The Bear Displays are phenomenal. My grandson and I especially liked the wildlife hospital.read more

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.

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.

Third graders had a field trip here…read more The place is well-kept, the volunteers are friendly, accomodating and even have good sense of humor. The kids loved that it took them back in time, taking part of how chores were done back in the old times using old appliances. They also accepts donations and can be found in their website. Looking forward for my other child to have his field trip here!

Went during a field trip and it was a blast. The docents are amazing and the love they have for…read morethis historical site and history is so admiring. I loved getting to know the history of where we live. We moved here in 2017 and I had no idea of some of the history. During the field trip the kids got stations and got to learn how kids did chores back in the day. They did laundry and hung it with older clothes pins not our modern ones. They pumped the water for the laundry. They milked the "cow" to mimic the real thing that they would then make butter and ice cream.

We were fortunate enough to tour the Glass House. Tours are only available on Saturdays and not…read moreconsistently. When we showed up, there was no docent as promised, but we were able to ask a nice lady to give us the tour. There is a video online worth watching about this property prior to visiting the house; it will give you more context and understanding. Great historical experience but they need more docents and support.

This white two story Italianate Victorian farm house build in 1877 has long been visible from busy…read morehighway 680; standing near the freeway and busy San Ramon Valley Blvd. it's a vivid reminder of the Valley's past. I always wanted to visit the house, but it only recently opened to the public has a house museum. I was fortunate to be able to join a small group for a private tour. As soon as we were met by a Docent in period dress the mood was set. Walking over the bridge to the house she started to tell the history of the Glass Family and the Valley as it was in 1877. Stepping though the door is really a step back in time. The nine room house is decorated as it would have been when the Glass family lived there. Everyone of the nine rooms was clean and not a bit of dust could be seen on the many knickknacks that the Victorians adorned their homes with. Everything in the house is original to the period. While the rugs, wallpaper, and some of the fabrics on furniture are new, they are all period reproductions. The knowledge that the two docents, Pat and Kim, shared was amazing. In addition to the story of the Glass family and the San Ramon Valley, they peppered their talk with some CA. history. I came away with even more of an appreciation of women in the 19th century working in those long dresses There is a connection between the Glass family and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. You will have to take a tour with either Pat or Kim to get the rest of the story.

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.

This place needs some improving. It's extremely dated and 75% of the play areas are broken or a lot…read moreof items missing to even "play" it's costly for what this actually is!!

After all these years, I am so happy The Western Railway Museum is still here and looking great as…read moreever! My son has been an avid fan or trains since birth! I cannot even count how many train museums we have visited. This past visit was for the Spring Wine Trains with my husband. Suggested to us by none other than our son. He now volunteers here!! YAY! We loved being in the parlor car- you get a charcuterie board and 3 tastings. The group was lively, the hosts were great. It was such a nice time and the weather was perfect that day. They explain the various wines (we had Caymus served to us) and you get a nice little tour of the land/area. We got to chat with our son who was the Operations Brakeman that day and what a treat...on the return ride back, we were offered the rear seats. It was the perfect way to end the ride. We took advantage that your ticket includes entrance to the museum, spring fair and the grounds. We walked around, checked out the trains, the fair and the gift shop. Parking is free and plenty of it is available.

I came here for the Holiday Lights train ride and light display…read more The train ride was not worth the money or time. The train had a string of lights strung around inside with a small speaker playing holiday music at the front of the train. There was nothing to look at during the 15-20 minute ride except some cows and a few wind turbines. The train basically went down the tracks 10 mins and then went back to station in the opposite direction. There were also many loud parents and uncontrolled kids on the train which did not make the experience enjoyable. The light display was okay. You got to see some cool old trains with holiday lights on them. But you could not enter any of the trains in the light display area. The lit up trains were simply a route to go see Santa. The Santa area was really dark which was not great for pictures. The staff promote a cafe with hot chocolate and cider after the train ride and light display. I got a spice cider for $6. It was not good. It was full of pulp and the spices were floating on top. It seemed like the staff did not stir up the cider before serving it. The museum and gift shop are really small and catered more towards kids. The gift shop had some adult clothes and souvenirs (magnets, small figures, etc.) but nothing extraordinary. Overall, I would not recommend this place for the Holiday Lights event. There are better holiday train rides and events in Old Town Sacramento.

Lived locally for about 20 years, how did I not know this gem existed. Will make a point to revisit…read moreas their exhibitions change.

I have been coming to this Museum for over 40 years now, from school field trips as a child to…read morebringing my own son as he was growing up and now as an older person to just enjoy some art and spend some time in quiet contemplation. It's a wonderful resource for the area and a very important part of the community. Haggin Museum sits right in the middle of Victory Park. It's a beautiful, serene, green setting with flowers and a little pond and you feel safe here, even though you're in Stockton. It's a great place for kids to come and play and for people to sit and enjoy nature. Inside the museum there is a mix of art and local history. They have Gold Rush era exhibits and recreated period rooms. There are lots of lovely paintings here and although I believe some of the artwork is always here, they regularly have rotating exhibits as well so there is always something new to see. They also have a lot of activities, events and family programs here. It's definitely dated, but that's to be expected for as long as this place has been around. It's affordable though because kids under 10 get in for free and I believe the last time I was here admission was between $5 and $8. They also have a free admission day every first Saturday of the month but it gets really busy so I don't typically visit on that day. It's really great for kids though, and I'm so glad that we have this resource locally. I have lots of great memories of bringing my son and my nieces and nephews here and being a kid here myself. I definitely recommend a visit if you have kids under 10 and want to spend a day educating and enriching them on a budget. Plus they can play at the park after so it will make for a fantastic day.

Beautiful venue that I visited recently as an event vendor. Lots of space for guests to spread out…read more Beautiful gazebo to have special occasions and photos. Kitchen inside the building with a kitchen that's perfect for preparing food. There's also a nice additional area with picnic tables.

Shadelands Ranch Museum is a nice wedding venue. I was fortunate to attend a couple of good…read morefriends' daughter's outdoor wedding. The ceremony was held in a beautiful area with a huge tree to provide shade for some of the guests. In another area, close by, there is also a pretty gazebo. Pretty roses and plants surrounding the whole area. At night, they have some string lights lit up around to provide a nice, cozy lighted area. They only have outdoor restrooms, but they are nice. It was a nice special day for the couple, along with their family and friends, to help celebrate this blessed occasion!