I didn't think it was exceptional - it was a little run down from my perspective. But my kids thought it was 5 stars so I'll average our scores. There was a pretty good water table that my son played with for at least 1/2 hour. They had a whole section where you could play with different careers. Good crafting section. Age 10 is about where the kids would age out I think...so we were on the border. But mine loved it and give it glowing reviews. I was a bit less enthusiastic, but I'm not the one it needed to impress. read more

It's been around forever, my daughter is now playing in the same bubble room that I did 30 years ago. read more

Lexington Children's Museum - The explorium has been a part of our community as long as I can remember and is a great place for kids! - Museums Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

This is a fun, cheap way to let your kids explore STEM learning. All kid guided. It is small... but it is such a bargain. My cousin and sister have spent 2+ hours exploring and they are 9. Give it a try if you're up for a road trip to horse country like us, or are in town. read more

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The price is right for what you get! Our kids enjoyed it and we got a membership to support and go back again. Could it be more, yes. Needs some updating and more props at some exhibits. But some of the exhibits are just timeless! As someone who has worked in museums for a long time this place has lots of potential and charm! And it needs support and love from the community so it can grow to be even better! read more

Lexington Children's Museum - Museums Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Took a 3.5yo on a Friday after lunch and she had an absolute blast! We stayed for 2.5 hours but could easily have stayed for 3, maybe even 4 hours. The staff was very kind, helpful, and constantly checking in the exhibits to make sure they were ready for the next set of kids to come through and explore! There's no mothers room for nursing, but they were accommodating upon inquiry. So many things for a little one to do, explore, touch, play with and just have fun! read more

Loved this place! Took my 1.5 year old and she had the time of her life. Her cousins joined us (ages 4-8) and they didn't want to leave either. We spent almost 2.5 hours here. I was surprised how quickly time flew by. The kids loved all the interactive exhibits and, as parents, it was great to have entertained and happy kids. I see a lot of people saying it was run down but.. I mean, it's a kid's museum where things just get beat up every day... and.. you paid $10 to get in. What were they expecting? Lol I thought things were pretty well taken care of. Maybe they recently updated? Who knows. Hand sanitizer was everywhere that was actually full. Staff was super nice. Reasonably priced. Not crowded. Would definitely go back. read more

My son is going on 14 months old the end of this month and I was wanting a fun hands on day indoors to where he can just run around and explore. He had so much fun. It was $9 for each of us and that's for the whole day so we could leave grab lunch and then come back. He loved the bubble room and the water play area. They even had a section for 0-3yrs which was perfect. Soft cushion mats and a baby slide and so much more. It could've been a little cleaner but hey as long as my little one had fun that's all that really matters lol. Happy baby = happy momma read more

Lexington Children's Museum - 3 and under pad - Museums Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

What happened? I have previously worked here about a decade ago and it was not perfect but much better. It's dirty. Half of the equipment doesn't work. Only saw one worker and not greeted by smiling faces. She wasn't even in a uniform so I did not know. My two year old was done after 20 minutes. Waste of 20 bucks. Really disappointed. read more

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They've made some updates, more are definitely needed and I can only recommend coming with a Groupon or free day. I wanted to get a membership but like the other comments, it's the same displays so I find it's only worth the cost once every couple months. Kids always have fun and it's been clean on my visits. Staff is super friendly and helpful. Love the items they sell, too. read more

Lexington Children's Museum - Museums Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

This was so much fun!! My son loved it as well as the adults!! There was a special area for younger kids that he loved!! He did visit each area with the water areas being his favorite. read more

Lexington Children's Museum - Museums Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

A very sad excuse for a children's museum. Poor upkeep of old, outdated activities. Majority of them did not work and there was very little for our grandchildren to interact with. Needs to be closed and renovated. It's an embarrassment to Lexington. read more

I'm extremely confused by the low reviews. I think people tend to write reviews on Yelp when they have a bone to pick. Anyway, we were visiting from out of town, we live in California but I grew up in Lexington. We thoroughly enjoyed it. The bubbles were a hit. The kids used every last mega LEGO in the LEGO room, and the river downstairs was also a hit as was the scarfs blowing in the tubes thing. And the biggest hit was the mock courtroom! Didn't see that coming. We spent about two hours there. There is wear and tear but we see that at other kids museums as well. read more

Meh. I may be spoiled because we live in Indianapolis and have THE BEST Children's Museum, so nothing can compare. That being said- the Explorium feels as though it is stuck in the 80s. The exhibits look tired and worn and may have been exciting long ago. I took my 3 and 5 year old daughters and we were done in about 45 minutes. Good if you've got money and a rainy day to burn. Otherwise, save the cash and head to Jacobson Park for kid-friendly fun. read more

Lexington Children's Museum - Brix room - Museums Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

This place has very obviously not been updated for quite some time now. I remember coming here on a preschool field trip & it looks the same as it did then...I'm now 28. My pictures from preschool are identical to how the place looks today. I also echo other reviews that state it is too expensive for what you're getting & isn't the cleanest. It was $18 for my 1 year old son & I to get in. That seems excessive for me for what the space is. We can do better, Lexington. Come on. read more

This is a good place for kids to see at least once. My kids loved it the first time! Everything is completely hands-on and there is a lot of variety. Kids can explore a cave, work in a bank or tv studio (complete with green screen) and even milk a cow. The oldest two (14 and 7 at the time) were bored with it the second time, but my youngest (7 during the most recent visit) asked to go a third time. I'd recommend it mostly for toddlers and elementary-aged children, but middle-schoolers with an open mind can get something out of it if they take time to read the information with the exhibits or learn more about what they've seen when they get home. The older ones seem to enjoy the big Google Map as well. Our visits were about three years apart and there were no changes made during that time. With some updates, better maintenance and more frequent rotation of exhibits, this could be a place to see again and again! As is, unless you plan on utilizing their parents-night-out programs, have a child really into Science or under eight or so, I wouldn't recommend a membership, but it is a great one-time experience. *Bonus* if you can get a Groupon or visit on a free day! read more

Very run down BUT my kids (11, 8, 5 & 3) always have fun there!! We get a family membership so it's affordable that way! Good thing to do on rainy and/or cold days! read more

What a wonderful place to learn and grow-makes me wish I was a kid again! We took my granddaughter, who will be 2 in 2 1/2 months, & she thoroughly enjoyed it. The John Deere bobcat was a hit-she never wanted to get out of it and wanted all of us to sit in there with her . This is a pretty much a multilevel playground with a twist-it promotes learning and hands on experiences. There is a great bubble room, a pretend veterinary and Dr. clinic, life size horse and cow statues that your child can sit on, different exhibits that make music, a couple great water displays that are hands-on (make sure to grab bibs!), a couple of great places to make & listen to music, a bank vault with Monopoly-like money and a teller station, plus, you can even stand on the moon! There are so many things to do, including having a birthday party here (there is a separate room for that). Kids from age 1 to 12 should have a blast! Nestled in the heart of downtown Lexington, it is a hidden gem & If you have grandkids, you're sure to be a hit if you take them read more

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We were visiting in from out of town and wanted an activity to do with family on a rainy day so we came here. We got half off tickets and honestly I wouldn't pay any more than that. We did arrive in the afternoon, but the place was in disarray. Some exhibits were fun, many were either broken or simply so messy they were unusable. My toddler would have loved the toddler play area, but everything was strewn about and difficult to find what you were looking for. The kitchen area attracted her, but no play dishes or food could be found. Bubble solution was weak, art room a mess, sand and dirt spilled out in the second floor. As others have commented, all employees appeared to be chilling at the front desk. I've been to other museums where employees do a great job picking up after the kids as they go throughout the day. Having existing employees do that doesn't seem like it should require any additional funds and would make the place much more enjoyable. We might go back if we had very discounted or free tickets, but I wouldn't pay full price. read more

It's disgusting, run down, and underfunded. Every time that we have been nothing is ever fixed, the interactive educational games are either always broken or the staff is too lazy to turn them on. There has been a sign up that says "Exhibit out of order" and "Sorry we're broken" for about a year now and nothing has been done. I'm surprised the building has not been condemned or shut down. Someone needs to come in and either buy out the building and replace it with something else, or it needs new management to come in and revamp it. Don't suggest coming here. read more

Clever attempt and maybe this was nicer at one point but overall a disappointment. Many of the exhibits were broken or empty (milk the cow, river and erosion water table, bubble room). Art room was in disarray and supplies were low. We had some fun. Bubble room was creative and several of the exhibits were fun for our kids. We spent about 90 min until we were ready to leave. read more

I brought my 10 year old niece and 8 year old nephew here and they both had a blast. Some of the exhibits were a bit run down, but overall a fun outing for a rainy day. We spent about 2 hours here. Lots of mind stimulating exhibits that are probably meant for younger kids! read more

We went on a Sunday to waste some time, and it ended up being just that. Overall, the facility felt poorly maintained and dirty. The exhibit that shows how dams and locks work did not have enough water for the small plastic boats to even float. In the bubble area (what we were most interested in) the water was dirty (brown) so bubbles would not form and the ropes on the pulleys were broke. At the musical pipes a flip-flop (stained brown from dirt) was set out to be used as a musical instrument. And the advertisement to "fly a F-16" should read "sit in a broken simulator and watch a video clip." We asked for a refund and left after less than 10 minutes. read more

This was an interesting and hands on experience for my grandchildren. As an adult, I too enjoyed it very much.

Super disappointed. Everything is extremely outdated, dirty and a lot of things didn't even work. There were maybe 3 simple exhibits that my kids actually got to do hands on interaction with. I'm not sure why this place is even open. read more

Very out dated and needs a good cleaning. $9 a person and only saw a few staff it seems as if they would put more money back into the place and the exhibits. It hasn't changed much since I went 20 years ago. read more

I had heard of the Explorium as being a fun place for kids so was rather excited to accompany a group of students on a field trip here. Well, I was incredibly disappointed. Located near thriving downtown Lexington, Explorium is a multi-story space for kids to explore and experience science, nature, and so forth. There are a variety of spaces for kids to learn about horses, food, doctors, spiders, space, bubbles, etc. It sounds really neat and fun, but.... gosh.... this place is in dire need of an upgrade. It's like nothing has changed in thirty years. Most of the toys seem old. Most of the exhibits were old or not working. Even the bubble room was kind of gross (and the bubbles didn't really work). Just. Ick. Not impressed at all. This place was probably great and still has potential, but something needs to change. I have no desire to visit again, nor will this be a place of interest for my own child. read more

This place is AWFUL & makes Lexington look bad. It's dirty, the exhibits are old & dilapidated. Several don't work at all. It's definitely not worth the full-price admission. I regret ever recommending this place to visitors in the past. I hadn't been in 10+ years & nothing has changed. It's all gotten worse. I know that there are groups & organizations that would financially support a complete overhaul of this museum. The fact that the leadership hasn't pursued any improvements in a decade is pathetic. read more

Used to be so good. Has not changed anything for ages. I'm talking 12 yrs and it looks identical. I bought my son to this place when he was 2. 14 years old and it looks identical, boring, run down and just a waste of time these days. Should be bought out and renovated read more

We got a groupon, and it was worth what we paid, though I can't imagine spending more than a couple of hours here, nor do I feel the visit would be worth the standard admission rate. There were access points in the available activities for children of all ages, and I feel like my 2 year old enjoyed himself as much as my nearly 5 year old niece. There are 2 stories of activities, but several of them were broken or required maintenance. I liked that in their gift shop, everything is priced to include tax, so kids can pay for their items themselves without a surprise hike in the price. I thought that was quite nice. The bathrooms and elevator are in an annex part of the building, which connects with many other businesses. It would be very easy for a kid to wander off in the other parts of the building or leave undetected, FYI. read more

On a family vacation we were looking for an activity that my 2 year old would enjoy. It was raining outside or we would have gone to a park or done something outside. There were four adults and my 2 year old. It took us about and hour, hour and a half to play with everything. The museum was a bit outdated and some of the exhibits were just ok. My son's favorite was the water area in the under three section and the bubble room. We are from Indianapolis, where we have a membership to our children's museum. It isn't what I expected, but was nice for a rainy day. read more

In need of some serious cleaning, maintenance, and updating. Many interactive exhibits don't have the toys/parts to be interactive anymore. The bubble area was disgusting, the bubble water was seriously dirty, brown. I'm disappointed and wouldn't recommend a visit to anyone. read more

We took our 2 year old and she was entertained for a couple hours. This place is really lacking in creative activities. The rooms are all filled with old toys that reminded me of playing in the children's section of a thrift store. As stated in previous reviews, many of the exhibits are broken. We will not be revisiting the Explorium next time we are in Lexington. read more

We visited the Explorium today for a second time in the past few months and it was amazing! They had lots of Halloween-themed STEM activities in addition to the regular exhibits, where kids could earn stickers to get a prize. I was amazed the last time we went that there was so much to entertain a 2-year-old but today was the same experience. We were fully occupied for an hour and could have stayed longer. Lots of interesting hands-on activities. I'll definitely be back! read more

My son loves this place. It does need some renovation but that doesn't detract from my son's enjoyment.

After reading their website, my husband and I decided to take our two children to this for a Saturday mini-vacation. The fee to get in was $32.00 for all four of us...and that was way overpriced for what was actually working in the facility for the kids to play with. Numerous activities that were meant to be interactive were not working. According to their website, kids can dig just like archaeologists to find dinosaur bones...well this was really look at the half bag of mulch we have dumped into a square box on the ground and find rubber dinosaurs that looked like those that you would purchase 5 for $1 at a Dollar Tree. The bubble room was simply pathetic. There was hardly enough water/bubble solution to make bubbles and the room simply looked dirty. The movement area that was a hardwood floor meant to get kids dancing around, was not working. The chance to get a feel for how to milk a cow...was not working. The interactive dams were not working. The art room in which our youngest was most interested in did not open until 1. I asked the ladies at the front desk who seemed to be more interested in their cell phones if the art room would be opening today. They said, yes at 1. At 1:30 they were still playing on their cell phones, and did not look as if they would quit anytime soon. I could keep going on and on about everything that was broken or outdated, how dirty the entire facility was, and the fact that the staff just seemed to be on a paid vacation. However, I would suggest that you save your money. Perhaps if they had a staff that actually cared and more funding to fix things that are broken, this place would be as good as it was ten years ago. read more

This place was pretty disappointing. We recently relocated to Lex for work and have 2 small children so I was excited to bring them here and see what this new city has to offer. This place looks worn out, run down, and honestly not clean. I hate to say that but it was such a let down. Love the area and building it is in but they need to do some serious updating. We were out of there in less than an hour. read more

My sister and nieces cam to town so we visited looking to keep the kids entertained...sadly the place rather run down and lacking in material condition. In my opinion it's not worth the adminience fee. read more

Took my 19 month old there on friday. She had a good time. I thought it was quite expensive for her and 4 adults who werent going to play. You could see that the whole place wasnt very clean and a lot of toys were sticky. Fast forward to monday and she is sicker than a dog with Roseola virus. read more

A bit on the shabby side, but my 3 year old enjoyed it nonetheless. The hand dryer in the bubble room was broken and the water at the dam exhibit seemed very dirty. However, I didn't feel that the price was outrageous for the facility. It was worth the trip for us. read more

I was so disappointed when I took the 2 boys I babysit here yesterday. I used to love the Explorium when I was young, but it's in terrible shape these days, I wouldn't let the boys touch a lot of the things because they were FILTHY; the water in the river model was brown, the water in the bubble room was brown and smelled foul. There is a film of grime on a lot of the exhibits, the dress up clothes are visibly soiled... The list goes on. Many of the exhibits are exactly the same as they were when I was a child 20+ years ago, and most of the newer ones are broken, missing pieces, etc. There's just too many safety issues for this to be worth it, I noticed wires hanging and outlets uncovered where children could easily reach them. For the $8 admission you would think they could clean it up and update it. read more