Fantastic hidden gem! The downstairs nature exhibit was worth the price of admission alone!…read more Each sub-section was displayed beautifully so that the pieces of art, be it Western, Asian, African, Nature or Automobile, could be appreciated.

I visited this museum on Mother's Day with my family while 21 weeks pregnant. I had been here once…read morebefore and previously had a wonderful experience, which made this visit especially disappointing. Shortly after arriving, I noticed a water bottle refill station inside the museum and refilled my water bottle there. While quietly viewing an exhibit with my family, we were suddenly approached in a very loud and confrontational manner by a female staff member who stated, "Ma'am, ma'am! There is no food or drink allowed in the museum. You either need to leave or throw your water bottle away." I was surprised by both the tone and the interaction, especially considering the museum itself provided the refill station inside the building. I explained that I had filled the bottle there, but was told that people are apparently expected to "refill their bottles and then leave the museum to drink from them," which honestly made very little sense. Because I am pregnant, I asked if I could simply keep the bottle closed while inside, rather than repeatedly separating from my family whenever I became thirsty. She reluctantly agreed, but after that interaction, staff members continuously followed my family throughout the museum for the remainder of our visit, seemingly monitoring whether I drank water. What should have been an enjoyable family outing became extremely uncomfortable and unenjoyable. Being closely followed from exhibit to exhibit over a closed water bottle felt excessive and unnecessary, especially under the circumstances. Unfortunately, the experience left my family and I not wanting to return. I truly hope future guests are treated with more kindness, professionalism, common sense, and dignity.

Fantastic interactive train exhibit going on currently. It's so cool with even ceiling things going…read morearound.

This is a cute little museum. We came here specifically for the train exhibit, which is only on…read moredisplay for a few weeks in the summer. The train exhibit was really impressive. There's the main display, with several trains continuously running. The details were incredible. There's also a small table with wooden train tracks and little train cars for young kids to play with. Then there's a smaller running train display with several motorized scenes, like log cutting and a moving crane. Our little guy (2 years old) didn't want to leave. And of course, there's a small gift shop you pass through upon entering and leaving. Overall, lots of fun for little kids. The place is pretty small though, so it does get a little cramped on weekends.

This is a quaint little farm in San Ramon that's open to the public (free). We came here with a…read moretoddler, who was a bit frighten by the animals at first, but eventually warmed up to them. They are all very gentle and just roaming around in their enclosed area. There is a horse, sheep, lamb, a goat, and some chickens. This is not a petting zoo. We came here on a Saturday and ran into the couple that runs the farm. They were eager to tell us all about the farm, its history, and current events happening at the farm. (Almost) every Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. there is a free event, such as art with corn, ice cream making, rug weaving etc. See their website for schedule of events. They also have a tractor museum with many tractors restored by volunteers. Because we had a toddler with us, we had to cut our visit short and didn't get to check out the gift shop and the tour of the Victorian house (tours Saturdays at 12:00 pm and 1pm). We brought a picnic lunch and sat at one of several picnic tables scattered throughout the farm. It was a fun and educational outing, and we'll probably come back again.

We came here for their Holiday on the Farm event and were so pleasantly surprised by how much there…read morewas to do there: - arts and crafts in the Boone house - Glass Museum hours - Santa meet and greet and pictures - Magic show - brass band - face painting - kettle corn, cotton candy vendor - sheepdog/sheep demonstrations - chicken coop - tractor rides - tractor barn - lawn games - gift shop The best part about it all was that it was free (with the exception of tips for the face painter, food for purchase, tractor ride donations)! Love that we came here by chance and left so happy, overjoyed, and full of Christmas spirit. We would definitely come back for their other Saturday events and sheep shearing in April! Lots of parking, and staff are so welcoming. Had an issue with unruly kids and parents, but other than that, it was a pleasant experience all around.

We love the Lindsay Wildlife museum! I've been here many times with a family member who is…read moreautistic, and it's a great spot to get out of the house for an hour or so. I recommend going on a weekday if crowds are an issue. There is just enough to see where it isn't overwhelming. If you are with a group that reads the informational bits around the museum, I'd say give yourself 1-2 hours. There are often staff-led exhibits, such as showing the kids a snake. The staff are so friendly, and it's obvious they love what they do!

This is a nice little wildlife museum. It's very small. Maybe get through it in 45 min to an hour…read more They have wildlife greet and meet scheduled at different times throughout the day outside in the Grove area in front of museum. We enjoyed the bird display and all the other animals. It's seems throughout the day they are constantly cleaning or feeding the animals that allows you to watch. The staff is very friendly. If you coming from more than an hour away to this place save yourself. Moreover, It's best for toddlers to elementary kids. The parking lot is small and you can park on the street or the parking lot behind the couch. Also, there is a park playground behind the museum for play and maybe a brought home sit down lunch.

A fun way to celebrate the Halloween season with an historical ghost walk along Main Street in…read morePleasanton. This events ticket sales goes towards the museum. I was guided down Main Street with stops along the way of ghost sightings with a historical narrative of the town. I love hearing about the ghost viewings and learning about the history of the town I live.

We enjoyed checking out the current exhibit, From Earthquakes to Epidemics, showcasing and…read moreeducating visitors about the history of natural disasters and its impact on California and its people. Photos of candlestick park in SF just prior to the 1989 earthquake, displays about livestock epidemics as well as early epidemics in California missions, flooding in Sacramento in 1861-1862, the covid-19 pandemic, and even burnt and rusted items from the Camp Fire of 2018 shown behind glass casing. The main collection in the museum included a plethora of documents and objects representing the local area and surrounding cities, displays about transportation like bart, technology in the 1800's, and several antique musical instruments including a hearst organ, with tablets available for interactive learning. The digital exhibit of the Alameda County Fair especially captured my attention, presenting various aspects of its history, photos and descriptions of early fairs, food vendors, entertainment, exhibits, livestock and more... it gave me some ideas, as we were heading to fair after our visit to this museum :D We had zero interaction with staff while we roamed around at our own pace through several different rooms. The small gift shop had items unique to Pleasanton, like books, stationery, puzzles, and even a Pleasanton-opoly board game. Admission to the museum was free, and street parking was easy to find on a Saturday morning.

Parking is 5.00 Corn maze is 10.00 per adult…read more Large field of pumpkins are 10.00 each. We went to the corn maze and had such a blast. They had a food truck and icee area. Popcorn and water sales at corn maze.

Our favorite pumpkin patch and corn maze! I've come here for many years and have enjoyed the…read morevarious activities this farm has to offer. It gets crowded on the weekends so be prepared for lines. When you arrive there is a ticket booth near the parking lot to get ride tickets but if you walk further into the venue there are other ticket booths with much shorter lines. We took our 1 1/2 year old son on the cow train and he loved it. The corn maze is super fun and nice they have trivia questions along the route so you can answer questions to see which way to go.

This turned out to be one of my favorite stops, especially when I'm in between appointments in Palo…read moreAlto. I knew in advance that on Thursdays (2nd & 4th weeks only), the public street parking in front of the building was off limits for street sweeping/no parking between 7am-11am, so I got very lucky pulling up in front at 11am sharp. Nice. Easy walk. The Foster Museum was very simple, decent, positive, and relaxing environment filled with gorgeous nature views/sketches/watercolor artworks by the U.K. artist, Tony Foster. Good feeling here. Free admissions and good customer service staffs. You can just walk in or register online. There's a tiny gift area not far from the public restrooms. I signed the guestbook at the end of my walk. Good place to hang around/includes unlimited paper, paper/pencils/samples/etc. If you like to sketch and get some creative inspirations, all the nature artworks in the gallery is definitely a good place to start. Not huge, but perfectly quite and calm for art lovers. You can request for an orientation and/or tour as desired. Great first impression during first visit. It's the positive feeling I get from observing the energy and various colorful artworks. Simple and stress-free. Good value/free admissions is totally worth the 1-2 hours here. They also host art classes too, but I will need to take time to browse around online. Good vibes. Staffs are friendly inside. Hidden place. Love it.

This place is a hidden gem in Palo Alto, in an industrial area surrounded by factories. It is a…read moremuseum of the work of Tony Foster, an artist from UK who paints beautiful watercolor landscapes. It's free, and a nice place to visit for an hour or so ... highly recommended.

If you want to experience a step back in time, the self guided tour or the paid for tour will leave…read moreyou feeling like you are in another dimension. Stepping into the house from the front door, the energy felt warm and welcoming. It almost felt as though the family was still there. Maybe the past is the present. I was lucky to have the house to myself- I was told the house docent would arrive shortly . Natural light pouring through the old windows was lovely. As I wandered about, I could hear agitated footsteps from upstairs, so I did not go to the second floor, but instead entertained myself with exploring all the downstairs. I was drawn to a beautiful painting on the wall of a woman with her horse in the front room. As I was looking at the painting my sweater pocket was gently tugged not once but twice. Inside the pocket was my lemon honey cough drops. ‍ If you want to experience a quieter peaceful time before "progress" changed Hayward you will enjoy the tour. Any funds that they make on these tours or events goes to the care of the two historic mansions. The house docents are lovely and share the family history in such a way they come alive. If you have wondered what the inside of this grand old dame looks like you will enjoy seeing for yourself on the second Saturday of the month 10am to 2 pm. Enjoy.

Randomly passed by while biking down Hesperian (unintended city sight tour) and noticed this cool…read morearchitectural gem. It wasn't open today so couldn't go in for tours but I looked it up online later. Reminds me of the Patterson House at Ardenwood Historic Farm. Neat piece of local history!

What a treasure in the midst of hectic Bay Area! Our parks tour guide was super knowledgeable- what…read morean interesting story of the life of Eugene and his wife

Sneaky cool nps site. A little hard to get to but website has good logistical info. Site is well…read moremaintained. Rangers tour has good interpretative content. A site worth checking out.

Key Points: - reclining chairs…read more- Table/"chair" service - Great selection of food The Mrs. and I really enjoy coming to THE LOT City Center in San Ramon to watch movies. It's definitely a step up from the movie theaters we grew up with, where the experience was basically a rocking chair, popcorn, soda, a hot dog, and some candy. Here they have reclining seats, tray tables, and QR-code menus where you can order food and drinks right from your seat. They'll actually bring your order to you during the movie. The theater is clean, comfortable, and an overall cozy atmosphere. Food Variety is solid. We've had burgers, ahi poke nachos, carne asada tacos, calamari, and of course, the Mrs. And The Little One's favorite, buttered popcorn! The food is actually quite decent. Is it the best food we've ever had? No. But hey, we're eating in a movie theater! We recently brought The Little One here for her first-ever movie theater experience. She loved it, even though she's a bit sensitive to noise. I think the comfortable seats and overall atmosphere helped ease her into it. Is the food pricey? Yes. But honestly, that's not particularly surprising for a dine-in movie theater. You're paying for the convenience and the overall experience, not just the food itself. I also recently noticed that the place has a separate restaurant area, named ZENTRL Kitchen + Bar, which I haven't tried yet. It looks like it could be worth checking out on its own. They also serve breakfast until 2 p.m., including pancakes, chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, and other brunch items. My next item on the bucket list is likely going to be a movie brunch. Just like Marshall, it can't just be for one. . Going to be dragging the Mrs. And The Little One along. I know there are other theaters these days offering reclining seats, dine-in service, and upgraded amenities, so THE LOT isn't necessarily unique. But compared with the theaters we've personally been to, I'd say this place does a particularly good job and stands out in our book. For now, it's one of our favorite places for a movie, especially when we want the movie itself to feel like a little outing rather than just a trip to the theater.

We were genuinely excited to try THE LOT because we live nearby and have been curious about it for…read morea while. We like the concept, and we do not mind paying premium prices when the experience justifies them. Unfortunately, our first visit fell well short. The property itself is very cool. The large common-area bar is attractive and lively, the theater is easy to get in and out of, and the whole place feels like it should be a great anchor for the City Center. The problems started at concessions. We were there for the first movie of the day, so we arrived bright and early and expected fresh popcorn. Nope. What we were served was clearly not freshly made. It tasted like popcorn left from the night before. Given what movie theaters charge for popcorn, and given how easy it is to make a fresh batch, that is pretty hard to justify. Once inside the auditorium, cleanliness also left something to be desired. There were some mechanical problems too. One side of my power recliner was not working, which made the reclining feature unusable. Listen, I grew up in Ohio in a pretty modest household, so a power recliner still feels like a pretty fancy movie-theater perk to this farm boy. Believe me when I say that alone would NOT have ruined the experience. But by then, it was starting to become part of a pattern. The bigger problem was the in-seat dining. There was no menu or QR code at our seats. The QR codes are tied to specific seat numbers, so scanning one from another pair of seats would send the order to the wrong place. We could not simply move either because, of course, the seats are assigned. With about 40 minutes before showtime, I called downstairs and explained the problem. I was told someone would come up with a printed menu. Nobody came. At that point, we simply gave up on ordering brunch or drinks. Come on, guys. THE LOT specifically promotes the ability to order food and drinks from your (sticky, broken) seat, so having customers sitting there actively trying to spend money and still being unable to place an order is a pretty serious operational miss. That service is not some little extra. It is part of the product THE LOT is selling. And that is really the point of this review. I actually think THE LOT is a great concept. I want it to succeed. The screen was magnificent and the sound system absolutely rocks. We live nearby, like City Center, and would love for THE LOT to become one of our regular places. But the general manager needs to get a handle on the basics. Stale popcorn, cleanliness issues, broken seats and food service that never shows up are management problems. At a premium dine-in theater, fresh popcorn, clean auditoriums, working equipment and responsive service should be a given. I get nervous every time I see another tenant leave the City center. It's tough to stay in business in this day and age... even when you do everything right. Please read the reviews and take them seriously. I would hate to see a place with this much potential lose customers while ownership wonders what went wrong. This starts with management setting standards and making sure they are actually met. We want to support THE LOT. We want to keep spending money there. And we absolutely want to see businesses at our local City Center thrive. Just deliver the experience the concept promises, and I think a lot of us will happily keep coming back.