We’ve all heard the saying that when life decides to teach you lessons, no one is spared. While that might sound ominous, it reflects the raw truth of being human that real learning comes through experience. Since ancient times, philosophers and educators alike have emphasized that learning by doing is far more impactful than passive memorization. While classrooms are important spaces that help instill discipline, structure, and focus, they often fall short in making learning tangible. Over the years, parents and educators have increasingly sought experiential learning environments that fuel curiosity and allow learners to retain more through active involvement. When students engage with the world directly by manipulating, experimenting, and building they become active participants in their own growth, and this is why museums around the world have become powerful extensions of the learning space which blend education with wonder, discovery, and interaction, basically providing learners with an alternate learning space. Since Earthlab Club is based on similar principles, we have curated a list of best museums for children and adults across the globe that turn science, art, math, history, and innovation into fun, exciting, and immersive learning experiences.
Tag along as we explore human anatomy through art, experiment with robotics, solve mysteries like a spy and experience hands-on exploration.
Museum of the Future
Location: Dubai, UAE
Focus: Science, technology, innovation
The Museum of the Future takes visitors on a fictional journey to the year 2071 and each floor is dedicated to exhibits based on different themes The museum is dedicated to exploring the future of science, technology, and innovation.
It combines elements of exhibition, immersive theatre, and themed attraction, inviting visitors to look beyond the present to the possible. The fifth floor (OSS Hope) focuses on life in space in the year 2071 and explores the future of space travel. The fourth floor (HEAL institute) highlights the ecology and biodiversity in the future. The third floor (Al Waha) provides therapies of different kinds, helping visitors connect to their senses and stay grounded. The second floor (Tomorrow, Today) showcases edge cutting technologies that can shape future areas like urban planning and sustainability. The first floor (Future Heros) is for children under the age of 10 years and offers interactive activities, hands-on play to encourage collaboration and creativity making it one of the best museums for children and adults.
The Tech Interactive
Location: Washington, D.C., USA
Focus: Science & Technology
The Tech Interactive is a hands-on science and technology center in the heart of Silicon Valley that aims to inspire its visitors by offering interactive exhibits, an alternate learning space and programs that encourage learning through exploration.
Different exhibits from different levels include, building and programming social robots, understanding body motion through body sensors, exploring futuristic space tech, learning about sustainability, showcase heath tech innovations, a journey into their biodesign studio, take visitors on exploration of what happens when human anatomy meets AR and virtual dissection and many more making it one the best museums for children and adults alike. The museum also offers different courses for curious learners for different age groups like innovator programs (robotics, game development), product design course (design thinking), power skills program (communication and collaboration).
Museum of Mathematics (MoMath)
Location:New York City., USA
Focus: Mathematics
MoMath or museum of mathematics is dedicated to enhancing public understanding and perception of mathematics. It provides an alternate learning space where visitors can experience the beauty and fun of math through interactive exhibits and programs, making sure that the idea of math being boring turns into a myth.
MoMath uses optical illusions, geometry puzzles, and math-inspired art to turn formulas into fun. Math comes alive through hands-on exhibits like 3-D Doodle, 4-gon Conclusion, Beaver Run, Human Tree, Mandala Math, Magician and the Moon, Math Flash, Done in a Million and many more as you see and feel math. They also have a popup experience at 225 Fifth Avenue, open daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm., and also do traveling math-meets-art installation called Mathemalchemy. The museum also does interactive math exhibits, provides tuition, and math themed birthday parties, adding it to being one of the best museums for children.
Museum of Solutions (MuSo)
Location: Mumbai, India
Focus: tech, science, innovation
Inspired by the museum of mathematics in New York City, India decided to build its very own Museum of Solutions or MuSo in Mumbai, making it one of the best museums for children in India. This museum is an interactive children’s museum designed to foster creativity, problem-solving, and innovation among young minds.
It provides experiential learning opportunities through play and exploration. They have different labs focusing on different areas, like the Play Lab(solve problems and have fun interacting with STEAM), Grow Lab(learning in depth about nature and sustainability), Make Lab (unkesading design thinking with woodworking, photography, electronics etc), Discover Lab (related to the wonder and woes of the sea world), Reading Room among other things, The museum incorporates technology and hands-on activities to promote critical thinking and collaborative learning.
The Strong National Museum of Play
Location: Rochester, New York, USA
Focus: History, toys, art
Adding to the collection of best museums for children and adults, The Strong is an interactive, collections-based educational institution devoted to the study and exploration of play. It encompasses several programmatic arms which enable a multifaceted array of research, exhibitions, and interpretive activities that serve a diverse audience
Their current exhibit includes things like Play Happened Here, Jigsaw Puzzles: Order from Chaos, Black Dolls, Barbie: You Can Be Anything Experience, Console Central, Dungeons & Dragons: 50 Years of Storytelling. Their past exhibits have also focused on showcasing things like Memory and Mourning, Kaleidoscope, Toys from Mars, Think Tank, Discovery Garden, Design Zone, LEGO Castle Adventure, Big, Scary, and Extinct, Hands-On-Harley-Davidson providing an alternate learning space for visitors. The museum’s Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden features thousands of butterflies, and is the largest indoor butterfly garden in New York.
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Location: Washington, D.C., USA
Focus: Aviation & Space
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum maintains the world’s largest and most significant collection of aviation and space artifacts adding it to the list of one of the best museums for children and adults.
The museum is a center for research into the history and science of aviation, spaceflight, planetary science, terrestrial geology and geophysics. Its collection includes the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia, the Friendship 7 capsule which was flown by John Glenn, Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, the model of the starship Enterprise used in the science fiction television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and the Wright brothers’ Wright Flyer airplane in its exhibits called Early Flight, One World Connected, The Wright Brothers & the Invention of the Aerial Age, Destination Moon, America by Air and several others. Due to its such vast and significant collection it would be unwise to not add it to our list of best museums for children and adults.
Seoul Children’s Museum
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Focus: Children’s Museum
Our list of best museums for children would be severely lacking without Seoul Children’s Museum. A hands-on, interactive museum designed to inspire creativity, curiosity, and experiential learning in children.
The museum features multiple themed zones where kids can engage in role-play, explore sensory exploration, engage in science exhibits, and create art activities, providing children with an alternate learning space. These zones include spaces like space playground, water wonder play, camping setups, sound world, unique alley of arts and others. The museum’s interactive zones include Eco-Friendly Life, Body and Brain, and a rooftop playground, not only this the museum also hosts rotating workshops and seasonal programs on Korean culture, sustainability, and global awareness. The museum focuses on child-led learning through play, exploration, and social interaction.
Nehru Science Centre
Location: Mumbai, India
Focus: Tech, Science
Next on our list of best museums for children and adults is The Nehru Science Centre is one of India’s premier science museums, offering hands-on learning across themes like energy, mechanics, biology, sound, and optics.
It’s known for its large outdoor science park and for displaying over 500 interactive exhibits featuring thematic galleries like “Hall of Energy,” “Sound,” “Prehistoric Life,” and “Hall of Innovation”. The museum Hosts national science exhibitions, lectures, robotics camps and offers planetarium shows, science demonstrations, and 3D films,. The Nehru Science Centre incorporates innovative ways to communicate science to enthuse, entertain, initiate, excite and bring the developments of science & technology to the doorstep of common people for prosperity, awareness, and improving the quality of life. The centre attempts to enhance public understanding of science and spread scientific literacy.
Dr. Shankar’s Brain Museum
Location: Bangalore, India
Focus:biology, science
Located within the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore, this unique museum was initiated by Dr. S.K. Shankar. It aims to educate both medical professionals and the public about the human brain, promoting awareness about brain health and neurological disorders.
The museum displays over 400 human brain specimens, including those affected by various diseases, providing insights into neuropathology. And also offers visitors the rare opportunity to handle real human brains, enhancing tactile learning experiences. This unique museum serves as a vital resource for medical students and researchers, as it facilitates hands-on learning and research in neuroscience, offering the perfect alternate learning space to the students. This museum definitely deserves to be on our list of best museums for children and adults.