A place filled with ancient artifacts, historical pieces, and scientific objects. According to Kids, Museums are nothing but boring. Who would want to stroll around looking at old things when you can sit at home watching Tv. And also the rule ‘Do not Touch, Only See’ seems to make children hate the place even more.
However, there exist some unique museums around the world that your kids would love to go to again and again. While these unique museums focus on different domains, they are sure to make children fall in love with museums again. General museums mostly do have kid-friendly sections or programs inside them, but these museums are specifically designed for kids. With play-heavy, hands-on environments, these museums inspire kids, both young and old, to have fun while learning. We’ve picked out a list of 8 such museums for kids around the world that are all worth a trip and kids-approved.
The Strong National Museum of Play – Rochester, New York
Known as the ultimate play destination for all ages, this 285,000 square-foot space showcases the world’s largest collection of toys, dolls, board games, and electronic games. Climb and slide at Field of Play, discover your superpowers with DC Super Heroes, take a spin on the Elaine Wilson Carousel or hop onto the Strong Express Train. Displays inspired by popular culture, including Sesame Street, Monopoly, and Dorothy’s yellow brick road, are sure to keep kids (and grownups) occupied for hours. Kids can “shop” and learn about nutrition in the mini Wegmans supermarket. This museum also includes a Toy Hall of Fame and a dose of high nostalgia that will take adults back to their childhood for sure.
Gelato Museum – Emilia Bologna, Italy
A museum trip on learning about their favorite ice-cream, would obviously seem like a dream come true to your kids. Being the first and only of its kind dedicated to artisan gelato, this museum exhibits ice-cream machines with a dive into the history of gelato making. The whole family can engage in gelato making classes and special tasting events along with a guided tour of the museum. The flavors here are surely going to make gelato lovers come back for more.
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum – Washington, D.C.
Let your kid’s imagination launch into the history of flight surrounded by the world’s largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft. It has twenty-three galleries exhibiting hundreds of aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, rockets, and other flight-related artifacts. This museum also has a planetarium and an IMAX theater for the flying-minds and their out-of-this-world escapes.
Chocolate Museum – Cologne
No one would ever say no for an amazing visit to the wonderful world of chocolate and cocoa. The tour to the largest chocolate museum in the world starts with a revolving bridge that actually adds some Willy Wonka effect to the place. Later it takes you through 3,000 years of luxurious and chocolatey history. Take a stroll through the greenhouse with live cocoa trees and experience how chocolate products are crafted in both mechanized and manual way. The 3 meters high Chocolate fountain constantly fed with 200 kgs of fresh Lindt chocolate is definitely the most tempting spot in the museum. Make sure to visit this chocolate-lovers paradise once in your life.
Toy Museum – Branson
A magical place where memories unfold and the imagination abounds. The toy museum in Branson is the world’s largest, holding over 1 million toy attractions within 6 museums and multiple collections. A must-visit for the whole family, this museum features unique exhibits from antique toys to some latest gadgetry. The collection here is enough to evoke feelings of nostalgia in everyone regardless of age.
Dinosaur Museum, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Science – Brussels
If your kids are fascinated about extinct animals, specifically dinosaurs, this is the right place to take them. With a surface area of over 3000 m2 and dozens of specimens, this museum has an impressive collection of fossilized skeletons and casts. The Dinosaur Gallery being the largest dinosaur hall in the world is entirely devoted to their discovery, lives, and evolution. In the gallery, one can see how they died, how fossils are formed and challenge a virtual dinosaur too. Other exhibitions include Gallery of Humankind, gallery of Evolution, BiodiverCity, Mineral Hall, Virtual Shell Hall, Virtual Insect Hall and much more.
Please Touch Museum – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
As the name suggests, Kids would love this one. Each part of this two-story museum is dedicated to creating an environment of learning with fun. A mini Philly-esque neighborhood, Alice in Wonderland and River Adventure play areas, a Fairytale Garden for Toddlers, a Space Station with Star Wars toys and much more. Do enjoy some coffee in the Please Taste Cafe and a few turns on the Woodside Park carousel before you call it a day.
Rubber Museum – Manaus
Located on the banks of the Negro River, the boat ride to the rubber museum (which is actually part of a rubber estate) is a wonderful experience in itself. The tour includes exploring the reconstructed rubber-tapper shack and smokehouse, learning about the rubber making process and a visit to the ships that transported rubber from the Amazon to locations around the world. Watching a live demonstration of extracting latex from a tree is the highlight of the tour and would definitely make the visit fun for kids.
So, now that you know about these amazing museums in the world, make a list of the ones you want to visit with your kids. Because not all museums are boring. You just have to pick the right ones and make your day full of fun, learning, and entertainment.
