3 Columbus Children’s Museums To Engage In Fun Educational Exhibits

Museums are one of the best ways to learn and explore the world around us, and lucky for us, Columbus
has several museums that feature exhibits designed for kids! Check out COSI, the Columbus Museum of
Art, and AHA! for a wonderful way to experience our world hands-on through these incredible Columbus
children’s museums!

COSI
The Center of Science and Industry (COSI) is a nationally recognized science center with the mission to
make science accessible for everyone! They have been inspiring interest in science, technology, and
engineering for over 58 years with a hands-on approach to learning. Their state-of-the-art facility is over
320,000 square feet of educational fun. It also includes interactive experiences, traveling and permanent
exhibits, explosive live shows, and a beautiful planetarium.
The American Museum of Natural History Dinosaur Exhibit is one of their most popular exhibits. This
exhibit features a full-size T-Rex cast that gives visitors a true sense of the scale of real dinosaurs roaming
the earth. It also has real dinosaur bones on display!
They also have a Pterosaurs exhibit that explores flight in the age of dinosaurs with hands-on interactive
activities and fossils. Space fans will love the planetarium and space capsule that lets you try being an
armchair astronaut.
This Columbus children’s museum’s newest exhibit is Tutankhamun – His Tomb and Treasures, an
exclusive sneak peek into ancient Egypt! And, of course, in addition to their special exhibits, they also
have plenty of space for young explorers to stomp, play, and participate in classic, age-appropriate
science experiments!

Columbus Museum of Art
Columbus Museum of Art (CMA) is a unique space to get curious about art! Their mission is “to create
great experiences with great art for everyone,” and they are “guided by a vision to connect people and
art.”
But art museums don’t just have to be stuffy and quiet. As CMA exemplifies, art museums can be about
sparking creative interest with playful exploration. They celebrate the creative process and the diversity in
their community, culminating in discovering the value of creativity in every life.
Open Studio at CMA allows students to create art hands-on, sometimes guided by a guest artist! This
Columbus children’s museum supplies all the materials. The best part is the mess stays at the museum.
The Wonder Room is an experimental gallery for intergenerational exploration, play, connection, and
discovery.

It encourages museum-goers to “exercise courageous imagination” while building a shelter with wildly
weird materials to help anyone and everyone play and get creative!

AHA! A Hands On Adventure
AHA! was founded in 2007 after a group of moms decided to create a hands-on, interactive children’s
museum! While not directly in Columbus, it isn’t too far from the city. It is well worth a day trip to let
your little ones explore.
AHA!’s mission is to “surround children and the adults in their lives with a hands-on, interactive, playful
and educational environment that invites curiosity, allows exploration, encourages participation, and
celebrates the child-like wonder in us all.”
This Columbus children’s museum’s exhibits include the Steam Zone, where everyone can flex their
artistic skills with provided materials, Ball Mountain and the Water Table for hands-on sensory learning,
and plenty of replicas of everyday environments for stimulating imagination, like a play bank, market,
garden, and more.
Climb onto the big toy bulldozer, put on a show on their theatre stage, or flex your scientific muscles by
discovering dinosaur bones! Regardless of your little one’s interests, they will surely find something that
speaks to them when you visit AHA! for a fun-filled day of play.

Columbus Children’s Museum
There are plenty of Columbus children’s museum experiences for kids, each with various opportunities
to learn from hands-on exhibits. These exhibits are designed to stimulate imagination and make learning
fun! Plan a visit to COSI, the Columbus Museum of Art, or AHA! soon to keep your kiddo active, pick up
a few new skills, and make some great memories along the way.

For more Columbus area family content, check out the links below! While you’re here, I’d love to chat
with you about your next family session!