Children's museums are institutions that provide exhibits and programs to stimulate informal learning

Informal learning

Informal learning is one of three forms of learning defined by the OECD. The other two are formal and non-formal learning. Informal learning occurs in a variety of places, such as at home, work, and through daily interactions and shared relationships among members of society. For many learners this...

 experiences for children. In contrast with traditional museum

Museum

A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

s that typically have a hands-off policy regarding exhibits, children's museums feature interactive exhibits that are designed to be manipulated by children. The theory behind such exhibits is that activity can be as educational as instruction, especially in early childhood. Most children's museums are nonprofit organizations, and many are run by volunteers or by very small professional staffs.
International professional organizations of children's museums include the Association of Children's Museums (ACM), which was formed in 1962 as the American Association of Youth Museums (AAYM) and in 2007 counted 341 member institutions in 23 countries, and The Hands On! Europe Association of Children's Museum (HO!E), established in 1994, with member institutions in 34 countries as of 2007. Many museums that are members of ACM offer reciprocal memberships, allowing members of one museum to visit all the others for free.

History

The first children's museum in the world was the Brooklyn Children's Museum

Brooklyn Children's Museum

The Brooklyn Children's Museum is a general purpose museum in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York City, USA. Founded in 1899, it was the first museum in the United States and some believe, the world, to cater specifically to children and is unique in its location, predominantly a residential area...

, founded in 1899. The next five in order of their founding were:

• Boston Children's Museum
  Boston Children's Museum
  Boston Children's Museum is a children's museum in Boston, Massachusetts, dedicated to the education of children. Located on Children's Wharf along the Fort Point Channel, Boston Children's Museum is the second oldest children's museum in the United States...
  
   (1913)
• The Detroit
  Detroit, Michigan
  Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
  
   Children's Museum (1917)
• The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
  The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
  The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the world's largest children's museum. It is located in the United Northwest Area neighborhood on Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums. It is with five floors of exhibit halls...
  
   (1925) – according to the ACM, this is the world's largest children's museum.
• The Children's Museum (West Hartford, CT)
  The Children's Museum, Connecticut
  The Children's Museum is the oldest and largest museum for children in Connecticut, United States. The museum was founded in 1927 as the Children's Museum of Hartford, and was known until recently as The Science Center of Connecticut. The Museum is geared towards young children, and is committed...
  
   (1927)
• The Duluth
  Duluth, Minnesota
  Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
  
   Children's Museum (1930)

By 1975, there were approximately 38 children's museums in the United States. An additional 80 institutions opened between 1976 and 1990, and more than 130 opened between 1990 and 2007. As of 2007, ACM estimated that there were approximately 80 children's museums in the planning phase.

The children's museum concept has spread worldwide from the United States. Le Musée des Enfants in Brussels

Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

 was started in 1978, inspired by Boston Children's Museum. The Boston museum also inspired the Museo Pambata in Manila

Manila

Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...

, which opened in 1994. The Children's Museum of Caracas

Children's Museum of Caracas

Children's Museum of Caracas is a privately managed museum foundation in Caracas, Venezuela's capital city, established in 1982 and aimed at teaching children about science, technology, culture and arts....

, Venezuela, became Latin America's first museum for children when it opened in 1982. The Children's Museum of Bogotá

Children's Museum of Bogotá

The Children's Museum of Bogotá is a privately managed museum foundation in Bogotá, Colombia's capital city , established in 1986 and aimed at teaching children about science, technology, culture and arts...

, Colombia, followed it in 1986. Eureka! The Museum for Children in Halifax, England, established in 1992, claims the title of the United Kingdom's first hands-on children's museum. Austria's first museum for children was ZOOM Children’s Museum in Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

, established in 1994. Korea's first children's museum is the Samsung Children's Museum in Seoul

Seoul

Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

, which opened in 1995 under the sponsorship of the Samsung

Samsung

The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...

 Culture Foundation.

See also

• The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
  The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
  The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the world's largest children's museum. It is located in the United Northwest Area neighborhood on Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums. It is with five floors of exhibit halls...
  
  
• Museum of Childhood
  Museum of Childhood
  There are several museums called the Museum of Childhood:*Museum of Childhood , Scotland*Museum of Childhood , New Hampshire, United States*V&A Museum of Childhood, Bethnal Green, London, England, run by the Victoria and Albert Museum...
  
   (disambiguation page)
• Toy museum
  Toy museum
  Toy museums are museums for toys. They typically showcase toys from a particular culture or period. Some museums such as the American Museum of Natural History have toys on display in their permanent collection, but are not full-fledged toy museums and as such are not listed here. Also,...
  
  
• List of children's museums in the United States