I highly recommend hiring them for parities! It's such a unique experience and it's fun for all ages! They brought 10 animals and told us cool facts and stories about them for a whole hour. We got to pet them and hold 2 of them. They were wonderful with kids and answered countless questions! We will be talking about it for months! read more

lots of fun and very educational. Great for an indoor adventure on a rainy day. The staff are very knowledgeable and friendly.

This was a very good experience. Sarah was the perfect guide and very knowledgeable. Love being able to hold and touch the animals. Thank you for such a great experience! read more

What a hidden gem! I've always wanted to check this place out after seeing them at the Nat many years ago. Finally made it with the kids and they loved it! The staff was all very friendly and knowledgeable. All safety precautions were taken with the snakes so we felt very safe. Would definitely love to come again. read more

EcoVivarium - Museums Near Me - Escondido, California

We found this really neat museum while looking for a Saturday outing for my reptile-loving family. We were really impressed! They are mainly a nonprofit reptile rescue but the museum services help pay for these reptiles' care and medical treatments (for those rescues that have come to them from less fortunate situations). I appreciate that their priority is placed on the well-being of the animals (reptiles require 80-86°F temperatures, with basking temperatures up to 90°F) instead keeping the place cool and air conditioned for humans, just remember to dress for the climates of the reptiles! They even had some neat arthropods like scorpions! Our family had such a blast here and the volunteers and staff were very nice and knowledgeable and it was great to be able to meet some of their resident reptiles and even touch them. I highly recommend supporting them and visiting them, especially if you like animals, arthropods and reptiles! read more

EcoVivarium - Museums Near Me - Escondido, California

Having reptile parties is a great idea to raise money for the rescue. My one and only complaint (which is a big one) is that the animal handlers kiss the animals and allow the children to do so also. Not only is this not good for the animals, but it also is not good for the kids. These animals frequently carry Salmonella. I would like to see good hygiene training with the children re: washing hands before and after handling. Safety by keeping their faces away from the animals also. Fix that and we will happily do this again! read more

Took my daughter, who loves all animals but especially snakes. Highly recommend the 1 hr guided tour, bc you learn about the type of animals you meet but also their specific life story. A lot of these animals were rescued and it is also fascinating to hear about their personalities. We had an amazing time. I also appreciated that the guide emphasized all the responsibilities of being a pet owner and the care and special diets the reptiles and bugs needed. Such an amazing time! read more

EcoVivarium - Scorpion glowing under black light - Museums Near Me - Escondido, California

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Awesome place to take your kid, or pretty much anyone who loves reptiles. I've brought my 2 Year old daughter there a couple times and she loves it! Even though her attention span is about 30 seconds, I really enjoy all the reptiles and the story behind them. They really care about these animals and that's what really matters. The owner is super sweet and gave my daughter cards of some of the popular animals they have there and she LOVES them. If you're in Escondido, and like reptiles, I strongly recommend this place! read more

It's is so funnnn the animals are so cute my favorite animal is the spotted gecko pls go

Super duper trip with my lovelies to see a few reptiles and other creatures. The staff at Ecovarium were kind and accommodating. Take a trip and spend an hour or so touching and admiring many different reptiles and other creatures. My girls were floored to find out how soft snakes feel and how beautiful they are up close. Definitely worth a visit! Our donations are pretty important to keep Ecovarium operational to definitely consider throwing a few bones their way! read more

I had a reptile party for my son's birthday party & it was a total hit! Very unique experience & loved how professional every interaction was from calling to arriving at the party off site. Shelley was our party host & had so much knowledge about the animals. She was great and seemed to truly have a passion for her job & animals. Highly recommended! read more

Wonderful place! Our guide was so great. Very knowledgeable and you could tell she loved every one of the reptiles. Great way to see the reptiles up close and help them out as you do. They are a non profit that does great things.. definitely recommend it. read more

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We were looking for something to do on our vacation and found this place. We were the only ones there and we got a personal your! We got to hold a few of the animals and learned about them. We will be going back when we're in the area. Dont forget to donate or become a member!! These sweet babies need your help. Btw, we LOVE Timmy read more

This place is INCREDIBLE! No idea what to expect from the outside. Our tour guide (unfortunately we can't remember her name, she is studying to be a veterinarian technician) was phenomenal. She took us on a guided tour and told us the stories and descriptions of each reptile. Our toddler LOVED each reptile, and she couldn't believe she got to hold snakes and pet turtles. The animals are on rotation, so each day is a different exhibition. For someone who doesn't like reptiles, I was a huge fan by the end. This place serves as a rescue for these beautiful animals: 98% are rescues, and 2% are donated. The entry fee goes to taking care of the animals, so your money is going to a great cause! read more

I took my two grandsons yesterday, ages 9 and 11. Reasonable amount of monitor lizards, snakes, tarantulas and beetles. It is cool to get real close to the animals, and the tour guide is very informative. But it is a small space and my grandsons were done in 30 minutes and we left. No criticism, just feedback from my 9 and 11 year old grandsons. When we were back in the car, I asked them what they thought of this place, and they said that "it was OK." read more

Great experience! We were honestly surprised at all we got to see, touch, and learn!! The staff was beyond predictable and extremely knowledgeable. You can also see they truly love the animals. Our tour was around an hour and would have gone longer but we had to leave. Looks like a little place but don't judge a book by its cover. It's truly a hidden treasure and mom and I really enjoyed ourselves. read more

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Great org that should be supported more. Super fun to bring kids, especially for a rainy day indoor activity. Staff was friendly, welcoming, and very knowledgeable. You can feel their passion. read more

Awesome place to take kids and have them learn about the different kinds of reptiles. Staff is very knowledgeable. Building needs some updating read more

This place is so cool. We are a family of animal lovers, so whenever I hear about places like this, I get really excited. This place does not disappoint. When you first walk in it does look small, but they have so many cool reptiles. And the coolest part is that they let you pet all of the ones they take out. We learned so much about reptiles and left super happy. Most of the reptiles here have been rescued from bad situations, it's pretty sad. The people here clearly care so much about these reptiles and it's very evident. All of the reptiles have cute names and they all seem very friendly and super happy. Great place to take the kids, they will learn a lot about reptiles and have a great time. We got to take Mac for a walk on his leash at the end, that was super cool. Definitely recommend! read more

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EcoVivarium came to our school a few weeks ago. They were amazing and the students loved it. I took my son and his friend here yesterday for a tour. Zef was great, very knowledgable and funny. He had us touch and hold some reptiles and was really helpful with my son's friend who are very afraid of spiders. Other reviews mention the old building and that it is unsanitary. Yes the building is old but the facility inside is great. I didn't smell any urine, there was no feces on the carpet, everything was clean. All the animals are clearly loved and well-cared for! Such a great place to visit and we'll be back! read more

Extremely informative and fun for the whole family. Extra cool that we got to touch and hold some. Came away with a greater appreciation for reptiles! read more

EcoVivarium - Museums Near Me - Escondido, California

This is my second time here but the first with my 3 year old daughter and my boyfriend. We had such a blast!! The staff here are so friendly, extremely knowledgeable, and patient (4 kids in the group were under 5). This is a little gem! For a small admission fee you get a hands on educational experience that really changes the way you perceive reptiles. It is evident in everyone who works here how much passion and love they have for each of the animals. They have all taken the time to bond and get to know the story behind every one in there. My 3 year old loved it but keep in mind if you have little ones that the experience can take 1.5 hrs plus and it may be hard to keep them focused and patient. But don't let that stop you from exposing them to an experience that is one of a kind! Thank you to everyone at Ecovivarium! read more

EcoVivarium - Museums Near Me - Escondido, California

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I love this place. If you're looking for a good experience and make good use of your time, hit up this place. You won't regret it. Make sure to bring someone with you! I'd give this place more then a five star review if I could! read more

EcoVivarium - Museums Near Me - Escondido, California

We were pleasantly surprised with our experience here earlier this month! Like other reviewers mentioned, it's a good 1-1.5 hour visit as it's a small room of about 20-30 reptiles and bugs. But membership is definitely something to consider as they switch out the critters regularly! What was most impressive is that they tour you around and take out every reptile/bug that they can for you to hold or touch. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. It was a great learning experience, but also extremely unique. Much more hands-on than I expected and worth every penny. About age appropriateness... We came here with 5 kids ages 8 months - 10 years old. The 8-month and 2 year old were free of charge which was good because they weren't that interested. The 3 year old wasn't very interested either, but the 8 and 10 year old had a blast! We also had 6 adults and we also had a blast. I wish we lived closer so we could get a membership. I haven't come across another place like this if you're interested in interacting with reptiles more than just viewing in enclosures. read more

+Super friendly staff +Knowledgeable +Decent Price +(when we went) Not crowded -Little Small Overall it was a good experience to get out of the house and to go look at animals and hear an explanation on them. Got to touch / hold some as well. read more

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Found this awesome company on Yelp. Was looking for something special for my sons birthday party and this did not disappoint. Has a one hour show with all sorts of reptiles. The lady who helped me book took great care in asking what reptiles the birthday boy loved and made sure to include some with the buddies that were brought to the party. Looking forward to going to the actual museum they have. The two girls that came to the party were friendly and did a great job explaining each reptile to the kids. Thank you very much for a very memorable experience, everyone had a great time! read more

Brought my girls and they had a blast. They got to hold so many things and the staff was great with them, knowledgeable, and super engaging. Highly recommend! read more

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I feel like every person should have this experience. I have never been a reptile lover but we took our kids here yesterday and I loved it. The young man and woman who gave us our tour were super friendly and informative. The kids and I loved the hands on with all the animals (even the snakes!). I also, definitely, have more compassion for reptiles. The owner and all of her employees seem to love their jobs and truly love the animals. read more

My son had a great time ! My toddler is almost 2 she had fun feeling the snakes and lizards. My son 11 loved holding them ! Our tour guide was good, gave us interesting facts and explained personal stories about the animals . I'm more of a reader I like to read about the animals so I would have liked more fact sheets or informative posters or even a print out of some of the animals. I'm a fact checker. The kids had fun so that's all that matters. It is pretty stuffy in the rooms for the animals comfort so maybe bring a water in with you. I did wish they allowed one person in your group to pay more if they wanted to hold the animals .Only my son held the animals but we all had to upgrade our tour to $5 more each person so $15 more for him to hold them . We drove from Temecula it was something to do . read more

We went a few days ago, we didn't like it, the animals are beautiful but the establishment disgusts, they don't have air conditioning and the animals in very small places, apart from the super old and neglected place, 12 dollars is not much they charge but for that we expected something more stable, apart from my husband told the person that we wanted to see around and from there he ignored us literally! very rude! I don't recommend it, I would never come back read more

This place is fantastic! I brought my 12 year old son and his friend, and we all had a great time. You can either hold or pet most of the animals and get a fabulous education at the same time. A lot of the residents are rescues and the animals you see change regularly as they have over 200. It's well worth the very reasonable price of admission. They give a guided tour and expect it to last approximately an hour plus, depending on how many are in the tour. read more

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I took my niece and nephew (3 & 6 years old) and did a walk-in tour. We all loved being able to hold and pet snakes, bearded dragons and tortoises. Our guide was great with kids and very knowledgable. I challenged myself to hold a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach. This experience can help kids and adults alike appreciate reptiles, amphibians and arthropods. read more

Great place took my kids and family so much learning. A very unique experience they are doing so much for these animals with so much love. Very knowledgeable staff. Truly a pleasure to visit. read more

We spent an awesome afternoon here at this hands on reptile museum featuring beautiful reptiles where 98% of them have been rescued. The staff here is AMAZING and have put thousands of hours into training and rehabilitating these gorgeous creatures on display. It is pretty small, but despite that we spent almost 2 hours leaning and interacting. We had such a good time holding them and learning the individual stories of those rescued. What a great experience! read more

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Very informative tour guide. Really fun experience. The animals were all so sweet. Everyone that works there is very nice. Jafar the lizard was the highlight of my life. read more

This littles spot was a gem! They took their time and were so friendly and informative! My boys held almost every animal! I would highly recommend a visit! read more

Took our kids here ages 21, 8, & 7 and they loved it! The gentleman who gave us a personal tour was very knowledgeable and very friendly. The kids really enjoyed holding and touching most of the reptiles as well. read more

Checked this place out with my wife and 9 yo son today. We all three loved it! The animals are really cool and the staff was very nice and knowledgeable. They were also patient with other guests, more so than I was, when some kids were unruly with oblivious parents. My son's only complaint was how warm and muggy it was in the building. However, I think the warm temperature is intentional for the benefit of the reptiles. This was fine with me. The host even explained that the temperament of the reptiles is dependent upon how comfortable they are... um, yunno, just like people are. read more

Such a cool little place and great for any age. Lots of hands on opportunities with the reptiles and the woman who runs the place is great with the kids and presents the information in a very age appropriate way. $10 for adults, $8 for kids. read more

EcoVivarium - Museums Near Me - Escondido, California

This place was wonderful! My friends and I learned so much about reptiles and have developed a much greater appreciation for these animals. The animals here are sweet, beautiful, well trained and so much fun to interact with. It is such a reasonable price for this personal tour. Not only were we educated about each species but we were given personal histories for each animal and had the opportunity to hold/pet most of them. It is rare to get so much time interacting with animals like these. Many were rescued from terrible circumstances and are now cared for by knowledgeable staff. Highly recommend! read more

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