The Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C. is a must-visit for families filled with wonder, discovery, and excitement for adults, kids, and even hard-to-impress teens. From dazzling gems and towering dinosaur fossils to interactive exhibits, there is something for everyone. Since exploring every gallery could take days, I have narrowed it down to the Top 3 Kid Favorites by age group to help you make the most of your visit.
1. For Babies and Toddlers - Q?rius Jr. at National History Museum
The Q?rius Jr. Area is the best place! It is located on the ground level inside the larger Q?rius Science Center and is great for Babies, Toddlers and Elementary Age up to age 10. The volunteers there told my kids on one exhibit, “the only rule in this room is to TOUCH EVERYTHING!” Well you don’t have tell that to my 3 and 6 year olds twice! The room includes real museum artifacts including fossils, shells and minerals they can touch.
2. For Elementary Age Kids - Dinosaur exhibit at National History Museum
New Dinosaur exhibit! The Dinosaur fossils are back at the David H. Koch Hall of Fossils Deep Time. After 5 years, the museum has completely revamped the fossil hall with 700 specimens including early insects, reptiles and mammals and of course a Tyrannosaurus rex that cant be missed.
Open every day except December 25th
3. For Teens - Q?rius Science Center
Q?rius Science Center is an incredible destination location on its own! It is located on the Basement Level. It's a huge space dedicated to fostering wonder and exploration through hands on exhibits, scientist volunteer demos and 6,000 collection objects. Families can pull out artifacts in these large drawers and just explore independently.
Admission is free and it’s open every day from 10 am to 5 PM.
