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Plan Your Visit

HOURS
Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Last entrance time is 3:30 p.m.

LOCATION
925 13th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20005
Entrance on K Street

ADMISSION
General admission is free, with a suggested $15 donation to support the museum’s mission-driven programs, exhibits, and educational outreach.

VISITOR GUIDELINES
We’re committed to the health and safety of our visitors and our staff. Please review the following COVID-19 safety guidelines before making your visit to Planet Word.  Learn more

Reserve your pass

Directions

Silver, blue, and orange lines: Exit at McPherson Square onto 14th and I streets. The museum entrance is directly across the park on 13th and K streets.

Red line: Exit at Metro Center onto 13th Street. Walk north until you reach K Street, then turn right. The entrance will be on your right.

Bus stops at 13th and K, 13th and I, and 15th and I are all within easy walking distance of the museum. Visit the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority website to find the bus route that is most convenient for you.

From the north: Head south on 13th Street, NW. At the traffic circle, take the third exit to stay on 13th Street. In 0.5 miles, the Franklin School building will be on your left.

From the southwest: Take I-66 E, then take the left exit toward E Street. Keep right, following signs for E Street. Continue onto E Street Expressway. Turn left onto 18th Street, NW. Turn right onto H Street NW. Turn left onto 13th Street, NW. In 0.2 miles, the Franklin School building will be on your right.

From the southeast: Take I-695 W and exit on Maine Ave. Keep right at the fork, following signs for 12th Street. Continue straight onto 12th Street, NW. Turn left onto I Street, NW. Turn right onto 13th Street. The Franklin School building will be on your right.

Street parking is limited in this area, but several parking garages are available nearby.

Visitor Guidelines

We’re committed to the health and safety of our visitors and our staff. Please review the following COVID-19 safety guidelines before making your visit to Planet Word.

  • Stay Home if you are sick or have a fever.
  • Wear a Mask – All visitors age 2 and up must wear a face covering consistent with CDC guidance. Masks must cover the nose and mouth, be secured with ties or ear loops, and fit snugly against the face. Note: Masks with valves are not allowed. Neck gaiters must have two layers. Face shields without masks are not allowed.
    Learn more
  • Practice Social Distancing – Practice social distancing during your visit by staying at least 6 feet from anyone not in your household group. Groups should remain together. Children must stay with adults at all times.
  • Wash Your Hands – Wash frequently with soap and water or utilize the hand sanitizing stations throughout the museum.
  • Bring Bottled Water – For your safety, the water fountains are closed.
  • Credit Cards Only – Credit or debit cards are required for purchases. Cash will not be accepted.
  • Interactive Devices – Planet Word will have free stylus pens available for use in our interactive devices. There are also a limited number of personal disposable earphones available for those who prefer to use them rather than exhibit headphones, or you may bring your own earphones and plug them into exhibit interactives.
  • Increased Cleaning – Planet Word staff frequently clean high-touch surfaces throughout the day.
  • Contact Tracing — Per Washington, DC guidelines, Planet Word will enforce contact tracing. If purchasing a ticket, staff will ask for a full name and email address.

While we are doing our part to implement enhanced health and safety measures, please note that COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease believed to spread mainly from person-to-person contact, and that the risk of transmission exists in any public space.  Visitors to Planet Word assume all risks related to COVID-19 exposure.

Visitors agree to abide by the guidelines posted on the Planet Word website or provided by staff during their visit. Planet Word reserves the right to alter its hours of operation, capacity, or visitor guidelines as necessary, and to deny entry or access to anyone who fails to adhere to its guidelines or whose conduct puts Planet Word staff, visitors, or property at risk.

Gift Shop

Present Perfect, the Planet Word gift shop, has something for the wordsmith in everyone.

You can browse books full of wordplay, find word-themed gifts, games, and puzzles, or pick up a last-minute card for a special occasion. Present Perfect offers plenty of curated, one-of-a-kind ideas to pique the interest of writers, readers, performers, conversationalists, kids, and word nerds.

Returns or refunds are permitted with proof of purchase within 30-days from the date of purchase. 

Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT IS PLANET WORD DOING TO KEEP VISITORS SAFE DURING COVID-19?
We are limiting capacity in the building to support social distancing, distributing stylus pens to limit touch interactions with our exhibit screens, and requiring masks be worn at all times on the premises.  Learn more

DO I HAVE TO RESERVE A PASS IN ADVANCE?
To ensure we comply with COVID-19 safety protocols, we are limiting the number of free passes available daily. Reserving your pass online will ensure you get the day and time of your choice. We will have a limited number of passes available for walkups on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend a donation of $15 per person to support the museum.

Please note that we are open Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Limited walk-up tickets will be available on the half hour. Last entrance time for the day is 3:30 pm.

WHY IS THERE A SUGGESTED DONATION?
As a non-profit organization that receives no federal funding, we rely on donations to support our mission: to inspire and renew a love of words, language, and reading. Your suggested donation helps support our mission-driven programs, exhibits, and educational outreach.

I RESERVED A FREE PASS BUT CAN’T MAKE IT TODAY — CAN I USE IT TOMORROW?
If you missed the day on your pass or are unable to use your passes for a certain day, please notify us at support@planetwordmuseum.org. Feel free to reserve another free pass or join the walk-up line, and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.

HOW LONG SHOULD I SPEND AT PLANET WORD?
The Museum is self-guided. We recommend 2-hours to go through. View our Planet Word map to plan your visit here.

DO INFANTS REQUIRE TIMED PASSES?
Only visitors aged 2 and older require timed passes to visit.

ARE STROLLERS ALLOWED IN THE MUSEUM?
We encourage everyone to park their strollers in a designated area on the first floor; ask a staff member to direct you to the stroller parking. Planet Word is not responsible for loss of or damage to any items.

CAN I GET FOOD OR DRINKS IN THE MUSEUM?
Food and drinks are not permitted in the museum.

DO YOU HAVE LOCKERS AVAILABLE?
Lockers are not available at this time.

DO YOU HAVE A LOST AND FOUND?
For the time being, only valuables (wallets, keys, phones, etc.) will be held for claim. All other items will be disposed of if not claimed within 24-hours. Please contact us at support@planetwordmuseum.org for any Lost and Found questions.

MAY I BRING A PET?
Planet Word welcomes service animals – other animals or pets are not allowed. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. Therapy animals whose function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals, even with a doctor’s note.

WHAT ARE YOUR ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES?
Planet Word is fully accessible for visitors with mobility disabilities or in a wheelchair.

A limited number of manually operated wheelchairs may be borrowed at Admissions on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests are required to leave a photo ID while using Museum wheelchairs.

Planet Word has a couple of exhibits that include loud noises and changing light levels. If a visitor is sensitive to sound or light, consider bringing noise-cancelling headphones or light reducing glasses.

Open captioning of exhibition videos is incorporated into some exhibitions.

DOES THE MUSEUM HAVE WIFI?
Free WiFi provided by AT&T is available throughout the building. Ask a staff member if you need help connecting.

CAN I TAKE PICTURES IN THE MUSEUM?
Yes. We love photos, and yours are welcome and encouraged. Tag your photos with @PlanetWordDC — we want to see them, too!

Commercial photography and videography must be approved in advance by our communications team. Email press@planetwordmuseum.org

WHAT OTHER WASHINGTON, D.C. LANDMARKS ARE CLOSE BY?
The museum is within easy walking distance of the vibrant K Street corridor, the White House, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, several Smithsonian museums, Penn Quarter, and many of D.C.’s top hotels and restaurants.

  • Did you know?

    The 10 most-used letters in English are E, A, R, I, O, T, N, S, L, and C.

  • Did you know?

    A “deipnosophist” is a person who’s really good at making conversation at the dinner table.

  • Did you know?

    Eels, llamas, and aardvarks, ooh my! In English, there are only four letters that appear as double letters at the beginning of a word: “A,” “E,” “L,” and “O.”

  • How do you get a dog to stop eating your books?

    Take the words right out of its mouth!

  • What's the difference between a cat and a comma?

    A cat has claws at the end of its paws, but a comma’s a pause at the end of a clause.

  • Did you know?

    A “deipnosophist” is a person who’s really good at making conversation at the dinner table.

  • Riddle me this

    What starts with an e, ends with an e, and contains just one letter? (Answer: An envelope!)

  • Riddle me this

    What begins with a t, ends with a t, and has t in it? (Answer: A teapot!)

  • Riddle me this

    What’s in centuries, hours, and years, but not minutes, days, or seconds? (Answer: The letter R!)

  • Quote them on it

    “Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” — Groucho Marx

  • Quote them on it

    “The past is always tense, the future perfect.” — Zadie Smith

  • Quote them on it

    “If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, you must be the one to write it.” — Toni Morrison

  • Quote them on it

    "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart." — Nelson Mandela