Day Tripping for Museum Fun in the DC Area

Both kids and adults will love seeing the two huge hangars jam-packed with hundreds of aircraft. You can’t miss the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird as you enter the museum, or the impressive Space Shuttle Discovery. (Fun Fact: The Discovery was transported to the museum on the top of an Carrier Aircraft back in 2012, and almost everyone that lived in the area, including my family, went outside to watch it fly over!) Kids of all ages will appreciate the volume of aircraft, from the colorful Aerobatic Flight exhibition planes that hang upside down to the Commercial Aviation Exhibit with an Air France Concorde on display.  It’s an amazing place to learn about the history of aviation and get an up close view to some of the planes that were used during World War II. Kids can look for portable Discovery Stations or ask about other family-friendly activities while visiting. 

Local tip: The $15 parking fee is not collected after 4 p.m. if you are making a quick visit (the museum is generally open until 5:30 p.m.)

Once inside the museum, kids are greeted with the Dinosaur Mysteries exhibit and a full size T. rex, where they can spend some time playing junior paleontologists. The Science and Main Exhibit gives kids a chance to put their thinking and building skills to use (even the “big” kids had fun in this exhibit!) Newton’s Alley is a fun filled room with hands-on physical activities like tug of war that will have kids learning about energy, force and motion as they are running from one demonstration to the next! My only disappointment with our recent visit was that the Kids Room water play area was still under renovation (the updated room reopened  just a few days after we visited). Just know that it’s one of those rooms that young kids will probably never want to leave! With room after room of hands-on activities, kids will play their way through the museum 

Local tip: The Science Center offers free field trips for all Maryland schools, so you may find it rather crowded during the school year, especially in the middle of the day. We visited on a Monday in June, when the crowds were minimal.  Also, check their website for any special rates. 

Kids will be entertained with plenty of hands-on fun and room to run. We used to visit at least once a year when my kids were little, and my son still remembers hanging out and loading the apples on the conveyor belt in what is now the Apple Packing Shed! Other fun exhibits include Health Works, Roller Coaster Alley and the Musical Garden. It has been awhile since we last  visited, so the Winchester-Frederick County Convention & Visitors Bureau was kind enough to provide me with some photos of the new facility.

Local tip: Be advised that the museum has winter hours, and is not open every day. At last check, admission was $9.​