We discovered the Mid‑Hudson Discovery Museum on our way home from Dassai Blue, and it turned out to be one of the best surprises of the day. The museum is packed with clever, interactive exhibits -- magnets, air pressure, lights, balls -- all designed in ways that make both kids and adults want to jump in and play. My son couldn't get enough of the air tubes shooting handkerchiefs into the air and the ping‑pong ball launcher that sends balls through a basketball hoop. The Hudson River fish exhibit was genuinely interesting, and the porcupine was a fun highlight. It's easily one of the best interactive science museums we've visited. My son didn't want to leave and immediately asked to return the next day. We'll absolutely be back. read more

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Went on the weekend on a Saturday with my grandson and daughter. Don't let the size fool you it was packed with so many activities. We were there almost 4 hrs! I would come again. Only complaint is that I am in a wheelchair and the ramp going in was not cleared wide enough of the snow and the one part was ice. read more

Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

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What a wonderful children's museum! With many hands-on exhibits and a pretend-play town. Located on the Poughkeepsie waterfront, it was a great stop for us to cool down and for my kiddo to take a fun break after we did Walkway Over the Hudson. There are two levels: the first floor is geared more toward younger kids and has several play areas including a fire station/fire truck with dress-up costumes, play-pretend market and cafe, a maker studio, a play room with a train track, foam blocks and some structures, and a couple of other exhibits. The second floor is suitable for both younger and older kids and is STEM focused, with exhibits that demonstrate scientific principles in a fun and educational way. My toddler was so excited to explore everything and could have spent hours in here. I'd say it's best suited for kids under 10. The website says up to 12yo but honestly I think the tweens of today would be quickly bored. Admission is $13 whether for kids or adults (under 1 free). The museum wasn't very crowded, and has seating all around for parents to sit and watch while the children played. read more

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After several visits, it only made sense to become of member! After 4 visits it covered the cost the membership. My daughter always has a good time, anytime she's there. Plenty for them to do, while letting their imagination grow. This year they added a small rock wall area.2 floors of fun. Upstairs more of the science stuff but the little ones can still have fun with their big bright lite set up. read more

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Overall, the discovery museum was cute but nothing to make us run back for a second visit. We are used to Kid's Play in Torrington, CT, Kid City in Middletown CT and the CT Science Center in Hartford, CT and this just didn't stack up. It's $14.50 per child and adult, we visited with a 3yr old and 7yr old. The staff was friendly when we paid but that is it for interaction with them, during our visit we didn't see any of them on the floor of the museum cleaning or straightening up. Most children just run from activity to activity and parents utilize it as an indoor activity during winter/inclement weather. You can stay as long as you want as it's not a timed entrance but our kids were ready to go after an hour and half. It's a one done experience for us. Parking is conveniently located next to the building. read more

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This waterfront kid friendly museum is so cool and hands on I would recommend it to everyone with kids ages 3-12 with zero hesitation. I first felt it might be to "babyish" for an 8& 12 yo. I stood corrected my grandkids had a wonderful time on both floors of this iconic Poughkeepsie museum. These are all hands-on science experiments up on the second floor, including magnets, water, table, and even having an art area where the kid did spin art. Even on Sunday it was not terribly busy and there was plenty of room to roam around and take as much time with the activities as possible. That may not always be the case but that was our experience on one Sunday in the summer. Afterwords, you can walk down by the riverfront or go up on Main Street and visit one of several restaurants. read more

Took our grandchildren (ages 2, 4 and 5) for a morning of fun. Something for all of them to enjoy. Fortunately we had 3 adults since the kids all ran off in different directions. The older one preferred upstairs while the younger ones played continuously downstairs. The older one made a new friend and they had a blast together. The middle child has a great imagination and pretended to be a postal worker, fire fighter and cook. The youngest loved climbing and putting scarves in wind tubes. (Unfortunately only half the wind tubes were working. All other equipment was in good working order.) The equipment is sturdy and in good condition with heavy use. Well designed. While learning/ discovery is involved in role playing, car racing, climbing, air tubes, magnets, etc, the emphasis is on play. The kids love it. My only criticisms are cost and the need for more constant cleaning. The museum is expensive at $29 for child/caregiver pair. Check for discounts like active duty military or City of Poughkeepsie resident. While the equipment appeared clean, I never saw staff wiping down well used items. Parents were mindful of their kids and the kids all seemed to enjoy the playtime. read more

This is for the 4th of July fireworks. Overall it was a good experience. Nice to have a reserved parking spot and a bathroom close by. Shared lawn with the park but it wasn't too crowded. Great spot to view fireworks since they light them right under the bridge. Only complaint is the time it takes to get out of there after the show. They funnel everyone north, and it takes forever to get to route 9. All in all a good time. read more

A fantastic place for children of all ages to play and learn! The Mid-Hudson Children's Museum is the perfect place to spend a day indoors where the activities are endless. For $10 a person, kids and adults have an opportunity to play, make believe, and engage in STEM based activities in a safe, clean, and inviting environment. The first floor is mostly for smaller kids with areas for arts and crafts, and play with a fire truck, trains, supermarket, and kitchen. The upstairs consists of activities focused on building and learning based on science, technology, engineering, and math. The Museum has a snack area with tables and chairs where you can bring in food and take a break from playing; there are also vending machines with drinks and healthy snack options. There's plenty of opportunity to bond with your munchkin(s) and let out your inner child! An excellent destination for families in the Hudson Valley as well as City folks who want a fun day trip with family fun for everyone. read more

We loved visiting the children's museum. My 4 year old and 22 month old had a blast exploring each and every inch of the museum. I would suggest wearing light weight clothes bc it was very hot when we were there. My kids favorite thing to do/play with there was the air vent with the scarves. You place them in the air vent opening and place a mallet made out of a tennis ball in the opening and the air pushing the scarves through tubes up in the ceiling then they fall down onto you and your little ones. So much fun! read more

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This place is just "ok" in my opinion. It's very small with private parking lot. The first floor has imagination play toys (e.g. Fire truck, kitchen) and the second floor has a bit more of a science theme with some experiments (nothing complex) with small scales of older technology (e.g. morse code, mechanical drill). If admission was a little cheaper I'd add a better rating for overall value but for the price I didn't think it was worth it (IMO) but they do need funds to maintain it. You can be done with the entire visit in about 2.5hrs and that's spending a lot of time at the limited number of exhibits. For adults this place will be absolutely boring and I recommend it for kids under age 10 because my teenage son didn't like it at all but my young daughter loved it. I don't live close to this place so based on the overall experience it's not worth a return trip for me. Anyone that lives relatively close to this place can take advantage of the 'free' family nights they offer where admission is waved for about 3hours in the evening. read more

Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

Great option for helping kids burn off some energy. Pros: A lot of interesting science-y demos upstairs. Downstairs area has a great train set (yay no cleanup!!), air / tubes play area (piped air going through tube segments that kids can put together to get a ping pong ball to travel in certain ways), a fake fire station setup, and most importantly for us, a dedicated no-shoes fenced in baby area with books, soft play structures to climb over and through, homemade sensory bottles, and mats. Upstairs area (access through elevator) has some science-y exhibitions sponsored by good ol' IBM... light pegs, fiber optics, ball runs that can be taken apart and set up in different configurations, gears, and experimenting with different weights. Overall, great for kids even as young as a year old. Cons: Compared to most other children's museums I've been to, it's small, but that's not surprising given the fact that it's in a suburban area. A lot of the downstairs is taken up by birthday party space so it's inaccessible. A little bit expensive since at home, a lot of similar type play spaces are cheaper if not free (i.e. public library or public playgrounds already have a lot of similar things and do not charge). Still glad to have this indoor option near grandma and grandpa's house. read more

We had a great time with my 2 1/2 year old!! She had a blast exploring all the different rooms!!

Excellent children's museum full of hands on learning and discovery. Great for the 2-5 year old range. There's super easy on-premise parking and it's located right on the Hudson River if you need a sensory break. Each time we visit we find something new and can easily spend hours there. read more

Great place for toddlers! Our little guy had a blast 18 months. I was not expecting so many activities he can participate in. All parents there that day were watching after their kids. We will be back! Thank you read more

Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

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Awesome location in an old warehouse building on the Hudson River water front. The day we were there also happened to be the Kids Expo which was some sort of day fair for kids. We just visited the museum and skipped the expo. There are two floors of interactive activities for young kids. Most are geared toward really young kids, I would say age 8 or less. Our nearly 3yo daughter loved it. The fire truck, grocery store, construction area, farm and computers were all big favorites. She definitely got a great learning experience from the afternoon we spent here. As the other reviewer mentioned they do quite a lot with very little resources. It seems like some of the larger businesses in the area could give a little more to make this place a little more that what it is. The little kids will love this place for a couple of hours. Oh, we also got in free because today was National Museum day!! I think admission is normally $6 or $7. They have parking on-site but it was closed for the Expo today so we parked in the Metro North garage just up the road. read more

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We had the most wonderful time here. My daughter's 1st birthday party (Halloween Costume) last Sunday. Josephine and her staff decorated, ordered the food and took care of the cake. There was nothing for me to do!!! I was able to enjoy the day! I definitely recommend this place for parties or the day! The kids loved it!! read more

Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

My son loves this museum! What a great location, right in the water front and two floors of great interactive fun!! We go as often as we can, maybe we'll see you there one day!! read more

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We visited the Children's Museum of the Mid-Hudson Valley twice this week with our 26 month old grandson. On the first floor he was captivated by the fire engine and the trains. We went straight to the second floor the next day, or we wouldn't have gotten by the trains! On the second floor there are numerous activities straight out of a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) guidebook, but not to the exclusion of the arts. There were storytelling and dramatic arts opportunities, too. read more

Decided to pop in while visiting the Walkway over the Hudson. This museum is at the base of the Walkway. The parking lot seemed to have more than enough spaces, but we ended up parking in one of the park parking lots a few blocks down, so I don't know if the actual Museum Parking lot charges or not. Lots of activities to keep the kids entertained. It was not crowded, but then again we went later on in the day. Not as modern or updated as other museums I have visited but then again at $8 you really can't complain. The space inside is a bit old and an update would definitely earn this place another star, even if the admission was raised to $10, it'd be well worth it. The little interaction I had with the staff was very pleasant. read more

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Fun for my 4.5 year old kid, especially downstairs. Love that it is free every third Saturday after 5pm. My fave part was the Hyde Park mastodon (I remember when they found it)! read more

Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum - Hyde Park Mastodon. - Children's Museums Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

An incredible resource for the Hudson Valley. A great place for children 0-6 to engage in stem & early learning activities through play with interactive exhibits and spaces. They also offer the best farmer's market in the area with fresh locally sourced food! read more

We have 7 & 9 y/o boys. Both of them had joyful times when we visited the museum in the end of August. They had fun, while crossing paths with some science too. The look and feeling of the space has been dramatically transformed from what the museum was a year ago. It is a bright, happy place to spend time and there are just the right amount of exhibits that engaged the boys (for a typically 9 and 7 y/o boy amount of time). In brief, this museum gave the kids time and space to be kids and to explore, touch, experience. This is not a big museum but there's enough to spend a couple of hours looking and then a few more hours hanging out, playing, and sitting around downstairs in a big, sunny, huge windowed room with WIFI !! I saw the virtue of the small size when I realized that I felt safe letting my kids wander and explore. That's when learning happens for littler kids and fun happens for bigger ones. Moreover, there's a convenient, free parking lot, a skateboard park right behind the building, a creek (connected to the Hudson River) right next to the parking lot that's awesome for exploring by kids who have a bit of outdoor explorer in them. There's also a public pavilion right behind the museum, and the Hudson River is right behind that! It's got all the makings of a cool day of adventuring for kids who have a bit of explorer in them. If you live within a half hour then this Museum/exploratorium is worth the trip and probably worth joining because you'll come back. But if you're farther away then you'll probably find that it's not a "destination" by itself. But the AREA IS a destination. First, there's the museum, and almost in it's backyard is the famous Walkway over the Hudson (5 minutes drive), We didn't go on our trip, but the Walkway/State Park is a 15 minute walk -- you can almost touch it; 10 minutes drive is The Vassar College/Loeb Museum, a smallish but superior collection (Johan Laurentz Jensen, Andy Warhol, Doris Lee, Alexander Calder, Luke Anowtalik and Georgia O'Keefe) and it's free; the FDR estate and Vanderbilt Mansion are a 15 minute drive. Plus there's a lot of inexpensive, great ethnic food in Poughkeepsie -- too many to mention. Search Yelp to suit your taste. "Museum" is probably a misnomer. This place seems to be at the beginning of a journey towards being an "exploratorium". It is more of a very-enhanced play space with splashes of science and learning. i hope they continue the journey. Our family is going to support them. We're looking forward to spending some snow days, half-days off from school and a few weekend days. This is a friendly, safe space where kids can spend time and also so some exploring. There's a lot of hanging out space and a great room downstairs where kids can build with giant blocks while parents sit in comfortable chairs, looking out huge windows at the Hudson River. And there's WIFI!! (I hope parents use that wisely and not too much.) I can imagine myself doing some computing work. The astonishing transformations of the last year have given me faith in the new Executive Director/Board and confidence in the future. I'm mindful that museums become great institution through the faith and support of members and donors. I think there's a lot about this museum that is like a brand new institution. I'm gonna try to be part of their growth. Altruism and philanthropy are not the only reasons to go, though. I think controlling the robot fishing arm is fun, playing with the sounds and microphone in the radio station is cool and the most fun are the very big, soft and strong blue building blocks that my two sons build two story structures out of. They're able to stand on the second story! Future architects? This is a cool place for the kids to visit. It's so full of promise that I think it'll be fun for my wife and I to watch the evolution. Maybe my kids will feel a sort of connection and ownership as they watch the museum evolve and grow. We're gonna work on it. If this review sounds overly enthusiastic, it's because I was so angry and disappointed after our first visit 2 years ago. This is a turnaround story -- a Cinderella story if you like. I'm rooting for them. We're going to become members, which is cheap is you're going to visit regularly as a play/hang out space. We're also gonna have our 7 y/os birthday party there, which is also cheap if you're a member. NOTE: I was not paid to write this review and I'm not on the staff of the museum. I just saw a miraculous transformation and I'm a believer. (such a transformation that I removed a very critical review I had written on tripadvisor, by the way) ANOTHER NOTE: After the museum, go to Mole Mole for incredibly authentic and inexpensive Mexican food. (Make sure to try the Chicken and Lime Soup) Mole Mole is close by, near Vassar College. (I don't work for them either :) read more

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I see the museums condescending response to my initial review and feel the need to speak up. Perhaps it is their policy to not charge patrons for parking, but I assure you, I was charged. To insinuate I am lying tells you a lot about this place. Terrible. This was never my favorite place to take my kid, but now it's even worse. Today they had a hand written cardboard sign at the gate. It's $5 to park. Seriously people? Plus, it is now $8 to get in. Whether you are 1 or 40. The exhibits are run down, missing parts and today the place was overrun with 2 separate camps with an 'adult' (I use the term loosely, they were in their teens) to every 10 kids. Mayhem. I will not be returning. I will drive to Norwalk and visit the children's museum there. PK Children's Museum is a joke. read more

From the very beginning, the Mid Hudson Children's Museum was amazing. When we were looking for wedding venues, my now-husband suggested MHCM since he interned there in college. Their Pavilion is breathtaking - right on the river with amazing views. You get all the wonder of nature without having to worry about rain since the roof provides protection. There are also curtains to draw to protect from the wind, which was great since on the morning of our wedding, the wind was choppy and was blowing over our decorations. You can decorate it any way you choose - we went for a casual lilac garden theme, and people were really impressed. However, despite all the beauty of the place itself, where MHCM rally shines are the people who work there. Venue coordinator April Marquez is AMAZING. Friendly, warm and on point, I am constantly amazed by her. When we had all sorts of issues with one of our vendors not meeting the site requirements, she bent over backwards to make sure we had a special day, accepting late paperwork, being in constant touch, and really doing her best for us. And she is seriously the nicest person you will ever meet. She was sick the day before the wedding, but came on our big day and stayed till late at night making sure everything was perfect. When I got cut during a pre-cake cutting duel I instigated, my hand bled profusely, and April came to the rescue with gauze and band-aids. What a woman! The other staff members are great too. Jason is so friendly, and we had a lovely little chat while I decorated our cake. I didn't catch his name, but another staff member let us store some very cumbersome centerpieces at the museum the day before. All our guests were so impressed by the reception - it's truly a hidden gem! I'm so fortunate that my husband knew about it, because they don't advertise a lot. Also, the pricing was so affordable - we could fit a lot of people for not a lot of money! April worked with me from everything from the rental delivery to storage of the cake to clean up. She's and ANGEL and MHCM will forever be in my heart! read more

Sadly my review will merely echo what others have already said. This place is way overpriced and too run-down. 7.50 for adults and children alike so bringing grandparents to watch my 18 month old play cost a small fortune! No military discount, no senior citizen discount, nothing. The exhibits were overused and many you could not even use like a chalkboard with no chalk, an art table with missing supplies a water table that was a pretty sad excuse for an interactive exhibit. A neat mechanical arm that picked up fish with fish that were out of reach and had been for so long they were dusty. This was a 20 minute drive and the location on the river is absolutely fabulous! But this place was a huge disappointment and staff that really didn't seem to care to maintain anything. A big don't bother in my book. We will not be back. read more

This place is great for kids 6 and under. They have lotsa of stations suitable for young children. I would like to see some water play and more sand play. Maybe they might add more in the summer. The location is fantastic. View is gorgeous. Picnic tables outside are perfect for a group of friends. read more

Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

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This place is great fun! As a mom of an energetic 2.5 year old, this winter has been brutal- we have serious cabin fever! The Mid-Hudson Children's Museum was a great place to bring my little guy to get his energy out, and also for a change of scenery. It's not much of a museum per say, but more of an indoor playspace with different themed areas to play in/with (train table, fire station, kitchen, dinosaur, etc). As you would expect, it's fairly loud and crowded on the weekends, but it wasn't overwhelming (unlike the Children's museum in Norwalk, CT, which is utterly chaotic and almost unbearable on the weekends due to crowding). It cost us $22 for 2 adults and a child which I thought was reasonable. We live far away, so we probably won't be back often, but if we did live closer I'd for sure be a regular. read more

Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum - Train table was really fun for my Thomas-obsessed toddler :-) - Children's Museums Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

This little museum definitely pack a big punch on the many things it had to offer. All hands on, my boys 6 and 4 loved it. They did a fossil dig and then stayed another hour or more playing. Second floor of museum is even better with a mammoth play area. Yeah an actual recreated mammoth fossil skeleton. Pretty cool place, definitely worth the stop and if you want to take the train you can. read more

Not what I expected ,good for 4 and under but not much science to stimulate anyone over that,place was clean but bring lunch and drinks for the kids ,over priced at 10$ 5 is more reasonable . read more

Great for young kids!! I've brought my kids (ages 1 1/2 and 3) to the museum a couple of times before and it was "okay." But yesterday's visit was very different. They've transformed the whole upstairs - new carpet, new paint, no dusty broken exhibits, less clutter on the walls...even new baby changing stations in the bathrooms. The place was immaculate! I found it to be a very pleasant space to hang out and talk with other parents while the kids played. (Actually, I was down on the floor getting into it with my kids almost the whole time!) There were several new exhibits to explore and everything was in working order. The staff was very friendly and gave me a heads up that the museum is bringing in a fun new exhibition on math in a week or so. I will definitely be back! On my way out I purchased a membership and was thrilled to learn that the museum had also recently overhauled its membership program, too. Great options! - worth a look! read more

I would have loved this place as a kid. I met my best friend her her 4 year old twin boys here on a sunny Sunday in the summer. The museum is right on the Hudson River and had a nice outdoor picnic area, which is great for the little ones to be able to take a lunch or snack break. The first floor had a lot of little rooms where you can play dress up and pretend to be a firefighter, chef, do arts and crafts, and there's a huge play area for kids under age four. Upstairs is an actual mastodon skeleton, a climbing area, a play dj station, and a room with interactive games for older kids. We spent three hours at the museum and none of us were bored, including the adults! Entrance fee is $8 per person, with no differentiation in price between adults and children. The staff was friendly and constantly cleaning the different toys and stations. There were also purell pumps all over, which I took full advantage of because kids are germ monsters. read more

This museum shows that it's possible to do a lot with restricted resources. Not as flashy as the Childrens Museum of Manhattan or others, my daughter nonetheless has a great time every visit. The installations do change, and there are always things to climb on, interact with, and learn about. read more

This museum was a wonderful place for me to take my younger cousins! They loved using their imagination and meeting new kids in the pretend zone. Both of them looked up in amazement as we walked upstairs when they saw the mammoth skeleton! The numbers exhibit was also very fun and I enjoyed the opportunity to show them that math could be playful too. They kept asking about different numbers after we left which was so cute! This was a great place for kids and is a wonderful not for profit organization! read more

Really great place to bring young children. I was happily surprised at the size of the museum and the number of exhibits. It was much bigger than I expected. There is a little town downstairs with a fire station, grocery store, and art studio. There are costumes to play dress up and art supplies to do crafts with. Upstairs are many STEM activities. There is a gear table for building, other blocks and math games to play, a robot that kids can operate, a magnet maze, and an area to build with pipes. There is also a tower to climb and a nice slide that my son loved playing on. There are many other things I haven't mentioned. It's a really fun place. read more

Hudson Valley is very fortunate to have such an amazing place for children. I have seen the journey of the museum since 2009, and let me tell you - it keeps on getting better. They did a complete make-over several years ago: building renovations and new exhibits, more focused on hands-on explorations and thinking skills. I love that their exhibits do not have clear directions - often the only limit is your kids' imagination. They also removed all electronic-based activities, e.g. computer screens of any kind - and I love it! It's truly a breath of fresh air for this day and age. We have have a membership since my oldest was one year old, and we will continue to renew every year, now at a premium level, that comes with extra perks. The membership pays off quickly, but most importantly we see it as an investment in our children's cognitive and emotional development. Keep up a great work, and from our whole family - thank you. read more

I just got back from taking my son to this Museum and it's adorable! He was SO excited to play with everything and we had to drag him out of there after a few hours of going wild with joy. The first floor is better suited to younger kids (which my son is) and the upstairs is a geared more toward older children with many building stations. My only complaint was that it is a smallish space and got pretty crowded at times. We just moved to Woodstock from Brooklyn and I am so thankful to have this museum in the area. We will certainly be back again! read more

Relatively clean however the price is ridiculous for what you get. MANY stations are out of order. It is a small museum with a couple fun things but been there done that and wouldn't come back for that price. Membership? Why bother. read more

Took our twin two year olds and had a blast. Spent almost two hours and still didn't get to everything. About four dress up rooms, one room of small building blocks and tubes, one big room with climbing structure, tubes that send scarves flying, large plinko, train table, and big styrofoam building blocks. We took time and let them play with each activity before moving on. Plus an upstairs that had a small piece under construction but the rest filled with fun math/science games. All interactive and easy enough for 2+ even if they don't get the concept. Definitely go on a week day, we went midday and it was very slow which meant more room for us! Awesome day and there is a perfect outdoor restaurant on the rivers edge a short walk away. read more

Excellent interactive environment for young children! The museum is one of the only locations in the community that provides children with cognitive experiences through play. The museum has been recently updated and continues to build new exhibits. I would highly recommend to any young family. read more

Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York