USA TODAY 10Best
Children's Museum of Indianapolis wins Best Children's Museum
Best Children's Museum (2021)
Keeping the kids entertained while traveling can be a challenge, especially on days when the weather doesn't cooperate. Luckily these 10 museums, chosen as the best for families in North America, offer engaging, interactive experiences for kids and adults alike.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Children's Museum are as follows:
- Children's Museum of Denver - Denver
- The Strong - Rochester, New York
- Children's Museum of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh
- Please Touch Museum - Philadelphia
- Museum of Discovery - Little Rock, Arkansas
- City Museum - St. Louis
- Kohl Children's Museum - Chicago
- Children's Museum of Houston - Houston
- The Magic House - St. Louis
- Children's Museum of Indianapolis - Indianapolis
Photo courtesy of Children's Museum of Denver
No. 10:
The Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus welcomes more than half a million children per year to their collection of interactive, hands-on exhibits. The museum is divided into four areas — Explore, Imagine, Investigate and Create — each with its own set of one-of-a-kind experiences. Go climbing at Altitude, gear up at Fire Station No. 1, learn about power at Energy or get creative in the Art Studio.
No. 9:
The Strong museum is a highly interactive museum in Rochester, NY. The museum houses the world’s largest collection of toys, dolls, games, and video games and is home to the National Toy Hall of Fame and World Video Game Hall of Fame. Kid favorites include Pinball Playfields, Wegmans Super Kids Market, Reading Adventureland, and Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden.
Photo courtesy of Children's Museum of Pittsburgh
No. 8:
Inside the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, visitors can explore numerous hands-on, interactive exhibit areas meant to spark curiosity. The Attic explores illusions, perception and phenomena; the Garage is the place to explore things that drive, roll and fly; the Studio allows kids to express their creativity through various art forms and at the Children’s Museum’s new MuseumLab, kids 10 and older can have cutting edge experiences in art, technology and making. The museum is temporarily closed.
Photo courtesy of J. Fusco for VISIT PHILADELPHIA
No. 7:
Philadelphia's Please Touch Museum offers two floors of exhibits that kids are actively encouraged to touch. Little ones can safely play in a construction zone or go down the rabbit hole to a Wonderland-inspired play station. A historic and recently refurbished carousel is a great way to end a visit on a high note. The museum also hosts a variety of family-friendly programs, so there's always something new to explore.
Photo courtesy of Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau
No. 6:
The Museum of Discovery debuted 90 new interactive exhibits in 2012, offering kids even more ways to learn, create and explore, all while having fun. Exhibits include a space especially for children under six years of age (Room to Grow), a Tinkering Studio for experiments with new tools and materials, Earth Journeys (home to the second largest living animal collection in Arkansas), the inward-looking Amazing You and hands-on Discovery Hall.
No. 5:
Housed in the 600,000-square-foot former warehouse of the International Shoe Company, the St. Louis City Museum has a bit of everything — the world's largest jungle gym, a 10-story spiral slide and a rooftop garden with stellar views of the city. Entry is currently by advanced reservation.
Photo courtesy of Kohl Children's Museum
No. 4:
With a special emphasis on early childhood learning, the Kohl Children's Museum just outside Chicago features 17 interactive exhibits. Kids get creative at Adventures in Art, practice social skills at Cooperation Station, make a splash at Water Works and connect with nature in the outdoor Habitat Park. The museum is designed for children under eight years of age. The museum is currently open for pre-registered VIP sessions.
Photo courtesy of Children's Museum of Houston
No. 3:
Aimed at kids under the age of 12, the Children’s Museum of Houston features over a dozen interactive galleries where kids can learn about the culture and traditions of the Gullah, construct their own inventions in the Maker Annex, learn about the environment at EcoStation, test their bodies in PowerPlay or explore a pint-sized city known as Kidtropolis. Every Thursday evening, the museum hosts a Free Family Night where admission is free. The museum plans to reopen on June 8.
Photo courtesy of The Magic House
No. 2:
The Magic House, St. Louis’s children’s museum, helps visiting kids explore their curiosity, enhance their creativity and develop their problem solving skills. Housed within a Victorian mansion, the museum’s lineup of interactive exhibits include Children’s Village, STEAM Center, Art Studio, Math Path, Bubble Room, Kids Construction Zone and the Waterfall Patio.
Photo courtesy of Children's Museum of Indianapolis
No. 1:
A favorite Indy attraction, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the largest museum of its kind in the world, encompassing 500,000 square feet of fun-filled experiences. Children and families can explore science, consider career paths with Barbie, snap a selfie with a T-rex or explore outer space through the lens of NASA’s Project Mercury. There’s also a 7.5-acre outdoor sports park to get your game on with basketball, football, hockey, soccer, pedal car racing, golf, baseball and tennis.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations to all these winning children's museums!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer... Read More
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer who has visited more than 60 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer who has visited more than 60 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel... Read More
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Jacky Runice
Born in Bucktown when bulletproof was a home... Read More
Born in Bucktown when bulletproof was a home safety choice and not a coffee order, Jacky Runice has been knocking around Chicago as a professional print, online and broadcast journalist and editor specializing in separating the riff from the raff in culture, entertainment, food, travel and pure unadulterated fun. Jacky is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA). In her best Chicagoese, Jacky asks, "Who has the time or money to blow on hotels, attractions, restaurants, exhibits and activities that blow?"
Jacky Runice
Born in Bucktown when bulletproof was a home safety choice and not a coffee order, Jacky Runice has been knocking around Chicago as a professional print, online and broadcast journalist and editor specializing in separating the riff from the raff in culture, entertainment, food, travel and pure unadulterated fun. Jacky is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA). In her best Chicagoese, Jacky asks, "Who has the time or money to blow on hotels, attractions, restaurants, exhibits and activities that blow?"
Joanne and Tony DiBona
Joanne and Tony DiBona know a thing or two about... Read More
Joanne and Tony DiBona know a thing or two about creating photo galleries to share their personal travel experiences around the world with their readers. Their articles have been featured on 10Best for the past decade, as well as in national and international print and online media. Their awards for photography and journalism fill up an entire wall in their office, the most recent being a top national award for their US and international galleries published on 10Best. Follow their travel adventures on their scenic photography website and travel blog. Have a question about travel? Contact them on their Instagram and Facebook pages.
Joanne and Tony DiBona
Joanne and Tony DiBona know a thing or two about creating photo galleries to share their personal travel experiences around the world with their readers. Their articles have been featured on 10Best for the past decade, as well as in national and international print and online media. Their awards for photography and journalism fill up an entire wall in their office, the most recent being a top national award for their US and international galleries published on 10Best. Follow their travel adventures on their scenic photography website and travel blog. Have a question about travel? Contact them on their Instagram and Facebook pages.
Lois Alter Mark
Lois Alter Mark is an award-winning travel and... Read More
Lois Alter Mark is an award-winning travel and lifestyle writer who also writes regularly for Forbes and Reader's Digest. She writes about everything from luxury cruises and spas to quirky restaurants and street art. A former New Yorker, Lois now lives in San Diego where she's turned into a weather wimp and is still searching for a good slice of pizza.
Lois Alter Mark
Lois Alter Mark is an award-winning travel and lifestyle writer who also writes regularly for Forbes and Reader's Digest. She writes about everything from luxury cruises and spas to quirky restaurants and street art. A former New Yorker, Lois now lives in San Diego where she's turned into a weather wimp and is still searching for a good slice of pizza.
Marla Cimini
Marla is a writer with a passion for travel, music... Read More
Marla is a writer with a passion for travel, music and culinary adventures (and combining those whenever possible)! As an avid globetrotter, she encourages respecting and learning about other cultures while traveling. She has visited Hawaii multiple times, and has explored destinations worldwide, including the Mediterranean region, South America, Asia and more. Marla is a contributor to Fodor’s Hawaii guidebooks (Oahu and Kauai 2020) and her articles have appeared in a number of international publications. She calls New Jersey (Philadelphia area) home. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter and read her travel tips and adventures on her website.
Marla Cimini
Marla is a writer with a passion for travel, music and culinary adventures (and combining those whenever possible)! As an avid globetrotter, she encourages respecting and learning about other cultures while traveling. She has visited Hawaii multiple times, and has explored destinations worldwide, including the Mediterranean region, South America, Asia and more. Marla is a contributor to Fodor’s Hawaii guidebooks (Oahu and Kauai 2020) and her articles have appeared in a number of international publications. She calls New Jersey (Philadelphia area) home. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter and read her travel tips and adventures on her website.
