Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice

Dinosaurs You Can Climb, Through January

The National Children's Museum opened a new visiting exhibit on September 26, and it's all dinosaurs. Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice fills the visiting exhibit hall with dinosaurs kids can climb and prehistoric habitats to poke around in, and it's aimed at ages 3 to 10. It stays through January 10, 2027, so there's no rush, but it makes a good plan for a rainy day or for the Monday holiday.

There's no separate ticket. The exhibit comes with regular admission, which is $18.95 for everyone 1 and older. Babies under 1 and members get in free. The museum is open 9:30 to 4:30 every day except Tuesday, and that includes Monday, October 12, when a lot of kids are off school.

With little kids I treat the dinosaur hall as one stop in a longer visit, since the whole museum is hands-on. Give yourself about two hours. The museum sits right on top of the Federal Triangle Metro stop, so you can skip the downtown parking hunt completely, and the free Saturday Morning Live show at the National Theatre is just across Pennsylvania Avenue if you want to stack them on Saturday.

Parent Tips 💡

• ✓Skip Tuesday. The museum is closed Tuesdays, and that catches people every week.
• ✓Use the Monday holiday. It's open October 12, a nice indoor plan when school is out.
• ✓Under 1 is free. The baby doesn't need a ticket.
• ✓Save it for a wet weekend. It runs through January 10, so there's time to wait for a rainy day.
• ✓Take the Metro. Federal Triangle drops you at the door.