Soggiorna
Imperia has no theme park and no aquarium, and families who choose it usually do so because they are staying there or passing through. Then they discover a few things you won't find elsewhere: the house of a world-famous clown turned into a museum, a planetarium with dome projections, a naval museum with simulators, a sandy beach below the old town and, since 2026, a continuous cycle path along the sea.
Below are the ideas, with the right opening times and the ages they work best for.
Villa Grock: the Clown Museum
This is the one not to miss. Villa Grock, in Oneglia in Via Fanny Roncati Carli, is the house built between 1924 and 1930 for Adrien Wettach, the Swiss clown known as Grock. The villa itself, eccentric and full of symbols, seems made for children; inside is the Clown Museum, with interactive installations and technology in its rooms.
Outside is the park, with an elliptical fish pond and the Circo di Pietra, a trail of games and puzzles: it is the part children remember.
- Hours: Monday 10-13, Wednesday and Thursday 14-18.30, Friday-Sunday 10-13 and 14-18; closed Tuesday.
- Tickets: full 9 euros; reduced 7 euros for ages 5 to 18; free up to age 4. The museum mentions reduced family rates (at least one parent and one child), to ask about at the ticket desk.
- Getting there: a quarter of an hour's walk from Piazza Dante; at weekends and on public holidays there is a shuttle for 1 euro.
- Note: from 20 October to 13 November 2026 the villa is closed for works on the gates.
The Planetarium and the Naval Museum
In Porto Maurizio, in Borgo Marina, in the former warehouses of Calata Anselmi, there are two museums in the same building.
The Planetarium sits under the green copper dome you can see from the harbour: immersive projections on planets, galaxies and the universe, telescope observations and an animated story designed for children aged 6 to 12. It is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 18 to 22; in 2026 it is closed on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November. The show schedule and tickets are on the Planetarium's website.
The Naval Museum covers work at sea, sport, travel and war above and below the surface, with multimedia installations, simulators and educational workshops. It opens Tuesday and Wednesday 10-13, Friday 10-13 and 14-18, Saturday 15-22, Sunday 15-20; it is closed Monday and Thursday.
The combination that works: on Saturday afternoon the Naval Museum, then the Planetarium from 18. You stay in the same place, indoors, until evening.
The Olive Museum
In Oneglia, in Via Garessio, the Museo dell'Olivo Carlo Carli is not a children's museum, but it offers visitors "young and old" games and activities alongside the rooms, and has four educational sheets on the history, techniques and present of the olive tree. It works from about age 7-8 up, better if you pick part of the route rather than doing it all.
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10-13 and 15-18; closed Sunday and Monday. There is a large free car park inside the complex.
The Parasio lifts
For a child, going up to Porto Maurizio's old town in an inclined lift is an attraction in itself. There are three lifts, linking the Parasio with the Via Aurelia and Borgo Marina, and they make more than half a million trips a year. The trick is to ride up and walk down, passing the Loggiato di Santa Chiara, the portico overlooking the sea.
With a pushchair the Parasio is hard work: climbs, stairways and stone. A baby carrier is better, or stick to the main streets.
The sea: the Spiaggia d'Oro
For small children the right beach is the Spiaggia d'Oro, Porto Maurizio's sandy beach below the Parasio, equipped in summer. To the east, beyond Oneglia, the coast turns to pebbles and rocks: great for older children with mask and water shoes, less comfortable with little ones. In 2026 Imperia has the Blue Flag for the beaches of Borgo Peri and Borgo Marina. All the differences are in the guide to the beaches of Imperia.
By bike, on the flat and away from cars
The Riviera dei Fiori cycle path is one of the best things to do with children in the whole of western Liguria: it is flat, almost always beside the sea, and since 20 June 2026 it has been continuous for 45 kilometres from Ospedaletti to Andora.
From Imperia there are two directions:
- westwards, from Borgo Prino to San Lorenzo al Mare: nine kilometres on the old railway line, beside the sea, suitable even for the youngest on their own bikes or in a child seat;
- eastwards, under Capo Berta to Diano Marina: the section opened in 2026, the most scenic, suspended between cliff and sea.
It is a shared cycle and pedestrian path: with children, go slowly and share the space with walkers. There are no drinking fountains every kilometre, so bring water. To get back there is the train: on Ligurian regional trains marked with the pictogram, bikes travel free within the region. Everything is in the guide to the Riviera dei Fiori cycle path.
A typical day
- Morning: lift up to the Parasio, walk down via the Loggiato di Santa Chiara, then the Spiaggia d'Oro (in summer) or the Naval Museum (Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon).
- Afternoon: Villa Grock and the Circo di Pietra, or a stretch of the cycle path.
- Evening, Friday to Sunday: the Planetarium.
A fuller day-by-day plan is in the guide to Imperia in two days.
Where to stay with children
With small children, avoid the heart of the Parasio, which is all stairs and inside a limited traffic zone. Lower Porto Maurizio, near the Spiaggia d'Oro and Borgo Marina, is the most convenient for the sea; Oneglia is best for services, shops and arriving without a car. Before booking, ask how many steps there are, where you leave the car and how far the beach really is.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to do in Imperia with children?
Villa Grock with the Clown Museum and the Circo di Pietra, the Planetarium and the Naval Museum in Borgo Marina, the Spiaggia d'Oro, the inclined lifts of the Parasio and the flat cycle path beside the sea.
How much does Villa Grock cost for children?
The reduced ticket costs 7 euros for ages 5 to 18, and it is free up to age 4. There are also reduced family rates, to ask about at the ticket desk.
When is the Imperia Planetarium open?
Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 18 to 22. It also has an animated story designed for children aged 6 to 12.
Which is the best beach in Imperia for small children?
The Spiaggia d'Oro, in Porto Maurizio: it is sandy, equipped in summer and close to the lifts up to the Parasio.
Is Imperia's cycle path suitable for children?
Yes: it is flat, separate from traffic and almost always beside the sea. The easiest section is towards San Lorenzo al Mare, on the old railway; the one under Capo Berta towards Diano Marina is the most scenic.
Is Imperia pushchair-friendly?
Oneglia and the seafronts, yes; the Parasio in Porto Maurizio much less, because of the climbs and stairways. The inclined lifts help on the way up.