10 great family-friendly museums

USATODAY

It's easy to add a bit of education to your family vacation. Museums have upped the wow factor in recent years, creating galleries and programs that engage the mind and imagination. "These are cool places where you get to see things that aren't in your everyday life," says Lynn Dierking, a science and math education professor at Oregon State University and co-author of Museum Experience Revisited (Left Coast Press). She shares some favorite places with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY.

Balboa Park museums

San Diego

With nearly two dozen attractions and institutions, this city park can keep visitors busy for days. A downloadable travel guide notes family-friendly highlights such as the world's fastest jet at the San Diego Air & Space Museum and Eocene-era fossils at the San Diego Natural History Museum. "There's a ton of stuff. You can bring a picnic and spend the day sampling different places," Dierking says. balboapark.org

A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village

Salem, Ore.

The A.C. Gilbert Co., once known for its toy chemistry kits and the Erector Set, created a wonderfully imaginative museum. Dierking likes the veterinary hospital, where children can treat a menagerie of stuffed animals. There's also a farming area, where visitors pretend to plant and harvest fruits and vegetables. "It's wonderful. I have firsthand experience taking my children and grandchildren here," she says. 503-371-3631; acgilbert.org

Discovery Place

Charlotte

With an outdoor area that's like a science playground, this hands-on science center does a great job of making learning fun. It also hosts engaging traveling exhibits; currently on display is Animal Grossology, which explores concepts from slug slime to cow flatulence. "They have a lot of things going for them," Dierking says. 704-372-6261; discoveryplace.org

Denver Art Museum

Art museums can be intimidating for families, but in recent years, many institutions have found ways to accommodate younger visitors, Dierking says. Denver has done a particularly good job, lending out special backpacks for exploring the galleries. "They have these activities families can pull out. It's about looking at and studying the art," she says. 720-865-5000; denverartmuseum.org

Frist Center for the Visual Arts

Nashville

At this art museum, families have their own interactive gallery, where they can create art and learn about principles such as color and shape. "Parents don't have to worry about kids behaving properly. It's just a place to focus on families," Dierking says. 615-244-3340; fristcenter.org

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

The world's largest children's museum has shifted its attention to focus on families, making sure that adults can join younger visitors in the experience. "They take that very seriously," Dierking says. For example, its Dinosphere exhibit is scaled so adults can crawl through the display and has costumes of all sizes so everyone can dress up like a paleontologist or a dinosaur. 317-334-3322; childrensmuseum.org

¡Explora!

Albuquerque

This combination science and children's museum has an experiment bar, where the staff introduces visitors to science concepts and projects. "Instead of a structured exhibit, they give people an engaging place and cool stuff where they can explore and try things out," Dierking says. In addition, everything is bilingual, making it easy for families with Spanish-speaking members. 505-224-8300; explora.us

Lowry Park Zoo

Tampa

A zoo, Dierking says, is just a museum with a living collection. And this one with 1,500 animals on nearly 60 acres has won national recognition. Families can hire a guide to tailor a visit to their specific interests, and there's also a special behind-the-scenes tour. Visitors can also get a list of the newest zoo babies on display. 813-935-8552; www.lowryparkzoo.com

USS Constitution Museum

Boston

Though the focus of this historical attraction is Old Ironsides itself, the famous ship also has an innovative museum. "They made a commitment to model after science museums to make history more engaging, fun and family-friendly," Dierking says. Visitors can try out sailor hammocks and ponder whether they could stomach a meal ration of wormy hardtack. The experience makes the tour of the historic ship much more meaningful, she says. 617-426-1812; ussconstitutionmuseum.org

The Works Museum

Bloomington, Minn.

Although it calls itself a museum, this site focuses on experiences and science, technology and engineering, Dierking says. "You can create things. They have a variety of lab activity spaces with all kinds of materials that you can use, touch and explore." 952-888-4262; theworks.org