This museum holds a special place in my heart -- I grew up coming here, and now I bring my own…read more3-year-old. She can spend hours here without a single complaint, which says everything. The indoor exhibits are largely the same as they've always been -- a bit unchanged over the last decade -- but the new outdoor additions have completely breathed new life into the experience. The playground, gravel section, and bubble area are an absolute hit and clearly a favorite for little ones. We now come back 3-4 times a year just for that outdoor space alone. A beloved Bay Area staple that keeps earning return visits. Highly recommend for families with toddlers!

This place is awesome! I've only been twice so far and have already signed up for a membership…read morebecause I can see myself coming here with my family more during the warmer summer months. My 1.5 year old's favorite exhibits are the water/ball area, outdoor bubbles, market stand with the pretend food, and the dancing room. They also have a room that you can rent out for birthday parties, which would be so fun for all the guests!

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.

Fun museum, lots of activities, everything seemed very clean. And only $10 per person, you cant…read morebeat that. I gave it 3 stars because the lack of padding on/near stairs on some of the vehicles they had. I noticed the firetruck had padding on the floor around it. Unfortunately my toddler ended up falling out of the bus and hit the concrete floor head first. He left with a knot because there wasn't any padding on the floor near the steps where he had fell. My niece ended up falling out of the ambulance, luckily she did not get hurt but the ambulance lacked cushion padding around the steps as well.

One of the few places where you can spend almost the entire day with kids without constantly trying…read moreto figure out what to do next. The Bay Area Discovery Museum somehow manages to feel exciting without feeling overwhelming. There are indoor exhibits, outdoor play areas, sensory stations, bubble activities, climbing structures, toddler-friendly areas, and sand play with Golden Gate Bridge views. The layout makes it easy for kids to naturally move from one activity to another without parents constantly redirecting the day. The overall vibe feels chill, playful, interactive, and very exploration-focused instead of overly chaotic or overstimulating. Quick guide below. What really stood out to me was how thoughtfully designed the museum feels for both children and parents. Many activity areas are staffed, which makes the experience feel more interactive and supported instead of parents having to carry the entire outing themselves. One staff member even pulled out a little guitar during one activity, and suddenly kids and parents were all singing together like a tiny spontaneous flash mob It gave the whole place a really warm, community feel instead of feeling like just another children's museum. I also loved the dedicated toddler play areas where bigger kids can't just run through and take over, which made it feel much calmer and safer for little ones still learning to explore independently. ------ QUICK GUIDE What matters: * Free parking available * Designed mainly for kids ages 0-8 * Indoor + outdoor children's activities * Toddler-friendly play areas * Bubble + sensory activities * Sand play area * Large climbing/play structures * Golden Gate Bridge views * Bathrooms throughout * Stroller-friendly paths * Staff throughout activity areas * Open space to roam and explore * Great for both low-stimulation and high-energy kids * Easy place to spend several hours with children ------ Pro tip: if you accidentally forget diapers or wipes, they have diaper backpacks stocked near the bathrooms -- one of those small details that makes the whole place feel genuinely parent-friendly. Adding photos because it was hard to picture the overall layout before going.

This place is so cool! We're always on the hunt for an epic sandbox with a view, and Bay Area…read moreDiscovery Museum delivered. Such an amazing experience, and now that we've been once, we're already excited to plan our next trip to make it more of a full-day adventure. Coming from the East Bay, the drive was nice. Where the Bay Area Discovery Museum is located, you feel you're in a movie set. Gorgeous Bay views, just overall incredibly picturesque. A few notes when planning: check museum times (we ended up arriving close to their closing time, so our tickets were reduced in price which was nice), but we def could have been playing/exploring for longer. Also, there is a safe parking lot adjacent to the museum. We were greeted by friendly staff and given a map of the area. They outlined what could be fun for our kiddo's age range, and we honestly had such a fun time. From bubbles to music, water play to trains, an oversized fruit exhibit to pirate ship, there's so much to see and do, and ground to cover. We also noticed a cafe too with patrons grabbing coffee and whatnot. We have friends that have a membership which would be fun to consider for future. Can't wait for round two already!

I took my children here for a fun afternoon and it is a very cute place and kept the kids…read moreentertained for a while. When we arrived the street parking is sort of iffy, I believe they were doing construction but when we went inside the front desk was very welcoming and I just let my kids run around, there favorite part was the water room ( I am not sure the correct name for it ) but it was pretty cool. It's two levels so multiple things for them to do. It's is affordable and I plan to return and highly recommend if you have small kiddos

I think this place is an awesome addition to Modesto! wish it were there when my girls were little…read more however, I get to enjoy with my grand dude now. we went when it first opened and he loved it. very clean, lots to do and explore. however, now that he is going to be a whopping (lol) 6 years old in another 2 months... I felt like it probably won't be a place he's excited to go to again. he was able to whiz around and get through everything quite fast. But maybe it's because we have many of the things the museum offers at home? like the magnets. painting, crayons, target checkout center, groceries and kitchen...etc. OFC the slide was his favorite. and the stage. we stayed for the last 10 minutes of story time that was very well done by the gal that read the shape book. I would highly recommend this for anyone with kids 6 and under. I do need to add... the unfortunate news of the paint. I specifically asked if it was water based and washable. the girl said yes. I asked because I just put his new shorts on for first time. Well ofc he dropped blue paint on them and his sock. I asked if there was water and a towel so i could get most of it off before getting in car. Came home and immediately treated. Washed in cold water. Hung dry just in case. Still there! Then.. I soaked in oxi-clean overnite. Re washed. it did not come all the way out:( I called to let them know so it doesn't happen to anyone else. She apologized but really nothing more. I think this is a non profit... so, I just let it go. so, you've been enlightened to the possibility with the paint. Wear older clothes you don't care about! I will post pics.

I love it so much fun i recommend it! It's a really fun place and very entertaining! Also the otter…read morewas very cool to watch!

Honestly, never heard of this place until it popped up on Facebook. It had popped up as a place…read moreto go to for First Friday. No discounts for going but they do have some pop-up/ food truck type places here. This is on the outside in front of the entrance. Admission was a little expensive in my opinion. I think it was $29 and it was 5pm-8pm. It was a cool experience with the IlluminOdyssey and fun activities they had. It was raining off and on the First Friday of January. The kids weren't able to play in the playground because it was wet and it was kind of hard to see the animals because they were hiding. I think it would be best to go here when daylight savings time begins so it's bright outside still. I would definitely recommend going here at least once.

I had to run some errands in Palo Alto, and my little one tagged along with me for this trip. I…read morethought it'd be fun to bring her along to this museum. There isn't much fun stuff to do in Palo Alto if you're a tiny tot, but this place seemed like it was created for the little ones! Would highly rec if you are in Palo Alto for a day and want to bring your young child somewhere. There are different parts to this - a museum, and also a mini zoo. The museum has all sorts of fun activities, similar to the Bay Area Discovery with building blocks, magnets, trains, cars, tops, etc. The mini zoo is also quite fun with a variety of animals, although not many. The quality of the animals was great, though. They had a feeding hour for the Flamingos when I was there, and although my toddler was not interested, it seemed like the staff stayed for the whole hour, and made sure that anyone who wanted to do it had a chance to do so. Other animals there included a free-roaming peacock! The only draw here is that it's a little small, compared to a real zoo, or a real museum such as the Bay Area Discovery Museum, or the California Academy of Sciences. That being said, the price for this museum was quite reasonable, at $14 per person over 1 year old. Even for the 1.5 hours I was there, I thought it was well worth it! Free parking too. If in the area, I'd definitely stop by again.

Pretty nice little spot for the kids to spend some time. It's not very large, so be prepared for…read morethat. Still, we were able to spend a quality couple of hours here and enjoy the time with the kids. A nice little museum with a tree house and some animals that the kids will enjoy. Again, slightly small, but overall a good time.

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.

Ok. First off, this place is for kids! As an adult did I enjoy myself here, not really. However,…read moreseeing my kiddo having fun, using her imagination, and creating lasting memories made it worth it! The first floor is honestly crafts you could easily create at home and feels more like a daycare style set up. The magic happens on the second floor where kids can create their own music beats, stop-motion movies. That being said this place can get pretty expensive as it was $20 per person so a family of 4 would have to pay $80. I say try it once, as kids will enjoy it, but I probably wont be back. The area is nice as well as there is a ice rink nearby and a fun playground to play and plenty of places to grab a bite. It was clean and felt safe!

We stopped by the World of Wonders Science Museum for their birthday celebration and honestly had…read moresuch a great time. WOW has always been a favorite for our family, but this event really brought the whole community together. The museum was full of energy with kids running from activity to activity, experimenting, building, and just having fun learning without even realizing it. The raffle baskets were fantastic and way bigger than I expected. You could tell local businesses and supporters really showed up for this event. There were vendors set up, tons of hands on activities throughout the museum, and yes, free popcorn which automatically makes any kid event a win. What I love most about WOW is that it never feels overwhelming or overly structured. Kids are encouraged to explore, touch everything, and be curious. You can easily spend a few hours here and still not see it all. It is such an important space for downtown Lodi and a great reminder of how valuable places like this are for families. Fun, educational, and genuinely community-driven. We had a blast celebrating with the WOW museum!

I was taking my cousins to the theatre and decided to have a day in lodi, luckily i found the…read moremuseum on google and we got there about an hour before closing. Upon coming in, the front desk was very kind and helpful. The museum itself isn't too big nor too small, but has a lot of interesting exhibitions and activities for the kids to do along with a gift shop. My little cousins had a lot of fun and learned about frequency wave lengths, electricity, and some brain ticklers, amongst other things. I hope this little museum can one day offer more exhibitions for the littles, but we had an amazing time nonetheless!

I have been here multiple times throughout the years, and have only had good experiences. However,…read moremy last visit stood out to me the most. A few weeks ago was my senior prom, which was at the Exploratorium. The exhibits and environment were very fun and made for a super engaging night! As a trans person, I have a lot of anxiety in public bathrooms. Although they were unable to open up the general neutral bathroom (I mean, it's high schoolers, you can't trust them). However, the staff was extremely accommodating and kind, and escorted me to a separate bathroom. They made sure I got to pick the bathroom I was most comfortable in, as well as apologized for the inconvenience. Not only is this place fun, entertaining, and family friendly, they are welcoming, kind, and caring. I will never forget the kindness that I was shown.

Exploratorium San Francisco, CA…read more Date went 4/25/26 Time went around 1:15pm on a Saturday It was very busy to say the least Bonus the entry fee is $5 for food stamp recipients Atmosphere It was so great to see a mixture of young children with parents, teenagers, and even older people in this establishments. I saw lots of laughter, play, and wonder and despite it being packed everyone was respectful and I didn't see any hogging of the different activities. You could easily spend at least 3 or 4 hours in there. Food Court I ordered a chicken avocado bacon burger and it was surprisingly delicious! Also, not too expensive. Overall I highly recommend coming her with your kids, on a date, or just for some fun scientific exploring! I didn't get to see what the regular entrance fee was, but I'd say this would be worth it for about $25-$30 per person. I wish I would've taken more pictures of the different activities Recommendations - More hand sanitizing stations, I only recall seeing one throughout the entire place

We had such an amazing time at the Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek! We visited to…read morecelebrate my daughter's birthday, and it turned out to be the perfect outing. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted by friendly and knowledgeable staff who made us feel welcome. The facility was well-maintained, which made the whole visit feel comfortable and enjoyable. The highlight of our trip was definitely the owl exhibit--my daughter had been eagerly wanting to see one, and she was thrilled to get a close-up view of these beautiful creatures. It was clear the staff genuinely care about the animals and take pride in providing an educational and engaging experience. The owl's impressive features and calm presence were unforgettable. Overall, we had a fantastic day exploring the different exhibits and learning about the incredible wildlife they care for. Whether you're visiting with kids or just an animal lover, Lindsay Wildlife Experience is a gem, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a fun and enriching experience. We'll definitely be back.

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.