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Visitor Information
- Smithsonian museums & the National Zoo (DC, VA)
- American Indian Museum Heye Center (NYC)
- Cooper-Hewitt Museum (NYC) (closed for renovation)
Information for
For Kids & Families
Kids Tips (PDF)
Visiting with Kids
Build excitement by talking or reading a bedtime story about dinosaurs, planets, and other things your children will see.
Explore any exhibition or gallery that catches your children's fancy, even if unplanned. Spend no more than an hour in any one museum with preschoolers.
Plan ahead with Awesome Adventures at the Smithsonian: The Official Kids Guide to the Smithsonian Institution—an interactive guidebook just for kids with material that can be enjoyed at home and in the museums.
Additional Information
Tips for visiting with children (PDF) »
Introducing museums to your children »
Exhibitions for
kids »
Activities and
events for kids and families »
Smithsonian student orientation videos »
Highlighted Activities for Kids
ImaginAsia »
Tour a current exhibition at the Sackler Gallery of Art, followed by a related art activity.
Art a la Cart »
The Smithsonian American Art Museum offers interactive carts for kids. Explore subjects such as sculpture and folk art through hands-on activities.
National Zoo »
Highlights include Tiger Tracks, Amazonia Science Gallery, Reptile Discovery Center, Kids' Farm, and the Conservation Carousel.
Smithsonian Family Programs »
The Smithsonian is a great place to be a kid! With its wealth of child-friendly offerings and treasures, the Smithsonian is the ideal destination for Washington-area families.
Natural History Museum »
Highlights include the Triceratops, Insect Zoo, Discovery Room, Live Butterflies.
Spark!Lab »
The hands-on space for families and others visiting the National Museum of American History shows the real story behind an inventor’s work. (Closed for renovation Oct. 5, 2011.)
Carousel
Near the Arts and Industries Building (year-round, weather permitting; nominal fee).
Discovery Theater »
The best in live performing arts, this venue provides a variety of educational and cultural programs for both kids and adults.
IMAX® Theaters »
IMAX is the ultimate film experience. Specially designed screens that are several stories high produce some of the most stunning visual images recorded.
Planetarium »
For the first time, you'll feel the sensation of zooming through the cosmos, enveloped in color saturated moving images and spine-tingling sound.
Smithsonian Summer Camps »
More than 80 camps from aviation to zoology make the Smithsonian the coolest summer destination for fun and hands-on learning.
Smithsonian Sleepovers »
A night of adventure awaits you as you enter the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.
