Great experience! Kids will definitely love coming to see the museum and shows. For $5 per show,…read morethat's a great deal. I'm not sure if the actual museum is free because we just walked in after the show. They show tons of animals in their habitat and a gift shop. I can't wait to bring my little guy.

This is a very interesting place! A group I was with toured the Great Valley Museum, Planetarium,…read moreand got to check out the skies by telescope in the same night. The entire thing only cost $10 per person. Hard to beat that. The museum had some incredible exhibits and very knowledgeable Docents to guide you through a very informative tour. There was areas of the museum representing the different types of habitats found in this area. Super interesting! They also had a kids exploration area complete with some various reptiles and even a few tarantulas that we were fortunate enough to be able to get very close to for a really great look. The planetarium was exceptional. If you haven't tried it you really should. The icing on the cake was the telescopes on the roof. We got to see a few planets, and a galaxy or two.

Yesterday the McHenry Mansion had free entry as well as cradts at the museum, carroage rides and…read moremore! While visiting the museum, my family and I had a wonderful time getting info on the Stanislaus Libraries in the area, looking at Modedto artifacts and making crafts! The staff were very kind and helpful! Overall, we had a wonderful time!

I had always wanted to stop in at the McHenry Museum, but I never took the opportunity to go, until…read morerecently. The museum hosted an event right before Graffiti Night to kind of kick it off. It was a free event to go inside the museum, and outside were lots of classic cars, trucks, and a few bicycles!! I included lots of photos inside and out!! Well, they had another event last Saturday night! "A night at the McHenry Museum!" What a cute and fun idea!! It was great for all ages. We received a night guard evidence log when we checked in at the front desk! Right before that, we were welcomed by a greeter who opened the door for us. They had nine exhibits with stamps from the people dressed in period or historical costumes. They each gave a little demo or speech about the exhibit they were in. They were all so friendly, and interactive. It really made the scenes come to life! One exhibit was trying to get gold out of the clay rocks, to turn into the cashier for play money, which in turn one could "buy" real candy. I had such a wonderful time. I hope they do this activity again, sometime soon. It would be fun to know about it way in advance, so I could dress up too. That would be really fun! I did not find out about it until a few days before. However, I am so glad I went!

Such a beautiful gem! The mansion is beautifully decorated, well preserved, and has such a unique…read morefeel. I got married here and would recommend it as a wedding venue for anyone looking for a garden wedding. In terms of event planning, Laura was a sweetheart to work with and I appreciated all of her staff's support on the day of the event. The mansion itself is beautiful inside and out. There are two floors and a lower level basement. There are guest restrooms in the lower level. There is one usable restroom that is reserved for the bridal suite guests inside the mansion near the bridal suite room. Overall: Truly such a beautiful venue.

Elegant, unique, historical venue for a wedding. Paired with great weather made the outdoor-indoor…read morecombination just perfect for the intimate event. Added chic decor and great vibes made for a perfect evening.

Fun place to bring the little ones to explore some science! Love the hands on exhibits and the…read morekids (a lot of them) seemed to really like the sand box. There's a separate area for the littlest kiddos which is nice and enough throughout for my older child to keep occupied for a few hours. It doesn't look like a huge space but there's enough for little kids to explore and I think it's great to have something like this in the community

This cute Children's science museum in Lodi is not very big, but it has so much to touch and see! I…read morebrought my 11 year old son (and my parents tagged along too) and we all enjoyed it!! My son was very into the stop-animation display. we had to tell him a few times that it was time to go for lunch. I'd say it's a good 2 hours experience if you really read and interact with all they have to offer. I would recommend it! Price is reasonable too! We went on a week day and it was not crowded. Had a nice time and have recommended it to other parents. I hope they are able to expand it in the future!

Small museum with free admission, and an even smaller gift shop selling quirky stuff like…read moreleather-scented candles. Two rooms filled with interesting cowboy attire, antiques, posters, photos, books, old school tin lunch boxes, saddles, and lots of informative signs about rodeo practices and rules. We visited on a "Sip and Stroll" event day, so there was also live music out front. We didn't have much interaction with staff and just roamed around and explored at our own pace, which didn't take long due to the size of the museum.

If you have never been to Oakdale, it's the "cowboy capital of the world". Don't worry the city is…read morevery modernized. Be sure to check out the the_cowboy museum when you're in town! FREE admission to this awesome tiny museum!

TIM! TIM! TIM! The…read morelifeblood & soul of this museum is a docent named Tim. A polite yet confident, friendly yet proud personality, Tim gave my girlfriend and I the museum experience of a century. Arriving at the museum, we were greeted by a docent at the entry who was quite kind to us and we enjoyed the initial room and science/medicine rooms - however, if you're the type who reads every line at a museum, you will enjoy it more than we did because the information was IMMENSE. Too much for my adhd brain, but perfect for an avid reader. But it was the carriage house that floored us. Tim greeted us nearly the moment we stepped through the doors to introduce himself as a volunteer at the museum. I figured he may give us a little intro and then let us parouse the 10,000sf facility but boy was I wrong. Tim proceeded to give us a guided private tour for what was easily the good part of an hour. Carriage by carriage, phonograph by phonograph, Tim passionately spoke on the most interesting history, anecdotes, untold tales, and intriguing facts about every item in front of us. It was as if he had plugged himself into the knowledge of the universe and was translating its binary into English for us to understand. I loved every moment and most importantly, I could see that HE loved every moment. We walked out having to look at our tickets to see if we had accidentally purchased VIP guided tour tickets. But no - that is just the character of Tim and of the people who run the museum. We finished at the mining building where we got a chance to see incredible historical items/devices/tools, as well as some BEAUTIFUL specimens of stones - including the 2 most gorgeous pieces of petrified wood I have EVER seen. The docent as this building raved about Tim as well but was no stolid volunteer herself - she was ALSO extremely friendly in her own right, offering us cold water on the hot day we toured. I cannot wait to go back and recommend this museum to any and all in the Angels Camp / Murphys area!

This museum has Gold County History- so much to see!! Wagon…read more& Carriage, Mining & Artisan exhibition and a Water Wheel Power Stamp Mill. In the same building is the Calaveras Visitor's Bureau! If you walk past the Visitors Bureau there is an interesting film on the Frog Jumping Contest and many Frog Facts!!

Do you know who is Samuel Clemons? If you guessed him by his author pen name, Mark Twain... you…read moreguessed right. Did you know California's historic landmark #138 is no other than Mark Twain's cabin. Well, it's a replica with the original fireplace and chimney. It's in Tuttletown on Jackass Hill Road off Highway 49 in Tuolumne County. It's about one mile up the road. The replica was built in 1922 and again in 2002. The cabin is next to residential homes. I could imagine back in the day, the view must have been awesome! The lot has room for parking. The cabin itself is gated and not accessible. But the door is open and you can peek inside from afar. I couldn't see much because it was dark inside. There are a few information boards on site with historical information. There is not much to look at. I soaked up everything in less than 15 minutes. There are no seating or viewing platforms. From the info boards, I learned that Samuel Clemens happen to be traveling from Virginia City, Nevada, to San Francisco with some friends and stopped here in December 1864. He stayed until the end of February 1865. While there, he wrote "The Celebrated Story of the Jumping Frog of Calaveras County". He got the idea after hearing the story of a jumping frog contest in a saloon in the nearby town of Angels Camp. I goggled this info.. In 1867, he went on to publish that story as the cover story for his book of collective short stories. The book included previously published stories. The book turned out to be a success with rave reviews about the "Jumping Frog". So some may say, his time spent in this area with the colorful townsfolk launched his career.

Unless you are a major Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) fan this is not somewhere you really need to…read morevisit. It's a little over a mile up a residential road that is somewhat steep and very poorly maintained (4wd not required but it's bumpy). The cabin itself is a replica that was built in 1922 and renovated in 2002. The only piece of the original cabin is the stone fireplace and chimney. Even the land around the property has been developed to an unrecognizable state as to when he stayed here. Yes, in this very spot he supposedly wrote "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" but it's more of an idea of what he lived like. There is parking in the lot for about 5-6 cars but even on a weekend you most likely won't see anyone else. You can't get in to the cabin, as there is a fence around it, which seems silly since it's not authentic. It is open sunrise to sunset. There are no seats, tables, or anything to do other than take a quick picture. It's an important footnote in the history of the American West but if you are looking for better preserved structures with historical significance it's better to explore nearby Columbia State Park.

As members if the California State Railroad Museum, we have been here manny times…read more - 10:30 AM Train pulled by 1922 2-8-0 #28 Car #597 - celebration of the movie train's return - roundhouse tours are not to be missed

Railtown State Historic Park is extremely cool and fun for all ages! We got to stand on the caboose…read morebuilt for Back To The Future III, viewed the train smoke stack from Little House on the Prairie train, coal powered steam engines, and we saw the Well from the olddddddd show Peticoat Junction: We also were able to see some old trains including ones with wooden grates in the front, and lots of train parts!! He enjoyed explaining things to me.. For a very small fee you can take a ride on a train. Walk around the grounds and see old engines, workshops with all sorts of parts, machines of all sorts. A map is providing for easy understanding of the grounds. It is a trek to get across the grounds and would be difficult for someone with mobility issues. Both of my children grew up coming to not only this park, but to Columbia also. Our family has made many trips here over the years. We love combining, education, history and adventure. They host Christmas events here like the Polar Express train ride to North Pole. This was such a spectacular event I brought my daughter to when she was little. We watched the movie the night before. When we arrived in our pajamas for our VIP seat, we stood in line where we were lovingly harassed by actors. We boarding the train after getting a golden ticket! We sat in the back car. Actors were dancing and singing and chasing hobos off the train while we enjoyed a ride and spilled hot cocoa out of polar express keepsake mugs. Arriving at North Pile and seeing the elves and Santa pushed it over the edge for my young daughter. She was beyonnnnnd excited!! Will I return: We always do. There's something incredibly nostalgic about this place!

I have been coming to this Museum for over 40 years now, from school field trips as a child to…read morebringing my own son as he was growing up and now as an older person to just enjoy some art and spend some time in quiet contemplation. It's a wonderful resource for the area and a very important part of the community. Haggin Museum sits right in the middle of Victory Park. It's a beautiful, serene, green setting with flowers and a little pond and you feel safe here, even though you're in Stockton. It's a great place for kids to come and play and for people to sit and enjoy nature. Inside the museum there is a mix of art and local history. They have Gold Rush era exhibits and recreated period rooms. There are lots of lovely paintings here and although I believe some of the artwork is always here, they regularly have rotating exhibits as well so there is always something new to see. They also have a lot of activities, events and family programs here. It's definitely dated, but that's to be expected for as long as this place has been around. It's affordable though because kids under 10 get in for free and I believe the last time I was here admission was between $5 and $8. They also have a free admission day every first Saturday of the month but it gets really busy so I don't typically visit on that day. It's really great for kids though, and I'm so glad that we have this resource locally. I have lots of great memories of bringing my son and my nieces and nephews here and being a kid here myself. I definitely recommend a visit if you have kids under 10 and want to spend a day educating and enriching them on a budget. Plus they can play at the park after so it will make for a fantastic day.

Great museum in Stockton! Located in a beautiful park. The building is large with two floors. Great…read moreexhibits on display. I love the artwork! They have good docents. Definitely recommend if you're in the area.

Drove ~1.5 hours to visit this museum for a solo birthday trip. The SR-71 immediately welcomes you…read moreto the museum. Tickets are purchased inside the gift shop (yes they take cards) and they have a paper map to provide you with the airframes and where they are located. 80+ jets/bombers/cargo/helicopters for you to enjoy. I was VERY surprised to see some specific jets/bombers there and surprised to see some very rare aircrafts. Being a son/grandson/nephew of Vietnam vets (I Corps, ARVN working alongside MACV), I'm biased in saying the Huey and B-52 were my favorites (besides seeing the F-15, which has been/always will be, my favorite jet). The weather was slightly wet then hot so bring a waterbottle with you as this is primarily an outdoor museum. The indoor museum was also nice to get cooled down and learn some history (which I very much enjoyed). Dropped a donation here before making my way to the gift shop to purchase a Postage Stamp Huey and a magnet. Would've loved to have taken my dad here if he were still alive. Forgot to mention, seeing a AV8B Harrier, a Vulcan and the Peacemaker...blew my mind. The sheer size of the bombers is just crazy.

What a fantastic collection of aircraft. They have some unique planes and has one of only two Avro…read moreVulcans in the USA. They are all outdoors and it was very hot when I went. Otherwise, I would have stayed longer. Give yourself a few hours at least.