We had an amazing time with my two kids and husband. This place had super interactive activities for my 4yr old and 18m old. They enjoyed dressing up in fireman gear, playing with water, doing crafts, playing in the pretend food area, building with blocks, making bubbles, and playing outside. This place has a lot to do and we wished we could have stayed longer. Only part that is annoying is the stroller rule. If your child CAN walk, you can't take your stroller in. Weird rule for a place that caters to kids, including younger ones in that in between stage. Even cmy 4 year old gets tired more than average. And sure, my youngest can technically walk but he can't last the whole time walking. Anyway, we had fun but I felt like I couldn't fully relax. read more

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Pretty freaking amazing children's museum, kids loved it (and the adults had fun hanging out too). Kinda a no-brainer if you have kids -- we have a 4yo but there were bigger kids and even teens here bustlin' around. read more

This place is big, but lacking more activities. It was sparsely set up that it feels empty. They have a few emergency vehicles, carriage that you can get in and explore. A wall of air maze that you can play with and watch your foam ball go through its course. A water play area that your kid can get wet in playing with light balls that shoots out of their water cannons and maze. Though it has it's perks like these said areas, you can easily just spend less than an hour to go through all of these and be done with. It is also a bit pricey for the space and activities they offer. I've been to many Children's Museum like this, and they were better compared to this one. For me, it's a one and done place. read more

We took our kids to this museum while on vacation in the Bay Area and our kids loved it! The museum definitely caters to young children and is filled with interactive creative play exhibits. Bill's backyard is lovely and has play structures, a sensory rock area, and places to sit down in the shade and enjoy lunch. We loved that in addition the w exhibits they had a face painting station and an arts and crafts area. Our 1.5 and 4 year old loved it and were entertained for hours. read more

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Such a fun spot for kids! You can really spend all day here - there's something for kids of all ages, indoor and outdoor. My toddler had a blast, especially with the world market with the pretend kitchen, water play area, 2nd floor toddler play space, and wandering around the huge outdoor playground/garden/bubbles area. It can super crowded and we went the day after Christmas so it was teeming with kids and parents. There's a food area with hot drinks and some cafe type food options. I recommend bringing your own- there are tables to eat around the museum. Also for the water area, make sure you bring a few pairs of extra clothes. I guarantee your kid will get wet! Admission is $18 for 2+ years and parking is a flat $7. Wish it was closer! read more

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Love this place!! We got lucky and came the day they were celebrating their birthday, there were free complimentary cupcakes! The activities were ENDLESS, even fun for older people ! They had an outdoor area with various activities: bubbles, pop it, bees. The indoor play areas included a water area, painting with markers and water, and a pretend kitchen area. read more

Children's Discovery Museum - Cupcake! - Children's Museums Near Me - San Jose, California

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Such a cute museum. Been taking my toddler since they were a baby. The water play is always a favorite. There's a recently redone outside area that is pretty nice. My kid keeps bouncing around so I feel like I discover something new everytime we come. read more

Children's Discovery Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - San Jose, California

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The kids were very entertained by all the activities. Very clean. Was able to spend over two hours with young kids. Quite the feat!

This is such a fun place for the kids and family. I planned a trip here with kids and their always having a blast here. I love how spacious it is so kids can run around. You can plan field trips here too. The staff are always accommodating. If you sign up for their newsletter, they'll give you a code so you don't pay extra if there's a big event in downtown San Jose. read more

This place is awesome! I've only been twice so far and have already signed up for a membership because I can see myself coming here with my family more during the warmer summer months. My 1.5 year old's favorite exhibits are the water/ball area, outdoor bubbles, market stand with the pretend food, and the dancing room. They also have a room that you can rent out for birthday parties, which would be so fun for all the guests! read more

The children's discovery museum is a San Jose staple. I was there when they opened their doors back in the 1900's. The place has changed a lot for me since then. Our son loved the water tables the outdoor space. Our toddler area and the grocery store. The discovery museum has some great interactive attractions and did a great job wearing our toddler out. He even has a new love of steering wheels! Staff and friendly and attentive. We were a little confused on how to use our digital membership and Miguel helped to sort everything out at the front desk! Love this spot! Membership is totally worth it! read more

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Brought my 1 year old and our friends 1 and 3 year olds. This place had activities for all ages! There was a field trip so the 1 year olds were very overwhelmed by the volume of kiddos, we appreciated the quiet room for the young ones. The outdoor space is huge too. Good place for a snack and also more activities. The rocks and slide was a huge hit too. Next time we come back we will bring extra change of clothing so he can enjoy the water space! We were here 10-1PM and it went by quick! Only thing is you have to pay for parking as they don't own any parking lots in the area. read more

A big hit for toddlers and young children! Prepare to spend at least a couple hours here and time naps accordingly. The play kitchen and water play areas were the highlights. BRING A CHANGE OF CLOTHES OR SMOCK FOR THE WATER PLAY. We could've easily spent half a day here if we brought a lunch (the cafe wasn't cutting it for us). We couldn't get to explore all the areas, but definitely plan on coming back. read more

I'll start off by saying they don't usually allow strollers inside unless your kid can't walk. Looked like an employee was outside watching the strollers when we got there but tbh I can't recall if I saw the person there when we left. I certainly hope our strollers are being watched if they don't allow them inside. Be ready to lug around what you need. Slight annoyance for me. The cafe sold a couple of sandwich/wrap and pastry items, but there's two vending machines right outside the cafe that I wish I saw sooner because they had a lot of "healthy" options in them. This place seems more geared toward toddler and slightly older age. Nice outside playground with 3 slides, bridges, rock digging area, bubbles, and benches at which you can snack. Inside downstairs has things like water play, blocks, play kitchen (tho limited/missing props to use), and an ambulance and fire truck for them to climb on. I enjoyed upstairs better. It had an art room (this Sundays theme was legos) and a toddler room with train sets, sand, and a story time area. read more

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The museum now has a very frightening looking "octopus dragon" up on the room beside the old duck. A little strange if you ask me. My kids are very young and frightened by things that look like this. I am not sure why a children's museum would want to put this up there! I am cracking up and also weirded out. read more

Children's Discovery Museum - They added this frightening looking dragon octopus. How welcoming! Lol - Children's Museums Near Me - San Jose, California

Took my Gbaby to the museum and had a ball! There's a lot to see and do! The Lego room was very fun. The gear display, fossil discovery, the life sized mammoth skeleton, the ambulance, firetruck, wagon coach, water display, building blocks, outdoor activities, dance room, and so much more. Good for ages 4-10. In this day and age, it's heartwarming seeing children playing together w/o any biases or prejudice. We should learn from them. read more

Children's Discovery Museum - General layout - Children's Museums Near Me - San Jose, California

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What a neat place! From the moment you step through the door there are contraptions you can immediately put your hands on and play around with. Parents/guardians seemed nice, and there are both indoor as well as outdoor areas for kids to explore. We spent a couple of hours there and probably didn't even see half of it, so we became members and will definitely be visiting again (and you should, too)! read more

What a fun birthday for my kiddo! The children's discovery museum is very fun! I will say that any child over 11(middle school age) I don't know if they would enjoy it as much. It was so fun exploring all of the different areas. You need to make sure to be there early so you can spend the whole day and keep in mind parking is a bit of a walk. So fun! read more

Children's Discovery Museum - Science & sensoryfun - Children's Museums Near Me - San Jose, California

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A most excellent activity for kids 2 years old and up! Those under that age have things to do too, like a cute little crawling area in the exclusive under 4 club section. We could have easily spent the whole day there. Luckily, there are in-and-out privileges, so you can hang out in the morning, head out to get lunch, and then come back in (with receipt in hand). Earlier that day we visited the Tech Museum and while it was entertaining and interactive, it really is for the older kids. On the other hand, the Children's Discovery Museum has so many different rooms for little ones to enjoy AND an outdoor playspace! As of this writing, tickets are $18 each, and that's including the fee for babies 1 year old and up! However, be assured that it is money well spent! The three of us had a great time, and the little one was able to run around the museum with minimal "Don't touch that!"s from us! read more

The first and last time I ever visited the Children's Discovery Museum was thanks to one of my elementary school fieldtrips. While I won't bore you with the details, nor will I openly embarrass myself, this visit was many many many many moons ago. Lol. Not being able to remember too many details, I knew I wanted to make a return visit and allow my daughter to explore what CDM has to offer. Parking was a little tricky for us but I'll openly admit that I avoid the downtown area at all costs. Using Yelp's directions, it brought us to the front of the museum but a good chunk of the area was blocked off due to having some work being done. We eventually found a structure and simply walked our way over instead. We came right at the perfect time because Storytime was set to start within 10 mins or so. If you are contemplating on whether or not you would like to take part, lemme you save you the time.... DO IT!!! My 4 year old had the most amazing time listening to The Monster at the End of This Book: Starring Lovable, Furry Old GROVER. The staffer was great at interacting with the kids and made sure to incorporated them into so many parts of Storytime. She laughed, she sang, she wiggled, and she absolutely didn't want to leave!!! Some additional highlights for my toddler were the Hello from Japan exhibit, fun at the Rainbow Market, and WaterWays. Please be advised that the wet aspect at WaterWays is too real. I witnessed one kid slip on the wet floors and my child walked away completely drenched. A quick change of clothes would be a good idea or some outdoor fun in the sun will do the trick. I'd most definitely come back. Hopefully this time around we'll be able to cover more ground and explore areas we didn't get a chance to. read more

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This museum holds a special place in my heart -- I grew up coming here, and now I bring my own 3-year-old. She can spend hours here without a single complaint, which says everything. The indoor exhibits are largely the same as they've always been -- a bit unchanged over the last decade -- but the new outdoor additions have completely breathed new life into the experience. The playground, gravel section, and bubble area are an absolute hit and clearly a favorite for little ones. We now come back 3-4 times a year just for that outdoor space alone. A beloved Bay Area staple that keeps earning return visits. Highly recommend for families with toddlers! read more

I like that its only for kids at a young age, so they don't get overwhelmed with being around older kids. Love that there's so much for the Littles to discover. We've been here twice and my son loved when they had the curious George attraction. He also absolutely loved the water station, be prepared to bring an extra change of clothes and towels for the little ones. And let them play in the water area last cause my son will not play elsewhere after he discovers the water station! read more

Children's Discovery Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - San Jose, California

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Hey mom and dads, my kids enjoyed their time here but this place is definitely in need of some serious repairs and updates. You can tell when you walk in that this place was a spectacle when it was first built together around the time of the .com boom, I suspect. Many exhibits now show their age. Included in the attached photos: thousands of dead bees littering the windows surrounding what used to be former active beehives. The sounds of rain exhibit is reduced to the sound of two slow drizzles due to clogging in the rain mechanisms. The fossil dig area in the Mammoth discovery exhibit contains little to no sand. The water play area, outdoor garden, and the amazing air maze were working and were big hits, however. I don't regret coming, and we were able to spend a few hours here. Just want parents to be prepared! read more

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It was a cute discovery center, we went @2 and that gave my son plenty of time to play.

We decided to check this out with some friends on a weekend and let me tell you it was super packed! Lots of people so if you can make it on a weekday, I would suggest that. My son is 21 months old and there were plenty of interactive things for him to do. We enjoyed checking out everything they offered. Both levels had plenty of activities to keep the littles busy. The day does become pretty pricey with the cost of tickets and parking. If you have a stroller, I would leave it behind. They make you leave it in a room up front anyways so better to just ditch it altogether. Overall, we had a great time. We'd love to come back, probably on a weekday next time. read more

Children's Discovery Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - San Jose, California

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Really fun museum for kids, they offer discounted tickets for EBT holders for up to 4 tickets. I went with my niece and she really enjoyed playing with the moon sand with the beakers, the water play area, the Lego room, and outdoor playground. Some exhibits could use an upgrade/remodel like the fossil area, it wasn't very popular compared to the restaurant/kitchen play area, but my niece may have been too young to appreciate fossils and ancient animals. read more

This is a well maintained and fun place! There are a lot of engaging exhibits here and since the past year or so there are even more. The outdoor pollinator exhibit is complete! The museum celebrates cultural events with dances, art and speeches in the outside area and there is also a revolving room inside that changes based on certain holidays and a special dance room. There is even a special room for babies and very young toddlers! Bring a change of clothes for you and your kid for after the water area. There are no rubber mats in the transition area so walk carefully. Only thing that I can suggest to make it even more engaging is if there were more demos or something. For example at the play kitchen and foods market area, if they could bring in someone to show how to make something or even if they can have a video to show about certain foods that would be nice. They could possibly have a talk on pollinators outside. Overall, this is one of the best kids museums we have been to as a family. read more

Very crowded. Old exhibits. Many exhibits felt like things you find at any indoor play area for half the price. The craft room and sections upstairs are nice, but not going back anytime soon. read more

Our 3yo son had a blast at the San Jose Discovery Museum. Its located near the Convention Center and parking is a bit confusing, since doesn't seem to be a dedicated lot. We found flat-rate parking in the rear of the museum under the freeway. The museum itself is more like a combined indoor and outdoor play area. Everything is meant to be hands on, so great for curious toddlers. I like how the Museum has lots of Cultural Exhibits, and not just the typical dinosaur/fossils and physics/science topics. The Cultural exhibits are just as enriching. Our favorites: 1. A mock Asian Night Market with make-believe food stands and plastic fruits, veggies, and even dim sum. Great for budding Yelpers. 2. The hydro station will get wet and messy but its simply fun to see the power of water jets move plastic balls to great heights. 3. Remember when you played with giant sofa cushions and pretended to build forts as a kid? They have something similar here with giant foam blocks of varying size and shapes. 4. An actual ambulance and traffic signal you can explore around. 5. Vietnamese Culture Exhibit - one of my favorites. I got to do back squats with their Carrying Pole with plastic papayas, LOL! My core strength is too weak to do that standing on the log however. Be sure to spend some time outside. They have a cool treehouse slide, an actual beehive, slides, and a huge gravel/sand station for kids to scoop and play, Only negatives I see are limited museum hours, lack of dining options nearby, and the confusing parking situation. read more

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We had a wonderful time at the Children's Discovery Museum. Our child had a blast exploring the facilities and there's so much to see and experience. This is somewhere we plan on coming back many times in the future. I believe that a child's most critical development is during the first five years and the Discovery Museum is a wonderful place to inspire some of this positive change. read more

I had always wanted to check this place out and I finally had a chance to do so over this winter break! Purchased our tickets online and the checkout process was easy! We did go when they had extended hours so we opted to go later in the day as we felt that was our best bet for the museum being less crowded and our gut feeling worked out to our advantage. Parking in the area was easy and plentiful and the line to get in was efficient and quick. Once we were inside, my son was instantly excited and ran towards the big fire truck display! This place has so many hands on exhibits and stations that were perfect for my young son. Buttons to press, levers to pull, knobs to turn, and so much more! My son gravitated to the ambulance truck and the food play area. The water play area was great! Highly recommend you bring a second set of clothes for your child if you do let them run wild in the water play area because they will get wet! It was also a score for my kid since he was wearing his rainboots, so his socks and feet stayed dry while in that area. This place was very entertaining for my little one and kept him busy for 2.5 hours and maybe even more if it wasn't for closing time! I would definitely say this is a great place to bring your child to explore and play and have a great time just being a kid! We will be back for sure! read more

It was a great place for my 15 mo old granddaughter. The water play was one of her favorite spots! As was the gravity/ball area. I highly recommend this facility for children of all ages! ~Kim I. read more

Be careful here. They lied about not being part of the reciprocal network and claimed that they are part of a different network to get the full costs. There were two guys at the front desk, one claimed that there are differnet tiers of membership, which is only for San Jose, not the location I'm a member of. Other locations will gladly take your member number and confirmation of membership (Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Philly for example), but not these guys. Further on the issue of reciprocity, they asked if I had a special symbol on my card, which, in their defense, I couldn't find my card, but they claimed they couldn't find my home museum on their list. I probed further after giving up on the discount and asked if they were part of their own network or not part of one and their answer was yes, they are not part of the Association of Children's museums. I checked online moments later when I had a chance and found they were lying and just want to steal a bit more money. Watch your wallet here and have your membership cards ready. Know your rights as a member. This place will try to cheat you. read more

First off, I need to let you know how to get there. Park at the SP2+ lot. It's $10 for all day parking and park at the northern most section of it. Next, look for the bridge that connects the lot to the museum, it should be to the west side of the lot. Last, look for a plain purple wall with a gate in front. That is your entrance and exit. After going through this procedure you'll have about 3 hours to spend there. Depending on your child/special one, you can easily spend 3 hours there. My kid lasted about 2 hours until he was ready to move on. Still pretty good. There's lots of things to do there for the kids and they keep it pretty clean. Overall it's a pretty good experience, probably the only downer to this place is finding how to get to the entrance, and there isn't a whole lot of food options nearby. Enjoy! read more

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I have taken my lil nieces and nephews to this museum since they were toddlers. It is a wonderful children's museum. I took my own children and grandchildren to it as well. When they were young. I remember spending hours discovering all the exhibits and having loads of fun. I highly recommend this place for families with young children. read more

We came here courtesy of our son's Physical Therapy program through San Andreas Regional Center ! It had been many years prior to this visit.. like my own childhood days . The San Jose Children's Discovery Museum has the huge Yellow duck on top of the purple coated building. I was pleasantly surprised and my 2 year old non walking toddler also had a blast ! We were apart of a Larger group but as much as we tried to stay together we ended up enjoying other exhibits a bit longer or we would drift apart . My son Elijah's personal Top 3 favorite spots during our visit . 1. The Dance Floor - has colorful lights and a family friendly playlist. Elijah loves to sing and dance 2. Water tables - There's a 3 and under section of the table and the bigger tables are also pretty fun . Elijah likes to throw the plastic balls into the "big tornado " whirlwind and make big splashes using his hands ( be sure to bring an extra change of clothes for your Little ones) 3. Mammoth discovery - there's a green tub filled with animals , some bears a few wolves and of course the awesome mammoths . So he was pretty entertained by placing and moving the animal toys around. This list isn't to say he didn't have fun exploring all the exhibits he just liked these more or I should say cried when we wanted to continue forward . (￣￣) Overall we would love to come again and bring our nieces and nephews. Thank you for hosting us ! read more

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My kid had a great time here! Lots of things and activities for little kids to play. Tips: you can purchase membership within 48 hours and the ticket price paid can be paid towards the membership fee!! read more

Children's Discovery Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - San Jose, California

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This review is more towards the cafe rather than the museum itself. They should really have two people working. I came here in the summer and there was a field trip and only one person taking and making the orders so it took quite long to get something. read more

They are hosting children yet this is one of the dirtiest places I've ever been. They SERIOUSLY need to invest in a cleaning staff. So far the exhibits ive seen are not interesting. read more

My 2yo had an amazing time here. Numerous and diverse exhibits, activities, and play spaces, each with intention and focus on different aspects of the child's growth and development. The minute we walked in, my toddler was completely captivated and engaged.... For over 4 hours! Our favorites were the pretend produce, fruit, and food stand areas, the classic car, and the water stations. My only criticism is that they don't allow you to eat any food inside. While there are spaces outdoors where one could eat, when there's an intense heat wave, and especially for more sensitive visitors, it seems a bit cruel. The reason I was given for the rule is legitimate-- preventing rodents, etc. But the rule likely doesn't work since visitors who might be more sensitive just find hidden spaces within the museum to eat (thus exacerbating the issue that the rule is trying to solve for). I'd recommend that they designate one internal space for the consumption of food that can be regularly cleaned, and/or have misters outside. The no strollers unless you have an infant/non-walker rule is also difficult since we all know that not all toddlers are great walkers and not all lone parents can just carry their 2 yo around whether due to disability or otherwise. I was thankful that they let me slide after much self-advocating on my part, but I think they could have more intentional exceptions to this rule to account for the fact that we have diverse abilities. All that said-- we will be back, probably after the heatwave so we can eat outside more comfortably, and probably with another adult who can help me carry the little one, as needed. read more