STEAM Play Ahead This Summer at National Children's Museum

Extended hours and seasonal programming await at the Downtown DC hub for playful learning.

WASHINGTON – Summer is filled with STEAM at National Children’s Museum – DC’s favorite place to play! Extended hours and seasonal offerings provide families with cool respite and even cooler learning opportunities.

Expanded Hours of Play

Two Bonus Hours Four Days a Week -From Thursday, June 19 through Sunday, August 31, the Museum will be open 9 am - 6 pm for two extra hours of play each Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Families can purchase their advanced tickets by heading to https://nationalchildrensmuseum.org/tickets/.

• Thursdays - Sundays: 9 am - 6 pm
• Mondays: 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
• Tuesdays: open 9:30 - 11:30 am for advanced ticketed group field trips only
• Wednesdays: 9:30 am - 4:30 pm

Holiday Hours - The Museum will also be open from 9 am - 6 pm on Labor Day – Monday, September 1, 2025.

Seasonal Experiences

Summer Tinkering Programs - Join the Museum for hands-on tinkering time. This summer, the Museum’s Tinkering Corner will feature two different activities, each with an ocean twist to celebrate the Museum’s visiting exhibit, Wild Kratts®: Ocean Adventure!:

• June 4 - July 15 - Animation: With props, image-capturing technology and a bit of imagination, little directors can explore different animation techniques as they find new ways to build scenes and tell their stories.
• July 16 - August 31 - Shadow Stories: Young learners play, observe, and make connections between light and shadows as they create stories, scenes, and engage with a varying palette of recycled materials and a source of light.

Sustainable programming in the Museum’s Tinkering Corner is sponsored by the Ball Foundation.

STEAM Storytime and Baby Jam - Our beloved early learner programs will be rockin’ all summer long with seasonal themes that explore our oceans, the weather, and more! Baby Jam is held every Monday at 2:30 pm and STEAM Storytime is held every Wednesday at 2:30 pm. Programs are included in the cost of admission.

Wild Kratts®: Ocean Adventure! - 70% of the Earth is oceans, but 100% of National Children’s Museum’s Visiting Exhibit Hall will be Wild Kratts®: Ocean Adventure! through September 7, 2025. This exhibit immerses young explorers in whole-body explorations of ocean habitats and the fascinating creatures within them. Using Wild Kratts technology and the powers of science and teamwork, guests will join the PBS Kids television show’s Wild Kratts team to solve problems, help animals, and foil the villains’ nefarious plans.

Join the Family!

Member Appreciaiton Week - From June 21 through June 27, we’re celebrating our member community during our annual Member Appreciation Week with exclusive experiences like a PJ pizza party and themed giveaways. To become a member and unlock a year of free admission, exclusive members-only playtime, exhibit previews, and more, head to www.nationalchildrensmuseum.org/support/membership.

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About National Children’s Museum

A playful learning adventure awaits! National Children’s Museum is a unique hybrid institution in downtown Washington, D.C., that combines learning elements found in a science center with children’s museum experiences. Through play-based science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) exhibits and programs, the Museum sparks curiosity and ignites creativity for children under the age of twelve and their families. Founded in 1974, the Museum has served Washingtonians for five decades, and since reopening its new location in September 2021, the Museum has established itself as an international destination for play, welcoming more than 750,000 visitors across all eight wards, 50 states, and more than 75 countries. Learn more on how to visit the Museum and engage with virtual STEAM resources at nationalchildrensmuseum.org.