Wow, just...wow! The Madison Children's Museum is floor after floor of both indoor and outdoor…read moreactivities (all the way up to the roodtop) for kids of all ages, all with a view of the gorgeous Capitol building! The creative play could last all day if you have the time. There's everything from water play (you'll probably get wet!), climbing, interactive play zones of so many themes, art and even small live animals! Even as an adult, it never got boring. My 2.5yo daughter and her friends just couldn't get enough of it. Lots of opportunities for kids to learn while playing. The staff are incredibly friendly and I believe all, if not most, are volunteers. There's a pay-what-you-can food area, which is so thoughtful. Very bright interior with plenty of natural light. Clean and updated play spaces for such a big facility to keep up with! Very clean restrooms. Small area for parents who have babies to sit in to play while their older kids explore. We've been to other children's museums and this is one of my favorites. The cost for anyone over the age of 1yo is currently $18 each (or 10% online) but if you're planning on spending a day here, totally worth it. I do think it would be a little more reasonable for ages 1-8 to be a little less than a full adult ticket price but it is what it is. If you live within an hour or have a larger family, it's definitely worth it to get a season pass' some include guest passes for friends. It's a worthy investment or a great gift! There's nothing more heartwarming seeing your child smile nonstop and exploring while in a learning environment. Stop on by, you'll love it and sleep well afterwards! One staff member said they're expanding so we're looking forward to that in the future.

Super fun place for the littles! It was quite packed on a Saturday and is not a very large…read moreestablishment compared to other children's museums, so I'd recommend going during a non-peak time to enjoy it to the fullest. They have an awesome outdoor playground which is unique and our toddler loved it. Indoors, there's a great play space for kids under 5 so the smaller kids can enjoy an area without being totally run over by big kids. It's pricey, for a family of 4 (we had to pay for our 15 month old, it's only free for 12 mos and under) it was about $80. With that, if you're going to spend the money, make it worth your while on the time commitment there. Lastly, the staff was very friendly and attentive which was a plus.

I preferred this over the Madison Children's Museum. It was way cheaper- $6 per person versus $18…read moreand although it was smaller, it seemed like there was more to do. More themed little nooks for my boys to explore. They especially loved the vet clinic.

This is the first Children's museum that I have been to, so note that my review is without…read morecomparison. I wasn't sure what to expect, given that Black Earth is a small town, but I was blown away! What a cool little space, only 15 minutes west of Middleton, WI. There is plenty for kids to do from ages 1-10 years. The museum is divided into small activity rooms with different themes. There is a cave, night sky room, food market and kitchen, farm/tractor theme and rock wall with balance stones to name a few. It appears that they are currently working on building a veterinary clinic too. The main space had a large climbing/play structure as well as a music stage and my absolute favorite, flying squirrel exhibit with a suction tube to make the brown scarf "squirrels" fly off the tree! There is also 0-18 month old room for the littles and a cool art space. The upstairs was closed, but from what I could see it looks like there is a toy library (what a great idea)! Admission is $6 per person, and memberships are also available. Free street parking is available as well. We ended up spending and hour and a half and only left because it was getting close to nap time. Such a fun way to spend the morning. If you have a child, I highly recommend checking it out!

A paradise for kids! This is such a thoughtfully designed place full of lots of different themed…read moreareas, from doctor's office to airplane, building areas, lego area, farm area, stage and dress up area, kitchen area, music room, sensory play area, a mini bank, dinosaurs and rocks... the list goes on. It is a large space with tons to do. My toddler was absolutely delighted to be here and could have played all day. A perfect place to bring kids, and it seems like it's geared toward kids between 0-10 years old. Also, there is a changing table as well as a kid sized toilet in the bathroom; they thought of everything! This museum is a fabulous resource for the area.

Wonderful museum for kids of all ages. There are two areas designated for very young kids. The rest…read moreof the museum has an arts room, puppet room, sensory room for children with special needs, areas to run and tumble, and places to build. There's a farm and garden area, and a restaurant section. Fun place to spend hours!

We came here on a Sunday with my kids (5 and 3). It being March, the outside was open so we were…read moreglad to explore outside for a bit but it closed at 4 pm. I felt this time that the place was kept tidier. I saw employees moving from area to area and trying to keep things in place, which seems like a pretty tough task with the amount of stuff in each area. My kids had a lot of fun in the upstairs area. There's lots to do & for $12 each, it can easily keep young kids entertained.

I cannot recommend this place highly enough!! Absolutely killer on every level!! This is fun for…read moreadults to come to too! Obviously you need to be an inquisitive person and still enjoy learning new things.... But if you have some kids to bring it's literally like Disneyland but where they learn how everything works in the universe...... You really need to come here multiple times to take everything in..... If you care about your kids, and want them to be smart, this place is mandatory!

I went with my 1 and 3 year old on a Thursday morning at 915 am. This is a great option if you…read moredon't want to venture downtown. There are many areas that focus on different types of play. Between activities and amenities, this place is awesome! They have a nursing/zen area as well as plenty of changing table spaces. Overall I could see during crowded times it maybe overwhelming for some kids. For us at this specific time there was enough to do to keep the kids engaged. This is a great energy consumer for littles! We'll absolutely be back when we're in town.

We visited here on our last leg back from vacation to fond du lac. For its size, it has so much to…read moreexplore. The art studio has so much to do with hot glue gun, letters, beads, etc. There was also toddler area for little ones to explore in peace. We enjoyed the car repair and playhouse with kitchen items. There was also construction and wooden train areas which were a hit too. Subway was just next door which was nice to grab a bite to eat. Children's museum reciprocal membership was recognized so saved 50% on admission.

We drove 5 hours from Illinois to come to this museum and aquariam…read more It was worth the time and costs. A ticket gains you admission for the day and the next day also. The museum exhibits were very interesting. The signage explained each exhibit very well. We purchased tickets for the 45 minute 4D film about the story of a mother whale and her baby whale's journey from Austraila to the Antartic. Spoiler Alert: The 4D effect was getting sprayed from above 5 or 6 times during the film. We are going to return tomorrow for day 2 of our admission.

We came on a Wednesday and explored before check in to our hotel. We got lucky and it was not…read morecrowded. Got to see the otter (we only saw one bu better than none!) and only a few exhibits were under construction/rehabilitation. I would recommend seeking out the hidden spots like the cave, mini movies, and the tower through out the expansive site. So many animals to encounter, tactile spaces for kids to touch and the newest ice dinosaur exhibit was epic for my son. All for one price and yes, it did take us two days to get through it all. Facilities are clean, many places to sit inside and outside were plenty of benches and shade in the outdoor areas.

A cute rail car that has been used as a museum. I wish they had a docent there who was trained in…read morethe history more. You have to just rely on the one page sheet they have and peruse the displays. What is bizarre is the camera set up to show you the railway right behind the car - why? If the windows were open you could see it (but I understand the need to keep sunlight off the displays). The ladies lounge when you walk in is the coolest part of the train.

These folks are clearly doing what they can with limited resources. It was a treat getting to see…read morea preserved rail car. This museum also contains photographs, uniforms, and other memorabilia. The museum is staffed seasonally, weather permitting. We found it open on a Sunday morning in mid-September, but Colleen told us they'd probably be closing for the season a in a couple weeks. This museum was especially great because we were in Carroll County for the weekend to indulge my genealogical hobby. My ancestors on my mom's side came to the Salem Township area of what is now Carroll County in the 1840s from Darmstadt in the Grand Duchy of Hessen (Germany after 1871). My goal was to find resources to help in my research of the lives and times of my ancestors, and of living relatives whom I've never met. (Unlike the TV commercials, genealogical research is a LOT harder than subscribing to Ancestry.com, then downloading movies of your well-dressed, attractive ancestors.) Based on my late mother's comments from many years ago, I believed my grandfather, Charles. W. Schriner, had left the farm and taken work in town with the railroad. I had been able to verify her recollection to the extent that the 1910 and 1920 censuses listed a Charles Schriner with an occupation of Freight Clerk with the railroad. But that's all I had to work with. I still don't know what Grandpa Charles looked like, or how he lived in Carroll County after his wife and daughters left town around the time of WWI. I was hoping against hope to find an old photo at the Train Car Museum identifying Grandpa Charles. And there were quite a few group photos dating from the early 1900s. But while Grandpa Charles may have been in one of these photos, none named him. But I found the next best thing. Lying in a display case was an open Railroad Time Book which included an entry for "Chas Schriner" ("Chas" was a common abbreviation for "Charles," and "Schriner" is how my family spelled it (versus the far more common "Schreiner"). I'd found a first-hand record of Grandpa Charles! Sadly, however, 54-year-old Grandpa Charles wasn't working in September 1922 as a Freight Clerk, much less as something sexy like a Superintendent, Engineer or Fireman. No, Grandpa Charles was working at the age of 54 as a mere Laborer ... and not much at that either. Grandpa Charles apparently only worked one day in the first half of the month ... 8 hours on the 11th of September in 1922 ... and he seems to have been paid only $2.94 for the work. Yikes. What a life. Regardless, this is the way it usually goes in genealogical research ... even at its best. Ancestors found working at anonymous, lackluster jobs is the norm. Few of us actually have relatives who commanded armies, made great fortunes, or moved society. Fewer yet are related very closely to Cleopatra, Napoleon, or George Washington. But then, even my more successful farmer relatives didn't make it into any history books ... even though they came to northwest Illinois when there weren't even towns there yet, and even though the farms they scratched out of the wild prairie were the very foundation of all the wealth eventually generated in Carroll County. Nope. It was the self-promoting bankers, merchants, and politicians who got all the notoriety in the local histories, and whose names are now recorded on historical plaques in front of the grand old houses in places like Mt. Carroll. The ancient names "Schreiner" and "Schriner" are now mainly found inscribed on headstones in the Mt. Carroll, Chadwick, and Lanark cemeteries. Anyhoo ... thanks, Ron, Colleen, and all the other volunteers who devote their time and energy to preserving these little bits of our past. It's a rare devotion, and getting rarer all the time when the almighty buck seems to be all anyone cares much about. You folks are doing important work, and it's very much appreciated!

Both my kids like rocks so I thought this would be a win!…read more Located on the University of Wisconsin campus- this is a small, free museum. On street parking. We entered in a side entrance it it popped us right into the entrance. Anyone can walk in as they please. Rocks, rocks and more rocks! All different shapes, sizes and colors. What did we enjoy the most? The Dinosaur bones and reconstructed figures. They were large and we weren't expecting them. No gift shop! Fail as I wan't to buy something to take home and display. Proceeds could help the college and/or museum. Takes about 45mins-1.5hrs to walk through

What a gem I never knew was here! My extended family and I were looking for something to do on a…read moreSaturday in winter and checked out the Geology Museum. It was free and super fun. Surprising amount of cool stuff packed in a small-ish venue. From the adults in our group to my preteen nephew, everybody had a great time. We spent at least an hour in there. Whether you're into rocks, fossils and meteorites or not, this is just plain cool and well worth your time!

My cousin really wanted to come here and I didn't even know what it was. We drove here from St…read more Louis to come see this attraction. I came in blind, not knowing what it was. It was super impressed. It literally kept going on and on and on. so many fun interesting things. We stopped and got a hotdog at the cafeteria, which was nice because we were getting a little hungry and thirsty on this long walk. I would recommend bringing dollar bills so you can buy coins and put them into the different coin operated machines that they have. They have a lot of those around the entire facility and it's one of the only interactive options. Obviously everything looked really cool. I think that the only thing that would make it better would be to have a more interactive aspect to some of the parts, but I'm not sure how they would do that and I don't think they're gonna change anything. It's still well worth a visit.

This place is immense! We walked over 3 miles to see all the collections amazed by former owner…read moreAlex Jordan. It can be overwhelming if you have sensory issues, so keep that in mind. Lots of lights and lots sounds, not to mention the number of things to look at. Plan for walking up and down hills and walkways/stairs. Some areas are too narrow for mobility aids and might be a tight fit if you are plus sized, like I am. That said, it was worth every step to see it all. The automated music machines, infinity room, and the carousels were my favorite parts. I'm sure there's plenty I didn't notice, so I would return to take in more of it. Be prepared for irregular temperatures throughout the experience, as you move between indoors and outdoors and gated locations versus not. There are many restrooms along the way, as well as a cafe halfway through where you can rest and recharge. We didn't stop there, but it smelled great as we walked through. Get your tokens at the front desk to save a little money. You'll need them for the automated music machines. I bought 15, but I could have used 5-10 more. Luckily, you still get to watch and listen when others use their tokens.