Art Museums...Really, they can be fun!

Many art museums around the country offer free admission for children, and may have other discounted or free admission days for all ages.  Many offer art classes for children or families, that may help you enjoy the museum together.  Also, be sure to check out their websites for online tours or interactive programs you and your children can experience from your own home.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art:  Kids under 12 are free all the time; All ages "pay what you wish" on Sundays.  They also offer classes for children and families.  With young kids, check out the Modern Art wing (they will love the color), sit for a while in the Japanese Tea Garden, and check out the Medieval castle (if your kids are into knights and princesses, that is.)

The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), New York, NY: Kids under 16 are free; All ages free on Friday evenings.  www.MOMA.org has thousands of artworks online with information about the artists as well.  They also have an interactive "Destination Modern Art" program for elementary school-age kids that helps them learn about art and artists in a fun way.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY: Free admission for kids under 12 and for all NYC public school students. Check out their MuseumKids section of their website for interactive activities for kids--both online programs and instructions for at-home art activities.  Dancing with Degas will surely interest any little girl, and they can design their own coloring pages here (among other activities).

The Whitney Museum of Art, New York, NY: Free admission for kids under 12 and for all NYC public school students.  Check out the Kids & Family section on their web site for some great activities and resources.


The Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY: Kids under 12 are free.  The Guggenheim building is a work of art in itself--designed like a giant spiral, your kids will enjoy being inside, and you can talk to them about how the art work looks if you start at the top, compared to starting at the bottom. Numerous works are available online.

National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington DC:  Free admission for 18 and under, Free Community Days the first Sunday of each month.  This is a great museum where you can see some of the artists mentioned in connection with some of the projects on this site, like Louise Nevelson and Miriam Schapiro.

The Columbus Museum of Art (CMA), Columbus, OH: Kids 5 and under are free; students $5; free general admission on Sundays.  On the CMA website, you'll find this amazing link to the site of artist Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson.  If you check out this site, you will get to know an incredibly interesting artist who does mixed media work based on a wealth of history--all of which makes for great examples and discussions with kids.  Click on "Create your own artwork" to let your kids design their own mixed media work (click & drag on the computer) using images of various fabrics, found objects, buttons, yarns and ties.  Then, give them real materials to make their own.