Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose
add photosGreat workshops for all different age groups including babies and toddlers. Check website calendar for more details.
38 Reviews for Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose
5
00 families found this helpful
"The best place for crawlers to Pre school"
I have been taking my twins to Discovery Museum since they were 7 months old. Being a twin mom I want a place to take the 2 kids where they are both safe and I can also get some quality time with them without worrying about cleaning the mess afterwards. The wonder Closet is really the answer to all my wishes. My kids can spend hours just exploring and playing in there. And the best part is that the place has a door so when I am attending to one of them the other one will not run away, so I can peacefully spend one on one time with both of them. We all Love it!!
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0 families found this helpful
"Our Favorite Place to Play"
I have been visiting this museum with my kids since they were tiny babies, and we still enjoy it, although our focus has changed somewhat now that both my kids are school-aged. This museum offers plenty of hands-on activities for even the youngest children, all in the name of fun. There are numerous opportunities for role-playing of all sorts, whether your child aspires to be a firefighter or a pizza chef. The babies-only room is a parent's dream come true (padded room, anyone?), and offers the parents of young children a safe, quite haven for nursing, as well as for letting the youngest mobile children to 'get their crawling' on safely.
Meanwhile, slightly older children will enjoy the sandbox, art room, and water exhibits, although if your kids are sensitive about getting wet, make sure to scope things out thoroughly in the water area before you explore it. Bringing a change of clothing is a good idea, too, as the air conditioning in the museum can be very chilly if your children end up getting wet.
A fun museum, worth attending regularly if you live locally, and certainly worth a visit if you're just passing through.
0 families found this helpful
"this museum is so fun!!"
I took my two kids, once again, to this museum a couple monthes back. I loved it and so did they!! they were raving about it the whole way home, it was so cute. I defenetly would recommend taking your little ones here. It will be well worth it when they are so happy to discover so mant things!!
0 families found this helpful
"Never a dull moment here"
I took my little boy here when he was about 18 months and he loved it! There are so many exhibits and interactive activities that the kids will never get bored. The water activities are really fun too but make sure to do that last because even with the protective ponchos provided, the kids still get wet.
0 families found this helpful
"Fun for kids of many ages!"
Love, love it. We get the Membership when we can, as it is $10 per person to enter and membership pays for itself in 2.5 visits. My 2 and 5 year olds can't get enough. Lots for kids of all ages to enjoy. Side note, my friends that have 5 kids pay the same membership fee as us, so it's a great value to get a membership when you have a large family. The Wonder Cabinet is Fab and I'll be bummed when the kids are too old for it. Bring a snack from home, the cafe leaves much to be desired. Bring a change of clothes for the water area, trust me.
0 families found this helpful
"Very Interactive"
My 20 month old son really enjoyed this. There is a huge toddler play area upstairs with blocks and an art zone. He didn't want to stay there too long though as there was a special exhibit on circles with lots of things that rolled, a full sized ambulance to play in, and other interactive exhibits. They do have a small water play area on the first floor. There are not a lot of different water activities, but they did have a special lower "table" of water toys and spouts for young toddlers. My son really liked that and played there for almost an hour. Bring dry clothes and shoes. Over all it was quite fun and the gift shop is really nice.
0 families found this helpful
"Always Exciting"
We love this place. The most cost efficient way to visit is to get an inexpensive annual pass and take the train. Our son absolutely loves everything about this museum, from the real firetruck and ambulance to the water tables and bubble rooms. There is always something to do here and we go as often as possible. Like I said though if you take the train you get 2 really cool things for a little boy to look forward to. Definitely one of our families favorite activities.
1 family found this helpful
"Discover the San Jose Children's Discovery Museum!"
There is so much to do at this museum for kids of all ages that there simply isn't enough time in one trip!
At the entrance, we are immediately greeted by a giant firetruck and both my toddler boys were thrilled to put on the hard hats and outfits and pretend to be firefighters for the day. At the museum, there is an art gallery which displays art by local young artists, an art loft where children can do arts and crafts, a kid's garden (an actual garden!) with fruits and vegetables, a space dedicated for just bubbles of all sizes and shapes, a segment called WaterWays where children learn the special properties of water (bring extra sets of clothes and get prepared to get wet!), a pin-screen where you can leave your handprint, and so much more!
For kids under 5, there is a special part of the museum specifically for them upstairs. There is story time, space to run around freely, a room for finger painting (aprons are provided), a table where kids can measure and feel sand, and there is also a special section called Little WaterWays, where they can explore the different concepts of water like wet/dry, empty/full etc.
This museum is so unique and so educational. Tickets are a little pricey at $10/person ages 1 and up and parking is an additional $5. If you plan to come here a lot then it is well worth it to get an annual family membership pass for $120.
0 families found this helpful
"Used to be Fantastic,still worth coming to"
The water exhibit is amazing. Be sure to bring a change of clothes or wear clothes that can get messy and wet. Parking somewhat of a hassle with the lot with prices that vary-typically $5. Sometimes machines will take credit debit sometimes not. Come prepared with a $5. bill. If you arrive before opening street parking may be available bring quarters. Light rail will drop you off directly in front of the museum. For the price of admission,enjoy art projects,bubble area,face painting , circle exhibit,water play,rotating exhibits,and often special events....a garden and much more. There is supposedly an infant area for crawlers ONLY however the many times I was in there with my crawler parents allowed big kids in 3yrs + and my crawler wasn't safe. Staff would never enforce or post clear signage
The Museum needs some maintenance,sadly this doesn't seem to be a priority for SJ. OK to bring your own lunch but may only eat it on a few benches indoors or in an outdoor area. There is plenty of covered walkway if need be if it rains....
0 families found this helpful
"personal favorite"
since we only live about 5 mins away from here i bring my 1year old here quite offten. she loves it. great hands on exploring, inexpesive, family enviornment. even i had a great time playing along side my daughter. there are hours of fun in the many exibits for all ages. i recomend going here alll the time to friends.
0 families found this helpful
"Great place for all ages"
I have been taking my daughter here for a few months (beginning when she was 10 months) and she loves it. They have a wonder cabinet upstairs for children 4 and under. There is more to do for this age than any place I have seen or imagined. The only reason I do not give it five stars is because they allow bigger kids to roam in there and they sometimes not nice to the younger children. Downstairs they have water tables for toddlers-she loves this too. On the weekends they often have outdoor kids concerts. These are geared toward toddlers ....ummm at least the ones we have been to. We will explore the rest of it when she gets older, but seems to be a ton for kids around 7/8 years as well.
0 families found this helpful
"The Purple Building"
You can't miss this place. People who don't know what it is refer to it as the Purple Building...but only if they knew what is inside.
This place is wonderful. Not only are the children playing but they are learning. I myself grew up visiting this place on school field trips. I had fun here as a child and now my child has fun here, as well...
1 family found this helpful
"San Jose CDM"
LOVE this place! We have worn out our membership as it is just a great place to spend a few hours with the kids indoors when the weather is no co-operating. The only negative thing that I can say is that it does get very very busy at times which makes it more of a challenge with three kids, but on the days when it is quiet (late afternoons, mornings in the early part of the week) it doesn't get much better. We can spend two hours in the wonder cabinet alone (designed for pre-school kids, array of activities including a very popular arts and crafts room). Don't forget a change of clothes as your kids are undoubtedly going to get soaked in the water or bubbles area. There's not much room to eat inside if you bring your own lunch, and the line for lunch can be long and slow if you try and eat at the cafe during peak times.
0 families found this helpful
"A lot of fun!"
My kids love this place. They love the water ball area the best. They also love the face painting area. It is fun to watch your kids make their own mask without an adult telling them what it should look like. Be sure to bring clothes you don't mind getting wet and messy. Some of the things change so there are new things to see.
1 family found this helpful
"A FAVORITE"
We have been taking our now three-year old to the SJCDM since he was 10 months old, and we always have a blast! The place seems to "grow" with the little ones. When he was young, we played in the Wonder Cabinet, where he crawled through a starlit tunnel, played with sound manipulatives and hovering balls, and experimented with sand. Now that he is older, he still enjoys the Wonder Cabinet, but also loves to dress up like a firefighter and drive the real fire engine or ambulance. He plays "mailman" at the post office, and LOVES the water exhibit (bring a change of shoes, because your kids are going to get wet!) Last week, he attempted face-painting for the first time. There is a TON of fun for everyone here. The rotating exhibits vary in quality and interest, but overall, this place always provides hours of safe, educational fun!
0 families found this helpful
"My kids were in heaven!"
Despite going on a busy Saturday, the museum did not seem crowded. The little tot area upstairs was perfect for my 15 month old daughter to roam around (not withstanding the fact that she fell down the stairs. Oops.). It is a large area with lots of hidey holes, so I had a few moments of panic when she went missing, but soon found her busily amusing herself with the various play stations. Both she and my 4 year old loved the farmer's market/cafe area where kids can pretend to make food, bake pizza, open a restaurant etc. Great imaginative play!
1 family found this helpful
"San Jose Children's Museum"
We love to visit this museum whenever we are in town. We find that the exhibits are so well done that we can spend an entire day exploring all of the different areas. My 3 year old loves the toddler area and I love that this area is enclosed. We have not been back to the museum since my son was born but I'm looking forward to sharing it with him as well. They even have a padded room just for crawlers. He will love this!!! I highly recommend this museum to all families looking for something fun to do!
0 families found this helpful
"Very Fun, but prcing was not as advertised"
We have 3 children ages 1, 3 and 6. There were activities for each of them to keep busy. It was a great place to spend the day! The only complaint was that the pricing listed on the website. It was listed as about half as much as the true cost. Ultimately, the cost was about $10 per person including the baby!
1 family found this helpful
"San Jose Family Classic"
This museum just keeps getting better and better. We were frequent visitors when my son was a preschooler, but recently went (son now age 8) and still found plenty to interest him.
The Wonder Cabinet, for children under the age of 4, is so well-done that I wish I could still go in with my son. There is a sand table, a tunnel with "stars" and an art area for the tots.
Since we can't go into the Wonder Cabinet anymore, we spend a lot of time in the Art loft for older kids. It's a beautiful room, that is always well-staffed, and stocked with awesome art materials and projects. My son could easily spend an hour in that room alone.
Other favorites are the water play area, the Secrets of Circles exhibit, and the fire truck.
It is always less crowded later in the afternoon, or early Sunday morning. Take a picnic and eat out in the grassy area outside.
1 family found this helpful
"Great for kids of all ages"
I took my son here when he was 6 months old. There is a playroom for young infants. It is designed for them to crawl around and discover. It was great. They also had reading time where someone there read books to the kids. I am planning to take him there now that he is a toddler because they have a ton of other fun activities for kids of that age. Apparently, they also do birthday parties there, too.
**update**
I took my son back here recently. I think this place is wonderful! As a toddler now, he enjoys and appreciates this place even more. I have never seen him having more fun. LOVE this place! Considering purchasing a membership.
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