National Children’s Museum
National Children's Museum is a Washington DC nonprofit operating 20,000 square feet of play-based STEAM exhibits for families with children under age 12, drawing 225,000+ annual visitors via admissions, memberships, school field trips, and private events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What National Children’s Museum does
National Children's Museum is a Congressionally designated nonprofit cultural and educational institution operating a single flagship location at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Woodrow Wilson Plaza, Washington DC. Founded in 1974 and reopened in its current 20,000-square-foot facility in September 2021, the museum serves families with children under age 12 through play-based STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) exhibits and programs, recording 225,000+ annual visitors from all fifty states and more than seventy-five countries.
The museum's core product is a portfolio of permanent interactive exhibits — Dream Machine (three-story climber), Little Dreamers, Data Science Alley, Engineering Games + Play, Placita Mágica (fiftieth-anniversary tribute), Art + Tech, Little Movers, Weather Worlds, and the climate-themed Climate Action Heroes — supplemented by rotating visiting exhibits (e.g., Curious George: Let's Get Curious!, Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice) and original content distributed beyond the four walls, including the STEAMwork video series and STEAM Daydream Podcast. Educational programming spans school and summer field trips aligned to Next Generation Science Standards, a three-year 'Giving STEAM to Learning Through Play' initiative with The Source for Learning, the DC STEAM Expo with the Smithsonian, and a Tinkerer-in-Residence maker program. The underlying technology is exhibit hardware (climbers, green-screen capture rooms, flow-quiz kiosks) paired with a digital content distribution layer; no proprietary AI/ML systems are evidenced.
The museum operates a diversified nonprofit revenue model: admissions at $18.95 per adult/child (children under one and members free), annual memberships with exclusive member-only hours, school field trips at $15 per student with optional $150 workshops, private event rentals (Entry Hall up to 150 standing and full museum buyouts up to 500 standing), birthday party packages in the Wonder Loft (starting at $50 under the Museums for All discount), and accessibility pricing of $3 per ticket for families enrolled in qualifying government assistance programs. Substantial corporate sponsorship revenue from Nickelodeon, General Motors, and Booz Allen Hamilton, plus grant support from the DC Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, underwrites programming and operations alongside the annual Play Soirée fundraiser. The museum distributes its experience through its physical site, organized school and group bookings, private event bookings, and free global digital content streams. As of March 2026, operations were disrupted by displacement from the Reagan Building tied to FBI action, with the long-term operational location subject to change.
National Children’s Museum firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- National Children’s Museum
- Legal name
- National Children's Museum
- Website
- https://nationalchildrensmuseum.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- National Children's Museum is a Washington DC nonprofit operating 20,000 square feet of play-based STEAM exhibits for families with children under age 12, drawing 225,000+ annual visitors via admissions, memberships, school field trips, and private events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
National Children’s Museum industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Museum and STEAM Education Services
- NAICS
- Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Children’s Museums (THAJADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD), Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA), Kids & Family Learning Workshops (Family Crafts, Junior Maker Classes) (THAJAKAO), Family, Kids & Education Fairs (MPAGAFAH)
Keywords
Where National Children’s Museum is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
National Children’s Museum business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- General Admission: Revenue from ticket sales to museum visitors. Adults and children over age 1 pay $18.95 per person, while children under 1 and members enter free. This represents the primary revenue stream from individual visitors.
- Memberships: Annual membership program offering unlimited admission, exclusive member hours, exhibit previews, and other benefits. Membership revenue provides recurring income from repeat visitors.
- Field Trips: School and group field trip programs priced at $15 per student with free admission for chaperones. Workshops available as add-ons for $150 flat fee. Targets K-5th grade classes and summer programs.
- Private Events: Venue rental services including entry hall rental and full museum buyouts for private events such as cocktail hours, fundraisers, and corporate events. Nonprofit pricing discounts available.
- Birthday Parties: Birthday party packages including Wonder Loft rental for 90 minutes, all-day museum admission, and hands-on activities. Special Museums for All pricing at $50 for qualifying families.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Admission - Adults and Children (1+) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Free Admission Categories |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | School Year Field Trips |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Summer Field Trips |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Museums for All Discounted Admission |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Museums for All Birthday Party |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
National Children’s Museum product offering
Product offeringCore offering
National Children's Museum is a Congressionally designated cultural and educational institution operating a 20,000-square-foot interactive facility at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington DC. The museum delivers play-based STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) learning experiences for children under 12 through permanent exhibits, visiting exhibits, school field trips, birthday parties, private event rentals, memberships, and free digital content. Programming is designed for families with young children, K-5 schools, and underserved community members, with select curriculum aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards.
Product overview
National Children's Museum is a children's museum offering a diverse portfolio of physical exhibits, educational programs, and member services centered on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) learning for children under 12. The core offerings include permanent exhibits like Dream Machine, Little Dreamers, Data Science Alley, Engineering Games + Play, Placita Mágica, Art + Tech, Little Movers, Weather Worlds, and Climate Action Heroes; rotating visiting exhibits such as The Pigeon Comes to Washington, DC!, Curious George: Let's Get Curious!, and Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice; educational programs including school and summer field trips, STEAMwork at-home activity videos, the STEAM Daydream podcast, virtual field trip videos, sensory-friendly hours, Girl Scouts programming, and the Tinkerer-in-Residence program; accessibility services including Museums for All discounted admissions; and private event rentals for birthdays and corporate events. The museum also offers membership programs with exclusive benefits and hosts an annual fundraising gala called Play Soirée.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Climate Action Heroes: An original, interactive exhibit developed by National Children's Museum featuring an introspective flow quiz experience that assigns users a climate action superhero persona.
- STEAM Daydream Podcast
- STEAMwork
Products and services
- General Museum Admission Single-day museum admission for adults and children age 1 and older at $18.95 per person, providing access to 20,000 square feet of interactive STEAM exhibits at the Washington DC location. Children under 1 and members receive free entry.
- Annual Membership Recurring annual membership program providing unlimited museum admission, exclusive member-only hours and events, and exhibit previews for families with young children seeking repeat engagement with the museum's exhibits and programs.
- School Year Field Trips Curriculum-aligned field trip program for K-5th grade classes priced at $15 per student with free admission for chaperones and optional workshop add-ons at $150 flat fee. Minimum 10 students required.
Quantifiable outcome
- 225,000+ annual visitors from all 50 states and 75+ countries
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use National Children’s Museum
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
National Children’s Museum technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
National Children’s Museum partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.
- Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural HeritageflagshipCollaboration on the DC STEAM Expo program as part of the 'Culture of, by, and for the People' initiative marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. Approximately 80-100 fourth grade students from 10 DC schools participate in a nine-month program culminating in a public expo at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
- The Source for LearningcorePartnership and funding support for the 'Giving STEAM to Learning Through Play' initiative, a three-year program developing resources for integrating playful STEAM learning into early childhood classrooms, homes, and informal learning spaces through museum-school partnerships.
- House of RuthcoreFirst-year partner in the 'Giving STEAM to Learning Through Play' initiative. Educators participate in professional development workshops and families attend Family Days at the museum.
- Friendship Public Charter SchoolcoreFirst-year partner in the 'Giving STEAM to Learning Through Play' initiative. Educators participate in professional development workshops and families attend Family Days at the museum.
- CentroNíacoreFirst-year partner in the 'Giving STEAM to Learning Through Play' initiative. Educators participate in professional development workshops and families attend Family Days at the museum.
- Timgad CafesupportingDC-based cafe operating in the museum's lobby-level space, offering beverages, salads, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and children's menu items.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
National Children’s Museum competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Please Touch Museum: Philadelphia-based children's museum focused on play-based learning for young children, with comparable family membership, field trip, and birthday party programming targeting an under-12 audience.
- Chicago Children's Museum: Located at Navy Pier, this museum serves families and school groups with interactive exhibits and STEAM-adjacent programming — a directly comparable urban children's museum with similar ticketing, membership, and field-trip models.
- Discovery Children's Museum: Las Vegas-based children's museum with permanent and traveling exhibits, school programs, and family memberships — a directly comparable peer in STEAM-themed exhibits, school group field trips, and tourism-driven attendance.
- Children's Museum of Indianapolis: The largest children's museum in the world, with permanent and traveling exhibits, a national draw, and significant school-group programming — a high-relevance direct peer in scale, exhibit IP development, and family-ticketed experience.
- Boston Children's Museum: One of the largest and oldest children's museums in the US, serving families and school groups with hands-on exhibits and educational programming — directly comparable in audience, mission, and STEAM-style programming to National Children's Museum.
- The Strong National Museum of Play: Rochester, NY-based museum dedicated to play and learning, combining children's museum experiences with broader interactive exhibits. Comparable in mission, audience, and the blending of education with play-based engagement.
- Port Discovery Children's Museum: Baltimore-based children's museum with hands-on exhibits, school group programs, and family memberships — comparable in regional East Coast positioning, STEAM focus, and K-5 field trip programming.
- Brooklyn Children's Museum: Long-running urban children's museum offering hands-on exhibits, school programs, and family memberships in a dense metro market — directly comparable in target audience and programming mix to NCM.
- Marbles Kids Museum: Raleigh, NC-based children's museum combining play-based exhibits with IMAX and educational programming, targeting a similar under-12 audience and offering memberships, field trips, and event rentals.
- Glazer Children's Museum: Tampa, FL-based children's museum offering hands-on, play-based exhibits for young children and families — comparable in scale, exhibit-driven model, and STEAM/learning programming.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
National Children’s Museum social profiles
Digital presenceNational Children’s Museum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
National Children’s Museum leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
National Children’s Museum funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
National Children’s Museum M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about National Children’s Museum
What does National Children’s Museum do?
National Children's Museum is a Congressionally designated cultural and educational institution operating a 20,000-square-foot interactive facility at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington DC. The museum delivers play-based STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) learning experiences for children under 12 through permanent exhibits, visiting exhibits, school field trips, birthday parties, private event rentals, memberships, and free digital content. Programming is designed for families with young children, K-5 schools, and underserved community members, with select curriculum aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards.
Is National Children’s Museum a public or private company?
National Children’s Museum is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was National Children’s Museum founded?
National Children’s Museum was founded in 1974. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is National Children’s Museum based?
National Children’s Museum is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does National Children’s Museum make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. General Admission is the primary driver. The others are memberships, field Trips, private Events and birthday Parties.
Who are National Children’s Museum's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Please Touch Museum, Chicago Children's Museum, Discovery Children's Museum, Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Boston Children's Museum, The Strong National Museum of Play, Port Discovery Children's Museum, Brooklyn Children's Museum, Marbles Kids Museum and Glazer Children's Museum.
Does National Children’s Museum have an API?
No public API is recorded for National Children’s Museum.
What industry is National Children’s Museum in?
National Children’s Museum's product category is Children's Museum and STEAM Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAE, Children’s Museums, with a secondary code of THAJADAD, Science & Technology Museums. Its NAICS code is 712 and its SIC code is 7900.