Ling Mommy
Last week after seeing the opening of the Keelung Grandparent-Grandchild Museum, I was so excited and knew I had to bring my two girls here for a pilgrimage. And it's also Taiwan's first intergenerational museum designed for both seniors and children. Since I had nothing to do this afternoon, I decided to take the girls out for some fun and energy release ASAP! Currently, it operates by appointment only! So remember to book a day in advance.
■ Address: 2F, No. 3, Tiaohe St., Zhongzheng District, Keelung City
■ Phone: (02)2469-6899
■ Opening Hours: Tuesdays to Saturdays, 9 AM to 12 PM, 2 PM to 4 PM.
■ Target Audience: Seniors aged 65 and above, and children under 6 (children must be accompanied by an adult caregiver)
■ Museum Entry Notice: Adults must wear socks; all entrants must bring ID
■ Museum Rules: Both scheduled courses and free exploration inside the museum are by appointment
■ Appointment Methods:
1. By phone: 02-2469-6899
2. In person: Visit the Keelung Grandparent-Grandchild Museum in person, 2F, No. 3, Tiaohe St., Zhongzheng District, Keelung City (above Tiaohe Market)
3. FB private message to sign up
The location is actually quite easy to find—it's inside Tiaohe Market, very close to the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology.
But parking around here is very difficult. You can park at the underground parking lot of the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology (NT$20/hour on weekdays, NT$50/hour on holidays), and it’s about a 5-minute walk from there.
Or taking the bus is also very convenient—just get off at Tiaohe Market and you’re right at the entrance! (Today I saw that the Taipei City Government–Badouzi Bus 2088 also passes by here, so if you're coming from Taipei, taking the bus is an option.)
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The museum is on the second floor! There’s an elevator! So bringing a stroller with kids is totally fine. Right at the entrance, you’ll see a big sign—you have to press the doorbell for someone to come open the door.
As soon as we walked in, a super friendly staff member came to introduce the environment, then helped us take our temperature and sanitize our hands.
Next to the entrance, there’s a row of really beautiful shoe cabinets labeled A, B, C, D! Remember, adults must wear socks to enter! Fanfan chose the pink cabinet to put her shoes in.
Then, as soon as you walk in, you’ll see a huge counter and an extremely spacious 0‧ extremely spacious 0‧ extremely spacious 0‧ reception area.
This space is super big! The whole atmosphere feels very relaxing, like a café. The tables and chairs are neatly arranged, and the environment is super clean.
Since it was our first visit, we had to fill out some basic information, and don’t forget to bring your child’s health insurance card—they mainly keep the child’s health insurance card as a deposit here.
Mom was busy filling out the forms while the two sisters were already running around everywhere!
After filling everything out, you’ll get a key to a locker—the pretty digital lockers over there are the lockers! They don’t even allow you to bring water bottles inside, so you have to come out to drink water!
Outside, there are also public restrooms and a simple pantry. I have to praise how clean the bathrooms are here—not only is the accessible space well planned, but the family restrooms are also very thoughtfully equipped.
The two sisters couldn’t wait to go in—the mom was excited too! GOGOGO 0‧ As soon as we walked in! Wow 0‧ what a huge, huge, HUGE space! These two sisters are ready to run off in different directions!
Because the space is really huge, let Ling Mom introduce it section by section: the central area is roughly divided into four major zones
Unexpectedly, there are a lot of diverse children’s books here—way more than I imagined.
The space is also very spacious, allowing children to pick their favorite books and sit on the sofa to read.
Even Qiqi shows interest in these books, and simple cognitive books are great for toddlers.
Almost every book is new, and there are reading materials suitable for all age groups, from toddlers to older kids. For example, this section is filled with storybooks, perfect for older children.
Where is this little girl who keeps wandering off trying to go? Look how big this space is.
On the other side, there’s a sailboat-shaped area with stairs on both sides, which looks like a projection room for playing videos.
This is the central area, ideal for board games or reading.
This section is definitely the one kids care about the most. There are only seven cars right now, mostly balance bikes or toddler push bikes.
Qiqi loves this one the most and always comes back to find it after playing.
Go go go!! She’s running off to find her car again. The floor is painted with bike paths to make it more realistic—don’t forget to put the bike back when you’re done riding it.
The little girl is going for a ride!! Vroom vroom vroom!! Awesome!! Where did you ride off to?
If adults get tired, there’s also a simple sofa area nearby where you can sit and rest for a bit. I have to say, the sofa area is also super cute.
In addition to the large central area, there are also several small themed rooms around, each with different functions.
This room is also very popular with kids, and you can see adorable chalkboard drawings on one side.
There’s an area with small tables and chairs, surrounded by various stuffed animals and drawing tools.
The other side of the room has a cute and cozy style—so many stuffed animals!! I just realized they used a lot of plush toys for decoration here.
The tree shelf holds a variety of cloth books, perfect for toddlers to play with.
This area is perfect for babies to crawl around, with soft mats, small balls, and animal toys.
In the middle, there are three adorable rocking boats, and the two sisters were super excited to each take one.
I was actually surprised when I walked in here!! Now I understand why it’s called the Imagination Village—I think the idea is brilliant!! It's a role-playing game that kids love, divided into four little villages.
“Music Village”—there are quite a few musical instruments to play with, and you can see the two sisters playing the piano.
Fanfan also picked up the guitar and looked quite cool—he kids will definitely love this area, but it might get a bit crowded when there are too many children.
Next up, what should we call this corner? A police and fire station village, perhaps? Haha!! Not only does it have a full set of police and firefighter uniforms for dressing up and taking photos, but there are also small building blocks and toy vehicles to play with.
“Chef Village”—there are three or four wooden kitchen sets, and the two sisters insist on squeezing into the same one.
The two sisters are having so much fun. What would you like to eat? There’s even a cute food cart you can push around…
This corner is probably called the “Building Blocks Village.”
Cute little building blocks—you could play with them for ages. The two sisters are working hard to put the blocks back one by one.
On the other side, there’s probably a “Tools Village”—with various tool tables to play with. This is one of the screw tool tables.
As the name suggests, it’s meant for kids to move around and get active—but it’s a bit of a pity that there aren’t many facilities here. There’s a balance beam, a few soft mats, and a section with balls.
There’s also an area with a climbing wall that older kids would enjoy.
As soon as you walk in, it’s a very comfortable space, like home, designed for elderly people to read and relax.
There’s also a whole cabinet of books you can read, which is quite extensive, but they’re for in-house reading only!
Next, let me introduce the areas that weren’t open this time, but are likely used for related events.
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It’s a space for dance classes or parent-child movement activities.
The cooking DIY classroom looks amazing — I’d really love to take a class here.
I saw a lot of plants here. Courses related to planting trees might be held in this area.
A hands-on DIY classroom.
There are two restrooms in the venue: one is a unisex restroom, and the other is a parent-child restroom. The parent-child restroom has an archway like a castle. Don’t forget to change into the restroom slippers!
This parent-child restroom is very spacious, and there are plenty of small toilets for kids. It’s perfect for helping children learn to use the toilet and wash their hands by themselves.
Fanfan: I can see myself in the mirror now!! (Normally when we’re out, he’s almost always being held by an adult to wash his hands, but here he can wash his hands properly on his own.)
The nursing and pumping room is next to the counter. You’ll need to borrow the key from the counter first to enter.
The space is just big enough for one family, as there’s only one nursing chair and one diaper-changing station. That’s the one thing I feel could be improved — if there’s a crowd, you might have to wait in line.
I was really impressed by my visit today. The environment and quality here are excellent, possibly because it’s newly opened and everything is brand new, but I hope they can maintain this standard. The 400-ping (approx. 1,320 m²) space is super large, really spacious and comfortable, and every corner is clean. The variety of toys is decent, though I feel there could be more, given how big the space is.
I think the children’s book section is well planned, catering to kids of different age groups with a diverse selection. Aside from the kids’ play area, there’s also a dedicated space for seniors, truly living up to the name of a grandparent-grandchild center. Each area is well utilized, making us feel the thoughtfulness put into the design. It’s going to be a great new play spot for grandparents and grandkids!
After playing, the two sisters fell asleep instantly in the car. Although it’s only open for two hours in the afternoon, it’s really sufficient. And they offer hands-on courses for parents with kids, seniors, and more every day — it’s really wonderful. I’d love to try it out. Interested friends can sign up via their Facebook page.
For me, the only downside is that it’s quite far from where we live and not very close to the city center. But it’s such a good place that it’s worth visiting again and again. Just remember to make a reservation in advance if you plan to go.
[Authorized reprint from LINGMami - A Military Spouse’s Happy Parenting Life] Original source: [Keelung Parent-Child Center – Taiwan’s First Intergenerational Grandparent-Grandchild Center with 12 Themed Areas]