Note: While many of these indoor playgrounds have membership options, we've only included play spaces that also offer drop-in play. 

Top Indoor Playgrounds & Play Spaces in DC

1. National Children's Museum

While there are plenty of hands-on exhibits at the National Children's Museum, it may be hard to pull your kids away from the Dream Machine, a three-story climbing structure and slide for ages 5 and up. As they crawl, climb, and scamper through the structure, children will discover unique elements such as a floating-cloud seesaw, a buoy maze, a cloud-simulation ring, and more. Little ones ages 0-3 can play in the cloud- and flight-themed Little Dreamers exhibit or in the Little Movers free-movement space full of soft-play structures.

2. The Lane

Ivy City's massive two-story indoor play space, The Lane, includes multiple play areas for babies and young children with slides, climbing walls, nets, a ball pit, magnet and peg walls, soft play, building toys, a book nook, and more. The on-site cafe offers breakfast sandwiches, snacks, juice boxes, coffee, and—we're not kidding—wine and beer. Families can drop in for open play or purchase an unlimited monthly membership.

RELATED: Best Museums for Kids in the DC Area: Children's Museums and Family-Friendly Museums

 
Create towering structures at Play Work Build at the National Building Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum

3. Play Work Build at the National Building Museum

While most of the National Building Museum is meant for bigger kids and grown-ups, Play Work Build is a good alternative, even for preschoolers. Hands-on block play is perfect for young construction workers, and kids at the older end of the age range might be entranced by the digital interactive element that allows children to build an entire virtual wall... and knock it down. Peak visiting hours tend to be between 10am and noon, so go after lunch if you want fewer crowds.

4. Wonderplace at the National Museum of American History

This 1,700-square-foot exhibit features plenty of ways for kids ages 0-6 to blow off steam, including a construction area, a climbing structure, a soft-play area for crawlers, a pretend farm and kitchen with play food and accessories, and more. There's also a nursing bench and a reading area with a cozy beanbag chair. On busy days, Wonderplace uses a timed ticketing system through which families can pick up tickets good for 30 minutes of play. As at all Smithsonian museums, admission is always free!

5. imagiNATIONS Activity Center at the National Museum of the American Indian

The National Museum of the American Indian is another free Smithsonian museum with a fantastic play area for children of all ages. The imagiNATIONS Activity Center features all sorts of hands-on activities such as basket-weaving, building a giant igloo, arts and crafts, "walking" in snowshoes, and so much more. Kids can also explore a tipi, walk through a replica of an Amazonian stilt house, and solve puzzles. Even the grown-ups will have fun here!

6. Magic Ground

In addition to a castle-themed indoor playground, Magic Ground features a toddler cave, arts and crafts, a building area, educational computer games, and more. The on-site, full-service restaurant offers kid-friendly fare such as pizza and grilled cheese along with grown-up options like a grilled chicken panini and sweet plantains. Families can purchase tickets for one hour or a full day of play, as well as monthly, seasonal, and annual memberships.

If you need to run errands or get some work done, there's a two-hour drop-off option. Or, drop off kids ages 2 and up for parents night out on Fridays and Saturdays from 6-8pm. Magic Ground also offers music, art, ballet, and other classes.

Top Indoor Playgrounds & Play Spaces in Maryland

7. The Wiggle Room — Crofton

This engaging, 5,700-square-foot space is filled with interactive toys, play structures, and even a ninja course that will keep kids age 12 and under running with enthusiasm. Parent-friendly amenities include free coffee and lounge chairs that look into the play area, so you can keep an eye on your children during your stay. There is also a quiet room, ideal for those moments when your toddler needs a break from all the excitement. Families can drop in for open play or purchase a monthly membership or pass pack. The Wiggle Room also offers art, music, and movement classes.

8. Be with Me Playseum — Columbia

At the Be with Me Playseum in the Columbia Mall, kids can pretend and play at over 20 CityShops, themed areas that mimic real-life places including a courthouse, a coffee shop, a farm, an auto-repair shop, a bakery, and more. Parents can also buy their kids Playseum Dollars, which children can use at various Creation Stations around the Playseum to do fun activities like arts and crafts, soap- and slime-making, petting live animals, and more. The admission fee covers the whole day, so families can leave to grab lunch or shop and then return for more playtime.

9. Kids Play Gallery — Gaithersburg

This unique indoor playground for toddlers and younger kids is filled with fun playhouses that promote pretend play, including a fire station and fire engine, a beauty boutique, a grocery store, a diner, an animal hospital, a service station, an ice cream truck, and a fishing dock and boat. Snacks, coffee, tea, and juice are available for purchase, but families are also allowed to consume outside food and drink in the party room. Parents can enjoy free WiFi while the kids play.

10. Kids Ground — Rockville

This roughly 5,000-square-foot indoor playground was designed especially for infants, toddlers, and young children. Little ones can explore a large climbing structure and ball pit, dig in a cypress-wood "sandbox", build block towers, create art, and more. Kids Ground also offers yoga, Spanish, and Zumbini classes for ages 0-5, as well as drop-off nights for potty-trained kids ages 3.5 and older.

11. Hyper Kidz! — Columbia, Gambrills, & Owings Mills

This massive indoor playground, one of our favorite Black-owned businesses near DC, includes three play areas for kids of all ages. The Big Kid Zone—a four-story play structure for children four feet tall and over—features slides, ramps, obstacles, and interactive play features. The Kid Zone, for ages 2-7, includes a two-story balloon house, motorized rides, a giant light-up wall, and more. And the Mini Zone, for babies and toddlers up to age 2, has soft-play equipment. Hyper Kidz! also has locations in Ashburn and Franconia, Virginia.

12. ClimbZone — Laurel

This indoor rock climbing gym was created just for kids, with 75 colorful, hand-painted climbing walls with fun themes such as emojis, alphabet blocks, Mount Rushmore, and Ancient Egypt. When kids ages 2-10 need a break from climbing, they can enjoy the soft-play area full of slides, tunnels, rings, and other fun obstacles. There's also an arcade. Various ticket options and memberships are available.

13. Port Discovery Children's Museum — Baltimore

This fantastic children's museum is full of interactive exhibits, from a pretend diner to an art studio to a water-play space. But when your kids really need to blow off steam, let them loose in the four-story SkyClimber, complete with a swirly slide to take them back to the bottom. Toddlers can explore Chessie's Grotto, an underwater-themed soft-play area under the SkyClimber.

RELATED: Fun Things To Do with Tweens and Teens in DC

There's a reason it's called Super, Awesome, & Amazing...

Top Indoor Playgrounds & Play Spaces in Maryland

14. Super, Awesome, & Amazing — Springfield

While many of the spots on our list are geared toward younger children, this one is just right for big kids. Located within the St. James sports complex, Super, Awesome, & Amazing is an interactive water park, eSports and VR gaming facility, rock-climbing gym, trampoline park, and obstacle course all in one. There's even a Nerf Battle Zone! With over 30,000 square feet to explore, expect to spend several hours here. If you and your family love it, consider a St. James membership, which nabs you a discount on each visit.

15. Scramble — Alexandria & Falls Church

Designed as a European-style play center, there's something for everyone at Scramble. Babies can practice tummy time; toddlers can run, jump, and role play; older kids can hone their soccer skills. Even homeschooling families and co-op groups can do something together. The facilities are divided by age so that crawlers through 2-year-olds are in one spot, toddlers are in another, and kids up to age 10 are in a different area. Grab a bite and a drink at the on-site cafe, and check out the bookstore full of Usborne books for kids of all ages.

16. Jolly Yolly Kids — Fairfax

This ocean-themed indoor playground features a large, multilevel play structure for kids up to age 13, a smaller play area for ages 2-7, and a baby section for little ones ages 2 and under, making it a great place for families with children of multiple ages. Lots of windows flood the space with sunlight. Jolly Yolly Kids offers daily open-play hours, as well as holiday and summer camps. A second location opened at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, Maryland in April 2023.

17. Billy Beez — Manassas

This massive (nearly 25,000 square feet!) indoor playground in the Manassas Mall features climbing structures, slides, tunnels, a ball pit/ballistics arena, sports courts, an arcade, and more. Younger kids can enjoy the Mini Beez area just for them as well as the Honey Comb Village, a tot-sized town featuring a hospital, a pizza shop, a school, and more. Even the grown-ups will have a blast here!

RELATED: Fun Things To Do in Fairfax, Virginia with Kids

18. Luv 2 Play — Fairfax

The highlight of this 12,000-square-foot play center in the Fair Oaks Mall is its three-level indoor playground with slides, tunnels, crawl tubes, and more. Separate baby and toddler areas for ages 1-4 feature soft-play equipment, sensory panels, and toys. There are also redemption video games, kiddie rides, a cafe with favorites such as pizza and fries, and a lounge area for adults with TVs, free WiFi, and nursing spots. Family can drop in to play or purchase a monthly membership.

19. Play N' Learn — Chantilly

Play N' Learn is a playground superstore with locations in both Chantilly and Columbia, Maryland. If you're in the market for a new backyard playset, this is the place to go. But even if you're not, this store is more than just that: It's an indoor play space complete with a trampoline park, basketball goals, swing sets, and more. Kids ages 2-8 can try out any of the equipment in a space designed for hands-on play. Parents can purchase tickets for two hours of playtime.

20. The Toy Nest — Falls Church

The Toy Nest is a toy library that works just like a regular library—kids can borrow toys to take home and play with, then return them and get new ones. But families can also reserve a 55-minute time slot to go in and play with the Toy Nest's ever-changing inventory of playthings for babies through 10-year-olds. The venue also offers classes for both kids and caregivers. Various membership levels are available.

21. Experiential Learning Center at the National Museum of the United States Army — Fort Belvoir

This immersive learning space allows kids of all ages to develop skills and have fun with geography, science, technology, engineering, and math (G-STEM). At Fort Discover, kids 8 and under can use imaginative play to climb an Army tower, radio friends, drop cargo supplies, launch a space rocket, drive a Jeep, serve up chow in the dining facility, and more. In the Training Center, older kids can participate in interactive training simulations.

All photos courtesy of the indoor playgrounds unless otherwise indicated

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This post was originally published in 2019 and is updated annually.