Upcoming events include watching a classic holiday film, exploring the museums, celebrating Noon Year's Eve, discovering Tidings and Tinsel and more.
Christmas break is a great occasion for family time, and the Washington Pavilion provides fun opportunities for families to make memories together.
Upcoming events include watching a classic holiday film, exploring the museums, celebrating Noon Year's Eve, discovering Tidings and Tinsel and marveling at our outdoor Christmas tree.
The Wells Fargo CineDome & Sweetman Planetarium is showing your favorite classic holiday films including “The Grinch” and “The Polar Express.” Add a film to your museums admission for just $4 for members and $5 for the public. Don't forget to purchase your favorite movie snacks at Parlour before your showtime!
Staying up until midnight can make for a late night for kids and even some parents. The Washington Pavilion offers a fun alternative, Noon Year's Eve! Come hang out with Radley Rex and watch the balloons drop at 12 p.m. on Dec. 31 at the Kirby Science Discovery Center.
The Kirby Science Discovery Center will be open over Christmas break, and it's a great opportunity to show kids that learning can happen outside of school as well. Admission into the museum unlocks a world of space exploration, agricultural science, dinosaurs, water science and newly installed exhibits in the fourth floor Discovery Den, including the Build & Bloom Bungalow, Builder's Zone and Imagination Playground.
For kids who are interested in art, the “Jason Chin: Your Place in the Universe” exhibit is a terrific way to introduce them to beautiful artwork. With a love for scientific wonders, children's author and illustrator Jason Chin has illuminated the mysteries of coral reefs, redwood trees, the Galápagos Islands and more through stunning watercolor artwork. Five additional art exhibitions are available to explore!
Our December daily programming theme is Crystals and Chemistry! Activities include Adventures in Chemistry: States of Matter, Stained Glass Glue, Winter Break Makerspace and more. There is something new every day when you visit our museums!
Learning and playing all day can work up quite the appetite, and the perfect place to find a bite to eat is at The WP Café. With our selection of daily rotating hot entrées, market-fresh sandwiches, fresh salads, delicious soups and fun kids' meals, everyone is sure to find something to enjoy! The WP Café is open during regular museums hours.
Decorating Christmas trees is one of the most beloved traditions this time of year, and so many beautiful trees can be found in the second and third-floor lobbies of the Washington Pavilion. Stroll through to check out the multitude of twinkling trees now through the end of December.
Every day from dusk till dawn you can gaze at our massive 45-foot-tall outdoor Christmas tree. Take a family picture to show just how big it is now through the end of December.
The Washington Pavilion will be closed Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day but open Dec. 23, 26–31 and Jan. 2. For more information on holiday programs and activities, please visit WashingtonPavilion.org/HappyHolidays.
Videos