Activitiesforkids - Museums

The AKC Museum of the Dog has returned to New York City where it began over 35 years ago. The museum, with one of the finest collections of canine-related art, will occupy new purpose-built galleries in midtown Manhattan, just steps from Grand Central Station. Combining fine arts with cutting edge technology and interpretation, the Museum of the Dog provides unique and engaging experiences for visitors of all ages. The permanent collection of the museum is one of the finest and largest collections of canine-related fine art and artifacts in the world. It comprises paintings, watercolors, drawings, prints, ceramics and bronzes. Additionally, objects such as trophies, collars and other dog-related works are included in the collection. Representations of dogs in ceramic goes back centuries, and the collection reflects that rich history. One can encounter works from Staffordshire spill vases to modern day productions of many breeds from factories such as Meissen, Rosenthal, and Royal Doulton. The core experience in the museum is the touch screen interactive table that allows you to explore AKC registered breeds. Follow the breeds as they move across the screen; find your favorite and pull it down to your dog house. There you can learn about each breed’s unique physical features, personality traits, purpose/common jobs and history, and find the breeds depicted in artworks in the collection. http://www.museumofthedog.org/

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in three iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters. Since it was founded in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum's galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures. On January 13, 2015, the Trustees of The Metropolitan Museum of Art reaffirmed this statement of purpose and supplemented it with the following statement of mission: The Metropolitan Museum of Art collects, studies, conserves, and presents significant works of art across all times and cultures in order to connect people to creativity, knowledge, and ideas. https://www.metmuseum.org

No trip to Toronto is complete without a visit to the Royal Ontario Museum — Canada’s largest museum showcasing art, culture, and nature from around the globe and across the ages. The ROM is home to a world-class collection of more than six million objects and specimens, featured in 40 gallery and exhibition spaces. Explore special exhibitions, as well as the Museum’s permanent collections of dinosaurs, South Asian art and culture, gems and minerals, ancient Egyptian treasures, biodiversity, and much more. http://www.seetorontonow.com/listings/royal-ontario-museum/#sm.0017houyxdtier210nr1h126u6a73

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) Collection features more than 100,000 great works of art, from cutting-edge contemporary to classic European masterpieces. View iconic paintings by the well-known Group of Seven as well as amazing art by established and emerging Indigenous, Inuit and Métis artists, sculptures, photographs, prints & drawings and so much more are on display in a beautiful building that itself is a work of art, with design details created by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry. http://www.seetorontonow.com/listings/art-gallery-of-ontario/#sm.0017houyxdtier210nr1h126u6a73

The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is the oldest and most visited gallery in Australia. Situated over two magnificent buildings – NGV International and NGV Australia – the Gallery hosts a wide range of international and local artists, exhibitions, programs and events; from contemporary art to major international historic exhibitions, fashion and design, architecture, sound and dance. https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/

A living part of Melbourne's modern Chinatown, the Chinese Museum is a national museum, brought into being in 1985 to document, preserve and display the history of Australians of Chinese descent who have helped shape and develop what it means to be Australian today. An exciting range of changing exhibitions, heritage tours and public seminars are some of the ways by which the Chinese Museum shares the past, culture, and values of Australia's Chinese community with the wider public. Educating existing and future generations of Australians it places importance on our identity and what is means to be Australian. A goldfield's mine re-creation, displays about early Chinese industry such as furniture making and the banana industry, imperial garments and images of the Young Chinese League's debutantes of the 1930s onward, evoke some of the richness of the Chinese contribution to Australia's history. The Museum is also home to Dai Loong and the Millennium Dragon, the largest dragon in the world, which weaves through the streets of Melbourne following a 100 year old Melbourne tradition. The Museum is a popular and important educative resource for teachers and educators alike visited by a huge number of school children 25,000 per annum to learn about multiculturalism, local and Australian history, Chinese arts and culture. http://www.melbourne.com.au/chinese-museum-melbourne.htm

MINT Museum of Toys houses a world-class collection of vintage toys and collectible items in an international award-winning contemporary building on 26 Seah Street. Since its inauguration, the museum has expanded its collection, amassing over 50,000 items, 8000 of which are on display in the museum. The toys and items hail from over 40 countries and range in date from the 1840s to 1970s. These are displayed across the rooftop, basement and 4 thematic levels of the museum: Outerspace, Characters, Childhood Favourites and Collectables. The collection is made up of various key collections, including Batman, Dan Dare, Japanese character and space-related toys, and collectibles. In addition to toys, the museum houses a collection of confectionary vintage tin boxes, large-item displays, such as Mobo horses and pedal cars, as well as original enamel advertising signs. Over the years, these have been incorporated into various exhibitions and programs run by the museum, serving as windows into the past as well as inspirations for the present. Today, the MINT Museum of Toys serves diverse and expanding audiences, including tourists, families, collectors, artists, and students. It continues to fascinate and inspire the imaginations of audiences, taking them on a journey of rediscovery to rekindle that Moment of Imagination and Nostalgia with Toys (MINT). https://emint.com/

Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) is a public not-for-profit contemporary art museum that collects, preserves, researches and exhibits 21st-century art from Africa and its diaspora; hosts international exhibitions; develops supporting educational and enrichment programmes; encourages intercultural understanding, and guarantees access for all. The galleries, spread over several floors, are dedicated to a large cutting-edge collection gallery; exhibition galleries; and Centres for Art Education, Curatorial Training, Performative Practice, Photography, and the Moving Image. http://zeitzmocaa.museum/

Discover a completely renovated Grévin Museum in Paris. Experience the Spirit of Paris of yesterday and of today with astounding scenes : the major events of the 20th Century, French history and the latest news. The brasserie, the theatre, artists' studios. all the legendary Parisian haunts where you will rub shoulders with the "Tout Paris" celebrities. Three hundred wax figures are waiting to meet you at the Grévin Museum, to be photographed with you, to be remembered forever... http://www.paris-paris-paris.com/paris_landmarks/museums/grevin_museum_paris

Located at the foot of the Atomium, Mini-Europe is the only park where you can have a whistle-stop tour of Europe in a few short hours. A truly unique journey! Enjoy a stroll taking in the typical atmosphere of the most beautiful towns of the old Continent. The incomparable chimes of Big Ben welcome you to the heart of London. The gondolas and mandolins invite you to discover the charms of Venice. Follow the TGV high-speed train from Paris to the other end of France. You can make the models work yourself: the eruption of Vesuvius, the fall of the Berlin Wall, a bull-fight in Seville, the take off of the Ariane spaceship and many others. All in all, 350 models and sites with an unequalled level of craftsmanship. Visit also the European area, packed with interactive multimedia games and the exhibition. https://visit.brussels/en/place/Mini-Europe

COSI, Columbus’ dynamic Center of Science and Industry, has combined science learning and fun since 1964 with 300-plus hands-on exhibits, Ohio’s largest Planetarium, Giant Screen Theater, live shows and more. And now, through a unique and unprecedented partnership with the renowned American Museum of Natural History, COSI’s offerings are only growing! Located on Columbus’ Scioto Peninsula, COSI is near the downtown core and the Ohio Statehouse. A brand new 6.5-acre park sits directly west of the museum featuring a splash pad, playground, picnic tables, swings and much more. COSI introduced the new Dinosaur Gallery – a permanent exhibit that allows guests to get up close to a full-sized cast of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, 100 million-year-old fossilized amber, an 8 foot titanosaur femur cast and much more. https://www.experiencecolumbus.com/listing/cosi/5658/

The Wexner Center for the Arts is one of the nation’s premiere cultural gems--an internationally known contemporary arts center at The Ohio State University. The Center offers exhibitions, performances, films, artistic residencies and educational programs. The building, a landmark of postmodern architecture, houses galleries, performance spaces, a film video theater, a store and a cafe. From the intimate, cabaret-style concerts in our black box theater to large-scale events in or 2,500 seat Mershon Auditorium, the Wexner Center offers a wide variety of performances – dance, theater, jazz, world music, electronica and more. In the Wexner Center Film/Video Theater, you can watch rarely screened movies from near and far, the latest independent features and classics from Hollywood and abroad. https://www.experiencecolumbus.com/listing/wexner-center-for-the-arts-the/5555/

At the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, you can be a part of the famous event that forever changed the course of American history through a multi-sensory experience that includes live actors, interactive exhibits, and full-scale replica 18th-century sailing vessels! Enter the Meeting House and step back in time to rebellious 1773 Boston and meet Samuel Adams and your 18th century host! Discover what role you will play in the “single most important event leading up to the American Revolution” – the Boston Tea Party – as you take part in the colonial town meeting. Experience life at sea aboard an 18th-century sailing vessel as you join a Son of Liberty and take part in the “Destruction of the Tea”! Throw tea into the very same body of water where the Boston Tea Party took place over 240 years ago. https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/

Adams National Historical Park, Quincy, MA, is comprised of the birthplace homes of Presidents John and John Quincy Adams; the Old House, home to four generations of the Adams family; and the Stone Library. Many park programs and special events are offered to give kids of all ages an opportunity to Picture Themselves in the Past and see themselves in their nation's future. Contact the park for dates and details. https://www.bostonusa.com/listings/adams-national-historical-park/11557/

The mission of the Museum is to preserve and display fire fighting memorabilia from the Greater Boston area, educate and inform the general public on fire safety, maintain our home in the historic Congress Street Fire Station, and to support the fire service in general. The Boston Fire Museum has occupied the old firehouse at 344 Congress St in Boston’s seaport district since 1983. The Museum Committee, which oversees the operation of the Museum, is an all-volunteer group dedicated to informing friends and visitors about the history of fire fighting. Since the Boston Fire Department is one of the oldest in the nation, there is a rich tradition to salute. The home of our parent group, the Boston Sparks Association, is on the second floor. Our museum collection comprises fire alarm displays and artefacts, firefighting equipment, antique fire apparatus, and photographs. http://www.bostonfiremuseum.com/index.html

For 100 years, Boston Children's Museum has been a leader in Boston and within the museum community worldwide. The Museum is a private, non-profit, educational institution that is recognized internationally as a research and development center and pacesetter for children's exhibitions, educational programs and curriculum. Designed for children and families, our exhibits focus on science, culture, environmental awareness, health & fitness, and the arts. In addition to extensive child-centered exhibits, Museum educators develop programs and activities that address literacy, performing arts, science and math, visual arts, cultures, and health and wellness. The Museum is also one of the few children's museums in the world to maintain a collection, with more than 50,000 items. http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/visit

Listed in UNESCO heritage, the complex provides an overview of maritime trade, agencies, and navigation in the Middle Ages, as well as in the era of sailing, steam, and motor ships. There is a total of 1,000 m² of exhibition space. The star exhibit is the 700-year-old Koge wreck found in Kadriorg in 2015. There are about 70 ship models out of which 17 have been created specifically for the exhibition, nearly 700 items, and 50 digital and hands-on solutions. https://www.visitestonia.com/en/fat-margaret-museum-and-visitor-centre#

The Seymour Marine Discovery Center offers hands-on immersion into the world of ocean exploration and discovery. With a 20,000-square-foot visitor center, guests can touch a shark, explore the latest discoveries in ocean science, and take in the spectacular Monterey Bay, called the “Serengeti of the sea,” for its incredible diversity of marine life. Powered by the Long Marine Laboratory, a world-renowned university research facility, our exhibit hall offers a deeper dive into the fascinating and varied work of scientists studying the oceans here in Santa Cruz and around the world. https://seymourcenter.ucsc.edu/

Boasting world-renowned expertise, the Museum presents more than 6000 specimens in their faithfully reconstructed natural habitat. Come and discover the amazing species of the Mediterranean, the incredible diversity of the inhabitants of the coral reef and the monumental Shark Lagoon, all under the same roof. From the highly colourful tropical zone to the spellbinding charm of the Mediterranean section, the Oceanographic museum invites you to observe the underwater world in all its authenticity. The one hundred or so pools, ranging in size from 100 to 450,000 litres, are home to several thousand fish specimens, more than 200 species of invertebrates and around one hundred species of hard and soft corals. https://www.oceano.mc/en/aquariums/our-aquariums

The Seoul Museum of History is the only museum in Korea that represents the city’s history and culture. Since its establishment on the former site of Gyeonghuigung Palace in 2002, the museum has offered visitors the chance to experience 600 years of Seoul’s history and culture through interactive exhibitions. The three-story museum is divided thematically into three exhibition areas, including a special exhibition area, a permanent exhibition area and a hall that exhibits collections donated by the public. The museum offers accessible and interactive exhibitions to the public with various hands-on programs. For example, visitors are allowed to touch and explore the exhibits on display, which are replicas of originals in the museum. In addition, the museum offers the U-Exhibit Guidance System, an automatic translator (various languages are available) for visitors, which makes every tour convenient and interesting. http://english.visitseoul.net/attractions/The-Seoul-Museum-of-History_/2725

Explore the natural world around you, discover dinosaur fossils and more at this free gem on the National Mall. The museum contains some of the most famous artifacts in the world. The Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals has the supposedly cursed Hope Diamond on display. Meanwhile, Q?rius, the museum’s education center, offers teens and tweens a lab where they can make their own scientific discoveries. Other permanent exhibits include an insect zoo and The Sant Ocean Hall, which features an exact replica of a living North Atlantic right whale. https://naturalhistory.si.edu/

The Manned Space Flight Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational foundation offering extensive science education programs and a space museum. The cornerstone of its education mission is Space Center Houston, a leading science and space exploration learning center. It is one of Houston’s top attractions, the area’s No. 1 attraction for international visitors, the Official Visitor Center of NASA Johnson Space Center and a Smithsonian Affiliate. Since opening in 1992, Space Center Houston has welcomed more than 20 million people and hosts nearly 1.1 million visitors annually in its 250,000-square-foot educational complex. https://spacecenter.org/

The Children’s Museum of Houston is all-new and now twice as big! Rated the No. 1 children's museum in the U.S. by Parents magazine, the Children's Museum is A Playground for Your Mind. The Museum is packed with 90,000 square feet of innovative, interactive bilingual exhibits for kids, ages birth to 12 years, housed in a whimsical Robert Venturi-designed building.Free Family Nights are offered every Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m.Permanent exhibits include: FlowWorks, Kidtropolis, PowerPlay, Cyberspace, EcoStation and many more. https://www.visithoustontexas.com/listings/childrens-museum-of-houston/19471/

Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) is located across two riverside buildings in South Bank’s Cultural Precinct. QAGOMA presents an evolving program of Australian and international exhibitions, with a focus on the contemporary art of Australia, Asia and the Pacific. Immerse the family in creativity at the Children’s Art Centre and see the best in international film and video at the Australian Cinémathèque. QAGOMA offers cafes, modern dining and shopping to complete your visit. https://www.visitbrisbane.com.au/brisbane/things-to-do/arts-and-entertainment/galleries/queensland-art-gallery-and-gallery-of-modern-art--qagoma?sc_lang=en-au

Maritime Museum features historic ships that display both permanent and temporary exhibits on board. You can see what it was like to live and work on these vessels at Maritime Museum of San Diego. Look into the cabins where ship crew mates would sleep, walk by the kitchen and dining areas to see where they had meals and satisfy your curiosity by seeing the very small bathrooms and showers. San Diego Maritime Museum offers daily public tours so that you and your friends or family can explore this place often - and learn plenty about ship life. Maritime Museum San Diego has public events that make for great experiences and quality bonding time with family and friends. During the Family Overnight Adventure at San Diego Maritime Museum, you and your loved ones can spend a night on the Star of India. Maritime Museum will tell you all about how the immigrants and crew lived and worked on this ship. Guests can participate in ship chores. You might raise the sail or rig a bosun's chair at Maritime Museum of San Diego. Your kids will know how to hoist cargo and sing sea chanteys like they were the original passengers on this ship after a fun day at the Maritime Museum. https://www.sandiego.com/maritime-museum

The Railroad Museum in San Diego in Balboa Park presents one of the largest indoor train models in the world, and it is also the only accredited railway-themed museum in the United States. San Diego Model Railroad Museum is educational, exciting and interesting for adults and children of all ages. Whether you grew up creating and playing with your own train models or you are a railway connoisseur, the Railroad Museum San Diego will provide you with entertainment as you admire the impressive designs and learn about the history of the railway systems in California. Guests will witness the transformation of trains and the railways through time and gain facts about the early railroad women in history. Visitors at the San Diego Railroad Museum will recognize the miniature version of famous San Diego sites and landmarks while trains zoom through the landscapes. The San Diego Railroad Museum features imaginary prototypes and the hypothetical design of the Pacific Desert Lines that were surveyed but constructed. The Railroad Museum San Diego also presents the real-life mountain scenes in the Tehachapi Loop and the Goat Canyon trestle on the San Diego and Arizona Eastern line, as train history and authenticity is preserved in each exhibit. The toy train gallery is also an exciting must-see attraction as it has four tracks and operating accessories. The kids will enjoy pressing the buttons to operate the coal trains, which blow horns, whistles and even smoke at the San Diego Railroad Museum. https://www.sandiego.com/san-diego-railroad-museum

Skansen is the world’s oldest open-air museum, showcasing the whole of Sweden with houses and farmsteads from every part of the country. At Skansen, you can discover Sweden’s history and find out how Swedes once lived according to the changing seasons, through the customs and traditions, work, celebrations and everyday life of times gone by. Skansen is a unique place where history meets the present day, where Swedish traditions and craftsmanship live on, and where people of all ages come together. This is the world’s only open-air museum with wild animals. Here you can see Nordic wildlife, rare breeds, pets and exotic creatures. The Children’s Zoo features domestic animals such as cats, rabbits and guinea pigs, as well as small wild animals. The Skansen Aquarium and Our Africa feature exotic animals including monkeys, birds, reptiles and insects. The park area surrounding the museum has a variety of planting and gardens. Rye and flax are grown in the field at Seglora, while the Skåne Farmstead and Skogaholm Manor have historic kitchen gardens and every building has plants typical of the farmsteads and the nature of their time. Find out how we used to live, and enjoy the recreational spaces that make Skansen a popular attraction all year round. http://www.skansen.se/en/this-is-skansen

One of the world's oldest and largest open-air museums, with 155 traditional houses from all parts of Norway and a stave church from the year 1200. The museum also has indoor exhibits with traditional handicraft items, folk costumes, Sami culture, weapons, toys, pharmaceutical history and changing exhibitions. In summer the open-air museum offers freshly-baked lefse, horse and carriage rides, feeding of the animals, guided tours, handicraft demonstrations and much more. https://www.visitoslo.com/en/product/?TLp=13356&Norsk-Folkemuseum--Norwegian-Museum-of-Cultural-History

The Natural History Museum is Norway's largest collection of natural science objects. 6.2 million objects are found here, representing 65% of the country's total natural history collections. Some of these collections are available to the public in the Botanical Gardens and the museums there. In addition to the research conducted at the museums, updating and maintaining these collections is an important part of NHM's tasks. Collett's House (Zoological Museum) has permanent and changing exhibitions for the public. The entrance is through a modern pavilion, marked Museum entrance, where you will also find the museum shop. Brøger's House (Geological Museum) is currently closed to the public, but you will find many of the highlights of our objects in the exhibitions at Collett's House. Lids House (Botanical Museum) contains offices, herbaria, archives, etc. This is used by researchers and is not open to the public. The botanical garden covers 150 acres and has about 35,000 plants spread across approximately 7,500 species. Here you will also find the two exhibition greenhouses Palmehuset and Victoriahuset. https://www.nhm.uio.no/

Burlington Heights, where Dundurn Castle and the Hamilton Military Museum now stand, was occupied by the British military from 1813 -1815. Built as a gate house by Sir Allan MacNab in the late 1830s atop a battery from the War of 1812, This building known as Battery Lodge, now houses The Hamilton Military Museum. https://www.hamilton.ca/attractions/hamilton-civic-museums/hamilton-military-museum

The most popular museum in Québec City. A visitor-oriented museum with a participatory and interactive approach for stimulating wonderment and encouraging discovery. Magnificent exhibits of international calibre about Québec culture and history. Take part in the family workshops on current, historical or sometimes unusual topics. Guided tours available for some exhibits. https://www.quebecregion.com/en/businesses/attractions/museums/musee-de-la-civilisation/

A creative chocolate shop and a quaint small chocolate museum. Learn about the history of chocolate from Mayan times to this day. Ancient and modern accessories, chocolate-making techniques (video and view on the kitchen), and more. For chocolate lovers: little pieces of chocolate, a handmade selection of pure original chocolate bars cookies, brownies, cupcakes, cakes and hot chocolates. Summer: homemade ice cream dipped in chocolate, yogourt and sherbet. https://www.quebecregion.com/en/businesses/attractions/museums/erico-chocolaterie-patisserie/

With a treasure trove of pottery, jewellery and weaponry on display, this Sharjah museum uncovers the daily life of ancient inhabitants in the region, far before modern UAE culture. The most significant discoveries in the country are featured in this museum, including a 2,000-year-old golden bridle from Mleiha, findings from a Stone Age graveyard with the skeletons of 500 nomadic herders and a vast collection of Arabic art. For history buffs, this is one of the most important tourist places in Sharjah. For things to do with kids, head to the children’s area which features interactive displays, informative exhibits and films. Call ahead of time to plan your trip during the museum’s summer activities for kids. To get to the museum, take a Sharjah bus with a stop on the Sharjah bus route close by. Or, reach there quicker with a Sharjah taxi. https://www.visitsharjah.com/activities/heritage/sharjah-archaeology-museum/