My granddaughter and I have been here several times. It's a great place for littles to explore in…read morea safe place with lots of different interactive stations and areas. However! Twice now we've been when LARGE groups from schools have been there and it is absolutely chaos. I checked the website before traveling the hour to get there and nothing was mentioned. It was so loud when we entered I couldn't hear anything the girl at the register said. There were many chaperones but no one was actually managing the kids. The place is not that large and it was wild. My granddaughter is 3 1/2 and could barely maneuver around. She had toys taken out of her hand by the older, larger kiddos and you couldn't hear a thing it was so loud. I did talk to a worker from the museum and asked if there's a place to find a schedule and she kind of brushed me off. I gave 3 stars because if you go on a "normal" day it's great for younger kids.

The Children's Museum in Oswego is fantastic and filled my kids with hours of fun and…read moreentertainment. We arrived on a Monday morning, left for lunch, and returned for more play until the museum closed at 4PM. The museum is technically two stories, although the first floor mainly consists of the admissions desk, a small gift shop, and a water play station. Waterproof smocks or covers would have been nice since my son's shirt did get quite wet. There were boats, fishing rods, and cascading channels of water for various kinds of water play. This was a hit with both of my toddlers. The second floor had much more activities. From large and small foam blocks, Magnatiles, a scarf suction pipe/chute, books, light tables, brite light pegs, and a mini spiral climbing structure, to a dentist's office, pizza and salad restaurant, fire truck, tree house, farmers market, farm, toilet to teach plumbing, aluminum recycling, color wheel, and much more, there was a lot for kids of all ages to explore. There was also a small sectioned-off area for 0-2 infants and pre-walkers. The space hosts birthday parties as well as STEM classes. The staff were lovely. We were given a stamp in our hands before we took a break for lunch so that we could re-enter for free that same day. The only complaint I have is that there was less in the way of offering arts and crafts or even free-form drawing. We did not see any parking lot, but took advantage of free 2-hour street parking. This is definitely a great spot for families with young kids in Oswego.

I was fortunate to have been the bartender over 20 years ago for the fundraising event to build the…read moremuseum. Ruth Gruber and so many of the survivors were in attendance. I've been meaning to visit since its opening. The tour is self led after an 8-minute video. Each area of the exhibit has touch screens (they provide a stylus) and some have audio. The accompanying app digs deeper into the stories and history. It is a must see if you're in the area. The events leading up to and during the refugee settlement should be taught about in school.

Fort Ontario, now home to Safe Haven Museum, was the only U.S. jurisdiction to formally protect,…read morefeed, house, and educate European refugees during WWII. Thanks to President FDR, 982 refugees found their way to America and away from the devastating effects of the Holocaust. To me, it seemed unbelievable that such history could be found in CNY so I had to check it out. One Saturday morning, I made the 20 mile drive to Oswego in order to visit this small local museum. I arrived 30 minutes after it opened and was the first person there. I chatted with a delightful volunteer, who gave me a rundown of the site and its history before allowing me to watch a 38 minutes video, which included refugee interviews. After the video, I strolled around the tiny gallery to read their stories and see photos. Afterward, I walked through the main area one last time and again chatted with the volunteer, who has been keeping an eye on the place since it opened in 2002. All and all, I would say that I spent two hours at the museum, but you could easily see it all in an hour or so. Admission is $5 for adults. It is obvious that this local landmark is proud of its heritage and has gained a lot of support from both survivors and their families. There are currently plans to expand the facility and add an outdoor garden, which will be lovely. I was sad to hear that there is a shortage of volunteers because this type of history should be protected and shared for generations to come. My only real complaint is that the "theater" where the movie is shown is in the middle of the exhibit hall and the background noise is a tad distracting when you're reading plagues and information boards (a group of people came in 30 minutes behind me). Although this is a small museum and perhaps a work-in-progress, I recommend it to anyone who, like me, enjoys a trip to the museum to learn new things. I took several courses revolving around the Holocaust in both high school and college, but I never heard the story of Fort Ontario. It is worth going to see for yourself to reflect upon Oswego, NY's place in WWII history.

My son loves this place. It's got a great little museum with a ton of history and a tug boat you…read morecan board and explore! Great gift shop where my son picked up a couple of very cool titanic pictures.

Poor management! Very unhappy! We came on Wednesday and went on the tour. We were told to come back…read moretoday Friday for the lighthouse tour! The director spoke to us and told us where to park our camper. We drove all the way here from Parish on Friday at noon and we were told they cancelled the tour last minute and we were told told we needed a reservation which the director never told us on Wednesday! We will never be back!

While on our mini trip in the upstate of New York we visited the museum that dedicated to the…read morehistory and background of all things of oz including the location being in the city of the man who created it all. Walking in your surroundings by souvenir shop with all kinds of cool things to take home and be able to enjoy for a lifetime. The staff was phenomenal and gave us the opportunity to do a self guided tour or tour guide where they come along same price for both it was about $12 each we did the self guided tour. We able to see the original first edition book that Frank Baum had published and is worth a fortune now and she mentioned to us his grandson was the one that gave it to them. She did also mention to us about how he created other books and history of his life. That was a good introduction to understanding the creation behind all the other versions that came out. We also managed to see some classic like the wiz the return of oz and some other versions that was actually an independent film like "After the wizard which they had the original cast members costume they wore on the set and seeing the version of oz old and new was eye open and exciting and at the end we able to see more of the cast members items like wicked 2024 costumes from the first movie and also they have 3 pieces of the 1939 scarecrow straw from the costume and she mentioned that there's only 200 that were given out and they managed to have that in there museum. Overall a fun experience was able to learn some things as well as go back in to memory land and they did mention that during their Oz extravaganza festival that one of the wicked cast members will be in town stopping by and that festival is during June and the beginning of June and you could always check on their website for more information and we will definitely be back for more events and try to come out during the festival as well. This a place I would highly recommend to visit if you are in town this place is a one of kind experience.

On our way home to CT from Western NY, we took a pit stop at the All Things Oz Museum, and we're so…read moreglad that we did! My family loves the original movie, especially my mom (who also read some of the books). We did the guided tour, which was super informative and very interesting! The girl who took us around was super friendly, and we enjoyed chatting with her. We were impressed at the memorabilia they had, and it was cool getting to learn more about L. Frank Baum in his hometown. They even had a cute photo op at the end. Definitely worth the stop if you're in the area!

We just spent 2 full days at the Strong National Museum of play and there was an entire exhibit we…read moremissed! This place is so expansive and so well-done, I can't say it enough. My kids are 6, 4, and 2 and each of them had a genuinely wonderful time. My husband and I did as well. We brought our lunch both days and ate in the cafeteria. We brought our stroller in with us all around which was helpful for toting around all the stuff you need for 5 people. I really can't complain about a thing. There were employees all over the place cleaning up constantly and taking care of the exhibits while also not interfering with the kids and their play at all. On friday and Saturday they have extended hours into the evening which is what lead us to come when we did. We were happy to have extra time each of those days and stayed well beyond 4pm which is the closing time the rest of the days. If you are considering giving this place a go, check it out for sure!!!

We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing…read more.. This place is big! I spent over four hours here, and could've easily spent more. This place reminded me of the Exploratorium in San Francisco, , except instead of interactive exhibits highlighting scientific principles, these interactive exhibits were all about play! Play for both the kids, and the grown-ups. They had a ropes course for the younger kids, and another one for older kids and the grown-ups. For the kids, they had a scale model of a local grocery chain, where the kids could either "work", or "shop", right down to the working checkout lanes. They had a Sesame Street exhibit...., A butterfly habitat, and and All kinds of different indoor and outdoor play areas. I can still hula hoop! (for a whole five seconds...). They also had all of the exhibits on toys, games, and video games. This is the home of the national toy, Hall of Fame, and the national video game Hall of Fame. it was so cool seeing toys from my childhood, and a wide range of video games and pinball machine machines that are playable. The price to get in is very reasonable, and they also offer a military/veterans discount, and memberships to the museum, which offer free museum admission. There is a parking garage attached to the museum, with a small charge for parking, and there is a also a small charge for the ropes course, the butterfly habitat, or to play the video games/pinball machines. (4 tokens for a dollar, and every machine only takes one token...) This is an absolutely fun museum for kids of all ages. Thanks!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3BLAFoKTqw&t=5s…read more I've always been fascinated with trains, trucks, old cars that go back in history. And many times I've wanted to go and see this museum. So on 9/19/2021 they were holding a special event for old fire trucks, I headed out there. They had an assortment of vehicles going back in time. The old trolley car which you can ride on, fire trucks, roadway machinery, an original Greyhound bus, and more. I was impressed. Good for the history buffs, and families. And I give special credit to the men and women who donate their time to make this happen.

Really surprisingly nice. Don't confuse this one with the Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad…read moreMuseum. It wasn't cheap, $27 for me and 1 kid. But there is a lot to see here and admission comes with a really nice ride on the tram. They have a couple cars from the old Midtown monorail which brought back a lot of memories. Lots of cars and engines you can climb on, and a lot of the bells still work. Some other neat old antique vehicles as well. All the people that were working/volunteering were super nice as well. Overall great way to spend an afternoon.

The national Air Force museum of Canada is a great place to learn about the military history of the…read moreRoyal Canadian Air Force. There are lots of different types of planes that you can exhibit as well as history information. Although this is no longer free, there is an admission cost to enter the museum now.

So worth the visit. They are restoring an old Lancaster at the moment. Saw old fighter jets and…read morean old Hercules. Elderly 'copters and other planes. Very much worth a visit. They honour all airmen and women from all backgrounds - that was nice to see. The Museum is run by dedicated and faithful volunteers. Very knowledgeable gentleman, who described in length the history of the Halifax bomber which was recovered from the bottom of a lake in Europe. They have done a stellar job restoring this amazing workhorse.

2 separate events attended in May = 1 lucky girl!…read more I was lucky enough to attend the Syracuse Press Club Awards - mid May. Very crowded and lots of socializing so didn't snag many photos that night but tonight I attended a screening in the auditorium & made sure to capture some of the beauty! Toured the museum before/after event. Gorgeous, vibrant art pieces. Would love to stop in for a pottery/clay workshop. So many community events so check the website too. A great space with some iconic history! Art + architecture appreciation!!! I cannot believe the architect of this museum (legendary I.M Pei)

Beautiful Afternoon taking in some amazing artwork.See website for hours and exhibits. Also I…read morebelieve all day Wednesday and Thursdays (5-8pm) are pay what you wish. Definitely worth a visit.

I absolutely loved Sonnenberg! The conservatory and gardens…read morewere beyond amazing. I really enjoyed walking through and taking in all of the beauty. They even have a section in the greenhouse with plants for sale. The mansion is of course just as great to walk through and take a little escape back in time. So many beautiful things and views. They do have a little cafe and gift shop/winery on the grounds. I highly recommend coming here if you get the chance!

It's a nice peaceful attraction to stroll the gardens and check out the mansion. There were binders…read moreof photos in the mansion to see what different rooms used to look like. Rooms were set up well with interesting garments and objects. You can look at some pretty closely. Some parts of the property remain dilapidated, like the pool. Some of the gardens weren't available for viewing. For example, we didn't see anything in the pansy garden area.