Drive past it so you know where to go, but park in a "C lot" on la rue. A stroller may be necessary…read moreto get from parking lot to entrance. "A" parking is for faculty and staff until 5pm. 35260 for a hint on the parkmobile app. You'll prob need parking for 1 hour. Cut through the parking lots and building walkways to get to Bohart. Museum (I think "open lab" is a more apt name) is on the ground floor, wander til you locate the door. Entrance is free. Have an idea about what bugs you would like to request to see. They have a small case for live/preserved bugs that you can hold, but if you come without ideas you might find it a little underwhelming with young ones. Ideal for kids who can safely hold a bug or glass jar without dropping or shaking. The staff is kind and knowledgeable. The room is small, you may like a mask on hand. They have a gift shop area and they have bug nets you can borrow.

Bugs are cool! Betcha didn't know that the seventh largest worldwide collection of them in No…read more America is nearby at UC Davis. They also boast the second largest mosquito collection -- shhh, don't tell Bill Gates! This was my second visit, this time with kids on a field trip. The collection is vast -- so extensive that they have installed rolling bookcases to house the specimens. Our 45 minute tour led us through some of the cases and then on to live specimens which included a giant millipede, hissing cockroaches, a scorpion, black widow, tarantula, walking sticks, and a leaf bug. Our group of little bookworms with ants in their pants was enchanted! The museum is open to visitors from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Wise people call first before they go to ensure the museum is available. While there is a small charge for tour led groups, the museum is free for general admission. But don't be a stink bug; put some money in the donation box.

It's a smaller museum but take the time to visit. It's free! There are also student docents around…read moreto tell you more about the exhibits. Located close to the parking structure on the south side of UC Davis campus by the Mondavi performing arts center and the campus visitor center. Great clean bathrooms!

Nowheresville? Just a bunch of fields and cows? Think again, mon frère. As a proud Aggie, I can…read moretell you there's more than meets the eye. For example, feast your eyes on the new-ish Shrem museum, right on the edge of campus. New to Davis? This museum is directly across the street from UCD's visitor and conference center on one side, and the campus concert hall (wine-named Mondavi Center). High-tail it over to the museum and keep your wallet in your pocket -- it's free. It's 30 minutes or so you won't mind giving up. A fun mix of modern art that is always changing, so i won't date my review here. At the very least, it's a beautiful space with some thought-provoking installations every time I'm in town. I believe there's some kind of rule that all the artists have some connection to UC Davis. Davis hates cars, so the adjoining parking lot is about $10, during the week only. Weekends? Cars galore, no charge. Inspiring!

A first class museum of Native American art. We were there to see Brenda Mallory's exhibit, which…read moreis phenomenal. The permanent collection is similarly excellent. Highly recommended.

This is a small but beautiful museum along the arboretum. It is well curated and was a very…read moreenjoyable excursion.

So today I was here for my 1st graders field trip…read more Funny story, I found this amazing science center, while googling the words, "inexpensive science field trips." Lo and behold the science center was super cheap to attend for two classes, and the exhibits are very engaging and fun! Anna, Bradley, and David, made our experience fun and exciting! I've done a lot of field trips, in 27 years of teaching, but this one is one of my absolute favorites! I feel like their spot is totally slept on and underrated, we need to usher in more educators to take their kids here for their field trips! They're a non-profit and need our help to stay open! So spread the word and let's keep this learning gem, open longer! Science Exhibits: 20/10 Customer Service: 20/10 Quality of the Programs: Amazing! Overall: 20 out of 10!

We are members and absolutely love this place. My kids have taken camps here over summer and…read morethroughout the school year and we also had my five year olds birthday party here...they always want to return for more. They recently re did the science center and it is such a well done space. The kids enjoy all the interactive stuff as well as the animals. The membership is really great bc you get access to free events - like private times, meet Santa / holiday party, and discounted birthday parties and camps.

Huei's Garden is a beautiful and peaceful oasis. Huei herself is a gem. She works very hard to…read moremaintain the garden so that people can come and enjoy it. She puts on several tours per year (June for Rotary, October for Breast Cancer, and April for Shriners Children's Hospital). She is always happy to host volunteers who would like to partake in garden work. Volunteers can report to Huei's garden Sundays 10-12. She will guide and offer great insight into gardening. Would highly recommend! If you are interested in learning more about Huei's garden you can watch an interview linked here https://youtu.be/8-yrPzIKkBI?is=wSepRx4NEdy2MQGb. If you are interested in touring, tours are generally $25. If you are interested in donating to help Huei maintain the garden, you can reach out to Green Acres, where Huei sources her plants, at (916) 730-5751.

This garden is absolutely stunning! I highly recommend going if you live in the Davis area. The…read moreproceeds go to important causes like Shiners Children, so you get access to a stunning garden while helping your community which is awesome!

This gallery is right at the corner of 1st and E street, just after that dip in the road off the…read morefreeway in DTDavis. It's in an old house structure 3 stories high or more. Inside it is an Art Gallery, and also a multipurpose activity/community space. Through the front door, which is located at the corner of 1st and E streets past some large art sculptures, is a book store of published art books, and to the left corner is a info/cashier counter and person. Past that opens up to a large multistory atrium area, filled with art, but also a couple of tables with 4-5 chairs each. In the hot Davis summers, this is a cool place to hang out, literally, as there is OPAC available for you (Other People's AC), and WiFi! Currently the artist featured on this floor is Mark Bullwinkle, an American artist with SF Bay Area roots and metal quirky sculpture installations, particularly in Emeryville and Berkeley, that he created with a blowtorch. Up the stairs or elevator to floor 2, there is a study/lounge that over looks the atrium below, with other artists' work in the nooks and crannies around the staircase and little rooms. The 3rd floor is a full art floor, with mostly ceramic sculptures from various artists. It is free to enter. I did an event here a year ago, a UC Davis student's birthday party with entertainment in the atrium space. And more recently I came here with 2 friends to chill in the OPAC and tables/chairs in the 1st floor Atrium before heading on to dinner on a lazy Sunday afternoon road trip.

My employee gave me a recommendation that this gallery had free wifi and you could work there, so…read morewe headed to the gallery after grabbing a smoothie. Outside this location you'll notice two large structures: a cat and a dog. When you enter the gallery you'll see a front desk to your left, one of the staff members greeted us. There are pieces all over the gallery from artwork to sculptures. On the second floor there are multiple metal tables and chairs where you can have a seat and work. There was also a bathroom on the second floor. There was classical music playing throughout the building. It was a nice departure from working in my hotel room and I enjoyed seeing some of the artwork and sculptures on display.

Fond memories of this scenic walk as it was one of our family's places to escape during the Covid…read moreshut-down. We visited the Arboretum more recently, and it was just as serene and beautiful as we remembered. From the Davis Commons, there is an entrance to the trail which follows a small creek to the UC Davis campus. The beginning is paved, so you can even push your baby along in a stroller. Along the way are plants and flowers of different varieties, small bridges, a grove of towering trees, and mallard duck couples obviously bonded for life! There is plenty of shade, benches, and spots to rest, but the full loop is about 3.5 miles, which would also make for a phenomenal run with Mother Nature.

Spent my Saturday afternoon here. It was a bit windy & cloudy but there was some sun off and on. It…read morewas so nice to just be outdoors. People were out walking, jogging, enjoying a picnic, reading, etc. parking was a challenge but I parked in the parking structure nearby the Mondavi center. Beautiful views and loved how busy this place was as everyone came out to enjoy the view & some sun.

I'll start with a disclaimer: the Mondavi Center typically hosts classical and jazz…read moreperformances--great quality, just not the genres I usually listen to. Because of that, even though I've lived nearby for more than 20 years, I never made it out to a show. I finally made an exception to see the legendary Herbie Hancock at Jackson Hall, the larger venue that seats about 1,800 people. Even from the upper section, the sound was phenomenal. The acoustics are honestly some of the best I've experienced. The one downside to sitting up there is the seating layout: the rows are tight, and unlike other sections, there are no aisles. If someone in the middle needs to step out, the entire row--around 20 people on each side--has to shuffle to make room. Not ideal, especially for long shows without an intermission. Parking is close, but even on a Sunday (when parking is usually free), the lot across from the venue charged $19. Drinks are allowed inside only if they have lids, and there are no cupholders at the seats. Minor things, but they add up. Jackson Hall is a beautiful venue, and it definitely carries a "posh" or "elite" reputation that seems fairly accurate--it feels geared toward a more academic crowd. I probably won't return soon based on the current lineup, but seeing Herbie Hancock there was absolutely worth it.

Attended the UC Davis Video Game Orchestra "Against All Odds" spring concert at Jackson Hall and…read moresat in the Orchestra Terrace (Right), very good seats for the mid-tier price point. I've seen the UCD VGO perform before, but either at off-campus venues or on-campus at Wright Hall main theatre -- this was my first time watching them at Mondavi, they've grown a bunch! What's especially neat is that all of their members are current students or alumni of UC Davis, and all of their pieces are arranged by their own members. Each quarter is a different theme for the concert that explores various genres of video game soundtracks. Some of their past performances can be found here if you're curious as to what kind of music they play: http://bit.ly/4gLwY54 Some songs that were played (with live vocalists too!) were from Clair Obscur, Deltarune, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Deemo II, Minecraft, Peak, League of Legends, Xenoblade Chronicles, Fire Emblem, Overcooked, Bloodborne, Lies of P, Persona, and more. Same ticket pricing whether you purchase online or in-person at the box office. 10% CAAA alumni discount only for Mondavi Center Presents events throughout the season. Staff get discounted parking via the app as well. There is the Gateway parking garage and Parking Lots #1 and #2 shared with the Manetti Shrem art museum, Mondavi Food & Wine Institute, Alumni Center. They did have some parking attendants providing directions before and after the event. Print-at-home or mobile ticketing. Restrooms clean, did not avail during intermission but they also had a merchandise counter setup. As for concessions, only drinks can be brought into the hall, food has to be eaten in the lobby, also no outside food. Ushers/Ticketers were very good directing people to the correct doors/rows/seats.

The Davis art center offers a variety of eclectic cultural arts classes. For instance the first…read morestudio to the left of the entrance is where three-dimensional art and ceramics class are held. Although I don't take 3-dim art classes here it looks like it would be rewarding to create beautiful mosaics from huge chunks of clay and chipped glass while listening to cool retro background music. There are dramatics classes who rehearse outside behind the stage for the "theatre in the park" productions. There are music classes, singing classes, and a variety of cultural dance classes. As an Added bonus... All DAC dance studio floors are solid tongue and groove wood. Did I mention that wood dance floors are almost nonexistent in Northern California? With that said its the floors that drew me to the Davis art center, as any respectable rhythm tapper would. As a community non profit organization taking classes at the DAC should not burn a hole in your octet book. Plus 1 star for that. Enrollment fees & tuition fees are nominal compared to a private studio plus you automatically become a member of the DAC after enrolling in a class. You should really check this place and take a class for fun. Go ahead and dust off that old Yamaha instrument in the back of your closet...you won't regret it. After all cultural arts classes give your mind an opportunity to create while making new friends from the community.

My first experience here was a dazzling evening of drumming with my dear friend Mamadu. This was…read moretruly a enriching and cultural gathering for all ages. I brought my Kambala djembe and jammed until the sun set. Djembe masters like Mamadu are rare these days and I was fortunate enough to have networked with him through the Sacramento drum circle rhythm community. There are people of all ages and backgrounds who share a collective interest in rhythm and the origins of music. The djembe is the roots! I will be back!