We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing…read more.. This place is big! I spent over four hours here, and could've easily spent more. This place reminded me of the Exploratorium in San Francisco, , except instead of interactive exhibits highlighting scientific principles, these interactive exhibits were all about play! Play for both the kids, and the grown-ups. They had a ropes course for the younger kids, and another one for older kids and the grown-ups. For the kids, they had a scale model of a local grocery chain, where the kids could either "work", or "shop", right down to the working checkout lanes. They had a Sesame Street exhibit...., A butterfly habitat, and and All kinds of different indoor and outdoor play areas. I can still hula hoop! (for a whole five seconds...). They also had all of the exhibits on toys, games, and video games. This is the home of the national toy, Hall of Fame, and the national video game Hall of Fame. it was so cool seeing toys from my childhood, and a wide range of video games and pinball machine machines that are playable. The price to get in is very reasonable, and they also offer a military/veterans discount, and memberships to the museum, which offer free museum admission. There is a parking garage attached to the museum, with a small charge for parking, and there is a also a small charge for the ropes course, the butterfly habitat, or to play the video games/pinball machines. (4 tokens for a dollar, and every machine only takes one token...) This is an absolutely fun museum for kids of all ages. Thanks!!!

Reliving childhood memories and making new ones with the whole family…read more The Strong National Museum of Play is the ultimate place for interactive play with over 282,000 sq ft of fun exhibits. Smaller kids were able to immerse in the toy Grocery Store, Reading Adventureland pirate mail, and Sesame Street exhibits on the 1st floor. There were neat areas including the Pinball Playfield and outdoor Field of Play with a D&D dragon statue and Monopoly for photo-ops on a nice day. The Hulk strength and Spider-Man city climb exhibits in the Comic Book Hero area were also fun. On the 2nd floor, the Digital Worlds and Video Game Hall of Fame featured many classic and independent video games that kept us entertained on various consoles. We also had plenty of fun in the Level Up area, especially with the interactive stealth zone and wall toss games. These were all included in the admission price but my personal favorite were the arcades at $1 per 5 tokens and featured Mario Cart and Halo plus many more games from the past four decades. We literally visited three days in a row here to experience the many parts of the museum for multiple days of play. With added admission, we also worked up a sweat on the Skyline Climb rope course and zipline above the atrium. It was well-designed with a safety rail & traffic light system that made it suitable for young kids. The site has a rainbow parking garage with 6 parking entries included in each annual family membership. Skip it or hit it? We had such a fun time that we'll definitely revisit in the future. Good thing it's only 3 hours drive from Toronto.

While on our mini trip in the upstate of New York we visited the museum that dedicated to the…read morehistory and background of all things of oz including the location being in the city of the man who created it all. Walking in your surroundings by souvenir shop with all kinds of cool things to take home and be able to enjoy for a lifetime. The staff was phenomenal and gave us the opportunity to do a self guided tour or tour guide where they come along same price for both it was about $12 each we did the self guided tour. We able to see the original first edition book that Frank Baum had published and is worth a fortune now and she mentioned to us his grandson was the one that gave it to them. She did also mention to us about how he created other books and history of his life. That was a good introduction to understanding the creation behind all the other versions that came out. We also managed to see some classic like the wiz the return of oz and some other versions that was actually an independent film like "After the wizard which they had the original cast members costume they wore on the set and seeing the version of oz old and new was eye open and exciting and at the end we able to see more of the cast members items like wicked 2024 costumes from the first movie and also they have 3 pieces of the 1939 scarecrow straw from the costume and she mentioned that there's only 200 that were given out and they managed to have that in there museum. Overall a fun experience was able to learn some things as well as go back in to memory land and they did mention that during their Oz extravaganza festival that one of the wicked cast members will be in town stopping by and that festival is during June and the beginning of June and you could always check on their website for more information and we will definitely be back for more events and try to come out during the festival as well. This a place I would highly recommend to visit if you are in town this place is a one of kind experience.

On our way home to CT from Western NY, we took a pit stop at the All Things Oz Museum, and we're so…read moreglad that we did! My family loves the original movie, especially my mom (who also read some of the books). We did the guided tour, which was super informative and very interesting! The girl who took us around was super friendly, and we enjoyed chatting with her. We were impressed at the memorabilia they had, and it was cool getting to learn more about L. Frank Baum in his hometown. They even had a cute photo op at the end. Definitely worth the stop if you're in the area!

Great experience at the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology. We went on a Sunday…read moreand it was not crowded, which made it easy to walk around and enjoy the exhibits at our own pace. There are a lot of informative and interactive areas, including exhibits on memory, energy, plate tectonics, Earth science, the geodynamo, chip chemistry, and the Micron memory megafab. I especially liked that the museum had enough depth for adults to actually learn something, while still being very kid-friendly with hands-on displays and play areas for younger children. My only small gripe is that a few of the exhibits and interactive devices felt older or worn, and some were not fully functional during our visit. Given the age of the museum and how much hands-on use these exhibits probably get from younger visitors, it is understandable. Hopefully they continue repairing and refreshing them, because the museum itself is definitely worth supporting and revisiting. The building itself is also pretty cool, with a historic exterior and a spacious multi-level layout inside. Overall, this is a great educational stop for families, kids, and adults who enjoy science, technology, and learning something new. Highly recommended.

The perfect place to take your kids, especially in the winter season! Such a gem for kids &…read morecurious adults. There is always something new to explore. We love coming here, and every visit feels a little different because they keep adding new, hands on areas for kids to explore. The newest GROW exhibit is a huge hit with my crew, especially the part where they buy eggs and pretend to run their own little farm stand. It blends imagination, real world skills, and ag technology in such an engaging way. I also loved the Amateur Nature Photography winners wall. It's such a beautiful way to celebrate local talent and get kids excited about nature. As someone who loves nature photography myself, I could've stayed there all day. A few favorite spots: Building Bricks area -- my boys love making forts Science Playhouse -- a multi-level indoor play area with climbing, sliding, and exploring. Indoor playgrounds are rare these days, and this one is fantastic. Micron area -- super engaging and surprisingly educational. Vending machines and bathroom layout -- easy, clean, and parent-friendly (a huge win). And don't miss the Dome shows. It's always worth checking the showtimes. My kids love grabbing popcorn and watching the short movies and planetarium-style features. This is one of those places where you can spend 30 minutes or three hours and feel like it was absolutely worth it. Staff is friendly, everything is clean, and it's genuinely fun to watch kids learn through play. Highly recommend for families, nature lovers, and anyone looking for a relaxed, meaningful outing with young kids.

Well maintained. Great for rainy days or getting some energy out. I typically take my kids once per…read moretrip visiting the grandparents.

This place is the holy grail for indoor children activities. $5 entrance fee for my daughter and I…read moreto spend as long as we want, and SO much to explore and do! She is 2 years old and everything here is a hit with her, she can spend hours living her best life with all kinds of toys and hands on activities. The little wegmans shopping area is fantastic! Absolutely adore this place. Staff has always been friendly, there seems to always be a bunch of other kids for my daughter to mingle with. Last time my daughter was having a typical toddler meltdown because we had to leave (they close at 1pm) and one of the employees suggested she take a book from the shelf with her to help the transition of leaving. We didn't take one, but that was so thoughtful of her and I really appreciated it. I have nothing but great things to say about this place! :)

Finally made a trip here!!! Kids spring break. Perfect rainy day escape for an energy burn for…read morecurious minds. Our MOST membership got us in free (saved about $60) Free parking on site You can bring a cooler and eat in Community area (tables and plenty of seating) Great outdoor space for kids to run around Area for water play, Lego building and a cool weather and tornado section Reptiles/snakes/fish section & even got to meet a reptile which was a bonus!

We took our kids (3 years old and 11 months) to check this place out. What a find!…read more There's a lot of really cool science concepts that they definitely don't understand yet, but they still had so much fun exploring. We spent hours here! There is a section specifically for little, which they loved! The water table and the pet/vet section especially. In the "big kid" sections our 3 year old loved seeing all the fish and lizards, the little penny black hole and the vacuum tubes with the Pom-poms. Even the outdoor area was a blast! So many cute and clever ways for kids to learn and play. We had the hardest time getting him to leave. I ended up convincing him we could get a stuffy at their gift shop to take with us. Never thought I'd buy a stuffed white blood cell, but here we are! Again, super cool! Lastly, the staff was all so pleasant and nice, which is always extra appreciated in a kid-centered place.

Utica Children's Museum is small and open with plenty of great activities for kids and adults. What…read moreI liked about this one is the activities aren't the same as every other children's museum we've been to. There were a few standards, but a lot of imaginative play areas and some great science stations. We built a tricycle out of large wooden puzzle pieces, played with light refraction and made a stop motion video. I learned about different tree seeds local to the area. My daughter loved driving the rickshaw. There was a story time and a fun rainbow craft with marshmallows. The museum is clean and bright and pleasant. I was a little sad I am too big for the climbing structure. It looked pretty fun!

The new Utica Children's Museum is a great place for kids from tots to young teens to explore,…read morecreate, and play. The museum is two levels, although there is just a multi-story climbing structure on the first level. We brought our two toddlers, who liked the imaginative play area with the world market, stage for performances, musical instruments, car-building and race tracks, builders area, book nook, and weather exploration. I loved that there was such varied hands-on education on STEM, music, colors, world languages and culture, and sensory exploration, appealing to a broad range of youth. We saw much older kids who seemed to still be engaged in the science and engineering activities, like building their own vehicles and testing and racing them. The one area the museum is a little bit lighter on compared to other children's museums we've been to is arts and crafts. There is a classroom for special activities and classes, as well as seasonal programming like gardening. Prices were $15 each for adults and kids, which seemed fair given the overall quality and diversity of the activities. There was at least one staff helping to put away the market toys and building materials to keep the area clean and organized. My kids had a fabulous time, as did even the adults. I could see this attraction being especially popular during very hot and cold weather days. There is a small area on the first floor with tables and seating to eat; vending machines with snacks and beverages are available.

What a great museum! New interactive exhibits are pretty cool we especially enjoyed the space…read moreexhibit! The museum interior is definitely beginning to show it's age and some exhibits could use an upgrade for sure but overall the experience was great. I was surprised to see their Cafe was closed on a Saturday afternoon...very bizarre. But it is what it is. The price was a bit steep to be honest as well. On other experiences we've visited the planetarium which is excellent. Unfortunately they didn't have a show for us that day that we could make but it's OK. Definitely a great spot to visit with kids and the family for a nice afternoon.

This museum is a treasure, from its exhibits & programs, to its staff it arrives to put the best…read morefoot forward educationally every single day. It contains a wealth of experience, knowledge & unique experience that highlights how valuable to the community it is. And it always has been. I've find childhood memories of frequent visits here with family, and my school. And hope whoever happens upon this humble review takes a chance and pays the RMSC a visit. As a day here, wandering the exhibits is a day well spent. Particularly with family.

This is a very small museum. The history is very intresting and the do provide free tours but if…read morefeels like they built a kids museum/attraction around an historic location where the focous is not the pump hpuse itself. While I wont drive especially for this museum if you live in Kingstone or are in the area this is a perfect kids activity for a rainy/snowy day. My kids (9&5) had a really good time here.

My son loves this place. It's got a great little museum with a ton of history and a tug boat you…read morecan board and explore! Great gift shop where my son picked up a couple of very cool titanic pictures.

Poor management! Very unhappy! We came on Wednesday and went on the tour. We were told to come back…read moretoday Friday for the lighthouse tour! The director spoke to us and told us where to park our camper. We drove all the way here from Parish on Friday at noon and we were told they cancelled the tour last minute and we were told told we needed a reservation which the director never told us on Wednesday! We will never be back!

Our visit to Fort Ontario was fantastic. It is clear that the individuals who work there are very…read morededicated and knowledgeable. It is well kept, signage is clear, and the technology available made it very easy to engage with the artifacts there, which I loved! Not only were the information and items very informative and interesting, but there is also a beautiful view of Lake Ontario. A quick trip from Syracuse, and located in an area with many restaurants and cute gift shops, I highly recommend a visit to Fort Ontario - you will not regret it! Make sure you give yourself enough time to really look at everything. Well worth the time.

This place is very cool! Lots of history and well maintained. You can go into most of the…read morebuildings and they did their best to stage the rooms as they were back in their time. You can also walk the upper level of the fort walls. The views are amazing. This is an inexpensive way to spend the day teaching you kids history. Bring them and show them some of the American history available in Oswego!