This was our first time visiting this museum, and we had a great experience. We came specifically…read morebecause it participates in the Museums for All program, which made admission only $3 per person, such a great deal. They do close at 4:00 PM, which feels a little early, but the museum isn't very large, so you can comfortably experience a lot in a couple of hours, which is exactly what we did. We stopped here to wait out the rain on our way to Knott's Berry Farm, and it ended up being a perfect pit stop. There are so many hands-on activities for kids. One highlight was the theater and tech area, where kids can explore sound and camera equipment, that was especially cool. Another favorite was the live bee exhibit, where kids can put on a little bee keeper costume and go inside to learn about bees up close. Such a fun and unique experience! Overall, this was a really enjoyable visit, and we would definitely come back. It's a great stop if you're heading to Knott's, and with the Museums for All pricing, it's incredibly affordable. Highly recommend!

I went to the La Habra Children's Museum with my two sisters and my nephew, and we had such an…read moreamazing time! I took so many pictures because there were so many cute and fun moments. The dinosaur by the entrance was one of our favorites--my nephew loved it so much and was excited the whole time. One of the best parts was the stage and dress-up theater section. It was so engaging for the kids! They got to play, pretend, and really use their imagination. It was fun watching them interact, perform, and just be themselves. I also liked how social it was for children. Kids were playing together, sharing, and exploring as a group, which made the experience even better. It's not just fun, but also a great place for kids to build confidence and connect with others. Overall, such a fun and memorable day. Definitely a great spot for families with kids! Side not get camera ready! I took so many photos I only posted what I could for privacy reasons but such memorable experience!

Absolute gem nestled in a beautiful canyon. My boys loved the ball blaster, bottle launcher and…read morepulley system outside, great heavy work for high energy kids. Inside they loved climbing, crafting and sensory play. Very well done museum.

Free Parking, confusing at first as it's a shared lot for the park. There was a line upon arrival…read moreso you can actually buy tickets online and bypass the other line. The museum is both indoors and outdoors. There's several activities that are geared towards older kids such as sitting on seat and self-pull to go up. Or a tug a war type thing. The other outdoor activities are for all ages, they have areas where you can bang on stuff to hear the sounds. There's an indoor which I feel the younger ones loves such as the train table or the parachute. Overall there's activities for all ages. There was even a spot if someone wants to read and do storytime. Fun overall. It can get pricey. I'm not big on places charging adults as it truly is more for the kids.

If you have a child who likes dinosaurs this place is amazing and affordable and such a gem.read more

Do not go here. It's expensive and not worth it. The dinosaurs are all broken and the displays…read morelook like they were just haphazardly thrown together. For some reason, one side of the second floor is a miniature golfing course...which is useless when you're with a toddler. The air conditioning is also not working, so it's sticky and gross in there.

I visited the discovery cube in Orange County qnd it was definitely a fun experience even as Ana…read moreduly. I also found out that this visit can be free during the first weekend of the month, for Bank of America account holders. Upon entering the museum, there was a display of build your own racing cars where a lot of kids were racing their creations. It was definitely a fun site to see. As you venture throughout the museum towards the back area, you walk into the dinosaur exhibit area. This is where they talk about fossils and various dinosaurs and there's also an explorer kit that you pay extra to try and find items and clues. Upstairs, you can have a better view of the space missile rocket that's on display and it's quite fascinating to read about rockets. Towards the back right of the museum currently there is a Scooby Doo Halloween exhibit so it was also fun to experience that area. Lastly, the most famous area is still the indoor Minh water area where you can see where is fish and stingrays. Overall a great experience for kids and adults. One less star as you have to pay $10 to park in their parking lot. I remember many years ago I used to be free, but I guess since it's more popular, you have to pay for parking now.

I've spent my whole life driving by the cube off the 5 freeway and yesterday I finally got to visit…read moreit with my daughter! We were invited by friends who had comp tickets, we were so grateful! The museum is really big so make sure to plan almost a full day there. We brought our own lunch for us to save some money. But there is a café where you can buy lunch, snacks, drinks, etc. if you didn't bring anything. There's a lot of exhibits on both floors. My daughter really liked the ocean exhibit the dinosaurs, and the grocery store! The parking is $10. Make sure to come early. The main lot was full by the time we got there at around 11 AM. But I think there's an overflow lot for other cars. If you live in the area, it makes sense to buy a membership if you're gonna go two or three times throughout the year. It pays for itself the more you go!

My daughter had a blast at Cayton Children's museum!!! We have been here many times and each time…read moreis better than the last. We will definitely be back in the future.

I rarely leave reviews, but this experience left our family extremely disappointed…read more We were visiting the children's museum, when my husband, who is a Santa Monica police officer and assigned to the area, stopped by to say hello while actively on duty and in full uniform. He entered the museum without issue, and staff allowed him inside. At no point was any "no weapons" policy explained to him. While there, the interaction between my husband and the children was honestly so heartwarming. Kids flocked to him, excited to meet a real police officer. He handed out stickers, took photos with children who asked, and created such a positive, sweet moment for families and kids. It was one of those genuinely special interactions that helps children feel safe and build positive relationships with law enforcement. Unfortunately, that moment was completely ruined when a manager approached and told him he had to leave because he was carrying his service weapon, despite being an on-duty officer in full uniform. Had this policy been clearly communicated at entry, that would have been one thing. Instead, he was allowed in, warmly engaging with families and children, only to be asked to leave afterward in a way that felt unnecessary and upsetting. I respect that businesses can have policies, but the inconsistency and lack of communication were disappointing. More than anything, it was sad to see such a positive interaction for children abruptly cut short. Experiences like these matter because children benefit from positive relationships with the people who serve their communities, whether that's police officers, firefighters, mail carriers, or other public servants. Those everyday interactions help kids feel connected, safe, and familiar with the people they see in their neighborhoods. What should have been a lovely memory and a meaningful community moment for my kids turned into an uncomfortable and disappointing experience for our family.

My toddler loves playing at Pretend City. We bought a membership and visited often over the summer…read more(on weekdays). It's well maintained and kept clean in the morning. There were times staff kept putting back toys so quickly and frequently I was getting annoyed (in my head) because I had to keep getting boats and fish back out for him in the water area. I love that they switch out the sensory items in the art room throughout the month so it's a different experience each visit. Their Wonder Lab area with painting was sooo fun! It's too bad it was only seasonal. My son loves all of it - harvesting fruits and veggies in the farm, pushing his own cart in Trader Joe's, cooking in the restaurant, etc. It is truly a great, fun space for kids. Once, the CEO played in the construction area with him for a few minutes - that impressed me. They also regularly have special event days with dance and music demonstrations, author read alouds, etc. Members Only hour is the best time to visit (they open an hour early). Once 10:00 hits, the floodgates open and it's gets substantially more crowded. With all that said, we visited on a recent Sunday afternoon - never again! Every exhibit was in total disarray (every single toy on the floor and rarely even in the right zone), older kids zooming around on kid cars like scooters, a child climbing the fake fountain in the center and standing at the top (where were the parents?! No staff member present either...it was really dangerous). I've never seen Pretend City look like that before but if that's what it was like on my first visit it would scare me away! There's lots of parking but mostly in the back lot. The front lot gets full fast and many spots are reserved for other businesses. You can bring your own food/drinks to eat in their Cafe area or purchase some from vending machines. Wish they sold coffee... Again, amazing spot and 5/5 on weekday mornings. 1/5 on weekend afternoons.

The place is wonderful, filled with lots of hours of play and excitement but I definitely feel…read moreit's over priced.. if you have EBT or Wick then you can get in for $5 a person.. The man at the front desk has a ton of attitude so beware.. only reason why I left 3 stars.. he was extremely rude to me for not understanding something with the pricing.. The vending machines are expensive but it's pretty cool that you can bring your lunch. Definitely worth checking out .

For those who may not know, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, is free from 3 to 5 p.m…read more maybe only on weekdays but maybe weekends too. I am not sure, but most of the information is right, if one is compelled they can fact-broaden my statement. I went to take advantage of this offer but it was June 19th and in honor of the holiday everyone got in for free on this day. But apparently it was a last minute decision. So poor reporting seems to be more like offering information as it comes, not in a malicious way, or incompetent way, more in like the town crier gives what he knows in excitement and it is the responsibility of hearers to know what to do with the information, including vetting it responsibly or accepting it as a gift when given by surprise, even though it could have come in handy earlier. So I entered and I made a beeline to the Butterfly Pavillion. I think it was 12 dollars and worth every single cent. And I write that as a full-blown understatement because exaggeration did not seem the way to go. Like saying this place was worth more than 12 dollars, it was worth the weight of a camel's back in gold. The experience was beautiful. And that statement can be easily understood. I mean butterfly garden + momentary visit= beautiful. But more than that it was a type of beautiful that I had not experience before. It was a new facet of nature's beauty that I experienced. Mostly because I had never interacted with butterflies in this way. For instance, there was a butterfly with wings that were a strong bold blue, almost neon, and for sure, vibrant. Like a royal blue not because it was that shade but because amongst blues it would have palatial lineage in its shade. We were warned that butterflies might be on the ground. And on two experiences two were. The first I encountered was not flying. And the younger members of the experience made sure to announce the butterflies presence and its vulnerability. I feel like sometime in this place's history a butterfly did get stepped on. And for no other reason, than the natural happens. In the second occasion, a butterfly was trying to fly or stand still and could not because the winds made it topple. During that moment a butterfly apparently landed on my back. Man people, if not all, wonder if a butterfly will land on them? And what it would mean? I mean, it could be good news. Saying that a butterfly landing on a person is an omen of disaster does quite fit the visual of the insect and what horror brings. A butterfly did land on my wrist and of course one can't help but feel special. Like, the butterfly chose me and its trying to communicate something. Something important that the universe wants me to hear. What exactly that is? I am not sure. I need to reflect on that later or I will know when the butterfly effects comes clearer in time.

We had a pretty fun experience at the Natural History Museum with our 3 year old toddlers! We only…read morewent through the lower ground and first floor because we didn't think the second floor would be as appealing for them. Overall, it was a fun experience and a nice place to explore with little ones. I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for something different to do with young kids. I would avoid the dinosaur show at all cost. It was not worth it not one bit! I also don't think a membership is worth it. This was kind of like a one year kind of experience in my opinion.

Wonderful! And it's FREE! Honestly, there is so much to do here that I don't understand how they…read moremanage to offer all of this without an admission fee. There are tons of interactive exhibits, so this isn't one of those museums where you just walk around reading plaques. You can actually touch things, experiment, play, and learn as you go. Even before you enter, there's an outdoor truck you can lift using a rope and a top-down handle that lets you test torque and mechanical advantage. It's such a simple way to demonstrate the physics behind lifting something that heavy, and obviously I had to try it. One of my favorite parts was the sea life area. They have an interactive exhibit where you can actually touch some of the animals, and there was a surprising diversity of species. I also loved that they have waves running through the habitats. You can tell they put real thought into the animals' wellbeing too. There are signs reminding visitors to let the animals rest, which I really appreciated. There's also a really interesting section about California's different environments and ecosystems, plus a whole wildfire section on the top floor. Lots of focus on biodiversity, with smaller interactive tables throughout where you can learn by actually doing things. The staff were incredibly kind and friendly too, which made the whole experience even better. The location is beautiful. The bottom floor has a cafeteria where you can eat your packed lunch, and you're right next to the Rose Garden. There's also a parking lot nearby, so it's pretty convenient. Honestly, this is such a fun museum whether you're bringing kids or you're just a giant child like me who wants to test the physics of lifting a truck. FREE, interactive, educational, beautiful, and genuinely fun. Absolutely a must-see in LA.

This place has changed so much the last time I came more than a decade ago!…read more I wanted to bring my son to experience the wonders of science and since o only had to pay for parking, that's not a bad deal. However, I forgot it's next to a stadium so there's cars going into the parking lots and it's confusing when you see a $60 parking sign but luckily museum parking is not the same. The place definitely changed, it seems so much darker, simplistic, and less colorful than I remembered. We didn't purchase any of the specific exhibits so we only went to the free pertinent exhibits which we went through within an hour! I had to slow my son down and because it's so crowded he didn't want to wait in line to look or try anything. I was able to get him to watch some videos playing around the life cycle exhibit, and then he got hungry so we went to the first floor food court. I know it says no food or drinks in the exhibits but I saw a lot of people snacking and drinking in the area, I don't think staff realized because it was so crowded. At the food court, they had a variety of stalls and we went straight to the burgers and pizza, we ordered a pizza and chili fries which my son ate mostly pizza and the snacks i brought. Thy also had a mini market convenience stall which sold snacks as well and a cafe which had ice cream and coffee. I think this place is decent, I can see some of the old things left behind like condiments station and furniture set to the side, so I think they are always revamping the pla

Wonderful community museum with amazing outdoor space and special events. We have enjoyed the…read morebirthday parties and pop-up events for years, so much that we were inspired to contribute. Now that phase 1 of the museum is complete and open we are amazed. A beautiful little outdoor theater, a play cafe and farmer's market, a real greenhouse and a Channel Islands themed playground are just a few highlights of the outdoor experience. The indoor has a nice little classroom and shop area and a really cool maker space including a cardboard "chomp saw" and lots of crafts! The staff are really kind, patient, polite, and helpful. They help transform this from a fun space into an inviting experience. You can tell how passionate they are about family learning. The museum is already amazing and a fitting successor to the library that used to be on the site. We can't wait for phase 2, when the rest of the indoor space is renovated and available!

This was a cute little STEAM museum. It had some neat exhibits and it was a pretty clean facility…read more It is not very big so if you're coming just keep in mind you probably won't spend more than a few hours here. There is basically one big outdoor area and two smaller indoor areas. The feedback I'd give; More shade outside would be helpful. It waa very hot when we were there and not much shade. A water exhibit would be good too with the heat! Overall we had fun but I did wish there was more to do for the kiddos.

Reservations are needed for this lovely little garden tucked into the middle of the CSULB campus,…read moreso we made ours the night before and grabbed a 12:00 PM Sunday spot. One thing to know before you go: check the operating hours. The garden was closing at 1:00 that day, so our visit was shorter than we would have liked. About 15 minutes before closing they started rounding everyone up, which was completely understandable, but next time I'd definitely book earlier. We brought Billy's mom and dad with us, and his father is 92 amazing years old, so we're always paying attention to how much walking, stress, parking drama, or general nonsense an outing involves. This one was about as easy as it gets. There's paid parking right next to the garden. I think we paid around $6.50, and the payment system was simple enough. Once you're inside, it's just beautiful. Little bridges, waterfalls, colorful koi everywhere (bonus! tons of baby koi this time!) lilies on the pond, flowers, and these bright red dragonflies flying around that completely caught my attention. There were families, students, people sketching, people feeding the fish, just a really nice mix of people quietly enjoying the space. What I especially like is that you don't have to make a whole production out of it. You can stroll, sit for a while, watch the koi, cross a bridge, look at the water, and just enjoy being somewhere pretty. Small, peaceful, easy, and genuinely lovely. It makes for a really nice family outing, and it's one of those places that's good to keep in your back pocket when you want to do something without committing to an entire day.

Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden is a peaceful hidden gem tucked inside California State…read moreUniversity, Long Beach. I walked into a space that is smaller than some larger Japanese gardens, but the layout feels carefully planned with winding paths, traditional landscaping, a koi pond, waterfalls, bridges, and quiet corners throughout. It is the type of place where taking your time matters more than trying to see everything quickly, and the smaller size actually makes the experience feel more intimate. The garden feels like a world apart from the campus surrounding it, and the transition from the university grounds to the garden is immediate and effective. The koi pond is easily the centerpiece of the garden and one of the most enjoyable parts to spend time around. I found myself lingering by the water, watching the fish move through the pond as the sunlight filtered through the trees. The fish are large and active, and the surrounding greenery, stone features, and water elements create a very relaxing atmosphere. The garden does a good job balancing natural scenery with traditional Japanese design, with each section offering a slightly different view and feeling as I walked through. The bridges and stone lanterns add to the sense of place, and the sound of the waterfalls creates a calming background that stays with you as you move through the space. What I liked most about this garden is how calm it feels despite being located on a college campus. It feels separated from the surrounding area once you enter, making it a nice place for a quiet walk, photography, or just taking a break. The landscaping is well maintained, and the entire space has a slower pace that encourages you to actually stop and appreciate the details rather than rushing through. The garden's design rewards a slow approach, with each turn in the path offering a slightly different perspective on the pond, the plants, and the stonework. The visit is fairly quick since the garden is compact, but it works well as a relaxing stop rather than a destination that takes up an entire afternoon. Reservations are required, so it is worth checking availability before going. Admission is free, although parking is an extra cost and can be the main inconvenience, especially during busy campus hours. The garden's location on campus makes it accessible, but the parking situation can require a bit of patience. Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden is a beautiful spot if you are looking for a peaceful escape rather than a large attraction. The koi pond, thoughtful design, and quiet atmosphere make it a place worth visiting, especially on a nice day when you can take your time walking through the garden. It offers a brief but meaningful pause from the surrounding city and campus life, and the care that has gone into maintaining the space is evident in every corner.