The Museum of the Bible (Washington D.C.) is a newer museum that opened in 2018, right near the capital building. It showcases rare artifacts spanning 3,500 years of history, and offers visitors an immersive and personalized experience with the Bible.
The museum has six floors, each with different kinds of exhibits, showcases, and experiences.
We traveled to the Museum of the Bible with a tour bus group and with our three children (ages 4, 6 and 8). In this article, I will go over each floor level of the museum and describe what it was like for adults and for children.
Visiting the Museum of the Bible
Where to Start
Most people recommend you take the elevators to the top of the museum and then work your way down, starting with the 6th level. We did not do that on our trip, however I think I would highly recommend this order, whether you are adults visiting alone or with children. You’ll understand why as I go through the levels with you.
If you have very limited time in the museum, and are visiting with children, go directly to floor three. This will be a highly exciting start to your visit!
Floor 6 – Manna Restaurant and Views of D.C.
The sixth floor houses Manna, Chef Todd Gray’s newest fast-casual restaurant, as well as stunning views of Washington, D.C.’s iconic skyline.
If you’re traveling alone as adults, I’d skip this level first, but with kids I think it would give them a fun opportunity to look out over the city and see the skyline. You will not spend much time here though, as that’s the only thing you will do on this level until lunchtime.
Floor 5 – The People of the Land of Israel
The 5th floor features “The People of the Land of Israel,” a long-term exhibit from the Israel Antiquities Authority, as well as a rotating slate of special exhibits.
We actually did not visit this floor because of the order we took through the museum, however I agree with the recommendations that this would be a good floor on which to begin.
You will see fascinating archaeological discoveries and learn more about life in ancient Israel. You can explain to your kids before you visit that your museum visit will start by exploring life beginning with the Old Testament.
Floor 4 – The History of the Bible
Discover the Bible’s history—from handwritten scrolls to mobile devices—as it was embraced by many communities with different traditions.
The History of the Bible exhibit was pretty museum intense. It had several videos throughout the exhibits to keep you learning and moving, which would be good for kids. However, we tried to visit this floor later in the day and the kids were already on information overload.
There are several hands-on activities that kids can participate in besides the videos, like writing their own Bible page, and having a scribe write their name in Hebrew for them. Overall though, this floor is much more geared for adults, or teens.
The one thing you will definitely want to do on this floor with kids is the Drive Thru History of the Bible Theater. Dave Stotts drives you through the places and events of the Bible, preparing you to discover the Bible’s history.
If you’re not able to visit the Museum of the Bible, but you want to give your family a unique overview from this exhibit, be sure to check out the Drive Thru History of the Holy Land videos available for purchase on Amazon Prime.
The illuminations exhibit was truly awe-inspiring. This is another room you will absolutely not want to miss, even if you can only spend a short time here. As you stand in the middle of the room with walls filled with books, you get a visual picture of how many languages have the Bible translated in their tongue, how many languages do not have a translation of the Bible and the very small number of languages that the Bible is currently being translated into.
Floor 3 – The Stories of the Bible
This floor I compared to a Disneyland-like museum. It was like we were walking through and experiencing life on the Sight & Sound stage (anyone who has been to Sight & Sound in Lancaster County can probably make sense of that).
You’ll begin with the Old Testament and chronologically walk your way through Jesus’ time and then the New Testament.
In the Hebrew Bible Experience, you’ll enjoy thirty minutes of encountering significant narratives from the Hebrew Bible, including stories of Noah’s Ark, the burning bush, and the Passover. It begins with a short video in a room, and then doors open and you travel through different rooms, hearing different stories. It is a very theatrical experience and your kids will absolutely love it.
I was not allowed to take photos throughout the Hebrew Bible Experience which was disappointing because I really wanted to convey what will happen here, but just trust me, that you will not want to skip this. (We actually visited here first, and if you’re on a limited timeframe, it definitely is an exciting start!)
Moving on to the World of Jesus of Nazareth, is like walking through a Sight & Sound show in my opinion. You’ll meet characters dressed in costumes and feel like you’re walking the streets with Jesus. You can visit a synagogue in session, learn about how an olive press worked, explore the Sea of Galilee, and more!
The New Testament Theater will be your last experience on this floor. The 270 degree theater immerses you in the remarkable story of how the followers of Jesus grew into a thriving community. I thought this was a good calm-down time for us and the kids before we moved on to lunch.
The only downside about visiting the Hebrew Bible Experience first, was that the kids wanted everything on that floor to be so exciting and were somewhat disappointed when they couldn’t do another walk thru theater. In other words, my younger kids had trouble sitting and listening to ‘normal’ museum-like experiences in the Jesus’ of Nazareth exhibit then.
Floor 2 – The Impact of the Bible
I’ll be honest, this floor I would have really loved to been able to tour without children—even though there was tons of things for children to do and enjoy! I just wanted to go deeper and really understand the details they were trying to convey about how the Bible has impacted the world and various cultures in it. Several people on our tour group mentioned how this one was one of their favorite levels.
You’ll start by tracing the history of the Bible in America, from the first settlers to the 21st century, exploring the profound and sometimes complicated impact of this book on American culture.
You’ll understand the impact of the Bible around you, and how it is often hiding in plain sight, as you discover its influences on film, music, literature, fashion and government.
You’ll also see the Bible’s dynamic presence in a spectacular live feed of global data. You’ll see breaking news about the Bible, data on its expanding digital readership, and more.
Kids will have the opportunity to print bookmarks that have their exact time of birth after Jesus’ birth, play Bible trivia games, and more.
On this floor you also have the opportunity to pay $5 for the unique Washington Revelations ride. I highly recommend this if you can fit it in your budget and are visiting with children. Our kids absolutely LOVED it!!!! As did I. 🙂
You’ll fly past biblical references in and around Washington D.C., from the Lincoln Memorial, to the Washington Monument, to the Library of Congress, the capital building and more.
I particularly found this ride extremely meaningful. It gave me a very visual experience of quickly seeing throughout our nation’s capital the importance of God’s Word to our founding fathers.
Floor 1 – Grand Hall & Children’s Experience
As you enter the museum on the first floor you’ll see the massive 40-foot-high bronze gates, containing the first lines from Genesis in Latin from the Gutenberg Bible.
After you go through security, look up for a breathtaking 140-foot long ceiling that runs the length of the grand hall, and features images from illuminated manuscripts, nature, art and spectacular architecture. As we entered, we saw ceiling paintings by Michaelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. Quite impressive.
Courageous Pages, a kids area, is also located on this floor. This is a good release room for children later in the day of your visit. It’s like an indoor playground and game room.
Kids will read, hear and experience Bible stories about courage in the face of fear. Fun and interactive games give the kids the chance to be strong like Samson, walk on water and more.
Honestly I was a little disappointed with this room, but not because of its quality. I was just expecting hands-on crafts and activities. I think the title Courages Pages had me thinking the kids were going to make their own paper or Bible scrolls, color coloring pages, do archaeological digs, or other hands-on activities with keepsakes for them to take home.
Overall though this was a fun room, especially for children 8 and younger.
Tickets to Museum of the Bible
This museum is highly popular right now and visited daily by people from all over the world. We heard of visitors from Europe and Australia that were there the same day we were.
Tickets cost $19.95 for adults, and $9.95 for children 12 and under. If you’re visiting with a group, discounted tickets are available for around $15.
Museum opens at 10am and closes at 5pm. However, if you are visiting with a tour group, you can enter the museum as early as 8am!Guided tours are available for $8 each.
Technically the museum offers suggested donations for their tickets, so you could enter for FREE, however the museum is 100% dependent upon the support of their museum guests, members and donors, so they do ask you to be as generous as possible.
Learn more about the Museum of the Bible on their website.
