New National Children's Museum shows kids the world

USATODAY

After operating for eight years as a "museum without walls," Washington's National Children's Museum has finally landed a home of its own — just down the Potomac River at suburban Maryland's National Harbor entertainment complex.

Sasha Stamper, 3, of Washington, left, and Ruthie Thorp, 5, of Prince George's County, Md., play at the National Children's Museum in Oxon Hill, Md., during a preview of the museum's new location that features characters and activities from "Sesame Street."

The mission of the 18,000-square-foot facility, which opened Dec. 14, is to "inspire children to care about and improve the world." At an airport luggage carousel in the Our World section, kids ages 3-8 learn that people travel for various reasons and what they pack is determined by the environment they'll be visiting. Youngsters can learn to make a traditional Tanzanian food called ugali and hop aboard a three-wheeled tuk-tuk from Thailand. Infants and toddlers will be greeted by Big Bird and other Sesame Street characters in a special gallery.

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; standard admission for adults and children over 1 is $10.

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