I brought my nephew and niece to this museum for the museums's temporary bubble and foam event, and…read morethey had a blast. I really appreciated all of the different areas that were available for kids. Even though it was packed on the day we went, it never felt too crowded because of how many activities there were! There was never a moment that we waited for anything, if one area felt to dense, we would hop to the next area. It was perfect. You could honestly spend all day here. The bubbles and foam integrations were so cool. I'd like to give a huge shoutout to the people that coordinated the foam party. Every kid that I saw looked like they were having so much fun. My nephew did not want to leave. This place is also nice for adults because of the beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Just being able to see such beautiful views made the day so much better, it felt like it was an outing for me as well. Parking is horrible so plan to arrive early or you might be looking for parking for quite a while, however we did go during the last weekend of the bubbles and foam event so that may not always be the case. Overall, the entire family had a great time and we would definitely visit again if in the area.

I had seen this place advertised on Instagram, and I'm happy that it lived up to the hype!…read more ATTRACTIONS: This museum is perfect for toddlers through early elementary aged kids. My kids had a delightful time exploring the vast offerings: playgrounds, musical instruments, arts and crafts, bubbles, etc. We spent a few hours here and didn't get to explore everything, so I think that means we will have to return! PARKING: Parking is free and right by the entrance. There are several good spots for a family photo in front of the GG Bridge. OTHER: -there is a restaurant/cafe with better than expected prices and better than expected food. However, the line gets long and online ordering didn't work when we visited this month. -There is a gift shop with fair prices and lots of unique toys/art supplies. I was able to get a birthday gift for a friend. -Check in staff was really friendly and polite, but other staff was not as approachable.

I feel very lucky to have a place like the Children's Museum of Sonoma County right here in Santa…read moreRosa! There are so many fun, hands-on activities and special events for kids, which makes a membership absolutely worth it. We especially love the extra-large Light-Brite, water play area, and art room, but there is SO much more to explore. Totopia is also fantastic if you have little ones under 3--it's such a great space for them to play and explore. My only complaint is that the museum can get pretty crowded, so I definitely recommend getting there early if you want a little more space to enjoy everything. I'm also really excited and grateful that they are planning to expand the museum, which will create more exhibit space and hopefully help with the crowds.

This is a non-profit children's museum in Sonoma county in Santa Rosa. It's fun for all ages…read moreespecially if you're a kid at heart. It's centrally located in town and very close to the Charles Schultz (Peanuts/Snoopy) museum which is pretty well known. Pluses: - fun for all ages, but especially the littles both indoors and outdoors. - pretend play areas indoors including a dentist office and a medical clinic and a fast diner. All 3 were a hit w/my kids. - lots of other hands on activities inside to include a treehouse where kids can load apples and send them up and down baskets, my kids love that when they were little. - very popular air launchers to shoot wind spinners. - a huge manual pinball machine that is super fun, my kids never tired of making the pinball launch over and over. - a miniature train set that goes around, it's on the 2nd floor. - plenty of outdoors activities and play areas. - a little stream for water play, little kids love that. - a real life former medical helicopter (a bit random, but still cool). - a climbing structure, and a few other play areas also. - so many ways to tire your kids out, guaranteed a good nap on the way home and they'll prob sleep a lot that night. Minuses: - The building indoors is really quite packed. The different features are each thoughtfully designed and very nice and colorful, but it can get crowded here. - Pretty expensive admission. We got a discount, but I think their prices have increased. All in all, a great little place and good for creative play for kids maybe up to like 5th-6th grade at most, but best for 9 or younger probably.

We had an amazing time with my two kids and husband. This place had super interactive activities…read morefor my 4yr old and 18m old. They enjoyed dressing up in fireman gear, playing with water, doing crafts, playing in the pretend food area, building with blocks, making bubbles, and playing outside. This place has a lot to do and we wished we could have stayed longer. Only part that is annoying is the stroller rule. If your child CAN walk, you can't take your stroller in. Weird rule for a place that caters to kids, including younger ones in that in between stage. Even cmy 4 year old gets tired more than average. And sure, my youngest can technically walk but he can't last the whole time walking. Anyway, we had fun but I felt like I couldn't fully relax.

Pretty freaking amazing children's museum, kids loved it (and the adults had fun hanging out too)…read more Kinda a no-brainer if you have kids -- we have a 4yo but there were bigger kids and even teens here bustlin' around.

Not a bad place to take the kids for a little bit. I wouldn't say it's my favorite kids museum,…read morebut my daughters enjoyed it and that's what matters. It's not very large, but does give the kids a few decent options on what to do. I do think charging kids below the age of 2 seems a bit strange, but it is what it is. Overall, if you're in the area and want the kids to have some fun, this is a good spot. $20 entry fee for everyone BTW. Kids and adults.

Many areas where kids can hang out and have fun. My class went there for a field trips. They liked…read morethe build your own animation area. Museum staff was friendly and knowledgable. Tickets are expensive.

Very cool spot. This place is probably best for school-aged children. They do have one wall with…read moreconnector toys for the toddlers but that's about it. It's small but a nice spot to spend under an hour. Also finding the entrance was hard because google maps takes you to the wrong main gate.

I almost got into the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory! Yes, the Lawrence Livermore National…read moreLaboratory is self-described as "a premier research and development institution for science and technology applied to national security." Because they are working with important stuff pertaining to national security, nuclear materials and other top secret stuff, they won't let the average Yelper in there. But, right outside their front gate is the Discovery Center. The Discovery Center is a small museum that gives you a brief introduction to the lab and what they do. They have hands on and interactive exhibits for children to play with. Most of the exhibits were well maintained. It is an interesting way to spend an hour. The staff, at least on the day were there, was fantastic. Since we were the only ones there, she almost gave us a personalized tour to explain some of the exhibits and talk about the lab and what they do. They have an easy scavenger hunt for children with a nice t-shirt as a prize. They are pretty generous with the scavenger hunt and let children of all ages play. The museum is priced just right for most Yelpers. It is free! It's a nice place, with not a lot of visitors.

For the price, it's definitely a little gem in Palo Alto. Having a little young, I didn't even know…read morethat Palo Alto had this zoo but we decided to take a trip one day to come check it out. You have to make a reservation I'm guessing so it doesn't get overpacked. As soon as you enter, there's a ton of indoor activities for the little. There's a dino area right outside and then on the other side is where the zoo part is. There's not a ton of animals but the animals that are there were pretty active when we were there. There was a tortoise, birds, rabbits, fish, flamingos that we actually got to feed and a few others that I'm forgetting. Again, not huge but it was enough that we probably spent about a good 2 hours there. After that, there's also a park right behind it so if your kiddos aren't tired already, they can burn off some energy there. If we lived closer, I would consider getting a pass but for now, we'll do some day trips there

Admission I've visited a couple of times - once for a…read moreregular visit and birthday party. During my first visit in May 2026, the admission was $14 per ticket for both an adult and toddler for the 10:00 a.m. reservation. If you're planning a birthday celebration or picnic, there are first-come, first-served tables at Rinconada Park next door. Venue The Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo is exactly that - it's a smaller, toddler-friendly museum and zoo. Plan to visit for an estimated 1.5 - 2 hours, as this should be plenty of time to explore everything. There are both indoor and outdoor experiences, including interactive activities for little ones, an outdoor zoo, complimentary flamingo feeding sessions, and a treehouse-style playground. Animals available included meerkats, flamingos, raccoons, fish, a tortoise, and macaws. Location / Parking The museum is right next to Rinconada Park and there's a dedicated parking lot. It can fill up quickly during popular reservation times and street parking is also available nearby. Customer Service The front desk staff scans admission tickets upon arrival and provides a stamp for in-and-out privileges, which is helpful if you plan to visit the neighboring Rinconada Park.

Such a fun museum for little kids. There's something to do for different age ranges. I would say…read morethe ideal age range is around 2 - 6 years old.  My kids had a blast here exploring each of the areas and we spent about 2 hours here. There's a lot of pretend play such as a fish market, grocery store, post office, flower shop, puppet theater, veterinary office. They even have a bin for "tasted toys" in case a kid puts something in their mouths. I saw staff wiping down toys which I appreciated because I did see a lot of younger toddlers putting things in their mouths. Hand sanitizer bottles are placed all over the museum. There is an art room with some crafts for the kids to do. For the babies, there's a separate infant play area that require shoes off. Good to go on a hot or rainy day for the kids to get their energy out. It's definitely worth a visit especially for the younger kids.

Solid Children's museum with a mixture of STEM and pretend play that suits kids 1-6yo. Our kids had…read morea blast and easily were entertained for a few hours. A nice touch was they had spare diapers to use as well. Kid friendly size toilets and bathroom sinks. Price is reasonable and also on Discover and Go. There's also nearby EV chargers as well.

My 7-year old LOVED this place, so that alone makes it 5 stars. For me personally, I'd say 3…read morestars, when factoring in its easy location and not having to wait in lines. So let's preface this with, my daughter corresponds with her "very own fairy" (aka. me--a very involved parent who also celebrates her half birthday, commits to elaborate elf on the shelf surprises for a prolonged period each year, is her Girl Scouts troop leader, etc.). She's been asking her fairy to take her to Neverland. The fairy responded "not yet", and instead supplied what my daughter referred to as "free" tickets" (online $20/pp, or $139/annual which includes an adult and 3 kids) to Fairyland the next day. We took the Bart to 19th St Oakland from San Francisco, which was SUPER convenient (daughter loves the train, and I hate driving in traffic), thought a bit of a walk in the Oakland heat/humidity. Also the lake that it's located on, absolutely reeks of sewage--I don't understand how people purposely walk/jog along the edges; but at least you can't really smell it from Fairyland. Just walk on the upper sidewalk or across the street if you share in my disgust. You'll get plenty of cute photos. The few rides they have (4 rides total) are very cute, had no lines on a summer weekday, and only accommodate heights between 36"-54" (except for the Jolly Trolley train which is all heights though adults need to watch their heads when squeezing in and out). The height restriction is very important to know before you go, to ensure your kid isn't disappointed. Wear sunscreen. No mosquitoes, which I was concerned about given the standing lake water and humidity. There are outdoor sinks with soap and antibacterial to wash your hands periodically, which I appreciated. As expected, a high priced gift shop, though it's stocked primarily with smaller toys, so if you're roped into purchasing something it won't break the bank. The single restaurant counter is actually quite perfect! Imaginibbles serves super cute, kid friendly healthy food that is reasonably priced at ~$7/entree. Smaller portions, but in my opinion, perfect for a theme park. The reusable cup ($8, includes one refill) is color changing when cold, very sturdy for a plastic cup, and you can fill with strawberry, white peach or watermelon lemonade that isn't overly sweet. You are also allowed to bring your own food, and there were plenty of folks picnicking on the large grassy area. Attractions are definitely old (paint missing throughout), and not cleaned well. Spiderwebs galore, particularly in areas that are meant to only be looked at, such as the Alice statue that you can see through a window in the Alice in Wonderland tunnel. A quick broom sweep would do wonders! There are a number of cute smaller animals, like chickens, a bearded dragon, 2 donkeys, and a land tortoise. These areas conversely appear relatively well maintained, which is fantastic for both the animals and to keep smells minimal. There is also a pressed wood town area with a slide where the kids can run around and climb into the different buildings, which seemed to be a favorite of many kids. There is a long ~30min puppet show (daily ~11am, 2pm) that changes seasonally, and somehow manages to keep most kids' attention. Magic key ($3) is an easy souvenir (colors change each day, so theoretically you can collect them), and used to hear music/stories through various boxes around the park. Though boxes are staticky (older), and some have bolts sticking out that prevent your key from being turned and thus the stories/music to play. My daughter quickly tired of them anyway, but she loves treasures like the "magic" key, so it was money well spent. There is also a hand-crank penny presser (51 cents) in the gift shop, so bring some change. One disappointment of Fairyland, is that there are literally no "fairies" anywhere to be found. You'd think they might have a few tiny fairy houses situated out of reach, or even fairy lights in trees to simulate fairies. Overall, fun filled and worth the ticket price. Just be sure your kid is in the height range for rides!

This place is strategically built so that there's shade everywhere on those hot summer days. Even…read morethe slides have covers over them so that the metal doesn't get too hot. It's this attention to detail that sets it apart from other amusement parks. And the food. Let's talk about the food. This is not your overpriced, cheap-quality, greasy carnival junk. It's actually healthy fruits and veggies with milk or other house-made stuff. Fun shapes, like a rocket quesadilla. Even my fussy eater wants to eat here. Do we need to talk about the rides or value? The kids come here all day and never want to leave!

Really cool place to visit with the kids! We came here on a Sunday morning when they opened and had…read morethe place pretty much to ourselves for a good hour or so. They make such good use of the space. There's so much here, and almost all of it was interactive! We especially liked the first responder vehicles that we could climb in (with uniforms, too!) and play with. The Lego racetrack was a hit as well, and there were a couple of space-themed stations where we could design badges! More favorite places included the pretend grocery store and the water course area where we could use panels to change the flow of water to see how the currents are affected when we raced little boats. We ended up spending close to 3 hours here. Very worth the price of admission. We'll be back!

This is spot is perfect for meetups, play dates, school trips and so much more. Paid a small fee to…read moreget in but after that we had such a blast. They do offer several types of memberships too. It's like a mini Exploratorium with less science and more toys and activities for the little ones. Great for all ages. Arts and crafts, building blocks, story time, some science, miniature places to visit, huge hand washing station and so much more. Highly recommend having some sanitizer , or wipes on standby as there are all types of kids and age groups playing . There is a huge wash station when you walk in but kids are gonna be kids you know. Definitely want to come back and have a huge play date and utilize more stuff.

Always great fun for our kids, from elementary to toddler to infants. Enjoyed the art stations, as…read morewell as rock climbing wall, trains, lego cars, building areas, and nice staff. Appreciate the infant zone. Well worth the membership.

It was my family's first time and I wish we went my toddler was a baby. This place was so cute and…read morehad a lot of activities for kids and adults too. My 4 year old loved the different zones and kept jumping from one section to another. While we were there we joined the science activity and my toddler made an interesting airplane. It was a little busy in the afternoon on a Saturday mainly due to birthday parties. They only have one bathroom so be aware that you might have to wait in line especiallyif theres a party. Other than that, for $10 my kid had a great time for a couple of hours. We'll come when we visit Santa Cruz again.