Hsinchu is better for small children than its reputation suggests. Over the last few years both the city and the county have rebuilt many neighborhood parks with landscaped slides, climbing nets and play equipment that children of different abilities can use together, and these are what most families here actually do on an ordinary weekend. From Jason's years in Zhubei, our advice is to learn three or four parks near home, keep Hsinchu Park for the zoo days, and save the theme parks for birthdays.
- Best half day Hsinchu Park: the zoo, the Glass Museum and the insect hall, all within a short walk.
- Best playgrounds Xinglong Park's forest playground in Zhubei; Guanxin and Central parks in East District.
- Rainy day The new Hsinchu County General Library in Zhubei, the Glass Museum, the Image Museum.
- Watch for Mondays: the zoo, the museums and the libraries mostly close. Outdoor play is best before 11:00 from May to October.
Hsinchu Park and the zoo
Hsinchu Park (新竹公園) in East District is the city's old central park, about 18 hectares, opened in 1916, with a lake, big trees and cherry blossom from about January to March. Most of what children want is inside it or next to it.
Hsinchu Zoo (新竹市立動物園) is small and old, rebuilt and reopened in 2019, and it suits under-tens perfectly: you can see everything in a couple of hours.
- Hours 09:00 to 17:00; last tickets and entry 16:20. Closed Mondays (open on a Monday that falls in a long holiday) and on Lunar New Year's Eve, and on typhoon days when the city suspends work.
- Tickets NT$50 adults, NT$25 ages 6 to 11. Free under 6, for 65 and over, and for children under 12 registered in Hsinchu City; bring proof. Holders of a Hsinchu City citizen card or electronic student card get 10% off.
- Getting there 66 Shipin Road, East District, east of Hsinchu TRA Station. City buses 2, 2A and 71 stop nearby. Parking is tight on weekends, so the zoo itself suggests public transport.
- Website zoo.hccg.gov.tw
Across the park, the Glass Museum (玻璃工藝博物館) tells the story of Hsinchu's glass industry in a Japanese-era building. It's open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00; tickets are NT$50, or NT$30 concession, and free for Hsinchu City residents, children under 6 and over-65s. Next to it, the Chun Shi Glass Studio (春室) lets older children try glassblowing and other paid workshops (10:00 to 17:30, closed Mondays; book ahead). The small Taiwan Insect Museum, Hsinchu (台灣昆蟲館新竹館) near the zoo is free, with insects, a capybara and a giant tortoise, but it opens only Friday to Sunday, 10:00 to 17:00.
Playground parks in Hsinchu City
The city's rebuilt parks are the best free thing here for under-tens. A few that stand out:
- Guanxin Park (關新公園), East District: an inclusive playground built into a hill, with a gentle grass slide area for ages 2 to 5 and a long terrazzo slide on the hill for ages 5 to 12.
- Central Park (中央公園), East District, off Zhongyang Road: rebuilt in 2016 as a children's park, with EU-certified equipment that children with disabilities can use.
- Minghu Park (明湖公園), by Qingcaohu: a shady former tree nursery with a big terrazzo sandpit slide, an inclusive swing and an accessible raised walkway to the lake.
- Lüguang Park (綠光公園), East District: zip line, climbing wall, balance beams, sand pit and an old-style water pump.
- Qingqing Grassland (青青草原), Xiangshan: 64 hectares of open grass and paths in the hills, and a 54 m terrazzo slide that the city bills as the longest in northern Taiwan. It's a drive or a taxi from the city centre, about 20 minutes outside rush hour.
Playground parks in Zhubei
Zhubei's parks are newer, and the best of them are a match for anything in the city. The Zhubei City Office runs them, and all are open all year.
- Xinglong Park Natural Forest Playground (興隆公園自然森林遊戲場), Xinglong Road Section 1 at Jiade Road: seven zones and 18 play features, including a butterfly-shaped climbing net, rope swings, a preschool area and a balance-bike track, with accessible paving.
- Dawang Flower Park (大王花公園), at Zhuangjing North Road and Shengli 15th Street: designed for preschoolers, with a flower-shaped climbing frame of nets, walls and ropes.
- Jiafeng Math Park (嘉豐數學公園), near Xinwawu: number sculptures, a magic-square plaza and maths games, with shade and benches for parents.
- Shuizhen Forest Park (水圳森林公園), near Hsinchu HSR Station: lawns for picnics and a lake with music and lights in the evening. More for running about than for climbing.
- Dongxing Canal Park (東興圳公園), Wenxing Road Section 2: open green space along a 200-year-old irrigation canal, with light installations during its annual light festival.
Further out in the county, the Taiwan Cement Family Park (竹東台泥親子公園) in Zhudong is built on a former cement plant site, with terrazzo slides, a big climbing net and tunnels instead of off-the-shelf equipment. Puhe Park (埔和公園) was Xinfeng's first inclusive park, and Hukou's Gong 5 Park (湖口公五特色公園) has a military theme, with a play armoured vehicle and an obstacle course.
Good to know: from May to October the terrazzo slides and metal parts get very hot by late morning, and there is little shade at most of the new parks. Go early, or after 16:00, and bring water. In autumn and winter the northeast wind (九降風) is the problem instead; Hsinchu's weather explains why.
Rainy days and indoor time
- The new county library. The Hsinchu County General Library (新竹縣立總圖書館) at 155 Ziqiang 3rd Road, Zhubei, began a trial opening on October 29, 2026 and opens officially on December 18, 2026. Hours are Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 21:00, closed Mondays. During the trial, books are for reading in the library only, with no lending. The older library in the county Cultural Affairs Bureau, at 146 Xianzheng 9th Road, opens Tuesday to Friday 09:00 to 20:30 and weekends 09:00 to 17:00, closed Mondays and public holidays.
- Hsinchu City libraries. The city's main library on Zhongyang Road was closed for renovation when we checked, so use the branches; a new Nanda branch (南大分館) opened on November 3, 2026. Check the city library site for branch hours.
- Museums in the old city. The Image Museum (影像博物館), a 1933 cinema near Hsinchu TRA Station, has film exhibitions and screenings and is closed on Mondays. The Military Dependents' Village Museum (眷村博物館) on Dongda Road Section 2, Taiwan's first museum of the military villages, was due to reopen in May 2026 after renovation; check before you go. Both suit school-age children more than toddlers.
- Science. The Science Park Exploration Hall (科學園區探索館), in one of the park's original 1980 factory buildings, shows how the Science Park grew. It opens weekdays only, 09:00 to 17:00, and you must book a visit. Older children will get more out of it.
Theme parks: Little Ding-Dong and Leofoo
Little Ding-Dong Science Theme Park (小叮噹科學主題樂園) in Xinfeng is built around hands-on science zones (water, wind, light, sound, electricity), with a ski slope area as well. It's the better choice for under-eights.
- Hours Weekdays 09:30 to 17:00, weekends and holidays 09:00 to 17:00; tickets until 16:30. Closed on Lunar New Year's Eve.
- Tickets NT$760 adults, NT$720 from age 6 to high school, NT$660 ages 3 to 5, NT$380 over 60; free under 3. The park also posts monthly offers and a lower price for Xinfeng residents.
- Getting there 199 Kanghe Road, Xinfeng. About 20 to 30 minutes' drive from Zhubei, outside rush hour.
Leofoo Village Theme Park (六福村主題遊樂園) in Guanxi is the big one, with rides, themed areas such as its American Wild West, and animals. It opens 09:30 to 19:30 (only the Wild West area after 17:00). Children under 3, or under 100 cm, go free with a parent; for other prices see Leofoo's site, which sells tickets online. It's about 40 minutes' drive from Zhubei outside rush hour, longer on a holiday weekend. Pair it with Guanxi's Hakka food: see Xinpu and Guanxi.
The coast
Hsinchu City's coast is flat and easy with children: the Seventeen Kilometer Coastline bike path runs from Hsinchu Fishing Port (新竹漁港) at Nanliao, with its big kite-flying lawn and the "fish-scale" steps down to the sea, past the canal park to the boardwalks over Xiangshan Wetland, where fiddler crabs and mudskippers come out at low tide. Bikes can be rented along the route; go on a calm day, as the coast is very exposed to the wind. Our coast and cycling guide has the details, and the outdoors section covers easy family hikes.
School holidays
For summer and winter breaks, Camps.Asia keeps a verified list of kids' camps in Hsinchu, from STEAM and robotics to university sports camps, with ages, language and registration dates checked against each organizer. Most are in Chinese. For schools, preschools and after-school care, see families and schools.
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Sources: Hsinchu Zoo visitor information (zoo.hccg.gov.tw); Hsinchu City Government tourism site (tourism.hccg.gov.tw) attraction pages for Hsinchu Park, the Glass Museum, Chun Shi Glass Studio, the Taiwan Insect Museum, Guanxin, Central, Minghu and Lüguang parks, Qingqing Grassland, the Image Museum, the Military Dependents' Village Museum, the Science Park Exploration Hall and the coast; Hsinchu City Government notices on CNA's release platform (Glass Museum hours and tickets, March 2026; museum reopening, May 2026); Hsinchu County tourism site (travel.hsinchu.gov.tw) for the Zhubei, Zhudong, Xinfeng and Hukou parks; Hsinchu County Cultural Affairs Bureau and library sites (hchcc.gov.tw, hcplibrary.hchcc.gov.tw, hclibraryopening.com.tw); Hsinchu City Library (library.hccg.gov.tw); Little Ding-Dong (ding-dong.com.tw); Leofoo Village (leofoovillage.com.tw); Camps.Asia. Drive times are our estimates. Checked November 2026.