In February 2024 we came to Petersburg for two weeks with our family. At first there were four of us: me, my sons (11 months and 4.5 years old) and my mother-in-law, and then our dad arrived with the older children (20, 16 and 9 years old).
February in Petersburg is a great time to visit museums. They aren't as crowded, especially in the evenings. In fact, having museums within walking distance (we stayed on Bolshaya Morskaya, near Palace Square) was our main goal. We wanted to create conditions where the museum could be visited at literally any moment. To show the children that a museum isn't something hard to reach, but can rather be part of everyday life. I realize that's not always possible, since every city is different. However, for a tourist trip, this is my first tip: the less time you spend getting to the museum, the more likely everyone will be kind and cheerful.
Palace Square on one of the frosty February days in 2024
Sasha (he's 4.5 years old) had already been to the Hermitage several times. The first time was when he was 1.5 years old, during the pandemic. He and I briskly walked up the Jordan Staircase and peeked into the Nikolaevsky Hall at a temporary exhibition. Sasha's main interest was the huge spaces and the very beautiful floor. I don't remember any exhibits catching his attention. But at four, Sasha, already with much museum experience, walked through the Hermitage with his grandmother for about two hours, carefully looking at portraits of field marshals, sculptures, the Peacock clock. \r\n
Sasha's first time at the Hermitage, he was one and a half years old
And here is the second tip: ideally each child should be accompanied by an adult, because children's interests and needs differ, and finding a compromise in such a situation is not easy.
Analyzing that experience, I chose the evening for the first visit to the Hermitage, because the younger Maxim (he was 11 months old at the time) was alert after his daytime nap. We went to the General Staff Building because that museum building was closer to us. And the General Staff Building has a staircase. No, not like that. STAIRCASE! Knowing that Maxim really loves stairs, I decided to start our acquaintance with the museum from that space, and it paid off. Considerable physical exertion (Maxim climbed all the way up by himself), then a 'sprint' through the halls with a specific goal for Sasha — to see Matisse's 'The Dance' — tired the boys so much that on the way home (5 minutes for us) they fell asleep very quickly. We spent about an hour at the Hermitage.
What else helped organize the visit? Sasha took a map-plan, picking exhibits on it (it's great when the map has photos of the exhibits), which became the goals and incentives for moving around. Grandma was with us at first, and then we agreed to act independently. Grandma got a break and some rest, and we had quality time as a threesome. Yes, one more important point: I always bring spare shoes for the children, usually lightweight sandals. I also sometimes carry Maxim in a backpack carrier; it speeds up movement. \r\n
A few days later we went to the main building of the Hermitage: we wanted to see the working demonstration of the Peacock clock. Before that we went up the Jordan Staircase (delight!) and peeked into the state rooms. Maxim was impressed by the scale and beauty, expressing his emotions quite loudly.
The attendants' reaction was pleasing: looking at us, they smiled and sometimes commented on what small and cute visitors had come to see them.
We also saw the clockworks: I had to hold Sasha because a crowd gathered, and by that time Maxim was already very tired, so I was holding and soothing him as well. Conclusion: crowds are not good for little ones; you should take room occupancy into account when planning a visit.
To sum up. Is it worth going to a museum with a baby? In my experience, yes. But you must take into account the needs and capacities of all participants. In the first months of a child's life, a museum visit will more likely be necessary for the parents, especially the mother. It will be a change of scenery, an opportunity to get new impressions and socialize. Here a question may arise: should the mother take the child with her in this case? Situations vary. Someone may leave the child with others, someone always takes the baby along.
The older the child gets, the more interests and possibilities they have. You should orient yourself to that when choosing a museum. What to pay attention to when planning a museum visit I will talk about in the next post. \r\n
