Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine

This children’s museum offers a ray of make believe, fun crafts and ways to get energy out. They have area for kids under the age of 8 and an area the lighthouse which is for 2yo and younger (meant for non crawlers). They have a small aquarium and huge water table area. Great place to go to in the winter. Downfalls, kids get soaked at the water table area even with apron on. Bring a change of clothes. The space is very tight so when busy no strollers can fit and you are on top of one another. Wish there was more space as it’s defiantly tight inside. Another downfall is you must pay to park. Communal area to put jackets and bags but no lockers. Very easy to steal belongings. Also no food or drink allowed so makes it difficult for the bottle kiddos.

We had a great time with our 2 and 4 year old, spending about 2 hours at the museum. Plenty of activities for the kids. They especially liked the dress up activities like fireman and doctor. The water play was super engaging and fun as well! We ended watching a theater show about making chowder. They had each kid in the audience participate in making the chowder. Thank you for the great experience!

Great attraction. My children, 8, 3.5, and .5 years, all had plenty to engage and enjoy. Beautiful, well-crafted exhibits. Favorite was water play area. Museum does excellent job provide both stimulating and reflective spaces on each floor. Baby and I enjoyed Seaside Cottage reading nook for quiet moments and a bottle feed. Appreciate nursing room also available although occupied at the time.

Order your tickets in advance for a certain part of the day. Our toddler was one of the younger ones but he still had a great time. 3 floors of things to do. Fairly crowded but they organize how many are inside at once so it's not too much. Space for strollers and outside things to do as well and parking is easy enough. Nice views of the back back of Portland I believe and right next to the Thompson's Point area where bands play. Highly recommend.

It’s small, but it’s a fun place to take the kiddos, cool little water fountain area on the upper level where you can put raincoats on & go nuts! .. Best for 10 yrs & younger.

Took my son today he is 9 and he has so much fun! He especially liked the water area and the tubes.

Our 7-year-old daughter absolutely loved this place and begged to come back the next day. If you visit, be prepared to do a lot of standing around because there's not many places for an adult to sit, but the kiddos love it! The only disappointment was the theater show, which was sold out days in advance.

We came from Boston to explore new places. For small city as Portland, this childrens museum is great. No buffet, but they have snack area at first floor. So take your lunch with yourself. I was surprised to see outdoor playground in the territory of museum. Its safe for baby from 12 months. so overall impression is good, we liked this museum.

Attended my first adults only "After Dark" Halloween party! Wasn't sure what to expect, we had a BLAST! Hubby went as Big Foot and I his "Game warden". There was music playing as we walked up and people milling about before heading in. Check in was super easy, a map given to navigate the building and a stamp card to make stops at stations on each floor. Bars on every floor but specialty drinks is available only on the first floor. Acquired two beverages and we were off and running. First stop was buffet with an assortment of snacks including nacho bar, fresh fruit and vegetables table, and hot apps. The lighting here was BLINDING, only down point of whole experience and not worth lowering the rating. Next stop was Photo Booth as well as others asking for pictures with Big foot :) Went to second floor and found the candy bar and got our first stamp. Back down to first floor for another drink and to get our seats for the drag show. The theater filled up quickly and at the end was standing room only. The show started with high energy and happiness. Sadly, I did not use the facilities prior to sitting down so we had to leave early. Which was fine as it allowed someone standing to have a seat. Back to second floor as the water room! What a FUN time we had and thankful we didn't get soaked. Up to the third floor with DJ pretzels and meat pies for snacks. More interactive exhibits were masked making, critter in the dark finding, outdoor play set and more! Met up with a fellow Yelper who was also having an amazing time. A pretzel and some dancing to end our night at the museum. Got all of our stamps and were rewarded with our choose of two prizes. Entered a few raffles to help support the museum as well. Will definitely join in again in the future. Thank you for having us

Fun place for kids with multiple levels and rooms for kids to be kids. I share the same issue that I see some others have said.. everytime we visit my kids are sick the next day. We are in month 2 of our regrettably paid annual membership. Have been around 10 times or more, and both of my kids became sick the next day. Although, they claim to use "CDC standard" cleaning or hospital grade to sanitize and use a cleaning serving at night... something isn't adding up. I wish I could get a refund. Because we can't go back.

Plenty of hands on exhibit for kids to enjoy. They can pretend to be everything from firefighters to doctors, and train engineers to chefs and fisherman. Enjoy live musical performances with your children, as well as a hands-on aquarium exhibit on the third floor. Expect the kids to get wet, use up a lot of energy and sleep well that evening. The building itself is lively, vibrant new and well-maintained. Lots of natural lighting, and I regularly saw staff walking around, ensuring everything was clean. It is well worth a diversion if you have kids, age 12 and under.

It is a blast for kids and for grandparents. My grandson loves it there and to see him smiling and laughing makes it all worth it. Easy parking on site but you must pay. Check the signs. Beautiful inside and outside options for kids and you can take a break with lunch. There is a hallway along the 2nd floor which runs front to back. So watch your kiddo as they can easily leave a section that you think is a dead end. But security is greet and I was embarrassed.

We loved this museum! Our trip to Maine was quite rainy at times, and we were looking for things to do in the Portland area to entertain our young children. The museum can get very crowded, so arrive earlier in the day if possible. There is no food or drink allowed throughout, and I cannot recall seeing a spot to buy snacks and such on the grounds. We did go earlier and the children had a great time playing with the red ear slider (turtle), pretend play, and of course the water room. Bring an extra change of clothes and shoes to change into after the water room. There is also an arts and craft room with plenty of activities and art stations to interact with. Again, it's a tight space, so try to arrive early. Watch out for large school groups or you may get overrun like we did. The kids don't mind but for the adults, there are minimal places to sit and watch the children play, and tight spaces mean it is harder for adults to also fit into the areas.

Wonderful fun for children - our grandsons are having a blast during a busy vacation week visit. Lots to do for toddlers as well as their older siblings!

I was here when it was closed for a work volunteer event, however we had the privilege of a private tour. It is an amazing learning and fun center. Wow, just wow. It's bright it's open, and just looks like an amazing place to learn and have fun. I never went to the older location, however, I did drive by it several times. While I did hear good things about it, the location was not very appealing to our family. The new location is fabulous, only "downside" is pay for parking. But there is plenty of parking as long as there aren't conflicting events in the neighboring businesses. This is a very interactive experience for the kids with cute take aways. There is an awesome climbing wall, there is a tiny house exhibit, they have live shows, they have a water life room, where there are opportunities to interact with starfish. I can't wait to take my niece and nephew here. I highly recommend - the staff is amazing, you and your family will want to return for sure!

I want to love this museum, and mostly I do... but none of my family have ever visited without getting sick afterward. It looks and feels hygienic... but clearly there's a bit of an issue, since this has happened too often to be a coincidence (we had membership for a year and went often) whereas it's not something that's happened at other similar museums such as the Children's Museums in Dover, NH or Boston, MA. We've decided not to renew our membership because of this. Aside from that one - major - issue, I do love the museum. It has a great range of areas, daily activities, can be a good place to meet other parents, and the theater is a great opportunity for kids.

The museum is very large with many options for all ages 0-12ish. The 13 year old with us did not have as many options but still enjoyed herself. The staff was friendly. I highly recommend the markerplace for arts and crafts and the light room! Everything seemed pretty clean especially the bathrooms. The major downfall is the price, $64 for a family of 4, plus the tacky pay to park, is a bit absurd.

A must visit when in Portland, Maine. This might be one of the best children museums we've ever been to. Our son had the best day ever and even the adults enjoyed themselves. The museum is three floors of fun. They have so much to do and it's hard to get it all done in one day. It's even harder to get your toddler to leave the museum after hours of fun. If we lived in Maine we would surely get a membership but for now we will make it a effort to come again when visiting. The first floor has a outside playground and a inside play area. The second floor is absolutely amazing with all types of creative role play for kids spanning between a train, vet office, fire truck and even a boat. They have a safe, padded baby area. There is also a musical area and a arts and crafts room where they have scheduled activities. For the third floor they have a huge water area for kids to play. A science room with creative engineering for kids like a stop motion camera and a light up wall. This floor also offers a aquarium with real underwater creatures. The entire museum is incredible and there's just so much to see. My son is 3 1/2 and he had a blast. I also appreciated their regulation of mask with hand sanitizer readily available. 5/5 stars for a fun day for kids of many ages.

Love, love, love this museum! We had questions prior to our visit and the staff were so patient and kind. Day of our visit staff were so welcoming, cheerful, positive, and patient with our littles. This museum is so fun, clean, spacious, welcoming, diverse, and includes activities for all ages and abilities(so no one feels left out). We would definitely buy a membership if we lived here. Thank you to all the staff at Children's Museum!!

For literal years - maybe close to a decade - I've been asking the Children's Museum to host an adults-only party. One with food, and cocktails, and (most importantly) getting to play with all the exhibits like a little kid. And *finally* they have delivered! I hadn't been to the new location at Thompson's Point (... I don't have children and that's kind of a requirement), but got to check it out for their first After Dark event (it was a 21+ Halloween themed soiree). And it was literally eveeeeerrrrrrrything I was hoping for: costumes, "festive elixirs", snacks that varied from donuts to empanadas to fancy pretzels, fun house music playing, trick or treating, silent horror films, a scavenger hunt, the opportunity to play with and play on literally everything... yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes. I hope they start doing this more! (Side note: after the event they sent out a survey asking if they should do it again - YES - and what the theme should be [I voted for Valentine's Day], but TBH I think no matter what the Children's Museum does moving forward for adult only events, I'll be there. It was genuinely an awesome date night.) Some notes... 1. Maddy's Theater (apparently the oldest continuously operating children's theater in the nation) is *such* a comfortable space. The seating is arranged in a crescent (and tiered) so there's no bad place to see the screen or stage. It just feels incredibly warm; can a theater feel like a hug? This one does. 2. There's a walking stone labyrinth outside, and it reminded me of ones I've come across in England and... I don't know, we walked it at night and while it was simple, it was really special. 3. The Indoor Climbing Adventure: crawling on my hands and knees like a little mouse through a maze? FUN! 4. From the Mountains to the Sea: perfection. Getting to see fish and learn about which aquatic habitat they would be found at right here in Maine? I think those educational pieces are so important to help kiddos feel connected to the land. 5. I made a stop animation film of plastic animals dancing then rushing the camera, and it's probably the best piece of art I've ever made since sixth grade. 6. THEY HAVE A CAMERA OBSCURA. If you've never experienced the mind-bending nature of one - GO SEE IT. 7. Go With The Flow: an exhibit that features two water work tables full of activities like cranks and dams and swirling vortexes. It's wet and messy fun. And, really, we (adults) all need more play in our lives. And that was SOOOOOO evident with a building full of adults laughing and making new friends and learning and creating and exploring in safe space. TY Children's Museum for doing this, I think it's really so much more impactful than you might realize.

This made for a phenomenal Saturday outing with my niece and nephew. My husband and I took the 10 and eight year old to the children's museum and spent about 90 minutes inside going through their exhibits. I loved to see the exhibit for the small children being so focused on mean. The down Easter, the jet port, a big fire truck, it was lovely how they worked our beautiful state into this section. The black bird exhibit was vibrant bold colors in a adored the little reading nook an interactive screen. I got a flat my arms like a bird and excited me a far more than excited the kids. The water exhibit was a huge hit! It was fun to watch the balls fly up to the sky on a stream of water and then get whisked around a small track to be sucked down words by a tornado of water. Even though we watched from the sidelines we had such a great time seeing how it all worked together. By far the best part for me was the light exhibit. A huge interactive light bright wall made for so much fun! We stood back and let the kids play for a while but once we had the opportunity we jumped in re-organizing all of the pegs into so many different shapes and eventually creating a giant rainbow across the board. It was a blast! Outside was a fun playground area with a stand pit in jungle gym, I really enjoyed looking at the vegetation and learning about the watershed. Will be looking for updates to exhibit and bring the niece and nephew back whenever we possibly can. Such a great addition to Thompson point!

Visiting from Canada and this was our first Children's museum and we were not disappointed at all! My 3.5 year old son had a blast! This place was so well thought out and clean. So many staff to help out and 3 floors of fun to encourage kids to explore and be creative! I wish there was a place like this near my house because if I lived closer I would definitely buy a membership to bring my kids all the time. They had a nice nursing nook on the second floor. My hubby and I enjoyed our time there as well. This was one of the highlight of our road trip for sure!

In town for vacation and this was greta for a rainy day. I will say every single other parentheses a kid under 10 thought the same as it was CROWDED. Like, insanely crowded. Everyone who works here is super friendly and nice, it's incredibly clean for kids every which way you turn, and it's affordable too.

We've been here three times since they opened and have loved it every time. Our kids are 4.5 and 1.5. We usually go for 90 minutes at a time, which is a good amount for our kids but you could definitely spend 3 hours if your kids have the stamina. Lots of fun "exhibits". Bring spare clothes/shoes for the (indoor) water play area if your kids are on the younger side--our toddler got totally drenched.

It's a great option to have an area for all families to go and spend a few relatively affordable hours letting the little ones blow off steam. What really impresses me about this museum is how beautiful the building is particularly the outside. We go all the time and we will continue to go

Visited today with 3 yo. Totally overcrowded! Not well planned out, very confusing. No comparison to the quality stimulation of The Children's Museum in Dover, NH. Exhibits were underwhelming and low quality. Very disappointed

My partner and I brought my niece and nephew (ages 7 and 5). They both were thoroughly entertained, although loving different areas. The exhibits are really great quality, unique, engaging, while encouraging creative play and learning. There's something for all interests, especially if your kids like pretend play. We were fortunate because that particular day they offered a shark tooth talk and my nephew is a huge shark lover! The giant Lite Brite and touch tank were also a hit. We were given a 3 hour block to spend there and it was the perfect amount of time. Despite how amazing it was, I had to dock a star due to the price for adults, no areas where food is allowed, and the water play area where my niece took a hard fall due to their design. - The cost is $15 per person, kids AND adults. For the 4 of us to go we paid $60. Because it was so crowded, as it was winter break, there wasn't even room for parents to be able to participate their kids in activities so I questioned what I was even paying for. Maybe consider half-price for adults? - No food or drink (besides water) was allowed anywhere. I COMPLETELY understand no food or drink in exhibit spaces and luckily ate prior, but can see instances where parents would appreciate a small picnic type area where snacks are allowed. (Note to parents, they also don't sell any on site. There is food in the building across the parking lot, however.) - The water exhibit! First of all, so fun and all the kids love it BUT parents, know that your kids are going to get soaked! Consider saving it for last or bringing a change of clothes. Second, and most important, the floor is not like those splash pad type materials. It is hard, slippery flooring that is even slipperier when wet and the "slippery when wet" signs don't prevent anything when it comes to small children. With so many kids in the space, my niece was pushed while another kid was trying to get through and bruised both her knees when she fell on the wet floor. This is one area an update should definitely happen as the risk of injury is high. Overall, though, we had a great time and I highly recommend checking out, especially during the winter months!

The staff is wonderful and the entire place is super clean. I went with my 4 and 6 year old and they both had a blast, when I asked them which area was their favorite they said "all of them!"

Amazing staff and a beautiful and clean facility. If you can find Colin at the aquarium touch tank you hit the jackpot. He is amazing with the kids and knows so much about the animals and the facilities.

I took my six year old here and she had the best time! What was particularly noteworthy was the Makerspace area where she spent 45 minutes at the workbench exploring real tools. The employees (Joey and Caroline) who were working with her were so engaged and patient as they explained how to safely use each tool. It was such a sweet and unique experience. We look forward to going back again in the future.

This was a great way for my son to get out some energy before our flight home. We only spent an hour here but wish we would've spent more. When you pay they give you the stamp of the day on your hand (it was a dinosaur for us.) The $11.50 price tag to enter the museum is pretty steep. $11.50 per adult and $11.50 per child over 18 months. I, as a parent, would not visit this museum if I did not have my child (hence the name CHILDREN'S museum) so I don't see why parents have to pay, and so much. Admission is all day so I guess if we stayed longer I wouldn't mind footing the bill, but it's still a lot. The 1st Friday of each month they do offer $2 admission, but unfortunately we visited on the last Friday. So for my family (3 of us) we paid almost $40 for this small museum. I can't imagine larger families coming here. Anywho, after we got past the admission we had a good time. They have this really cool room to the right of the entrance with balls and innovative ways to use the balls. There's a tube similar to the one at a bank drive thru where you put the balls up and it goes through a pipe maze throughout the room and ends up in a bucket. That was my fave. They also have a little roller coaster for balls, which needs to be fixed. There are 3 floors to this museum and we only made it to floor 1. The first floor has a large fire truck with things to interact with, a play area for ages 2 & under, slides, area to feed a cow bales of hay, a model car where you can put gas in and push the gas pedal, and an Am"bear"lance. On the other floors they offer different shows and science experiments every hour. There's also a gift area by the admission desk where you can purchase toys and souvenirs like shirts and fire hats. Wish we could've stayed longer to experience everything.

I made a last minute decision to come here when I was visiting Portland and it was forecasted to rain one day. It ended up being sunny all day but I do not regret coming at all! I brought my 14 month old son and he had a blast! He was able to enjoy most of the exhibits and spent the whole 3 hours playing. His favorite area was the ball and water exploration. Toddlers under 18 months are free which is an added bonus and I love the current reservation system so you know it won't be overly crowded when you arrive. They have a great outdoor area with a large sandbox and playground. My son was a bit young for the climbing structure, but he enjoyed playing in the sandbox. If I am ever in Portland, we will definitely visit again!

Lots of stairs, but lots of fun! We didn't manage to hit a theatre show --- and our group's still a little young for that anyways --- but the infant & toddler play area had some good ramps, the woodsy section had a fascinating pond and bridge, and some of the tree-house-ish structures were big hits. Our 11-month-old was a little alarmed by the spaceship simulator, but that's to be expected; she did OK in the fire truck. The special exhibit was on Vietnam, especially the Vietnamese new year (Tet); lots of interesting kitchen implements, but a surprisingly bare alter that seemed to be missing pieces. This is a smallish, tallish space --- figure on significant elevator or stair time. Definitely a hit, we'll be back next time we're in the area.

Our two young girls were enthralled here, and we will likely be back on a future visit. For a children's museum they really go the extra mile. First, location is everything, right along Congress and next to the main museum. We had some great meals right before and after our visit, and there is a lot to do around the museum to make it a day. Second, the staff during our visit was superb. There were live animal experiences and other programming throughout the day that provided a lot of variety. The staff were good at communicating with kids. You might think that is a necessary qualification for an employee but in my experience that is not always the case. Finally the rooms themselves are glorious. Three floors and tons of nooks and crannies. I won't go into detail about them all but they go beyond kids toys into unique experiences custom designed. Very well done. Bottom line if you have kids this place rocks. They even have hand sanitizer all over the place, which makes parents feel more at ease.

We were looking for something to do to get our seven year old's energy taken care of, so we took her here on our trip to Portland. She liked all the exhibits, specifically the fire engine, complete with dress up, and the space shuttle. On our way out, she said it was a fun place but probably for kids younger than her. We noticed that while we were there too, seeing many younger children and their families. It also seemed priced a bit much for what we got out it. A membership would go a long way to cutting down the per visit cost for families that fit this destination.

Our two children, 1 and 3, are a little bit young for what most of this museum has to offer it seems. There is a infant and toddler area with toys and padded mats, which both of them have enjoyed. We look forward to taking them again and again and introducing them to new things, particularly I think the science programs and the theater. Staff is super friendly.

We were very unimpressed with this children's museum. The wait was extremely long, it wasn't staffed adequately to move people with one person checking people in and also trying to manage purchases from the gift store. We would not return.

Dudesssss yaasssss. As we enter toddlerdom in this house, the Children's Museum has become a fave place. They have a toddler park that is open and limited to those who are still a little wobbly on their feet. It's fully padded, has lots of levels and things to climb on, and feels like a little sanctuary for my 15 month old. But he also likes the other exhibits! The big cow! The grocery store! The fire truck! The current play space with all the big build-it-yourself structures. We have a family pass now and we'll be going weekly I think. It's a great place to go any time of year and if you go during lunch time, it's fairly quiet! SO PSYCHED this exists in Portland. YAY!

The Price is OK for kids. It costs $10 per person. This means, adults have to pay $10 to watch their child play/ interact. it really should cost anything for the adults, or if you charge, at least charge a couple of bucks. The exhibits are neat. The kids enjoyed themselves, the fire truck exhibit is pretty cool an they have dress up clothes to go along with it. I honestly think the kids had fun but it really bothered us that parents have to pay as much as the kids price AND you have to pay for parking on top of that.

This is a really cool place! I took my two year old and she was super entertained. It wasn't busy at all which made it more enjoyable for us, as our daughter is fairly shy. The science part with the balls was probably my favorite along with the theater downstairs. I can see returning here quite often as we didn't get to explore everything before we had to go.

This place was fantastic for my toddler! The many different areas of play kept her excited and engaged. The best part was that the entire facility was clean! The toys were clean and the bathrooms were clean. I was very impressed and pleased. We will definitely be making regular visits here.

My daughter loves this place and has been visiting since before she could walk (there's an area just for toddlers.) In addition to its normal exhibits, the museum offers special learning and play events. We recently learned about lobsters and painted a lobster buoy that is now hanging in my daughter's room. We visit at least a couple of times a month. The staff are some of the friendliest people you'll meet. Especially Lilly who facilitates many of the special events and who my daughter adores. The museme does have one major draw back: disabled parking. There's only one disabled parking spot for both the Children's Museum and the Art Museum next door. If you have difficulties walking, a visit to these otherwise wonderful museums may not be in the cards. Parking for abled people can be obtained on High and Free street and at a parking garage on Free Street that's about a block away.

The staff at this museum are very kind and they do their best to keep the place organized and clean up after the children, but the museum itself is very worn and tired and in need of a renovation. Paint is chipping, certain areas are just outdated, and the basement bathrooms are downright gross. I know museums operate on a limited budget and this is not the fault of the employees, but someone should scout some community members to raise money so that this museum can get the makeover it truly deserves. For over $30 for our family to spend just about an hour here, it was a bit steep. The toddler/baby area is definitely not worth the price of admission. There's no snack bar, no real educational guidance, and the place just looks tired and worn.

Wonderful. So much for my five-year-old to explore with complete freedom. I wish we had something like this where I live in Florida. Note - I don't know if it's allowed or not, but lots of people brought their own snacks and ate them downstairs. I would have done this if I'd known. My daughter was super jealous - luckily someone offered her a banana.

Second visit here. Happy to see that exhibits were changed and updated, so nobody was bored! It's a must for anyone with kids visiting Portland. Very interactive and the staff is great if you are involved in an activity or storytime while you're there. We caught "turtle time" and "nature painting". We've always gone on a weekday between opening and noon, so the crowd hasn't been large, but I imagine weekends or after 4pm when its half price night be full! There's a AAA discount of 10%, and once you are in and get a hand stamp you can exit and return!

As good as it gets! Our Maine vacation is over & my son is still asking to go back to the Children's Museum in Portland. We have a membership to a children's museum in CT & with the ACM admission was half off their regular $9 which is a good deal. Plus the day we went also granted us admission to the Portland Art Museum next door which we took advantage of. This place is awesome. Lots of hands on stuff for kids of all ages to do. I love how they sneak in little bits of information around all the cool stuff for the kids. It gives the older kids a better appreciation for what they're doing & makes it interesting for the adults too. My son's favorite exhibit was definitely the mini Whole Foods section. He also loved the space ship too. It's not a real space ship but close enough for a 4 year old with an imagination who wants to go to the moon. The museum was good sized but not overwhelming. We went right at 10am & it filled up quickly but we spent almost 2 hours here & my son wasn't happy when we had to leave for lunch. Definitely check this place out, our family can't wait to go back.

Pretty much the best place ever for stir crazy moms and their toddlers! Babies under 18 months are free, and as soon as we hit that milestone, we became members which is an insanely awesome deal. We end up here at least once every other week. The padded toddler park is one of my favorite areas because it is fenced in and my fast, stealthy (he thinks he is, anyway) 1.5 year old is contained. He loves the fire truck, the phone inside the ambulance, and the LL Bean river stream exhibit, because, hello? Splashing! He's also pretty fond of the nearby electric hand dryer to dry his hands. I know right? Toddlers! We haven't yet tried the new outdoor space because it's been winter, but I'm sure that will be a hit as well! They really need to update the car exhibit, though, in my opinion. It'd be awesome to see an electric car or something in its place!

I feel this is one of the best gems we have in Portland for a rainy day! Lots of things to do with lovely creative staff! Always a guaranteed entertaining memorable time! And a good place to make new friends and meet old friends at for an indoor day of play! We enjoy seeing what activities they have planned for the day and joining in with them and they're fun creative play! Kids enjoy coming home with treasures they have created to show off!;). Thanks to Brittany and the whole museum staff;)

Wonderful experience for our little man. In a trip filled of experiences meant for mom and dad, this was a little respite for the boy. At 1 1/2 years old there were plenty of activities he could enjoy.

This is a great place for children 6 months on up! Most of their exhibits are interactive so the children are busy while learning. I was looking for a place to take my infant, and this is it! The hours are really good, open daily from 8-5pm so this is definitely a place to take you kids any day of the week. The pricing is quite reasonable with family membership options.

Not really sure this place is a Museum per se, but more of a 3 floor play space. There's a few live animal exhibits like fish tanks and turtles and a bee hive, and some places for the kids to climb around like slides and tree houses. It's a good way to kill an hour or two on a rainy day.

Great experience very clean great for kids lots of exploring to do and great for learning, great location. I like that it is very hands on experiance. Defitently a place from toddlers to about 7 years pld in my opinion any age higher they might be bored.

The Children's Museum of Maine is warm, welcoming, and brimming with things for kiddies to do, as well as for kiddies and their adults to do together. There's programs and shows, nooks and crannies to explore, and something for kids of all ages. I thought I'd seen it all, and then realized there's a whole floor I hadn't seen! It's not spic and span, but considering it's swarming with kids all day every day, I'll cut them some slack. Overall, it's a great place to stop in for an hour or so, or to spend an entire afternoon. I'm very glad we have this place in Portland!

Aside from my fear of germs, this place is great. My almost 2 year old son loves the baby/toddler playspace and what's not to love about a padded room? It's safe and fun for younger kids and I don't have to worry about him getting knocked over by the older kids. He loves the fan in the middle and could spend hours (literally) putting scarves on top of the fan and watching them blow. The other area that he loves is the stream upstairs. What kid doesn't like playing in water? He inevitably ends up soaking wet but has a great time. While this isn't the largest children's museum, there is definitely enough to keep younger children occupied for a while.

Great museum for toddlers & babies! So many activities and learning environments for them to see, touch, play and learn.

I visited this museum with a group of girl friends and we had the greatest time. You think this place is just for kids? Well, you're right. It's great for kids both big and small! We had an awesome time playing with all of the interactive exhibits ourselves while little ones ran around us. We felt right at home among them. My favorite part of the museum was the Camera Obscura show. I don't care how old you are, you will enjoy this show, period. The museum has a massive camera lens at the top of the building that shows you a live view of the everything going on outside of the building. I honestly cannot do the show justice with words here. If you find yourself in Portland and can make it down to the museum, please find some time to take in the show, okay?

Took our son daughter in law and grand-daughter here. So much fun. She is 2 years old and we could have spent 8 hours here, seriously fun. Programs, a big fire truck, a grocery store with an ATM that dispenses ply money, a whale display, a jungle tree you can climb, a touch tide pool...WOW! I could go on and on...this place ROCKS for kids of ALL ages.... It brought out the kid in me, loved that fire truck!!