The National Children’s Museum (NCM) is founded on the accomplishments of the former Capital Children’s Museum (CCM), located near Washington, DC’s Union Station. Established in 1974, CCM was an early leader in children’s museum development. It served approximately 200,000 visitors annually, including children, their parents, caregivers, and teachers.

CCM offered a wide variety of exhibits and programs, school programs, after school and weekend activities during the school year, and weeklong camp sessions over the summer. It was an innovator and leader in developing children’s museum pedagogy and learning resources.

The Museum offered engaging hands-on science programs in partnership with NASA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and other recognized organizations, receiving high marks from professionals in the world of science. In addition, CCM was dedicated to serving area educators, offering professional development services and training to aid teachers with innovative new lessons and resources to better serve children. The Museum also actively promoted world cultures and cultural connections, hosting exhibits from nearly 40 countries on four continents, offering a vibrant collection of art, music, theater, and more.

Notably, the Museum developed an award-winning media arts program where kids created clay animation, video animation, cartoons, and other engaging media arts. CCM teamed up with legendary animator Chuck Jones, creator of Wile E. Coyote, the Road Runner, and other Warner Brothers characters, when he taught a class in the Museum’s Young Animator’s Program in 1987. In 1992, the Museum started the National Center for Animation, where Jones served on the board of advisors. The group’s first major project, sponsored by the Cartoon Network, was an original three-floor exhibit, “Chuck Jones: An Animated Life.” The exhibit remained a popular visitor destination where children had an opportunity to learn about the fascinating world of animation.

Countless celebrated guests enjoyed and supported CCM, including First Ladies Rosalyn Carter and Barbara Bush; international royalty including the queens of Thailand, Jordan, and the Netherlands; political figures Bob Dole and Al Gore; creative innovators R. Buckminster Fuller and Steve Jobs; literary luminaries Maya Angelou and Eric Carle; and musical notables Harry Belafonte and Gloria Estefan, among many others.

From 1979 to 2004, CCM was housed in a former convent and nursing home. Although the Museum had proven its value as a respected, vital educational resource, the 125-year-old physical plant and location was seen by many as inaccessible and proved to be a critical barrier to the Museum’s ability to fully serve the region and the nation.

Consequently, the CCM board of directors decided to develop a new museum to meet contemporary needs and better serve the national as well as regional community. With the support of the Association of Children’s Museums, and through the enactment of H.R. 13, the Museum and Library Services Act of 2003, the United States Congress designated CCM as the country’s National Children’s Museum.

The following year, the CCM building was closed and resources were redirected to creating a new national institution for children and families. The Museum had originally planned to relocate to L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, DC, however, after the developer’s plans and timelines changed significantly, the NCM board of directors was invited to move the museum to the new National Harbor development in Prince George’s County, Md. The Museum looks forward to opening its doors at this larger new facility, featuring abundant outdoor space and a slip on the National Harbor pier, in 2013.