100 Geeky Places to Take Your Kids This Summer

There is plenty of summer vacation season left on the calendar, and boredom may already be settling in around the house. So what are some fun, geeky places to take your geeklets? Even better, what are some fun, geeky places that kids and adults will all enjoy?

I was sitting down making some plans for my geeklets this summer. The list of places we wanted to go kept getting longer, and eventually turned into a wishlist, which I then put up for the GeekDads to add to. But this list is by no means complete. Please feel free to add your favorite places in the comments, and we’ll try to add them to the map, too.

The list is alphabetical so you can search by name and see if your favorite places are included. If you want to browse geographically, there is an interactive map embedded at the end of the post.

Here is my list of geeky places to bring your geeklets this summer:

- Chicago. Inspiring the next generation of explorers and celebrating the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 during the month of July. - New York, NY. One of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world, comprised of 25 interconnected buildings that house 46 permanent exhibition halls. - Moffett Field, California. Experience NASA technology and missions first hand. - Phoenix. See Jenny Williams’ prior GeekDad post: . - Brussels. The Belgium response to the Eiffel Tower at the Brussels World’s Fair in 1958 is a tower in the shape of an iron crystal. - Texas. Even adults have fun at the Austin Children’s Museum. - Brussels. It brings together everything related to the comic strip, from its prestigious beginnings to its most recent developments, on more than 4,000 square meters of museum floors. - UK. A museum dedicated to the World War II code breakers. - San Francisco. See Thomas Hawk’s GeekDad post: . - Oakland, California. See Thomas Hawk’s GeekDad post: . - Paris, July 26. Watch the Tour de France riders blur past in a frenzy for 10 laps to win the last stage of the race. (You did read the .) - San Jose, California. The Museum’s exhibit philosophy is for children to learn through concrete interactions — touching, exploring, manipulating and experimenting. - Cincinnati, Ohio. See Patrick Orndorff’s GeekDad post: - St. Louis, Missouri. See Chris Anderson’s . - Salt Lake City, Utah. The Clark Planetarium features 15,000 square feet of free exhibits. - Williamsburg, Virginia. “That the future may learn from the past.” - San Diego. Comic Book collectors who feel they just haven’t quite finished their collections will want to be in Southern California July 23-26. - Mountain View, California. Where computer history lives.
- Hartford, Connecticut. The East Coast’s largest new attraction opened in June, with 150 interactive exhibits in 10 galleries, plus a 206-seat 3-D theater. - Amsterdam. Journey through the human body. - Easton, Pennsylvania. You’ll be immersed in color and creativity. - Lincoln, Massachusetts. Adults can feel artsy and kids say “look at this funny thing!” - London. Covering all aspects of design from graphic to furniture. - Atlanta, Georgia, September 4 - 7. It’s the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the US. - Columbia, South Carolina - An interactive children’s museum dedicated to creating new generations of lifelong learners. - McMinnville, Oregon. Home of the Spruce Goose. - San Francisco. The museum of science, art and human perception. - Toronto, August 28-30. This event brings together an array of celebrities, exhibitors, retailers and visitors with five pop culture focuses: Comic Books, Anime, Science Fiction, Horror and Gaming. - Boulder, Colorado. The largest of its kind between Chicago and Los Angeles.


- Philadelphia.  Founded in honor of Benjamin Franklin, it’s comprised of three centers, The Science Center, The Franklin Center, and The Center for Innovation in Science Learning. It also houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial. - Cologne, Germany, August 19-23. A new trade fair for interactive entertainment. - Atlanta. Currently the world’s largest aquarium, with over 8 million gallons of water. - Glasgow, UK. One of Scotland’s must-see visitor attractions and home of Nina and The Neurons. - Cleveland, Ohio. Learn about John Glenn, the Apollo Era, space flight and the solar system. - UK. See Nathan Barry’s GeekDad post:  . - San Carlos, California. Dedicated to the dreams of flight – looking back into aviation’s history while exploring its future. July 22 is the . - Texas. See Patrick Orndorff’s GeekDad post: - Hutchinson, Kansas. It takes visitors on a journey from the Earth to the Moon…and beyond, through a combination of artifacts, films, and replicas, to capture the story of the U.S./Soviet Space Race. See Patrick Orndorff’s GeekDad post: - Cape Canaveral, Florida. On August 18 the Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to launch on to the International Space Station. - Paris. See the GeekDad post: . - San Diego, London, Denmark and Germany. Thrilling rides, shows and attractions, all themed around LEGO. - Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ. It is dedicated to offering exceptional science learning experiences and to  engage learners of all ages in science excitement. - Chicago. The wildest spot in Chicago in the shadow of skyscrapers has been a natural, free oasis for generations of animal lovers. - Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. Spend the day underground. - Hartford, Connecticut. It offers offers a wide range of educational programs including lectures by major authors and artists, symposia, dramatic performances, concerts and family friendly activities. - Hawaii. Free nightly stargazing programs are conducted at the Visitor Station every night of the year, so you too can experience the amazing skies for which Mauna Kea is famous. - Birmingham, Alabama. It features four floors of interactive exhibits, celebrating science and wonder - from an amazing collection of dinosaurs to innovative environmental showcases, imaginative early childhood playgrounds, and an awe-inspiring aquarium. - Monterey, California. See Bruce Stewart’s GeekDad post: . - Boston. A New England classic, with special exhibits on the and this summer. - St. Louis, Missouri.  See Chris Anderson’s . - Mystic, Connecticut. Get face to face with New England’s only beluga whales. - Washington, DC (National Mall Building) It has hundreds of artifacts on display including the original Wright 1903 Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 command module, and a lunar rock sample that visitors can touch. - Baltimore, MD. The Aquarium features hundreds of exhibits with more than 16,500 animals. - Washington, DC.  The museum offers insight into the history and future of the world we create for ourselves, with lots of things for kids and adults to do. - Rochester, New York. It collects, studies, and interprets electronic games and related material and the ways in which electronic games are changing how people play, learn, and connect with each other. - Fort Meade, MD. Tours are provided allowing students of all ages the chance to learn about cryptology’s impact on history. - Washington, DC. Peek down the halls of medical history with the collections and you’ll come across some curious medical instruments, see unusual anatomical artifacts, and learn about the first microscopes and the scientists who made history with them.
- Washington, DC. The green-domed museum on the National Mall contains 325,000 square feet of exhibition and public space. - York, UK. The largest railway museum in the world. - Boston, Massachusetts. A classic that still entertains kids and adults, located right on Boston’s waterfront. - Albuquerque. The Museum’s permanent exhibit halls illustrate a “journey through time.” - Queens, NY. A hands-on science and technology center with more than 400 exhibits to explore the wonder of biology, chemistry and physics. - Washington, D.C. An experience that blends five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits. - Sturbridge, Massachusetts. Experience early New England life at one of the largest living history museums, with a large staff of historians in costume, 59 historic buildings on 200 acres. - Nebraska. A place where children can challenge themselves, discover how the world works and learn through play. - Ontario, Canada.  See Brad Moon’s GeekDad post: - Portland.  See Ken Denmead’s GeekDad post: . - France. The second biggest theme park in France (after EuroDisney) and just 30 km north of Paris
- Seattle, September 4-6. A three-day game festival for tabletop, videogame, and PC gamers. - Philadelphia. Dedicated to children 7 and younger. - Plymouth, Massachusetts.  It’s a bicultural museum, offering encounters with the Wampanoag People and the Colonial English community in the 1600s. - San Diego, California. The Fleet is known for its hands-on science exhibits on subjects like vision, time, aging, and space technology. See Chris Radcliff’s GeekDad post: . - St. Joseph, Missouri. Where history and nature collide. (More about this place in a future post.) - Multiple retail locations. Build your own customized model car or truck. - California. It’s jam-packed with airplanes, spaceships, memorabilia, and history. See Chris Radcliff’s GeekDad post: . - California. San Diego’s model railroading clubs put together this expansive set of O-scale, HO-scale, N-scale, and toy layouts depicting Southern California locales. See Chris Radcliff’s GeekDad post: . - California. Dinosaurs. Mammoths. Giant cats. What more is there to say? See Chris Radcliff’s GeekDad post: . - California. See Chris Radcliff’s GeekDad post: . - Kansas City, Missouri. Let curiosity be your guide through more than 50 interactive areas, providing some real hands-on fun. See Mark Dye’s GeekDad post: . - Seattle. Through August 16, Jim Henson’s Fantastic World offers a peek into the imagination and creative genius of this multitalented innovator and creator of Kermit the Frog, Big Bird and other beloved characters, with 100 original artworks., London. The Science Museum was founded in 1857 with objects shown at the Great Exhibition held in the Crystal Palace. - St. Paul.  See John Baichtal’s GeekDad post: - Vancouver. Look for the big geodesic dome and explore the interactive exhibits. - Chicago. It contains 2,100 species of fish, marine mammals, birds, snakes, amphibians, and insects. - Various locations. A theme park with Superman and Batman rides. and - Orkney, UK. Europe’s most complete Neolithic village and UNESCO World Heritage Site. - Huntsville, Alabama. Artifacts of our nation’s space program, hands-on interactive exhibits and space travel simulators. - Texas. See Patrick Orndorff’s GeekDad post: - Washington, DC.  It features the largest collection of international spy-related artifacts ever placed on public display. - Las Vegas, August 6-9. An enormous gathering of all things Star Trek. - Norwalk, Connecticut. With four main galleries, a toddlers-only gallery and more than 100 hands-on activities, Stepping Stones offers children ages ten and under plenty to explore and discover. - Glen, New Hampshire.  A great amusement park for younger geeklets with all the rides themed around children’s stories. - San Jose, California.  Focused on inspiring the innovator in everyone it reaches, with truly hands-on and interactive exhibits, divided among themed galleries. - Northern Virginia. This branch of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum has the Space Shuttle Enterprise and a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. - Orlando, Florida. Marvel comic themed rides for the adults and older kids and Seuss Landing for the smaller kids. - British Columbia.  The aquarium has a total 9.5 million litres (2.5 million gallons) of water in 166 aquatic displays. - Bangalore, India. Each floor of this museum is dedicated to a scientific discipline, with plenty of interactive exhibits. - Manitowoc, Wisconsin. See Ken Denmead’s GeekDad post: . - Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Voted “best rainy day activity on the upper cape.” - There are always great adventures in those book stacks.