Explora Science Center and Children's Museum of Albuquerque

We love Explora, I have came for field trips and just to visit and we always enjoy it! My girls had a birthday party here and it was fantastic! They decorated the room beautifully and the experiment they had the kids do was so cute and fun! I highly recommend birthday parties there, it made it so easy and our party host was so helpful and sweet as well as our leads that did the experiment with the kids.

Brought our 8 and 6 year old boys. Haven’t been here since they were 5 and 3, but they still loved it! Super interactive. They stayed in the same sections forever. We were there for about 2 hours. Could have stayed longer, but we were hangry. Not too crowded for a Saturday on a holiday weekend.

So much to explore! I went in with a group of children from my work and everyone left happy and wanting to stay longer! There are areas where children can enjoy for hours. Everything is clean especially the restrooms. I will be going back soon. Thank you for your warm welcome. We were running late and the girl upfront gave us a bit more time to explore.

I am newly 28 years old and man...what a blast I had here. There is so much to do, so many fun cool hands-on activities everywhere you turn here. All for $11 too???? I probably spent 3 whole hours here, and I could have stayed for another 3. In terms of hours of fun per dollar spent this is an incredible value. If you're in any way remotely interested in fun interactive sciencey things, this is a must-stop in Albuquerque. While many of the exhibits offer straightforward instructions, plenty of them offer the opportunity for you to apply yourself and learn by trial-and-error, especially the electrical and pneumatic circuits which were a very rewarding challenge to figure out. I visited on a weekend, and it was pretty busy, but I never had to wait more than a few minutes to check out the next fun activity. This is a very kid-friendly environment, so expect lots of families with little ones running around and touching everything, but there's plenty of hand sanitizer located throughout the experiences for those concerned about such things. Only note I really have is more than a few "exhibits" are pretty well-loved, to the point of only being semi- or even non-functional, which was a little bit disappointing at times, but for the price of admission and overwhelming number of experiences in great working order I was fully satisfied by the end. Oh and make sure to take the elevator when you go upstairs!

We loved it here. Spent about 3-4 hours here and still felt like we could have done more. The only reason we left was to eat. There is a small cafe like area in there. Plenty of things to explore and it wasn't expensive compared to many other museums we've visited. We will make this a frequent place to visit whenever we come to Albuquerque.

Fun and exciting space for my toddlers to run around and burn some energy this summer. Engaging and plenty to do and see for a variety of ages. Loved the outdoor space, water tables, playground, and tree swing.

A well thought out experience for all ages. Great, interactive exhibits on kinetics, light, sound, electricity, magnetism, optical illusions, and more. Some of the exhibits were showing a little wear, but everything worked. Very affordable, don't miss this if your in yhe area. Allow 2 plus hours at least.

Fun outing for families. Lots of hands-on activities to interest kids and parents. Outdoor options when weather is nice. Small Cafe with vegan and gluten-free options marked

You cannot go wrong coming they have something for everyone and pretty much all ages! Great outdoor spaces too and little park, outdoor water play during the warmer months and so many cool activities inside. The trains are a huge hit for my son. They have a dangerous but fun little gift shop at the front. Parents you know what I mean. They also have a café that has a great selection of kid friendly food choices, and caffeinated beverages for parents! But you do not have to have kids to enjoy all they have to offer it truly is fun for all ages!

I wanted to update this review after years of attending Explora, but recently having our wedding at the venue. Everything was so well coordinated by Kena and his team. We didn't have to worry about alternative plans if the weather shifted, he worked to ensure our vendors for catering, cake, DJ, and Bar were situated and provided a map for them. My guests all raved about how fun our wedding was and that it truly felt like us. Being able to play and explore in a museum was the highlight for many people. I would recommend this venue to anyone looking to host a part whether work or personal.

Explora is a great and fun place to bring your kids. Everyone is nice and helpful. The place is mostly clean and there's lots to do. There were times the A/C was broken, which made it miserably hot. Our favorite areas are the room with the building blocks and balls, and the bubbles area.

I'm going to review three aspects of my visit to Explora. They have occasional adult nights, and I attended last evening, Nov 15. The staff is very friendly and efficient, the ticket price was reasonable. The event included a cash bar with Sheehan wines and a special booth by enchanted Farms. The museum has many displays to visit and is a hands-on experience. Tonight there was live guitar and vocal music by Jamie Harrison , an outstanding local musician. I stopped into their coffee shop and had organic fries with mayo on the side. They were very tasty. Taken together this is a five star experience. Site that focuses on educating children and families on science, deserves an extra star. Wish I could give one!

10/06/2024. This place is awesome had time to kill before we headed out of town back home. This place is amazing for both kids and adults! So many different science experiments. Wind, water, vibration. I was surprised. I wish we had one of these in my area of Texas. Friendly staff.

This is a fun indoor attraction for toddler to enjoy with family of all ages. They have several STEM activities for children and adults. They offer discount for students and military which is a plus. It has two story building that has various activities. There is a step areas that children can play with water. Be aware some little ones will splash water so bring your child another set of clothes. The staff is super friendly and nice. Definitely a place you must go at least once. The place is spacious and clean inside. The also have a nursing room on the second floor.

A fantastic hands-on science/children's museum in Albuquerque that accepts ASTC reciprocal memberships! We especially loved the music/sound exhibits and were delighted by the display of lovely carved wooden automatons. Definitely our favorite kids/science museum after the Exploratorium in San Francisco!

I thought this would be a good outing for my 4 year old granddaughter so we purchased tickets for Toddler Time 9-11 am. I had never been to Explora before but I had heard good things about it. She had fun with the bubble room, the music section, the train and the outdoor water play but other than that it was kind of over her 4 year old head. I was surprised at the number of exhibits that gave absolutely zero direction as to how it worked or what my toddler could do to discover it. I saw a few employees, four at the administration desk and two walking around, but no one offered any sort of direction.

Really lovely, clean, well organized space. Lots of fun surprises around corners. We liked the bubble space best. It is a bit beat up, missing parts and instructions. A refurbishment time would benefit, but it's so inexpensive to visit I get why it's not all sparkly. Fun gift shop.

An amazing interactive museum with many exhibits based on "STEAM" ideas ( science, technology,engineering, art, math). Although it is a great place for children to learn and explore, people of any age will find it amusing and fun!

Great for all ages! Explora is located in the heart of Old Town and near Interstate 40; plenty of parking spaces available. Explora welcomes adults too, not just the kids. I don't have a small child but still went for my adult outing at this interactive museum. Explora was being renovated (at my time of visit), but looks like it is going to be even more beautiful with many areas and things for all kids to do. Explora offers ntellectual concepts, imaginative play and physical activities. I found it to be clean, staff walking around and there are just great activities to explore. I did not utilize the playground outside but it looked like fun. Inexpensive, fun, and not too busy if you have a 10:00am timed entry ticket. Would go again! Enjoy...

Fun day with my granddaughters at Explora! Attended a 2-hour birthday party with family. We catered our own meal with Pizza and cake. Staff was friendly. Parking is plentiful. I'm not sure on the price of admission.

I brought Thing One here today. While Thing One is an avid reader, he is also a lover of science. This is a place that allows younger and older kids interact with the different scientific displays and allows those kiddos who are both visual and reading comprehension adaptive learners to get something out of this place. Thing One is a "tell, show, do" type of learner so this place was ideal for him. #supportstem

Kids are still on vacation from school until tomorrow, so the perfect way to spend the day today was to come to the Explora Museum. They did a ribbon cutting ceremony to the new section is not open yet to the public. Looking forward to that. So many Hans on activities to do. The kids love the craft room and all the water activities. We have played with all the bubble activities, the giant blue building blocks, the hands on drawing machines and more. Too short to get harnessed and ride the bike through the air. Maybe try again in 2 years. We will be back.

This place was awesome. 5 of us got in for maybe $40 and spent hours there. We have done dozens of these places, but Explora was one of the better ones. There were areas for gravity, air pressure, light, music, bubbles, water, crafting, animals, and more. They had some turtles and an axolotl! There is a water fountain you can control with laminar bursts. There was also a small store. I recommend this for anyone with kids. The exhibits were great to play in and worked for all ages.

My grandchildren and I had a wonderful time, we spent the entire day interacting with all the different programs at explora.

As you may or may not know, I'm a scientist. So science museums, natural history museums and the like are things I really enjoy. And I've been to a lot of them. I really like Explora because it is good for all ages, from toddlers to teens, and even adults. There are activities that can be informative and fun for all. I came here with a friend and her two kids of 10 and 12. We only had a little over an hour to go through the place before they closed, but we really managed to see quite a lot. Two hours would have been good to see it all, but longer would have been ideal to really learn some stuff. The older the kids, the longer you should take. There are activities for almost any interest, from electronics to aerodynamics to electricity to light to physics and much more. I didn't see a ton of biology or chemistry, which would have been nice, but maybe in the future. This is a really fun place for all ages, with a lot of very knowledgeable staff. Absolutely worth the cost of admission!!

Explora is a great place for all kids of all ages. My 5 yr old daughter loves this place! She just runs and runs all around and is totally worn out afterwards, which is good for me. They are also expanding and now have added a large outside area for kids to explore.

Normally I Love this place. But today the heat was broke , or so we were told. That place was an oven!!! They should have given us the option of coming in. And maybe even opened all the doors, It was miserable and we could only lay stay for about an hour. It was my granddaughter's first time and we really couldn't enjoy it. Very disappointing

Amazing! We stopped through on our way to California from Texas and it was better than the Perot! We're homeschoolers and have a variety of ages in our family (11, 8, and 2) and there was more to do than we had time for. Gotta check out the top floor for the blocks to assemble (like life size), the bubble floor (this was our whole family's favorite!!!), and the sound exhibits/amphibious animals ticket away in the back.

So this just sucks! Looks like this place is in construction and all of the inside activities are closed. There was nothing on the website stating that they were in construction on the interior part was closed, the outside is open but you have to reserve in order to use the outside portion. I brought my three-year-old with me on this trip thought this place would be great, unfortunately she had a full on meltdown once they told me I couldn't go in!! UGH!

Incredible, and seemingly goes on forever. Be sure to check everything out. Your kid could spend all day there. The best and biggest children's museum we have been to.

Tonight we attended Adult Night at Explora and it was the best date night we have ever had! It was so much fun! The band was amazing and there was just so much to do! We have gone to so many events before at different locations only to get bored quickly and leave within half an hour. Tonight we looked at the clock and were shocked to see that 3.5 hours had passed and we were still having so much fun! There are so many interactive things to do at Explora! And everything is simple enough for a child yet engaging enough to be fun for adults. Want to fly an airplane? You can literally make one fly! Want to ride a two story bike on a tight rope? Do it! Interested in going up an elevator that fits an entire furnished living room? This is the place! It's so much fun that you won't even realize you are learning! The Adult Nights, however, are truly something special! There is live music and food trucks. Tonight we even saw a live owl and hawk as well as created St. Patty's Day crafts. This was our first Adult Night and we will definitely be attending them in the future!

Go go go and just keep going!! What a great find and although we've already been 3 times now in less than a month and half, it just keeps getting better. We opted for the annual family pass - and a little tip - it's good for 6 at one time and anyone can use it, even if you're present to accompany them. There's also other locations throughout the US as well where your membership is valid. Winner winner chicken dinner!!! This place is off the charts cool, for the entire family!!

A really fun place for an inquisitive 8- and 5-year-old. There's a fun bubble area and math area. Some of the exhibits were a bit old and worn out - like the area about wave lengths and musical instruments. The day we visited (December 2022) there was a lot of reconstruction going on inside and outside the building, with a temporary entrance, check in and gift shop but little explanation of the disruption. It was hard to tell from outside if it was even open. On the plus side, it was pretty quiet and so the kids pretty much had the run of the place.

I lived in ABQ for a year, for my childs birthday this is all she wanted. A day at Explora. There is so much fun stuff to keep the kids busy!! I was over it 2 hours in on the first visit but came about 20 more times because my kid could not get enough!! And it's gente on your wallet!

We've been to many children's museums in different states, this one was the best seen so far. The one in Denver is super impressive, but Albuquerque's wins. So many interactive exhibits, I couldn't begin to point at one better than the other. My 6yr old loved this place.

This is a 5 star joint for us. No matter how many times we visit, we can't seem to tear ourselves away when it's time to leave. This is the place where you stop being the observer, and get your hands dirty. There are so many little nooks and crannies in this place, it's hard to pin down a favorite. My 6 year old son loves the echolocation gear and the electricity room. My 8 year old daughter loves the craft room (and music and lights section). And the bubbles. Can't forget the bubbles! My 4 year old makes a bee line straight for the live creatures, the lizards and snakes. He reads books to them through the glass :) and he also goes buck wild for the building blocks on top outside on the patio. SO AWESOME!!!! Me? I favor sitting down and flying the plane...and the bicycle suspended in mid air!! I did it! My knees were shaking, but I did it!!! There truly is so much more to explore, and there is nothing more satisfying than watching your kids have a multi-sensory interactive scientific experience, and catch yourself doing the same! Don't miss this one folks!

Unfortunately my nephew and I got food poisoning after eating the burritos at the cafeteria here earlier this week... beware ‍

I used to love this place. It's a great way to get kids involved in science. my favorite is the bubbles. Prices may have gone up in recent years, but I still remember the original location. I've been meaning go to one of the Adult Nights, and I can't wait to go back! Fun to be had by all.

A fun place to keep your kids engaged for a long long time! We had a wonderful time today at the museum.. we stayed there for at least 3-4 hours; my kids still didn't wanted to leave! It was perfect for today's hot weather.. it was indoors and air conditioned while it was real hot outside with fun activities! Definitely coming back again when in Albuquerque!

Explora has many new areas. I'm excited they are using all the spaces to the fullest potential. My kids said all the new things have made it fun. They have people cleaning and wiping areas down which I thought was great! I am absolutely impressed with all the different outdoor areas and benches around for the adults. Good job Explora!

Explora is an awesome hands on Children's Museum!!! They have many wonderful indoor activities and a great playground outside. The Bubbles are awesome and have music time for Toddlers!!!

Wow! So many hands-on STEM activities here! We thoroughly enjoyed our time in this Science center (it's not just for kids!). Well designed center. Something for everyone.

Great educational and fun experience for not just kids but the whole family of any age. They are in the process of expanding, I can't wait to see what other exhibits they will have. I got to say, the most memorable part was the red elevator the size of a whole living room!

The place isn't what it use to be have the attraction don't work as they should very disappointed but kids still had fun.

What's not to love about Explora? Fantastic place for kids of all ages. After a visit with my daughter I want to one of the adult nights out!!! I have a crawling/toddling baby and they have a special room just for this age. It's so nice to have a place to let them explore safely. Also in the room are some rockers perfect for breastfeeding. There's a cafe for food, but you're able to bring in your own snacks for a more cost effective choice. I highly recommend getting the membership. If you deliver at Lovelace you can get a free membership for a year! I never would have thought to take a baby to a museum, but thanks to the free membership I'm pleasantly surprised! We will be members for YEARS!

Science of Wine night ONLY review. The rest of Explora is hands down a 4 to a 4.5. Oversold, super crowded, hot, 100% NOT worth your $30. Even the VIPs were standing in the same lines we are. Been here 2 hours, got a single glass of wine, three tastes. Waiting for engraving. There is almost no maps or signage or directions of where to go or what you are standing in line for. With our super limited time we opted not to see the science because there simply isn't time. It would be a fun event if they had sold AT LEAST 100 fewer tickets, turned up the AC (or held it later) given us a free glass/ $5 off a bottle, had more than 4 wineries, had more vendors or more science. It was just a lot of standing around not being able to hear yourself think/ the people with you talk.

We've been to many children's museums across the country and this has to be one of our favorites! Our 3 year old loved it and spent hours there and I'm sure he could have spent longer if we allowed him to. Affordable, Very interactive and great for all ages! Each individual area had something different and interactive that my son was interested in. It wasn't too crowded either but we went on a Wednesday during the day.

We LOVED our visit to the Explora. We had complimentary admission due to the ASTC membership we have with a museum in Texas, so the price was "right" certainly. This is what I loved about the Explora: --spaces are quite private, each small exhibit or interactive space is separated by cubicles, curtains, or doors. This is the first time I've experienced a museum set up like this, and first it looks like your line of sight is disjointed, but once you start to experience the spaces it has great flow and the dividers keep the crowds spread out. --the water tables, especially those in the courtyard, are exceptional and worth visiting --there are at least three outside spaces that you should visit with different activities; our favorite was the one on the roof, overlooking the mountain where our kids could build their own rollercoaster --the high wire bike was awesome; our kids were too short but I saw several adults attempting it --plenty of free, easy to access parking --spotless bathrooms --kids were entertained for over two hours --the elevator---you have to check it out--it's so huge they have put living room furniture in it and you can sit on a couch and play a game while it goes up and down with guests Absolutely I recommend for families with children. I would overall characterize this as a children's museum.

A wonderful place for children of all ages, yes that includes adults. My husband could spend all day here. That being said they have so much to do. Art rooms, bubble station, engineering stations, science, sound, mocement-you name it. It is all very interactive, leaving everyone tinkering for hours. There is a huge elevator with a couch and chairs that my kids think is the coolest. Also upstairs is a large play area kids can build little houses etc.. Before you leave check out the gift shop. So many fun toys and gift ideas! Employees are always helpful and friendly. And they do offer year long memberships, which are worth it in my personal opinion!

SO. MUCH. FUN! A blast for all ages. From 15 months to 60 years.... my family had a blast. I love the hands-on nature of everything and how each section is focused on one particular scientific concept (I.e. air, electricity, water...). The baby loved toddling around on her own touching EVERYTHING...and no one was telling her NO. There is an area just for babies too with blocks and ramps and physics lessons. My husband had the most fun I think. He spend the majority of the time we spent here at the wind tunnel trying to create a vehicle that would fly up the wind tunnel. Not only are the experiments hands on, but they have craft areas too where you can create something to take home. The staff is friendly and the areas are clean even though the place is crawling with grubby hands. Overall a great time and highly recommended. :)

So creative and inspiring! They do a great job with everything I've seen. And it seems like they keep things clean. One more reason why Albuquerque is awesome!

Funny how you can become a kid all over again. This can actually happen. One day you're sitting on your barcalounger watching some documentary about the evils of fracking, balancing your checkbook and noting the finer points of the Oregon Pinot Noir balanced in your left hand, wishing you could stay up past ten o'clock someday. The next, you walk into Explora with your little tyke and all of a sudden... You wanna blow some bubbles! Fly a plane! Play a xylophone! Ride the ridiculously huge elevator! And that tyke is looking at you like you're some kind of overgrown Wild Thing. This is what Explora delivers, time and time again. A pseudo-science museum, Explora brings an educational element to every activity. And the place is great for all kiddos, as well. There's even a room strictly devoted to toddlers, a child-proofed rumpus room where parents can take a load off and do boring adult things like read a book or check the smart phone. But come on, you're not that lame, are you?

Explora! is super fun for kids and adults, and it is as impressive as the Children's Discovery Museum. Good job, Albuquerque! In fact, CDM could actually learn a thing or two about hands-on displays from Explora. Explora has more tinkering, fine-motor displays for little ones whereas CDM goes for the wow factor of bigger gross-motor 'toys'. CDM also has a cafeteria and a dedicated tot play area. You can't skip this museum if you venture to ABQ with young children.

Terrific children's museum but they have a couple less tended areas. Come on Explora, that electrical energy room and mechanical engineering area are totally in disarray. Someone needs to own that. You can't just put a bunch of blocks and marbles and expect the kids to make a chatalet. You can't just have a light bulb sitting on an apparatus on lame table without any context. This stuff is supposed to allow kids to be successful at experimentation. Check out the Bernoulli beach balls, Great. Check out the water maze, fun. The bubbles? Awesome. The musical instruments... disarray. it's a total mess. The light exhibits? Really fricken hard. What are we supposed to do? I'd read those 5 star reviews and get an idea of what's right. My message is more for the staff. Don't be slackin in those nether regions, I have a year pass and the cool regions get repetitive after a few months.

Currently in the ABQ for the holidays visiting grandma. This place is a perfect place to burn the kids energy and entertain them with some basic science. It had a lot of great exhibits that not only gave the kids something to look at but the majority of exhibits are interactive! Which is every parents perfect place. Outside (upstairs) they have those large foam blocks that let you build stuff but it was a bit cold to maintain for a long time. Overall, I think this is a great place to take the kids and pretty cheap. If I lived here.. this is one place I would get a membership for the whole family.

I came to Explora! with some friends and their four year old. I wasn't expecting to be so entertained but found myself wandering and exploring with the rest of them. Some of my favorites were the marble contraption at the entrance, the heat sensor TV, the tight wire bicycle (that I didn't try) and the enormous elevator with couches and chairs inside! There was also a lot of crafty areas. I was also very entertained by the fun house style mirrors in the lobby. There's one that made my legs look very long - I could use one of those in my house.

Fantastic place. Was a member when my son was young. Excellent interactive exhibits. I would go play myself. They have a build-it-yourself ball run, and a "river channel" where you can direct the water stream. Get a yearly membership if you have kids. They will want to go back.