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about us

learn more about our mission

Two young children are playing at an indoor play area. They are seated in a wooden play structure with interactive knobs, gears, and ropes. One child reaches for a dial while the other pulls on a rope.
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we will
spark curiosity,
ignite passion,
and foster inclusivity
to empower future innovation

what we do


Discover the wonder of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (or STEAM) through hands-on play at National Children’s Museum! The Museum’s interactive exhibits and programs introduce STEAM concepts through playful moments of delight and challenge innovators ages 0 to 12 to dream of new possibilities before a drop off in these key disciplines occurs in early middle school.

Our mission is to inspire children to care about and change the world.

our history


National Children’s Museum has served generations of Washingtonians since its initial founding in 1974, when there were only nine other such institutions in the country (fast forward 50 years and there are now nearly 600). After a few years of operating in spare rooms at Lovejoy Elementary in Northeast DC as The Children’s Museum of Inquiry and Discovery, the institution adopted the name Capital Children’s Museum and in 1979 opened its own building on Third and H Streets NE.

For 25 years, families, dignitaries, and celebrities alike flocked to the H Street location, where popular experiences included a Chuck Jones animation exhibit, an immersive Mexico exhibit, and one of the country’s first public access computer labs

Group of girls in the Spotify Dance Party Pod
boy on slide
a group of kids seeing themselves on the weather worlds green screen
Nestor at Capital Children’s Museum in 1970s
About National Children's Museum in Washington DC
Nestor at Capital Children’s Museum in 1970s

In 2003, the institution received its congressional designation and was renamed National Children’s Museum. After selling its H Street building in 2004, it operated as a “museum without walls” and later from a space at the newly developed National Harbor before making the move back to DC in 2020. After an 18-month COVID closure, the Museum opened its current home at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in September 2021.

Throughout this evolution, the Museum has remained dedicated to providing hands-on play opportunities for children.

hours


open: 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
closed: tuesdays

location


National Children's Museum is located at:

woodrow wilson plaza
1300 pennsylvania ave nw
washington, dc 20004

admission


adults: $18.95 per person
children 1 and older: $18.95 per person
children under 1: free
members: free

contact us


Want to learn more or looking to partner with us? Get in touch!