The Best Children’s Museums in the US, From San Francisco to St. Louis - These powerhouses of play don’t mess around when it comes to wooing young travelers.

Photo of the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine with a sunset overlaw and a banner that says, “Best Children’s Museums in the country.”

Condé Nast Traveler

While there are several children’s museums that have climbing gyms, tot-scaled supermarkets, and STEAM-inspired tinkering labs, what makes an institution really stand out from the pack is its creative play spaces.

What follows are eight of the country’s best children’s museums—dynamic, sensory-rich spaces that engage and entertain as much as they educate.

Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine in Portland, Maine

Best for: aspiring playwrights and theater buffs

This 30,000-square-foot campus houses the nation’s oldest, continuously operating children’s theater—a 100-seat venue lauded for both its award-winning theatrical performances and annual Youth Playwriting Festival. But that’s not the only thing that makes CMTM the most visited museum in the state: It also has an aquarium and touch tank with native inhabitants; a miniature town where kids can pretend to be doctors, firefighters, and lobstermen (because—Maine); and an inspiring new outdoor exhibit, Ckuwaponahkiyik Atkuhkakonol, co-created with Wabanaki community members to explore Indigenous language, storytelling, art, and music. For kiddos ages 5 to 10, there’s even a raft of popular after-school experiences that touch on everything from theater and cooking to marine biology.

See more: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/the-best-childrens-museums-in-the-us