Children’s Discovery Museum

Coming here as a child, this place is humongous! It’s like heaven! Coming as a grownup with a kid? Oh man this place is heaven at keeping the kid entertained haha!
Volunteer staff is very helpful and the workers are also super friendly and helpful as we’ll. There are many activities to do in here from water play, food play, crafts, playground, story time, gardening, etc many many many many things
Tips for parents:
–if you go to the water or bubble section, bring extra clothes. The child will get wet. Really wet.
–camera – this is your chance to capture the wild child you could never get a decent photo of before

Amazing place to take kids to.
A while ago I accidentaly witnessed a child /​around 2.5−3 years old/​getting lost in the museum. Poor little guy was crying in fear. While I was wondering how to approach him a Children’s Discovery Museum associate approached the child in the frendliest manner possible. The little boy calmed down immediately. The associate took him to the front desk and called the parent on the intercom while keeping the child busy at the same time. I was so amazed of how well and professionaly the situation was handled. The associate did not know I was looking at them all the time. I requested to talk to the manager and thanked her for the great level of professionalism of the people working there. She explained they instruct the employees how to handle situations like that on a regular basis every month.
Now I feel much safer taking kids there.
Thank you Children’s Discovery Museum.

My two year old loves this place! She had a blast playing at the sand and water exhibits. She was also able to paint something and bring it home. The nice thing was that we got free admission. I’m not sure if I’d want to pay full price admission to get in though.

I have only been here once or twice, but it is one of the best places on Earth, aside from Disneyland. I love the road system that begins at the entrance of the museum. There are a few emergency vehicles parked on the road. I can’t believe this place has working traffic lights! That is awesome. They have a kids post office and a Wells Fargo horse carriage. The pest part of this place is their amazing water play area. You’d have never thought that plastic balls jumping off jets of water could be so epic! If you are standing in the right place, you might even see a plastic ball fly over your head! Paradise for the little ones. Convenient location near parks, freeways, and a huge Monopoly board!

My little one had fun. He loved the water area. One tip: bring extra clothes socks just in case. We bought our ticket from Groupon and we went on a weekday so it was not too crowded. The food was not too bad. I wish there are a lot of options in their cafeteria. The staff is very friendly and helpful!

Great Museum! Kind of compact on space but tons of activities even for toddlers on both the floors!
The only bad experience we had is–
1) cafeteria was super full and hardly any space even to move around
2) My wife’s iPhone got STOLEN from her bag from the stroller! So DO NOT leave anything in your stroller even for a minute.
We were taking the stroller everywhere with us as we had food /​jackets in our bag which was hard to carry around. It was parked near the mammoth exhibit when we were playing with our daughter. Came back to our stroller just a few minutes later and the phone was gone from an inside pocket from the bag!
Keeping any valuables in the bag was our mistake, but I did not expect someone to reach into my bag and steal anything inside of a children’s museum!
Another bad news — no surveillance available inside the museum!

We picked Children’s Discovery Museum as our perfect wedding and reception location in October 2015. Audrey and Donna were extremely accommodating, showing us around the museum after-​hours, helping plan the logistics of our event with their previous experience, and even throwing in some great ideas and suggestions to help us plan a day truly fit for our personalities. We visited several times with different groups of people, and each time the crew was available to guide us into and around the museum.
Audrey and Donna were responsive and patient as we asked questions and finalized our plan for the big day. They made arrangements as things changed and kept us in the loop on new developments at the museum that would potentially impact our event. With all our questions and concerns, we’re amazed they didn’t tire of us!
The museum itself was a great choice for us. The crew helped us arrange for food trucks to be able to cater at the event and we were able to use the outside area for a small ceremony and then make full use of the inside facility for the larger reception. We were able to comfortably seat about 200 people with plenty of room for everyone to enjoy the displays and exhibits. The water and bubble exhibits were instant favorites for all the kids and adults alike, and the dance floor was constantly packed through the night.
The best part about having our wedding here was that it truly matched our personalities. With a bright purple exterior and giant rubber duckie on top, as well as enthusiastic people working here, how could we not have fun at a place like this? Thanks Audrey, Donna and the awesome crew at CDM. We had a blast!

This is a fantastic children’s museum with plenty of activities to spark curiosity and keep the wee ones entertained. It gets a tad crazy on weekends (like most children’s museums,) yet my 1 year old still had a great time.
Highlights:
–The water tables were, hands down, my son’s favorite part of the museum. He spent a majority of our time there!
–The bubble room! Varying wands and sizes of bubbles. That was fun.
–The life sized fire trucks, ambulances, and cars were fun to climb into and «drive».
–There were a lot of extra activities the day we visited, including a healthy snack table, a bicycle which made smoothies, and a seed/​garden table.
–My son loved the market and kitchen area. He loves to «cook».
I’d love to go back during a slower day to enjoy the museum in a less chaotic environment!

My favorite of all the California childrens’ museums (gadgets! obstacles! spouts! neat-​O stuff, everywhere!) and San Jose is the host of it. Any parent knows it’s easy enough to entertain a child with bubbles, of which they have gigantic bubbles, and that alone merits 5-​stars (no, not really, but you see where I’m going with this). Among the highlights, they have water reservoirs and waterwheels, fire trucks, ambulance cars, gardens, a musical staircase, wobbly bridges, pulley transports, skyrails, crawlspace, Plinko, ball spinning vortex and kinetic pinballs, floating ping pong balls, light grids and lots of other chain reaction mechanisms. I’m past thirty and I love watching chain reactions myself, whether it’s kids toppling over each other — no, no – I’m kidding. But all those science gadgets that have some kind of chain reaction or domino effect, I’m mesmerized. #godswitness

For spring break, I was looking for activities for my toddlers that would be new from our usual weekend activities and keep them entertained for hours. Decided to take them to the Children’s Discovery Museum for the first time. We’ve been to the Bay Area Discovery Museum and loved it, but don’t love the drive to Sausalito. Best idea of Spring Break 2016. Bought tickets online, found parking across the street for $ 5 all day (a steal compared to what you’d pay in SF), arrived at 11 and spent the entire day there, practically closing the place down. Once you enter, I ditched my stroller in the front stroller parking area. Literally only brought it for the walk back across the street to the parking lot as I knew they would be spent. (I was right.)
They have a number of different areas to play in: a theater w/​the underwater sea playing a screen and rocks/​puppets, and corral you can play with, water area, bubble area, real fire truck and ambulance, healthyville area, fruit stand/​kitchen/​truck area and a mammoth area all on the lower level. In addition, there were little areas manned by staff/​volunteers that had either an arts and craft or exhibit of some sort. Upstairs, the room we spent the most time in was the toddler room for kids 6 and under. SO much for them to do in there. A few hours easily spent there going from one area to the next.
The cafeteria was also stocked with some good healthy food options which was ten times better than what I usually get at the zoo or other museum/​park areas. Lots of staff, though would have to agree, they actually are around, but I didn’t see them interact w/​guests much which was interesting.
Kids rallied thru their nap time to play and then slept soundly on the way home. Both declared it was a great adventure.
Great for young toddlers thru 3^rd grade. Bring a change of clothes/​towel just in case they play in the water/​bubble area.

My son and I love the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, he will be four in May and has been enjoying the museum since he was two. He literally asks if we can go to the «big purple building with the giant ducky on top» every day since out last visit. We were most currently there for Pi day (3÷14÷16), free admission from 3:14 — 5:30. Most of the exhibits were open for the public to enjoy free of cost.
The cost of admission is pretty high but I snatch up the Groupon deals every time the are available. Two admissions for the price of one is a great deal for this mom on a budget. The museum does offer yearly family passes which I have seriously contemplated. Only reason I haven’t followed through is the possibility of a move out of the area. Members get a ton of perks and even discounts on birthday parties at the museum, way groovy!
I recommend a change of clothes for all the water and bubbles lovers out there. Two great displays could leave kiddos soaking wet.
I always bring snacks and lunch everywhere we go to keep costs down however there is a wonderful café inside the museum that has always peaked my interest. Super healthy choice options!
Can’t find a single negative thing about this place, not even mad about having to pay for parking this place is that worth it!

Excellent museum for children ages 2 – 10. The wide variety of exhibits covers arts, sounds, natural history, science, health, nutrition and just fun stuff like bubbles and water play. My daughter and I visited with my 9 year old, 6 year old, 4 year old and 7 month old grandkids and there was something there for everyone.
Full sized fire truck, ambulance, and farm truck attracted a lot of kid action. There are plenty of bathrooms, water stations, and baby changing areas. There is even a nice café with healthy meals for kids and the whole family. The arts areas and water play areas are well staffed with helpful adult guidance for the younger kids.
I am not sure of the costs since my daughter has a family membership to the museum. Parking is across the street and is $ 5 per day.

This place is absolutely amazing for children! My daughter had fun at each station. Her favorites were the water station and the upstairs section where younger children could explore. I love how decorative and colorful the place is. There is a lot for each child to do and see. I especially loved the upstairs. There was one section where there are safe stairs, my daughter loved to go up and down the stairs without me worrying that she would fall. I also enjoyed the water area where they can float play balls in water or see the play balls spin in different directions. Today at the café, I asked for a cup of water and was almost charged 75 cents and it was just to warm my daughter’s bottle up. It turns out the lady was understanding and let me have half a cup of hot water so that my daughter can have her milk warmed. I really recommend this museum it is lots of fun and there is lots to do here. We will come again!

Took my 2 year old to this place and he had a great time! He really enjoyed the waterworks exhibit and the art studios upstairs. The various vehicles around the museum were also great for her to drive, although he had to learn a valuable lesson of sharing. The only complaint I have is that there are so many people there but that’s a sign of a great children’s museum.

Great place! Loads to do for kids of all ages! My daughter, who is 20 months loved the fire truck, bubble area, water area and the upstairs has a whole room full of art stuff, a sand table, a cool merry go round light, and tons more! I wish we bought the membership while we were there. I can’t wait to go again!

Got a yearly membership as a gift for Christmas. The museum has been great on rainy days. My daughter is about 2 yrs and she loves the ambulance and the plane that goes in circles on the bottom floor. We spend most of our time on the 2^nd floor at the arts and crafts and in the 4 yrs and under room. The cylindrical drain with the balls is great, she spends a lot of time in the sand play area, and likes to go upstairs to the lighted room. The staff is friendly and good with the kids. Tried the food one day and it was a bit of a bummer. The kid always had a great time and expends a lot of energy, great for her afternoon nap time!

Took my niece here for her 2^nd birthday and she had a blast. She loved the water area and the bubbles they definitely have a lot of activities for all ages 2+ but I wouldn’t recommend any younger. Overall we had a great experience and will be returning

Bring a twerp! It is one of those places where kids accidentally learn things while having some fun. Of note, would say 3 – 8 is the wheelhouse and even 8 may be pushing it. In some ways would say the 4 year olds have the most fun, it has some areas just for 4 and under. The older kids get the more it becomes an exercise of sharing and helping the younger kids understand how exhibits work.
2 – 3 is plenty of time.

My 3 year old had the time of his life here! It is a huge building with frequently rotating featured exhibits, or so it seemed to me, as well as having awesome mainstays such as an ambulance and the water works area.
Suitable for kids of most ages, not much tailored towards the very small ones (18 months and under.) Although it was very busy when we went to play on Sunday afternoon, it didn’t feel too overwhelming since the campus is so large. There are lots of staff members and volunteers to assist.
We didn’t try the in-​house café because of its long line but their selection seemed very tasty as well as health conscious. All in all, it was a great visit (we’re out-​of-​towners) and one we hope to make again!

We often go to this museum. My toddler loves to explore here. Just watch out with some kids. They tend to fight with same things. Even though there are so many stuff to play with. Place is 5 stars no doubt. Other than very clean, safe and well organized place to take your little ones…

This museum is meant for families. The children enjoy each different room and different experience. We usually start with painting (but we skip crafts… If they can’t paint all over themselves, the paint room loses their attention, haha). They really like the toddler forest area upstairs.
The bubble basement (it’s this little lower level covered in soap) seems claustrophobic at first– and then it’s just awesome.
I’m not the best at finding thought provoking activities for my kids– but this place makes you feel likes good parent. The kids are smarter and happier every time we leave this place.

This place is so much fun for the kids, there are quite a few activities for the kids. Well it sure keeps the kids active and occupied for 5 – 6 hours at least. The entrance tickets are priced equal for both kids and adults :(.
Well its worth every penny for the kids atleast!

I don’t see why anyone local wouldn’t get the annual pass. We go here at least once a month, and yes it’s a lot of work to babysit your child while they are drooling over everything here but don’t forget. they will sleep soundly that night.
I’ve been taking baby here since she was 9 months old! There’s a crawl space up on the second floor with a rocking chair for nursing mamas. They even have music time and story time there weekly. I wish it was monitored a bit more as there have been times where older walkers come in, unsupervised, and cause a safety hazard for the crawlers. However, most of the time a volunteer eventually came in and told them to leave.
Now that I have a toddler, she loves the water park area (there’s even a toddler station!). She also loves the second floor play area (4 years and under) with spinning balls and hands on activities.
Downstairs there’s all sorts of educational displays and attractions. It’s kinda funny to see how enthralled kids are over an ambulance or a 1950’s car.
PARKING*** There is cheap $ 5 cash parking on Auzerais ave
You can bring your stroller in, there is stroller parking in the front. But, don’t think you can bring your stroller everywhere, the play area on the 2^nd floor requires you to leave your stroller outside. so if you’re worried about it being stolen (I wouldn’t) consider this.

I have to say that my previous praises for the museum café had been shortsighted. Now they have gone completely overboard in their quest of «healthy» food and their food selections now would fit right into some of the esoteric items in some healthy food store. No longer you can order any kind of normal dish with meat, side and some some sort of fruits or vegetables. And this is for the kids items.
The adult selection is now made up of some sort of Mexican fare.

Pros:
Your little kids will love it (1−5year olds)
Good sized venue
Healthy food options
Eco conscious food packaging in café
Cons:
Lack of staffing/​organization.
This is my main complaint. At minimum on busy days they should have one person policing the fire truck & one at the ambulance. Just to enforce turn taking and reduce bullying or hogging.
My 2yr old was finally at the wheel of the fire truck just to have an older kid run up and shove him over. I said nothing. Then as my child was trying to scoot behind the same kid to get out of the fire truck the jerk leaned back and elbowed him while another little kid was dangerously sitting by his feet. This is where I lost it and told him off. This should not have fallen on me as a guest. Meanwhile there are 4 – 6 staff members stationed at the door to take your money when there is no one in line to enter.
More play food needed in food truck/​kitchen/​grocery area. A few extra «appliances» wouldn’t hurt either.
Overall cleanliness & maintenance could be improved.
Art room with a table full of permanent markers… not my marker choice.
Add a dim/​black light in tunnel (toddler area) to cut back on collision.
No step stools in bathroom. For a place that is geared towards the young they should have a few step stools in the bathroom even with lowered sinks some kids need an extra boost there and at toilet.
No visible display changes this being my 3^rd visit in over a year. Membership doesn’t seem like a great value.
Missed opportunity on their part in selling towels/​clothes/​shoes for parents that don’t know about water & bubble features.

Fun and informative place for young children. Note the «for young children» statement. However, paying $ 13 per person is a bit steep especially for adults and older kids. Plan to spend about 1.5 to 2.0 hours there which is more than enough. Parking ($ 5 the whole day) is nearby and convenient.
I’m not sure how often they change the exhibits but I could not see myself paying $ 13 per person that often to come here! I guess I’m more of a «Tech museum» person!

This review is about their new food vendor. Food was gross! And took about 20mins for them the cook 2 tiny pieces of chicken tenders & a bowl of chili. food wasn’t even tasteful at all. I will bring my lunch next time.

Its pretty fun place to bring our toddler son… Although he doesn’t understand the science behind it but at least I could tell that he was having fun… Too bad that kids from 2 have to pay the same price as an adult :(- I mean come on… At least you guys give half price for kids under 5? Like most places do… It was recommended by our in laws when we were visiting this city.

My son absolutely loved it here. I did not.
The parking is typical of SJ: there is none. At least not any parking that isn’t the same cost as a ticket. The closest garage was $ 5/​hr. Supposedly there’s a further away garage that’s $ 7/​day, but I haven’t tried it yet.
The place is really hot and stuffy. They need better ventilation and air flow with such a small place. There was barely any room to walk or stand when we went. It makes for an uncomfortable experience for the adult. My son didn’t mind though, he kept getting toys grabbed out his hand by kids. I think some parents use this as a daycare.
The price for a year pass isn’t outrageous. But what irks me is the lack of parking. You already pay a lot for a ticket. Then you have to shell out for parking. I think parking should be included, or have a separate parking pass like Happy Hollow Zoo.
I wouldn’t purchase a pass here if it wasn’t gifted to us like it was this year for Christmas. Think about it. You spend $ 125. Then, in the course of the year, if you go once a month for 3 hours, that’s ($ 5×3) x 12= $ 180. So, you actually spend more on parking than you do on the actual tickets. That’s ridiculous, and one of many reasons I don’t frequent downtown SJ.

Went to the museum this past weekend with my sister and her family, mainly for my eldest niece. The place is cute with many educational hands-​on exhibits. Some notables taught kids how electricity is generated to the intricacies of water and how it relates to solid objects. Of course there is a fun factor thrown in there as well.
The ticket price of $ 13 was not worth it though as I felt there wasn’t enough to see but that’s just me of course, the definition of a responsible and mature adult! Are you buying any of this?
I also noticed that some of the exhibits were kinda grody to the max (bringing back an 80’s slang reference). The place could use a wash down or paint job but it did bring joy to my niece and at the end of the day that’s all that matters.

I am terribly dismayed to hear a museum designed for small children doesn’t have a Code Adam in place to ensure child safety and prevent kidnapping. I was going to take my toddler here and was excited about what sounds like a great place to explore. But reading the review of the woman whose daughter got separated from her caregiver and was found 5 blocks away, and the brush-​off Unilocal response from management, makes me not going to patronize this business until Code Adam or other similar procedures are implemented. Sounds like staff and management need quite a bit of training in this area. I’d be happy to try it and update my review AFTER the museum confirms implementing a code adam.

This place is oodles of fun for my toddler. We started coming when he was about 20months old. He loves coming here and we love their wonder cabinet. We walk through and he enjoys all the discovery attractions on the way to the wonder cabinet. We spend a couple of hours here every time. He is tired afterwards and he takes a nice nap. The food available for purchase is surprisingly healthy and both of us have enjoyed a simple lunch here.
Tip — park in the parking lot right across the street from the museum. It’s a flat $ 5 whereas meters are $ 2/​hr. It’s just a few minute walk from the entrance. We usually aim to get there around 9:30am to give us plenty of time to park, snooze longer, and walk over to go in by 10am. Leave the stroller if your LO is a good walker or just wear a carrier. Otherwise you’ll end up leaving it at the door anyways. It does get pretty crazy with all age kiddos but the wonder cabinet is for the little ones. Enjoy!

My 1 ½ year old granddaughter had a great time. She was entertained for 2 hours and we could have stayed longer if we had put more minutes on the parking meter.
We visited the museum on a Friday afternoon. Metered parking was available on the street, across from the museum. Parking lots are also close by.
If your child/​grandchild is 4 or under, be sure to check out the areas specifically designed for smaller children. There is a section in the water area for younger kids and a large room upstairs that has quite a few things that will catch your child’s attention.

This was my first time at the Children’s Discovery Museum and it is pretty darn nice and fun!
Right when you enter this place there is a huge Firetruck where the kids can pretend they are driving and dress up. I love the setup of all the traffic signal equipment! I work in signals and it is extremely similar to what is running in the field. The Dora exhibit was pretty fun for the little ones. So much to do. There was one room that I extremely loved but can’t remember what it was called. They have story time in there and secret tunnels. This one was my favorite!
I gave it 4stars because it’s alarming at how many kids walk away from their parents and the workers that are usually at the exits of the different areas didn’t stop them. One time there was maybe a 2 year old boy all by himself!

Went on a Monday when it wasn’t too crowded. My toddler enjoyed it a lot! Loved the water area the best. Storytime (12 & 2 PM) was enjoyable. The toddler art area was fun, probably enjoyed the paint wall the best since messiness was a part of it all. But there’s a little sink where the little ones can clean up so that was nice. There was also a bubble area on the lowest level that was quite enjoyable.
We could have stayed for more than 3 hours, but it was naptime. :p
In all, it was a great place to go. Everyone has to pay admission ($ 12. It’s not too bad if you think of it as a mini-​theme park where your kids get to run around to learn and play for the afternoon. We won’t be coming back regularly as it’s a trek for us, but will definitely make a trip down here every now and then.
Tip: Bring a spare change of clothes for the water area.
Mommy Tip: There a baby room for changing and nursing in addition to the changing table in the regular bathroom

This was our second time. My 18mo thoroughly enjoyed. Her fave was the water play area and the bubbles. We went for their 25^th bday celebration-​free admission yay! It was extremely well organised, quite a few activities planned for the kiddies. Lots and lots of people (more adults than kids) and it looked like everyone was having a blast!
The only gripe was adults taking pics/​videos of kids. There was a huge crowd and because these adults had to stand in one place to be able to catch a good shot, it was creating chaos and extending the wait periods for rides, making other kids impatient and causing distress to a lot of others. So be mindful of the other families and just enjoy with your child, and save capturing memories for a paid admission day when the place is not jam packed. TIA

This place is awesome for 1 — 7 year old children… and their parents. Somethings are permanent and some things change regularly, which is great. It means that the old favorites are always available to enjoy, and there is some new novelty, too.
I like the infant /​toddler room for my little one. It is a room where the tiny ones can crawl around with little help. I also like the garden area for when the kids need to get outside and can touch the plants without having to worry about poisonous plants.
The café has improved recently. I like the children’s «bento boxes». Lately, I haven’t bothered to pack snacks because the bento boxes have the sort of food I want the kids to eat.
The only thing I don’t like is the rowdy children, especially on the weekends. For some reason, parents seem to have no problem allowing their children to be aggressive with materials and other children. I have had to ask a museum employee to step in a few times when a child was acting dangerously and the parents do not do anything.
My family has an annual pass. I think that it is a good deal for the number of visits we make through the year. If you have little kids, try it out!