Children’s museums aren’t just for the kids anymore. Today’s museums are offering incredible exhibits, activities and events that are enough to keep everyone in the family entertained.

So it’s no wonder why so many families are starting to plan their vacations around some of the coolest children’s museums in America. These museums are the perfect places to add a bit of curiosity, education, and fun to any trip you happen to be on with the kids.

Let’s take a look at the seven coolest children’s museums around.

Please Touch Museum

Believe it or not, that’s the actual name of this popular children’s museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Please Touch Museum is a bastion of hands on learning, actively encouraging visitors to interact with everything they can get their hands on, literally!

Children’s Museum Indianapolis

The Children’s Museum Indianapolis is the largest of its kind in the entire country. It’s easy to see why it is a hot spot destination for families around the world. The museum sits on 29 acres of land and in it’s 472,900 square feet visitors will find the Dinosphere, among other exhibits and artifacts.

Boston Children’s Museum

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As the second oldest museum of its kind in the country, the Boston Children’s Museum has been for 100 years and has advocated for hands on learning from the start. The museum, located in the heart of Boston has everything from a interactive construction zone to climbing walls.

Port Discovery

Located right in the middle of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor area, the Port Discovery Children’s Museum has transformed an old fish warehouse into 80,000 square feet of learning and discovery space. Visitors can choose to experience farm life in the Down on the Farm exhibit or explore 1920’s Egypt.

Exploratorium

Featuring over 600 active exhibits that are heavy on science and human perception. This makes the San Francisco based Exploratorium one of a kind, and is one of the biggest reasons visitors come back year after year. It also features a tinkering studio, plus a number of galleries for your budding artists.

Madison Children’s Museum

Some of the best features of the Madison Children’s Museum located in Madison, Wisconsin, is that it has such varied and interesting exhibits from kids. There are few other museums around the country where visitors will be able to wander from an urban garden to a 175 year old log cabin in the same space.

Liberty Science Center

Science is the name of the game at this museum, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan in Jersey City, New Jersey. The Liberty Science Center has everything from IMAX theater to a climbing center, kid’s lab and wildlife center, not to mention the various traveling exhibits.

Each of these museums are going to give your kids a thrill on your next vacation. Don’t be afraid to add a little bit of learning and fun into the mix any time of year, the kids will love it!

Have you been to any really cool children’s museums? Which are your favorites?