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🥳Welcome to Our New Website!

train table at main floor children's museum

The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn

A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

Child-Led Play

Where Learning Begins Through Exploration

The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn is a place where children explore, create, and learn through hands-on experiences designed just for them. 

 

We encourage parents to let their child lead the play—allowing their imagination and sense of discovery to guide their experience. While each exhibit aligns with key educational standards, to a child, it’s simply fun.

 

Through sights, sounds, textures, and movement, they interact with a world crafted just for them. More than just play—this is education through exploration.

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SMALL CHILD PLAYING AT MUSEUM DURING TUMMY TIME
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Plan Your Visit

 KEY INFORMATION FOR A GREAT EXPERIENCE

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viewing entrance to museum on the interior

 Hours & Admissions

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front of museum street side

Parking & Directions

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noon years even party at the museum

 Events & Programs 

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Train table with trains at museum

Exhibits

General admission tickets are only available in person at the museum.

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Field Trip Forecast

Planning the best time to visit? Check our weekly Field Trip Forecast to see when the museum may be busier than usual.

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Each week, we post a new Field Trip Forecast so you can plan your visit accordingly.

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Upcoming Events

  • Wee Ones Wednesday
    Wee Ones Wednesday
    Multiple Dates
    Wee Ones Wednesday
    Apr 30, 2025, 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
  • Messy Art
    Messy Art
    Messy Art
    May 02, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
  • Member Only Hour
    Member Only Hour
    Multiple Dates
    Member Only Hour
    May 03, 2025, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
  • Sensory Friendly Play Session
    Sensory Friendly Play Session
    Multiple Dates
    Sensory Friendly Play Session
    May 04, 2025, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
  • Gardening with Grandpa Andy
    Gardening with Grandpa Andy
    Gardening with Grandpa Andy
    May 10, 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

More Ways to Enjoy the Museum

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having a birthday party at the children's museum of oak lawn
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Birthday Parties

Celebrate a special day with hands-on fun. Book in advance to secure your party time.

boy and girl playing with sand at the childrens museum
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Field Trips

Hands-on, play-based learning experiences designed for school groups. Reservations required.

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Memberships

Enjoy unlimited visits, exclusive discounts, and reciprocal benefits at partner museums.

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Play. Learn. Grow

"Play is the highest form of research." — Albert Einstein

Play is more than entertainment—it’s how children develop critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. At the museum, every experience is an opportunity to learn through exploration.

 

Repetitive play is essential to a child’s development. Each time they return to an exhibit, they engage with it in new ways, building on past experiences and developing skills that grow with them. A simple activity today becomes a deeper discovery tomorrow.

 

Encourage your child to lead the way—observe, interact, and watch them grow with every visit.

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women founders of the Childrens Museum of Oak Lawn

About the Museum

What started as a simple idea from Carol Marsh, a mother living in Oak Lawn in the late 1990s, has grown into a beloved learning space that serves thousands of families each year. Through community support and a dedication to early childhood education, the Children's Museum in Oak Lawn has become a place where play sparks learning, curiosity thrives, and families grow together.

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 What Parents Are Saying

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vet area of the childrens museumof oak lawn

Get Involved

Support the museum’s mission and become part of a community that values learning through play.

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