What an incredible experience! It was so amazing to see so many reptiles and be able to actually…read morehold them and interact with them in their habitats. We wouldn't have had such an amazing time without our amazing tour guide. Rachel did such a great job teaching our kids the right ways to interact with the animals and you can tell that she really loves what she does. She was really patient with our kids and made this an unforgettable experience. Highly recommend! *full warning, the outside of the building looks a little sketchy at first because it's an old building, but don't let that deter you*

Would you like to learn about incredible reptiles up close and support a good cause? The…read moreEcoVivarium is the perfect place! For $25 you can get a behind the scenes tour that introduces you to a variety of turtles, snakes, and lizards that call the EcoVivarium home. They also have birthday party visits, host events, and as I learned from my friend Trish, can help teachers get set up with a reptile in the classroom. My first conversation with Susan at the EcoVivarium was heartfelt, as I was calling to see if they might be interested in the donation of our decommissioned aquarium. The setup was only four years old and housed our previous beloved 26 year old fish named Puff that had recently passed away. Susan was kind, expressed her condolences and shared that they would appreciate our donation. Chun P and I met Rachel and Donald on a Sunday and after we brought our items in from the car were treated to meeting some terrific reptiles. Many of the inhabitants at the EcoVivarium have sad stories, some had suffered abuse, some were abandoned, and others were victims of trafficking that were confiscated and brought in by the department of fish and game. Susan has created a safe space and her staff and volunteers give their all to make sure they live a better life. I'm looking forward to visiting again soon and supporting this worthy endeavor!

Been to a lot of children's museum and one of my favorite things about this one is they offer time…read moreslots for crafting. My daughter got to make a planter pot for a flower. It is on the cozy smaller size but the play activities are all nicely spaced out. I went here on a weekday and it wasn't too packed. The children museum provides indoor and outdoor play options. They have a small section for kids under two where they get to crawl, climb and play with balls. *shoes off* For indoor they have the magna-tiles table, chalk board, reading area, pretend grocery store and ranger lookout, For outdoor they have a big water table; soft foam building blocks, a garden and a dirt excavation section. They do have a handwashing station outside so I appreciate that after the messy play. I also love the art installation, it's big colorful bugs and insects. Would recommend you checking it out.

We hosted our daughter's 3rd birthday party at the Children's Museum of Discovery this past…read moreweekend, and it was such a fantastic experience from start to finish. A huge shoutout to Michele, our party planner, who was incredibly communicative, organized, and thoughtful throughout the entire process. She made everything feel easy and seamless, and truly helped create such a special, memorable day for my daughter and her friends. The setup and decor were beautiful, and everything was ready to go when we arrived, which made a big difference when hosting a group of excited kids! The space itself is amazing, with so many engaging, hands-on activities for a wide range of ages (definitely up to around 10). The kids were entertained the entire time. Even better, so many of the parents were raving about the experience and how much their kids loved it, which says a lot. Highly recommend hosting a party here if you're looking for something fun, interactive, and well-organized. We had the best time!

There are 7 total ships, including the Star of India, and a submarine. You can purchase your ticket…read moreat any of the main booths/boat entrances, then show your receipt to visit the others on the same day. The flexibility of a self-guided tour was great. One ship was away on a sail in the afternoon this past Saturday, but there was more than enough to explore on the various vessels during our visit. Plenty to see and experience on each of the boats. We stepped onto the swift boat where staff educated us about its machine gun. And we walked through and checked out the different sections of the USS Dolphin submarine too. The HMS Surprise was a lovely ship with plenty of references to its use in films. The Star of India was like a museum all on its own, so many areas to explore and a ton of history to learn. The Californian was pretty basic, not very different from many other ships we've visited in the past. Steam Ferry Berkeley was the largest, with displays showcasing scientific instruments, model boats, artwork, the riverboats in Vietnam, the engine room, a torpedo caught by a fisherman, and a special exhibit featuring the "histories of the black pacific". There's a gift shop on site as well. Altogether, the variety of ships at the Maritime Museum made for an interesting adventure, a bit touristy, but worth the cost if you're into history or simply like boats.

Ok so I will split this into two reviews:…read more 1: the ships and actual adventure 2: the reservation process and customer service 1: booked a trip for the Spanish replica ship adventure the San Salvador and really loved it. The ticket also got you access to the other ships to walk around which was cool. But the coolest part was that San Salvador was sailed like they would have sailed it waaay back when. We got to see real rigging masts sails steering all being done by a crew and it was a totally amazing experience and such a perfect day. Bonus: we saw dolphins and it was a perfect day. Drawback: the gentlemen speaking throughout didn't talk into his mic often so missed a lot but oh well - who's really going for history?! such a good time!!. 2. I had a good with my tickets and called and tried to talk to folks in person and could never get someone. The tickets were cancelled but not refunded which was a bummer and staff in the kiosk even said they phone lines were messed up. A bummer. :(

Fun place for a quick drop-in. The host was very nice and the grounds peaceful…read more If you find yourself heading east past the Wild Animal Park, stop off if they are open! It's free. Or give a few bucks. These folks are doing a good service to the citizens of San Diego!

This place is cool, amazing and informative. 9/18/12 was free museum day and by the time we arrived…read more30min after opening they had already had several patrons visit... there was a few still walking around inside. They were taking down zip codes to see where everyone was coming from, a couple walked in right after us from Santa Rosa. We started with the kids learning treasure hunt. The questions line up with the numbers on the exhibit and the answers are within the reading. While the place is small we were there for about 1.5 hours reading and doing the activities along with the treasure hunt. They have an excavation section for kids (like a play/learning area) and an employee came over and starting showing munchkin the cool things you can find on the rocks, shells and even your fingers. That was super cool and interactive. After we were finished we ventured to the small gift shop inside towards the front and munchkin was able to get some obsidian, opal, thunder eggs rocks, iron pyrite, tourmaline, geode, Drury quartz, wonderstone, topaz, lavic jasper for his rock collection. Then he was informed of the free book section and we ventured over there and he grabbed a few national geographic books to take home and read. All-in-all a great learning experience and great friendly staff! A great choice for us on Musuem Day! Would recommend as it is very kid friendly! This place is literally right next to San Diego Wild Animal Park!

Great little museum well run by very dedicated volunteers that are also super welcoming to locals…read moreand tourists visiting the winery. It used to be located inside the same premises, but in a small barrack and now occupies the place of 2 former boutiques together. The museum is impeccable clean and neat, and you can read and observe pictures of the history of this great neighborhood village type called Rancho Bernardo. From the Kumeyay native Americans to the Spaniards, Mexicans and different conquests until what is today, the visitor can know it all. Many cultures have populated this area in the past couple of centuries, so RB is more than the sleepy village next to Lake Hodges that curiously belongs to San Diego instead of be on its own, as Poway or other similar country looking places. Free entrance, lots of parking at the entrance of the winery, you can get even a poster depicting some photos of the before and after of certain landmarks and also you can buy some postcards and help this museum thrive. Well done!

This has got to be the world's tiniest museum. It's so cute! Just one room off to the side of the…read moreRancho Bernardo shopping area. The displays are set up very well and the photography is excellent. But what makes the visit is the guy working there who gave us probably the most comprehensive regional history lesson I've ever gotten. I can't remember his name -- I want to say Ralph? -- but he was a lot of fun. It's free to come in and poke around, but you can leave a donation if you'd like.

This place is very cool. The older I get, the more I have come to appreciate the Escondido History…read moreCenter. Their web site is full of really cool information and photographs, and when you come here in person, you will see more of that, and feel immersed in the history around you. There is an old train, a Victorian house, a blacksmith shop, and more. Some of the places have a docent, while others are self-guided. I really hope we are able to keep these places open to remember history. Please donate and support places like this, so we don't forget history!

Very nice little museum for anybody. They open sarurdays 1-4 pm. The ladies are super friendly . Is…read morenext to the park so you can take the kids to play too.