I visited this museum on a whim and didn't have much time, but it is definitely on my list to revisit before summer ends! General admission is $25, but they participate in Museums for All, which is a great perk. I brought my 20-month-old and was thrilled to find so many age-appropriate activities for him to explore. The absolute highlight was the moving dinosaurs outside, set against a beautiful backdrop of the bay, a view that adults will definitely appreciate even if the toddlers don't notice! Definitely a great place to snap some photos. The bottom floor features animals and exhibits, and I noticed a cafe that I'd love to try for lunch next time. My only critique is the customer service. Some staff members, including those at the front desk, weren't very welcoming or acknowledging. Since this is such a family-oriented space, a simple smile would go a long way! It didn't ruin my experience, but better service would prevent it from taking away from anyone else's visit. Highly recommend overall! read more

Lawrence Hall of Science - Children's Museums Near Me - Berkeley, California

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$5 on a Sunday? I think, yes! I may have gone to the Lawrence Hall of Science for a field trip when I was younger, but coming back as an adult and now a mom, how fun! The views while parking are incredible and if ya know, ya know. While they do have a new cafe located on the bottom level ('ammatka Cafe; Ohlone-forward food), we did notice a lot of families and people bringing their lunches and sitting outside enjoying the sunshine and Bay Area picturesque stunning views. Speaking of parking, you do have to pay to park. Pro tip for those with a stroller: drop off one parent/group with stroller at the entrance and have the other park/pay. There is a distance/stairs pending where you park. Remember your license plate number to pay-by-machine. There's a parking app you can download too. I wish we checked out the website ahead of time to know all the hands-on exhibits and fun that we could embark on, but we were there on a spontaneous whim, and explored so many things! From electronic dinosaurs outside, to exhibits currently about making music, the future of food, and an animal discovery zone, there is so much ground to cover and truly a little something for everyone to enjoy. We will definitely be back! For littles, the downstair floor (there's elevators) has a super cool room that provokes shadow play, dance, and magna-tiles. This floor also has the animals! read more

Lawrence Hall of Science - Parking views - Children's Museums Near Me - Berkeley, California

Had a ton of fun with my family here! Kudos to my BIL for the complimentary entrance for up to 6 family members due to his Air Force military status. It's usually $25/person for 3+. I used to go here when I was a kid and remember the huge whale in the front. The location is gorgeous in the Berkeley hills and it has a ton of fun educational activities and exhibits for everyone, toddlers, kids, even adults! They have an expansive toddler activity area, food/music/AI interactive exhibits, and one of my faves- the outdoor dinosaur exhibit with the most gorgeous views of the bay. They also have a new cafe with a unique menu, even had vegan options. We easily spent almost 5 hours there and the kids would've stayed for longer if we let them. Highly recommend for families with kids! read more

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We had such a great time at the Lawrence Hall of Science! Both my 2 and 10yo loved it, and there were activities that kept both of them engaged and excited. We spent about 5 hours exploring and were surprised by how uncrowded it was for a Saturday, though it was July 4th weekend. The weather was perfect for enjoying the outdoor dinosaur area too. Such a fun, educational experience for kids of different ages read more

Lawrence Hall of Science - Children's Museums Near Me - Berkeley, California

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We visited this place with friends in town from So Cal and it was a great time. We had the opportunity to enjoy the solar show and can't wait to go back and try the AI exhibit. I especially appreciated all the acknowledgment to indigenous history throughout the establishment. read more

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The outdoor dinosaurs were fun and most of the exhibits were in working order (a difficult struggle for hands-on science museums, I imagine). The price was very steep, however, with the limited amount of things to do and see. While the adults agreed it was fine overall, the 10 year old enjoyed it. Staff were friendly and the gift shop has good "science nerd" apparel and gifts. read more

Well when I came in to pay. This young lady was very I tentative! She explained everything to us. So on our merry way. We are the first floor so many activities to do. My cousin and daughter loved the . And outside where they were was an amazing view of Berkeley. We were sitting on top of the world. A little girl came over and talked to us. Her father said it was ok to film her. She was five years old! A very bright, intelligent, fun loving girl! Her favorite pass time was golf. She knew the stands to when u putt! She was amazing. She came and brought us flowers. My daughter n I put them in our hair. Ok down to the exhibits down stairs. Well we walked in no one spoke. Parents kept asking the young lady so what do we do! Horrible horrible horrible! Customer service! Young ladies you should say hellli when someone walks in the door! You should come and explain what to do. Not just stand in the lockers. So, went to the souvenir shop! We all couldn't wait to spend some money. The gentleman never said hello! He kept flipping his hair looking off into space! Wow! Very easily for people to steal items! Tighten up! Greet people pay attention! Speak to the customers! Terrible customer service March 21,2026 3pm-5pm! Do better! I didn't get a chance to give anything I. The suggestion box! Next time I will! Thanks we guess! read more

Lawrence Hall of Science - Our friend brought us flowers! What a sweetie pie! 3/21/2026 - Children's Museums Near Me - Berkeley, California

This was an amazing trip with two of my grandchildren. It was the perfect place for them and I found it extremely entertaining and interacting. Getting here is a snap and there is a parking lot right on the grounds. My son has a family membership and the only cost was for my wife and I. This is a beautiful spot and we headed right over to the 3D movie. My seven and four year old grandchildren really enjoyed this movie feature. Once complete they headed out to the live animal display and truly had a great time. My wife and I stayed with the young lady who had a snake crawling and climbing her. It was pretty fascinating to watch this. Many animals in glass cages to watch and learn about. The Lawrence has set up a great spot for kids to come and observe. I liked the main hall where they had demos on paper airplanes, sound, basic gears and mechanical toys. It was also a beautiful day that the kids could run and play outside. Really, a perfect venue for children and adults alike. KUDOs to the team at Lawrence Hall of Science read more

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LHS: -New cafe! Even has coffee. -room to run and play -two outside areas to explore -now has bathrooms on upper level -rotating exhibits -animatronic dinosaurs read more

Lawrence Hall of Science - New cafe just opened 2/13/26. Menu shown in photo. - Children's Museums Near Me - Berkeley, California

Going here for the first time, I didn't realize it was a museum mostly for kids. Had I known that before, we probably would not have come, but we just gave it a chance. The most interesting thing here, to me, was the globe showing all the airline flights all over the world. There are lots of interactive things here for kids to do. And this place sits high in the Berkeley Hills, awesome views of the entire Bay Area!! read more

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Wow! What a fun day! We enjoyed the cool, hands-on exhibits at The Lawrence Hall of Science. They've added many new interactive experiences! There are a number of exhibits which I've added videos of. I feel they definitely stepped up the experience since our last visit From STEM activities to immersive displays, this spot is perfect for curious minds. Placed in the Berkeley hills, it also has some of the best views of the Bay. read more

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I thought I would only be here for two hours, but every hour I ended up extending it an hour and before I knew it I was here until 5 PM when it closes pro tip I will try to pay as much time as you can at the pay station because if you use the pay by phone every time you make a transaction they're gonna charge you a third charge of $.35. I don't think you could do everything in here in a day. You'll have to come in multiple days. we spent a lot of time in the science exhibit where you are mixing water and colors. The dinosaurs at the end are really cool though, and you have the most spectacular view of the bay. read more

After 3 months of waiting, our membership issue was finally resolved. I appreciate that they extended our membership date to reflect one year from when the cards were actually issued, rather than when we initially paid. Hopefully this severe inconvenience does not happen to anyone else! read more

I'm a fan of the Lawrence Hall of Science but I was less impressed with their summer camps. The Lawrence's Toy Builders was, by far, the most expensive summer camp we signed our kid up for. The camp's description includes the following: Participants will use their creativity to transform recycled materials into a take-home toy with moving parts! We didn't see anything resembling a toy come home with our camper. But she seemed to watch a lot of movies over her two weeks at the Lawrence... It doesn't square for me that this is the priciest camp and the only one where they frequently plopped my kid in front of a screen. The camp seems to lack the adult supervision and structure of other camps my daughter attended this past summer. Overall, my kid was also less than enthusiastic about the camp, so all around Toy Builders was a miss for us. read more

Lawrence Hall of Science - It can be really foggy in the morning! - Children's Museums Near Me - Berkeley, California

25$ per person for admission. Kids under 3 are free. 5$ extra to watch the shows. I'd say it's worth it for your first time. There are a lot of activities to do. They do have animal habitats as well. They do animal shows daily around scheduled times. The view was beautiful. I'd recommend bringing the littles read more

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My son enjoyed his time here. He was enthralled by the dinosaurs outside. Enjoyed exploring the playtopia juegolandia activities, especially the wind ones. The animal discovery zone was also a hit for him. He was scared and interested with one of the lizards there. This is a great place and can't wait for him to go back to explore more. read more

The mountain road is very twisted up to the hall. There is something to see indeed. The biggest attraction might be the dinosaurs outside. This place may be interesting for kids, but very boring for adults. read more

The Lawrence Hall of Science is always a great place to visit and learn, especially with the rotating exhibits. It feels different taking my own kids here now, and I appreciate many of the kid-friendly activities even more than when I was growing up and visiting. The 3D movie on the life cycle of the T-Rex was awesome. Very engaging, and the effects added to the experience instead of being distracting. Definitely worth the extra $5 to see it! The sun presentation...not so much. I wouldn't recommend that one, but the planetarium is pretty cool and perhaps other programs are better. Other highlights were the outdoor dinosaur exhibit with the moving/screaming dinosaurs, the molecular biology room (great way to introduce kids to vortex machines, centrifuges, bioreactors, and microscopes), and the outdoor exploration area. Other places looked pretty awesome, but we didn't have time to visit. A couple of not-so-great things included the food options. The cafe downstairs was shuttered the whole time we were there. The tiny mini fridge in the gift shop was okay, but didn't have a lot of options, and even less veggies. In addition, how is there not more Lawrence Hall of Science-specific swag??? I asked about a sticker and they said it's been the most requested item for years. Kinda seems like a hint to offer some, right? Parking is easy, but paid. Staff is pretty friendly too. read more

We arrived at the museum at 10am on Mon Aug 18 2025 only to find it closed for two weeks despite no notifications on the website. I had checked the website the same morning and it showed open. As we were walking up to the museum other visitors stated the doors were closed with a sign stating the museum would be closed until Sat Aug 30 2025. The website updated later that morning with the closure notification. We drove for over an hour to get to the museum. Posting a two week closure notification after normal opening hours is unacceptable, especially with no additional details (e.g. an emergency closure due to something unexpected). read more

For a museum focused on teaching basic science concepts to young children you really cannot go wrong with taking your kids to the Lawrence Hall of Science. The museum itself is located up in the hills of UC Berkeley. There are dedicated parking lots near the museum, though these do fill up pretty quickly on the weekends. Parking fee is reasonable and can be done at the kiosk or on your phone. We really enjoyed the AI exhibit on the bottom floor as well as the dinosaur animatronics in the outdoor area on the top floor of the museum. There is also a sandpit in the outdoor area with the dinosaurs that your little ones can play in, consider bringing your own beach/sand toys since there are only a few shovels provided by the facility. There is also a nice outdoor spaces on bottom floor to picnic in as well (bring your own food or doordash to the museum!). FYI the cafeteria is not open so you cannot really buy any food here except for some canned sodas and cold sandwiches at the gift shop. Overall expect to spend at least 2 to 3 hours there including lunch time to get the full experience. Highly recommend if you have kids between the ages of 2 to 12 to bring them here! read more

Lawrence Hall of Science - Children's Museums Near Me - Berkeley, California

Took my two year old and he had the most fun playing outside in the ramp, though he kept slipping due to tree acorns and leaves on the pavement. I think this museum is better suited for 4 years - 10 year old kids. The indoor activities require reading and being able to do independent work. The dinos outside in the back scared my fearless kid so that surprised me. The views of Berkeley are photo worthy from these dinos. The few animals were all hiding due to noise. I think it is really pricey for what it is. It is standard museum rates $30 per adult, but given adults just chaperone in an old lecture hall, I feel it should be less. And you have to pay for parking! read more

Lawrence Hall of Science - Views from the back of museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The Lawrence Hall of Science is a fun, hands-on museum designed for little kids to have fun while observing physics in action. It was named after famous Nobel Prize Physics professor Ernst Lawrence from UC Berkeley. He invented the Cyclotron and after he died, two national labs were named after him: Lawrence Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore. They have paid parking available on two lots. Just pay by License Plate number for a low hourly rate at one of the nearby kiosks. Enjoy the awesome views of the whole Bay Area, fountain, whale, and double helix exhibits outside before going in. Inside the Hall you'll see demos on paper airplanes, sound, basic gears and mechanical toys, and this air hockey table. They have a museum shop with snacks, toys, and books but no onsite restaurant or cafe. Also, no air conditioning so expect to see lots of fans throughout. I had fun while visiting, and I think our 3yo son also had a good time running around everywhere too. read more

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$75 for two kids and one adult. Waaay too expensive for how small it is. Also wouldn't recommend for kids over 9 because the exhibits are less science and more sensory stuff for little ones. read more

Growing up in the East Bay Area I remember making at least a couple different trips with my schools. Just on the other side of the Caldecott, with stunning views of the San Francisco Bay Area, it's got to be the best museum on the planet. We've been making the trek whenever we get a free day from school and this time we lucked into the Dinosaur exhibit. My youngest was just in heaven examining everything. We spent a good amount of time playing with the motorized figures outside, including pretending to run from a dino attack! Inside, we were treated to a globe which displayed the view from space, an earthquake simulator, gravity testing, and the AI lab. I know the museum gift shop is named the "Discovery Store" but really, isn't that what the entire museum is? It's selling scientific discoveries with your ticket right? It's ok, I know I'm a little weird. We saved the whale and DNA structure for last as we were heading home. I insisted on having the kids pose in the DNA for me, cause my DNA in DNA was too funny to resist. read more

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Def more geared for kids but what an amazing view. Parking prices in the area are reasonable but good luck on a weekend. Wow that view is something else. read more

Awesome space for kids to learn and engage with science! I do wish it had more locations! It's tough to get to!

Stopped by for homecoming weekend. My favorite exhibit, the live animal room, has been updated and we enjoyed touching the snake and learning about different animals in their habitats. There are now two animal rooms. Love all the hands on exhibits that the whole family can enjoy, and the finale was exploring the outdoor exhibits and enjoying the beautiful bay views. read more

First time visiting Lawrence Hall. Went with my 15 year old twins and my grand daughters, ages 2 & 3. It was not what I was expecting at all. Overall, I found the exhibits underwhelming. The staff consisted of young adults. Some were very attentive and others didn't even look our way. I would have appreciated more interaction from staff. The view of the Bay was amazing for me, but the kids didn't care about that. We didn't pay the up charge for the T-Rex show or the planetarium. I felt that $25 admission was high, especially for a 3 year old. 2 and under were free. For that ticket price, there should not be an up charge to see these exhibits. read more

What a wonderful place! I brought my preschooler (4 years old) a few weeks ago and we both had a nice time. I think he's just on the precipice of being the perfect age. First, walking in, we had a lot of fun making and launching our paper airplanes. I love that they have the obstacles to try to get your plane to fly through! He also had fun in the "little kids" area with the hands-on activities. This area is probably best designed for small children age 1-5. I think his favorite room was the physics room with all the games, the miniature golf, basketball, etc. I personally LOVED the hands-on pinball activity! This was such a clever idea!!!! We had a lot of fun building our own design. Some of the other exhibits were a little too old for him, which is totally fine. I think the museum is best geared to children in elementary school and middle school. I remember coming here in 7th or 8th grade and seeing demonstrations with liquid nitrogen circa the year 2000. I wish the cafeteria area downstairs was open, but they sell some pre-packaged snacks upstairs in the gift shop. The gift shop has lots of the STEM activities and toys you're probably used to seeing at science museums. Solid afternoon for us. I may think about joining as a member, too! read more

I spent $80 for entrance. No free parking. You must download a parking app and enroll with a credit card, password, etc. ripoff for sure!!

Had a great time taking the kiddos here for our son's 2nd birthday! It was a week day so it was a much slower day with a smaller crowd as well. Which, for me, is the perfect time to visit! The only down side to the visit was that because there was a smaller crowd the exhibit attendants weren't as attentive to us. They were either on their phones and seated or only spoke to us when we asked a question. Also, it's been some years since I've been there for a field trip, but the hands on animal experience is not really "hands on". It's more like "eyes only!" lol Overall, we had a good time and will hopefully be back to Check out the exhibits we don't get a chance to see. read more

Excellent place to bring kids or curious adults. Great view of the East Bay and SF. Have some patience with the staff and parking on a busy day. Can't go wrong with a late afternoon here. read more

Lawrence Hall of Science - Lawrence museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Berkeley, California

Save your money ($20 for adults free for kids 3 and below) and go to the purple museum or OAK zoo. Maybe I had higher expectations but I felt their exhibits were limited (whet germs are, a ball run, build equake proof building are some of them). You also had to pay for parking. Kudos for the bay area view. read more

Lawrence Hall of Science - Children's Museums Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great museum for kids but be warned that there is no air conditioning. Animal exhibit closed at 4pm as well.

Very cool place for kids. Lots to do and friendly staff. And of course the view is breathtaking. Definitely recommend it to all parents with small kids. read more

Lawrence Hall of Science - Acrobatic performance outside of building. - Children's Museums Near Me - Berkeley, California

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We got in for free because one of us is a student and the other has an EBT card. Its a nice place for kids, its a wrong use of the building though, lots of empty space, artificial lighting, and just poor cheap layout. The view from outside is awesome though overlooking the bay. I wouldn't recommend spending money to get in- if you want a similar really cool hands on experience check out the Exploratorium in San Francisco! read more

Science museum? Yes please! However, the Lawrence Hall of Science isn't quite a science museum, but more of a science activity centre for children. There wasn't really much for adults to see, although I quite enjoyed the planetarium show about constellations. Admission was $12, so at least it wasn't terribly expensive. Not a terrible place, but unless you have children, I wouldn't recommend visiting the Lawrence Hall of Science. I did buy these awesome wooden blocks in the gift shop, for my niece who'll be born at the end of August (first time being an aunt -- woo hoo!). The blocks have all the elements of the periodic table on them, and they are so cool! [Yelp collections: West Coast 2018] read more

Lawrence Hall of Science - Could not resist buying these from the gift shop for my niece-to-be. - Children's Museums Near Me - Berkeley, California

3-29-2021 7:20p.m. Juss in time for the sunset... Sunsets are stunning from here...I am a softie for a sunset...shhh dont tell anyone unless she's cute luvz sunsets and wanna go to dinner!!! I've been coming up here for bout a year to watch the very unpredictable sunsets...I mean the day can be clear all around and here comes the fog...I still luvit...onna clear nite sit back and watch the city by the bay transform from day to nite...beautiful!!! Blankets seggested Wine & Beer suggested Perfect for a chill date read more

We took our elementary aged children and they loved it. We were there just over 2 hours but could have easily spent another hour plus. There isn't food sold there but they have tables outside and inside if you want to pack a lunch. The views looking over the bay are amazing! The only negative was that they don't have AC so it was warm inside. read more

Lawrence Hall of Science - My kids looking for the Golden Gate Bridge. - Children's Museums Near Me - Berkeley, California

The Lawrence Hall of Science is awesome! i went with 9 other elderly people and had a great time/ A lot of the major attractions were close due to upgrades but we still had a blast. I HAVE TO GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO RANDY AT THE FRONT DESK. He made our entry so enjoyable. again thank you to all the staff who supported this visit and making a great one. I have to say this is one of the nicest museums we have visited. I hope by writing this review more people visit this place. THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOU DID. YOU'RE AMAZING! read more