Amazing. Must go for kids. Exhibits were terrific. Everything was well maintained and plenty of support friendly Moxi workers to teach and explain. All around a great experience. The third floor sky deck and exhibits are fantastic on a beautiful sunny day, not too mention the spectacular views of the mountains and ocean. read more

Love the MOXI!!! Went with a group ranging in age from 11-60. Everyone played and explored for about two hours. I love the wide variety of things to do and play with and learn about! Most of the activities have minimal instructions, which resulted in people working together to figure things out. Fun place. Will definitely return. If you're a teacher in Santa Barbara or Ventura county, show your school ID and get in free!!! read more

Moxi - Museums Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Such a fun place for kids to learn and have fun! I found it very clean and interactive.

Great kids museum. My 2 year old and 8 year old had a great time. Small enough to get to see everything and enjoy couple hrs. read more

Moxi - Roof top - Museums Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This place is awesome! There's so much for the kids to do and yet they practically have to drag me away! Definitely can spend hours here. The views from the rooftop are amazing also. The rooftop water devices can end up getting pretty wet but there are some dryers. Bring plenty of sunscreen in the summer because you'll want to spend a lot of time on the roof sky garden. That is, if you can pull yourself away from the other two levels of fun. read more

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Had a BLAST! My 1 year old definitely needed help, but that's what mama is for. I can't wait to take him back in about a year when he can REALLY enjoy himself! Only strange thing that happened was a young blonde male employee near the Lite Brite wall essentially accused me of allowing my son to steal a Lite Brite peg. He said verbatim 'I'm concerned that he took a peg, you aren't allowed to take them' I assured him my child didn't take a peg and when he continued looking in & around my stroller I took my son OUT and proved to him that we didn't take a stupid peg. It was super uncomfortable. read more

Moxi is a great unique museum for both children and adults. The exhibits are awesome and very interactive. It looks small from the outside but inside is a vast space of exploration. What stood out right away was the exterior design that looked like an Antonio Gaudi structure. Seriously every exhibit or activity was super fun. The third floor or roof was also super cool and the view is awesome especially since it is so close to the beach. I would come back and totally worth a look if you are in the area even if you do not have kids. read more

This place is awesome! My kids, ages 10 and 6, loved it. We were there for 3 hours but could have easily stayed all day. So many hands on activities for all ages and beautiful views on top deck. Kinda disappointed with the museum store. I was looking for more souvenir type stuff but all they had were limited sizes of t-shirts. They should really add more custom Moxie stuff! Other than that, this place is great. We'll be back! read more

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We enjoyed it but I would recommend if they have some staff to explain kids how it works Or have videos

Fun place for kids....and yet my child left crying. The gift shop employees are very mean. My daughter bought a broken toy without realizing it and the gift shop workers would not let her exchange it. The toy exploded all over her as soon as she opened the bag... read more

We were here yesterday with my 1 and 10 year old. My son wasn't impressed and my daughter did enjoy touching a lot of the stations. The downfall for us was most things didn't tell you how to use them or what they do . Some instruments were missing pieces or didn't work. They did have the name of the person who donated the machine and what is was called , But some things I didn't know what the point was of them. We were done in about 45 mins with 3 adults my son and daughter came to almost $70. It wasn't worth it for us. read more

This review is only for the adult parties. I love that they have nights for adults only. It is super fun to explore and have a hands-on museum. I love that each after-party has a different theme. We have been to two now and I would definitely go again. Make sure to get your tickets early! They sell out fast! The rooftop would be an awesome spot for an event! Beautiful views of Santa Barbara! read more

Moxi - Moxi after-hours adult party - Museums Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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This is one of the better children's science focused museum's we have been to. I was a little concerned about the price when we first arrived because on the outside it looks SO small, but honestly... it's much larger than it looks. The designers/architects made great use of all the available space. It's walking distance from the Amtrak station which is great for parking, and great for visitors traveling by train. This is certainly a STEM focused interactive museum and VERY hands on for the kids. We constantly had to push our son through to the next exhibit because he was having so much fun at each one he didn't want to stop playing/experimenting. Be sure to make it all the way to the roof, the music experiments up there are really cool. We planned to spend an hour, we ended up spending two hours, and my six year old could have easily done 4-6 hours here. Which makes it much more worth the admission. The gift shop is small and there is no onsite dining/snacks, so be sure to plan your visit around eating somewhere else (there are plenty of restaurants within walking distance). read more

Very disappointed and felt it was misrepresented in their ads which states 'fun for all ages'. It is not that. Clearly set up for babies and pre-teens only! I made the drive from 80 miles away to watch babies playing. As a grandfather myself I enjoyed watching the kids explore but I could avoid paying $14 admission and visit a local park. It is worthwhile and well constructed for little children but even young teenagers would quickly become bored. My suggestion to this business is simply to identify MOXIE as a children's museum of science. THATS WHAT IT IS!! read more

I wanted to give a 4 stars but due to broken displays, lack of items for kids. For example the top floor has a nice water display. Kids were using ping pong balls to watch the flow. Which was great but 10 kids fighting over 4 balls was not fun. Second floor had broken touchscreen, the outside deck had a train pull display that clearly had missing part. There is going to be a lot of wear and tear with a place like this. Having spares would be a good idea for quick fix. read more

Good place with great views, if you need to keep kids busy for couple of hours. It is like Discovery museums or other children's activity museums you have in many cities. Entrance is a bit pricey. read more

Parking -we got lucky we found parking behind the museum. Otherwise Parking can be found at the train station, free for the first 75 minutes. Then each additional hour is $1.50. Entrance -$14 adults and $10 child 3+ Building -3 floors with lots of hands on / interactive exhibits. Great for 3+ year olds, came here on a Tuesday afternoon and it wasn't crowded at all. We spent a good 4 hours at the museum and my toddler didn't get bored. Will definitely come back here again! read more

My science-loving kid was into this place WAY more than the zoo, but it depends on what your kid is into. I definitely think this place is worth a stop. On a Saturday afternoon, it never felt overcrowded or like you had to wait for anything. Make sure to make it to the rooftop, where you get amazing views of Santa Barbara and a peek of the ocean. Just beautiful up there - and more fun activities for the kiddos! read more

This museum is such a blessing to our little town. MOXI Is the perfect place for state of the art exploration, while still being kid friendly. No matter where your child's interests lie,they will be sure to be both entertained and educated. It's a wonderful place for the entire family, as adults will love the exhibits as well read more

Moxi - MOXI - Museums Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We wanted to like the Moxi but I'm not sure we will be back. The first and second floor the kids were each able to find something they liked. We echo the previous reviews in that some stations did not work and most had no explanation of how it works or why. I see the genetic answer that real scientists work this way but honestly the majority of the time the kids weren't getting the scientific intent. A brief over view would be more thought provoking to start a dialog for different methods. A simple explanation with questions and an explanation of the point of each station would be more helpful. Scientist learn the process and then apply the theory to different things. If this was really geared toward children it would get them excited about science. Half the time the kids in the different stations moved on because it made no sense. We were trying the Moxi out to see if we would get a membership and visit often... we are going to stick to the zoo and the pier for now. read more

When you first pull up it's on a semi busy street there's no parking lot or anything by the museum, lucky someone was leaving and we got to park behind the museum by the train track. When you first go in there's three doors, the middle door is made for kids which was cool. We bought our tickets online and wasn't sure what the timed mean but we still had to wait in line with the people who hasn't bought tickets yet. They give you a wrist band and then your off to your adventure. I like how there's a giant guitar when you first enter. This place was neat, there's activities and 3 levels you can explored. The rooftop was cool it over look the area and you can see the beach on your right and there's water activities. Will probably be back read more

Talk about family fun! We love this place. I can not wait to take my son back now that he's a little older and will be able to interact more with the exhibition read more

Great fun. Three floors of lots of fun for the whole family, kids love this place. Busy for the whole day with water fun on the roof and second floor engineering ...build your owncar along with art and science first floor sound recording and science experiments. read more

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I had read the great reviews on Yelp but I wasn't sure we'd end up here on our trip since we had so many other things we wanted to do. But I am SO glad we did! My daughter (who is 2), husband and I all had a fantastic time playing, learning and exploring the three levels of this awesome Museum! My husband and daughter spent quite a bit of time enjoying racing their little car on the experimental track while I played with blocks. The giant light bright and the outdoor water exhibit were also big hits with my two year old. But the entire family enjoyed checking out the whole place. We spent about 2 hours there but could have definitely stayed longer. Was really glad that we were able to check this place out. I would highly recommend it to parents with kids of any age - there is an educational experience and something for everyone here. We walked, so I can speak to the parking situation but we found the staff to be friendly and helpful and thought this place was well located right off the harbor and on state street where many restaurants and shops are located - so there is plenty to see and explore or eat after you leave the MOXI. Hope to be back one day soon! read more

Amazing museum for all ages. All the kids LOVES it after only one visit! I became a meme right after my first visit!! The kids enjoy it so much. I like how they swap out with new stuff read more

Moxi - Moxi museum - Museums Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This place is great for kids of all ages! I had to drag my two year old out, he didn't want to leave at all! I was very surprised at how involved the staff were with the kids, they were so kind to the littles. I can't wait to go back. read more

We enjoyed our visit to Moxi. Stopped in during a trip to Santa Barbara. It's easy to spot the bright white building that's bustling with many interesting experiences. There were a lot of fun activities for our younger kids. ( our kids are 14,11,5, and 2) The two year old absolutely had a blast and could have stayed all day. The 11 and 5 year old said that it was time to go after 2 hours. It's sort of like the little cousin of The Omsi Museum in Portland. I absolutely appreciated the blow drying tubes located by the water play experience. What an excellent idea. My kids are always loitering in public restrooms because they can't get enough of the super powered hand dryers. The staff at Moxi have being helpful to guests without interfering, down to an art form- Thank You!! Here are a few friendly tips if you're headed to Moxi: It's VERY loud upon entering, unlike some kid museums that have a lobby or gradually get noisy. If you have a person with you who has sensory issues, they'll need earplugs or headphones for sure. Bring sunscreen and a change of clothes. The rooftop experience is a lot of fun, you'll be in the direct sunlight, and if your kids love water they will get wet. Eat before you go, and bring snacks, they do not have a cafe/restaurant/snack bar. If you do end up feeling famished or have hangry kids- there's a great pizza place two doors down the street called Rusty's) And you're allowed to re-enter Moxi with your wristband. Have fun everyone. read more

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This place was so much fun!! My 3 year old daughter & I spent 3 hours here. I enjoyed watching her put pieces together to build her own race car then watch it race down the track they have. She totally loved the light bright wall they have & loved coming back to see a new design one of the team members put up while we were exploring something else! MOXI has 3 levels of fun & the best part was the 3rd level on the rooftop; what an amazing view! My daughter loved waving to the passing trains & playing with the interactive water area. The staff were all helpful & very nice! They answered my questions in complete detail & I walked out of there learning a few things I didn't know! read more

Moxi - Ready to race the police car! - Museums Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Amazing addition to Santa Barbara! Park in Amtrak lot for ease! Great idea to order your tickets in advance. Cute little gift shop. We went right when they opened. By 11am it was already getting crowded. read more

My 5 & 7 year old loved this hands in interactive museum!! And so did we (the adults). read more

Moxi - Museums Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

What a little gem. Kids of all ages can enjoy themselves. We went with kids from 10-13 and they all had fun! Easily give yourselves 2 hrs! Summer camps were there until around noon so it wasn't as crowded. Parking at the Amtrak station across the tracks was easy. read more

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My 2 and 7 year old love to visit this museum once or twice a year. However, I don't think they would want to come more regularly like at the zoo. I'm thrilled SB finally has something like this and it is a nice outing for tourists.However, for locals it is a pretty high maintenance play date. You have to park your car at the Amtrak station and there is no food allowed in the building. Nor is there food available in the building. Plus, the exhibits haven't changed much since they opened. Bring an extra set of clothes in case your kids like to get soaked in the water feature like mine do. read more

Moxi - Museums Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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I love moxi! And my son loves moxi! It's a very interesting museum for kids. My son is 20 month old and he is so happy to play there. I am so glad I brought him to Moxi during our trip to Santa Barbara. It's much fun for him then walking at the old town or at the pier. The people there are very patient and very nice , they play with my son and showed him those little "magic". And My son was so attracted. Kids can not only play but also learn a lot from Moxi. If I live in Santa Barbara, I would bring my son there every week! The museum itself is very clean and has a beautiful view overlooking the city (3rd floor). They only complaint is there parking. It's hard to find a parking spot around the area. And it will be better if they have a private parking lot just like the pizza place beside it. read more

Went here for the first time since it opened last week and was happy to have this new resource for kids entertainment/education in Santa Barbara. They still have some kinks to work out but I imagine that's normal for this type of attraction. There is plenty to do for kids of all ages and how much they get out of it from an education stand point is going to depend on their age (and attention span.) Selfishly and for myself, I wish there was more in-depth explanation of some of the exhibits but I imagine they kept things more basic considering the target audience. The "build a racecar" exhibit was hugely popular and as such it was difficult to participate as kids were hanging onto their built cars for several races and not returning the parts to the bins. Eventually, there was one staffer manning it but only to put the right parts in their corresponding bins. What would have been nice would be to have a staff member enforce a 2 or 3 race rule so they could give more kids an opportunity to try. Mind you, we were there during Spring Break so it was busy. Perhaps things go more smoothly on less busy days. The place has kind of a musty smell- which may have been due to the recent rain and the fact that all the windows were closed/locked. Hopefully they can work that out over time. PARKING: We parked at Amtrak next door and just paid but it's also a quick walk from the beach if you wanted to park over there. Also, there is another paid parking lot on the other side of the freeway (there's a walkway to get there.) read more

Great interactive children's museum in Santa Barbara. Beautiful new building that has several levels with STEM focused activities for kids.

Amazing. Kids loved it, parents loved it too. Extremely well done. Don't miss it.

Good place to bring the kids. The staff was nice, it was a clean environment and my 3 kids had a great time. read more

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The MOXI museum is a bright and open place in three stories for kids to explore and play right in downtown Santa Barbara. There are hands on exhibits highlighting science, art and technology with similar exhibits as other museums in Northern CA, such as the Exploratorium in SF and tech museum in San Jose but in a smaller, less in depth scale. There's a nice rooftop play area (which is really sunny) with water play and musical instrument displays, as well as, view of the Santa Ynez mountains on one side and Pacific Ocean on the other side. There is a short, 15-20 minute movie in the theater on the second floor which runs about every 30 min (schedule is posted there). We arrived at the opening time and the kids, 5 and 8 years old, played for about 2 hours. We may have been able to stretch it out for another hour but not the whole day. I did find myself wishing there were plaques with blurbs explaining the science behind some of the less self explanatory exhibits. There are several guides walking around offering help but they are not always there. For example, the Mind Ball exhibit. Two guides walking around gave variable responses about what was actually being measured (one talked about alpha waves and another just said a blank mind is better). Another example, the drum on the roof. It appears that you complete the circuit with your hands with the drum beat corresponding to your heart rate. I would recommend a hat for the roof as it is very sunny there, as well as, snacks (no cafe or snack bar). Check out the movie schedule on the second floor at or near the beginning of your visit if think you want to watch. We tried to go towards the end of our visit and didn't know where it was located, then got there when the auditorium was full. We left without watching the movie because we didn't want to wait. We did go to Rusty's for pizza afterwards which is also kid friendly. read more

Moxi - Rooftop shaded seating area at the MOXI - Museums Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

All of the exhibits are really cool and my kiddo loved playing on everything. The first floor has a giant guitar that might be my favorite! Every exhibit had enough things that many kids can play together and they don't have to fight for pieces or toys. They had many different types of activities that require different types of play and thinking. There's definitely enough to fill a whole day. There's a water exhibit on the third floor. It can be a little hot because there's not much shade but it's perfect for kiddos to splash and play a little, there's also a viewing spot on the third floor that was very cool and beautiful. The second floor had an awesome racing track and the kids build their own cars. Overall a great museum where kids and parents alike can have fun for a whole day! read more

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Beautiful! Enjoyed wedding reception on rooftop with 360 view of Santa Barbara and ocean! Spectacular place for an event!