climbing, whilst the latter contains water tunnels, slides and pools - all within a refreshing jungle setting.

   Tue-Sun 10AM-6PM·Ticket prices start from RM42.50/pax; free for children below 3

4. See

   Entopia Butterfly Farm

   Home to some 13,000 species of butterflies, the Entopia Butterfly Farm also contains numerous other invertebrates and insects.

   9AM-5PM·RM60 for adults (RM45 for Malaysian citizens), and RM40 for children below 12 and senior citizens (RM25 for Malaysian citizens)

5. See

   Fort Cornwallis

   The fort, named for Charles Cornwallis, is built on the site where Francis Light, founder of Penang, landed on 11 August 1786. It was first built in 1793. But this site was an unlikely spot to defend the city from invasion. In 1810 it was rebuilt in an attempt to make up for initial strategic planning errors. In the shape of a star, the only actual buildings still standing are the outer walls, a gunpowder magazine, and a small Christian chapel. Several old cannons (including one that is believed by some locals to have magical 'fertility' powers) can still be found at the fort. There are also small displays of artefacts recovered from archaeological digs inside the fort. The magazine houses an exhibit of old photos and historical accounts of the old fort.

   Daily 9AM-8PM·RM20 for adults (RM10 for Malaysian citizens) and RM10 for children (RM5 for Malaysian citizens)

6. See

   Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi

   Built in 1850 by the forefathers of Khoo family who emigrated from China as a clan-house for members of the Khoo family. In 1836, construction of a new temple began and was completed eight years later. Fire razed the wooden structure to the ground in 1894, it was allegedly struck by lightning. Chinese believed that it was due to its resemblance to the Emperor's palace, which provoked the gods. A scaled-down version was later built in 1902 and completed in 1906. The richly ornamented carvings of the roofs, walls and pillars reflect the art and architecture of ancient China and made of the finest wood. Expect to finish a visit to Khoo Kongsi with a sore neck.

   9AM-5PM·RM10 for adults, RM1 for children between the ages of 5 and 12, and free for children below 5

7. See

   Made in Penang Interactive Museum

   Housed within the Behn-Meyer Building which was built in the late 19th century, this interactive museum features various three-dimensional interactive art pieces that depict Penang's culture, history and lifestyle.

   Daily 10AM-6:30PM·RM37.10 for adults (RM26.50 for Malaysian citizens), and RM26.50 for children and the elderly (RM15.90 for Malaysian citizens)

8. Do

   Occupy Beach Street

   Every Sunday morning, Beach Street, Bishop Street, Church Street and Church Street Ghaut are turned into car-free zones. Family-friendly recreational activities and roadside stalls will be set up along these roads.

   Sun 7AM-1PM·Entrance is free of charge

9. See

   Penang State Museum

   Formerly the Penang Free School which was built in two separate stages in 1896 and 1906. The museum is an interesting starting point to discover the multi-ethnic background of George Town. Two floors display the history of the immigrant community that participated in the creation of the present city. The museum also exhibits the paintings of Captain Robert Smith and the lovely engravings of William Daniell. Other exhibits include a former Penang Hill railway carriage, a handwritten Qur`an and old Malay weapons donated by the family of the late Dato' Haji Fathil Basheer. The museum has moved from its original site in Farquhar Street, to 57 Jalan Macalister; only parts of the exhibition are on display.

   Sat-Thu 9AM-5PM·RM1 for all visitors

10. See

    Penang Time Tunnel Museum

    An interactive museum that features three-dimensional artwork about Penang's history.

    Mon-Fri 9:15AM-6PM; Sat Sun and public holidays: 9:15AM-6:30PM·RM29 for adults (RM16 for Malaysian citizens), RM16 for children between 5 and 12 (RM8 for Malaysian citizens), and RM16 for students (RM11 for Malaysian citizens with student ID)

11. See

    Pinang Peranakan Mansion

    Built as the home of Kapitan Chung Keng Kwee, a prominent Chinese tycoon, this green-coloured Straits Eclectic house is now home to thousands of Peranakan antiques once used by the Peranakans. It was also featured in several movies and television series, such as Singapore's The Little Nyonya and The Amazing Race (Season 16). Free guided tours in English and Mandarin.

    09:30 – 17:30·RM25 for adults, RM 12 (6-12 years), free for children below 6

12. Do

    Rainbow Skywalk

    This glass walkway above sea level is not for the acrophobic. Opened in 2016, the Rainbow Skywalk, at the top of the KOMTAR Tower, is the highest glass skywalk in Malaysia. Standing on transparent glass just a few inches thick, one could not only see the busy streets directly below, but also have a bird's eye view of much of the city.

    Sun-Thu 11AM-10PM, Fri Sat 11AM-11PM, school and public holidays: 10AM-11PM·RM68 for adults (RM45 for Malaysian citizens), and RM45 for children, senior citizens and the impaired (RM26 for Malaysian citizens)

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to George Town (CC BY-SA 4.0).