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Capital Children's Museum
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 Capitol 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.
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