One of my favorite places to take my toddler! It's located in a business area of Irvine with ample parking. It does get pretty busy here and we always try to go right at opening. They offer many special events throughout each month, including special hours for babies and young toddlers. Pretend City is most ideal when your child is walking. From the auto shop to the mini Trader Joe's to special events, my son loves it all! It has activities and unique areas for all ages and interests. We'll continue to go here for many more years! read more

Pretend City Children's Museum - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Irvine, California

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The place is wonderful, filled with lots of hours of play and excitement but I definitely feel it's over priced.. if you have EBT or Wick then you can get in for $5 a person.. The man at the front desk has a ton of attitude so beware.. only reason why I left 3 stars.. he was extremely rude to me for not understanding something with the pricing.. The vending machines are expensive but it's pretty cool that you can bring your lunch. Definitely worth checking out . read more

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Pretend city is such a unique play space for kids! What stood out to me most was how thoughtfully designed each area was. Instead of a traditional playground, they have created miniature real world environments where children can explore different roles and interests through imaginative play. My daughter loved moving from room to room pretending, exploring, and discovering new things. From the boat area to the mechanic shop, every space felt engaging and encouraged creativity, problem solving, & independent play As someone with a background in child development, I appreciate businesses that understand the importance of hands on learning and open play. It's clear that a lot of thought went into creating an environment where kids can have fun while building valuable skills. The facility was clean, well maintained, and provided a wonderful experience for both kids and parents ... We will definitely be back! read more

Pretend City Children's Museum - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Irvine, California

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My 18 mo grand daughter loved Pretend City. I was worried she maybe too young but she spent a good 3 hrs playing there. Parking can be tough. Not inexpensive. $41 for the two of us. Bring your own food ok although they do have vending machines and even a microwave. Not overly crowded for a Saturday. I may consider getting a membership. read more

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Very large open space but lots of different PlayStation. It was awesome for both our toddler and infant. There was an infant section in the middle for the smaller babies. The toddler really loved the sandbox area, the train area, the painting area, and especially the market which it has a Trader Joe's one. Everything was fairly clean and it was a good time. The only thing that kind of was a bummer is the adult had to pay also which I haven't been to many places that required adults to pay. read more

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Love the concept, the decorations, purposeful play areas, and all the friendly volunteers that help with this community. However, I think there is still much room for improvement. We went on a WEEKDAY at opening and the place was already overcrowded. I counted at least 3 different schools occupying the area at the same time. Areas then become packed and our kids become overstimulated. Similar to a playground (which I understand it still is), it becomes a place of chaos, rather than imaginative conducive play. Certain sections also look a bit run down as well. Front parking was PACKED even at opening. I think there is more parking in the back, but that should be a sign of how crowded this place is and gets. PRICING is $22 PER PERSON (except for infants under 12 months). Yes, this includes adults. So it can get PRICY! Overall, it's more of a one and done for us. Unless they add new play areas/shops and maybe a discounted day? Otherwise, not really worth the hassle. 3 stars because at the end of the day, it's still an OK place to go to. read more

Very cool mini town with lots to do. I took my 6 year old and she was entertained for hours. She made lots of little friends and pretended to run a restaurant and do plays with them all. It was a cool place. read more

So much fun. Our almost 5 year old daughter had a blast! We spent almost 4 hours here. We left to grab lunch and came back. We didn't even do everything there was to do. We did come on a weekday. I am not sure how it is during a weekend. Our daughter was able to enjoy and spend time at whatever station we were at. A lot of parking. There is no cafe here but a couple vending machines. read more

Such a fun place for kids! I took my twins and there were so many different activities for them. Also great staff that worked in each area. read more

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We've only visited once and had such a great experience that I'm considering a membership! My baby is an early walker and very active so Pretend City was the absolute PERFECT place to run around everywhere and play with everything! I loved all the detailed rooms in this little city with matching toys. My favorite was Trader Joe's! You can dress up in their tropical t shirt, push a cart around and grab all the groceries in Trader Joe's packaging. I did notice staff and volunteers making rounds and organizing toys. I also did notice staff step in to guide a child who was playing with something incorrectly which could potentially hit another child! We visited on a weekday afternoon which was a bit busier than I expected, but I was able to maneuver baby easily if an area was too crowded. Parking options to be near entrance is limited, but there are more spots around the corner. Adults do have to pay an entrance fee but I actually don't mind it. I feel like it minimizes the amount of adults that would enter and take up space for a kids play area. I also appreciate their safety measures stated on their website: adults cannot enter without a child! If an adult is meeting with someone, they will be escorted by staff! Free lockers and stroller parking are at the entrance. I don't know if they're supposed to lock, but I just kept baby's stuff without any valuables. read more

Pretend City Children's Museum - UPS store and Brodard restaurant - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Irvine, California

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We took our two year old here for a family date, great place with so much interactive play! I recommend being there in the earlier hours as the more crowded it gets the less is available for the kids to play with and more chaotic it can become. Restrooms were clean and well maintained which is a big deal for littles with grabby and touchy hands. I can't speak for the women's restroom but the mens did have a child-size potty for toddlers. All in all it was a great experience, the staff did a great job picking up after the children and putting the toys back in their places for other kids, the facility was clean and well maintained. read more

Pretend City Children's Museum - Pretend City boat - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Irvine, California

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My kids had a good time here; they had fun being creative and just being silly, creating scenarios at all the great small real places you find inside here. In one, they had me be a customer while they cooked me a meal, and in another I had them working to pay rent. It was fun for a bit. My experience, however, was far from great, as this place gave me a hard time using my wife's EBT card to enter for the discounted price. Museums for All is a program that helps families visit these types of places. I've used it with my kids in multiple places; however, it is in my wife's name, but I have been able to use it everywhere, including in Vegas. Most places are incredibly lenient and just have me bring a pic of my wife's ID to match, like Kids Space. Clayton had me bring proof that we live together but ended up giving it to me even for the entire year for free. My wife works every day, while I work only 3 days a week, 12-hour shifts, including Saturdays and Sundays, which gives me multiple days to be with my kids the entire week, where we go out and explore. We check out everything from parks to museums to pools, etc... I never had a problem using my wife's card to enter until Pretend City. The only place that gave me any issues. I called ahead, and they told me my wife needed to be there, which I believe to be unfair because, like I said, she's not always available, but we're from the same household, so basically telling me I can't take my own kids out and use that benefit that she gets is, in a way, sexist. Especially when I can provide the proof. Pretend City highly advertises that they are a part of the museum program and has stories and posts advertising it and that they are proud to be a part of it, but ironically, they are also the only ones to give me such a hassle. When I arrived with my kids, I was prepared to pay full price but decided to try and ask why they would not take it. Then the manager came out and screamed! I told you over the phone; we don't take it! In an unnecessary manner. I was pissed not that they didn't take it but at her attitude towards it. I emailed Museums for All, and yes, they confirmed that is the policy, however! It is not heavily enforced, and it's up to the museum if they want to allow for us to provide just a pic of the cardholder because their ultimate goal is to have families access these museums, something Pretend City is not willing to do. I have never had any issue using the card for Kidspace, Clayton, and others that take it, but this place, wow, they are willing to fight you and throw hands with you just because the cardholder is not with you. This experience did not occur recently, but I am only sharing now as my platform has grown. Back then I had no one, but now as I share my time with my kids, post about indoor playgrounds and aquatic centers, and write reviews, I feel like I now have a place and the followers where I can voice this issue and will openly express this, as I feel it is not right that I can't enjoy these benefits with my kids just because my wife is not available to join us, even if I can take them myself and we're in the same household. As you can probably guess. We have not returned since that incident. Be aware, for families that plan to use the EBT card benefit. They are not kind. read more

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My grandson has a great time playing. We spend hours. It is close to my home . The attendants are helpful.

The good: This was a fun place for my one year old's play date. There was a mini Trader Joe's, a car area, a vet clinic, post office, traffic light area, library, police station and much more. Kids under 1 are free. It's around $20 per person. The bad: The front parking lot is small so you'll likely have to park further in the back. The interesting: I loved how there was a Vietnamese-American house there where kids could play with traditional clothing (ao dai) kids could try on. I think 2 - 3 hours here is a good amount of time. read more

So much to do, great for smaller children. I took my 3 year old and 15 month old daughter. They both enjoyed different exhibits. He particularly loved the water tables and fake Hawaiian bbq restaurant. She loved the sand box, child's playground and art studio. They both played in the dentist office, she was the receptionist and he was the dentist lol!!! Make sure you get an EDD discount, I like to let family's who are able to take advantage and have fun! read more

The place was fun. Very packed. Kevin's. Very nice there. I've seen him a few years ago when I came. But this time when I came there was another lady that was working there. That was just so rude. She just like stepped over all of her stuff and just was screaming and yelling at kids and just not letting them play or behave or do anything. She was just the way out of control. This worker was and I know most of them are volunteer but I think this lady was one that was in control and I wish I would have got her name. I tried my hardest but she always had her badge at a different position that you couldn't get it and or she was hiding it so nobody could get her name. But kids would be doing something she would go over there. Tell him he can't climb on this. You can't play with this. It's for tin City. Why can't you put on one of the fake jackets or something they were trying to play with the tires on the car. She said they couldn't stand up in that area. She was just way out I control us for for us. Besides that, All the other workers were really nice cuz you know they're all volunteer. The place is super expensive though. $22 a person including a baby $22 that's just completely ridiculous when all their workers are slaved and they work for free. They were all volunteer workers so where does the money go to? read more

Oh my gosh, this place is AMAZING!!! I was in town visiting family, and took my daughter here to tire her out before her nap. It worked SO well haha. I don't even know how I would describe this place... it's a bit chaotic with children running around everywhere, but also really cool to see kids playing and using their imagination. They really think of everything here, even Brodard's! It's mostly for toddlers/young kids but there is a small area for crawling babies too. My 12 month old loved the acting stage and the ticket booth. She was playing by herself, when another boy walked up to the ticket counter and said "I would like to buy one ticket please!" She didn't understand what he was saying, but I thought that was so sweet and cute that he tried to interact with her. I wish there were more of these type of places, especially in the Bay Area. read more

This was a great first visit with my kids. They had quite a number of things that engaged my 2 1/2 year old and a little crawler space and STEM area that was fun for my 10 month-old. I always wanted to visit this place when I had kids, and we finally did it! We came on MLK Day, and although we didn't stay long enough for their MLK book reading, I loved that they had that and also some minor bits of Lunar New Year items dispersed throughout the area (as well as a featured Vietnamese family for the "House" in Pretend City that touched on Lunar New Year too). We'd visit again! Parking: Not gonna lie, it is ROUGH. Parking is limited immediately up front, but there is another little lot if you drive past the entrance doors, make a left, and then drive to the end and turn right to a dead end parking lot. There are signs everywhere in the immediate industrial area that specifically warn about towing you if you park in the wrong place. Just follow the signs. I would recommend parking on the right along the street as you enter the road to the Pretend City lot, or instead of turning right into the Pretend City lot, turn immediately left and park alongside the street that runs for quite a ways away (so you're hopefully bound to find a spot). Price (3/5): It can be a bit spendy as they charge $19 per child over 1 and any accompanying adults. However, it's worth it if you're planning to spend a few hours there and your kids enjoy pretend play a lot. It's a bit subjective. Experience (4/5): Our daughter had a lot of fun with the various themed areas, particularly Trader Joe's. I saw a lot of kids getting involved in the building section, restaurant, car mechanic area, and riding cars around (let's not forget the UPS truck--adorable to see kids delivering things to the wrong places!). The middle of the city is also a nice fenced up area for younger children to play safely, with an even smaller section for the crawlers. I wish there was more for the crawlers, but ultimately, my baby boy had fun anyway and would probably enjoy it like his big sis in a few more months when he can walk. I'm pretty sure we'd come again! :) read more

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This place is sooooo awesome!! If this place was close to my home, I'd be here with my daughter at least once a week. That's how much my daughter had The staff, the environment and the vibe were all great read more

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Really awesome place for little ones to let out energy and enjoy dramatic/pretend play to the fullest. I love that they had little Trader Joe's grocery, UPS, and King Hawaiian stores in this pretend city that were really spot on with real life. We didn't partake because we didn't want to deal with the mess but they had water tables and sandboxes as well. The main drawback was how expensive it was $22/person, kids and adults! And it was super crowded that it was kind of hard to get around. And when it's crowded, the staff/volunteers aren't able to help put things back in the right locations (for example, the packages were missing from the UPS store because they have been scattered all over the place). read more

Super fun for all the kids from 5-11 years old. We were there for four hours but should have come at opening to be there for six haha fun for parents too! Kevin was super friendly and spoke to all the kids, very interactive and made it even more fun for them all! read more

I absolutely LOVE this place!! My children love coming here! I took my 2 year old a couple years ago and she loved it so much we ending up getting a pass for 2 adults and child with one alternate. It was $350 at the time but fast forward 2 years later, I now have a total of two kiddos! The best way to get a deal is if you have 8 people total, you can get a major discount! My family of 4 joined with my friend who also has a family of four and we ending up paying $275 for each family for the year! What a steal! I love how they change up their theme often and I love how members can go an hour before it's opened to the public. Love going at 9am before the chaos begins when it's opened to the public. I love how this place is hands on and the kids can just be kids pretending and using their imagination. I highly recommend this place is you need to kill some time! They let you bring food and there are microwaves and tables to enjoy your lunch, snacks, or just to even rest! Parking can be a challenge but there is plenty of room ! I love how they don't close off for an hour now so more time to play!! read more

Would give 3.5 stars if I could. Took our 6 year old and 3 year old for about 2 hours. Our 6 year old liked it but is probably aging out of most of it. Our 3 year old loved it. I felt like 2 hours was plenty of time. My biggest concern is the cost. It is $22 per person. So two parents and two kids would be $88 for one day. We luckily used 2 free passes from the library so it was $44. I would not spend $88 for our family to come here again. Their memberships pay for themselves after about 5 visits in a year. For my kids, they probably wouldn't go more than once every other month at most. I think the price is really only worth it if money is not a concern for you OR if you are a stay at home parent that will take your child regularly. If you qualify for the Museums for All program, it's $5 per person. In that case, do it. My kids loved it because it has so many different places in the city: Trader Joe's, restaurant, library, art studio, wellness center, health center, emergency services, marina, beach, house, theater, etc. Pretend City is well staffed and it seemed clean. Overall, I love what they are doing but the price doesn't make sense for our family. read more

Fun and adventurous for the little ones. There are so much to do. Be prepared for endless hours of pretending, discovering, creating, and role playing. The kids enjoyed it. read more

This is a great place for parents with small children. It's $22 entrance for both adult and child. $250 for annual pass that include 1 parent and 1 child which would be equal to 5 visits. The place is pretty busy though it is nice size place with numerous activities. Easy to spend a couple of hours. Kids age out though it would be once they started school Look at photos to see activities it's pretty incredible. Kids love it! If you are a mom and need something to keep your child busy and worn out before nap this is the place. A bonus is if you join annual membership you can get in 1 hour early. Another tip is find out when their busy hours are during week. Don't go! It's too crowded. Find a routine schedule that works for you and slower times read more

We had such a great time at Pretend City! The place is huge with so many different play areas and opportunities for kids to pretend and explore. I love how much variety there is from imaginative play to arts and crafts and even a fun water play section tucked away in the corner. Thankfully the super friendly staff let us know about it so we didn't miss out. The staff here were wonderful and there were plenty of them on the floor tidying up and keeping things organized which made the experience even better. The price is pretty reasonable especially if you plan to spend a good part of the day here. Just a tip, definitely bring food and snacks with you since it is easy to spend hours inside. My only small wish is that it was not so far from us because we would love to come more often. Overall it is a fantastic place for kids to play, learn, and pretend. Highly recommend! read more

Wow. This place is amazing! They have so so much to discover. We got free tix courtesy of an event we attended and it was such a great value! My daughter is 2.5 and loved this place. There was SO MUCH TO DO. The Trader Joe's supermarket was cute, but honestly all stations were great. Minus the pretend play at the market, restaurant, car mechanic, beach/sand area, play house, fire station, there was also a section where you could run through these pool noodles that my daughter loved. I could see how this is a good spot to get a membership especially for hot summer days or cold winter days to get the wiggles out. There is a eating area where there are plenty of tables and benches. There is a vending machine and some large family style restrooms too. Don't hesitate to bring your young ones here, you won't regret it! read more

Cute indoor playground for kids The only downside is how dirty the place is :( And how adults don't look over their kids. I saw a boy maybe 7-8 years old licking the toys and placing them back while the parent is on their phone. By the lego wall you can see the grime on it. It would be nice if they can create an appointment system so its not fully packed and maybe have staff clean more often. Entrance is a bit pricey but it is a nice indoor playground for kids, love the concept but kids are nasty lol. I can't see myself bringing my kid here again. read more

We visited Pretend City again this evening, and this time we brought my cousin's family along! Between us, we had 6 kids under 7 -- and it was such a fantastic experience for everyone. I had raved about Pretend City to my cousin after our first visit, and they were just as impressed as we were. There are so many sensory activities for the kids to enjoy! The huge water tables were a big hit, especially the fountains that spray up and out and the flowing water features that connect different play zones. There's a great variety of water toys, plus a sand area and endless pretend-play stations. The kids loved exploring the mini city -- there's a home setup, post office, library, theater, doctor's office, vet office, Trader Joe's market, and even a fitness center! (Of course, we had to snap some adorable cousin photos in front of the mini city center.) If you get hungry, they have a designated eating area with tables and chairs where you can enjoy your own food, plus vending machines with snacks and drinks. I also appreciated how clean and accessible the bathrooms were -- you'll find some near the water play area and more by the eating space. My family really enjoyed our visit, and my kids are already asking when we can go back! Pro tip: Pretend City also hosts Neurodivergent Family Nights on the second Tuesday and fourth Thursday of each month from 5-7pm (after regular hours). Such a thoughtful way to make the space more inclusive! this experience is a 10/10 highly recommend! read more

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Loved our time at Pretend City! My sister in law and I decided to take our kids and everyone had such a great time. They have so many different areas for kids to run around which made it a bit chaotic since it was pretty busy! They had a little area for babies to crawl around which was also pretty neat. Everything was fairly clean & well kept. We drove from Fontana so it was a bit of a drive for us, but would definitely look into a membership if we ever moved closer. Such a fun place for kids to explore & play, can't wait to take our babies back again soon! read more

Quality interactive kid participation on a community services scale. Lots to see and do for all children. Wonderful Staff helped get the time card process rolling. So many displays that tell a story and invite participation! Wonderful! Keep up the great educational work. Thank you The Groeniger's read more

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There are definitely great things about this place, and my daughter enjoyed our visit, but it's very expensive for what it is. We have a membership elsewhere that gets us reciprocal ticket discounts at most children's museums part of the ACM but Pretend City doesn't participate. It's literally one of the only children's museums in the association that doesn't offer reciprocal discounts. For how expensive it is, that especially seems ridiculous. The mini Trader Joe's was absolutely the highlight, and the idea of the museum is really cute, but I just can't get over the fact that it's $22 per adult ticket, in Irvine. It also felt very corporate--everything was branded/sponsored and the location is so odd, in an office park basically. I know that funding and sponsorship is how museums survive, but it was very in your face. Also, my entire family got sick after our visit. We go to plenty of interactive children's things and this doesn't happen. Even though we were constantly wiping our hands with antibacterial wipes after high touch areas, it didn't matter. Maybe ventilation isn't very good, or cleaning practices aren't as thorough as other places. We also wouldn't go back for that reason, especially during sick season. It really is a cute idea for a children's museum, and if it was less expensive I don't think I would have been as critical. Something for them to think about! read more

It is such a cute place for kids to play pretend. I love that there are staff that truly cares and they put back stuff that kids play with so that another kid can have the same experience. There is an area for little kiddos that are crawling but the only thing parents do not follow rules of no shoes allowed so did not have my baby crawl around the area. They have a sand area which was a nice place to play.. bonus they have a nursing area which gave mommas breastfeeding some peace and quiet. read more

Pretend City Children's Museum - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Irvine, California

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Overall, this place is super fun for kids, I'd say around 10 and under. We loved it. We came on a Monday and got here about 20min before they opened. They opened at 10 am and closed at 4 pm. Once we arrived there were already a lot of cars parked and going inside. When we got the kids ready to go, we walked inside, and there was a line already to the door with parents and kids waiting to get in at 10. Once it was 10, they started to let people in. The cost was $20 per person. There was no change in the price for an adult or a kid. Kids under 1 were free, and seniors had a $5 discount. There were 5 of us, so I ended up paying about $100 to get in. Once we were inside, there were a TON of things to do for them. My kids went straight to the play cars and played with those for a little bit. They then went to a water area that had boats and toys they could play with. Aprons were provided to keep their clothes dry, which was nice as a parent. They then went to a house area where they had beds and babies and pretended food. They also had a big mail truck that the kids can sit in, and an adult can push you. They also had a Japanese restaurant where the kids could pretend to serve you Japanese food. They also had an Olympic area where kids could do rock climbing, boxing, bikes, shoot arrows, golf, and basketball. They also had a pretend construction area and pretend garden area and a pretend mechanic area, all of which were small and toys but very realistic. We took a lunch break around 12. You can bring food inside and they also have vending machines too. We found an in n out close by. We then returned and played there until they closed at 4 pm. They also had an art studio, yoga, and even an infant area for kids who are 2 or younger. This place was pretty cool, and my kids totally enjoyed themselves. They also provide yearly membership and you can go whenever you want at one price. Great spot, and we may be back for the next birthday! read more

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Front staff was super nice!!! Sad to hear that they won't be a part of the museum anymore as well as no gift shop?!?!? Strange to have a museum with no gift shop. The only other staff I came across was Kevin, he was absolutely amazing and so friendly. Speaking to every parent and kid!!! The other staff were too busy cleaning and doing busy work to interact with the kids. Our kids loved the sand area and the mechanic exhibit. The mechanic exhibit was AMAZING!!! Sooo interactive, a lot for multiple kids to do individually or together. We loved using it too lol. Bring your own snacks (vending machines have basic junk food if you are a healthy parent like we are)! Expect parents to claim tables: we saw a table with food, bags and water bottles with no adult/kid for atleast 90 min. The admission price is expensive!!! read more

Took our 1 year old here for a playdate and I'd definitely recommend it for kids closer to 2+. Complex is huge and the play area is diverse and very engaging. Not entirely friendly for the not fully walking toddlers but we did have fun crawling around the small area designated for 2 and under. Staff was friendly but some of the areas seem to be more well taken care of than others. (sanitation wise) After doing more research into their calendar, we're looking forward to their Baby Step morning window and can't wait to see how the environment will feel this time around! read more

This place is nice but you need to go when there arent a ton of people. We went in between Christmas and New Years on a Friday and it was packed, understandably so. But they should be limiting the amount of people, they even have signs that say they would do that, but didnt seem that way. They only have snacks, so you will have to BYOF. We came from an hour away and it is hard to justify that drive. The kids had fun, but it was a madhouse. read more

Pretend City is a dream come true for little kids! Every room offers a hands-on, interactive experience--my child especially loved the grocery store and construction zone. It's the perfect place for imaginative play and learning through fun. The staff is friendly, the facility is clean, and there's something engaging for every age. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Super fun children's museum with a TON of variety. You're kids can play in everything from Trader Joe's, The UPS Store, a yoga studio, a water play station, a beach area, farm, construction zone and so much more. It's a lot....possibly too much depending on the child and/or age of the child. It was very crowded the day we visited and it was a bit overstimulating. At $19.95 per ticket for adults and children over 12 months, it seems like a pretty pricey activity. The website explains why adults are charged as well-my only suggestion would be that they put a cap on entry so there is more space for parents to engage with their children in the learning areas. On the day we visited, areas were so tight it was hard for parents to even share spaces with their children. Kids left happy and exhausted so overall it was a fun place to check out and we're happy we made the trip! read more

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he staff won't let you use the restrooms during the end parade. You have to use the restrooms in the lobby which accommodates 4 stalls. Not smart or helpful when everyone wants to leave and not want to pee their pants. read more