museums for kids

Just because you have a mischievous baby doesn’t mean you have to give up your museum fetish. There are some incredible ones around the world that the entire family is bound to enjoy. After hours of research, I’ve compiled an organized (eh, some may say unorganized) list of the top rated kids museums in the world, and I did it just for you!

Special thanks to one of my go-to Facebook travel groups, Families Who Love to Travel, and Sheila Hortsman Maassen (aka Wicked Family Travels on Instagram), who initiated the Facebook post about favorite museums. And of course, thanks to all of those who commented with their helpful suggestions! You all made this list possible.

From what I’ve gathered, the most museum-centric cities to visit are (most of which are no surprise):

  • London
  • Chicago
  • Stockhom
  • New York City
  • Washington, D.C.
  • San Francisco
  • Paris
  • Los Angeles
  • Helsinki

Now brace yourselves for the monstrosity of a table you’ll find below. If you aren’t up for the reading assignment, then pay close attention to the asterisks, noting the most popular museums and those with the most rave reviews.

Top rated kids museums in the world:

MuseumCity/StateCountry
Rozafa CastleShkoderAlbania
War MemorialCanberraAustralia
National Maritime MuseumSydneyAustralia
PankratiumGmundAustria
StadtturmgalerieGmundAustria
Festung HohensalzburgSalzburgAustria
Hellbrunn PalaceSalzburgAustria
Schloss Schonbrunn + Children’s MuseumViennaAustria
*House of MusicViennaAustria
Red Star Line MuseumAntwerpBelgium
National Chocolate MuseumAntwerpBelgium
Natural History MuseumBrugesBelgium
Chip Museum (quirky)BrugesBelgium
Mini EuropeBrusselsBelgium
Heritage Park Historical VillageCalgaryCanada
TELUS Spark Science CenterCalgaryCanada
Royal Tyrrell Museum of PaleontologyDrumheller, AlbertaCanada
Upper Canada VillageOntarioCanada
Canadian Children’s MuseumOttawaCanada
Ottawa Space MuseumOttawaCanada
Royal Ontario MuseumTorontoCanada
Royal British Columbia MuseumVictoria, BCCanada
Agriculture MuseumPragueCzech
KGB MuseumPragueCzech
KildeparkenAalborgDenmark
ExperimentariumCopenhagenDenmark
Viking Ship Museum RoskildeDenmark
*Grand Egyptian MuseumCairoEgypt
The British MuseumLondonEngland
Imperial War MuseumLondonEngland
*London Transport MuseumLondonEngland
*Natural History MuseumLondonEngland
*Science MuseumLondonEngland
The Charles Dickens MuseumLondonEngland
The Royal Academy of MusicLondonEngland
The Clockmaker’s MuseumLondonEngland
Brooklands MuseumWeybridgeEngland
Jorvik MuseumYorkshireEngland
National Railway MuseumYorkshireEngland
York Castle MuseumYorkshireEngland
Science and Industry MuseumManchesterEngland
World MuseumLiverpoolEngland
Estonian Open Air MuseumTallinnEstonia
NUKU TheaterTallinnEstonia
HAMHelsinkiFinland
KiasmaHelsinkiFinland
Sederholm House – Children’s TownHelsinkiFinland
Centre de Decouverte Son BretagneFrance
Memorial de CaenCaenFrance
La Cite de MerCherbourgFrance
The Clos NormandGivernyFrance
The Erik Satier MuseumHonfleurFrance
Musee des ConfuencesLyon France
June Beach MuseumNormandyFrance
Caramels d’IsignyNormandyFrance
La HarmoniereNormandyFrance
Musee de la MusiqueParis France
l’OrangerieParis France
The LouvreParis France
Chocolate MuseumParis France
Musee d’OrsayParis France
Musee de ClunyParis France
The Clos Luce (Leonardo da Vinci Museum)Val de LoireFrance
Saalburg MuseumBad HomburgGermany
Puppentheater MuseumBerlinGermany
East Side GalleryBerlinGermany
*The Spy MuseumBerlinGermany
Bundeswehr Military History MuseumDresdenGermany
Black Forest Open Air MuseumGutachGermany
Experimenta Science MuseumHeilbronnGermany
Toy Museum (Spielzeug Museum)MunichGermany
Lochmuhle (Amusement Park)WehrheimGermany
Eltz CastleWierschemGermany
Acropolis MuseumAthensGreece
National Archaeological MuseumAthensGreece
The Royal Tombs of Alexander the Great’s FamilyVerginaGreece
Military History MuseumBudapestHungary
House of MusicBudapest Hungary
Saga MuseumReykjavikIceland
PerlanReykjavikIceland
Eldheimar Volcano MuseumSudhurlandIceland
Skogar MuseumSudhurlandIceland
National MuseumDelhiIndia
Albert Hall MuseumJaipurIndia
W5BelfastIreland
The Titanic MuseumBelfastIreland
National Museum of IrelandDublinIreland
DubliniaDublinIreland
Yad VashemJerusalem Israel
AcademiaFlorenceItaly
The Innocenti MuseumFlorenceItaly
National Archaeological MuseumNaplesItaly
*DaVinci ExperienceRomeItaly
Gladiator MuseumRomeItaly
Borghese GalleryRomeItaly
Samurai and Ninja MuseumKyotoJapan
Hakone Open Air MuseumHakoneJapan
Miraikan, The Emerging Science CenterTokyoJapan
*Petrosains Discovery CenterKuala LumpurMalaysia
EsploraVallettaMalta
Museo del Papalote (older kids)Mexico CityMexico
Donkey Farm PodgoricaMontenegro
Archeon Museum ParkAlphenNetherlands
Nemo Science MuseumAmsterdamNetherlands
Anne Frank HouseAmsterdamNetherlands
Loo PalaceApeldoornNetherlands
*Dutch Open Air MuseumArnheimNetherlands
*Rijksmuseum van OudhedenLeidenNetherlands
Zaanse SchansZandaamNetherlands
Kinderboecken MuseumThe HagueNetherlands
Zuiderzee MuseumEnkhuizenNetherlands
Te PapaWellingtonNew Zealand
Kon Tiki MuseumOsloNorway
Museum of the Viking AgeOsloNorway
Nobel Peace Prize MuseumOsloNorway
Museo de OroLimaPeru
National Coach MuseumLisbonPortugal
National Museum of FlightEdinburghScotland
Edinburgh Castle, National War MuseumEdinburghScotland
Glasgow Science MuseumGlasgowScotland
Belgrade FortressBelgradeSerbia
Ice Cream MuseumSingapore
Art Science MuseumSingapore
Lee Kong Chian Natural HIstory MuseumSingapore
Apartheid MuseumJohannesburgSouth Africa
Teddy Bear MuseumSeoulSouth Korea
Museo de la Ciencia CosmoCaixaBarcelonaSpain
Museo Taurino de MadridMadridSpain
*Vasa MuseumStockholmSweden
Skansen Open Air MuseumStockholmSweden
JunibackenStockholmSweden
Paper MuseumBaselSwitzerland
Natural History MuseumBaselSwitzerland
Emmentaler SchaukaesereiBernSwitzerland
Lindt Chocolate MuseumKilchbergSwitzerland
Transportation MuseumLucerneSwitzerland
Alimentarium Food MuseumVeveySwitzerland
Chillon CastleVeytauxSwitzerland
National Museum of Natural ScienceTaichungTaiwan
Topkapi Palace MuseumIstanbulTurkey
Museum of the FutureDubaiUAE
Perfume MuseumDubaiUAE
Arizona Museum of Natural HistoryMesa, AZUSA
Petersen House MuseumTempe, AZUSA
*Musical Instrument MuseumPhoenix, AZUSA
Crystal Bridges Art MuseumBentonville, ARUSA
Museum of Jurassic TechnologyLos Angeles, CAUSA
Peterson CarLos Angeles, CAUSA
California Science MuseumLos Angeles, CAUSA
The Getty MuseumLos Angeles, CAUSA
California State Railroad MuseumSacramento, CAUSA
Children’s MuseumSan Diego, CAUSA
ExploratoriumSan Francisco, CAUSA
Musee MecaniqueSan Francisco, CAUSA
AlcatrazSan Francisco, CAUSA
California Academy of SciencesSan Francisco, CAUSA
Bay Area Discovery MuseumSausalito, CAUSA
Ringling MuseumSarasota, FLUSA
Castillo de San Marcos National MonumenSt. Augustine, FLUSA
Frost ScienceMiami, FLUSA
The Field MuseumChicago, ILUSA
Museum of Science and IndustryChicago, ILUSA
The Art InstituteChicago, ILUSA
Chicago History MuseumChicago, ILUSA
*Indianapolis Children’s MuseumIndianapolis, INUSA
WWII MuseumNew Orleans, LAUSA
Maine Maritime MuseumBath, MEUSA
Plymouth PlantationPlymouth, MAUSA
Boston Science MuseumBoston, MAUSA
Henry Ford MuseumDearborn, MIUSA
*City MuseumSt. Louis, MOUSA
La Hougue BieSaint Savious, NJUSA
Wilbur D. May MuseumReno, NVUSA
National Automobile MuseumReno, NVUSA
The Tenement MuseumNYC, NYUSA
The Cloisters NYC, NYUSA
Museum of Natural HistoryNYC, NYUSA
Museum of the City of New YorkNYC, NYUSA
The METNYC, NYUSA
MoMaNYC, NYUSA
Transit MuseumBrooklyn, NYUSA
The Rock N Roll MuseumCleveland, OHUSA
Please TouchPhiladelphia, PAUSA
Journey MuseumRapid City, SDUSA
The World’s Largest Spicy Sauce MuseumGatlingburg, TNUSA
Parthenon MuseumNashville, TNUSA
Frist Art MuseumNashville, TNUSA
Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage Museum and GardensNashville, TNUSA
Country Music Hall of Fame MuseumNashville, TNUSA
Dallas Museum of ArtDallas, TXUSA
Udvar Hazy Air and Space MuseumChantilly, VirginiaUSA
Museum of FlightSeattle, WAUSA
Ballad Locks Visitor Center, MuseumSeattle, WAUSA
National Air and Space MuseumWashington DCUSA
National Museum of Women in the ArtsWashington DCUSA
International Spy MuseumWashington DCUSA
Holocaust MuseumWashington DCUSA
Buffalo Bill Center of the WestCody, WYUSA
War Remnants MuseumHo Chi Minh CityVietnam

Do you want to head to Europe to knock out some of these with the kids? Check out a few of my fantastic European itineraries.

Now tell me, what would you add to this list of top rated kids museums in the world?

And dare I ask, is there anything you’d remove???

top rated kids museums in the world
Enjoying Dubai’s Museum of the Future, from the outside in

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