Frequently Asked Questions
Entry
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Yes. As is the case at children’s museums everywhere, we do charge admission for adults. Our museum experience is intentionally designed for families to explore, learn, and grow together, with caregivers actively participating alongside their children, rather than observing from the sidelines.
Adult admission helps support the care and upkeep of our hands-on exhibits, trained staff, safety measures, and the welcoming, interactive environment families enjoy together. As a nonprofit organization, charging admission for all visitors allows us to keep the museum running smoothly and continue serving our community.
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Typically, no.
Most days, the Museum is here for you to come in at any time during regular hours and you may stay as long as you’d like.
However, during school vacation weeks and other no-school holidays, we enact pre-registration with time slots. This is to ensure that we have capacity in our facility for all registered visitors when they arrive. On these days, both members and non-members are asked to pre-register.
Any time registration is required, a link will be made available on the Plan Your Visit page of our website.
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For our most up to date hours, including any special event adjustments, visit our Plan Your Visit webpage.
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We do not sell tickets online. You can purchase at the front desk upon arrival!
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Babies under 12 months old have free entry into the museum.
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We have 38 free parking spots for visitors in our lot, including two handicap accessible spots. Additionally, there is ample street parking in the area.
During your visit:
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We find that most families spend about two hours at the Museum. However, some families do spend much longer. We encourage you to take your time to explore!
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Our exhibits were designed with ages 0–10 in mind. That said, there is no age limit on play!
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Yes. However, we ask that any adult visiting the space without a child leave their ID with the front desk at checkin.
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We’re happy to offer a brief tour of the Museum if it would be helpful for your planning or preparation. While we’re not always able to accommodate walk-in tours, our team would be glad to arrange a time for you to stop by and take a look around. Please give us a call in advance so we can schedule a time that works for both you and our staff.
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No.
While we have staff and volunteers who float on the exhibit floor, it is the responsibility of the caregivers to supervise their children in the space and ensure that Museum rules are followed.
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Yes. Strollers are permitted in the space. During some busier times, staff may request that strollers are left in the lobby if not needed for access to the space.
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Food is only permitted in the lobby or in the classroom (when not otherwise in use) inside our space.
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Yes! We have two dedicated nursing nooks in the Museum, should you wish to utilize them. They feature half walls, so you can maintain eyes and ears on other children or keep up conversations, comfy chairs and outlets.
We have two family restrooms, each of which has a change table. One change table is universal size.
Inclusion & Access
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Absolutely! We are closed to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the school year so that school groups can enjoy private access to our space. For details and to reach out, please visit this webpage »
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Yes! To discuss options, please reach out to our Director of Events, Christine:
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Yes. The Museum offers family programming, detailed on our events webpage.
Additionally, the Museum runs STEM-based programming for elementary and middle-school aged students out of our SparkLab. For details and to learn about current offerings, visit the SparkLab webpage.
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Yes! We love to help you celebrate! For party options and to reach out, visit our party page »
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Weekend mornings tend to be our busiest times. With that in mind, we want to be able to plan carefully for capacity in our space for both our party guests and our daily visitors and ensure that all of our guests have a joyful and successful experience. As a result, we have determined that smaller party sizes work better during the morning time blocks.
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Yes! We offer a sensory hour on the last Sunday of each month. For details and to register, visit our Events webpage.
Additionally, we typically find that weekday afternoons, including our later evening Thursday, tend to be quieter. For more information on up-to-date quieter hours, please give the Museum a call.
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One of our core values is belonging. With that in mind, the Museum was designed with a variety of key physical and social-emotional accessibility features to ensure that all families can have a successful and joyful experience.
Events, Programs & Rentals
About the Museum
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Yes! Children’s Museum of Franklin is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our EIN is 93-3259226
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Children’s Museum of Franklin was brought to life through the generous support of individuals and organizations across the region. Today, that support continues to be essential as we work to maintain and evolve our loved exhibits, seek to expand access to all, regardless of background, through heavily discounted or free passes, and expand programming in our SparkLab suite.
To learn more about becoming a Friend of the Museum, follow this link »