If you haven’t had a chance to visit the National Children’s Museum in DC yet, I highly recommend it. This museum is a wonderful place for developing young minds and curious young learners to learn and grow through interactive and engaging exhibits. Here’s a guide to help families prepare for a fun day at the museum.
STAY AND PLAY- EXHIBITS YOU WONT WANT TO MISS
DREAM MACHINE & LITTLE DREAMERS
When entering the National Children’s Museum, the first thing you will be greeted by is the Dream Machine. This massive indoor playground is the perfect spot for kiddos to put their gross motor and analytical thinking skills to the test as they navigate through an elaborate play structure. This section has a fun, warm and inviting sky theme with cloud climbers, floating cumulus seesaws, bubble maker, and a huge three-story climber and slide. While the larger play space is designed for children ages five and older, there is also a gated section dedicated for little ones to have a safe space perfect for their size to play in. Little Dreamers is designed for infants and toddlers ages three and under. An adorable aviation theme provides music and texture sensory wall stations, a hot air balloon, and a climb on an airplane.
WEATHER WORLD & CLIMATE ACTION HERO
Climb into a world of weather where you can control the weather with a little magic (and green screen technology). Dance, make silly faces, and control the weather with a simple swish of the hand. Watch as your movements trigger weather phenomena ranging from rain and snow to blizzards and tornados. Be a hero by taking the action chart quiz, and discover how you can make climate changes in your home town.
ART & TECH SECTION
National Children Museum and Nickelodeon have teamed up to provide the Art + Tech exhibit which features a PAW Patrol Training Academy and Sponge Bob. Lights, camera, ocean! Use various light and shadow elements and life sized character silhouette’s to create scenes. Climb inside Spongebob’s giant pineapple house and watch the animations come to life. Paw Patrol fans will love this section, gather your crew and start the rescue! Build with Rubble, Explore wind with Skye and put out faux fires with Marshall. Before moving on to the next area make your way through “It’s about Slime.” A green slime themed sensory path. No worries, its mess free.
DATA SCIENCE ALLEY
In this section young minds can see how collecting data can be fun. Explore statistics by stepping through a colorful, reactive gateways to input data, send color coded pom-poms through wind-powered tubes that show a visual of how process data points work.
PLACITA MAGICA
Explore how engineering and architecture come together. Use problem solving skills to make and test out your own spiny top, build your own city maze and navigate a ball through it, and launch water droplets with moving air blowers in the Bernoulli fountain.
ENGINNERING AND GAMES
This section is where you will find activities that even the adults will enjoy. Shoot a basketball using a wind canon! Score a home run and practice throwing the perfect pitch by taking aim at drums and cymbals to strike a note! Put your engineering skills to test at the flight zone, where you can make and launch the perfect plane. Design, build, and race cars down a giant, adjustable custom race track! Learners observe how ramp height changes the potential energy, kinetic energy, and the force of gravity as they test their cars on adjustable ramps.
LITTLE MOVERS
Through project free-movement this space is provided to help infants and toddlers build fine and gross motor skills. Little movers has a soft padded flooring with plenty of space to move, jump, and crawl.
TINKERING CORNER
The Tinkering Corner is space that fosters creativity and imagination. Little ones can build upon the skills they have learned in the Museum and put them in action to design, create, build, and play with recycled and artistic materials.
VISITING EXHIBIT HALL
Visiting exhibits rotate seasonally, the current display in this room is Curious George, Let’s Get Curious. Be sure to check out this exhibit before it’s gone, this exhibit will be available until September 7. The next exhibit is Dinosaurs and will make it’s debut this Fall of 2026! Step inside the world of Curious George with scenes from the movie that are interactive. There is a lot of opportunities for imaginative play in this section where you will find an immersive market, construction site, and farm.
PLAN LIKE A PRO- THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU
Here are a few tips to help you plan like a pro. Let’s cover what to pack, where to park and everything in between.
- First off- ticketing! You must purchase admission in advanced. Even if you have a membership you still need to make a time reservation. Tickets are digital and can be printed, or even added to your phones digital wallet to save time. Keep in mind that all adults must be accompanied by a child (age 0-12) for safety reasons. Tickets are also time stamped, so try to be as close to your scheduled time entry as possible. Don’t worry if you get caught in traffic, or are behind schedule they are usually flexible.
- There are a variety of parking options around the area. Street parking is limited during tourist season. I recommend utilizing the parking garage in the Ronald Regan Building, which is only $19 for the entire day on weekends and holidays, and $20 for two hours on weekdays. You can also take the metro, the Federal Triangle stop we put you within steps on the museum.
- Know where to go, be aware of where the restrooms are located just in case of emergencies. Bathrooms are located on the lower level near the Tinkering Corner. The facilities are kept extremely clean. They have three family stalls and gendered restrooms. Baby changing stations can be found in the family stalls. There are also quiet rooms, and a nursing room on campus near the Little Dreamers Exhibit. You’re welcome to bring snacks and lunches into the Museum.
- Snack attack- We all know little ones enjoy a mid-day snack. You can bring your own snacks to enjoy, or purchase snacks at Timgad Café attached to the Museum.
- Share love, not germs- The museum does an excellent job providing hand sanitizer stations. I had my kids sanitize their hands through out the day, and wash their hands in the bathroom at the end of the day.
- Wheels- The museum is fully ADA accessible with elevators, and inclusive exhibits. Additionally, there is stroller parking at the entrance of the museum. To keep walk ways clear it is recommended to park your stroller to cause congestion.
MUSEUM INFORMATION
Address: 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20004
Hours: Open Wednesday-Monday 9:30AM – 4:30PM ***CLOSED TUESDAY’S***
Cost: Adults and Children 1 and over: $18.95 / Children under 1: FREE
Website: www.nationalchildrensmuseum.org
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