The architecture is beautiful. We went for the Southeast Asian voices exhibit, which was really well done. I love all the artifacts and the displays were varied and interesting. The model train set provided a unique view of Tacoma. This is a great place for kids too read more

What a wholesome experience for the entire family! 5 floors of different type of Model trains while you go through the states history as well. If you are here for the train displays with your kids, you need to cover floor 1 as the last stop. Floor 1 has play area with Legos and Toy train tracks and the toddlers don't want to go anywhere else! Super friendly staff at each display who are eager to interact with the kids and the adults. I missed it last year, now, we might end up coming here every year! read more

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We came in December during a train event without having realized the trains were on display. It was a happy coincidence, as my kids really enjoyed the displays and talking to the hobbyists. The actual history museum had a lot of interesting and well put together displays. The exhibit on native people was very interesting and informative. I grew up in the area and moved away without ever having learned much about the local native tribes and their history, so it was great to learn more as an adult. My kids are 8 and 5 and this place held their attention for over 3 hours. We probably could've stayed longer, but our tummies were growling so it was time to find lunch. read more

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We went to the museum for the train displays. My 5 yo loved it and was very excited to see all the models they had. Even more impressive was the state's history to me. So many fascinating things about Washington. I definitely recommend this museum. read more

Look it's a museum yes, but I found it well worth the trip to visit. I lived in DC area for many years and this place is not the Smithsonian but it is informative and well done in representation of the history of Washington state. It's got great displays and it covers a great deal of history to make you stop and think. It's great for history buffs of all ages and not boring at all. So gather up the family and head to Tacoma and visit the museum. You might just learn something new about the state you live in. read more

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Nice afternoon at the museum would go back again not to crowded. Not overly expensive

Tickets are $14 each for adults and there is plenty to look at! The lady at the front desk was very kind and informative. Our favorite part was the train on the 5th floor. read more

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Blue Star Museum, which means military families get in free, but they also allow free entrance on ridiculously hot days. They even opened up a floor just for people to sit in AC with water and relax because it was over 90 degrees outside. That kind of consideration is deserving of 5 stars. For families especially, lots of their exhibits are engaging and the kiddos have their own learning space on the 5th floor, including a model train set of Tacoma. So cool! We spent 2 hours in here and didn't even get through the whole place. Just outside is one of my favorite Washington chain cafes, Anthem. read more

All about Washington State...kinda. When I went the upstairs area was local-ish, but not all Washington. Can't win them all! The downstairs area was state centered, so the bulk of the museum is as advertised. It's a smaller museum, but I haven't been since I was a kid and I thought it'd be fun to do something different. Most of the exhibits have been in place since I was last here (which was like 25 years ago) so it's pretty safe to say that this is a "once in a lifetime" place unless they're advertising something special that you really want to see. There a lot of reading required to really get the full experience, so make sure that's your thing before you go. Several of the interactive components weren't working, but the trains are running nicely. Overall it's pretty okay, but you don't need to go more than once. read more

Smaller museum but I found the exhibits to be very interesting. I enjoyed learning about Washington history. There was an annoying group of students running around doing a museum scavenger hunt. They were super loud and staff really didn't say anything to stop them. Parking lot is next to the building. read more

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Came here early in the morning when they opened. Gentleman at booth in entrance said, "What do you want." LOL I want to see the museum.. And I bought my tickets online. There's a parking lot adjacent to the museum that's reasonably priced. It's pretty small, which took us about 1.5 hours. I recommend it as I learned about the native american history here and surprisingly the roller skating history. Got noisy and annoying when the field trips came in. Teenagers came in and started screaming, jumping on things, and running into us. read more

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This museum is a snooze and not nearly worth the price of entry ($17.00 for adults). I am not from Washington. After leaving the musuem, I did found that I did not know much more about the state than before I went in. The museum really does not have any character or theme; I would expect a chronolgy, or exhibits based on major industries (Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon anyone?) or something to tell me why Washington is Washington. But what they had was too basic. A few of the displays were poorly lit and I actually could not read the placards. It is a large building and there is plenty of space for that, but no one seems to notice that there is no real vision for what a history museum can be. There is a large exhibition hall in the center of the building currently under construction; I think on native americans. Once complete that might add value. As it is, I would say $5.00 entry fee would be too much. Considering that there were more docents, security personnel and other staff than patrons, I would say others have the same feeling. read more

I love to explore history museums. Entry fee is a bit steep. $14 for one adult. This is more a history museum. I feel that history should not be this expensive. But, is worth it. The museum is very well maintained. A good amount of history from the history of this place and the people who inhabited it. A lot of history is told with respect to the indians who used to live here. The dress that they wore, their language, their livelihood. Good to know that some of them are still alive. Three first floor is good with lots of information. The model train set of Tacoma in the 1950s is really cool. Check out the Washington State History Museum on your next visit to Tacoma. read more

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I'm a sucker for history and museums, so this is my jam. This one is well done, with interesting portrayals of people from Washington's history. I especially loved the display of shoes that would like up as the owner of each pair was featured on the large screen above, telling their story. There is a lot to read, lots to take in, and is not as interactive as other museums may be. However, the model train and the children's area are much more interactive and engaging for people who may not want to read lots of content. I enjoyed the temporary exhibits as well-one on the transgender people and the other on Covid's impact on local people. Both were relatively small, but interesting nonetheless. read more

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I grew up outside of Olympia in WA and have great memories of school field trips to the museum devouring the history. On a recent visit back I wanted to show my husband the vivid history and stories of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, the TRUE discoverers of the PNW that make it what it is today. I was very disappointed to find there was NO Lewis & Clark section and the museum tended to focus on the negative aspects of the history to include the Japanese internments, chinese labor and poor living, the blight of the indigenous people, and horrid conditions of Hooservile. Although these are definitely a PART of Washington states history, the many positive aspects of the history should also be a focus, such as the shipping industry, the industrial revolution in WA, the the many pioneers in the logging and fishing industries, the music revolution, and the technology age. I guess if you're not "from here", you wouldn't notice what was being left out. Not worth the money or the time, in my opinion. read more

GREAT FOR ADULTS AND KIDS With many interactive hands on exhibits!   This month features guest model railroad clubs with huge HO, N and O gage layouts! What fun! These are in addition to the permanent HO scale railway upstairs that features models of actual buildings and landmarks in Washington State! Other exhibits include Native American History with full scale habitat models. Some of white you can go inside! Also, history of the railroad and industrialization. I highly recommended this experience not only for history and train buffs, but for anyone who lives in Washington. And for those reasons I am awarding 5 stars. BTW, if you enjoyed my review or found it useful funny or cool, please don't hesitate to click the little button to say so! Better yet, friend me. So go ahead, press that button, and never miss a single one of my epic reviews in the Seattle area and beyond. Excelsior! read more

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A fine facility that unfortunately in the end punches a bit below its weight. THE ROSES: The Washington State History Museum is a truly impressive facility. Large and spacious, it has been built to mimic the style of the adjacent and much older Union Station. Exhibit spaces are well laid-out and maintained. Don't miss the beautiful model train display on the upper floor, created and maintained by a local group of model railroad enthusiasts. It does a great job of recreating many interesting places in the state and illustrating their ties to the railroads that built the region. Staff is friendly and professional. Ample parking in the area. Unlike Seattle, the area is well-policed, and not overrun with vagrants. THE THORNS: I do take issue with the way the museum is curated. As an amateur historian myself, I feel that the role of a museum is to preserve and educate; the museum must be accurate in truthful in its depiction of history. That said, if it is a general history museum vs. one with a special emphasis (e.g., the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC), it must present things is context and proportion. This is the problem I have with the WSHM: I feel it's more concerned with being 'woke' than presenting our state's history in an objective manner. Disproportionately large spaces in the museum are devoted to relative blips in our state history like the internment of Japanese-Americans in WW2. Worst of all for me was a very large room in the museum devoted to transgender figures in the 19th-century American west (not even necessarily Washington state). I'm not sure I see the relevance of such an exhibit, especially when you're talking about a demographic group that, according to a study published by the American Journal of Public Health, less than four-tenths of one percent of the US population. I feel exhibits such as these are less history and more advocacy, and end up giving a grossly skewed perspective of our state's history. THE VERDICT: Overall, the Washington State Museum of History is well worth the visit, but I do wish it would simply preserve and present our history and culture as accurately as possible, and not try so hard to present our story through the 'Victim/Oppressor' lens that is so in vogue in these 'woke' times. History needs to be neutral, objective, and accurate. It is not the role of the historian or museum to push a particular POV or advance an agenda. read more

Thoroughly enjoyable visit, after visiting favorite museums in DC, NY, and Chicago this felt like a mini version of them taking memorable exhibits from each. Our youngest was so excited to see the model train exhibit on the fifth floor. We loved the waterfall and the attention to detail of the Tacoma waterfront. This is the largest permanent model train exhibit in the area. They have an annual model train festival around the holidays and quite looking forward to returning then again. They had an exhibit then on the evolution of the little black dress. My daughter really enjoyed this one seeing how the shape and material of the dresses has changed. It was shocking to see how heavy dresses were years ago (they had a neat weighted apron spot to simulate the weight). The history of Washington section was impressive too with a section dedicated on apples, railroad, and the native people who were here. We didn't have a chance to fully explore this area but quite looking forward to doing so on future visits! read more

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I have always loved trains. Even when I was a little girl playing with dolls, I loved trains. I did not have any trains as a child but I did have all the Strawberry Shortcake dolls. Loved my dolls but always longed for my own model train set. Fast forward a few decades and my hubby and I have an N sized train set. I love running the train and hearing all the bells and whistles. We heard about the 27th Annual Model Train Festival happening at the Washington State History Museum and had to check it out. It was amazing! So many different sized trains and so many cool displays! I can't wait till next summer to go on a free miniature train ride at South Kitsap Regional Park! The museum is cool too. We took the time to explore that as well since we were there. The Avis Marvelous exhibit was my favorite. Lots of exquisite drawings and paintings of beautiful birds. If you like trains, come to the festival. But even if you're not into trains, come to the museum anyway. Either way you'll have a blast! read more

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The Green Book exhibit and the Fourth Grader Project are outstanding! We visited both floors, taking 4 hours to see all. We could have spent even longer but hunger got the better of us. It was a good way to spend a rainy Saturday. Unfortunately the gift shop is empty. read more

A decently sized museum that covers a fair amount of Washington history. It's not the fanciest government institution, but it touches on some pivitol moments and it's worth visiting if you're in Tacoma. read more

Good luck finding parking. We went on a Saturday right when they opened and there was nothing available. They have a couple small lots but the spaces are tight and you run the risk of getting your car dinged. The museum itself was ok. They had a lot of exhibits. Some of the interactive exhibits didn't work but reading about them sufficed. read more

I went here a couple times when I was in elementary and middle school in field trips, so it was pretty nostalgic going back. It's still a pretty educational museum. I took my mom and I think she really appreciated seeing the tools, clothes, pictures, and other items from back in the day. There's a lot to look at and read. I really liked how there's a section just for the Japanese internment camp in Puyallup. All the computers/tech device for interactive use were closed off due to covid. The train set was super cool! It is so detailed and loved the attention and time it was placed in creating it. There were many scenes in the train set. read more

I had always been past this museum going to all the other museums in the area and even though it says Washington State History Museum in large white letters outside the building it just never dawned on my. After paying to park, I headed in with my friend and her two kids. I believe there are 3 floors. There are steps and elevators just in case you're in a wheelchair or have a stroller. I did find the elevator quite small though with one stroller and two adults. Good thing there are two elevators. There is really nothing on the lowest floor except the bathrooms. Anyway, when you enter, you're basically on the first floor of exhibits. I really agree 100% with Michelle M's review. There isn't much of a flow to this museum. It doesn't go from the initial start of the state where there wasn't much here to where we are now. You walk right into a part about native tribes and then off to the left there is a part about water and tides and earthquakes and flooding and then what a pioneer type general store looks like and then a part about hydroelectric and electricity as well as a small part about the coal and wood/lumber industry. The walking is disjointed and you can't really meld it all together to see how Washington has progressed. It's more so like you're just looking at very small unexplained portions that don't lead into the next segment. I did like the second floor though. As I wasn't here when Mt. St. Helens erupted, seeing items that were recovered from the pyroclastic flow and outlying area was interesting. I also liked a segment of that exhibit that had Post-It notes from people that live in Washington where they could write where they were and what they were doing when the volcano erupted. I remember one note said that a couple outside of Spokane had to remove several feet of ash. Another said that a little girl sat in church and the rumble was so bad that her teeth chattered together on their own. I also thought it was cool to see the ash that people collected all over the state, reaching almost all the four corners of Washington. Overall, if seems like a place people's kids get taken on a field trip against their will. I had a Groupon for $1 for $5 off a regular price ticket which I think is actually $9 for adults and free for most kids. I actually wouldn't have minded paying the full adult ticket price, but it's not the best museum I've been to though. read more

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Not much here for adults. Most of the exhibits were closed. The history floor was fine, it had some good information, nothing special. A lot of stuff doesn't work. The best part is getting to learn more about native cultures and hear native stories told in video interviews. I'd rather watch a documentary on these tribes though. The top floor is definitely something I'd recommend for kids. The train set is fun to see, and the exploration zone nearby will definitely keep most kids up to about 10-12 occupied for hours. read more

A great place to visit for this new transplant to the PNW. Fascinating history on the WWII camps and early settlers. The "catastrophes tour of Washington " exhibit makes me want to take the road trip! The children's area looked fun if you have small children. Well worth the $14 for an adult. read more

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The Washington State History Museum is about the history of Washington State and relation to the Pacific Northwest with artifacts from Women's Suffrage, Industrialization, Native American Tribes and items such as Clovis Points. Washington State History Museum is located in downtown Tacoma, easy to find, lots of great local exhibits also with several interactive exhibits. Check out the Washington State History Museum on your next visit to Tacoma. read more

Washington State History Museum - Washington State History Museum - Tacoma, WA - Museums Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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Come for the history, stay for the trains. If you're the type who likes to stop and read everything on all of the plaques, give yourself three hours to digest the information here. There's a lot to cover. The exhibits are well-done, with some hands-on interactive elements for kids. But the best thing about this place is the model railroad on the top floor, depicting the railroads that served Tacoma and surrounding areas in the 1950s. I've returned multiple times just to take in all of the scenic and operational details of the layout. If you're particularly interested in the model railroad, go in the morning on the first Saturday of the month, when the club members who built and maintain the layout are on-site to answer questions. Bonus: The 594 bus from Seattle drops you off right at the entrance! read more

Really fun and educational when I went. The only bad thing was if you go into the cave mine, you might get a heart attack from seeing someone's legs since they got crushed by rocks. It scared me the first time I saw it, not gonna lie. The museum itself is beautiful though, so you should totally go. read more

Went to the model trian event January 2022. For what they charge, and how big of a building they have, there is not a lot to see for the value. Staff was not very friendly checking in and their map did not have a lot of detail- like signage for the restrooms and things that are usually easy to find were not. read more

Such a nice history museum, and a fun way to spend a couple hours on a cool, rainy winter day! I was visiting Tacoma from the east coast and stopped in on our "museum day". It happened to be during the model train festival and when Santa was there for photos...so I fully understand that it was not a normal museum day. The exhibits were interesting, with information that was easy to digest but also detailed enough for me to dig into when I wanted to learn more. Even as an out-of-stater I enjoyed learning about this history of Washington! Upstairs there was a cool exhibit about glass and a hands on learning floor, which all the kids really seemed to be enjoying. I definitely recommend stopping in. read more

The Washington State History Museum is located in Tacoma and offers the visitor the opportunity to walk back through time and learn about our history. You will be able to watch in an interactive exhibit how the landmass that has become Washington state came together which was an exhibit I really liked. I was pleased to see the importance placed on the role of First Nation Peoples (Native Americans) of our state. I was also pleased that there was information dealt with the history of Unionizing and women's voices. The internment of Japanese Americans in our state is dealt with but I feel it is something I would have liked to have seen and learned much more about it. On the third floor there are the following exhibits. - Encounters 4/5 - Plank house 2/5 (poor utilization of space.) - Frontier town 3/5 - Railroads & shingle mill 4/5 - Hard times and home front 5/5 - Women's votes & voices 3/5 (more objects needed) - Modern Washington 4/5 - Columbia theatre 0/5 (movie did not start when it was supposed to so we never saw it.) - Wage workers frontier 5/5 - Petroglyph theatre 4/5 - First Peoples 5/5 - Shaping a new world 5/5 On the fifth floor there is the history lab and the model railroad. The history lab has a lot of interactive activities and is great if you have kids with you. The model railroad exhibit is 1,800 square-feet and covers the area from Point Defiance to the Cascades. Currently there is an amazing exhibit on the fifth floor called Arctic Ambitions: Captain Cook and the Northwest Passage. It will be on display until March 6, 2016. Wow, this is an amazing exhibition with some great artifacts including maps that will excite the cartographer inside of you. As you walk in there is an interactive display showing all the sailing routes relevant to this exhibit. It was great seeing it all. I felt like a kid playing with this! There's information on both life on the sea and on the land as well. There was a lot to learn about ships and the people on the lands they visited. There is some good info on the Nootka and Dena'ina people. Somethings that really stuck out was a huge painting of the captain from New Zealand that really made an impact. His journal is also on display which was something I was pleased to see. There are also the actual drawings from crew and a lot of other artifacts including a huge globe! There is also science in this exhibit dealing with climate issues and oil exploration. Great museum. I think it's well worth the admission price. read more

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This place is huge, and, for the history buff, it's a fantastic addition to the museum scene in WA. It's no Smithsonian, but it has tons of different displays at any one time, and they do a good job of curating what they offer. They make it fun for all ages and most levels of seriousness. Start with the architecture. They explicitly echo the form of Union Station, which is a block north. They look like they're part of a compound in combination with that building, even though they were built decades apart. UW Tacoma is across the street, and a lot of old freight warehouse have been restored to form that campus, so the architectural revivals run strong through this corner of downtown. Inside, the museum takes good advantage of the spaces it has, making the most out of them without making you feel like a rat in a maze. There are five floors, usually with a model train of some sort on each floor. Kids just pile in and love this stuff. My dad did, too--lots of model train buffs his age. There are multiple galleries on each floor, which can be partitioned or combined as the exhibits dictate. So the place might feel remodeled if you come back. We saw the DB Cooper exhibit, which was clever and fun. I read one really good book about Cooper last year, and that was thorough enough that I didn't feel like I learned much personally from the WSHM exhibit, but the way they laid out the story from ticket counter to plane to ransom to parachute to manhunt to after-effects was thoughtful. There are so many artifacts available from a skyjacking, but they got tons of photos and paperwork to display. There were natural history, human history, and other exhibits just on that one floor, with four others full of exhibits. The gift shop is pretty good size, and actually includes a few things that friends and family might not necessarily buy themselves. Spendy, but that makes it easier to surprise them with such things. The staff are all really nice. If you have any interest in history, or any need to entertain a wholesome group of guests with some g-rated entertainment, this place is your spot. Plenty of good places to eat nearby, too, so it's easy to make a day of it. read more

LovingLocal---oh my, so much to see. Don't let the construction or parking prices deter you from going. I started in the gift store to check out the most popular goodies. I viewed the exhibits and there is so much to see & touch! From apples, traincars, printing press, unions, wagons, shanty's & the car trip of catastrophe Be sure to wear your walking shoes! read more

Washington State History Museum - Lots too see here! - Museums Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

My husband and I went to this museum on the 3rd Thursday of the month which means free, and overall, it was a decent museum. I gotta say, for a "state museum" I was expecting more exhibits and information, but what they had on display was pretty interesting. One thing I will give this museum credit for is the fact that there is a lot of raw Native American opinions on what it was like living in that time period and what they were forced to go through. The museum did not leave those facts out and I appreciate that. Overall, this is a nice museum to check out if you're not doing anything on the 3rd Thursdays of every month so it can be free admission and of course you will not be disappointed. read more

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My husband and I went here and it was a load of fun! We learned a lot, even though my husband is a history major and we enjoyed the Toytopia area that was going on. We highly recommend it and the prices were pretty awesome, definitely reasonable. The customer service there was outstanding and they seemed like they really care about you and go above and beyond. read more

Washington State History Museum - Museums Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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Disclaimer: I am not huge into museums, so I was happy when I hit the third Thursday of the month and could swing through during the free hours. This museum does have some cool stuff, like a HUGE model showing old Tacoma and its many trains. It also has some great displays for the kids, and a few life-size models of stuff that will entice you to touch (and set off an "you're an a**hole" alarm, so beware). I did also learn the meaning of "your number's up," so that was pretty cool. We have such a strange language and strange history, and it truly is wonderful. Bottom line: It's a museum. It shares history, and does so in a fairly fun way, but it is kinda small. So if you don't love museums or have a hard time "getting your money's worth," hit the free day/hours (third Thursday) read more

It was ok for a museum. At first there seemed to be a logical order, but after the first block with the caravan-train hybrid, things didn't progress as smoothly. Seems like they just found space every once in a while. The exhibits are meant to be interactive but fail to convey information in a way that's suitable to learning. Mannequins talk as though they're reading a textbook. Might as well write out the information then. Lighting is also very dim. Normally I wouldn't comment on petty things like this, but reading blurbs and viewing detailed photos was more difficult than it should've been. Silly museum, you are not a pub! They also have random exhibits on the top floor. Once again, no logic to the planning can be found. Children's stories were next to WWI propaganda posters. But overall, still worth a visit if you need something to do or can get a discount. Libraries have free passes too! read more

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First off the Washington State History Museum is FREE the third Thursday of each month from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, I suggest if you want to visit take the Tacoma Link http://www.yelp.com/biz/tacoma-link-tacoma in. I wasn't very excited to visit the Washington State History Museum for some reason I thought it was going to be BOOOORING. Boy was I wrong! The museum is full of information and history brought to you in a fun and exciting way. It's perfect for the young and old, everyone will be entertained while learning about the history of the state. There are lots of interactive exhibits, to keep people like me interested, I love to push buttons and there were lots of buttons to push here. I highly recommend taking time to visit the Washington State History Museum and if you can not make it on the third Thursday of the month from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, it's well worth the price of admission of $8.00. read more

I'm writing this review on the museum as it pertains to small children. Honestly, we had zero intention of bringing my two and four year old kids here. I was sure they'd be miserable. We had planned to visit the children's museum just down the street but found it to be closed so we popped in here as a last resort. After buying tickets, the docent at the front desk stopped us and offered my kids a scavenger hunt with the promise of a prize upon completion. There were pictures along with written item names for the illiterate scavenger hunter. Very handy. The museum itself is full of beautiful and interesting exhibits. It is truly a top tier museum, for adults as well as children. Most exhibits are interactive. The covered wagon for people to climb in was particularly cool to my kids and actually quite humbling for me (seriously, people travelled in these things??) The train exhibit was not as grand as I thought it would be but still plenty impressive. The temporary exhibit does not disappoint--the current DB Cooper is thought provoking and well done. The other exhibit we visited, on Big Foot, was just plain awesome. I'm looking forward to future ones. When we returned our scavenger hunt sheet the kids were given a coloring book and crayons. They were stoked. Me too--it was a great way to get them interested and involved. I want to say it was just seven bucks. I *think* the kids were free? In any case, totally worth it. We will absolutely go back, by choice next time rather than happenstance. :) (I also plan on coming back sans children so I can enjoy it at a more leisurely pace.) read more