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.

Great little museum that's definitely worth the money. It's not huge, but there's a lot to enjoy,…read moreespecially if you take your time going through everything. The bald eagle was a highlight for me, and honestly the poop exhibit by the restroom was surprisingly fun and educational. Only here would that actually be a memorable part of the visit. I also really liked the outdoor show and the interactive animal encounters. They brought out animals you could touch like a snake and even cockroaches, which made the experience feel a lot more engaging. Overall, a fun and unique spot, especially good for families or anyone who likes wildlife up close.

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.

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.

What an extremely fun spot to plan an afternoon or make a pit-stop from a weekend back to the East…read moreBay. This was our first trip to G&M Farms in Livermore and it was incredibly special and actually quite the fun surprise off the freeway. As we were coming home from a night away, we wanted to stop and have a moment with our little amongst the pumpkins and support an East Bay pumpkin patch. As we were about to pass Livermore, we saw signage and oodles of fun happening for G&M Farms so we pulled off. There is so much to do here! You can grab a red Radio Flyer wagon and truly go hunting for the perfect pumpkin within the patch itself, or if you're on the hunt for more smaller pumpkins/gourds there is a whole gift shop/farm store that is so incredibly cute for basically every pumpkin vibe you can imagine. Plenty of spots to stop and take pictures with friends or family. There's a corn maze, drinks/snacks like mini donuts, popcorn, and corn dogs, and speaking of corn..oh-em-gee! Truly wanted to share a review for this reason alone. Looking for a sensory activity for your little? There is not a sandbox, but a giant CORN box for play. The adults also tried it (essentially we just put our feet in and it felt surprisingly really nice. Something unexpected and truly unique, fun, and interactive. We also noticed a few other activities on the pumpkin patch side like a tractor/train ride and I'm not sure if there was a petting zoo? Regardless, worth a trip if you haven't made your pumpkin haul yet. Plenty of room for strollers and very spread out. Can't wait to make the corn box an annual tradition. Looking forward to truly enjoying the patch next year with more time. Thank you G&M Farms for the memories! Still finding little corn kernels ;)

What to do after brunch on Sunday in Palo Alto? Head to the Foster! Parking is a breeze, the…read moreadmission is free, and the experience works for all ages! As a dabbler in watercolors, I was transfixed--some of these paintings are huge--and he does not use photographs! As an educator, my mind was brimming with opportunities to integrate his work into humanities and human geography classes. The Foster website has excellent resources. This is a must see if you are in the area!

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.

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.