Top 10 childrens museum

Children's museums are institutions that provide fun informal learning experiences for children. Traditional art and natural history museums typically have a hands-off policy regarding exhibits. Exhibits are designed to be viewed from a distance, and are considered to be too valuable for physical contact with the visitor.

Children's museums, on the other hand, feature interactive exhibits that are designed to be manipulated by children. The theory behind such exhibits is that, especially in early childhood, activity can be as educational as instruction. 

The Association of Children's Museums, or ACM, is the trade association for children's museums, representing museums in 21 countries. The largest children's museum in the US is The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Many museums that are members of ACM offer reciprocal memberships, allowing members of one museum to visit all the 299 others for free.

Founded in 1899, the Brooklyn museum was the first museum in the world to cater specifically to children. It was originally a part of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, founded in 1823.

1. Brooklyn Children's Museum - Brooklyn, NY

2. The Center for Puppetry Arts - Atlanta

3. Chicago Children's Museum

4. Children's Discovery Museum - California.

5. Children's Museum of Houston - Texas

6. Children's Museum of Indianapolis

7. Exploratorium - San Francisco

8. Liberty Science Center Jersey City, N.J.

9. Please Touch Museum Philadelphia,

10. Science Museum of Minnesota

Most children's museums are nonprofit organizations, and many are run by volunteers or by very small professional staffs. Over a hundred children's museums have been founded since 1990.