Wonderful place! Learn and grow experience…read more Staff is very nice. Kids and adults liked it as did I. Steve

Imagination activated the moment you step in. There's so much that grabs even an adult's attention…read morewhen you walk into the doors that it is hard to focus on paying admission to get in. We lots of discipline, we got our tickets and entered the incredible children's museum. You walk into a woodland wonderland and it only gets better from there. We are pretty partial to our home museum in Cincinnati and haven't found a better one but this comes very close. Theres so many interactive areas. There is a treehouse down toward the right when you walk in along with a small town. A walk on airplane that allows kids to work with parcels, a train engine you can walk into with model train set behind. A water station as well as stairs to the outdoor portion with an extensive jungle gym, musical instruments, mini golf, and an excavation site with dinosaurs! They had science exhibits for older kids and younger kids alike. A toddler area as well. You could keep any kid toddler to about 10 years of age entertained for hours. Parking isn't free unless you can snag a coveted spot in front but it's not too pricey. Admission is $22 a person. They have last half hour free during summer which is nice. Staff are dressed in purple and nothing but kind and friendly. There is a cafe at the top (well, a "food truck" theme) and tables and benches to eat. Looked like you could pack your own food. Also looked like you could host birthday parties and field trips. All in all, impressive children's museum. We can't wait to come back!

I was asked (by the court system) to help these folks out when I was young. Ya, community…read moreservice.... but I am all grown up now. The fact that I did this service, made me realize how COOL it is! They have old trains and coal cars, neet artifacts and it's very cool. The hours are funky, but if you want something different to do on the cheap, check this place out!

A for effort! Many good artifacts. Small space . Challenging parking. Hours are inconsistent at…read moretimes. I love the old outdoor jail cell! Old Issaquah was full of Finnish immigrants that did coal mining and farming. Good decent hardworking people. My grandfather was a dairy farmer in Issaquah. Very proud of our heritage in this little city! Check out the museum!

This place is amazing! Love that it's free. Thought it might be too educational and not enough fun…read morefor some out-of-town visitors with an eight and eleven year-old but they loved it and learned so much. It's small but we spent more time there than intended and coupled with the outdoor features, we didn't end up making it inside museum though we originally planned to do both. They also some neat swag that's useful. My spouse has been using the grease scraper since haha. The people working here are also very nice and welcoming. Recommended little stop!

This free discovery center across from the Children's Museum was a lot of fun, and educational…read more They have a scavenger hunt for the kids to do to help them learn more about water, and they get a prize once they finish it. They have a small free lot for parking which is nice. Staff was very friendly and helpful when the kids needed a hint about one of the questions on the scavenger hunt.

Easy five stars here because of the many flight exhibits (inside and outside) including a 1903…read moreWright Brothers reproduction, WWI planes, WWII planes, various Boeing aircraft, a supersonic Concorde, a Mercury capsule, Apollo command and lunar ascent modules and a space shuttle trainer. The Red Barn area features Boeing's original manufacturing facility, which dates back to 1909. I also enjoyed the reasonable ticket price, the great mass transit access, the nice Wings Café and the first-rate gift shop. Excellent!!!

Neat little spot! First Thursday of the month is free admission from 5pm-9pm. You can easily spend…read morehours here! I only got through a portion with it the time I had but super cool & will be back.

A time was had at the Museum of Pop Culture. We learned a lot but we also love the interactive…read morethings. We walked around singing all over the place. There's one where it's like a dj booth with headphones. There's a place where people were in rooms learning how to play the guitar, piano & drums. There's a cool MJ section and more. We had fun. It wasn't all about music either, it was movies, shows games etc...

This museum is just OK. Its aesthetic design is pretty nifty and it checks a lot of pop culture…read moreboxes (music, video games, multiple movie genres). On the other hand, it felt like most of the material is either pictures & basic bios of famous people, or physical props. Is it really that stimulating to see a replica of a proton pack, a Dalek, or a Starfleet uniform behind enclosed glass? The section with the highest potential was the music lab, but the interactivity seemed pretty limited. On top of that, I caught a few factual errors, like misspelled names ("Paul Ruebens"), or bloopers in their historical video reels (both 1987 and 1990 contained clips of The Simpsons, which are both wrong -- it debuted in 1989 as a standalone show). Somewhere on the floor there's a poorly conceived gallery of video game controllers, which inexplicably features some generic third-party controllers that don't count, while controllers from many important game consoles are missing entirely. These are all sloppy errors for a museum to make. All in all, I'd say this place offers maybe $15 worth of fun, but not the $35 they currently charge.

Small wonderful Marine Science Center. Kids will especially enjoy this experience…read more The calendar of events, especially educational based, are so helpful for appreciating the special marine environment around Port Townsend. There is a small collection of marine life, including a full killer whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling. The staff here are wonderful. Come here to support marine science and the local community.

First time visit, and yes, the main aquarium center is closed for the winter, but, such a charming,…read moreeducational place. Small gift shop when coming in and then stunning whale bones and displays ushers you forward! At the end, there's a kids-focused, hands-on experience. Looking at everything from marine anatomy to actual bones, fur and specimens. Take your kids or kids at heart here. Now!

I arrived at Cascadia Art Museum at 5:06 PM, expecting to explore the exhibits during regular hours…read moresince Apple Maps had listed them as open until 6:00 PM. Unfortunately, the museum had already closed to the public. Luckily, Sydney kindly invited me to stay for a private evening event that was just about to begin. The $20 admission ended up being incredibly worthwhile. Before the event I was able to walk around and see the gallery entirely while the staff set -up. The event featured a guest lecture by Dr. Simon Lhopiteau, a Paris-based art historian who recently opened a studio in Seattle. His talk centered on Henry Saÿen, a chemist-turned-painter whose work is rarely acknowledged in mainstream art history. We discussed Saÿen's invention of the self-regulating X-ray tube, his move to Paris during the rise of the avant-garde, and the influence of Henri Matisse on his artistic development. Dr. Lhopiteau also spoke about how both Henry Saÿen and Henri Matisse were among the early artists to shape the foundation of modern self-portraiture. Their work explored internal perception just as much as external form, and this introspective approach helped redefine how artists captured the self. He also shared how abstract and impressionist art in the early 20th century was not just rejected by the public, but often met with deep hostility and even violence. One of the highlights of the evening was Saÿen's 1903 painting titled Primitive Agricultures. We also explored the legendary artist gatherings at Le Dôme café in Paris and discussed the deeper connection between light, geometry, and perception in modern painting. The entire conversation felt alive--intellectually rich, spontaneous, and deeply human. It was one of the most engaging experiences I've had in a long time. Before leaving, I visited the museum gift shop and picked out a beautiful orange floral scarf for my mom. The shop was just as thoughtfully curated as the rest of the space. I also had the pleasure of speaking with Nancy, one of the museum ambassadors, who was incredibly kind and insightful. She told me about her travels through the Balkan countries and the museums and art collections she visited abroad. I shared my love for Renaissance art and armor from the Middle Ages and she encouraged me to visit France to experience those collections firsthand. I mentioned that my niece is French and currently studying there, so now I have even more reason to go. Before I left, I met Julie, the museum's education director, and learned that her academic thesis focused on Renaissance art and the representation of women. It was such an energizing conversation. She even gave me a list of local spots to eat, which meant a lot since I needed to grab dinner for my family after the event. I have attached the photos part of the current exhibit to this review to encourage people to see art in person because it is of amazing quality and deserves recognition. Had I arrived during regular hours, I probably would have paid $12 or gotten in free with my student ID, but I'm honestly glad I came when I did. Cascadia is not just a museum. It's a place of conversation, discovery, and connection. Whether you're visiting for the art or open to the unexpected, it's absolutely worth the experience.

I had the pleasure of attending a curator talk at the Cascadia Art Museum, and it was phenomenon!!…read moreDavid Martin is a dynamic speaker and is a world recognized art historian of northwest style arts. He walked us through an exhibit called "Urban Scenes of Seattle: 1910-1960". Apparently in the "old days" and before the internet, Eastern U.S. arts are influenced primarily by European arts, while Western U.S. arts are influenced by both European arts and Asian arts. As a result, these mid-1900s regional arts has an intriguing amalgam of art styles from other parts of the world while serving as a historical data point of our area. I highly, highly recommend attending one of his "coffee with the curator" talks that give so much behind-the-scenes story of the artists, many of whom David personally knows. Other than the Urban Scenes exhibit, they are currently featuring a special exhibit of Christmas cards that are individually made by local artists that were sent to family and friends. No two are the same! The museum is modest size but packs a punch! It is definitely a local gem. Housed in an old Safeway building, it shares space with a bistro in the same building. Their museum store also has excellent pieces from artists and/or uniquely curated pieces. And they sell books written by David Martin. He'll autograph them if you want!

This mansion museum was a great way to spend a slow afternoon in Puyallup…read more It is currently a $15 fee for adults to do a self tour of the home. You are welcome to take photos, and please, take your time! There is plenty to read either on the pamphlet given to you at the entrance, or on the walls beside all the beautiful furniture, paintings, and artifacts. It's hard not to imagine yourself at the turn of the century, living in wealth in this fancy home, like the Meekers did. Ezra and Eliza Meeker were a fascinating couple who did so much with their lives, even into their last years. Traveling the Oregon Trail, hitting success with a hop business, Ezra being the mayor twice, Eliza founding the town's public library and strongly supporting the suffrage movement. I also can't help but to respect Eliza even more for her strength in character even though she was of small stature (4'8")! Especially for those who live in the area, I highly recommend you learn about this historic Puyallup family with a visit to the Meeker Mansion Museum!

I happened to be in the area and saw a sign for the Meeker Mansion, so I decided to check it out…read more Diane was very sweet and gracious and gave me a brief history of Ezra & Eliza Meeker. "Ezra was an American pioneer who traveled the Oregon Trail migrated from Iowa to the Pacific Coast. Once known as the Hop King of the World." A lot of good history of Puyallup. I didn't have time for the tour, but I appreciated seeing the mansion and getting a glimpse of this city's history. Next time, I'll have to do the tour. Thank you again, Diane, for being so nice and friendly!

The architecture is beautiful. We went for the Southeast Asian voices exhibit, which was really…read morewell done. I love all the artifacts and the displays were varied and interesting. The model train set provided a unique view of Tacoma. This is a great place for kids too

What a wholesome experience for the entire family! 5 floors of different type of Model trains while…read moreyou go through the states history as well. If you are here for the train displays with your kids, you need to cover floor 1 as the last stop. Floor 1 has play area with Legos and Toy train tracks and the toddlers don't want to go anywhere else! Super friendly staff at each display who are eager to interact with the kids and the adults. I missed it last year, now, we might end up coming here every year!