National Building Museum

The National Building Museum is one of Washington DC's most underrated family destinations, and every summer it becomes one of the most photographed spaces in the city thanks to its massive Great Hall installations that consistently go viral on social media. Located between the National Mall and Penn Quarter, this museum dedicated to architecture and design sounds like it would bore children — but it consistently delivers one of the most engaging hands-on experiences in DC.

The Great Hall is the first thing you see upon entering, and it stops everyone in their tracks. This cavernous interior space features eight Corinthian columns that are 75 feet tall and 25 feet in circumference — among the tallest interior columns in the world. Kids instinctively try to wrap their arms around them and discover they cannot even begin to reach.

The scale is awe-inspiring in a way that photographs cannot capture. Just walking into this room and looking up is worth the trip.

Every summer, the museum commissions a massive interactive installation that fills the Great Hall. Past installations have included a 10,000-square-foot indoor beach with an ocean of translucent plastic balls, a labyrinthine mirror maze, a hive-like climbing structure made of recycled materials, and a field of indoor lawn with hammocks and garden games. These installations are designed for play and interaction, and they attract families by the thousands.

The summer installation is typically open from late June through early September and often requires separate timed tickets that sell out. Check the museum website well before your visit.

The permanent PLAY WORK BUILD exhibit is the building museum's answer to the question of how to make architecture engaging for children. This hands-on gallery lets kids build with real materials: oversized wooden blocks, foam bricks, architectural modeling tools, and design software. Children construct structures taller than themselves, learn about load-bearing and balance through play, and design buildings on digital touchscreens.

The exhibit is designed for ages 3 through about 12, and kids who enjoy LEGOs, blocks, or any kind of building will lose themselves here for 45 minutes or more.

The museum's regular galleries explore topics like sustainable design, urban planning, and engineering through rotating exhibitions. These skew toward older children and adults, but the physical models and interactive elements keep grade-schoolers engaged. The House & Home exhibition examines how different cultures build and live in homes, which resonates with kids who are naturally curious about how other people live.

The museum is closed on Mondays. Its location in the Judiciary Square area puts it between the National Mall (10-minute walk) and Penn Quarter/Chinatown (3-minute walk), making it an easy addition to a Smithsonian-heavy itinerary. The Penn Quarter neighborhood has dozens of family restaurants within walking distance.