Nifty little science museum for kids in Santa Barbara. Some of it is run-of-the-mill, but some bits stand out, like the challenge to cross a path of pebbles as quickly as possible while making as little noise as possible, and the sound booths. Our favorite exhibit was the tele-poem booths that let you choose a poem to be read to you by picking a number out of the phone book and dialing it. read more

Moxi - Tele-Poem! - Museums Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I'm not opposed to spending money for great museum experiences, and more times than not, I get blown away by the number of interesting, unique and beautiful art pieces. Is MOXI a museum that adults can enjoy themselves in? Sure, if you fiddle with the right exhibits. Allow me to explain. Going into my visit to MOXI, I knew there would be some art, some crafts, but more so, scientific, musical and interactive exhibits. And that's exactly what we encountered. From my brief analyzation of the children scurrying around this place, they seemed super enthusiastic, excited and eager. The ratio of kids to adults here is 10:1. So it's definitely a place for adults who bring their kids. But you can also come here as a pair, or with a group of friends ( I saw some millenials do this). 1st floor: Has a huge colorful globe that displays the handprints of visitors who chose to leave their heat-generated imprints for all to see, on the right hand side of this there is an arts + crafts room which seemed to be led by staff members, you can play chords on a huge guitar. There are other musical activities, and sound studios (where you can record as a Foley artist). Outdoor patio area with interactive structures is neat. 2nd floor: A couple of tables with Jenga like blocks, a colorful Lite Brite screen where you take pegs and create your own art, a mosaic photo booth display and other attractions. Many people on this floor. 3rd floor: Rooftop, has a Lookout Tower with telescopes, and scientific structures meant for kids to try out. Wind, sound, water, sun, and sky - all these elements are represented here. Overall Moxi rocks for kids! For the kid, in the adult you, it could be a fun and educational time for you as well. read more

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So much to do. 3.5 year old thoroughly enjoyed and didn't want to leave. Spent 2-3 hours there and could've gone back for more. Well worth the visit. read more

The MOXI is a fabulous place for both kids and adults. It's full of cool science activities that keeps us coming back. There are three floors to MOXI which I've given a brief description below. Main Floor As you walk into the Moxi, on the left is a store and the front counter and to the right is a cool bike that lights up different patterns as you spin the wheel. There is also a stair case to the second floor in this area. Toward the center is a globe that you can interact with and behind that is an area that contains a huge guitar, a room that tracks how loud you are walking through it, and some really cool rolling ball on rails attractions (Ball Rollercoaster perhaps). Also on the main floor is a pseudo outside area with some other cool attractions. 2nd Floor I call this a race car floor. You can build your own car and race it down a track with two other players. It's very cool. There is also a peg/light wall, a photo collage machine, some random boxes, and outside area, a jump machine that create a slow motion of your jump, and a Microsoft Kinect that creates a cool video of you going from left to right in front of it. 3rd floor The roof has a really cool water gadget that allows you to change the flow of water and it also has water canons. There is also a glass floor that allows you to look down to the pseudo outdoor area on the Main Floor. Honestly, it's hard to explain that gadgets at the Moxi. Any one that visit the Moxi will definitely have a great time there. It doesn't have it's own parking so park at the Amtrak station next door. I absolutely recommend the Moxi! read more

My 6 year old loved it ! She was apprehensive of going to a museum during our getaway but ended up loving it . She preferred the moxi over the zoo. Very interactive and supports kids' creativity read more

I brought my two kids under 7 here on a Friday afternoon and they had a great time. The website recommends purchasing advance tickets and we did just that. The museum wasn't busy on the day we came so getting advanced tickets probably wouldn't have mattered. The building is very beautiful and comprises of three levels. The first level has a small gift shop, a creative center and plenty of interactive exhibits. Both my kids participated in the creative project of the day - making their own artwork with toothpicks and a glue gun. You can make your own project or add something to their collaborative sculpture. The kids were able to bring what they created home (no fee). There's also a few creative exhibits in their open courtyard. The second level is comprised of movement exhibits - make your own race car and race it, see how high you jump, big light bright exhibit, build with blocks. The third level is the rooftop that has a water exhibit, music and different kids of telescopes. We came at 10:30am and stayed until about 2pm. The museum doesn't have a small cafe (which is a bit odd for a kid museum) but there are plenty of eateries around and they allow you to leave and come back in (just need to have your hand stamped). We parked in the Amtrak parking lot. Free for the first 75minutes and then $1.75 (I think) for each additional hour. One of my kids got hurt with the building blocks and one of the workers came right over and said if we needed anything that they have a first aid kit. My child bumped his finger pretty bad but since I had an ice pack in my bag we were good. When we were leaving, one of the supervisors came over to ask how my child was doing and what they could have done to avoid any injuries. I thought that was really going above and beyond. Very courteous employees. We would definitely recommend going to this museum and I could see how the adult events at night would be great! The view from the rooftop is absolutely gorgeous! read more

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Very cute museum, but not much for my one year old to do. They have about 20 activities for the kids to participate in. The only thing my son could really Partake in was the "light bright" wall. I'd love to see more toddler activities for my child to play with! :) read more

Moxi - Museums Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Three levels of fun - First level is the completely hands on engagement of children (and most adults) on the exhibits. From wind experiments to the Lego wall, everything had something to touch. The second level of fun, was the ability to CREATE something. From a photo of yourself or family that would be pixelated based on your own interest (from rocks, machines, animals, etc.) and subsequently emailed to you, to a foley studio where three people enter one of three studios to watch a short film and add the sounds effects, it was very engaging. The most creative area was the Innovation Center that was impossible to leave! Scrap materials and construction devices were aplenty to afford all participants to create something in 3D. From yarns and ribbons, to wood, cardboard, fabrics, sticky paper, markers, the possibilities were endless. Finally, the third level - engaging with other families and observing families helping others was a super jackpot bonus. As a Professor of Education the one missing element was the scant information about the properties of force, matter, etc. that could be a wonderful adjunct to each activity. The WHY and HOW of each area could be posted on the adjacent wall so that families could explain some of the science properties to the children. Nevertheless, it was a marvelous day with our three grandsons, ages 12, 9, and 6. Buy a family pass! A great investment. read more

Great experience for all ages. Love the interactive exhibits across all 3 floors. The view is extraordinary. read more

Moxi - Museums Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

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Endless fun and learning! If you live here I would recommend a season pass! Ridiculous great price! The views form the roof are lovely. The fun for the family can easily last all day and it's not just fun for kids! They did a great job with this! I adore this spot! It is in close walking to some great eats too! They touch on all facets of science and learning, but in a fun and exciting way so it is not boring. It is interactive! Totally interactive! read more

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The Moxi provided the perfect destination for a few hours of playtime for my kids (5 and 6 years old) during a weekend visit to Santa Barbara. There is something for kids of all ages at this place with new exhibits and activities going on all of the time! We had a blast with the hands-on activities on almost every floor... As others have mentioned, admission is pricey, but you won't find so many options for kids to stay entertained anywhere else. Warning: there is a store right by the entrance and exit. It's a miracle that I got out of there without spending additional $$ there. Good luck doing the same! read more

The kids had a great time here! It's the perfect size for a couple hours and housed in a beautiful white building by the sea. They loved the children's door, the giant guitar, the vacuum tubes sending fluff balls. The water feature on the roof needs either more water or some repair and there were a few other experiences that weren't fully working but all in all they had an amazing time. The next day they wanted to go right back! We have been to many children's museums in various cities, and this one was definitely the best. Well worth it. And they loved the maker space! We made pins and my daughter made a golf club and golf course out of cardboard and wine corks. read more

What a great space right at the end of State Street!! I loved all of the creative, interactive stations. I can see how parents could spend hours letting kids explore. But I also love that the space is adult-friendly too! I LOVED at ending the Chromeo DJ set on the third floor rooftop patio!! It was amazing and everyone was able to get right up close to the DJ's. Such a fun event! I look forward to attending more rooftop parties at MOXI. read more

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Fabulous museum for kids of all ages. Right. Etc to the train station in SB. Indoor and outdoor activities and explorations.

Five stars PLUS! I took my BBBS Little Brother to MOXI a couple of weeks ago. He's 8. He and I have visited several hands-on museums in the last couple of years--but nothing has compared to MOXI! For us, the overall size is perfect. Big enough to house a lot of various exhibits, roomy enough to run around and try things out, but small enough that you don't use all your energy walking through massive buildings. These are Andy's favorites straight from his mouth: 1: the water pump roof He pumped and played for more than hour trying out the various pumps and seeing the effect that removing the gates had. There were about 15 kids buzzing around the water pump area while we were there--and several parents too. But it was not crowded. The dynamics between the kids that developed was interesting to watch. Natural roles emerged--some kids were encouraging the others, some were bossing, some explaining flow properties, but each seemed to be having an enormous amount of fun. 2. The build your own race car and test it against others in a downhill race Lots of little hands building various cars experimenting with added weight, length, etc. The kids excitedly waited in line after building to race their creation and see whose was faster. The computerized analytics in this area are great. Kids loved it--parents got into it too. 3. There's a small exhibit on the second floor that allows you to move a large steel marble with mind power--or something like that. I didn't have to time to read it, but it did seem to react and move to our thoughts. Honorable mention: we loved the pneumatic tubes that sucks up poof balls and little scarves and parachuters. You can watch them as they fly around the web of tubes and wonder which hole they'll fly out. Andy was also engrossed in an area that mixed musical sounds, kinetics, and computerization. This one is hard to explain--and fairly easy to miss. If u stop to try to figure it out, you'll likely get sucked in for at least 20 min. It's interesting to change the sounds, volume, add in new ones, etc. Check it out online. A few things weren't too high on the list of faves for my Little--however, as he grows and changes, undoubtedly his interests will too. He didn't even stop for 2 min at the camera and movement area that recorded your body's movement in bright colors and displayed on screens for everyone in the area to see. I feel kids that are into dance or body movement really liked this area. He also wasn't into the sound booth areas. I think that's what they were, but we weren't there for too long. Overall, plan on more time at MOXI than you think you'll spend. We were there over 3 hours and shut it down at 5 pm. He definitely would have liked to stay longer. Also, parents and adult visitors will find many things to hold your attention and to try. Go ahead and play! Everybody is busy having fun. read more

Absolutely loved it. My son had been 3 times before with his school and I wanted to go and check it out. Well I was amazed at all the heads on activities they had for children. It was so much fun. I will be going back so I can enjoy the museum with my kids because having a ton of 5th graders running around was a lot. I didn't get to enjoy it as much as I wanted to. #chaperone #schoolfieldtrip My 4 YO loved it and she wants to go back as well. It will be a family affair. read more

What can I say, my kids loved it. Very hands on and a great way to spend 2-3 hrs. Everything is STEM based and great for 5-13 year olds. Parking is a little weird, we parked across the street in the public garage next to the Californian Hotel. It offered 75 mins of free parking. Long story short, if your like us, escaping the heat of the LA, this is another great place to add to the rotation of kid friendly stops in SB. Best is once you pay your admission, you can leave for lunch and come back! The only down side, $50 for a family of 4 is a little steep for some. read more

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What a DREAM COME TRUE Moxi was for my 2 year old son and me: Water. Spinning stuff. Things that look dangerous but are actually safe. Magnets. Wind. Scarves. Giant Guitars. It was like it was personally designed for his interests and my desire for safety! Loved every minute. (Except for the one where he melted down when I told him we had to leave! Lol. But luckily McConnells ice cream across the street healed us both! read more

Fun place to kill some time. I wish it were a bit bigger but for Santa Barbara it's ok. Hopefully they add more things!

Such a fun science Museum for the children. There is so many hands on activities for them to do my kids spent hours there. The staff is friendly, and they get right in and build with the kids help them figure things out.There's three levels to this science Museum and each level has so many things for them to do.We arrived at noon and left At two. We went down the street for lunch and then finish the afternoon at the Moxi. read more

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MOXI museum...wow it's great to have a good museum here on the central coast. There are a lot of activities I will just cover our favorite ones This is new and refreshing place for kids of all genders and ages. First you walk in and notice the clear and clean open floor plan clear site of all the activities on the 1st floor. You see this huge globe, and it's pretty cool. You can take a exposure type picture (in all color) and save it to the globe. It's was really cool to see it when your kids face or hands pop up in the background. The kids really enjoy seeing themselves. Then you notice a oversized guitar. It actually works and the kids love it. In the second floor you see this big race track. You get to build a wooden car and race three at a time. The cool part is that the race is videoed and the speed it recorded. All kids wants to know who placed where and it does that for you. Next there was a slow motion jump thing. You jump in the air as high as you can it records you and plays it in slow motion. It's fun to do moves in the air and make faces. The giant "lite bright" was also fun. On the third floor you have water pumps and a great view of the ocean. But the coolest thing we thought was a drum that you held a handle and it been to your heart beat and shows your beats per second. That's freaking cool. If you are on the central coast and have kids this is a must. You have to go to this place. read more

What a fun museum for kids! I have always loved the hands-on type museums. Interactive exhibits which are great to stimulate interest and curiosity about science in the young kiddos. read more

Most of the exhibits are broken, or too challenging for even an adult, let alone a child. If adult males barely or can't physically get the pumps or whatever moving, and if several adult doctors can't figure out how something works without an explanation from staff, how could a child? Why no plaques? Also, asking patrons to read a booklet to figure out one exhibit, not realistic. Most of their things are set at an adult height, so it's hard for a child to engage without being held up by an adult. No stools around for kids to do on their own, not that it would have been safe with most of the current stuff anyway. I hear they have wine evenings for adults. This place could be slightly interesting to intoxicated adults. Our $16 for each person over 2 got us maybe an hour of puzzling over things that were ultimately broken, or not that clever. The space is big, modern, clean and they've got potential, but not much of a children's museum yet. I would not return anytime soon. Go to the zoo instead! read more

Had a great time with my almost 3 year old and my two nephews 17 and 18 they really have something for everyone.

This was the most fun interactive children's museum! It was even fun for us adults. Very educational and very cool. Our 7 year old had a blast. Masks required and there is sanitizer on every floor. They will ask you to cover your nose if your mask is a below it, I saw that so plan to wear it right. I think our favorite part was the water powered machine on the roof and my other favorite was all the different types of telescopes up there and the GORGEOUS view up there. It's worth going just for the view. Visit you won't be disappointed. read more

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The Moxi museum is a great addition to Santa Barbara. It doesn't have as many exhibits as the California Science Center in LA or the Exploratorium in SF but it's nice to have a place for kids and adults to have good educational family fun. There's also a small museum shop on the premises. I would love to see more hands on demos on site and what it was on a larger site to have more exhibits. I enjoyed my time there but I'll have to see how the exhibits change over time to see if how often my visits would be. I also like that now there's a new place to add to the list of things to do in Santa Barbara other than beaches and the courthouse. read more

Moxi - Playing guitar at the MOXI - Museums Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Bottom line: probably the coolest, kids interactive space I have ever seen Wife came home one day and said there was a new museum opening in town and we had the chance to get in on the ground level. I was skeptical at first but she started to tell me about it and it sounded amazing. So we bought in and went down for the first time the other day. In a word - awesome. We spent about two hours down there and because it was crowded we just barely scratched the surface. There is stuff there for our three year but it would be just as applicable for a ten year old. There is music, science, art, crafts, water....it's brilliant. If you have a kid - especially a smart kid or curious kid - you need to get down here! read more

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Didn't truly know what I was getting into when I prebought tickets. What an awesome day we had! The museum is 100% for children and has 3 levels for exploration. It is a very engaging place, but not too stimulating like most children's spaces. I recommend it, but do t think there is enough to get an annual pass for. read more

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What a fun place! - We built a rocket and launched it! - We tested the laws of gravity by flying a parachute. - We explored Newton's formulas by designing cars and racing them against others. - We splashed water & enjoyed the beautiful views from the roof-top garden. We can't wait to be back! read more

Went here this weekend for the first time & my kids loved it. Finding something my 6 year old & 11 year old both like isn't easy but they both absolutely loved it. We spent 3 hours & probably could have stayed longer. It was fun for us adults too. read more

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We (niece, nephew & 3 adults) really had fun, but the low rating is because of some people who worked there. An employee was busy playing the interactive game even though some paying visitors / customers (us included) were waiting, she didn't bother to stop. When another employee came out, we hoped he'd tell her to stop, instead they were discussing the game. When we went downstairs, I informed the 2 personnel in the reception area of what happened but got no reaction, thus this review + pic. I see no reason why they couldn't "play" but they should give way to visitors who are there for a limited time. We ended up leaving and not playing that one. 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.

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

The Moxi has been open for about a year and is a great interactive museum for children. It is $15 for adults and I believe $10 for children. My boyfriend and I enjoy supporting the arts in every town we explore so we decided to give it a visit. Inside the Moxi are photographs of the construction and building of this engineering marvel. It has three fun filled levels for children to test their creativity. Parents I am sure will love this place as it is so action packed for children. Up on the final floor offers a panoramic view of beautiful Santa Barbara and funk town. After you are done here walk across the street for a glass of wine. Perfect afternoon well spent. read more

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

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