Istanbul with Kids 2026: Miniaturk, Aquarium, and What Is Closed

Short version: three famous family stops in Istanbul no longer exist. Legoland Discovery Centre, Sea Life and Madame Tussauds all closed for good on 1 January 2025. Two good ones are open: Miniatürk, an open-air park of Turkey’s landmarks in miniature (900 TL, about $18 on 24 October 2026), and Istanbul Aquarium in Florya (1,500 TL for adults, 1,350 TL for ages 2 to 12). Do them on separate days: the aquarium on a rainy day, Miniatürk on a dry one.

What is closed

Attraction	Status	Where it was
Legoland Discovery Centre Istanbul	Closed since 1 Jan 2025 (last day 31 Dec 2024)	Forum Istanbul, Bayrampaşa
Sea Life Istanbul	Closed since 1 Jan 2025	Forum Istanbul, Bayrampaşa
Madame Tussauds Istanbul	Closed since 1 Jan 2025 (last day 31 Dec 2024)	Grand Pera, Istiklal Street

The UK owner, Merlin Entertainments, left Türkiye after what it called poor commercial results (Habertürk, Ekonomim, Hürriyet Daily News). Wikipedia lists the Istanbul Legoland as closed (2015 to 2025), and we found no reopening. Some ticket sites and older guides still sell them, including combined Legoland and Madame Tussauds tickets, so do not buy a ticket for any of the three.

Miniatürk

• Price at the gate (official site, 24 Oct 2026): 900 TL, about $18; the GetYourGuide ticket is about $3 more. The site also lists a 1,350 TL combined ticket. Children under 6 are free (the Turkish page says “under 6”, the English page says “6 and under”; bring an ID for the age check).
• Hours: 10:00 to 18:00, closed on Mondays. The late Friday and Saturday opening ran only from 26 June to 13 September.
• Paying: card or İstanbulkart only. No cash and no foreign currency. Museum Pass is not valid. The ticket is good only on the day you buy it and cannot be refunded.
• How long: reviewers say 1.5 to 2 hours.
• Address: Örnektepe Mahallesi, İmrahor Caddesi 7, Sütlüce, Beyoğlu, on the Golden Horn. The park has parking for about 300 cars. A taxi from Sultanahmet is the simplest way. Istanbul Tourist Pass lists buses 47, 47Ç and 47E from Eminönü; that is not from the park’s own page, so check the route in your maps app.

Istanbul Aquarium (Florya)

Istanbul Aquarium is a large indoor aquarium on the Marmara coast with 17 themed zones from the Black Sea to the Amazon, and penguins. It is not the closed Sea Life. It is open every day and suits all ages.

• Price (official site, 24 Oct 2026): 1,500 TL for adults (about $30), 1,350 TL for ages 2 to 12 (about $27), free up to 24 months. Larger packages add a photo, a VR ride or an exhibition and cost more. The campaign prices on the site are for Turkish citizens only.
• Online ticket: valid for one month, no reservation needed. You can also buy at the box office.
• On GetYourGuide: Istanbul Aquarium entry ticket (affiliate link) from $40, rated 4.5 from 119 reviews (the listing page, read 24 Oct). Booking with the aquarium directly is about $10 cheaper per adult; GetYourGuide gives a dollar checkout and free cancellation up to 24 hours before. A Sultanahmet shuttle plus ticket starts at $43 (4.2 from 395 reviews).
• Hours: 10:00 to 19:00 on weekdays, 10:00 to 20:00 on weekends (official FAQ).
• Getting there: take Marmaray to Florya Akvaryum station (the official FAQ gives this as the first option). Another route is Metrobus to Beşyol and a Florya minibus to the aquarium’s last stop. Allow 35 to 45 minutes from Sultanahmet (an estimate from a local guide site).
• Address: Şenlikköy Mahallesi, Yeşilköy Halkalı Caddesi 93, Florya.

Best order

1. Miniatürk first, on a dry day, in the morning. It is closer to the old city and takes about 2 hours.
2. Aquarium on your rainy or very hot day. Everything is indoors. Allow about 2 hours plus the trip to Florya.
3. Keep them on separate days. They are on opposite sides of the old city, so one day with both is mostly transport.

For a day that mixes in the water, the Bosphorus cruise and the Princes’ Islands are the other two options families pick most. Book the old-city sights together: Hagia Sophia tickets and Basilica Cistern.

Notes

Prices are from the official Miniatürk and İstanbul Akvaryum sites and the GetYourGuide listing on 24 October 2026. Lira prices change often. Dollar amounts use the 23 October ECB rate of about 49.7 TL per dollar. We recheck monthly.

Frequently asked questions