Kidcity Children's Museum is a children's museum that opened in Middletown, Connecticut in…read moreSeptember 1998. It was founded by Jennifer Alexander. She originally founded Kidcity as a homegrown non-profit organization in 1994 in attempt to make Middletown a more desirable place for families with young children. The circa 1835 historic Camp-Sterns House was donated by St. Sebastian's Church after the building retired from a 70-year career as their convent. The City of Middletown donated a portion of a public parking lot as a new site for the house. In March 1997, the old house moved 400 feet down Washington Street. Extensive renovations were done to the house and permanent hands-on exhibits were created by local artist Ted Esselstyn. The museum opened to the public the following year. The museum doubled in size in 2003 when a new addition was put on. My family and I have visited Kidcity a number of times since my wife and I began having children. We've been to a lot of children's museums over the years, but we think that Kidcity is easily the best one in Connecticut. Not only do our two sons have a lot of fun, but also my wife and me! Our most recent visit was this past August. There are so many different rooms and exhibits for children to engage in pretend play. Some of the rooms include The Ship, The Farm, Main Street, Video Theater, Space Age Roadtrip, and The Cornfield. There's even the Toddler Sea Caves on the basement level that our younger son enjoyed exploring. We usually end up staying for at least two hours, but I'm sure that our two boys could be engaged there for much longer. If you're looking for a fun indoor activity for families with young children, then head to Kidcity!

This is a great spot for kids 0 to 7 years old. There is now food to purchase on site, but you can…read morebring your own snacks and eat in the designated area. Lots on tactile activities to entrance and educate young minds. My particular favorite rooms are the Neptune theater and the fish/sea/pirate ship. You can spend a good 2 hours with kids there.

Visiting family here from Austin Texas and needed something for the kiddo to do while here. Took…read morehim here, he had a blast. I mention Austin because we have this place called the Thinkery which I can compare this with. The Thinkery is relatively new, super expensive, and very pretentious. Whereas this is much older, and while some parts are missing/broken, it had charm, character, was well priced and was accessible to all. My fav part was the large climbing structure. Would visit again when in the area.

Who would have thought that there was such a hidden gem in Holyoke. I absolutely love this place…read more At first I was a little hesitant about coming here based on the limited pictures and reviews. I am not going to lie, I don't spend much time in the Holyoke area, so I was a little skeptical when I was driving past all these abandoned buildings. The parking isn't bad and a few quarters take you a long way here. I know people are little dubious about the street parking, but I have never had an issue, aside from a few of the parking meters being inoperable. There are also two garages that are across the street from the facility and the pricing for that is also fair. Remember bring change!!! I had to learn that the hard way. When I went into the building, I amazed. It is such a cute little facility. It is two stories, but the top level is more of a sitting area. You pay to get into the facility downstairs. There are elevators if you are wondering. The staircase is the way I like to go down because there is an artsy little metal dog that is there and my son always wants to check it out. Before you enter there is a little area where you can hang your coats. People normally leave diaper bags and lunches there. I always pack a little snack for my guy and leave it there. The restroom is also in this area. No food and water is actually allowed in the museum, unless you are heading to the back for a scheduled birthday party. The prices to get in are super cheap. I paid at the cash register and the cashier stamped our hands. After that we were free to roam. There are numerous play stations in this museum. They have an astonishing climbing area, a water works area, a building room, a mini construction site, an airflow center, bubble makers, shadow room, ambulance, fire truck, costumes, grocery store, theatre, a small slide, a toddler area... We can literally spend hours here. My son enjoyed himself so much that I decided to get a family pass, we have been here about every other week since my first trip here. I even booked his party this summer here. I can't wait for all his friends to play with him here. Mom and dad are getting a little sick of climbing through the playscape with him. LOL. Honestly, this is a great place for your kid to exert their energy. I wish I came here sooner, it would have been a more active winter. I recommend all parents to bring their little people here.

We only did the Dr. Seuss Sculpture Garden which is next to the Museum. We were early and just…read morepassing through. Parking and Garden was free (weekend) and just a really cool walk down memory lane in a well-done garden. The Sculptures were of some of the our favorite characters from the beloved Dr. Suess. A very nice tribute to a man who still brings the love of reading to all ages. His words were full of wisdom and knowledge hidden between the lines of rhymes.

This is one of the 5 museums included within tickets of Springfield Museums. It is very designed…read morefor kids, lots of colors, arts, decor, legos, pretend play. On lower level, they have creative activities for kids. On second floor, there's more history on the real life Dr. Seuss. Our 5yo spent about 1.5 hours here. Few associates are around to tidy up things and help guests. Restrooms are very well maintained.

This is a great place for children under 5. There are many play areas that it's different themes…read moreand enough to keep a child busy for hours. There's a grocery store, bank and workshop (to name a few) The front has a large spaceship with spacesuits to dress up in. This is where the air cannons are located which is a neat feature. There's a large ball that the foam balls can be shot into. The foam balls can also get to the larger ball via numerous airways. Worth a visit on a day when you need an outing! There was also story time and picnic area put back. Plenty of parking and clean bathrooms.

Springfield, MA - the Springfield Museums complex is five museums arranged around a courtyard…read moreanchoring the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden, with the history museum conveniently located across the street. One admission gets you into all five: 1. The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum 2. Springfield Science Museum 3. Michele and Donald D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts 4. Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History 5. George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum (closed for renovations at this time) Dr. Seuss Museum is the newest addition and an absolute delight - colorful, immersive, and photo-ready. The first floor is pure chaotic kid energy, like a Dr. Seuss book come to life; the second floor is more grown up, featuring a recreation of Springfield native Theodor Geisel's (aka Dr. Seuss) studio and living room, plus exhibits on his life. My child refused to leave. Thankfully, the museum is equipped with benches and seats in every room, as it is incontrovertible law that children's play areas can never have too many resting places for parents. I eventually pried my child away and ushered him to the science & natural history museum, which was also a hit. Highlights included a snowboarding video game and a 360° photo capture that spits out a digital image you can email to yourself as a souvenir. There's also a dinosaur hall, African hall, planetarium, animal dioramas, small aquariums, and a nice gift shop. Again, kid did not want to leave. Grandpa is into history so toured the Museum of Springfield History on his own. Springfield was once a manufacturing powerhouse: automobiles, firearms, and home of the Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company. Fittingly, the museum has an automobile gallery, the world's largest collection of Indian cycles and memorabilia, and the world's largest collection of Smith & Wesson guns among its 1,600+ firearms. Grandpa learned a lot about local history and the Connecticut River Valley. I only got a quick walk-through of the D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts, and regret not having more time to linger over the intricate and absolutely exquisite "Book of Wonder"exhibit by Donna Castellanos. The Smith Art Museum, a Victorian-era single-collector museum, is currently closed for renovation, which was fine, as by that point we'd run out of time and energy anyway. Even the on-site restaurant, Blake House Café, was excellent, serving food from Smoked, a local BBQ joint. There was something for everyone in the family (kids, arts, history, and science) and it's good bang for your buck. The museums are compact enough to hit all five in one day if you keep moving, but you're better off slowing down and focusing on two or three.

Springfield Museums has a sculpture garden and five museums on-site. You can visit all 5 with one…read moreticket. There is a parking lot; it was packed on a weekday but I was able to find a spot. First, we stopped at the Dr. Seuss building. It's an interactive museum perfect for toddlers and young kids. We spent about 45 minutes in there. Then the Springfield Science Museum, it had an aquarium, animals, and dinosaurs. The other buildings focuses on art and history. Yes, you could spend a whole day there. We stopped by the gift shop before we left. I recommend a visit to this museum!

Super cute idea for kiddos of all ages. It is Ina pretty round down plaza if you park in back you…read moreare almost lost. The staff is super sweet and full of energy that's why I give it a 3. The bathrooms, floors, station room walls, window sills, and highly touched areas are pretty dirty. The place needs a commercial scrubbing. Nothing w the slime itself is dirty just the surroundings. Everyone must wash hands before they are able to participate. Pricing is pretty fair They do take cc Ample parking all over Suggestion to reserve a time online as it gets crowded

This is such a nice spot to take the kids especially if they love slime ! It was a fun experience.read more

We spent a very nice hour and a half strolling the grounds of the Storrowton Village Museum today…read more It's not a museum in the traditional sense, but rather a reconstructed village of 18th and 19th century buildings from Massachusetts and New Hampshire plopped down around a traditional town green. It reminded me a lot of what I remember seeing in Colonial Williamsburg or Old Sturbridge Village. The green has a big gazebo, and we saw a family taking graduation pictures there. The gazebo is also a popular location for wedding photos. It's located on the grounds of Eastern States Exposition, sort of on the fringe of the Big E. The buildings around the town green have an interesting history- they were all purchased, disassembled, transported, and then rebuilt on site. A sign in front of each building has a QR code so you can read up on its history. Here are some of the buildings we saw - Phillips House - Built in 1767 in Taunton, Massachusetts with hand-hewn oak sills and beams, hand-forged nails, and hand-shaped bricks. This is the village's administrative office and gift shop. Union Meeting House - Built in 1834 in Salisbury, New Hampshire. Religious services were held here, so you'll see pews of unpainted pine, a choir gallery, and a white paneled pulpit. A gorgeous steeple with a clock and bell were added during the rebuild. The building can be rented out for weddings. North Center School - Built around 1810 in Whately Massachusetts as a one room schoolhouse. The brick building has blackboards on all four walls. The museum hosts quite a bit of their educational youth programs here. Clark Blacksmith Shop - Built out of granite around 1850 in Chesterfield, New Hampshire. It was deconstructed stone by stone for its move to Massachusetts. Today it serves as a classroom for a blacksmith program and is a popular tourist attraction during the Big E where folks can see the blacksmiths put their forge and bellows in action. Potter Mansion -You'd expect any building named a mansion to be impressive, but before I get to describing the building, let me say or word or two abut the gent who lived there. Captain John Potter was an officer in the Revolutionary War and he built the house for his fifteen children from two wives. Now THAT'S impressive. The mansion was built in 1776 in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, and construction lasted ten years. You'll see all sorts of ornamental woodworking, a parlor, a dining room, and a kitchen with an oversized hearth, brick bake oven, and pine cabinetry. Gilbert Farmstead - Quiz time! Ever hear of anyone with the first name of "Peletiah"? Yeah, I thought not. Anyway, Pell Gilbert and his brother Levi built the farmhouse in 1794 in West Brookfield, Massachusetts. It has some very interesting construction features, like hand-hewn timbers, wrought iron hardware and nails, wide wood plank floorboards, a granite sink, raised panel trim, and a scalloped corner cabinet in the parlor. Eddy Law Office- Built in 1810 in Middleboro, Massachusetts. It's a small professional office building typical of the style of the day -one or two rooms. The building has a distinctive curved roof. The Tavern - Built around 1789 in Prescott, Massachusetts and originally known as the Atkinson Tavern. Here's a cool piece of trivia about Prescott - it doesn't exist today! Prescott and three neighboring towns were claimed by the Commonwealth of MA to be flooded and became the Quabbin Reservoir. In its hay day, the tavern hosted dances and town meetings upstairs and a store and taproom downstairs. Today, the building is the home of the Storrowton Tavern and traditional New England. If you go there for dinner, check out the granite hitching posts outside. The museum offers a heaping portion of history, education, photo ops, and plain old coolness.

CT Science Center is located in Hartford and is a hands on science museum. There are many exhibits…read morein all the science fields that you can explore; it's also for all ages too. My favorite was the butterfly encounter; there is a room just for butterflies and they do land on you. There is a parking garage available. There are 4 levels open to the public. My family and I enjoyed the exhibits. There were plenty to keep us all busy. My children enjoyed the play kitchen, dinosaurs, and butterflies. Blue Chip Creamery is also located there. I highly recommend it and can't wait to go back soon.

This place is so big that definitely should have started at 10am. We went at noon and did not…read moresee/participate in all activities they had. Kid loved it. It was overwhelming in the negating, some exhibitions are geared towards older kids (older than 8yo) but every floor had something for every age.