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CANCELLED: Play Date at NMNH: Bats!

UPDATE: Play Date for Tuesday, October 28th is cancelled. Tuesday, October 28th, is all about bats! Families can celebrate Bat Week by making observations of different bat species for our specimen collection, explore different elements of play related to bats, and learn why almost all bat species hang upside down! Come and join us for a fun time learning through play and exploration! The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome. Location: This program is held in Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center, on the Ground Floor of the museum. Please enter through the Constitution Avenue entrance. Q?rius is located on the right as you enter the museum. Accessibility: Access services such as American Sign Language interpretation, real-time captioning (CART), or audio-description are available with advanced… Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center (Ground Floor). Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, October 28, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.

CANCELLED: Ocean Hall-o-ween

Visitors beware, you're in for a scare! Join us for an eerie educational experience in the Ocean Hall, where costumed scientists will share curious creatures, and spooky specimens in the spirit of the season! Photo of Chimaera by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Co-sponsor: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, The Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free and open to the public. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Related Exhibition: The Sant Ocean Hall. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Friday, October 31, 2025, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

Play Date at NMNH: National Bison Day

Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators! Tuesday, November 4th, is a special celebration for bison! National Bison Day is November 1st, and we are celebrating it for this week's Play Date. Families can celebrate our national mammal by making observations of bison specimens from our education collection, learn about ways they help their ecosystem, and explore how bison have been portrayed in stamp art. Our friends from the National Postal Museum will be here to celebrate alongside us as we learn together through play, exploration, and art.  The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome. Location: This program is held in the Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals exhibit on the 1st floor of the museum. Please note that space is dependent on the location of that week's event. Some locations… Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals (1st Floor). Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, November 4, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.

Play Date at NMNH: Marvelous Meteorites

Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators! Tuesday, December 2nd, is all about exploring the colors, shapes, and textures of objects from space! Families can learn about and make close observations of meteorites from our collection, explore different colors of planets, and create your own play telescope. Come and join us for a fun time learning through play and exploration! The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners (ages 0-5) and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome. Location: This program is held in Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center, on the Ground Floor of the museum. Please enter through the Constitution Avenue entrance. Q?rius is located on the right as you enter the museum. Accessibility: Access services such as American Sign Language interpretation, real-time captioning (CART), or audio-description are… Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Q?rius, The Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center (Ground Floor). Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.

Play Date at NMNH: Lights, Color, Action!

Join us on Tuesdays for special family play dates with museum educators! Tuesday, December 9th, is all about exploring bioluminescent animals! Did you know that many animals in the ocean (and even some animals on land) are able to produce and give off light? Living organisms that can produce and emit light are called bioluminescent. During this Play Date at NMNH, families will learn reasons why bioluminescence might be important, make observations of different bioluminescent animals, and play with light in different ways. Come and join us for a fun time learning through play, art, and exploration!  The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners (ages 0-5), their caregivers, and families.  Location: This program is held in the Explorer Theater in the Sant Ocean Hall. Ocean Hall is on the 1st floor. Please note that space is dependent on the location of that week's event. Some locations have less capacity than others. It is possible… Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: 1st Floor, Explorer Theater in the Sant Ocean Hall. Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, December 9, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.

Play Date at NMNH: Pockets & Pouches

Tuesday, December 16th, is all about ocean animals with pockets and pouches! Families will learn look up close at specimens that have pockets and pouches and learn what they hold in their pocket or pouch. Families will also be invited to create their own pouch to carry their own favorite or special item. The event is part of our drop-in program, Play Date at NMNH. Play Date at NMNH is a program designed for early learners and their caregivers and families. Activities are designed with early learners in mind, but all ages are welcome. Location: This program is held in the Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals exhibit on the 1st floor of the museum. Please note that space is dependent on the location of that week's event. Some locations have less capacity than others. It is possible that the program might be at capacity when you arrive. If this happens, please enjoy other areas of the museum and try again later in the program. Accessibility: Access services such as American Sign Language interpretation,… Sponsor: Natural History Museum. Venue: Natural History Museum. Event Location: Kenneth E. Behring Family Hall of Mammals (1st Floor). Cost: Free. Categories: Kids & Families. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM.