List of children's museums in the United States

This is a list of children's museums in the United States.

Name Town/City State Notes
Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum Ann Arbor Michigan
Above & Beyond Children's Museum Sheboygan Wisconsin
A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village Salem Oregon Named for Alfred Carlton Gilbert, inventor of the Erector Set
Adventure! Children's Museum Eugene Oregon Founded in August 2015
AHA! A Hands-on Adventure Lancaster Ohio Opened in March 2008.
Amazement Square, The Rightmire Children's Museum Lynchburg Virginia Opened in March 2001, the museum is located in the J.W. Wood Building, an antebellum commercial structure listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings.
Arizona Museum for Youth Mesa Arizona Only children's museum in U.S. that focuses on fine art; founded in 1980
Bay Area Discovery Museum Sausalito California Located on National Park land; founded in 1987
Beaumont Children's Museum Beaumont Texas Founded in 2008. Temporarily located at Beaumont Civic Center
Betty Brinn Children's Museum Milwaukee Wisconsin Named for Milwaukee businesswoman Betty Brinn; Opened in 1995
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery Dayton Ohio
Bootheel Youth Museum Malden Missouri
Boston Children's Museum Boston Massachusetts Second oldest children's museum in the U.S.; recognized as LEED Gold certified by the U.S. Green Building Council; founded in 1913
Bronzeville Children's Museum Chicago Illinois Only African-American children's museum in the U.S.
Bronx Children's Museum The Bronx New York Founded in 2005.
Brooklyn Children's Museum Brooklyn New York First museum developed for children; founded in 1899
Buell Children's Museum Pueblo Colorado A program of the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center.
The Building for Kids, Inc. Appleton Wisconsin
Cape Cod Children's Museum Mashpee Massachusetts
Central Wisconsin Children's Museum Stevens Point Wisconsin Opened in 1997.
Chesapeake Children's Museum Annapolis Maryland Founded in 1994.
Chicago Children's Museum Chicago Illinois Located on Navy Pier on Lake Michigan; founded in 1982
Children's Discovery Museum Normal Illinois Founded in 1988.
Children's Discovery Museum Augusta Maine
Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert Rancho Mirage California Founded in 1986.
Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose San Jose California Founded in 1990
Children's Discovery Zone Norfolk Nebraska Located within the Elkhorn Valley Museum and Research Center.
Children's Hands-On Museum Tuscaloosa Alabama Opened in 1986.
Children's Hands-On Museum of Northwest Illinois Freeport Illinois Opened in 2019.
Children's Maritime Museum at Port Jefferson Port Jefferson New York
Children's Museum of Acadiana Lafayette Louisiana Opened in 1996.
Children's Museum of Atlanta Atlanta Georgia
Children's Museum of the Arts Manhattan New York
The Children's Museum of the Brazos Valley Bryan Texas
Children's Museum of Brownsville Brownsville Texas Opened in 2005
Children's Museum of Central Nebraska Hastings Nebraska Opened in 2003
The Children's Museum of Cleveland Cleveland Ohio
The Children's Museum of Denver Denver Colorado Founded in 1973
Children's Museum in Easton North Easton Massachusetts Located in old fire station; founded in 1986
Children's Museum of Eau Claire Eau Claire Wisconsin Opened in 2004
The Children's Museum in Edwardsville Edwardsville Illinois Opened in 2003
Children's Museum of Fond du Lac Fond du Lac Wisconsin Opened in 2007
Children's Museum of Hartford West Hartford Connecticut Fifth oldest children's museum in the U.S.; founded in 1927
Children's Museum of the Highlands Sebring Florida Opened in 1990
Children's Museum at Holyoke Holyoke Massachusetts Founded in 1981 by the Junior League of Holyoke,[1] moved to current location in 1987.[2]
Children's Museum of Houston Houston Texas Founded in 1980; opened new addition in 2009
Children's Museum of Illinois Decatur Illinois
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis Indianapolis Indiana Largest children's museum in the world; founded in 1924
Children's Museum of La Crosse La Crosse Wisconsin
Children's Museum at La Habra La Habra California Located in an historic train depot; opened in 1977
Children's Museum of the Lowcountry Charleston South Carolina
Children's Museum of Maine Portland Maine Founded in 1976
Children's Museum of Manhattan New York City New York
Children's Museum of Memphis Memphis Tennessee Located in former National Guard Armory; opened in 1990
Children's Museum, Missoula Missoula Montana
Children's Museum of Montana Great Falls Montana
The Children's Museum of New Hampshire Dover New Hampshire
The Children's Museum of Northeast Montana Glasgow Montana Opened in 2006
The Children's Museum of Northern Nevada Carson City Nevada
The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn Oak Lawn Illinois
Children's Museum of Oak Ridge Oak Ridge Tennessee Opened in 1973
Children's Museum of the Ohio Valley Wheeling West Virginia
Children's Museum at the Paso Robles Volunteer Firehouse Paso Robles California Founded in 2002
Children's Museum of Phoenix Phoenix Arizona The museum was founded in 1998 as the "Phoenix Family Museum". On June 14, 2008, the museum was renamed "Children's Museum of Phoenix" and opened its doors to the public in the newly remodeled historic (NRHP) Monroe School building where it is currently located.
Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Founded in 1983
Children's Museum of Richmond Richmond Virginia Opened in 1981
The Children's Museum of Rose Hill Manor Park Frederick Maryland
The Children's Museum at Saratoga Saratoga Springs New York
The Children's Museum of Science and Technology Troy New York Founded in 1954 by the Junior League, formerly the Junior Museum
Seattle Children's Museum Seattle Washington Founded in 1979
Children's Museum of the Sierra Oakhurst California
Children's Museum of Skagit County Burlington Washington Located in Cascade Mall
The Children's Museum of Sonoma County Santa Rosa California
The Children's Museum of South Carolina Myrtle Beach South Carolina
Children's Museum of South Dakota Brookings South Dakota Created in 2010
Children's Museum of Southeastern Connecticut Niantic Connecticut Created in 1992
Children's Museum of Stockton Stockton California
Children's Museum of Tacoma Tacoma Washington Opened in 1986
Children's Museum of the Treasure Coast Stuart Florida Located in a former chapel and auditorium building in Indian Riverside Park in Jensen Beach; opened in 2008.
Children's Museum Tucson Tucson Arizona
The Children's Museum of the Upstate Greenville South Carolina
Children's Museum of the Valley Youngstown Ohio Opened in 2004
Children's Museum of Virginia Portsmouth Virginia
Children's Museum of Walla Walla Walla Walla Washington
The Children's Museum of Wilmington Wilmington North Carolina
The Children's Museum at Yunker Farm Fargo North Dakota Located in first brick house in the Dakota territory
Children's Neighborhood Museum Round Lake Illinois Part of the Round Lake Area Park District
The Children's Playhouse Boone North Carolina
Children's Science Explorium Boca Raton Florida
Community Children's Museum Dover New Jersey
Connecticut Children's Museum New Haven Connecticut
Cookeville Children's Museum Cookeville Tennessee Opened in 2007
Creative Discovery Museum Chattanooga Tennessee Opened in 1995
Curious Kids' Museum St. Joseph Michigan Located in Veterans Memorial Hall in St. Joseph; founded in 1989
Delaware Children's Museum Wilmington Delaware Located on Wilmington Riverfront
Discovery Center at Murfree Spring Murfreesboro Tennessee
The Discovery Center of the Southern Tier Binghamton New York
Discovery Center Museum Rockford Illinois
Discovery Creek Children's Museum Washington District of Columbia
Discovery Depot Children's Museum Galesburg Illinois
Discovery Gateway Salt Lake City Utah Formerly known as the Children's Museum of Utah
Discovery Museum Eureka California
The Discovery Playhouse Cape Girardeau Missouri
Discovery Science Place Tyler Texas
Don Harrington Discovery Center Amarillo Texas
Duke Energy Children's Museum Cincinnati Ohio
Duluth Children's Museum Duluth Minnesota
DuPage Children's Museum Naperville Illinois
Earlyworks Huntsville Alabama
East Tennessee Discovery Center Knoxville Tennessee
EdVenture Children's Museum Columbia South Carolina Opened in 2003
Escondido Children's Museum Escondido California
expERIEnce Children's Museum Erie Pennsylvania
¡Explora! Albuquerque New Mexico
Exploration Station Bourbonnais Illinois
Exploration Station Lumberton North Carolina
Explorations V Children's Museum Lakeland Florida
Explore & More Children's Museum East Aurora New York
Explorium of Lexington Lexington Kentucky
Family Museum Bettendorf Iowa
Fascinate-U Children's Museum Fayetteville North Carolina
Fingerprints Youth Museum Hemet California
Flint Children's Museum Flint Michigan
Forever Curious Children's Museum Fennville Michigan
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History Fort Worth Texas First children's museum in Texas; founded in 1941
Galveston Children's Museum Galveston Texas Located on Moody Mansion; founded in 2012
Garden State Discovery Museum Cherry Hill New Jersey
Georgia Children's Museum Macon Georgia
Glazer Children's Museum Tampa Florida Opened in 2010. Named after the Glazer Family of the Tampa Bay Area.[3]
Grand Rapids Children's Museum Grand Rapids Michigan
Great Explorations Children's Museum St. Petersburg Florida
Great Lakes Children's Museum Traverse City Michigan
Greensboro Children's Museum Greensboro North Carolina
Gull Wings Children's Museum Oxnard California
Habitot Children's Museum Berkeley California
Hands On! A Child's Gallery Hendersonville North Carolina
Hands On Children's Museum Olympia Washington
Hands-on House Children's Museum Lancaster Pennsylvania
Hannah Lindahl Children's Museum Mishawaka Indiana
Harrisonburg Children's Museum Harrisonburg Virginia Opened in 2003
Hawaii Children's Discovery Center Honolulu Hawaii
Healthworks! Kids' Museum South Bend Indiana
Imaginarium of South Texas Laredo Texas Opened in 1991
Imagination Place Gadsden Alabama
The Imagination Workshop, Temecula's Children's Museum Temecula California
Imagine Children's Museum Everett Washington
Imagine Nation Children's Museum Bristol Connecticut
ImagineU Children's Museum Visalia California
ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center Charlotte North Carolina Opened in 2005
Impression 5 Science Center Lansing Michigan
Interactive Neighborhood for Kids Gainesville Georgia
The Iowa Children's Museum Coralville Iowa
Jasmine Moran Children's Museum Seminole Oklahoma
Science Museum Oklahoma Oklahoma City Oklahoma One of the largest Children's Museums in the nation - CurioCity - is located within Science Museum Oklahoma
Jeanes Discovery Center Waco Texas Located within Baylor University's Mayborn Museum Complex;
The Jersey Explorer Children's Museum East Orange New Jersey
Kaleideum Winston-Salem North Carolina The Children's Museum of Winston-Salem and SciWorks merged in July 2016, and the new entity was named Kaleideum in February 2017.
Kaleidoscope (Kansas City, Missouri) Kansas City Missouri
Kearney Area Children's Museum Kearney Nebraska
Kern County Museum Bakersfield California
Kidcity Children's Museum Middletown Connecticut
Kidscommons Columbus Indiana
Kidsenses, Inc. Rutherfordton North Carolina
Kidsfirst Children's Museum South Bend Indiana
Kids 'N' Stuff Albion Michigan
Kidspace Children's Museum Pasadena California
KidsQuest Children's Museum Bellevue Washington
Kid Time! Discovery Experience Medford Oregon
The Kidzeum Grenada Mississippi
Kidzone Museum Truckee California
Kidzu Children's Museum Chapel Hill North Carolina Founded in March 2006
Koch Family Children's Museum of Evansville Evansville Indiana
Kohl Children's Museum Glenview Illinois
Liberty Science Center Jersey City New Jersey
Lied Discovery Children's Museum Las Vegas Nevada
Lincoln Children's Museum Lincoln Nebraska First green building in Lincoln
Long Island Children's Museum Garden City New York
Louisiana Children's Discovery Center Hammond Louisiana
Louisiana Children's Museum New Orleans Louisiana
Lutz Children's Museum Manchester Connecticut
Lynn Meadows Discovery Center Gulfport Mississippi
Madison Children's Museum Madison Wisconsin Opened in 1991
The Magic House, St. Louis Children's Museum St. Louis Missouri Opened in 1979
Maine Discovery Museum Bangor Maine
Marbles Kids Museum Raleigh North Carolina
McKenna Children's Museum New Braunfels Texas
Miami Children's Museum Miami Florida
Mid-Hudson Children's Museum Poughkeepsie New York
Mid-Michigan Children's Museum Saginaw Michigan
Minnesota Children's Museum St. Paul Minnesota
Mississippi Children's Museum Jackson Mississippi
Mobius Kids Spokane Washington Part of Mobius Spokane
Monterey Youth Museum Monterey California
The Most (Museum Of Science & Technology) Syracuse New York
Mountain Top Children's Museum Breckenridge Colorado
MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation Santa Barbara California Opened on February 25, 2017
My Jewish Discovery Place Fort Lauderdale Florida
National Children's Museum Washington District of Columbia Founded in 1974 as the 'Capital Children's Museum'.
National Museum of Play Rochester New York Second largest children's museum in the country
The New Children's Museum San Diego California
Northeast Louisiana Children's Museum Monroe Louisiana Opened on August 15, 1998; planning to move to a different location at Swayze Natatorium at Forsythe Park in 2021
Northeast Texas Children's Museum Commerce Texas Located within Texas A&M University-Commerce; opened in 2002
North Platte Area Children's Museum North Platte Nebraska
Northwoods Children's Museum Eagle River Wisconsin
Omaha Children's Museum Omaha Nebraska Founded in 1976
Orpheum Children's Science Museum Champaign Illinois
Our World, Children's Global Discovery Museum Cohasset Massachusetts
Pennypickle's Workshop Temecula California
Phelps Youth Pavilion Waterloo Iowa
Please Touch Museum Philadelphia Pennsylvania Located within Memorial Hall, which was built for the 1876 Centennial Exposition
Port Discovery Baltimore Maryland
Portland Children's Museum Portland Oregon Sixth oldest children's museum in the United States
Pretend City Children's Museum Irvine California
Providence Children's Museum Providence Rhode Island Rhode Island's first and only children's museum
Raven Hill Discovery Center Boyne City Michigan Established in 1991
Sacramento Children's Museum Sacramento California Opened in 2011
San Antonio Children's Museum San Antonio Texas Opened in 1995
The Sandbox Hilton Head Island South Carolina
Sandcastles Children's Museum Ludington Michigan Opened in 2007
San Luis Obispo Children's Museum San Luis Obispo California
Santa Fe Children's Museum Santa Fe New Mexico
Schoolhouse Children's Museum and Learning Center Boynton Beach Florida
Science and Discovery Center of Northwest Florida Panama City Florida
Science City at Union Station Kansas City Missouri Founded in 1999
Seminole County School Student Museum Sanford Florida
Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum Winchester Virginia
St. George Children's Museum St.George Utah Opened in 2013
Staten Island Children's Museum Staten Island New York
Stepping Stones Museum for Children Norwalk Connecticut
Texoma Children's Museum Denison Texas
The Thinkery Austin Texas Opened in 1987; formerly Austin Children's Museum; opening December 2013
T.R.E.E. House Children's Museum Alexandria Louisiana
Treehouse Children's Museum Ogden Utah Opened in 1992
Upper Peninsula Children's Museum Marquette Michigan
Utica Children's Museum Utica New York Founded in October 1963 by the Junior League, formerly The Children's Museum of History, Natural History & Science
Virginia Discovery Museum Charlottesville Virginia
Westchester Children's Museum Rye New York
Wizard of Oz Museum Cape Canaveral Florida Founded 2022, features a large collection of Wizard of Oz memorabilia and historical artifacts. Ranked #7 out of 580 children's museums in the United States.[4]
WonderLab Museum of Science, Health & Technology Bloomington Indiana
Wonderfeet Kids Museum Rutland Vermont
Wonderscope Children's Museum of Kansas City Kansas City Missouri
Wonder Works Oak Park Illinois
The Virgin Islands Children's Museum St Thomas United States Virgin Islands Founded 2015, serves all islands in the USVI territory.
The Woodlands Children's Museum The Woodlands Texas
Working Wonders Children's Museum Bend Oregon
World Awareness Children's Museum Glen Falls, New York New York Created in 1995
WOW! Children's Museum Lafayette Colorado
Young at Art Museum Davie Florida
Zimmer Children's Museum Los Angeles California

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Tzoumas, Marsha (October 4, 1981). "Children's Museum; Holyoke Junior League project a hit with kids". Springfield Union. Springfield, Mass. p. E1.
  2. ^ "Opening of Children's Museum". Springfield Union. Springfield, Mass. May 31, 1987. p. D-7.
  3. ^ "Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Glazer Children's Museum". Retrieved 2017-01-18.
  4. ^ "THE 10 BEST United States Children's Museums (Updated 2023)". Tripadvisor. Retrieved 2023-09-21.