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Keeping the kids entertained while traveling can be a challenge, especially on days when the weather doesn't cooperate. Luckily these 10 museums, nominated by a panel of family travel experts and voted by 10Best and USA TODAY readers as the best for families in the U.S., offer engaging, interactive experiences for kids and adults alike.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Museum for Families are as follows:
- Children's Museum of Indianapolis - Indianapolis
- Children's Museum of Houston - Houston
- The Strong National Museum of Play - Rochester, N.Y.
- The Henry Ford - Dearborn, Mich.
- Children's Museum of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh
- Please Touch Museum - Philadelphia
- Museum of Science and Industry - Chicago
- Musical Instrument Museum - Phoenix
- Franklin Institute Science Museum - Philadelphia
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County - Los Angeles
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Katie Dillon (La Jolla Mom), Kyle McCarthy (Family Travel Forum) and Eileen Ogintz (Taking the Kids) were chosen based on their knowledge and experience of family travel in the U.S.
Other nominated museums included the American Museum of Natural History, Art Institute of Chicago, Boston Children’s Museum, California Academy of Sciences, Chicago Children's Museum, Explora, Exploratorium, Liberty Science Center, National Air and Space Museum and Port Discovery Children's Museum.
Congratulations to all these wonderful winning museums for families!
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The Experts
Katie Dillon
Katie Dillon originally moved to the seaside... Read More
Katie Dillon originally moved to the seaside community of La Jolla to attend UC San Diego. When the opportunity presented itself, she and her husband set off for a 7 year stint overseas as expats in London and Hong Kong. After traveling the world, they returned to the La Jolla sunshine, with a young daughter in tow. Katie now writes a lifestyle site called La Jolla Mom and is the author of a book called, “Flying With Kids.” Her work can be seen on NBC San Diego, Red Tricycle, Yahoo! Shine and Have Family Will Travel, a Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts blog.
Katie Dillon

Katie Dillon originally moved to the seaside community of La Jolla to attend UC San Diego. When the opportunity presented itself, she and her husband set off for a 7 year stint overseas as expats in London and Hong Kong. After traveling the world, they returned to the La Jolla sunshine, with a young daughter in tow. Katie now writes a lifestyle site called La Jolla Mom and is the author of a book called, “Flying With Kids.” Her work can be seen on NBC San Diego, Red Tricycle, Yahoo! Shine and Have Family Will Travel, a Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts blog.
Kyle McCarthy
Kyle McCarthy is the co-founder and editor of... Read More
Kyle McCarthy is the co-founder and editor of Family Travel Forum, the trusted resource for family vacation planners since 1996. FTF’s award-winning publications: MyFamilyTravels.com, America’s Most Popular Family Vacations and The Family Vacationist e-newsletter provide destination reviews, tips and seasonal roundups for all aspects of travel. Ms. McCarthy, author of a dozen Frommer’s guidebooks, also contributes to US News, CNN and other publications. She can be found on most social networks @familytravelforum.
Kyle McCarthy

Kyle McCarthy is the co-founder and editor of Family Travel Forum, the trusted resource for family vacation planners since 1996. FTF’s award-winning publications: MyFamilyTravels.com, America’s Most Popular Family Vacations and The Family Vacationist e-newsletter provide destination reviews, tips and seasonal roundups for all aspects of travel. Ms. McCarthy, author of a dozen Frommer’s guidebooks, also contributes to US News, CNN and other publications. She can be found on most social networks @familytravelforum.
Eileen Ogintz
Eileen Ogintz, a leading national expert on family... Read More
Eileen Ogintz, a leading national expert on family travel, is the author of the Tribune Interactive syndicated column Taking the Kids that appears around the country, creator of the popular website TakingtheKids.com and co-chair of the TMS Family Travel Conference which draws top family travel influencers and major travel brands. She is the author of the 11-book Kids Guideseries; The Kid’s Guide to Acadia National Park is being released in April 2019. The Kid’s Guide to NYC is now in its 3d edition and The Kid’s Guide to Washington, DC the second edition.
Eileen Ogintz

Eileen Ogintz, a leading national expert on family travel, is the author of the Tribune Interactive syndicated column Taking the Kids that appears around the country, creator of the popular website TakingtheKids.com and co-chair of the TMS Family Travel Conference which draws top family travel influencers and major travel brands. She is the author of the 11-book Kids Guideseries; The Kid’s Guide to Acadia National Park is being released in April 2019. The Kid’s Guide to NYC is now in its 3d edition and The Kid’s Guide to Washington, DC the second edition.