Does art museum leadership think of children in the museum as cardboard cutouts? Numbers of children in art museums are easy to get excited about; less so dealing with the reality of young people that make noise and take up space. Drawing from first-hand experience and varied sources from the fields of education, museums, interpretation, and visitor services, this article will demonstrate the necessity of environmental and philosophical changes to welcoming children's learning in art museums. Although art museums have dedicated resources to programming for children for over a century, programs are dropped into the existing physical and philosophical structure. This structure continues to prioritize quiet reflection over the visitor's agency to create a meaningful experience. There are three top elements that must be embedded in the environment to better support and sustain children's learning in art museums: space, responsibility, and options. These updates to the museum environment better support self-guided learning in museum galleries, allowing family visits, especially with preschool age children, to step away from dedicated children's galleries and spaces more comfortably. This article will address the interdisciplinary and cross-departmental methodologies that provide a foundation on which pedagogy and programming can flourish.