National Children's Museum

Many activities for children. The air conditioning is terrible, you can barely feel it. They should improve this, considering there are many children inside. There are not many employees in the play areas. The bathrooms were very clean and equipped with everything needed to change younger children. They have several family bathrooms, which is a plus. The activities are varied. Two to three hours is a good amount of time to spend here.

It was great fun a little smaller than I had hoped but the kids (9,7,4,2) enjoyed themselves quite a bit. My 2 year old was an escape artist in the rope course and would exit the door onto the second level. Twice the nice staff brought him down and helped him find us.

If you're looking for a fun field trip location for your elementary school child or student, look no further! I helped coordinate a field trip at the National Children's Museum, and the process was very simple and quick. After I booked the field trip, I received an information packet that included a teacher/chaperone Q&A, which was so helpful! I appreciated the museum reaching out to confirm the trip and the headcount and overall offering to answer any questions I had. On the day of the field trip, a friendly employee guided the kids and chaperones, which helped relieve the stress of keeping track of dozens of little kids. Again, this field trip was so much fun and well worth the $15/person price.

This museum was actually better than I expected. Definitely a lot of thought was put into it. It offers a lot of engaging spaces for kids to get creative and come up with their own games that is great. Equipment is sturdy. We spent busy 3.5 hours in there with a 4 year old. Nice little cafe is inside. I wish it would be more benches for parents to sit though.

I recently visited the National Children's Museum in Washington, D.C., and it was a fantastic experience. The museum is filled with interactive and educational exhibits that focus on STEAM concepts, making learning fun and engaging. The highlight was the Dream Machine, a three-story climbing structure and slide that captivated us for a good chunk of the visit. The Paw Patrol exhibit was also a hit, with hands-on activities like building and flying scarves with air-powered machines. The museum's design caters to children of all ages, with specific zones for toddlers and young children that include soft play areas and sensory activities. Additionally, the facility is well-maintained, and the staff are friendly and helpful. It's perfect for hot days in summer 2024, but reservations ahead are recommended as you may have to wait. Overall, it was a delightful outing that combined play with education in a vibrant and welcoming environment.

It’s a cute spot to visit. It’s worth a visit if you need something to do with younger kids. There are so many exhibits that engage different kinds of learners and kids! This was a fun museum to visit with kids but in a city where so much is free, it felt so expensive to spend just under $80 for a few hours for a family of 4. The reason why I’m giving it 4 stars is because it was over crowded and it didn’t seem safe to have as many kids in the netted course in the middle. Tiny kids (younger than 5 were crying getting trampled by bigger kids or getting lost).

Purchase your ticket in advance. 2024. 3. 30. visit. It may be because of Easter weekend or simply being Saturday, the Museum is super crowded. The slide is fun but hard to trace the kid. Therefore, it definitely require additional attention to keep track of your kid. We have one point couldn’t really find our seven year old, we have to ask a security to help us. Luckily, my son showed up. The museum is full of fun. But I will prefer to come during the calmer time, so we can simply enjoy museum better. The café inside the museum offers simple meal, and it is not bad.

Fun place to visit with children! Lots of activities and to get to the big slide you and your children will have lots of exercise. Different activities for different age kids. I went on weekday and there was not many people there.

Dare I say best children's museum ever?! I've visited several children's museums across multiple states and this takes the cake as the best. From the outside it looks small & unassuming but then inside has so many layers & much to offer for all ages. I was able to buy tickets same day without any preregistration. The staff was kind & family friendly. The building was immaculately clean & well kept. Lots of thoughtful touches with the stroller parking, lactation/quiet rooms, clean and well stocked restrooms, reading area, & plenty of seating throughout the building. The Spotify Dance pod was one of the coolest features. The tablet inside does take a few minutes to load but it's worth the wait for an epic dance party with the songs of your choice. HIGHLY RECOMMEND for all ages & a must visit when in the area!

Nice children's museum with a great indoor playground (the dream machine) that spans three stories. Nice that the kids can't get out except on the bottom floor. Frustrating that you can't really see the space and figure out where your kid is or if they need help. Beyond that, there were lots of science demo spaces, e.g., paper airplanes, air jets to hold balls in place while you guide them into basketball hoops and other things. Perhaps an unfair comparison, but not as amazing as COSI in Columbus, which had a much bigger set of science demos and things like rat basketball. The cafe was very disappointing. The museum overall was better for kids from 2--6 than over that. I'm glad I left my 9-year-old at home.

This place is kind of hard to find! Our GPS took us somewhere else and when we were asking for directions from someone there was another group close by listening to the directions as they were lost too. Honestly, not going to lie, I thought the place would be much much bigger inside then it was. But we had a good time. Lots of hands on activities. I'd say its good for kids 1-10 after that, they may be over all of it. We spent about 2 hours and that was enough for us.

It's not bad but very expensive for what you get. If you have children under the age of 3 I don't recommend. Really only one small area for toddlers. It is definitely setup for older children.

Jenee and Allison have excellent customer service. The place is amazing. My children had the time of their lives. I did not even realize there was an entire other section of the floor.

Experience the delight of the national children's museum, an ideal family excursion brimming with fun! Admission for children aged 1 and above, as well as adults, is $18.95 per person. Yet, the enriching experience it offers makes it well worth the investment for a memorable day out with the family. The museum boasts two layers teeming with interactive exhibits, offering plenty to explore and engage with! For mothers, there's a dedicated nursery available for pumping or breastfeeding if needed. If you're considering a visit, consider this your invitation to embark on an unforgettable adventure with your little ones.

Lots of interactive activities. Great for ages 2-10. Building areas; open escape room and of course an amazing rope tube slide jungle gym at the entrance. Lots of STEM themes throughout.

A day out in DC with my little niece: we paid a visit to the National Children's Museum. A two story play place with child friendly activities. There is the jungle gym that has places to climb and a slide at the very end. A bubble station to grow a bubble around yourself. A construction area to build using blocks and make a little car. Another section to do arts and crafts. My niece had a fun time running around and at max you could spend two hours there. Good for kids 1-9, though older kids could come it just might be a bit boring after a while. There are two sections for smaller children (under 3). At the very end there was a noise parade which led the kids outside of the museum once it closed. Definitely stop by if you're in the need of an activity to do with your little one.

Came here with my friends and her kids recently and, not having kids of my own, never had a reason to come here before I was actually extremely impressed... this place is huge! They have so much to do for kids of all ages to keep them engaged and learning and having fun. They napped so hard after running around and crawling thru the play place for a couple of hours.

My son loves this museum, it's a great activity for a rainy day or a school break. Pros: My son is four and for him this is a great space to run around, get some energy out and try some different activities. It's not huge, but there's enough to keep young kids occupied for several hours. He loves the big slide/climbing area in the middle. There is also a tunnel that looks a bit like a human car wash that is always a big hit. They also have a rotating exhibit room so it's a little different every time we go--last time they had an area where kids could pretend to move construction blocks and that he really enjoyed. Cons: It can feel a little more like a play zone than a museum. If you're really looking for a learning experience for your children I'm not sure this is the space. I think it's also a little overpriced--about $15 a ticket for both kids and adults so that can add up if you have several children and adults in your group. Personally, I think calling it the National Children's Museum is also a tad deceptive because it could give someone the impression it's part of the Smithsonian museums (which are free). Bottom line: This is a good place for an occassional outing for my 4 yr old. A little overpriced, but it keeps him occupied when we're in need of an activity.

We took my 4-year old niece here earlier this month, and she had a ball! I wasn't sure what to expect, as I had read reviews talking about the relatively small size of this place. But I think it's the perfect size for preschool and elementary-aged students. Even though the place got crowded, my niece was always eventually able to explore the exhibits and do the activities she wanted. Everything was kid-friendly and perfect for her. I do think this place is a little pricy all things considered (just under $20 per person, even for the little ones). But it made for a fantastic little day for my sweet niece, so that made it money well spent.

I went to the Children's Museum in DC on a Thursday during kids' spring break, and I was blown away by how awesome this place is. I was born and raised in DC, but I had never heard of this place until I had kids of my own. Let me tell you, it's a hidden gem. The highlight for my kids was the large climbing contraption with an awesome slide - they could have spent hours on that thing. But there are so many other interactive exhibits for the kids, too. They loved the vacuum tube thing, and there were plenty of other activities to keep them busy. There's even a small eatery for snacks for the kids, and plenty of family bathrooms for changing. And the staff was so friendly and accommodating - they really made us feel welcome. If you have kids, you need to check out the Children's Museum in DC. It's a great place to spend a day with the family, and I can't recommend it enough..

I was SO EXCITED to check this place out. My son is 10 and I chose this as our Sunday activity. Booked tickets ahead of time. Loved the location as its super close to the metro, and there is a nice food court in the bottom of the near by building. EASY!! Arrived at 11:30, our time, walked in and was told to go downstairs. The whole place is in the basement. It would be good for ages 2-6 or so. It was a glorified indoor playground. I have been to so many children's museums (SF, San Jose, Sausalito, Ann Arbor, Madison, Erie, Rochester) and ALL are way better. I think the difference is those were all science/hands on museums. This should be called an indoor playground of DC. 1) not enough staff to ask any questions or any staff around 2) parents playing the games so the kids can't (rude) 3) SO MANY LITTLE KIDS that the bigger kids can't do anything for fear of running them over. A huge thumbs down. **this would be great if I had a brood of little people and it was blazing hot outside and needed an indoor playground** Other than the above go to a park (there is a nice one close to the Eastern Market metro stop, or just about any other indoor play place). Cost $32 for me and my kiddo for 1 hr. So glad we were not able to get in back in June when we tried to visit w our out of town friends.

Visited early morning on a Sunday, it wasn't too crowded yet. My toddler is very happy with this place, we mainly played in the areas for 2 year olds and she had enough entertainment for about 2 hours. Barely got to the bigger kids areas but can see how those areas are very fun too. Can't decide if we want to get an annual membership yet, will have to come at least 6 times year to be worth it.

We are local to DC and I brought my 10 year old son here to check it out. We had the best time! Lots of hands on activities. It was clean, the staff was friendly and the exhibits were super interesting. We loved the dream machine jungle gym.

I visited here on a Sunday afternoon around 2pm with my son while visiting the area. I booked tickets online day before. It was $16 a person. They had two times entry times and we came to the second one. There were several attractions and areas. In the racetrack area, you can build car, adjust track, and race it. They also have a batting area, pitching area, slides, dry erase wall where you can color the picture, a moomin valley room that has spaces to color or watch episodes from different years (1990, 1977, 1969, 1959, and 2019), and more! My kid enjoyed the experience and there was so many things do for children of various ages! I would definitely return to bring my kid back if ever I'm the area again.

We did a day trip here. We've been to several children's museums. This one was fun, but so busy. We went on a Wednesday thinking it wouldn't be that crazy. We were wrong lol. They have tons of activities for kids and toddlers. We spent about 2 hours there. I feel like other children's museums are bigger than this one, but overall it was fun for my toddler!

Came here on a recent Saturday. Lots of interactive, educational exhibits for the little ones. The museum itself is not exactly massive, so depending on your child's interest in each exhibit, it could be a quick visit. The fun climbs/tube thingy at the entrance was a hit but it's hard to track your kid while they're in it. The staff seems engaged and helpful. They have a rotating exhibit that's nice - when we went, it was Curious George - that also provides some history for adults as well.

My 6yo would spend hours here on the awesome slide alone. Great coffee shop on the top floor too. Recommend getting the yearly membership as it pays for itself in 3 visits.

I blindly purchased a membership and very happy I did! I have two little humans- ages 7 & 2 and they both loved it here. I actually enjoyed it myself. Wow, so many different activities! My 2 year old especially liked the Paw Patrol section and honestly every other option they had for him, but especially the things where he could climb &/or slide. My 7 y/o enjoyed climbing to get up to the big slide, but also building & racing lego cars! Plus the "Color Me" wall. We spent a good two hours here with friends and I'm sure the kids would have loved to stay a bit longer. Everyone had on mask and I love that they have hand sanitizers throughout. They also have at least one "Mother & Baby Room " for when you want a bit of privacy nursing and such.

Came here with a 4 and 6 y/o and it provided hours of entertainment despite being on the smaller side of children's museums. Compared to what's accessible in the New York area, the National Children's Museum is certainly a lot newer and better staffed with employees actively engaging with the kids. I imagine for children older than 10 the activities lose their appeal a lot quicker. If you come in with the expectation of this being more of an exploratory playground instead of a STEM experience then I believe your expectations will be met.

This is a great place to go for young children. So many museums in the DC area but this one is a favorite for our kids (Ages 4 and 2). It is bigger than a similar museum we have visited other places, but I understand that it may be smaller than others. It's well laid out, and it has a good mix of active exhibits that keep kids engaged and get them to explore and learn. I would love it if it were a little less crowded later in the day, but coming early seems to be a good strategy. Love the central location in downtown DC.

We decided to check out the museum with my 3-year-old boy since he loves riding the metro. We took the metro to Federal Triangle and you can see museum as soon as you walk out the the station. My son enjoyed the museum the first time, we decided to purchase the annual membership. It was about 31 dollar for the entrance fee for me and my son. When we got the membership, we paid 160 instead of 190 that day. They deduct 30 if you already purchased the tickets for the day. We stayed about 2 hours each visit. The bathroom and the facility is very clean. There are some instructions for each area for adults to explain why the exhibits are way they are. But its a great place for kids to learn and explore. We will be going back on regular basis!

Decided to sneak my 7 year old out of camp today and surprise him with a trip to the museum. He had a great time. There was so much to do and explore. I listened to the other Yelp reviewers and skipped their cafe. Not many children options which is odd since it's a children's museum but the Reagan food court was around the corner. You ever go to those indoor playgrounds and find yourself disappointed with the broken toys or how dirty the place is? Well this ain't it. Everything worked which for a kids spot is a big deal. And it was clean! Their staff was super kind and accommodating. They also seemed to enjoy their jobs which is always nice. The crowd wasn't too bad for a Friday afternoon. And we opted to take the metro. It's steps away from Federal Triangle. We'll be back! Gift shop is pricey.

We absolutely LOVE the children's museum and we are on our second year of membership. I have a 14 month old, 4 year old and 11 year old and they all have a good time learning at their individual skill levels. The location is great, easily accessible via metro, and I also love that we can hit up the Reagan building for lunch after! We are obviously DC locals that visit often (sometimes multiple times a week), but I highly suggest this place to all of our out of town guests!

Fun place to visit for kids but only for 2 - 3 hours max. Compared to some of the other children's museums this place is on the smaller side. They advertise 3 levels but really they only have 1 level of play area; the other 2 were the entrance which had a food area and some small exhibits, and a party floor which was off limits. If your kids get bored, I suggest heading over to the free museums on the Mall which are all within waking distance.

This place sucks! The entire museum is confined to the small basement and it is crazy over-crowded. An absolute rip-off at $15 a ticket too. Take the train up to Philadelphia and go to the Please Touch Museum instead.

This is one of our favorite places in DC. We have gone several times and I find my daughter finds something new every time. Everything is interactive and educational. The staff is also amazing. I highly recommend.

My toddler and I give the Thomas the train exhibit 5 stars because he is a Thomas fanatic but it's only there until sometime in May; otherwise I think it wasn't the best Children's museum we have visited. First, the tickets are $15.95 each, even for the kids. Only children under 1 are free. You have to buy the tickets online for a specific entry time. Second, There's not much parking around so I parked in the Ronald Reagan building right next door, and that charges per hour - that was $22 for 3 hours. Thirdly, the cafe that is connected right to the museum did not have too many kid friendly options and of course was pricey. My grilled cheese was basically burnt so of course my toddler did not want that. Apparently, there is a food court in the Ronald Reagan building but once you leave the museum, there is no re-entry. Also they are only open from Wednesday- Sunday. The museum was quite small, but had lots different activities, even a place to do projects, but my toddler was only interested in Thomas, baseball, and the car race ramp. There are slides inside, but the big one only children 5 and up can go on. Would I come back, only for Thomas. Oh, and masks were optional !

Great place to bring the kiddos when is too cold or too hot to play outside. Clean, well organized, staff friendly and helpful. I little too pricey $15 dollars each, the parent has to pay even though we won't be using the facility. They open from Thursday to Sunday.

We had THE best time celebrating our daughter's birthday at the National Children's Museum in DC last Saturday. The facilities were great and so were the staff. Jose was very helpful with preparing us for our event and Janae and Sonny really took care of us while we were onsite. Kudos to a great team!

I was less than impressed with the National Children's Museum. Recently reopened after a COVID hiatus, time slots are divided into 3 hour sessions 9:30-12:30 or 1:30-4:30. Everyone over the age of 1 has an admission price, and I believe it was ~$16. Make sure you buy and reserve online as tickets are limited. The space, itself, is large and open, although all of the exhibits are relegated to one floor save for the pop up dance party which is on the same floor as the entrance. There are in and out privileges, which could be necessary because there are no food options currently at the museum, but the food court at the Ronald Reagan building next door is an option. Parking can also be expensive-parking in the RR building garage was $12 on a Sunday, but $20 if you go during the week. All patrons 2 and older are supposed to wear masks, but I noticed a few kids clearly over 2 who were not wearing them, which really irritated me after my 2 year old was told for the millionth time to pull up his mask. Most places 2 and under are exempt from masks because they just don't understand. Please tell your staff to focus on the children who are clearly above 2 and NOT wearing a mask than a 2 year old who is trying to wear a mask for the first time and is doing the best he can. As far as exhibits, I felt they were very lacking. The dream machine is, of course, the highlight, but they heavily police it and if your kid is under 5 (despite the sign saying you can go in with your child if they are younger) expect that you will be asked to leave the area as soon as spotted. The toddler dream machine is more for the 18 month and under crowd. That is probably my main gripe with the museum-the 3 and under areas should be called 18 months and under because if your kid is any older, s/he will get bored fast. My toddler is 2.5 and he walked into the areas for 3 and under, looked around, and walked right out. At the same time, he is too young/little to fully participate in or appreciate many of the other exhibits. The Paw Patrol area was a hit, as was the slime machine area. He also really enjoyed putting the pom poms in the different tubes and changing the air patterns. I think the time slots could easily be shortened to 2 hours as by the time it was 3:30pm, it was mostly cleared out for the last hour of being opened. I feel like there is a lot missing (water tables, more pretend play, actual activities for the 2-5 set) and a lot to be desired. I hope the National Children's Museum can further expand and bring in new exhibits and also have more special events. I understand it's not Port Discovery, but, c'mon DC we can do better!

It's too pricy and provided low budget children's learning activity It doesn't have science exploration section as other children museums. There is very little educational content. The activities is simple and low budget . It's more children play area than museum. Even the art part is low budget. I was disappointed

Awesome time with 8 month old. Fair pricing, great time, kind of small... thought it'd be bigger but very interactive

While on a trip to Maryland in July we connected with family and took all the kids to the National Children's Museum. There were 4 kids in our group (4 year old, two 7 year old's, & a 9 year old). Parking was a little hard to find and we ended up parking about 3 blocks away. This is more of a "children discovery museum" because most of the exhibits involve interaction. I don't feel like this would be a good place for toddlers for this reason. I think this is much better for kids 4 and up. The kids had a great time and in fact my daughters remember how much they liked some of the exhibits days later. I am a little torn about this place because though the kids liked it there did not seem to be much of a theme that linked the sections of the museum. It felt like a number of random exhibits put together. We have been to a number of children's discovery museums and most of them were about the same price but were bigger, had themes for each area and had more exhibits. But this is about the kids so since the girls liked it I will give it a better rating but it did not meet my expectations.

Visited this museum in October 2023 with my 18 month old son. He loved it! They have many different interactive stations for children. I would say my son is on younger side but there were plenty of activities he was able to participate in including sensory play, block building, slides, group sing-along and ball pits. Definitely recommend for those with young children who are looking for a fun indoor interactive experience!

Impressed with how spread out and well planned this was. We were initially disappointed and thought our (Roanoke) children museum was better based on the Paw Patrol section, but this had great relatively modern tech exhibits that set it apart. Staff was very friendly, and it seemed clean. We visited in January, but it was pretty empty mid-week. Even parents can enjoy some of these exhibits, but it's very expensive.

The National Children's Museum in DC is the place to be! We love coming here every chance we get. It's our place to have fun and learn!

After three homes and years of closure, the National Children's Museum is back! Despite opening on H Street NE in 1976, their mission remains the same- to spark curiosity and ignite creativity. With their new space in the Ronald Reagan Building in Federal Triangle, they do just that. Admission is $10 per person (for every person older than one year). If you plan to go multiple times, an annual membership is worth it. For $130, two adults and every kid in your household can go for free. The space itself is bigger than you imagine. When you walk in, there's a play area with a toddler rock-climbing wall, a fake garden, cars, a slide, and more for younger kids. As you move through the museum, you'll see a batting cage, science stations, spiral slides, and a big tunnel of nets going up two levels. Our three-year-old daughter loved the museum! The staff are friendly enough, but the space is a little confusing. There aren't many areas for parents to sit and it's easy to lose a kid if you bring more than two into the museum. We went with friends with three boys and they were stressed the entire time.

We love the children's museum! We use our membership at least 2-3x a month. I have a 2, 4, and 6 year old. They all have plenty to do at the museum. I recommend it to visiting friends as well.

National Children's Museum opened again on February 24th, 2020 and I visited today, February 29th, 2020. I have never been to it before so I cannot compare. At least right now, you must enter through the concourse area (a level below the street). If you go to the street level entrance, there will be signed directing you downstairs. Yes, there is an elevator. There is still some construction going on up top so you can't even access that area you can see from the street. I brought my toddler to the museum this morning and it was great fun. I recommend coming at opening (9:30AM) to avoid the crowds and potential waits for activities. I also recommend going straight to the green screen weather activity if you're looking for the best social media photoshoot. There are many different areas of play for all ages. My kid is not big enough for the big slide, but there were lots of fun activities that she loved including: 1) Green screen weather 2) Smaller steel slide 3) Spongebob's Pineapple 4) Data Science Alley by Amazon 5) Dora the Explorer area 6) Big bubble maker If your kid is around 5 y/o, I think he/she would have a more fun time with the huge slide they have that spans 2 stories. Note that you cannot go down with your kid on the big slide for safety reasons. Regarding parking, the museum is connected to the Ronald Reagan Building so if you're spending more than a fews hours in the area, I would recommend leaving your car in its big parking lot which is a good deal for $17.00 all day on the weekend. During the weekday the prices are ridiculous. If the weather is bad, parking in the Ronald Regan lot means you don't have to go outside since the museum is a part of the building. I would only try for street parking if it's the weekday or you're for sure only staying for a couple hours. Parking fees can rack up quick and you don't want a D.C. parking ticket either. For ~$13, I think this museum is well worth it. There were many bathrooms and the staff was professional/nice. My last bit of advice is to book online to ensure a time slot. I'd definitely come back when my toddler gets older!

It is a terrific place! a lot of activity for kids in all ages and a visiting exhibition every once in a while to get things excited. Our kids really enjoy going, and that says it all :)

I've been anticipating the opening of this place. As the mom of a 5 year old and a .5 year old I love checking out children focused museums and have been to many over the past few years. With that being said, I do know what to expect. In the past year alone, we've been to Port Discovery in Baltimore on multiple occasions, the Franklin Institute and the Please Touch Museum in Philly, all children museums. I came on a tuesday, it was a teacher workday at my kids school so we were able to spend the majority of our afternoon here. I had seen many previews online (local bloggers and news outlets) which is why I was on it when the public tickets went on sale. I also know that since they had those preview events there have been opportunities for feedback before they opened this past week to the public * the main entrance is on the ground level. Bright blue awnings would help you find the place. Unfortunately that main entrance is still under construction and there aren't clear signs (there's arrows pointing in various directions) that indicate you either need to go down the escalator or elevator to enter on the concourse level. We circled the entrance twice, and saw other families doing the same before I found an employee on their break and asked how to get in. * right away, one thing I wish they had was a kid/parent match system. Other museums and even kids play places like chuck-e-cheese and scramble all have a way to verify kids are leaving with the people they came in with. Obviously parents are ultimately responsible for their kids, but it would just be extra reassurance and security to have kids matched up before leaving. * this place opened to the public this week after what seems like multiple previews/soft opening. Why are things out of order/broken/not set up yet? Multiple feature exhibits, a car racing track right at the entrance, pipes that blow puffy beanbags, an air cannon to shoot a beach ball into a basketball hoop, a reaction time multiplayer game... All out of order. This place isn't particularly huge, so to have so many major things not functioning was a major disappointment and definitely feel kind of gipped. * more lights in the baby section would have been nice. Totally felt like an afterthought to have the little area for the crawling babies since there wasn't much to it and was barely lit. * more employees guiding kids through the activities and teach them the lessons that they supposedly are learning through play would really help make this feel more like a children's MUSEUM vs a kids indoor play place. The main employee interactions outside of the front desk were people telling kids (not mine) "Don't touch that that way" and "that's not working, please don't touch". This is a children's museum... I'm not sure what you expected kids to do? My son's favorite parts? *The weather wall! A virtual green screen area that changes seasons and the kiddos can do some virtual snowball fights or throw lightning bolts at each other. *the virtual infield / tball *the dream machine! It's a 3 story tall play place with slides In any case, it's nice to have this option in DC, but first impressions do matter and I really hope they step it up in terms of making this place feel more like an interactive museum instead of a kids indoor playground.

Incredibly underwhelming. Kind of sad that the NATIONAL children's museum in our nations capital gets absolutely dwarfed by the children's museum in little ol Las Vegas. Mega fail and a waste of half a day in my opinion.

Fantastic addition to our DC museums. The climbing structure/slide is amazing and so unique! A place where I can always take all of my kids (aged between 1-9 years old), for an enjoyable few hours. Grab a coffee at Bluestone Lane inside the museum, for a parent pick-me-up! Tucked conveniently outside the Ronald Reagan building, parking is easy and the location is walkable to so many restaurants and monuments!

OK I really really enjoyed national children's museum here in DC. I gave it one less star for the simple fact that my one year old had to pay $16. I think that is too much for someone who will never remember this happened that is just for me I don't mind paying for me and my husband but a one year old? Usually the places are doing 2 and under free just like the airplane Companies. Another thing that happened that I thought was a little bit interesting was that I was reached out to about using my photos in marketing material, I let them know we can definitely talk about their budget and they let me know there is no budget however, I paid about $50 to get in with me and my husband and my son. I definitely think it's not reasonable to expect to use my pictures for free when I have to pay to get in. My son had a really great time and slept for about two hours after so that was amazing for me. LOL. Overall I definitely recommend going there but I do think $16 for a one year old is a little bit bizarre. Also, you you

Hey Kids! Do you want to wander around aimlessly looking at exhibits but not knowing how to interact with them? Do you want to climb a play scape and shoot down a two story slide into a wall or a passerby's legs? Do you want to check out a slime exhibit composed of green gel panels in the three foot tunnel? Or how about air tubes that aren't strong enough to move the puffballs provided to blow through them? We'll is there a museum for you! As parents of two kids and a couple of rambunctious nephews, we're always looking for fun places to get their energy out and hopefully learn some things along the way. This was not it. The exhibits seemed like they were designed by childless adults who don't like kids in corporate sponsorship committees. In other words dull, lifeless, confusing to kids, and completely unengaging. Add to that the steep admission price for both kids and adults and you have probably the worst kids museum we've ever been to. Skip the line and just skip town. Not worth it.

Yeah wow this place was a huge disappointment. Calling it overpriced would be missing the point because it wouldn't be fun even if it were free, but I guess it would sting a bit less. To start, most of the "exhibits" were confusing, broken or boring. Of those that were functioning, it wasn't totally clear what the point was. Take the slime area. No slime. Just a walkthrough connecting two dressing room type spaces and a green floor. Like what? It doesn't seem like a ton of planning went into this space. The signage was lacking or far away from whatever it was referring to. There weren't clear zones or concept areas like at most children's museums. It was cluttered and coldly sparse at the same time. My favorite was the hyper speed slide that lets out a few feet from a wall that also happens to be a tight high traffic pathway. Just poor planning all around. Everything reminded me of a corporate exhibit you might see at an airport or a trade show. I can't explain how weirdly not kid-friendly or interesting this museum is. Forget learning anything. Pretty bummed as we live in the city and love Port of Discovery in Baltimore and Chicago's children's museum and would love to have something similar nearby, but this is not that. TLDR: this place is a waste of money, not fun or educational, and irritating to be in. One star for being clean.

Came here with a 5 year old and a 1 year old. We had a great time. They enjoyed themselves and I enjoyed playing with them as well. My son really enjoyed this block puzzle. My youngest enjoyed the water.

This museum has been a sanity saver our family. We started coming when our daughter was around a year old to escape the summer heat. We bought a membership and, over the last year, have found we often go multiple times a week. The membership is more than worth it for locals! There's a broad range of exhibits and activities, some geared toward different ages and some that kids can simply enjoy differently at different stages. Also, the staff are truly fantastic--warm and caring. They know our daughter by name and are super welcoming. So glad to have this as one of our go-to activities!