The Capital Children's Museum

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The Capital Children’s Museum is located just three blocks from Union Station, making it a convenient excursion. Admission is $6, but worth the money as kids aged 2 – 12 will enjoy the opportunity to touch and play with everything under the roof, especially after seeing Washington’s less accessible exhibits (e.g. The Constitution). The Capital Children’s Museum encourages tactile contact with the displays, as the signs of wear might indicate. However, this is part of the Museum’s casual charm.

The average stay in the Museum is around 2 ½ hours, but however long you stay is up to you. Parents and grandparents will appreciate the fact that there is not much walking to do. Most of the events are set up so parents can sit next to their child as they participate in an activity. The fact that there are no dining facilities make a mid-morning or mid-afternoon visit more convenient. By then you might feel the pull of the Union Station food court located just three blocks away.

Younger children love the city room where they can slide down a fire pole and drive a city bus. Kids can blow bubbles of every size and shape in the Bubble room or wonder in the MetamorphMaze, a combination of a maze and fun-house mirrors. What separates the Museum from a cool day-care center is the emphasis on hands-on learning and exploration. Kids learn about other cultures by immersing themselves in the land. They can learn about Japan by sitting in a tatami room or learn about Mexican culture by trying on traditional Mexican garbs.

Older kids will enjoy the computer lab as well as the animation lab where they can make their own cartoon complete with sound effects and voice overs. One highlight of the Museum is the Chemical Science Center where children can witness live science experiments.