Been waiting to check this place out for a bit. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we ended up here today with our 2 year old toddler. We bought tickets while driving over but you can purchase tickets there. Smallish place with some hands on interactive activities - I would say this is for older toddlers/kids. The light show in the back was definitely the highlight and our toddler's favorite part. Love that they hand you a lantern. Big space which allowed my toddler to run around safely. Zoo part was fun but minimal. There's a nice outdoor area to enjoy the view. Magical bridge playground in the front. I would not pay 25+ a person to come to the playground which you can visit for free in Redwood City, Palo Alto, etc. Prices are a bit steep + the additional $6 for parking. Maybe it'll be worth it for us when my kid is a bigger toddler. read more

So originally we were going to the children's creative museum in SF but decided to meet up with some family at this place instead. They recommended it from a previous visit so we decided to give it a try. The kids had alot of fun as there are so many interactive activities but the animals there were definitely one of the highlights to our visit. They loved seeing the animals. At the end there is a playground which they also enjoyed. For parents, there is an awesome view of the water right by the parking lot. It was a cool little place. read more

These types of small zoos are perfect for parents with young children. The last time we took my little girl to the Oakland Zoo, she fell asleep before lunch. Now imagine spending $130 for 2 adults at San Diego only for the little one to do the same! Tickets here are $32 for 2 adults + $6 parking. You are essentially saving yourself $100 and a trip to Socal lol. Ok I know it's not the same thing but seriously if you have a child under 5 these types of mini zoos are great for them. I like that they have little stools and lots of stands for small children to step up so they can get a better view. You won't see any lions, elephants, tigers, giraffes, or rhinos. In fact there isn't really anything from Africa or Asia here. They are mostly rescue animals so plan on seeing racoons, sea otters, owls, reptiles, and lots of exploratory exhibits. We did the entire place in under 2 hrs which gave us time to visit downtown San Mateo for lunch. There are no food services here so you can pack lunch and eat outside overlooking the water and watching the planes land at SFO or take a 10 min drive to eat like we did. read more

Unfortunately, the staff and members were not warm or welcoming. I drove from San Bruno to check it out and will not be returning.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this children's museum which btw is in an awesome location. You get a view of the beautiful SF Bay during your visit, but you can walk around the marina and the kids can enjoy a couple other playgrounds in Coyote Point including the Magic Mountain Playground. This museum is a combination of a small zoo, interactive science exhibits and a playground. So it's not huge, but it's nice it has something for everyone. Pro Tip: - check out the schedule of the animal feedings to plan your visit as the animals are more active and you get to learn a lot about them from the staff. - this museum is part of the ASTC network. Im not sure if we would've came if we had to pay for the admission but since we had reciprocal membership, it was worth it! For more SoCal adventure tips: IG: @grace.loves.adventures read more

We've been here maybe 5 times now. We first took our daughter when she was quite young, about 1 year old so it was mostly for her to walk around and explore a new environment. Now that she is 4, we took her so she can learn more about animals, do hands-on science activities, and see the temporary Illuminodyssey exhibit. It's been fun to see how much she has grown and how much more she understands now. She really liked turning the knobs to move balls through a maze, looking through the kaleidoscope, and experimenting with magnets. She also loved Illuminodyssey, which I thought was great. It's a large room with a few levels (maybe it's usually for special events?). They have beautifully lit inflatable structures and they give you a color changing lantern to hold onto as you go through the room. There were some interactive exhibits like making shadows, trying to catch the snowflakes, and playing with shapes on a light table. The new playground is wonderful and reminds me of a smaller version of Magical Bridge. The obstacle course was also a hit. There are plenty of picnic tables near the parking lot, so you can bring lunch and eat outside (with a view of the water!) Also since you pay parking admission to enter, you can easily go to the nearby playground. read more

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Museum with hands-on science exhibits, aviary, and rescued animals zoo exhibit. Less well-known than The SF California Academy of Science or the San Jose Children's Discovery center so its less crowded. The indoor exhibits are a great mix of scientific phenomena like physical forces, perception, acoustics, magnetism, and reflections/patterns. Our 1.6 year old and 4 year old enjoyed these a lot. A clear cause-and-effect for each exhibit because of its hands on nature. Aviary is relaxing and a volunteer can help points out some of the birds for the kids. We enjoyed a tiny owl just walking around the floor. A lot of the animals in the zoo area are rescues and the most entertaining are the otters which move non-stop in and out of the water. The giftshop is well stocked with educational toys and gifts. My kid got a magnifying glass and a toy that dissolves in the bath. Near the drinks they have chips with ground up crickets in them, they tasted great and my son loved them. read more

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This place was so fun. A beautiful location with super cute animals and fun activities for kids of all ages. Just the right size museum with a variety of activities. My kid has grown out of many kids museum near our home- this one was a 40 min drive but was worth it. read more

Great place to spend an afternoon. The playground is amazing. Beautiful park and great for picnics.

The place is ok and I'm a little disappointed because the fee to get in was expensive $20+. When you enter, there are many sections so if your kids are good listeners they can run and venture, but it was also disturbing to see parents who are not paying attention to their kid's whereabouts, yelling out their kid's name and searching for them. The activities were all outdated and some did not even work properly. I just expected a better up keep considering how much we had to pay per person to get in. The best part was probably learning about the rescued animals and seeing them up close. The animals were lively so that was great to see. My kids loved the caves! Towards the end of the venture there is an enclosed playground with swings, slides, and a spinning ride. read more

CuriOdyssey - Chlade plate play - Zoos Near Me - San Mateo, California

Very nice place to take young kids on a weekend. They have quite a few interesting exhibits and a nice playground outside. It's a small place, certainly not as big as SF Exploratorium but it's a nice change of pace if you've been there a few times, your kids are into science, and want to try something new. Beware on the weekend the playground area gets crowded. read more

The museum is great for kids and my toddler loved it. However my experience when checking in wasnt ideal. I came up to purchase my tickets for my family and pulled out my benefits card along with my ID. After taking out mybenefits card the lady behind the counter named Jessica who wore a black mask began to treat us differently then when we first walked up. She then said something along the lines of since our tickets were free and there wasnt anything else for us to do. "All they ask is that we donate to the museum." I was taken back by the comment as I've never been asked this question across all the other museums we are able to attend as a struggling family. I then ask her politely, "Are we required to donate now?" she paused and my mom proceeds to tell her that we dont have any donations at the moment. As we walk through the door we see a donation box up front. So my family and I wondered why she required us to donate. We lingered a bit in front and as other people went up to pay for their ticket, we observed that she did not ask the paying customers for donations. For a place that offers benefits to struggling families, I am very appreciative that they would give back to the community. However I think it's important to instill in your employees and their core values to also align with this. I hope all other employees will be trained to treat all families equally. read more

This is such an incredible space for the kids - my 7 year old and 10 year old nephew both enjoy it as well! They tend to FLY through the exhibits at a much faster rate than the younger kids, but they beeline to their favorite attractions. The size is perfect - they can wander around, each exhibit is so thoughtful. My son's favorite is the back building with the fog machine and the tube/air blower. Lots of fun is had in that room! But once you are done playing with the exhibits, there are just enough animals to see and a great playground to get the wiggles out! It can get busy fast and that makes it a bit more challenging, but absolutely love our time here and we will be back for sure! read more

great for toddlers and younger! came here in a weekday and there wasn't a crowd! lots of space to run and roll around a large stroller. so many exhibits to play on. cute little picnic area at the back with views of the bay and great for plane watching. super shady and good for a hot day! we went when it was 84 degrees out and it was PERFECT bc of the breeze from the bay. playground was shady and huge! little zoo area had enough animals to entertain a toddler. no petting zoo but that is ok bc of the amount of other things to do here. i highly recommend this place and i am even considering becoming a member! read more

We came here on a weekend. It is a a lot smaller than one might think. You will park about 150 meters away and walk to the entrance. Masks are required. Don't recommend going in the afternoon, because some of the animals are nocturnal and will likely be sleeping. I really enjoyed the eagle exhibit. These giant birds are so majestic and were rescued after sustaining critical injuries. The rest of the exhibit is average. My largest complaint is that many of the animal areas are not maintained well. Furthermore, many people got away without wearing a mask when it was indicated they are required to wear them the whole time. I hope the establishment will make efforts to enforce this rule and make it safe for everyone. read more

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First time visiting and it was a hit for the kids a lot of cool stuff and the animals are a plus. The kids loved it! read more

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CuriOdyssey is nice, but there are not too many things to do there, kid did a tour and wanted to leave

Horrible experience with the cashier I wish they just took the order and made it and if they could be more upfront than not

My 7 year old and I loved this cute place with science experiments, playground and a tiny zoo. The location is also beautiful. We will definitely be back! read more

With everything going on it is still nice to get out and about. I found this place under the yelp events and made it a day thing with my sister. We were definite the oldest kids there haha but it was still a blast! All the animals were so adorable. I would definitely recommend coming here with your kids. They have limited time slots so that they can ensure social distancing. Overall this place was more than I expected and turned out to be a nice day out. read more

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A great place to bring your kids to to help spark their scientific interest. When you first walk into the CuriOdyssey exhibit, you're faced with the choice of many different hands on activities that all members of the family can enjoy tinkering with. If you walk back outside, you'll be able to view the different animal exhibits they have that help protect the creatures that aren't able to live in the wild on their own. They even have a big playground available to help those active kids to burn off some additional energy before heading home. Overall, a very family friendly experience that all members of the family can enjoy. The only pain points is that they don't really have food on site, so you'll want to plan around that. Based on their website, I thought there would be some type of pop up kiosk available that would offer hot food but the only food available were unhealthy snacks in the gift shop. And you have to go to a designated area outside to eat it where it was actually kind of windy and cold. read more

Been a member here since my little ones were toddlers. It is a convenient and fun place for kids. Here are some thoughts: - location and parking. It is located in Coyote point between San Mateo and Burlingame. Very convenient if you live in upper pennisula. Plenty of parking around. Sometimes, when birthday parties are on, the closest lot could be full. You can drive up a little and can park under a small hill next to a small playground. Extra 5 min of a hike and you are back in the main parking lot - it has a small zoo of rescue animals, mini playground for little kids, and the science based exhibits. They recently opened up an art and lab building also. - zoo animals are well kept and happy. Not a huge display but they try to accommodate them with cozy environment. - science exhibits are quite fun. They do get quite busy with some popular exhibits (eg wind tube) - seasonable exhibit/shows are quite fun and cute. The light show around holiday season is definitely worth a visit - membership to here give you free parking passes. You can come to Coyote point with the parking pass anywhere within. Coyote point has many good walking trails, many playgrounds, some swimable beach during hot days, and a great view. When the park was shut for fire and maintenance, the membership got extended automatically - they also have facility for birthday party, which also covers parking for your guest on the day of party. We hosted one before COVID with some clown for additional entertainment. It went well. The birthday room is now back on post COVID We will continue to visit till the kids outgrow this place. We have many good memories here. read more

Saturdays are family day! My husband, son, and I try to make sure we get out and do something in the area every Saturday. While my son is only 13 months old, we decided to take his squirmy self to CuriOdyssey one overcast Saturday. We spent about an hour here, and that's all we really needed for someone his age. I think the target age group would be kids from 3-8 years old. The entrance has several science/physics hands on stations. My husband and I took turn reading things aloud to our son as he explored each station. I can't recall the times for everything, but at 11 there was an invertebrate showing and that seemed super cool. They also had an otter feeding at some point, too. My son's favorite thing was the little park they have for the kids. He loves swings and slides, so he had a grand old time. I won't go down the list of all the things they have (you can check their website), but I will say that we had a nice time and we decided to buy a membership. I've been back once with my son on a weekday, and my goal is to go at least twice a month with our son. read more

Overall, this place was pretty good and the parking validation will also get you into Magic Mountain playground and all the other open spaces in the Coyote Point recreation area. This place is probably best for kids over age 3. Our daughter was about 2 when she came here and the indoor section was not the most interesting for her yet. Pros: A lot of science-y exhibits for kids to explore and play around with. Some are probably hard for kids to understand at a younger age. There's a few items for smaller kids, like the wind tunnel with scarves which entertained my toddler daughter for about half an hour. Cute gift shop Water play in the area between the museum and the zoo The zoo was probably the main highlight for us -- a great bird section, lots of owls (my daughter's favorite), aquatic animals (i.e. otters), and larger displays for some animals like their raccoons which are pretty entertaining during the feedings. There's huge windows for these displays and the animals aren't really shy, so you get a great view! Cons: Parking will cost you but you can also use other parts of the part -- for me, I expense through work's wellness benefits because it's technically part of a park, but this does add to the cost (similar to other museum attractions for children). Not the greatest for toddlers with a lot of bigger kids running around and the level of the exhibits, no dedicated section for smaller children. This museum was pretty dusty. I'm pretty sensitive to air quality and I was definitely noticing it. Could be better maintained in this regard. read more

Went there on a Saturday when they had an exchange member program with Exploratium (where I had annual membership ): free entry for me and family. It's a nice ~3 hour trip with enough science activities for kids aged 5-10. There are plenty of engaging science activities The zoo animals are nothing to brag about. A small set of animals and birds. The sea otter viewing is nice. During the feeding (otter or bobcat) sessions, they talk about how the animals got to their habitat (nice rescue stories). Go there mostly for the science activities and not for the zoo. There's no hot food and cafe. So carry your own lunch and snacks. I don't think it's worth the annual membership for this place. One time visit is good in my opinion. read more

Wish I would have found this place sooner!!! It is broken up into two halfs (zoo and science) and both are super fun. Never thought that raccoons would be so entertaining but my favorite part was there exhibit plus you can see it from both sides so they cannot hide from you at most zoos. The otter was super active and fun to watch. Inside the science section our favorite was the block building. read more

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Yay for being open during COVID so the kiddies can somewhat enjoy their childhood during a pandemic! Parking is $6 and easy to find. Reserve your tickets online and pick a time slot. Time is unlimited so you can stay for as long as you want, but I can't imagine being in there for more than an hour. My toddler was super excited to be out around people after a long time and he is finally at a point where he is enjoying animals and exhibits. There are animals and science exhibits. He was more interested in the animals than the science part, of course. The staff was very friendly and helpful. It was a very short visit since I'm sure they've limited the exhibits because of the pandemic. We went around the loop and headed to the exit that leads you to a nice little view and of the bay water and trails where people are waking, bicycling, etc. I hope we can return when it's back to normal. read more

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A cute little museum and zoo for the little ones. We came here when they opened at 10am on Sunday, and I'm glad we did because by the time we left at 11am it was really starting to fill up. The whole museum can be done in about an hour. There is an outdoor small zoo with otters, bobcats, snakes, owls, eagles, and other California wildlife. There is also an indoor science area with a couple of exhibits. Overall I feel like the museum is best for kids 2-2.5 years old and up, my daughter was still a bit too young to really interact and enjoy. Admission is about $16 per adult, and $13 per child if over 18 months, free if under. There is also a $6 parking fee to get into the park (cash only). read more

First of all it was a great and beautiful location right by the bay with a nice view and sunset. Very clean nice and taking care of place, it was really nice inside the very educational and a lot of things to learn even for the adults Kids definitely enjoy the entertaining programs they have and look at the different set ups that they have Must see for all kids and even adults read more

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Really good location. It's co-located with a golf course, a park, and a marina. Beautiful area right off the water. The place is a little small and they have a good amount of animals. The playground was the best part and my little one loved it. Parking was $6 and we went on a Sunday. read more

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Really liked the new Magical Bridge playground installation. Added a photo since it's new. As an adult I enjoy the relaxing/safer atmosphere (it's great for animal photography too), and littles love this place. I can see how older kids/teens would graduate out of coming here, unless helping facilitate the experience with younger siblings. You can call ahead if you have questions. It's busier on weekends; always slower in the afternoons on any day. This place is a zoo and science center; I imagine it's expensive to take care of animals retiring here since all of them are non-releasable and some have been there for more than 10 years so the price make sense to me. At the end of the day, more places like this need to exist, so support them if you can! If you need a discount, bring other zoo/science center memberships just in case you get 50-100% off through the accredited AZA/ASTC program (out of state memberships work too, it's a world-wide thing). Also have a ticket assistance program for certain demographics, definitely look on their website. The $6 parking is run by San Mateo County, they don't have control over that. But if you can pay full price, it'd be nice if you did to support keeping these kinds of places open in our community - especially after being hit hard in the pandemic. Certain parts need improvements of course, with the buildings pre-ADA and not having much multi-lingual support among other things, but staff are nice and you can let them know if you have any issues. Highly recommend checking it out, at least once or twice if you want to experience their seasonal events to have a better experience of their offerings (some months they have First Friday nights with bar & food; the child-rave area IlluminOdyssey is in winter). Apparently, my mom says I came here as a kid in the early 2000's. From the 1950's to today, glad it's still around for another generation. read more

CuriOdyssey - Playground inside CuriOdyssey - Zoos Near Me - San Mateo, California

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CuriOdyssey is a hands on museum for kids of all ages. We went here a few weeks ago with my two year old daughter. Sometimes we question whether or not the museum would be too high level for her but this museum was great and just right for her. As soon as you enter you are already immersed in hands on demonstrations. My daughter had a chance to spin and play with some of these models. It was too difficult for her to understand the concept of what was happening in there but she loved spinning it and pushing the buttons. The best part of this museum was their IlluminOdyssey. They had a whole area in the dark and everything was in black lightning. She was given a lantern in the beginning so that she could see the different exhibits. There were two levels of fun where she could explore the lighting. There were tents she could sit in under the lights. She could also draw with pens in the black lighting. She was so excited and having so much fun she kept jumping up and down. It was so funny too because she was just running around to the different exhibits and she was trying to go downstairs to see more so she ran her hardest. She ran right into one of their glass windows. My husband and I got a good laugh. I hope to come back up here again with her soon. read more

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I switched my day pass to membership right away. Such a cool place for my little. There's a zoo and plenty of indoor hands on science exhibits kids can play with. It's great for indoor and outdoor activities when the kids are bored of the playground or rainy days! There's a very pretty light exhibit during the winter as well. Love love this place. read more

CuriOdyssey - Illuminosity exhibit - Zoos Near Me - San Mateo, California

It's a small pretty outdated, but still fun museum and a little zoo. They also recently opened Magical Bridge Playground inside the zoo area, which is great, but not something unique (you can find it for free in Palo Alto and Sunnyvale as well). However, the price raise is outrageous, last year it was $15.95 or so, now adult is $25.95, child $ 21.95, parking $6. It's $53.9 for 2 people for a local museum visit, roughly 1-1.5 h. It's waaaay too much and unfortunately not worth is for us. All other museums around are much cheaper, including newly built Palo Alto Zoo Museum ($10/person+free parking). read more

What a lovely little venue. They have a little zoo, and tons of interesting indoor interactive exhibits. We loved it. Its nestled in a larger park with close by playgrounds as well, so easy to make a day of it. read more

Line: no line Sunday at 3pm Parking: parking lot at entrance, was packed but people we leaving Service:. There are attendants at the front and in the redwood hall. Playground and zoo seem unsupervised. Our 16 month old had a great time here. There are three main areas: science museum (indoors), zoo, and playground (both outdoors). The science museum had many interesting exhibits and were interactive. The zoo was exhibits gave really close views to animals. The playground had different kinds of slides and swings. We would come again. read more

This is a great place to have some educational fun. Staff is friendly and animals look happy and healthy. Located at coyote point so lots to do after you finish up there read more

Lovely animals! Lively place! I recommend for folks with kids or a place for an enjoyable afternoon with friends. Animal feedings or talks happen at 11am, 12pm, and 1pm. read more

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Fun place for kids. Her father and our family brought my niece here and she had a good time. The adults seemed to enjoy themselves as well. Place is situated in a park near the coast so when leaving the area you are also able to enjoy the surrounding views and park. read more

Libraries still offer free child admission through discover and go! I called to make the reservation and pay for 2 adults. Not much of a wait and not super crowded maybe 3-4 other families around us most of the time. It's just a big one way loop with these little optical illusions and fun house mirrors around the zoo area. It took us about 2 hours to go through the loop twice and do a mini hike outside. read more

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