Bay Area Discovery Museum

Took my 4-year-old here today and wow, what a gem! This place is absolutely perfect for little ones. My daughter was completely captivated from the moment we walked in - there’s just so much to explore and discover. The hands-on exhibits are fantastic and really encourage creativity and learning through play. We spent hours here and she didn’t want to leave! The staff was friendly and helpful, and I love that it’s designed specifically with young children in mind. Plus, the Sausalito location is beautiful. Definitely worth the trip from anywhere in the Bay Area. We’ll be back soon!

Beautiful views of Golden Gate Bridge. Creative playground suitable for all ages. Very nice areas for imaginative play and building stuff. Cute cafe with kid-friendly food, though the long was long and they were kind of slow. Nice to go to take the kids to play and catch up with a friend over coffee while enjoying the amazing views.

Great Museum it's advertised as 0 to 8 but i brings kids over 8 and they love playing in the outdoor spaces. Including the sandbox. Unfortunately I only been here on like one nice day. The weather it always cold but they can't control that. I suggest bundling up but it is spaces to play inside

Located in the picturesque Fort Baker with stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the museum prioritizes hands-on learning, encouraging creative problem-solving through activities like the "Woodshop" and art studios where kids can freely experiment with various materials. It curates exhibits that cater to developing minds. The blend of interactive play, art are all presented in a fun and accessible way.

Very nice place!!! We were there on my daughter’s classmate birthday party, we decided to visit museum! There are many sections for kids, you can discover garage, music class (piano) , electronics, kitchen , plumbing!!! Highly recommended!!!!

Great place for kids. My kids had an amazing time here. This is definitely for younger children. Any kids over kids 8 will get bored after a while. Over all not a bad experience with the food long line. Kids menu was cute but would not return for food. Besides, the food experience was great.

So this place has a lot of potential, but there are a lot of things to consider. The place is great for toddlers & slightly older kids, it has different areas/spaces both indoors & outdoors. My child had a wonderful time & I thought I would want to come back... The staff & rule enforcement is lacking. There is a sign that says adults & children who are sick are not allowed, but I saw several children with all the clear signs of being really sick comfortably contaminating the enclosed spaces. There was a kid with green snot all over his face coughing & sneezing looking like a spray bottle (first this is disgusting behavior on the parents part, but where was the staff?!), it really doesn't help that there are a lot of entitled parents who think rules don't apply to them or their kids. It was disgusting to see adults encouraging their kids to keep their shoes on in the indoor areas that were clearly labeled no-shoes because it was inconvenient for them to take them off and put them on each time. There is a no-shoe area supposedly designed for children smaller than 42 inches and there were huge kids well over the height limit playing in there aggressively (there should be a measuring post at the entrance & if the kid is taller than the height limit they should not be allowed to go in. There are plenty of spaces for the older/taller kids), kids running in and out with their shoes on, and the staff member was comfortably leaning on a watermelon boat with a blank stare looking out into the abyss of unruly kids. I get it! Things get old, but also it is still your job to enforce the rules, period. The bathroom was very dirty, the floor sticky, the changing table lacked an isolated space to comfortably change your child. There was an open window across this space & the hand washing area is right next to the "changing area" so curious kids & parents come right next you as you try to clean poo There were toys & stuffed animals in some of the indoor areas & those things were disgusting to look at. I tried to keep my child from touching them, but it was impossible because she is in the stuffed animal stage & she kept looking for them at every single spot. We visited on Sunday, by Wednesday my child had a fever & Thursday she broke into a rash. We initially thought chicken pox, but after a visit to the Dr. we were told she has hand, foot and mouth disease 🤢🦠😭🫩 so gross I'm very happy a place like this one exists! Some of the spaces were very cute, almost beautiful! Would I come back? Probably. I can't put my child in a bubble to keep her safe, but I wish some of the aspects mentioned above could be improved. I took one star because of the obvious cleanliness issue, the second star is due to the lack of rule enforcement/staff. Everything else about this place is great!

I visit this place a few times a year with our kids, both are under 10 y/o. Parking can be kind of busy on the weekends but eventually I always find a spot. Most people bring snacks/food with them, however there is also a pretty decent cafe with kid friendly options. Don’t forget your sunscreen because most activities are outdoors. Our younger kid also really enjoyed their summer camp!

The Bay Area discovery museum is such a gem. It is mostly outdoors. There are plenty of things for children of all ages to do, but this museum is geared more towards toddlers in my opinion. We had a nice afternoon here, we got our complementary tickets from the discoverandgo website with our library card! They have free parking on site. They also have a café, with plenty of rest rooms.

Stayed nearby for Mother's Day weekend and was recommended to take the family here. The suggestion was greatly appreciated as the whole family had a wonderful time! There were activities for my 2 and 4 year old and mom and I loved playing with them as well. We made candles, climbed, made wire figures, played with bubbles, music machines, and there was an awesome spot for the younger kids to climb inside also. We spent about 4 hours there before leaving and there was much more yet to be done. If in the area with littles, recommend this spot for a long day of entertainment.

This is the best location if you don't want to go to the museum itself but spend the day outside. A very different view of the Golden Gate. The museum is our favorite place in the Bay Area to bring our toddler to spend the day out. The bubble and the little water stream part will always attract the tots. The train section is another favorite part of ours. We are now member of this place and hoping to visit it once a month. Perfect to play in sand/ perfect to understand how the light/sound works and create some art for the young ones. Plenty of outdoor play structures as well. It would be nice to have two adults free entry with family membership when the grandparents visit!

This place was a lot bigger than I expected and I appreciated the large outdoor space. My daughter is 3 years old, so she was fascinated by a lot of the things they've here. The bean sprouts cafe had a pretty fun menu also. I didn't get to explore the arts studio and a few other parts where she needed to take her shoes off. She was already pretty tired after the first half of the museum.

Pretty cool place to take your toddler. Four free tickets for veterans until Labor Day, so it was a neat little surprise to arrive and be told we could get in for free. Parking is also free so definitely makes up for all the tolls we had to pay to get here from the east bay. My daughter loved playing with all the toys and gadgets and Knick knacks the park had to offer. They have a cafeteria onsite as well with some healthy food options as well as desserts

We absolutely love this incredible discovery museum and we're so happy to return today. It was a bit crazy due to the 3 day weekend. But it was beaming with fun and the weather did not disappoint. The staff here are lovely, the grounds are well kept and spacious and there is a new favorite spot for my toddler with each visit.

The Bay Area Discovery Museum is a paradise for young kids! We love taking our kids here and they always ask to come back. We love the focus on STEAM and the variety of rooms to play. This past visit, there was the art print shop, the "how stuff works" room, and iceless skating. The iceless skating was definitely fun for us parents! We also love the many outdoor activities to offer, like the different climbing structures, water play, sand and mud area. It's really a chance for a kids to climb, play, learn and explore. There are plenty of bathrooms around the area. For food, you can bring your own snacks/lunch or buy from snack shop. There some tables but they get filled during lunch time. There's also a little gift shop to buy some goodies. Tickets are pricey as they include parents and kids, but there is a chance to use the amount you paid towards a membership if bought on the same day. And that alone felt worth it!

This museum is so great, just for the location alone! We arrived about an hour and a half before closing so they were nice enough to charge us half off. We didn't get to quite explore all of the different buildings in our short stay but it was a nice intro with less crowds and we'll definitely be back! They have a playground for bigger kids above age 5, but also a soft play indoor area for younger kids. The sand pit was a huge hit with our son and you can't beat the Golden Gate Bridge view from there! I also appreciate the amount of seating all around for parents, and wide walking areas for strollers. Some kids museums are so cramped and tiny, and this one felt spacious and takes advantage of the nice weather. It is a little bit odd that the parents and kids are all the same price ($20 each) but otherwise it's a nice museum worth the drive!

The Bay Area discovery museum is a hidden gem in the Bay Area. It's the perfect place from toddlers (and older kids). The variety of activities, friendly staff, stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and overall cleanliness of the facilities will keep us coming back. It's expensive for a 1 day use but the membership is totally worth it!! It's crazy how long you can spend in each room. 5/5 experience!

Came for the Big Art Weekend for our little one to experience various art forms and play structures. The speciality stations included with the Big Art Weekend included pipe wire sculptures, rainbow weaves, chalk art, paper bag collages, fairyland builds and a few others. My little one was not much interested in these stations, but plenty of children were. Climbing is her thing. There are plenty of attractions for this...trails to a telescope to look out, a ship with a deck and under boat entrances, how it works dryer tube and slide, a rope climb with a high walk and slide, a boat deck with pullies to catch rubber fish, rock climbs and others. The weather was beautiful and even with a crowd of people, there was still space for her to enjoy the various attractions and stations they had. Parking is always insane, but if you arrive during the member hours then it's easier to find a closer spot. Pack snacks and drinks for your little person (people) to eat around the park. The snack line is always long and the wait may be too long for them to wait. Food prices are pretty reasonable and offer a variety of meat and meatless options which I greatly appreciate. There are plenty of restroom stations around the park so fear not you will make it to one when the urge strikes your little one.

Tot spot is the way to go for babies at crawling stage and beyond. The other studio rooms and play area is catered more for toddlers and up. Creative aspects going on and great utilization of space in this area. It's superbly convenient if one is looking for a spa day outing and have the babies/toddlers/kids be here to play a bit. There's a spa, restaurant & resort in this remote vicinity. Nice atmosphere. I would come here again for my kid to be entertained.

We came here in a weekday afternoon around 1pm. There was a good amounts of summer camps everywhere inside the museum with small kids. Be sure to bring a jacket as it's right of the water, so it was very windy despite it was a sunny warm afternoon. It was a nice day to enjoy the view of the bay and Golden Gate Bridge. Luckily, we brought food for picnic at the smaller little grass area just right outside of the museum parking lot. The museum didn't have a restaurant, but they have a small little shop with snacks and drinks. The museum is pretty small but very open and close to nature with outdoor activities and has a nice view due to location. Kids spent good amount of time playing outside at the sand box and playing at the slide it was pretty clean and restrooms available. Admission is about $20 pp children and adult (same price)

Mixture of indoor and outdoor learning/play activities. Play structures are geared more towards kids. The bathroom has a complimentary diaper bag with diapers and wipes for people to use, which is a nice touch. Small cafe that took frustratingly forever to order and get food (~40min total). Would recommend bringing your own food. Overall, 3/5 * for children 2 years and under. Was ready to leave after about 2 hours. Pro Tip: You can a free adult and child ticket through your library card via Discover and Go!

Great place for toddlers My 2yo had great time and definitely coming back. Every min we spend there was fun

I remember coming here as a kid, and really loving it. Fastforward 30 years, now I have taken my daughter here, and she loves it! This museum is so great because it's geared towards many ages of youth - from zero to 8 years old. There are different buildings focusing on different age groups. I can't say I have visited the older areas yet, since my daughter is a toddler, but in years to come! For the toddler area, she really enjoyed the Ball Room, which had an elaborate trains and tracks that had a cute Golden Gate Bridge. She also really enjoyed the Imagination Playground, which was basically a bunch of giant foam tinker toys, which she loved carrying, throwing, pushing, building, etc. They also had an indoor playground-type area, where you take your shoes off, so it did feel a bit more sanitary. I enjoyed that the exhibits were very hands-on, interactive, and stimulating for my daughter. All were play-based activities, which she had so much fun playing with. This was quite a different experience from the California Academy of Sciences (which I also love!), where I felt I was reading her the educational points at each exhibit. Just different - great in different ways. I was able to find parking on a weekday, although I had arrived a little before 11am, and it seemed almost full?! So weird. The cashier at the front desk said it was a "quiet" day too - I can't imagine coming here on the weekend. The views here are spectacular. It's located right at Murray Circle, so you are parking right on the lawn which overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge. Many of the buildings overlook the Golden Gate Bridge, too! Nice. I am really looking forward to spending more time here. I ended up buying a membership, and if you aren't sure, you can wait until your day is up to decide, and your ticket from the day can be applied to the membership. Also, if you buy in January, you can get one month free! Nice. Can't wait to return!

Kiddo loved this museum and the adults enjoyed it too. So many activities to do indoors and outdoors, she had so much fun and really occupied her for 4 hours straight. Great views of Golden Gate bridge and delicious food from the cafe. $20 per person (adult and kids) is actually pretty reasonable. We came on a day after the rains. The main parking areas were full and had to drive through a lot of mud to get to the side lots. There were some pretty huge potholes.

The Bay Area Discovery Museum (BADM) is a large campus with plenty of outdoor and indoor activities for the kiddos. There's something here to keep children busy for hours. Multiple outdoor play areas and buildings with activities for the athletic, artistic, inquisitive, and rambunctious. Favorite areas so far for our 3yo son: 1. How Things Work - A building with lots of hands-on props like kitchen tools and food, musical instruments, and even a car. 2. There's another room that simulates the SF Fisherman's Wharf with a rocking boat and fishing/crabbing nets. Plus a gigantic toy train set. 3. A decent onsite cafe serving healthy pizzas and chicken quesadillas, along with crispy baked tater tots. Decent organic coffee for the parents too. 4. Brave and athletic kids may like the various climbing structures and slides scattered about. 5. Plenty of restrooms and sanitizer stations My only gripe, and is worth -1 star is the parking lot. Sure its free and huge, but if you arrive before like 12pm you'll need to park on the gravel lot or muddy areas. Tons and tons of potholes throughout. The paved lot is often full right when they open.

A great place for families and great place for Veteran's Discounts. My boyfriend is a veteran and found the following discounts here so great. First, the museum participates in the Blue Star Program, offering free admission to all US active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve. This program begins on Saturday, May 27, 2023, Memorial Day Weekend, and ends on Monday, September 4, 2023, Labor Day. Other days of the week, they offer free admission to one child and one adult with an active military ID. This discount is offered year-round. We love it so much, we bought a annual family membership for $48 with the Veteran's Discount. All deals and free days here: https://bayareadiscoverymuseum.org/visit/admission This museum is a fun blend of indoor and outdoor activities that include science, art, imagination and activity. We bring out own lunch and picnic in the shaded tree area while the kids run and play around.

The kids had an amazing time! So much for them to do! Pretty cool location too! We will definitely be bring the kids back the next time we're in town.

The BA Discovery Museum has been a staple for years and years, and continues to be a wonderful place to take kids, especially between the ages of 1.5-6. Certainly you can take kids younger or older; this is just the "sweet spot" ages for activities in my opinion. What's to love? A lot! -So many great activities inside and out. Inside examples - the tot spot: great for those younger ones with shoes off crawling spaces and lower reachable toys, plus a waterbed-like area that's super fun for new crawlers and toddlers alike; "how it works" room: for developing an understanding of how household items work, cooking materials, and a fun car; wobble room with all kinds of large food items to crawl on, in and around; train table/fishing boat room: very fun, very large train table setup and a fishing boat with fun moveable parts to explore. Outdoor examples: water tables area, bubble machines, huge boat play structure, climbing towers, wobble toys, hula hoops, sand pit, chalk boards, and so much more. As you can see, there's hours of activities here and my kids find a new way to explore the museum every time we come. -Food: great little cafe in case your kiddo needs a bribe..I mean "snack".. or drink. -Ample seating: for consuming cafe snacks, catching a break while kids run around, feeding a baby, etc. -Fully fenced: the whole museum is fully fenced in which is great for peace of mind. -Ample gender neutral restrooms: lots of restrooms, all gender, no waits. -Gift shop: thoughtful toys that aren't all the regular "junk" you see at other gift shops. My son got a package of paint sticks here that he loves (and we love). They were expensive, but with member discount, not much more than Amazon. What could be improved: a few things. -Expensive: definitely get the membership if you'll come even twice a year, it makes it much more affordable. Plus, it's a great activity for rainy days or when school is off. -Entrance/Exit location: This drives me nuts. The entrance is at one far end of the museum and is the only way to enter/exit even though it would be really easy to add another "re-entry" point at the other end. I find this frustrating because multiple times when at the museum, I've been at the opposite end of the museum and need to get something from my car, which I can see from where we are, but which I have to walk all the way back to the other end of the museum, to my car (so basically all the way back to the other end again), back to the entrance, and back to the end of the museum to get. Can you see why it's frustrating? I've wanted to hop the fence so many times, but have used my restraint. -Capacity: Being a member is also great for the "member hour" because during general time, some rooms hit capacity and you can't use them for a long time. This can suck if you have a younger child who can only use certain rooms (say, the wobble room) and it's not available. Overall, an awesome place and I would highly recommend bringing your kids here! As a "frequent flyer", I just have a few bees in my bonnet that I had to share for an honest review :)

A fun filled day soaking in the great bay air just blocks away from the majestic Golden Gate Bridge. If you're lucky enough to find parking in the main lot, you'll be just a few minutes walk from the front office. If the lot is full, which it often is, you may be able to find some spots on the grassy section near the main lot. Just be careful driving through the lot - the dirt road is not very well maintained and has huge bumps that will rock you in your car. Go slow! After finding you way to the front office, you'll be greeted by the staff who are always friendly. If you're a member, they'll look you up and if you're not a member, you'll be able to show them your tickets or purchase tickets on the spot. Do note that your local libraries may also have admission tickets to borrow out so check if you plan on visiting. Furthermore, if you're unable to cover the expense of the tickets, you may be able to have it discounted or waived as well. With indoor and outdoor activities for young kids all along the property, you and your little ones can easily spend a couple hours here. For the tots, there is also an indoor play area and an outdoor "river run" water play area where they can play with some toy animals and bubbles. From the two outdoor play structures (one being a boat and another being some sort of jungle) and other climbing modalities to clay modeling stations, you'll also have activities for the older kids. They do have a small snack bar here but we tend to bring our lunches and picnic nearby or in the various outdoor seating areas. After enjoying the museum, spend a few minutes to peruse through the small selection of toys in the store/front office. While you're there, use the restrooms before you leave. Overall, on a nice sunny day, you'll have a pleasant time here and can easily make a family outing for the day. Otherwise, due to the proximity to the bay, it may be a bit chilly but the indoor learning centers can be good shelters while the kids play and discover. I would say most of the activities would interest kids from age 2-8 but any older, they may breeze through the stations. But in any case, it's a place to discover and if you haven't been, you may learn a thing or two!

I'm always on the hunt for fun and interactive places to go with our kids, and Bay Area Discovery Museum has been at the top of my list for awhile now. We finally had the opportunity to go, and were delighted that it was so easy to get to and had picturesque views of the Golden Gate Bridge. The day was rather cold and sunny, but there were lots of other families braving the SF winter. The museum is huge! So much space for the kids to run around and explore and plenty of places for parents to sit down comfortably and observe. It is a combination of indoor and outdoor spaces (though the kids spent more time playing outdoors). There is a mud kitchen area with a trail right behind it, so I highly recommend bringing boots or shoes that you don't mind muddying up. Other things I'd recommend bringing along are a bagged lunch, snacks, and baby wipes (that sand pit will do a number on their hands and clothes). They have an onsite cafe for sandwiches and coffee, as well as a small gift shop. There is ample parking at the museum. Contrary to how full the parking lot is, there is always a car leaving. Be prepared for a fun day! The kids will leave happy and exhausted.

Had a fantastic time here with my grandchildren so much to do here we spent a good 2.5 hours here which could easily be longer the kids had a great time discovering so much to do. Great hands on learning inside and outside Plenty of fun things to do for all ages lots of climbing equipment outside and inside easy way to get those wiggles out A great area for the littler ones nice quiet Indoor area to climb and jump We had fun playing on the fishing boat inside and outside This is a fantastic place to take your children for a fun day pack a lunch snacks or buy something in their snack shop the line was to long for us so we weren't able to enjoy any treats Forgot to add the fun spinning rides outside so pretty and fun for all

Based off their website I didn't expect the whole facility to be outside. You are able to go inside some of the buildings but you need to leave your stroller most of the time (which I'm scared to because we have valuables). This place is more older kid friendly 6+, took a 6 year old and a 2 year old here and definitely the older kids have more fun vs the littles. Cute little spot just bring your sun shades and hats!

What a wonderful children's museum! We happily stopped by this museum on our way back from Napa and were delighted it was part of the ASTC reciprocal membership program. We have never been to a children's museum that had as much outdoor play space as this one and were delighted to spend so much of the day in the beautiful sunny weather with gorgeous views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Our 3 and 5 year old had a blast exploring the various play areas set up for creative play. As parents, we were intrigued by the cleverly designed indoor area teaching STEM/engineering ("how things work") designed as just play. There are also two areas dedicated to the shorter than 42 inch kiddos which were filled with joyful tots and was still intriguing to our 3 year old. We will definitely be back when in the area!

We adore this museum :) seriously can spend hours here and it's such a pretty setting. A must do if in the north bay.

Love taking my toddler here! It's a little pricey but worth it to get my child's energy out before nap time. They had so many sensory exhibits for the kids and many indoor and outdoor section. Pro tip I would bring your own snacks as the place does have food for sale but it's pretty mid. I really like the outside views of the Golden Gate Bridge. This is a must go if you're in Sausalito!

This is so grossly overpriced for what it is, I'm still mad about it despite having a coupon that allows 2 free guests. We paid $40 for 2 additional people, $20 per adult and kid. It was crowded the day we went so that definitely didn't help. Like another review said, most things were outside which is annoying if it's wet or cold. The stations inside were dirty and things were missing. Some stations were dangerous and could take a kids finger off if you weren't careful or watching closely. There was nothing to "discover". They had a room with things that were cut in half with 0 explanation into how it actually worked. A sink was cut in half... so what? There was a clay room where you can play with clay but it was so messy and crowded. There were other indoor stations but they were closed. They had 1 tiny little cafeteria. And there was a playground in the back. I'm not sure what I paid for. It was basically access to a playground. Really? I know folks recommend this place for their kids but I wouldn't bother driving all the way here for this place, it's not that special!

The Bay Area Discovery Museum is where kids' imaginations run wild and adults remember why they need coffee. I took my nieces and nephew here, and they had a blast exploring every nook and cranny. From the outdoor play areas to the interactive exhibits, it's like Disneyland without the lines (or the mouse). My nieces conquered the climbing structures like tiny ninjas. The museum is so engaging that I almost got lost in the fun myself. The only downside? Trying to get the kids to leave! If you need a place to tire out your little ones and maybe even learn something new, this is it. Just don't forget your energy drinks--you'll need them to keep up!

Set in a scenic location with views of the Golden Gate reminiscent of the Presidio in SF. It's definitely an outdoors attraction (maybe 50%), in contrast to the Exploratorium which is 95% indoor. My 21 month old spent 4.5 hrs here and probably could have spent more time. She had such much fun she forgot that she was missing a nap. I had to carry her out of certain exhibits so that we had time to see everything. At the end, I had to carry her out again. Went on a cloudy/misty December Sunday and still tons of kids there. Some kids don't have manners but what can you do, older kids definitely may not respect younger ones. Entire family of 5 kids eating indoors in one of the halls right next to the sign "don't eat inside". But honestly it's lacking indoor cafe seating, especially on a cold day where people don't necessarily want to be picnicking outside. Drink your coffee and go on a sunny day, but again, maybe the crowds will be even worse! I think the Bay Area really needs more places like this for younger kids. 1.5-5 year olds will get the most out of this place but 5-10 year olds may have fun too.

I really liked this place, but I was planning a day to visit tomorrow, on June teeth, and saw they're closed. So they close on Juneteenth, but not on Veteran's day. Now we know where their priorities lie.

Beautiful views and great weather today. I'm not sure why they're charging $20 for babies/toddlers when 80% of the place is not baby friendly. I would not come on the weekend again if we were to come back. Unfortunately other parents not monitoring their kids or teaching them to take turns ruin it for the rest of us. My daughter patiently waited for her turn only for other kids to push their way in front of her. The toddler area was over crowded with adults and cramped. There didn't seem to be many workers monitoring the spaces and honestly didn't feel that clean. I think the museum is best for ages 4-7 years old I'll wait a few years and consider bringing my daughter back.

Review from a parent with a child less than 1.5 years old Wow best musuem in the area for babies and toddlers to explore. Most museums do not have a dedicated section for toddlers. BADM had an entire indoor tot spot with 2 different rooms. Bathrooms are abundant and lots of parent seating in the tot spot. The beach chairs by the sand pit are a great touch. The view of the golden gate bridge by the parking lot is out of this world, best view without much effort. Top Tips: 1) bring a change of clothes if your littles like to play in the water stream by the Tot Room or mud kitchen 2) free day every 2 months on the first Wednesday 3) weather can change very quickly. If your kids like to play outdoors, once it is sunny /less windy let them play outside! You'll never know when the wind or clouds come back!

I've been here several times with my family now and it's definitely a favorite of the kids! My boys, about 3 and 6, both have hours of fun here. The Wobbleland exhibit was a surprising favorite--it's just big foam foods to climb and play with, but it's the space they end up spending the most time in. When it's not crowded the space can be a good room for getting regulated for the kiddos (there's calm music playing too). My youngest loves the gravel and dump truck area; these guys really know their audience! My eldest loves the outdoor boat. Pro tip: if it's super windy but your little one wants to play on a boat there's also a nautical/boat area indoors, shared with the big train set. I'm taking off a star because the location really requires some indoor space for dining. The cafe is very small, so you can't have lunch there, and it's so windy often that the picnic area tends to be cold, windy and stressful to let your kids have their snacks there. I really think an indoor, or at least tucked away from the wind, area where the kids can eat would be nice. Maybe there is one and I haven't found it? Bring a warm layer because even on mild days that wind becomes an active part of the experience. Great place overall and we will definitely be back again and again!

I was just here today for a field trip with my school, and was nothing short of amazing! Madeleine and her staff, truly rolled out the red carpet for us, making us feel welcome, providing us everything we needed, from an area to have a picnic lunch and checking on us throughout us the day. This place is one of my favorite places for a school field trip. The only downside was that cafe wasn't open today for us to eat their yummy food!

Our kids love this place! They spend four hours there every week. I am highly recommended for any family!

My kid absolutely loves this place. Highly recommend anyone with kids to spend the day there. Bring a lunch so you don't have to wait in line to order and consequently wait for your food, cuz your kid will want to maximize play time. That said if you need to purchase food it's good. We usually stay till closing time which is 4pm. They have great activities for toddlers.

We've been members for a few years, and it's well-worth the affordable membership. Since we live on the north side of SF, it's just a quick drive across the GG Bridge for us, which means it's an every weekend option to keep the kids busy for a few hours. There's a great mix of indoor & outdoor spaces, and my twins (5 yo) and daughter (2.5 yo) are all able to find activities to stimulate both their brains and their bodies. The only knock I have is on their limited food options, but we mostly just end up bringing our own food. Also, the parking lot fills up early, so be prepared to walk a little if you're not here early on weekends; I'd suggest arriving no later than 10am or coming after 11am to pick off a spot opening up from early departures. B uy a membership - saves you $ after 3 visits! A ctivities for all ages of pre-teen kids D on't arrive between 10-11am if you like close parking M ediocre food, so bring your own lunch

This is probably one of the better toddler friendly museum with so much space and everything places neatly outdoors with a lot of focus on imagination and art. They have a beach area for some sensory sand play, play area, art exhibits and play, exploration, toddler imaginative play areas, decent food in the cafe and lots of picnic benches. Also, Clean restrooms and 2-3 diaper changing rooms well equipped with everything you need for that big task! The play structures are mostly for kids age 4+ so my 18-month old just watched them but he was fascinated with chalkboard and free chalks for messy art where mom did not have to clean up after. first wednesday is free day and wasn't too crowded. Do dress in layers

My husband took me and my toddler here for Mother's Day celebration this past weekend, and it's an amaaaazing place for toddlers. I would say the perfect age for this museum is between 10 months (or whenever your little one can at least stand on their own) to about 8. Any older than that, then I think the kids will probably get bored of the exhibits pretty quickly. However, I will add that there are some outdoor playground areas that would be perfect for those ages. One thing to note is to BRING A JACKET, even if the weather app tells you it's sunny. Boy did we regret not bringing a thicker jacket. Karl the fog is so much more intense on this side of the bridge... it was REALLY cold for us. Im thankful that I brought a sweater for my little one and she didn't mind the cold at all, but I was literally dying in my blazer + dress. We stayed in a lot of the indoor exhibits more since it's way warmer, but there's also some things to do in the outdoor areas as well. - There's a nursing station! I only happened to see one in one of the first rooms that you enter; unsure if there are more. - There's a room specifically for the littler ones, since there's a height requirement. My little toddler looooved it in there because she was able to bounce around and they had a mini slide (that she went on again and again and again). This is also the only carpeted room, and you have to take your shoes off. - This museum is incredibly interactive. There's truly something for every kiddo. -Since we came on a holiday weekend, it was PACKED. I overheard a parent saying their little one was stressed because they usually come when it's not as crazy here... so perhaps come on a weekday. -There is a little cafe, but we didn't order anything so I'm not sure what food they have.

Hard not to like a giant well thought out playland for kids with epic views of the Golden Gate Bridge. It does get super packed as you get into the late morning on weekends. Membership gets you in an hour early so that's another way to potentially enjoy the facilities with less crowds. Seemingly endless play areas that our toddler enjoyed and many for him to grow into over time so we'll be back for years to come. Loved the repurposed old ships our son enjoyed pulling the "crab pots" up and down on the working pulleys, also wondering on his own through multiple levels of the boat. Minus one star for having an online ticket purchase system, but then no super fast ticket scanning system at the door, the entry line was unnecessarily large and slow moving. Seems like it'd be an easy fix!

Great for the young ones. Sand box, water play, toddler room, pirate ship, dump trucks and a huge tree house for the older kids. Kids can spend hours here easily. Membership is totally worth it for an average size family. I would recommend bringing your own snacks and food since their cafe gets really busy during lunch time, especially on the weekends.

A fun and interactive place for kids that is mostly outdoors. Great views of the bridge! We went on a Sunday and it was pretty crowded. I wish there was a little more soft play at the Tot Spot though, it didn't seem like the safest place to plop my 8-month-old. Thankful that there is a Mother's room in the tot area, which is conveniently located. It is a bit small and didn't have much besides a rocking chair. A big tip is to dress in layers, it gets very cold! I'd like to take my kids again maybe when they're a little bit older and on a weekday!

My 2 y/o enjoyed this Museum so much, I am considering getting a membership! There's a variety of activities your LO can explore. Spend the entire day here. Bring food for the kiddo because he would not want to stop playing. They have one cafe there, but lines can be long. Also bring change of clothes, there's sand, water, clay all around. Come early, there's a lot of parking but it can get full fast. The best part? Spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge!

So awesome! It is toddler friendly kid friendly baby friendly and mom and dad friendly. They have so many different structures play rooms even for the infants. They have of breast-feeding stations. It was really awesome I loved going there little bit expensive but if you're in the military you and one child can get in free And I think you also get a discount if your AAA member but only a dollar lol. All of the different play stations that were indoors were open with ventilation lots of outside recreation ..... Beautiful views I just can't wait to go back! They did have an area where you could buy food but the line was a little long we brought picnic lunches and they had plenty of tables it was so nice.

This is one of our favorite spots for a morning with the kids, especially if there is no school. Our kids are 3 and 1, and they both get so much out of our visits. We have been members for 3 years, and we always visit more than enough times to make it worth it! Also, one of the big member benefits is that you are able to visit the museum beginning at 9am before general admission starts at 10am. This has been huge for us during COVID (and because I'm not a big fan of crowds anyway!) Since we became members, they have redone/updated several areas, and they are all incredible. The How it Works room shows the insides of pool tables, cars, and stoves (among other things). There is a fun car racing challenge. My little guy loves Tot spot, and it is nice to have an area dedicated to the little ones. The new Gumnut Grove is geared toward the older kids 5+, but even with this area, I still think this museum is best for kids under 6. Probably 1.5-5 is the sweet spot, in my opinion!

I was appalled at the Bay Area Discovery Museum employee who harassed the Park Police officer on the horse. Asking him why he was there and then telling him there's no guns allowed. Not only was the police officer there because his family was there but my kids LOVED seeing the horse and taking pictures with him! He IS A POLICE OFFICER!!! There to protect us and your employee was completely out of line and out of touch with reality!! Stop causing a divide!! We will NOT be going back to ANY place who treats people like that! And any company who allows it's employees to behave that unprofessionally! He made things unnecessary awkward and uncomfortable for us all!! Your employee! Not the nice police officer, who was down to earth and super kid friendly. That employee should be fired!

It's basically a place with several indoor and outdoor playgrounds. Strollers: I saw comments that say not to bring strollers. However, I think it's not a bad idea. You just leave it outside the buildings as you go from one to the next. It's not too bad There is one restaurant onsite and nothing else close by. Food was okay. I have had worse. Not many places to sit and have food. It was okay for a one time visit.

Took a field trip here and loved the view. The concept. The thoughtfulness in craft and felt like I was at a mini Disney park. Loved it