I don't have kids but I went with my mom, sister and nephew. It was so cool to see what kinds of businesses and opportunities there are for kids to receive enrichment beyond the home & classroom (e.g. daycare). It sounds like this is a popular place in the winter given its wide range of indoor activities. It's organized very well and provides different types of stimuli for children to choose from. The staff inside support and encourage parents & guardians to utilize the Discovery Museum's facilities to the best their kids are able to. The outdoor areas & trails seemed fun, as well as the giant chair and swing set. read more

The Discovery Museum is a hands-on museum for families that opened in Acton, Massachusetts in 1982. It was founded by math teacher and naturalist Donald B. Verger. The museum blends science, natural and play. A second museum building opened in 1987. After an $8.8M expansion and renovation, the museum reopened as a single-building museum in March 2018. A 550 -square-foot tree house and accessible nature playscape were also added to the campus in July 2016. The current museum now has twice the exhibit space of the original museum and includes significant galleries for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) experiences including water, air, tinkering, design, engineering, early brain development, math, light and color, and sound. My family and I recently visited the Discovery Museum while we were visiting the area. We visited a local brewery for lunch and my wife and I were interested to see if there was a place nearby that we could take our sons. The museum came highly recommended. We're glad that we heard about it because we all had a blast. The whole campus was beautiful! There are a variety of different interactive exhibits devoted to topics such as math, airplay, water, music & sound, illusions, simple machines, light & color, and Leonardo da Vinci. My sons never wanted to leave. After exploring the museum, we all headed outside to explore the Discovery Woods. My sons really liked checking out the tree house, the nature playscape, Adventure Hill, the slap-a-phone, the outdoor da Vinci exhibits, and Bessie the Dinosaur. Overall we had an excellent experience at the Discovery Museum and we highly recommend it to families who are visiting the area! read more

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This place is great . Lots of very cool exhibits . Parents will enjoy too! At least I did! They had a caterpillar show going on at the time which we all found interesting! So many caterpillars in your backyard that you would never know existed! Places to eat right down the street too! Make a day of it! The price is right which always good! read more

We love this place. My daughter loves the outdoor exhibit the best. The indoor exhibits look small from the outside, but there is something much inside! We always have a great time here. read more

Discovery Museum - Museums Near Me - Acton, Massachusetts

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Discovery Museum hosts "Especially for Me" events and we're regular attendees for the Autism night. https://www.discoveryacton.org/visit/especially-me Oh my goodness do we adore this museum!!! We drove from 1.5 hours away to visit with our six year old daughter and her infant brother. There's so much to do!!! You're welcomed by the sculpture of "Bessie" the brontosaurus. There's a stool next to Bessie for kids to climb up and take photos. When the weather is nice, lots outside, including a large "tree house" area and playground with slides. There's a "fairy town" that has interactive outdoor instruments. Inside there are 3 floors of awesome. Lobby level there is an optical illusions exhibit, wicked fun interactive water play, wind tubes, musical instruments exhibit, magnets, and most of the time a shadow making exhibit - but in the winter that's replaced with "sock skating"!!! The second floor has "Davinci's Workshop" where kids can make crafts. There's a train room, play restaurant, forest at night, and some fun physics exhibits. Third floor is small but has a kid size fishing ship, ships wheels for kids to turn, dress up, a porthole, and view outside of the roof. We always have a wonderful time and it's worth the trip to visit! read more

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This place is great for kids that wants to explore. Came here with my 2 boys one afternoon. They have variety of place spaces for kids with different age and things to do, even if you loose sight of them its just one floor and goes around so its not hard to find them. They got sensory play and some pretend kitchen that my son loved. Might come back next when we get a chance and we will go earlier too read more

Great place for children of all ages! Enjoyed with my almost 2 year old. They had many activities going on, water play, outdoor exploration areas. Extremely clean and friendly staff. Highly recommend making an online reservation. We are a military family and admission was free for us! read more

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amazing place！my kids had lots of fun there. We spent almost the whole day, I love the trail and the tree house so much!

We live down the road, and this is easily our favorite place to take the kids. (4 years and 8 months) So many wonderful exhibits and play areas read more

We visited the Discovery Museum just a couple weeks after visiting Boston Children's Museum. Boston Children's Museum is definitely much larger and has a much nicer dedicated play space for 0-3 year olds, but the Discovery Museum is still a great place for the younger crowd. With the smaller exhibits, my 1 and 3 year olds actually moved around most of the museum in the 2.5 hours we spent there (as opposed to spending all of our time in only two rooms at Boston), and they did quite a lot and didn't want to leave. The area with all of the different kinds of blocks for building things was a favorite section for both. My three year old also enjoyed the part where she could build circuits and one of the exhibits about magnets. Overall it was a fun time, and while it's not as impressive as the museum downtown, the free and easy parking is definitely a reason to choose a trip to Acton instead. read more

My 3 year old had the best time. I'm an educator and I got in for free which was a total bonus.

My son loves every time we come here! It's very much a kid-centered place. Be prepared for crowds. We typically don't have any problems finding parking. We normally come using a pass I get through work; so, I can't speak to what the current prices are. The outdoor area is fun, and they have a small room on the first floor that seems to alternate. Otherwise, most of the exhibits do seem to stay mostly the same. Not that my kid minds! He's always psyched to go! read more

Was a nice time for our 3 1/2 year old. Bring water shoes or boots they have a really nice water table area but can get pretty wet. read more

The cost of admission for a two year old is $18.00! Yet, They don't replace any broken items. Discovery museum washes the colorful scarves (that go with air blowing display). However, the scarfs are delicate and after too many washes, the scarfs are now ratty looking. At $18 to get in per person, they can afford to buy some new scarfs. Shortage of balls, magnets, scarves. Just need to replace the missing things! ,Rainy day and it was busy, but the bathroom were filthy. Puddles everywhere inside, but no clean up. , no signs saying slippery when wet. No towels available. They have bins for dripping umbrellas, but forgot to put them out. Many items in dire need of repairs! Nice outside play areas. Many activities for the wee ones. read more

Small Victorian house. Free parking! There are stairs so it may not be accessible to those in wheelchairs. My son really loves the ball exhibit and the kitchen as well as the campsite. It is really entertaining. They have a new outdoor treehouse exhibit that I haven't been to yet! We came during their free Friday summer evening events and I definitely recommend doing that read more

Amazing hidden treasure for my little boys!! We love going there! Always have weekly/monthly new theme activities. Different programs to attend! They got cute tree house to explore! It's balance of outdoor and indoor activities! We went ahead get Seasonal Membership! Worth every cents!! read more

Was so nervous when I found out the school was going here because I knew how small the place was and could never imagine 5 Kindergarten classes... So off we went (I was a Chaperon)... and come to find out there is another building up the road, I have only been to the first little house building... This is place is a bit bigger, a little old and outdated but more than enough things for the kids to find to do... As other reviews have stated an 8 Year old would have been bored, but these 5 year olds had a blast... The people that worked there didnt really seem to have any business working with children, I had heard on more than one occasion lets stop & relax, Listening Ears, Inside Voices, Really these are 5 years olds... They dont really work well with Inside ears & voices... But I got past that... Would never go without a school function as the cost in no means is worth what they offer but with a Field Trip - Sure... They were all a little put off that we arrived & still had to feed the kids, like really its 1030, we arent going to be done until 130 then we get on the bus - YES we need to feed the kids, Its a law!!! Other than just not feeling the love for the staff it was an ok place... Just a little old & outdated... and most of the little things were missing major pieces (balls, Tops, Spinners) read more

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This place is a gem. Our eight year old loves it, as does our five year old. Lots of stuff to see and do, plenty of hands on features. Been here for regular visits, birthday parties, and a magic show. read more

Discovery Museum - Museums Near Me - Acton, Massachusetts

I'm giving this a two star even though it's only showing one. I feel bad even rating this since I haven't been in 10 years. From my understanding it was an upgrade and first walking in it looked like it. They only moved the younger museum to the main facility that was meant for older children and made the other building offices..... all out door things were closed. My 10 year old and I walked through learning about how air blows in the matter of 10 mins for 31 dollars... when we went 10 years ago they had little kids museum in front and older kids in back... there's no older kids museum now at all and nothing that states this! :( highly disappointed read more

Perfect for children with autism to discover what happens. First they should explore the Victorian style home for infants, toddlers, and preschool aged children. The first floor has a ball and ramp room and a room with a train table. The second floor has a play diner, water table, and room with safari stuffed toys. The third and top level has a ship and boat room. The more modern building has 3 levels of exploration for school aged children. The outdoor tree house playground is new here so they can explore it too. read more

This place is brilliant! The amount of science involved in the exhibits is probably proportionally greater than at the Boston Children's Museum. It is smaller, but actually that's kind of a good thing. All the exhibits are fun ones that kids can enjoy without knowing any science in advance and even the five year olds and up can learn a lot as well as having a good time. The exhibits seem to be skillfully scaled so that they're understandable at one level for little kids and often the same exhibit is educational at a higher level for older kids. Really excellent experience. This five-year-old just loved everything. In addition to a very rich experience inside the museum, there is what they call the Treehouse outside which has a bunch of outdoor things to do, play with, look at and it's really a lot of fun. It probably occupies a land area close to the size of the inside footprint of the Museum Part. It's great when either the Museum or the treehouse is really busy to be able to go to the other one. There are a couple other outside areas when I was there that were not open at the time that seemed to be a special purpose or seasonal but there was plenty to do for all day at this place. read more

This is a very nice play to take your children. The inside is wonderful and the outside is very decorative.

The greatest place for kids in history? Smart, engaging, thoughtful, wholesome, personal, authentic. Outdoor area somehow as special as the one indoors. read more

I never knew this museum existed until recently and I realized that they do free Friday evenings in the summer! This is an amazing opportunity to check out the museum before paying for visits in the future. I took my 14 month old here and although it seems to be geared towards kids who are a bit older, my son was still entertained and found plenty of toys to play with. I love the reservation system so you know that it won't be overly crowded. I will definitely be back to visit, especially when my son is a bit older and can enjoy all of the activities. read more

We decided to risk a rainy Saturday morning because we were watching our grandkids- a big mistake, because it was crowded beyond anything we expected (and remember, we've brought kids and grandkids to children's museums). Reservations were required, but they must have a very high legal limit. That said, it is nice! It's spotless, the staff is patient, and the exhibits are varied. I think the "sound" exhibit was especially cool as it combines science, art, and fun! But I did think it cost too much. I'll also add I was concerned about how to evacuate in an emergency with a crowd like we had (albeit under the legal limit), with most of the children 5 and under. ...Bottom line: pick a quieter time and enjoy!? read more

I LOVE the Discovery Museum!! I have been coming for years on field trips with students, they always had fun but it could be a little crowded. The museum staff are always patient and helpful with special needs students. NOW the museum has had a renovation and been completely re-done! The two museums have been combined, keeping all the best exhibits, and the outdoor "treehouse" area is amazing! I have recently gone a few times with my one year old daughter and she loves it! There is a nice "toddlers only" area for her and she loves the outdoor area (especially the bridge). I am so excited to bring her to keep discovering as she gets older. My husband and dad also enjoyed discovering with all of the exhibits when they accompanied us to the museum, fun for all ages... toddlers through grandparents!! read more

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So, obviously this museum does not compare to the Boston Children's Museum - or any other city museum. How could it? But it is an awesome children's museum in a really unique space! We've been three times with our toddler and he absolutely loves it! He could probably spend 2+ hours in the ball room alone. They really made the best out of the house - using every space. I love that each room is a different "zone" and encourages exploration of a different topic or play area. I also appreciate that Boston Children's Museum memberships get you a discount and that the library has passes. I just wish it was closer to us, then I would go all the time! read more

This is a great place to bring your kids for a t least a couple hours of fun or a whole day of fun! It has lots of fun activities for the kids to explore and have fun while learning.... my children enjoy going there every so often and love it there. I would give it a lower star rating on days that it's packed. But, it typically isn't crowded. read more

Perfect for toddlers. Went during the middle of the week, so we missed the crowds. Each room in the museum/house has a different theme. It was clean & fun and the kitchen-restaurant room was adorable. Lots to see and touch and they have a cute pirate themed outdoor area. Picnic benches outside and 2 parking lots available. Tip: get a day pass from your local library! read more

We purchased a membership pre-Covid and kinda forgot about it until recently. I took my boys, 2.9 and 6, yesterday (booked our visit ahead of time on their website). I thought the experience would be a bummer because of Covid restrictions but it was great! It wasn't crowded at all and all the guests did a great job taking turns with the exhibits. We spent our whole 2 hours inside on Thursday so we decided to go back on Friday to play in the Discovery woods. Super easy to book a reservation and plenty of spots available same day/day before. We all had a great time and felt completely comfortable. I can't recommend enough! read more

This place has a few cool things for kids to try out and the focus on science is good. The footprint of the place is not huge, but there is also an outhouse area where kids can hangout and play not much to do in winters outside. What would really help is if the cost was lesser than what it is right now especially for kids over 1 and below 3. There is not much to do for them except a small play area like real small. Also may not be of great value for kids over 10. read more

Discovery Museum - Museums Near Me - Acton, Massachusetts

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The new museum is a great place to take kids. They really improved the place since my last review. read more

Discovery Museum - Price 10.50 each adults and kids - Museums Near Me - Acton, Massachusetts

Fantastic! We took our young son (under one) and he had a blast and was entertained for hours. There are even more activities for older kids. Amazing indoor/outdoor exploratory play for children of all ages. read more

When going to a Museum, It's all about setting up the right expectations before the visit. You don't go into a big city museum expecting a cozy and intimate experience, just like you don't go into a small museum expecting it to have all of the same facilities and blockbuster exhibits of a large museum. Each of these institutions have their own space and budgets to work with, and are great learning environments if you know what to expect. That being said, The Discovery Museums in Acton are a solid local small museum that offer a surprisingly lot of fun exhibits in a tight space. If you have children under 10, you've just discovered a cheap, educational, and entertaining jackpot of activities. The museums are divided into two buildings: The Children's Discovery Museum and The Science Discovery Museum. Both are located on a 4.5 acre campus with smaller outdoor play spaces along the building. They don't have a cafe, so if you're planning on spending the day with your little ones, make sure you bring a bag lunch and snacks, and try to come on a good weather day when you can enjoy a picnic at one of their outdoor tables. There is also a well thought-out calendar of events, and if you plan accordingly, you can participate in some fun extra programs that are not available daily. If you have children under 4, definitely check out The Children's Discovery Museum first. It's set up in an old Victorian home, and each of the rooms are set-up thematically with colorful murals, lots of toys, and experiment stations. You can board a train, set-up a chain reaction ball ramp, go on a safari, prepare food in a diner, and explore a water table, etc. If you have children between 5 and 10, check out The Science Discovery Museum first. It's the larger and newer building with 3 floors of science exhibits where you can mix sounds in a recording studio, build a model green house, explore patterns, use scientific instruments, and engineer, etc. While some of the exhibits look like they could use a little updating, they still offer some solid educational fun. The Discovery Museums are also in the middle of a capital campaign with the hope of combining their two Museums into one building, while creating new exhibits indoors and out. It will be exciting to see how they grow and change in the next couple of years as they make their institution a better resource for their general audience and local community. read more

My brother and I took my daughter here last week. It looked really cute online, and even though the two reviews here weren't great I wanted to see for myself. It took us 40 minutes to get there, and it cost me $27 for the three of us to get in. And it took my daughter 35 minutes to get through the entire house. Lame. The rooms were cute though. One room was set up as a jungle, with all sorts of tree houses for her to climb through. And there was another room set up like a 50's diner. The attic was like a big ship. She did love the bubble room. But if you get more than 4 kids in there, its crowded. But it wasn't worth $9 a piece to get in. I would say more like $5. We may or may not be back. I can't decide yet whether it was worth the drive or not. read more

We only use the Discovery Museum for the little ones and we've been there about 6 times. I agree with other reviewers that this is for the younger kids (18 months - 3 years) and we haven't been to the building for the older ones. My son (22 months) LOVES this place and the small rooms, lack of older kids and tons of different exhibits that he is capable of playing with are all bonuses for us. The fact that it's a smaller house with smaller rooms and not as many people all make this a great place for us. For us Boston is way too big, too crowded and designed for older kids. Providence is a nice middle ground between BOS and Acton. We are members - so we go to the PVD, BOS and Acton museums for free! You should completely avoid busier times (I would not even consider going here on a weekend when it rains out). The rooms are small so it gets over-crowded fast. No place to eat inside so bring a snack for the picnic tables but no place to eat it if it's raining out. read more

Can I give less than one star for this place. We drove from Dracut yesterday while it was raining. for less money you we could of spent the same time on the road and went to Children's Museum in Boston and had a much better time. This was labor day weekend so we didn't think it would be busy. I'll give one word of advise. Go here on a week day when it is absolutely gorgeous out. Otherwise you will not have any space to move. Parking is free but the first lot is so small.. Okay this is some sort of a Victorian house turned into a big play house. Very small rooms I'll guess and say that there were probably 10 - 11 different rooms. The largest play room was only 8 x 12 max. so put a lot of large play structures and immediately you are out of room. Even if I had to drive an extra 20 - 30 minutes I would still recommend the Boston Children's Museum. So we were there with out 15 mos old twins. which would of been fine except that there were a couple of families that had to bring from what it seemed aunts, uncles & grandparents. There were about 6 - 7 adults in this one room with one kid.. Hello that leaves no room for anyone else, do you wonder why everyone was bumping into you when there kids wanted to go into that room as well.. Okay I'm done venting.. Like I said unless it is 80 and sunny and a week day don't go.. Oh yeah since it was raining we noticed that there was a sign stating that there was a wait. now they were not enforcing this rule since it was raining but if it was a nice day out I guess you have to wait 30 - 60 minutes before you get to go in... Weird.. I'd enjoy what anyone else has to say about this place... read more

We headed over the the Childrens Discovery (for older kids), for a couple of hours. Sunday in the summer seems like the best time to go. There were not alot of people there, so you really could check everythint out at your own leisure. We spent abit too much time with the wood building and recycle stuff, so another trip is in order. The staff are incredibly nice, they interacted with the visitors quite abit. I don't recall seeing that at any childrens museum before. It is a very nice touch! Lots of cool things to see, we really enjoyed it! read more

located right next door from the little kids museum, this one steps it up a notch. more science, more interactive, more personal injury. me, not him, hes ok and loved every minute, me, i got bludgeoned by a two year old. kinda like the boston one (cambridge i guess) but closer to these parts and a hair cheaper (way cheaper if you use mta plan like moi). i will say the one in boston does have more to offer, but thats the way the sand pendulum rotates. read more

Such a great place to take that special fella in your life! Dads will have so much fun squeezing the bulbs to make the tuba make fart noises. Dads also love the rotating sand platforms! After that, dads can run over and spend forever building lego sluices in the water play area. And finally, take dad outside to the bouncy bridge where he can jump up and down and get some energy out! This is truly a perfect destination for dads. My kid probably had fun too idk I wasn't paying attention. read more