Dream Machine

Little girl in the Dream Machine climber

dream machine

presented by the people of the state of qatar

Climb into the clouds in our three-story climber and slide! Use your imagination to discover new ideas and reach beyond the familiar. The Dream Machine is wheelchair accessible at multiple points.

dreamers must be 5+ to climb

Young girl sliding down the Dream Machine

exhibit experiences

Dream Machine Climber + Slide

dream machine climber and slide

Visually inspired by clouds, and philosophically connected to dreams, children will be invited to slide, crawl, scamper, and climb up and down the structure. Visitors of all ages will test their balance, strength and agility as they physically engage with this one-of-a-kind structure. Surrounding the climber, dreamers will explore stepping stones, floating cloud seesaw, and cloud simulation ring, where they will create clouds that fly up into the top of the Dream Machine.

Little boy sliding down the Little Cloud toddler slide.

little cloud slide

A Dream Machine slide for little dreamers! This experience will allow our youngest guests to join in the fun.

what is your child learning?

Problem solving and risk assessment

Taking turns with other children

Planning and follow-through (With bodies and brains!)

Motor fitness (agility, speed, coordination, and balance)

Spatial and directional awareness

Young girl sliding down the Dream Machine slide

Young girl climbing to the top of the Dream Machine slide

Children playing on the cloud see-saw in the Dream Machine exhibit

Two boys playing in the light pod in the Dream Machine exhibit

where is this exhibit located?

The Dream Machine is the first thing guests are greeted by when they enter the Museum on Floor 2, the Plaza level. The slide transports visitors to Floor 1, where all other exhibits are currently housed.

extra Museum resources

STEAMwork videos

STEAM Daydream with National Children’s Museum podcast

virtual field trips

meet a STEAM expert!

The IF/THEN® Initiative is a national effort sponsored by Lyda Hill Philanthropies® to inspire young girls to pursue STEM careers while creating a culture shift in how the world perceives women in STEM.

Dana Bolles

Dana Bolles, spaceflight engineer

Climb higher and higher in the Dream Machine to get a step closer to outer space! Want to go farther? Check out Dana, who has held multiple jobs at NASA, including spaceflight engineer!