Visiting family here from Austin Texas and needed something for the kiddo to do while here. Took him here, he had a blast. I mention Austin because we have this place called the Thinkery which I can compare this with. The Thinkery is relatively new, super expensive, and very pretentious. Whereas this is much older, and while some parts are missing/broken, it had charm, character, was well priced and was accessible to all. My fav part was the large climbing structure. Would visit again when in the area. read more

Children's Museum At Holyoke - Climbing structure - Children's Museums Near Me - Holyoke, Massachusetts

Who would have thought that there was such a hidden gem in Holyoke. I absolutely love this place. At first I was a little hesitant about coming here based on the limited pictures and reviews. I am not going to lie, I don't spend much time in the Holyoke area, so I was a little skeptical when I was driving past all these abandoned buildings. The parking isn't bad and a few quarters take you a long way here. I know people are little dubious about the street parking, but I have never had an issue, aside from a few of the parking meters being inoperable. There are also two garages that are across the street from the facility and the pricing for that is also fair. Remember bring change!!! I had to learn that the hard way. When I went into the building, I amazed. It is such a cute little facility. It is two stories, but the top level is more of a sitting area. You pay to get into the facility downstairs. There are elevators if you are wondering. The staircase is the way I like to go down because there is an artsy little metal dog that is there and my son always wants to check it out. Before you enter there is a little area where you can hang your coats. People normally leave diaper bags and lunches there. I always pack a little snack for my guy and leave it there. The restroom is also in this area. No food and water is actually allowed in the museum, unless you are heading to the back for a scheduled birthday party. The prices to get in are super cheap. I paid at the cash register and the cashier stamped our hands. After that we were free to roam. There are numerous play stations in this museum. They have an astonishing climbing area, a water works area, a building room, a mini construction site, an airflow center, bubble makers, shadow room, ambulance, fire truck, costumes, grocery store, theatre, a small slide, a toddler area... We can literally spend hours here. My son enjoyed himself so much that I decided to get a family pass, we have been here about every other week since my first trip here. I even booked his party this summer here. I can't wait for all his friends to play with him here. Mom and dad are getting a little sick of climbing through the playscape with him. LOL. Honestly, this is a great place for your kid to exert their energy. I wish I came here sooner, it would have been a more active winter. I recommend all parents to bring their little people here. read more

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The kids gave it four stars, the adults three, so we'll break the tie on the kid's sides. This is a play museum with some local exhibit flare, with some standard pretend-places (fire house, etc.) (the kids were particularly taken by the post office for some reason - I've seen the exact same thing at other children's museums where there was zero engagement, go figure) and a superior climbing thingamahoosy at the center. Everything was working and clean, and while we were not transported by it (having been to a GAZILLION of these places, it seems) the kids were amused for over an hour and some change for about the same value-for-minute as a first-run movie. Take that for what it's worth to you. read more

SO MUCH FUN! This is a wonderful find, and a great way to occupy the littles for hours on end. There is a massive multi-level climbing structure and a really cool river water table, a play diner and kitchen, a play grocery store, fire truck, ambulance, room of foam blocks, the air maze with an assortment of things you can suck up in it, a separate lower-key room for crawlers and cruisers, and much, MUCH more. And it's clear that a lot of thought went into planning...the water table area has raincoats and even a wall-mounted hand dryer...the socks-only climbing structure has shoe cubbies scattered around the base...there is parent seating everywhere you would want it to be, half walls so you can keep an eye on things, and coat racks located conveniently at the entrance where you can stash jackets, snacks and whatever else you may not wish to haul around the play space. A word of caution about the big "curvy climber": some of the slopes are surprisingly steep for toddlers so be prepared to remove your shoes and rescue :) The Museum is located on one end of Heritage State Park. There is a parking garage across the side street that's closest to the museum, nearby metered street parking, as well as a free lot at the other end of the park near the merry-go-round (yes, a merry-go-round...as in carousel! A fully-restored piece of history from Holyoke's Mountain Park that is definitely worth a visit!). It's a short and pleasant walk across the park from the Museum to the merry-go-round. On your way, you'll pass a small outdoor park/playscape that borders the canal. There are plenty of benches and we usually stop there for lunch or a snack in between activities. The only drawback is that admission gets a bit expensive because it's per-person, not just per child. So if you think you'll go more than a couple of times a year, I recommend looking into the various pass options they have, which are actually pretty reasonably priced. read more

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Great place for kids! Playground outside is a nice addition to it! Overall, we had a great experience

This is a very cute little place. It is small, though. I wish it was bigger. Also you are not allowed to bring in food or beverages. I am not sure whether there is any place to eat the snacks you may bring, like a separate snack room. There is a big climbing structure, and water play. There are lots of other neat exhibits for both older kids and younger kids. Lots of music, a fire truck display, a light room with a shadow wall that is pretty cool, and way more. We had a very enjoyable time there. read more

We're in Springfield for the weekend and decided to check out this museum. Our 18-month-old loves it! There are tons of things to touch, feel, and play with. He loved it so much that we're coming back tomorrow. read more

My kids love going here. We first went for a friend's daughter's birthday party and it was well done by the staff to keep the party moving. My boys (4&2 yrs old at the time) loved the climbing structure the best and the water table/river. They provide waterproof aprons to avoid their clothes getting totally soaked. They love the giant bubble maker and various things to do there. We went again during one of their school vacations and they loved it even more as they got older. Tomorrow we are going and my boys (now 9&7) are super excited and my daughter who was last there when she was about 1 will love it I'm sure. As a parent of three I appreciate that there are activities for the various ages of kids. It's clean and thoughtfully laid out. To me it seems cheap but that's because I'm used to Boston prices. Every time I've gone I park on the street by the grassy quad area instead of the garage and have never had a problem. Growing up in the area it's been much improved and expanded. There is a separate merry go round near it that opens in warm weather. When we went to the bday party we got a free pass to come back and a free ride on the merry go round (which we still haven't used but a nice touch). Overall, it's a great place to go! read more

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Location isn't ideal for an area of the city you want to bring your child to. The one time went for a birthday party we parked in the parking garage across the street and in the 2 hours we were in there half the cars in the garage had been broken into. (thankfully not mine) Kinda cheesy inside, cool climber for older kids, but pretty much the rest of the place is a bust. My son was bored in a matter of minutes in each room, and most of the interactive exhibits are broken or not functioning. I'd probably never go back. read more

The Children's Museum at Holyoke is definitely in contention for the best children's museum I've been too. First off this is a newer museum & good sized. We were there on a busy Saturday but didn't have to fight anyone for any exhibits. There was nothing crazy that I haven't seen before but everything was new & clean. I've never seen another museum with staff on top of making sure the place was running efficiently. There's lots to see for all ages & every exhibit is hands on. My son loves the shopping & restaurant areas of the museums we go to & this one was great. He made cars to race & blew BIG bubbles. There's multiple rooms to go through on 1 level but it's not confusing to navigate. For $7 a head you get your money's worth as there's lots to see & do. It doesn't seem like there's much going on in Holyoke. GPS took us through some rough areas on our way to the museum but once we arrived all that didn't matter. If you're in the area & have kids it's a definite must! read more

Shocked how much fun the kids had! Lots of activities and things to get their energy out. Areas like fire station, water play, motion,kitchen/Pizza cafe, ambulance and more. If I lived nearby, I would definitely buy a year pass. read more

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I absolutely love this place the staff is friendly and helpful. It is the cutest little Museum and my kids absolutely love it.

I really love taking my kids here but think it's a little ridiculous that adults have to pay too.

My Daughter loves this place and begs to come here almost every day. If you have kids and live in the area or visiting, then you should definitely bring them here. It's a great way to spend your day and provides plenty of play and social opportunities for children of all ages. The staff are so incredibly friendly and helpful as well. read more

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My family loves the Children's Museum in Holyoke! There have recently been many exciting changes and improvements like a giant light bright and an engineering room. The staff is great! My daughters absolute favorite is the giant curvy climber. read more

This is a small museum and I normally support them. However, I really am not impressed and neither is my daughter. we have visited once a year in hopes it might be an issue with age, but it isn't. This museum just doesn't have enough going for it that it engages a child long enough to be worth it. When you first walk in, you have to go downstairs to get in. No big deal. There is a wonderful climbing structure, the only reason the museum got 2 stars. It is clean and I felt comfortable with her going in and playing. she played in it for about 30 minutes and then was ready to explore. The giant bubble maker was great as well. The rest of the museum consisted of small rooms that should be used for the imagination. The hospital/ambulance is cool, but it is apparent things are older and some have gone missing to complete it. The water table is ok, but I have seen many more that were better and more engaging. The rest aren't even worth mentioning. The biggest disadvantage for this museum is the children need other children to truly enjoy the areas, and when we have gone, it hasn't had enough kids to make it happen. Not saying I like a packed museum, as I don't! But to fully enjoy it, bring a group of 5-6 kids or have a playdate group there. I truly wish I could recommend this place, but it is really only a good place if you get a seriously discounted coupon and have nothing better to do. There are plenty of other museums within the area that are hands on and interactive. read more

Perfect for 1-8 year old children. Plenty to see and do similar to please touch museum in Philadelphia. Well priced. Merry go round next door, and free parking in deck next door. I highly recommend, and would go again. read more

This museum was so much more than we expected! We brought our 8 and 4 year olds and I was a little wary, thinking my 8 year old might get bored quickly but that was not the case. He is definitely at the top end of the age bracket though. My kids loved the climbing structure, which was not too small for adults to get in, important for the toddler set. They also loved the air maze, a set of interconnected tubes with vents that scarves and giant pom poms could be put in. They also enjoyed the meandering water table river, the interactive projection machine that projected games onto the floor, and the magnetic building structure. The staff were lovely as well and very helpful. All in all it was a great two hour excursion. read more

Awesome! Lots of cool things for kids to check out, seems safe and has things that will amuse children of multiple ages. Our kiddo went for the first time around a year and a half and she loved it! Giant suspended play structure is one of a kind and very cool. But let's be serious: how could a place like this not be a germ factory. Especially the water table. read more

I remember all the times I used to visit this place as a kid. A lot of fun things to do and activities for the kids to enjoy themselves, wish I was a kid again so I could have fun here one more time. read more

I volunteer to do activities with kids in the community. One of the kids wanted to go here. Admission can be pricey...this is $7 per person...even adults that get nothing out of it. I was going to get museum passes to go like most museums offer at public libraries, but this one had only a half off coupon. They also offer no free days. Anyway, it's not so much a museum as a play zone. They have bubble makers, play areas, etc., but they don't have any plaques with information. I don't know...if u are going to use "museum" in the name, have some information we can teach the kids. The kid I was with was 9 and went through it once and was done. The climber is the best part and the rest is a bit dull especially for older kids. read more

Recently had my daughters birthday party here and it was great. The staff and Birthday coordinator were absolutely amazing. When my daughter got sick the morning of her original party date, they offered to reschedule for a new date, no addition charge. Her party was yesterday and it was great!!! read more