The 15 Best Children's Museums in the US

The best children's museums in the country have interactive exhibits where kids want to linger, playing is encouraged, and learning is a byproduct of the fun.

The best children's museums are places of wonder and curiosity where play and learning can take center stage. A children's museum can be the ideal spot for a special family outing or regular visits.

With each visit, your child can discover something new as they engage with the kid-friendly exhibits. Many cities have great children's museums but here's our list of the best children's museums in the US that are definitely worth a visit.

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Children's Museum of Indianapolis (Indianapolis, IN)

Children's Museum Indianapolis
Courtesy of Children's Museum Indianapolis

The Children's Museum Indianapolis facility measures 472,900 square feet and sits on about 30 acres, giving it bragging rights as the largest children's museum in the world. Exhibits are all about hands-on learning.

For example, dinosaur lovers will go crazy for Dinosphere, where kids don't just look at real dinosaur skeletons, they dig for bones and get to touch a T-Rex bone. Other year-round indoor exhibits include one on Greece, an Egyptian tomb, and a spaceship. In fact, there are over 120,000 artifacts for families to check out at this museum, so make it an all-day event (or, if you live close by, spring for a membership and return again and again.)

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Please Touch Museum (Philadelphia, PA)

Please Touch Museum
Courtesy of Please Touch Museum

The name alone invites little kids to come and play. Each section of Please Touch Museum's two stories is designed to create engaging and fun learning opportunities. Kids can explore the Imagination Playground, Creative Arts Studio, and even the Please Touch Garden. Older kids will love the Alice in Wonderland exhibit, and toddlers can safely play in the Fairytale Garden. Don't forget to take a few turns on the 1908 carousel before you call it a day.

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Boston Children's Museum (Boston, MA)

Boston Children's Museum
Courtesy of Boston Children's Museum

The century-old Boston Children's Museum centers itself on "the power of play" and giving kids experiences that will help them learn life skills. It's also easily accessible via public transportation. In 2007, the museum became the city's first "green" museum, because of its eco-friendly 23,000-square-foot addition and landscaped waterfront park.

Whether your kids are into art, music, building, science, pretend play, or all of the above, there's plenty for them to do or see. Have little kids? There's a special play zone for kids aged 3 and under and a Countdown to Kindergarten room, where preschoolers can get a feel for what the big-kid classroom will be like.

04 of 15

Children's Museum of Houston (Houston, TX)

Children's Museum of Houston
Courtesy of Children's Museum of Houston

Bring your kids to Children's Museum of Houston, and you'll feel as though you're stepping into another world—and onto their turf! Kidtropolis is a huge pretend city where kids run the show: It's complete with its own city hall, bank, news center, vet's office, and more. The space was designed to help kids understand occupations and economics.

Among the other highlights: Budding inventors create their own gadgets and gizmos in the Invention Convention. The under-3 set can play in a padded area or roll around in a ball pit at Tot*Spot. Check the museum's calendar for upcoming celebrations and activities.

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Minnesota Children's Museum (St. Paul, MN)

Minnesota Children's Museum
Courtesy of Minnesota Children's Museum

Six million kids and their families have visited Minnesota Children's Museum since it set up shop in its current downtown St. Paul location. It's all about immersive experiences, including local habitats, a pretend neighborhood, and art on the rooftop.

The museum's 30 million-dollar expansion in 2017 doubled its size and added play spaces designed in part by "kid testers." Enhancements include a four-story climbing tower and play structure featuring a giant spiral slide and a 40-foot-high catwalk.

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The Strong National Museum of Play (Rochester, NY)

The Strong
Courtesy of The Strong

A place called the "National Museum of Play" has got to make the list of best children's museums! The nearly 150,000-square-foot museum has too many awesome exhibits to list here, but one of the most popular is the year-round indoor butterfly garden.

Elmo and Big Bird enthusiasts will go nuts for the "Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street?" exhibit. Reading Adventureland is also a hit for pretend play and to help foster a love of books. If you're a history buff, hit the National Toy Hall of Fame and introduce to your kids what a Rubik's Cube is! Can't swing an in-person visit right now? The museum also offers rotating online exhibits for a virtual experience.

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Kohl Children's Museum (Chicago, IL)

Kohl Children's Museum
Courtesy of Kohl Children's Museum

The 15 exhibits at Kohl Children's Museum aren't just about play and learning; they're about empowerment and acceptance too. Kids play cooperatively, gain confidence, and discover things about themselves through "working" at the play café, making music, talking with other visitors on video phones, painting their faces with washable crayons, caring for "newborn baby" dolls, and much more. Come back for story time, fitness classes, and Science Fridays.

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Port Discovery Children's Museum (Baltimore, MD)

Port Discovery Children's Museum
Courtesy of Port Discovery Children's Museum

Budding artist? Adventurer? Future entrepreneur? Soccer player? Sleuth? There's something for every kid at Port Discovery Children's Museum. On Wonderful Wednesdays, kids under age 6 experience a morning packed full of age-appropriate activities that focus on music, literacy, and early learning. Bring your toddler to Mother Goose on the Loose story times at Tot Trails, and check out the latest special events to see what's new.

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Liberty Science Center (Jersey City, NJ)

Liberty Science Center
Courtesy of Liberty Science Center

Climb a rock wall, learn about sound waves, see live animals, watch a 3D movie, and so much more at this Liberty Science Center. Even better, it's just a skip and a jump from New York City. There's a revolving door of cool traveling exhibits, so check out the website to see what's happening now.

As for mainstays, you can head to the top floor to check out fish and other underwater creatures indigenous to the Hudson River—and step out on the balcony to enjoy a skyline view.

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Children's Museum of Denver (Denver, CO)

Children's Museum of Denver
Courtesy of Children's Museum of Denver

Get creative at the Children's Museum of Denver where you and your child can build trucks and design helicopters, crawl through an anthill, explore a real fire truck, and pretend to be a vet or a chef. The museum's 2015 expansion included the addition of a three-story climbing experience that goes way beyond just a climbing wall, as well as an energy exhibit, an art studio, a huge outdoor area, and a teaching kitchen to get kids started on those necessary life skills early.

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Madison Children's Museum (Madison, WI)

Madison Children's Museum
Courtesy of Madison Children's Museum

Just walking the sidewalk at Madison Children's Museum is full of surprises—artwork pops up spontaneously through the windows for a one-of-a-kind experience every time. Inside, get transported to a 175-year-old log cabin, a city built just for kids, an urban garden, and more. The museum features a regular rotation of new programs and exhibits, so check out what's new on the website.

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Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA)

Pittsburgh Children's Museum
Courtesy of Pittsburgh Children's Museum

Probably the most famous and completely unique feature of Pittsburgh Children's Museum is that it charmingly pays tribute to Pittsburgh icon Mr. Rogers. Kids get to climb aboard the neighborhood trolley, play dress-up, and put on a show with puppets in the Island of Make-Believe. They can even learn to sew after seeing one of Mr. Rogers' actual sweaters. More must-dos include water play and a special infant and toddler room. Don't forget to check out the imaginative temporary special exhibits as well.

13 of 15

Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago, IL)

Museum of Science and Industry
Courtesy of Museum of Science and Industry

Whether it's a coalmine, fairy castle, modern farm, or Main Street, the Museum of Science and Industry gives people of all ages a fascinating glimpse into how things work. For kids 10 and under, you'll definitely want to head to the Idea Factory, which caters just to them with interactive geometry and physics-focused activities. Also, be sure to climb aboard the U-505 submarine and see the baby chicks in the hatchery.

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Exploratorium (San Francisco, CA)

Exploratorium
Courtesy of Exploratorium

The Exploratorium isn't a children's museum exactly, but it is designed to be fun and full of learning experiences for all ages. The museum aims to expand on the science education kids get in school. Get creative by creating a marble maze and building a one-of-a-kind contraption with cardboard. Play outside and learn about weather and physics. Inside, explore your senses with gigantic mirrors and specialized lights. And yes, toddlers are welcome here—they'll particularly like the bubbles, light, and shadow exhibits.

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Discovery Place Science (Charlotte, NC)

Discovery Place
Courtesy of Discovery Place

Budding scientists will revel in this Charlotte science center. Discovery Place Science's KidScience is a must-visit section made for kids ages 0 to 7 and their grown-ups to build with giant foam blocks and Duplos, create race tracks, play in a huge water table, and if they're under 3, pretend play in a sweet playhouse. Check out a short film in the IMAX theatre, and keep your eye on the calendar for a slew of events, such as music concerts and family science workshops.

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