Did you ever love a book so much you wished you could step inside the pages? Does the world of Dr. Seuss sound like a pretty cool place to hang out? Do you have a bookworm in your family that can’t get enough Harry Potter? If bedtime stories are life or you need to encourage a reluctant reader, check out these 8 places you can literally immerse in a book!
Goodnight Moon Room
From now until March 13, 2022 you can see the iconic Goodnight Moon bedroom brought to life in Studio 9 at the Torpedo Factory. The green walls, a red balloon, the telephone, a cow jumping over the moon! All the details we’ve committed to memory from countless readings of the classic children’s book by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd. Don’t miss spotting the elusive mouse that makes an appearance on every page of the book. The installment also features a bookcase of banned books to remind us that reading keeps our world safe.
Torpedo Factory Art Center
105 N. Union St.
Alexandria, VA
703-746-4570
Online: torpedofactory.org
National Symphony Orchestra 'Because'
We aren’t the only ones who love Mo Williams (children’s book author/illustrator of Pigeon and Elephant & Piggie and the Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence)! His work inspired composer and violinist Jessie Montgomery and The National Symphony Orchestra to transform his book Because into a concert that promises to bring the story of a girl’s journey to center stage to life. The concert is recommended for children ages 5+ and will be performed twice on Sunday, March 20, 2022 (the 2pm show is sensory friendly).
The Kennedy Center
2700 F Street NW
Washington, DC
202-416-8000
Online: kennedy-center.org
Beyond the Book: The Snowy Day Winter 2022
The DC Public Library’s Beyond the Book literacy program, geared towards Kindergarten through 3rd grade developing readers, lets children find the joy in reading in an interactive environment. Signing up for the program at your DC neighborhood branch gives your kid a membership card, quarterly newsletter, free copy of the featured book and exclusive invites to author talks and other fun family events. This winter the featured book is Ezra Jack Keats’ classic tale, The Snowy Day. Activities themed from the book run through the end of Mar. and include STEM Kits-To-Go, Peter’s Mitten Match, Make Mittens and Snowflakes and Hang a Mitten.
DC Public Libraries
Multiple Locations
Online: dclibrary.org/beyondthebook
The Enchanted Forest
Once upon a time there was a magical storybook park that let you wander through classic fairy tales in Ellicott City, MD. The Enchanted Forest was opened in 1955 and sadly closed in the early 1990s. But don't cry! In 2004, Clark's Elioak Farm wrote the next chapter for these iconic storybook tales by beginning to relocate and restore many of the pieces from the original Enchanted Forest to the new Enchanted Forest's farm location. Over the next 10 years they would acquire Mother Goose and her Goslings, The Three Little Bears’ house, the Beanstalk and the Giant, Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel and many more. You can even wander around the 1/4 acre pine tree maze that is dotted with storybook characters and scenes. The 2022 Season opens April 1st and in addition to the Enchanted Forest you can enjoy their petting farm, fresh produce and the new fairy garden.
Clark's Elioak Farm
10500 Clarksville Pike
Ellicott City, Maryland
410-730-4049
Online: clarklandfarm.com
Worth-The-Drive Experiences
The Little Prince on Broadway
For adults it’s the story of a grown-up meeting his inner child. To children it’s a tale of imagination and fantastic travel. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic story, The Little Prince, is one of the mostly widely translated books, available in 160 languages and its sales have exceeded 50 million. Join the young prince as he visits many planets including Earth, and learns some lessons about loneliness, friendship, love and loss along the way. Running from Mar. 29, 2022 to Aug. 14, 2022 tickets are on sale now and start at $59. Get lost in this book as it transforms into an unforgettable Broadway show!
Broadway Theater
1681 Broadway
New York, NY
212-239-6200
Online: thelittleprincebroadway.com
Harry Potter™ at The Franklin Institute
A drive to Philadelphia, PA is a lot closer than a flight to England, making this Harry Potter™: The Exhibition! at The Franklin Institute very much worth the drive. Your wizard loving readers will delight in the immersive design and technology that lets them explore the mysteries of Hogwarts™ castle and brings the Ministry of Magic to life. The exhibit covers 18,000 square feet and includes 21 celebratory galleries. Your immersion into the exhibition begins when you select your Hogwart's house, wand and Patronus and are then released into a personalized journey. Interactions throughout the exhibition will be tracked using a RFID wristband and will help deliver a unique experience linked to your profile. Running till Sept. 5, 2022, this is a great summer road trip for Harry Potter™ fans young and old!
The Franklin Institute
222 North 20th Street
Philadelphia, PA
215-448-1200
Online: fi.edu
The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum
Pack the car and pump the gas, we’re off to Springfield, Mass! Theodor Geisel, more famously known as Dr. Seuss, was born in Springfield, Massachusetts and a road trip there will delight his fans of all ages. The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum and Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden are run by the Springfield Museums and couldn’t be more quirky. From the entrance under the blue arch to the Giant Marble Maze to the Lorax Recycle Game, you’ll get lost for hours in his imaginative world. Don’t miss Geisel’s recreated studio on the second floor, complete with furniture and art material he actually used. The sculpture garden is perfect for photo ops with all your favorite Seuss characters, forever preserved in stunning bronze sculptures. This is a permanent installation so put it on your bucket list if you can't make it there soon.
The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum
21 Edwards Street
Springfield, MA
413-263-6800
Online: springfieldmuseums.org
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
If you travel to Massachusetts to visit the Dr. Seuss Museum, build some time into your trip for the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Located about 30 minutes from Springfield, MA, the museum that bears the name of The Very Hungry Caterpillar illustrator, Eric Carle, collects, preserves and presents picture books and picture book illustrations. Founded in 2002 by the late Eric and Barbara Carle, the museum was inspired by their trips to Japan in the 80s and 90s where they visited many museums dedicated to the art of picture books. While the focus of the museum is on those who can't read (Carle was a firm believer that picture books are an introduction to literature for young children), you’ll feel like a kid again surrounded by classic and classically inspired children’s book art. Look for the exhibit “Eric Carle: Raining Cats and Dogs” running from March 19, - August 21, 2022. You’ll learn that cats are Carle’s favorite animal and see 50 original pieces. Curl up in “Kitty Corner” to read your favorite Carle book and visit “Bark Park” to draw pictures of your favorite pets.
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
125 West Bay Rd.
Amherst, MA
413-559-6300
Online: carlemuseum.org
—Elissa Olechnovich
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