Abu Dhabi Khalifa Park is one of those hidden gems which you typically don’t find in travel guides (or at least only in the very good ones). The park is a popular recreation place for the locals in the U.A.E. capital – but it also hosts a really beautiful museum. Definitely a place worth sharing with you on Flyctory.com.
Khalifa Park Abu Dhabi – Location
Khalifa Park is located North of the runway of Al-Bateen airport, which is majorly used for business flights. It is just a short drive from the Grand Mosque or the Wahat Al Karama. The main entrance is on the West side, but you can also access it through other gates. We entered the park from the East side, where the museum is located as well. There is sufficient parking.
Khalifa Park itself is a public park. Some facilities like the Splash Waterpark or the library have limited opening times. The Abu Dhabi History Museum & Aquarium is opening daily from 15:00 to 23:00 hrs. Adult admission is 7 AED, roughly 1.60 Euro.
Khalifa Park Abu Dhabi – The Park
I visited the park in the late afternoon hours. The park is a really large space, which is a bit of traditional, but beautifully designed. There are water fountains on both sides – one of them was however not available during our visit in early 2020. There is also a library. At the time of our visit, the park also hosted a historic museum, which has however not been in operation. Even if you do not visit the museum and aquarium (see below), it is a great place for a very relaxed walk in the evening.
Khalifa Park Abu Dhabi – Services
Food and fun – Khalifa Park Abu Dhabi is a really nice recreation and relax space. You see on the picture below that the park offers a couple of options for your kids to have fun – or just have an enjoyable time with your family. I did not try out the services below, though. Khalifa Park also includes a small water park.
Khalifa Park Abu Dhabi – Museum & Aquarium
I found multiple names for the museum in Khalifa park – quite likely, the official one is Abu Dhabi History Museum & Aquarium, as I quoted it above. It is sometimes also quoted as the Maritime Museum. Sounds like two very different topics – and in fact, you visit two (or three) quite different sections in one place. You start with the the historic part. First of all, there are a couple of models and displays which introduce you to the historic background of Abu Dhabi – the coolest one is for sure a scale model of that museum itself.
Then you enter the second part of the historic exhibition, which is very likely the most surprising part of your visit (unless you haven’t read this review before…). Like in the show rides in amusement park, you take a seat in cabins, which slowly drive though different dioramas which explain the development of the cities (typically featuring a certain topic). From the Bedouin life in the desert to the modern city, the trip is really entertaining. There is also audio commentary (you can choose between English and Arabic). It is a really entertaining and educating ride, which even takes more time than you would expect.
After you exit the ride, it is time for the fish and other water inhabitants. There are some quite cool displays in the aquarium – but of course, it cannot compete with SeaLife or mega-aquariums like the S.E.A. Aquarium in Singapore. But there are nice displays, some explanation and the animal worlds looked quite spacious.
Khalifa Park Museum & Aquarium – My View
Khalifa Park is a lovely place by itself. Just one of these green areas in a city you need to relax – in the Emirates, typically in the later evening hours when the temperatures are more bearable. The museum and aquarium is such a great value for money – hard to believe that this place is not more popular. I definitely recommend it!
Flyctory.com in Abu Dhabi
Here are all postings related to Abu Dhabi:
Postings about Shopping
Here are all postings related to Shopping: