My kids love discovery and science museums--we've visited them in three countries now, and five US states. This was their first time traveling to Ensenada, so we decided to book a tour of this museum just outside the cruise port. We were picked up by bus and transported to the museum, and were given a walking tour of the full museum. What once was built for office space for the port just before the pandemic hit and then abandoned when the industry took a hit, was repurposed as a community natural history museum. While Caracol Museo de Ciencias is still growing, what they have done with the space so far is wonderful. Right now, they are focusing on quality over quantity...this museum is small and mighty, and is worthy of anyone interested in learning more about the natural history of Baja California. The exhibits are bilingual in Spanish and English, and masterfully incorporate technology and real samples, along with plenty for the senses and young at heart. There are small live creatures, interactive displays, sand pits to dig for fossils, animatronic dinosaurs, a planetarium show, and a gift shop. There is also a cute and stinky resident ferret. The guide was brilliant--her enthusiasm for the museum and the subjects she spoke about was infectious, and I appreciated how she kept us all engaged and kept us moving at a decent pace. I know there are several areas of the museum that are still growing, and I look forward to returning in a few years to see how much it has grown. Definitely worth a visit! read more

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This was a "surprise" destination as we didn't really plan any excursions for Land Days during our Cabo/Ensenada cruise, and I randomly saw how close this place was to where our ship was docked. Not to mention admission is so cheap it might as well be free! The museum is on the smaller side, but they have a tour guide assigned to each group. Our guide took us (and another family) and introduced every exhibit from beginning to end. Our kids had a blast and it was nice to spend time more indoor than out since it was SO hot and humid when we were there! read more

We came here after getting off our cruise ship. It was a great place to spend a couple of hours with my grandsons. Some of the exhibits were interactive, and my grandsons had fun "digging for bones" and finding the tectonic plates. They also have a small little planetarium show that took us on a journey through the planets. All of the attendants were so friendly and shared their knowledge about the museum. This was a fun way to spend time off the cruise ship with my grandsons. read more

Caracol Museo de Ciencias - Museums Near Me - Ensenada, BCN

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Museum was ok, but nothing out of the ordinary and it's not huge. I think it's a bit overpriced for the admission fee for what it has to offer. You can feel recession times in Ensenada as well. There aren't many taco stands anymore and people have moved businesses around. Just a simple short stop with lots of information and museum history. Caracol information desk provides your group a badge after you pay for entrance. Roam around to look at dinosaurs, birds, fishes, etc. This museum has a guide to show you around and explain things as needed. It's really self service though. Not much happens here. Plenty of public restrooms on both floors by the stairway. Yes, they have a tiny gift shop upstairs too. I purchased a small cute gift which was only around $10 USD/pretty cheap. I wish they had a much larger museum space, but it works out fine for younger age children. There are some hand drawn artworks in a hallway upstairs too. Place looks huge from outside, but inside the building, it felt small, especially if you're a regular museum visitor wanting to roam around for a few hours. You can probably finish this visit within 30-45 minutes, just to look and read everything on display. English and Spanish words throughout the place. No coffee shops/cafe onsite. It's a very simple and basic setup for a local museum. read more

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When we got off of our cruise ship here in Ensenada, we were at loss for what to do. We found this science museum close to port and for only 70 pesos a person (what a steal!) we decided to check it out. We went right at opening time and we were the only ones there, which is super nice being at a museum. They also offered discounts for seniors and students, but we did not bring our school IDs:( When we walked in, we were assigned a tour guide, Sharon. She was very friendly and knowledgeable about all of the exhibits. Most of the exhibits are in Spanish and English, so we didn't miss out on much. We first went into the earth exhibit where we learned about how the earth was formed, different rocks, fossils, tectonic plates, and how Baja California was discovered. They even had an earthquake simulator that was pretty neat to experience if you have been fortunate enough to not experience one yet. We also got to dig for fossils which was fun. Next we went into the ocean exhibit that had a few small aquarium tanks. They also had VR headsets that made you feel like you were underwater with divers looking at fish and stingrays. Next was my favorite, the space exhibit. It was very dark in the room and they had lots of information about planets, telescopes, light pollution, and of course the planetarium which was a big dome movie screen that played a short movie about the Mayan calendar and the planets. They also had a little contraption that you sit and spins you around like a top to mimic spinning planets, but I get too much motion sickness to try that out. My favorite quote from the exhibit was, "Medical studies point to light pollution as a possible factor causing headaches, insomnia, anxiety, and stress among other health problems." There was some very interesting info. The last room was a temporary exhibit filled with absolutely amazing, breathtaking photos of stars, galaxies, and planets that were for sale. The exhibits were very spaced out, but we were told that they have plans to make the museum even bigger and they are going to add a nice size aquarium when they are able to raise enough money. Overall you really can't beat the price at less than $4 a person. They have a lot of potential and I hope they are able to build up more. read more

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Cruising with the family? Have kids? Don't want to travel far from the ship? This is a great place to visit then! It's modern, educational, and affordable. Think of it as a MUCH lighter version of the Aquarium of the Pacific and Exploritorium put together. Still very interesting with well put together displays. The best part is you get an English speaking tour guide that personally walks you throughout the museum. While I don't think they expect a tip, it'd be well worth the gesture as they spend an hour giving you personalized attention, explaining each of the interactive exhibits. Thumbs up! But as always, let me know what you think. read more

For the price it is a great place to take kids! They offer " tour guides " to help guide you through the differ rooms and with few exceptions it's a hands on thought and try it place. The solar system shows is great! read more

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My daughter insisted on coming here after a great experience at the tiny cultural museum across the street... And she was right The building itself is huge, and built to look like a Calder version of a giant cruise ship, all white. But inside it is primarily empty, as if the city were looking into the future, making sure that when the time came there would be enough excellent exhibit space for anything they decide to focus on. At the time we went, there were three rooms of exhibits, only one of which seemed completed. But it was a great room. In reading previous reviews of the museum I discovered that only two years earlier that excellent room hadn't even begun. So the museum is growing quickly. In another year or so I expect that there will be a forth room and then a fifth, and so on, until this place actually becomes a destination worth driving from San Diego the eighty miles for. There are multi-lingual guides at the front door that will take you through the museum's exhibits free of charge, or you can walk through on your own. We chose to go with the guide, and he was wonderful. Although this is a museum of science, the main and best exhibit focused on Baja, on the geography, geology, biology, and current scientific problems and potential solutions facing the state. It was quite expansive, starting with the origins of the planet, going through volcanism, water reclamation, flora, fauna, and the human impact as populations grow in Baja. There are a lot of hands-on exhibits that are great for kids. My favorite was the earthquake chamber, where quakes of different magnitudes are reproduced so you can feel them, up to an 8.0 on the Rictor Scale. The other two less developed rooms cover deep space, Mexican astronauts, and the North & South Poles. I loved standing next to the life sized picture of the Emporer Penguin. It was as big as a small person. Next to the space room is a theater where they have star shows, and screen documentary science films in Spanish and English. The rest of the place is filled with exhibit halls waiting for content, as well as offices and meeting rooms waiting for more tenants. It is the perfect place for a new company or a university to set up shop. I look forward to going here again in a few years, to see just how far they've come. read more

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A good start, but still very small. Only one section, Tierra (Land), is currently open. It is one of the better displays in Baja, but will only take about 15 minutes to visit. Cielo (Sky) is supposed to open by the end of 2016 and will include a planetarium. Fortunately, it's only 60 pesos to get in. read more