Children's books come alive at new National Building Museum exhibit
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Photo courtesy of Elman Studio
A new exhibit at the National Building Museum invites visitors to step inside children's books as a way to explore the built world.
Driving the news: "Building Stories" opened last weekend on the museum's ground floor, where it will run for the next 10 years.
The big picture: The immersive exhibit takes viewers through four galleries that display how kids' books carry concepts and lessons related to architecture, construction, design, and engineering, plus how we interact with the environments around us.
Zoom in: Each of the galleries in the 4,000-square-foot space is focused on a different theme — think one that examines the connection between word building in early childhood development and creating built environments, or another that invites participants to mull over how storybook elements translate to the world-at-large.
- There are interactive and immersive activities throughout relating to the world of children's literature and language — such as a round theater showing projections from Ezra Jack Keats' "The Snowy Day" or a "shrink ray" machine that lets little ones consider scale and form.
This isn't just for kids, though: Grownups will appreciate more museum-like elements such as early illustrations from "Goodnight Moon" and "Rome Antics."
Plus: The museum is collaborating with the D.C. Public Library system to offer the free Building Readers Club.
- Kids from kindergarten to eighth grade can sign up to get monthly book and activity suggestions, free entry to the exhibit, and early access to programming.
Be smart: The museum is open Thursdays through Mondays, and tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for seniors, students, and children.
- But those with SNAP or EBT cards will get free admission for themselves and three others, and during the summer active-duty military get free admission for themselves and five others.