If you're expecting an immersive, interactive experience where you'll feel like you won't have…read moreenough time to do everything, then you'll be sorely, sorely, sorely disappointed. The first problem is that it's called a museum--I know, where else do you keep T-rex fossil casts other than a museum? you've got me there, but I want to let you hopes down so that you'll have a properly amazing experience here. The first thing to know is that it's housed in the Valley Life Sciences Building, or VLSB for those of us in the know who use University of California campus building-name acronyms on the regular. It's a living, breathing, working building on campus, which means there are offices and a library, in addition to "museums," which again is a disappointing misnomer. When it was built in 1930, not only was it the largest building in the City of Berkeley, but it was also the largest concrete building in the US west of the Mississippi. It's still the largest building on campus, I believe. When I worked on campus, my classes were often (and my office hours were always) in Wheeler Hall, whose bathrooms leave a lot to desired, to understate quite ridiculously. So I was always on the lookout for better, less traveled bathroom options. Not just near Wheeler, but everywhere on campus and especially between Wheeler and the western edge of campus, because I often worked part time at my current job while also working as a reader at UC, so I was always walking back and forth between campus and our office in Downtown Berkeley. Anyway, I thought i had found a perfect candidate in a particular men's room on a particular side of a particular floor of VLSB. Who would enter this random, imposing building looking for a restroom, and even if they did, who would go anywhere but the bathrooms on the first floor. Happy with myself, after my second visit to the secret bathroom, I was about halfway back to my office when I realized I didn't have my wallet. I remembered taking it out of my pocket in the stall, so I rushed back up there. And what did I find? My wallet was sitting there on the toilet-paper dispenser, my ID, debit card, and credit cards still there. Whew! But I was also aghast, because the $36 in cash was missing. I'm still conflicted to this day--replacing my license and credit cards would have been a huge pain, and if someone had returned my wallet to me, I probably would have rewarded him with at least $20. So should I be angry for this person for stealing from me but not making it as bad as it could have been? I don't really know, and I haven't been back to that benighted bathroom since. So here's the best way to experience the Museum of Paleontology: By total surprise. The first time I came in here, I had no idea I'd find these Pteranodons floating around or this Tyrannosaurus rex hanging out near the staircase. Yes, take the elevator to the fourth floor and then take the stairs down. You'll be so wowed. It's amazing. And that's how you have a four-star experience. Just don't give kind thieves the opportunity to steal some of your valuables.

Once upon a time I attended the University of California, Berkeley for graduate school in…read moregeophysics. Some of my classmates/department peers were into dinosaur bones, so I got to explore the Museum of Paleontology (on-campus) with geochemist(s) as my guide. Since none of us were actively studying fossils/vertebrates, we all got to spitball our guesses. It was our idea of a wild time. I might have brought up the dinosaur bones as something to see when my sister visited me, however, she was not very interested. She majored in anthropology as an undergraduate at the University of Washington and did not share my zest for things existing millions of years before us. While I was unsuccessful on that occasion, I did later use space by the entrance/exit for work if my office in McCone Hall got too loud.

An amazing find! We were looking for a place to take the kids and found this gem! Plenty of…read moreinteractive exhibits inside then go outside for mud fun but don't forget to walk behind the building to go to the other side and play in the "river", helicopter, tricycles, and building with Legos. There are also bathrooms outside on that side. Great way to spend time with your kiddos!

This is a non-profit children's museum in Sonoma county in Santa Rosa. It's fun for all ages…read moreespecially if you're a kid at heart. It's centrally located in town and very close to the Charles Schultz (Peanuts/Snoopy) museum which is pretty well known. Pluses: - fun for all ages, but especially the littles both indoors and outdoors. - pretend play areas indoors including a dentist office and a medical clinic and a fast diner. All 3 were a hit w/my kids. - lots of other hands on activities inside to include a treehouse where kids can load apples and send them up and down baskets, my kids love that when they were little. - very popular air launchers to shoot wind spinners. - a huge manual pinball machine that is super fun, my kids never tired of making the pinball launch over and over. - a miniature train set that goes around, it's on the 2nd floor. - plenty of outdoors activities and play areas. - a little stream for water play, little kids love that. - a real life former medical helicopter (a bit random, but still cool). - a climbing structure, and a few other play areas also. - so many ways to tire your kids out, guaranteed a good nap on the way home and they'll prob sleep a lot that night. Minuses: - The building indoors is really quite packed. The different features are each thoughtfully designed and very nice and colorful, but it can get crowded here. - Pretty expensive admission. We got a discount, but I think their prices have increased. All in all, a great little place and good for creative play for kids maybe up to like 5th-6th grade at most, but best for 9 or younger probably.

After all these years, I am so happy The Western Railway Museum is still here and looking great as…read moreever! My son has been an avid fan or trains since birth! I cannot even count how many train museums we have visited. This past visit was for the Spring Wine Trains with my husband. Suggested to us by none other than our son. He now volunteers here!! YAY! We loved being in the parlor car- you get a charcuterie board and 3 tastings. The group was lively, the hosts were great. It was such a nice time and the weather was perfect that day. They explain the various wines (we had Caymus served to us) and you get a nice little tour of the land/area. We got to chat with our son who was the Operations Brakeman that day and what a treat...on the return ride back, we were offered the rear seats. It was the perfect way to end the ride. We took advantage that your ticket includes entrance to the museum, spring fair and the grounds. We walked around, checked out the trains, the fair and the gift shop. Parking is free and plenty of it is available.

I came here for the Holiday Lights train ride and light display…read more The train ride was not worth the money or time. The train had a string of lights strung around inside with a small speaker playing holiday music at the front of the train. There was nothing to look at during the 15-20 minute ride except some cows and a few wind turbines. The train basically went down the tracks 10 mins and then went back to station in the opposite direction. There were also many loud parents and uncontrolled kids on the train which did not make the experience enjoyable. The light display was okay. You got to see some cool old trains with holiday lights on them. But you could not enter any of the trains in the light display area. The lit up trains were simply a route to go see Santa. The Santa area was really dark which was not great for pictures. The staff promote a cafe with hot chocolate and cider after the train ride and light display. I got a spice cider for $6. It was not good. It was full of pulp and the spices were floating on top. It seemed like the staff did not stir up the cider before serving it. The museum and gift shop are really small and catered more towards kids. The gift shop had some adult clothes and souvenirs (magnets, small figures, etc.) but nothing extraordinary. Overall, I would not recommend this place for the Holiday Lights event. There are better holiday train rides and events in Old Town Sacramento.

So today I was here for my 1st graders field trip…read more Funny story, I found this amazing science center, while googling the words, "inexpensive science field trips." Lo and behold the science center was super cheap to attend for two classes, and the exhibits are very engaging and fun! Anna, Bradley, and David, made our experience fun and exciting! I've done a lot of field trips, in 27 years of teaching, but this one is one of my absolute favorites! I feel like their spot is totally slept on and underrated, we need to usher in more educators to take their kids here for their field trips! They're a non-profit and need our help to stay open! So spread the word and let's keep this learning gem, open longer! Science Exhibits: 20/10 Customer Service: 20/10 Quality of the Programs: Amazing! Overall: 20 out of 10!

We are members and absolutely love this place. My kids have taken camps here over summer and…read morethroughout the school year and we also had my five year olds birthday party here...they always want to return for more. They recently re did the science center and it is such a well done space. The kids enjoy all the interactive stuff as well as the animals. The membership is really great bc you get access to free events - like private times, meet Santa / holiday party, and discounted birthday parties and camps.

We visited the Aerospace Museum and had such a great time! It's honestly a hidden gem. The museum…read morehas so many interesting airplanes to see up close, and it's really cool being able to walk around them and learn about the history behind them. One of my favorite parts was how interactive it was for kids. They have a scavenger hunt that keeps them engaged while exploring the museum, which makes it fun for the whole family. My kids loved searching for the clues while checking out all the different aircraft. There are planes both outside and inside the museum, and the exhibits are well laid out so you can take your time walking through everything. It's a great place if you enjoy aviation or just want something different and educational to do with the family. Definitely worth the visit. If you're in the area, I highly recommend checking it out!

Haven't been here in a few years. Visited yesterday with a friend. So muchengineering and flight…read morehistory here. Look up, look down, look all around so you don't miss anything. There is an outdoor area where the big planes and jets are. The signage is good in describing their uses, names and missions. There is even a section on space travel. The docents are top notch. You can tell they are passionate about what they speak! Take a stroll upstairs to see the flight simulator room, very high tech. There is a gift shop, cafe, plenty of clean bathrooms. Enjoy your flight!

Such a cool place 10/10 experience!!! great for all ages affordable prices tasty food. Parking is…read moreeasy and close. Does get a bit crowded but overall a great place for the family!

The California Academy of Sciences is a wonderful place to visit for all ages. It was my first time…read morethere, though others in my group had visited before. We went on a Wednesday morning during summer break. Tickets can be purchased online or in person; we bought ours on-site and there was no line. Inside, it was busy but not overcrowded, so it was still very enjoyable. Positives: - Clean and well maintained throughout. - Indoor, multi-level space that is accessible. - Convenient food court with multiple options. - Plenty of seating areas for taking short breaks. - A wide variety of exhibits and experiences. Our favorites were the Osher Rainforest and the Steinhart Aquarium. You can easily tailor your visit to be short or long depending on your pace. There is also a lot of engaging and educational information throughout the museum. Be sure to check the daily schedule posted on-site or online to learn about special exhibits and events. Negatives: The only downside was the bánh mì from the food court, which was underwhelming. Overall, I highly recommend the California Academy of Sciences. It is a great outing, especially for families with children.

We were pleasantly surprised of this place. We have visited children's museums regularly all over…read morethe Bay Area. From reading the reviews, I didn't expect much. But, we hand a great time. Parking was $6 for the whole day, $19.99/ adult and $17.99 for kids. We especially loved the planetarium. We had just gotten back from another planetarium, but this one was so much nicer! My kids loved it. And the instructor was very knowledgeable. The kids loved downstairs and upstairs. You can tell they did a lot interactive displays for children and adults to learn. My kids loved touching all the buttons, interacting with the screens, jumping/hoping, making songs, etc. My favorite exhibit was the brain one- such fascinating stuff! I definitely recommend going especially if you have young kiddos. We had a Great time! Tip: There's a McDonalds on the other side of the freeway - go there before entering if you have kids.

This place was great the first few times we visited, but now going on 5 years since it's opening,…read morethere hasn't been any real improvement to the experience. Most of what is here has been here since 2021, and many of those things are also frequently out of order. The prices have increased, while perks, benefits, or experiences have decreased or been removed. When I first joined as a member, there were member hours everyday and now they are only 1 Saturday per month. Planetarium shows used to be included with admission and now it is an additional cost, even though the shows are also primarily the same since 2021. They initially advertised having lockers, but they were always out of order. I honestly prefer my Chuck E Cheese membership over this place. If you aren't from Sacramento, your children will have a good time. If you are a Sacramento parent looking for a fun membership where you can visit multiple times, choose something else.