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Kolkata also known as the 'City of Joy' was once regarded as the cultural capital of India. Many travellers throng the city every year from across the world to marvel at its monuments and enjoy the rich culture of the city.
There are museums, planetariums, libraries, cricket grounds, football stadiums, amusement parks and other entertainment option for all ages. If you are travelling with children or if you are a resident of the city and are looking forward to spending the holidays with your kids, there are many fun destinations in the city to keep both you and your kids well-entertained.
1. Nicco Park
Nicco Park is an amusement park located in Salt Lake City, Kolkata. The park was created to attract tourists to the state by providing family-friendly recreation as well as educative entertainment. The park opened on October 13, 1991 and has since been referred to as the Disneyland of West Bengal. It has approximately 35 rides that include the Toy Train, Tilt-a-Whirl, Magic Carpet, Paddle Boat, Water Chute, Water Coaster, Flying Saucer, Pirate Ship, River Caves, Cyclone and Moonraker. The Giant Cyclone which was added in the year 2003 is among Asia's largest. The ride is 750 mt in length, has seven loops and goes as high as 55 ft. Other attractions in the park includes cable cars and the structure of the Eiffel Tower which provides a panoramic view of the park from above and natural attractions such as a Rose Garden and a forty feet high waterfall. There is also a decommissioned MIG-21 fighter aircraft from the Bagdogra Airbase on display here.
The Merry-Go-Round at the Nicco Park.
Photo Courtesy: Rakeshnandi1990
2. Birla Planetarium
The Birla Planetarium in Kolkata is a single-storey circular structure whose architecture is loosely styled on the Sanchi Stupa. Situated adjacent to the Victoria Memorial it is the largest planetarium in Asia and the second largest in the world. Popularly known as 'Taramandal', the planetarium was inaugurated on 2nd July 1963 by the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. It has an electronics laboratory for design and fabrication of science equipment. It has an astronomy gallery that maintains a huge collection of fine paintings and celestial models of renowned astronomers. It offers to the public and students more than 100 astronomical projects dealing with various facts of astronomy, astro-physics, space science as well as myths concerning stars and planets. It has a capacity of 680 people. Daily programs are conducted in English, Bengali and Hindi from 12:00 to 19:00 hrs. Programs are occasionally conducted in Oriya, Tamil and Gujarati, as well. Extra shows are arranged on holidays.
Entrance to the Birla Planetarium
Photo Courtesy: Avrajyoti Mitra
3. Science Museum
The Science Museum in Kolkata is the largest science centre in the Indian subcontinent. It is considered by some people as the most distinguished landmark in post-independence Kolkata. It is the apt place to head to with kids on a holiday. It houses many galleries namely space odyssey, dynamotion, evolution theme park, 3-D vision theatre, mirror magic and several exhibits on space science, motion and electricity.
A view of the Globe at Science Museum.
Photo Courtesy: Biswarup Ganguly
4. Botanical Gardens
Botanical Gardens of Kolkata is situated 8 km away from the city on the west bank of the Hooghly river. Laid out in the year 1787, the garden is one of the oldest and largest botanical gardens of India. It contains about 12,000 living perennial plants and millions of dried out plants gathered from world over. The main attraction of the botanical gardens is the giant size banyan tree that is said to have the second largest canopy in the world. Over here, you can find a plethora of beautiful orchids and other colourful flowers. The garden also has a library, where you can find a valuable collection of books on botany. The botanical garden of Kolkata houses various trees of the rarest variety.
The Great Banyan Tree at the Botanical Gardens.
Photo Courtesy: McKay Savage
5. Alipore Zoo
The Alipore Zoological Gardens also informally called the Alipore Zoo and Calcutta Zoo, is India's oldest formally started zoological park and a big tourist attraction here. It has been open since 1876 and is probably best known as the home of the now expired Aldabra Giant Tortoise, Adwaita, which was reputed to have been over 250 years old when it died in 2006. The zoo displays a large number of crowd-pulling fauna, including the Royal Bengal Tiger,African Lion, Jaguar, Hippopotamus, Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros, Reticulated Giraffe,Grant's Zebra, Emu, Dromedary Camel and Indian Elephant. The zoo also sports a large collection of attractive birds, including some threatened species. It is also a picnic spot and you will find many a families with small kids trooping here to see the wildlife.
The Royal Bengal Tiger in the zoo.
Photo Courtesy: Koshy Koshy
