Most children are interested in science while growing up and if you nurture their interest it will blossom into a life-long passion for exploring the wonders of the natural world. A hands-on exhibit, workshop or an enthusiastic speaker will make kids even more excited to learn new scientific concepts at home and in school. Plan your family vacation to one of these amazing science museums in the U.S.
1. Massachusetts - Boston Children's Museum
Boston Children's Museum offers innovative exhibits such as introduction to new materials, games, puzzles and interaction with live animals. Several times per month, guest presenters speak about engineering, chemistry and kitchen science.
The museum has exhibits about health, performing arts, visual arts, world cultures, and special workshops for kids 6 and older. The LEED-certified museum was founded over 100 years ago and pioneered the concept of a hands-on exhibit in 1964.
During the visit, you will get many new ideas for playing with your children in a way that encourages their creativity.
2. Indiana - The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Regardless of your child's interests, they will discover something exciting to do at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. From life-size dinosaurs to a 130-seat, full-dome planetarium, this awesome museum is a must-see for families.
Babies, toddlers and preschoolers can climb, play and socialize in Playscape. Older children can dig for fossils, experiment in the Biotechnology Learning Center, interact with a Chinese cultural exhibit, and participate in staff-led activities. ScienceWorks in The Dow Science Center houses frogs, a 30-foot creek, 20-foot rock climbing wall, and the planetarium.
Don't miss the Carousel where you can ride on beautifully painted animals, walk through a maze of mirrors and climb a tree house
3. San Francisco - Morrison Planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences
The 75-foot dome at Morrison Planetarium in San Francisco offers some of the most immersive planetarium shows in the world. The shows incorporate current scientific data and employ high-tech equipment to tell stories about stars, planets, black holes and the Earth.
The planetarium dome is made of 100% recycled steel.
The projection is so incredible that it makes you feel like you really are surrounded by the night sky. The aquarium which houses 40,000 live animals and the rainforest exhibit are a must-see as well. Read more about the California Academy of Sciences.
4. Arizona - Children's Museum of Phoenix
Children's Museum of Phoenix offers children ages birth through 10 a variety of engaging exhibits, projects and programs. Spend your weekend playing and learning in a fun, imaginative way.
You can replicate some of the activities that you find at the museum when you return home from your trip.
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5. Texas - The Frontiers of Flight Museum
We take flying for granted when we travel, but seeing the history of aeronautical engineering first-hand makes us appreciate how much human ingenuity went into perfecting the modern airplanes.
The Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas houses over 30 aircraft, the Apollo 7 spacecraft and tens of thousands of historical items. This one-of-a-kind museum is fun to visit with the whole family.
6. New York - National Museum of Mathematics
Visit the National Museum of Mathematics in New York with your kids and you won't be disappointed. This museum brings mathematical concepts to life with colorful exhibits, activities and presentations.
Your kids will interact with complex shapes through 3-D models, computer graphics and fun puzzles. You may have an "aha!" moment yourself as you stroll though the cleverly designed museum spaces.
7. The Children's Museum of New Hampshire
Housed in a Silver LEED-certified building, the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in Dover offers interactive exhibits which let children learn about natural history, dinosaurs, caves, submarines, aeronautics, world cultures, music and art.
Don't miss the interactive lab which give kids plenty of opportunity for experimentation and creation.
8. California - The Tech Interactive in San Jose
The Tech Interactive in San Jose was created to do exactly what its name implies: to promote innovation. Visitors learn how to solve problems through hands-on experiences, collaboration and experimenting.
Kids get to observe and participate in problem-solving activities which inspire their minds to think more creatively. This unique museum alone is why San Jose should be on your weekend getaway short list.
9. Alaska - Thomas Planetarium at The Anchorage Museum
The Anchorage Museum is the largest museum in Alaska. It houses the new Thomas Planetarium which lets kids learn about the solar system though interactive demonstrations and films.
The 46-seat planetarium has a 24-foot dome screen, surround sound and 3-D graphics. At the Polar Lab you will find exhibits on natural resources, ecology, architecture and culture.
10. Utah - The Leonardo in Salt Lake City
Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci and his insatiable quest for knowledge, the Leonardo Museum in Salt Lake City offers fun hands-on displays, water play, origami, an amazing science room, as well as unique temporary exhibits.
Kids can participate in guided activities and learn how to assemble a rubber band-powered car from recycled materials, or make the perfect paper airplane.
11. Oregon - The Museum of Natural and Cultural History
The Museum of Natural and Cultural History in Eugene, Oregon houses an extensive collection of fossils, objects and specimens from the local region and from around the world.
"Scientific at the Core" is an interactive laboratory offering hands-on activities for budding scientists of all ages.
12. Illinois - Adler Planetarium in Chicago
Adler Planetarium in Chicago encourages visitors to learn about galaxies, stars and planets through interactive exhibits and planetarium shows. You will get to visualize the scale of the universe and learn about NASA's Apollo13 mission to the moon.
There are three theaters which offer daily shows, programs and special lectures. The Adler was the first planetarium in the United States.
13. Texas - Houston Museum of Natural Science
Burke Baker Planetarium at the Houston Museum of Natural Science presents high-tech shows featuring one of the most advanced projectors in the world. Take a virtual trip though stars, planets, comets, black holes and other celestial objects.
The show includes a 3-D flight through space, complete with a digital stereo sound system. You will get to feel the full scale of the universe, from the Big Bang to the nucleus of a living cell. There are many other things to see and to in addition to the planetarium - the museum is a dream come true for science fans.
Permanent exhibits include game fish, Egyptian artifacts, paleontology, gems & minerals, energy, chemistry, geology, wildlife and more.
14. Nebraska - Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History
Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History in Nebraska offers free solar observing every third Saturday, from April through September. Children learn how to safely look at the sun through a specially equipped telescope.
Planetarium shows teach you how to spot constellations, planets and other objects.
15. New York City - The American Museum of Natural History
From the state-of-the-art Hayden Planetarium and the in-depth Earth & Space Tour, to dinosaurs and whales, the American Museum of Natural History in New York City is one of the top science museums in the world.
The museum is best for kids over 6.
16. Albert Einstein Planetarium in Washington, DC
Little kids will enjoy "One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure" at the Albert Einstein Planetarium in Washington, DC, featuring Big Bird and Elmo as they take an imaginary trip to the moon.
Located on the National Air and Space Museum's east terrace, Phoebe Waterman Haas Public Observatory offers solar and lunar observing. Observatory staff offers hands-on activities that let you learn about astronomy and telescopes.
If the weather does not cooperate, alternative activities are offered indoors.
17. Colorado - Denver Museum of Nature & Science
From planetarium shows and IMAX movies to interactive exhibits and play areas, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science is a destination for families with kids of all ages.
The Discovery Zone has the Big Backyard, designed for babies and toddlers under two, a kid-sized shuttle flight deck, wildlife exhibits, real fossils and an interactive water play area.
18. Colorado - WOW! Children's Museum
WOW! Children's Museum in Lafayette is a playground for kids ages 1 to 11. Creative exhibits invite young explorers to learn about science, art and dance in a fun setting.
For example, the Bank of WOW! Exhibit lets families practice counting, saving and spending. Kids learn to recognize money, pretend to be bank customers and bank tellers. The museum has a puppet theater, art room, dance & yoga studio, market exhibit and a sandbox.
Learn about energy conservation hands-on since the museum has solar panels which generate electricity used to power the exhibits.
19. Pennsylvania - The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh
The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh houses phenomenal exhibits, from the Gravity Room which is tilted at a 25-degree angle to the Garage where you can take a real smart car for a test drive.
Kids can play hide-and-seek, climb and slide. Water play is usually a favorite and the museum offers a room dedicated to rain, ice, spray and flow. Children learn about buoyancy and hydraulics by participating in a variety of activities such as dam building, hand pump, fountain, water mover and a magnetic water wall.
The Garden offers seasonal programs such as planting, composting and spotting insects.
20. North Carolina - The Greensboro Children's Museum
The Greensboro Children's Museum is a 37,000 square-foot space where kids get a chance to role play, test new gadgets, climb and learn. Children can shop at a child-size market, dress in costumes at the theater, climb into a fire truck, ride in a police car and a train. They can role play at the health center which has a nursery, doctor’s office and a dentist.
The Tot Spot is a safe area for children under two years old, complete with padded blocks, ride-on toys, balls and mats. The Media Room is for kids who want to be in a newscast, while the Construction Zone is ideal for young engineers and architects. The museum has a beautiful outdoor garden where children learn about growing their own food (website).
If you are planning a two-day family trip to Greensboro, head to the Greensboro Science Center which has a beautiful aquarium, museum and zoo.
21. Mississippi - The Lynn Meadows Discovery Center
The Lynn Meadows Discovery Center in Gulfport offers amazing indoor and outdoor exhibits such as the Super Colossal Climbing Structure which lets kids safely climb from one floor of the museum to the next.
The science room is exciting and interactive, encouraging young visitors to test how things work for themselves. There is an art studio, a play area for the smallest kids and several excellent role play exhibits. Children can dress in costumes and ride a train, pretend to be a vet, operate a crane, star in a cooking show, and run a historic hotel.
The museum has a revolving exhibit which lets you learn about the different cultures from around the world, complete with costumes and a plane to stimulate young minds.
22. New York – The Strong National Museum of Play
The Strong in Rochester features 100,000 square feet of interactive space filled with educational and entertaining activities. The Aquariums houses 150 species of fish, including a 1,700-gallon tank which is one of the biggest in the Northeast.
Game Time! On the second floor offers countless games such as pinball, air hockey, puzzles, domino and rare games which you’ve probably never heard of. The Kid to Kid area consists of hands-on activities, including a Post Office, helicopter, theater stage and a ship. Discovery Garden is home to 300 species of plants, butterflies and birds.
The Field of Play exhibit features a giant kaleidoscope which you can walk through, a climbing wall, an exaggerated perspective room and a drag racer.
23. Virginia - The Children's Museum of Richmond
The Children's Museum of Richmond has four locations in Central Virginia: Richmond, Glen Allen, Midlothian and Fredericksburg. Your children will get a chance to engage in pretend play, experiment with water, dig, ride a train and practice social skills.
The museum offers a series of interactive exhibits, including a Pirate Ship, Dig Pit, Art Studio, Garage Exhibit, Market, Bank and a Stage. There is also an Enchanted Castle, Wild Safari Train, Magic Beanstalk Climber and a Mother Goose Corner.
24. Los Angeles - Griffith Observatory
Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles offers fantastic exhibits, shows and stargazing through public telescopes.
The observatory sits high above the city, letting you enjoy panoramic views of the skyline as well as the stars. Next read: 10 Best Botanical Gardens for Families.
What are the 25 Best Science Museums & Planetariums to Visit on Your Family Weekend Getaway?
The 25 Best Science Museums & Planetariums to Visit on Your Family Weekend Getaway according to local experts are:
- Massachusetts - Boston Children's Museum
- Indiana - The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
- San Francisco - Morrison Planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences
- Arizona - Children's Museum of Phoenix
- Texas - The Frontiers of Flight Museum
- New York - National Museum of Mathematics
- The Children's Museum of New Hampshire
- California - The Tech Interactive in San Jose
- Alaska - Thomas Planetarium at The Anchorage Museum
- Utah - The Leonardo in Salt Lake City
- Oregon - The Museum of Natural and Cultural History
- Illinois - Adler Planetarium in Chicago
- Texas - Houston Museum of Natural Science
- Nebraska - Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History
- New York City - The American Museum of Natural History
- Albert Einstein Planetarium in Washington, DC
- Colorado - Denver Museum of Nature & Science
- Colorado - WOW! Children's Museum
- Pennsylvania - The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh
- North Carolina - The Greensboro Children's Museum
- Mississippi - The Lynn Meadows Discovery Center
- New York – The Strong National Museum of Play
- Virginia - The Children's Museum of Richmond
- Los Angeles - Griffith Observatory
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Attraction Spotlight: Children’s Museum of Phoenix
A trip to a children’s museum is a great way to find something that will appeal to both kids and adults alike. The Children’s Museum of Phoenix is specially designed to engage kids and a place where both kids and parents can enjoy themselves and have an educational visit. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, the museum was founded as an interactive learning tool for younger ages.
The Children’s Museum of Phoenix has a rich history that has significantly contributed towards making the place what it is today. The museum was pioneered by a group of individuals who had a vision in mind – to build a museum that was both educational and appealing to kids. The museum received a lot of funding prior to its development from the community as well as the city council, who all loved the idea of a museum catered towards children. The Children’s Museum of Phoenix was built on the premises of the historic Monroe School, which had until then served solely as a heritage site. The Children’s Museum of Phoenix was part of the Monroe School’s alumni program and since then has developed significantly to achieve its goals. The alumni of the school realized that there was no better way to pay homage to the school than to help it grow as a noteworthy educational institution, making it what it is today.
Programs
The Children’s Museum of Phoenix was one of the first children’s museums in the country and remains one of the four ever built in America. Unlike other museums, where all you can do is stand around and look at an exhibit, the Children’s Museum of Phoenix encourages people to get a closer look at all the art and craft pieces on display at the museum. Kids like to touch everything, even when told not to, and this foundation allows them to move the exhibits without any repercussions.
A large number of the exhibits here are interactive and are great teaching tools to help kids learn more about the world and all its wonders. The Children’s Museum of Phoenix has exhibits that range across a variety of subjects, making it an excellent overall educational tool. In addition, the museum has some interactive learning sessions and workshops specifically designed to spike a child's interest. These programs are intended to help kids question the things around them and discover the answers for themselves by simply being given the right tools for learning. The Children’s Museum of Phoenix has partnered with numerous schools in the past and has received a stellar response from educators and parents alike about the various teaching programs that the museum has to offer.
The Children’s Museum of Phoenix doesn't just cater to kids; it remembers the parents who brought them here as well. There are numerous programs for parents to partake in that are centered on child development and learning as well courses in child psychology and anything else that would benefit the parent when it comes to properly raising their child. The Children’s Museum of Phoenix is a place for both parents and kids to learn.
Since the museum is catered to children, kids get some pretty good discounts on admission tickets when it comes to entering the Children’s Museum of Phoenix. If you plan to revisit the museum again in future, be sure to save your pass for the next visit to get more discounts on admission prices. The list of programs and workshops the museum conducts is regularly updated on the museum website. It is advised to go over those when picking a date to visit to get the most out of your experience at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix.
Back to: Things to do in Arizona, Fun Things to DO in Phoenix, Arizona
215 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85034, Phone: 602-253-0501
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Attraction Spotlight: San Diego Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum in San Diego, California, aims to bring together education and the natural world. It teaches visitors about the world we live in through its fascinating exhibits. The original goal of the museum was “to educate and help people know and love nature”, and it has continued this mission. Exhibits on respecting and learning about the world are strong themes running throughout the collections of this museum.
In 1874, the San Diego Society of Natural History founded the Natural History Museum, making it one of the oldest scientific institutions in California; in 1912, the society opened its first museum in a single room. In 1917, the society moved to a vacant building in Balboa Park after the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, and this is still its present location. It functioned as a museum until World War 2, when the building was used as a hospital. Once the war ended, the building was converted back into the Natural History Museum, and is now a center for biodiversity research and environmental science education.
Many of the exhibits at the museum are constantly changing, giving visitors a new experience each time they visit. The goal of these exhibits is to emphasize and display the natural diversity in both the region of San Diego and the world as a whole. Currently, some of these exhibits include Baja’s Wild Side, Ultimate Dinosaurs, Coast to Cactus in Southern California, Water: A California Story, and Skulls. Baja’s Wild Side is a collection of photographs on the subject of California’s Pacific coast, captured by marine biologist Dr. Dan Cartamil. Ultimate Dinosaurs is an exhibit that combines modern technology and the prehistoric world to give a new perspective on dinosaurs. Coast to Cactus in Southern California is a permanent exhibit that examines the biodiversity existing among the coastal wetlands, urban canyons, mountains, and desert. The Skulls exhibit is a collection of almost 200 skulls of mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles from around the world.
Due to the ever-changing nature of the museum, there are a few past exhibits that should be mentioned, such as the Photo Ark, Whales: Giants of the Deep, and Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed. The Photo Ark was an exhibit on the images of National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore. In the museum, 30 of these photos were on display to educate visitors on different animal species. Whales: Giants of the Deep was an interactive and immersive exhibit that featured an up-close experience with whales. Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed focused on the findings of archaeologists in ancient Maya in regards to the social, natural, and spiritual realms in this ancient society, showing viewers this hidden world from the perspectives of the kings, queens, and regular people in the society.
A future exhibit coming to the museum in November 2017 is Shelved: Big, Small, Beautiful, Bizarre. This collection will allow visitors to explore the “storage areas” of the museum. It will have a little bit of everything in it, from massive whalebones to beetles and coral. It is meant to be an example of the hidden wonders that can be found within the collection of a museum.
There are many different events for families and for the general public on offer at the Natural History Museum. For families, there are summer and winter camps geared towards using the natural world to educate children. From September through May there are monthly family days that include family-friendly activities in new exhibits. There is also Nature & Me Storytime, which is an opportunity for children to hear stories about nature through readings and exhibits. Events available to the public include NATtalks and Films, Take a Hike, and whale watching. NATtalks and Films are when experts and researchers come to educate the audience on specific topics related to the museum. The Natural History Museum also has many opportunities outside of the building to learn about nature, and both whale watching and hiking are offered by the museum as a way for the public to learn about and enjoy the environment.
Education is one of the founding principles of the Natural History Museum and many different school programs are offered. For classes of students there are lessons on bio-diversity, while the Bio-regional Environmental Education Project is a program between the U.S. and Mexico that teaches environmental education in the bio-region of Southern California and the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. The museum also has a wide variety of educational resources in different media to help inspire and teach.
1788 El Prado, CA 92101, Phone: 619-232-3821
