Planet Word is a museum in Washington, D.C located at 925 13th St. NW. The museum opened in 2020. It is focused on the fun and beauty of language.
Tickets to this museum are free, but it’s a good idea to reserve them ahead of your visit on their website. Walk-ins are accepted, but there may be wait to enter if you don’t reserve a time.
Upon entering, you’ll check in at the front desk, and then take the elevator to the third floor to begin exploring.
The third floor includes two main exhibits. The first exhibit is in a very large space and allows you to learn many different subtleties of several languages.
Next, the third floor is also home to the 22-foot word wall. This is an interactive presentation that you can join in at any time. It talks about the origin of words, gives interesting quizzes, and overall is a neat thing to watch.
The Library
After exploring the third floor, head down the stairs or elevator to the main exhibits on the second floor. This floor has the library, where books come to life.
Find a book in the library, open it to the special marked page, and watch the book become animated.
The library also has a coloring table to the side of the main library. Don’t forget to search for the secret door in the library. It uncovers a secret room with a small exhibit inside.
Unlock the Music
Across the hallway from the library is the karaoke room. This room is a hit with guests! There are about a dozen different songs to choose from. The queue fits three songs, so be sure to submit your favorite.
Feel free to join in at the front and sing into the mics or hang out on a couch to watch the show. Each song is introduced by talking about the particular types of language that are used in that particular song. Then, the song begins and you can sing along with the words on the huge screen.
In the hallway outside the karaoke room is a photo booth. Take a friend or family member into the booth. You’re presented with a word, and you can take the perfect picture by acting like the word.
Your photo will print within a few seconds, and you’ll have a keepsake from your trip to Planet Word.
Word Worlds
This room has three walls with an interactive screen that can be “painted” with the different words in the “paint buckets”. Dip a brush into a bucket and “paint” the room with color, sound, and motion.
For instance, nostalgic may turn the wall black and white, while magical will add some sparkle.
Joking Around
Joking Around is a humor gallery that finds all kinds of fun and laughs through jokes. Take a turn with acting out different puns or try to see who can laugh first by serving up the jokes given out on the screens.
Before leaving, be sure to check out the gift shop with many “Word”-related gifts. This is a great place for unique books and gifts for children who are learning how to spell.
As you exit this new museum, stand under this tree for one last interactive experience.
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