World of Wonders Science Museum

We stopped by the World of Wonders Science Museum for their birthday celebration and honestly had such a great time. WOW has always been a favorite for our family, but this event really brought the whole community together. The museum was full of energy with kids running from activity to activity, experimenting, building, and just having fun learning without even realizing it. The raffle baskets were fantastic and way bigger than I expected. You could tell local businesses and supporters really showed up for this event. There were vendors set up, tons of hands on activities throughout the museum, and yes, free popcorn which automatically makes any kid event a win. What I love most about WOW is that it never feels overwhelming or overly structured. Kids are encouraged to explore, touch everything, and be curious. You can easily spend a few hours here and still not see it all. It is such an important space for downtown Lodi and a great reminder of how valuable places like this are for families. Fun, educational, and genuinely community-driven. We had a blast celebrating with the WOW museum!

We had a birthday party for my 2 boys at the World of Wonders Science Museum today. Michelle did such a good job helping us with our birthday party. She helped me put all the decorations up, and she was so good with the kids during their experiment. The kids got to wear cute lab coats during the experiment and the instructor explained the science behind making slime and she let the kids pick what color they wanted their slime to be. The whole experience was perfect and my boys had so much fun during their party. And then they cleaned up the room for us after the party, all we had to do was take the things that we wanted to bring with us. And then my kids had fun playing in the museum after the party too! If you haven't had a birthday party at WOW yet, you are missing out!

It kept our two children of 10 and 2 busy for over an hour! They have lots of great toys and experiments. There is definitely something for everyone.

It was okay to visit one time. Good for kids to wonder around and do some science stuff. They seem to have plan to extend the facilities so then maybe we will go again. We purchased tickets from groupon, so price went almost half. If anyone around good time pass and learn for an hour.

We hosted my 10 year old daughter 's birthday party here. She loves science so this was a great place. The party room was big enough to hold about 30 people. The hostess was great with the kids and the experiment was a blast (pun intended). Everyone got to hang out as long as they wanted in the museum section until they closed. Overall it was a fun afternoon.

Great museum for both adults and kids!! My son & I enjoyed a lot!

The World of Wonders Science Museum is an excellent resource for our community! Not only is it interactive, thoughtfully curated, and fun for kids (and adults!) of all ages-- the staff there is really great. Scientist Alexis did a fabulous job leading our class in a science experiment about vibration. She kept the kids' attention while keeping excellent command of the class. I can't wait to for my 8 year old twins to try the camps they offer!

Great places for kids. A good amount of activities for kids all ages. The store is extremely expensive though.

Fun science museum for the kids and for the parents! We went this weekend and utilized the Groupon deal they had running. The location had ample free parking, easy entry, and friendly staff. There were enough activities to keep the family having fun for about 2 hours. The kids likely could've played all day but we got hungry! They had clean restrooms and sanitizing stations in the play areas. Overall size was decent for a 2 and 4 year old. Worth taking the kids if you're in the area.

the day we went was a lot less people, it made it great for us! also get the groupon--- made it affordable to go. we got to take our time at each station. bubble area was really cool as well.

It is a bit small and staff doesn't go by their time for The Moon Walking Exhibit. It was advertised from 230-330. No staff available to help us with this. A disappointment when someone coming from out of town came for this. Staff did not even apologize about the inconvenience. Would not come back for this reason.

The WOW science museum is perfect for toddlers. There are several science based activities for children to learn and play. They especially enjoyed the science activity where they built houses for the 3 little pigs.

This is a really fun place for kids, featuring a wide variety of interactive and educational displays. You can watch my vlog on YouTube, @madebykemo World Of Wonders, to see a walkthrough of the exhibits. It's the perfect activity for a rainy day!

We've been coming here for a few years. They've made lots of updates and there are plenty of stations. This is a great place for field trips or for a reasonably- priced Saturday activity.

The World of Wonders science center was smaller than expected. However, my kids enjoyed the exhibits and we were there much longer than anticipated! Our family spent approximately 2.5 hours here! It's a fun place for kids to come explore science hands on. We enjoyed the bubbles, Lego ramp, math puzzles, riddles, lights, sounds, electricity, and air conditioning to name a few!

Such a great space for kids of a wide range. There's a kiddy area for 4 and under, and all types of stuff for kids up to adults. There's space is tidy and the staff is available but not hovering throughout. We will definitely be purchasing a year pass!

The museum itself is 3 star, but for the price I cannot complain. Very affordable. You can kill about an hour or so at this place. However a lot of items need fixing. We drove about an hour for this museum but I think once is ebough.

Saturday, 6/18/2022 - Checked out "World of Wonders Science Museum". Address is: 2 N Sacramento St, Lodi, CA 95240. Small, cute, little museum. Parking is street parking and it's free. There is no name on the building, but it is located on the doors and windows. So we were able to spot this museum. Upon arrival: Pros: 1) we found parking right away. 2) there are lots of things for the little kiddos to explore, touch, create, and do. They got to see how fast their heart beats are, saw how 3D works, saw water drips down and drips upward at the same time, capture a picture of their shadows, play a huge tetras game, play old pinball machines, felt how 80mph winds felt like, and so forth. Kept them very entertained. 3) there's a little gift shop inside. 4) 2 very nice staff were working inside. They let us explore, touch and create. But answered any questions we may have. 5) bathrooms were super clean!! Cons: 1) no cons Conclusion: We liked this little museum. Very clean. It kept the kids entertained for a few hours. We enjoyed it. They do close from 1pm to 2pm to sanitized everything. There were lots of little shops and eateries around this area. Glad they have this museum in this little town.

What a neat place to visit! I can only speak for littles under the age of 5, but can happily report WOW Museum was a hit. Parking is on the street and was free on a Sunday but pay attention to the signs. There was quite a bit of construction in the area. This will be 1-1.5 hour visit tops. It's not a huge place but will feel big for little ones. Bring your own lunch and snacks. We did but also walked around the downtown area and found family friendly places.

Lots to do in this small museum. I wish they had the walk-in the moon activity open though. I like that they let everyone explore on their own but I think a little guided help would have made the experiences more enjoyable. They did say that they were expanding soon so I can't wait to see what fun activities they will bring/have. Parking is right around the corner and if the road was open they would have street parking. Not much else to to around this area due to a fire that happened during the pandemic because of homeless people. But didn't see any homeless people around when we came in. Bathrooms are clean. Wheelchair accessible. Affordable. Fun!!

Seriously the best ever! It shocked me how awesome it is honestly. Also, love that it's open on Labor Day and Memorial Day makes for less crowds and more fun Ps. Gift shop is bomb too!

So happy I finally checked this place out with my little guy! It was smaller than I thought but stilled just the perfect size! They have so many cool fun STEM activities for kids of all ages! And a toddler section which my 2.5 year old enjoyed! It is fairly cheap for admission, teachers in free, military $6, 3 and under $6. Easy accessible parking for free. They have a store connected with fun stem toys and activities. It was perfect fun for a rainy day to stay dry but still keep your kid busy! I highly recommend if you're in Lodi!

Such a great place for kids of all ages and adults! Took my nephews, 2 & 4, they LOVED IT! My Husband loved it also, a lot to do at your own pace. Actually learned a lot. Highly recommend, not a big museum but perfect to take the kids and have fun while learning. Will definitely go again

What a nice science museum! It's a smaller version of the Exploratorium and it is perfect for the attention span of younger people. The exhibits all function and contain enough information to introduce scientific concepts - sometimes complex ones. We spent about 2.5 hours there. The staff that work there are friendly and keep the place clean and in order. Currently the museum is closed mid-day for an hour for cleaning. And there is plenty hand sanitizer throughout the museum and masks are required. The Moon walk is extra as it requires 2 staff members to operate. If it's available, do not hesitate to let your moonwalker experience it. I only saw huge smiles on the kids faces.

We came here during Spring Break and it was such a treat for my whole family. My kids ages 5-13 as well as us parents all had something to fidget with, solve and learn from. There wasn't a dull moment in this albeit small, but boredom buster museum. I knew from the moment I seen that globe that held what appeared to be a planet with rays of electricity emanating from its core as soon as I entered, that this place would be a place with tons of fun-potential. It wasn't but minutes after entering this small world of wonder, that each one of us all went our separate ways after being lured away by something that fascinated our curious minds. I personally loved the circle where you use sticks to spin a metal cylinder, then let it go till it spins independent of the stick and watch it go round and round on its own. The black room with all the cool light tricks was fun to hang out in. The table with a whole bunch of brain teasers was another favorite of ours. There's a sectioned area for little littles and a place to be enclosed for those who dont want to chase their toddler for a little while. And don't think this museum is just for kids. Hubby and I may be what one may call middle aged but I was entertained from entrance to exit. The great part was our 2 youngest interests was fixed the entire time. They were engrossed in all the stuff they can figure out, manipulate, touch and figure out with things that they have never seen before. And even my teen who acts as if she's all knowing, found a way to be entertained as well. She, and the boys and Hubby lining up playing with the pinball machine. I love that this place is so engaging and its a clean healthy, wholesome and dry (for rainy days) way to spend a few hours. Its small enough that you wont completely lose your family, yet big enough to entertain both young and old minds while waiting for a storm to pass, or during days when its so hot outside you can cook an egg on the pavement. Even those days you just want to learn about how fun Science can be, or if you are a homeschool parent and you don't want to be home that day, this place is certainly a great place to spend a few hours. They also have week long camps in the summer that sound super fun for kids as young as 5 years old. They also sell memberships for the year. They do class field trips here too. I would call ahead and avoid those days. There was a field trip when we came, however it wasn't too too packed even when the class came. I highly suggest looking on groupon for discounted entrance fees. We didn't use one and I think I paid $30ish for the 5 of us. With groupon it's $10.50 for 2 adults and 2 kids! Smashing deal!

Truly one of the best museums around! Not too big, not too small. Great for toddlers, and kids 5 years old and up. Lots of hands on exhibits to interact with. You truly need a 1-2 hours there. A great little educational excursion with the family!!

I took my granddaughters on Monday at 10:30 and there was not very many kids at that time. They loved it and can't wait to go back. They loved all the hands on things there. The staff was very friendly. This museum is a nonprofit organization.

Brought my nephew here for the first time. We came a little after 1pm. Unfortunately, they close from 1-2pm to sanitize. So we walked around downtown for a bit to kill some time then waited in the car until they opened. I wish we knew about this sanitation beforehand. *Side note: Do not plan to visit from 1-2pm! Once they opened we paid and my nephew was a little overwhelmed but excited to get his hands on everything. He'd fiddle at one station for a few seconds then head to the next one. Some stations didn't work or had missing parts to it. I thought it was an okay experience but my nephew had fun so that's all that matters. Kids don't really care because they just want to touch and play with everything. Probably won't be back until his younger brother is old enough to go.

A Wonderful place in Lodi to take your kids and have them learn about science as they think they are just having fun! Your kids will be mesmerized as they try out all the experiments and they will Learn how physics works at the same time. Check this place out!

Welllllll, I don't know what I was expecting, but based on the photos, I WAS expecting more. The photos on the website and here on Yelp are outdated and show a LOT more activities than are currently offered, maybe because of COVID. Entrance fee was cheap, which was a plus, but it just felt like a ripoff, kind of. I was also bummed, given that this is a museum geared towards children, that they didn't enforce masks for anyone, even children who aren't able to be vaccinated.

Great place for kids and adults. There are new exhibits on occasion which makes it more interesting when you return. The staff is friendly and attentive. Birthday party and science camp options available. Recommend a membership for your family for the best value.

This was such a nice experience. It's not as big as I was expecting, but it has a lot of really cool things to do. I brought my 9 and 6 year old and they loved it. I think our favorite was the shadow capture. That is a must do. They have bathrooms that are clean. The gift shop wasn't that over priced. The employees were very nice. Free street parking.

It's one floor of hands-on learning science. It's neat, full of kids.. it was fun for me as an adult. Some stations weren't really apparent to me as to what you were supposed to do.. there weren't staff nearby to ask or demonstrate but you could find them at the entrance counter. If anything has to do with static electricity.. I don't have to check it out. I'm deeply afraid of getting shocked. Hate it, really.

Great spot to take your kids for a day of learning! Awesome place especially on a rainy day. We've been here a few times and the kids always are learning something new! Recommend for both small and older children!

We came here on the Sunday before July 4th (which landed on a Tuesday this year) and it was good timing! Not too many people here at all. We went to church first (honor God first, always ^_^), and then came here after lunch. I had no idea what part of Lodi this place is located in, except that it's downtown and I had only been in Lodi once or twice prior to this trip. It's only 25 minutes (or 20 depending on your speed, hehe) on 99 from Elk Grove. We got here and saw that there's a parking structure next door. For sure I thought it'd cost us $ to park there but surprisingly it was a FREE public parking structure, yes!!! So we got to the museum and Luis the front desk staff was super polite and very helpful. He provided excellent customer service, telling us about the different things we could do there. We then got right into it. The place isn't huge, but they made good use of the space. Perhaps a little disjointed as the various exhibits did not seem to be grouped by themes/topics, but it was still organized enough to have a good time and not get confused. We started at the plasma ball, my husband explained it to the kids, apparently I wasn't paying attention and science stuff kind of gets lost in my head. Next, we went to look at the big tree or some kind of a tree. We also played with a couple of pin ball machines. A volunteer staff person was demonstrating closing an electric circuit (even I can understand that, haha), so my kids did that next. They also looked at some bugs and stuff under the microscope, played with the earthquake machine, stepped in the tornado machine, and went into the lights and shadow exhibit hall which is in the back of the museum. ETA: I just looked at one of the pictures here and it's officially called the Jim Pyers Illumination Lab (Jim Pyers created and built MANY of the exhibits at WOW and they're all really nicely done, thank you Jim!) Actually, my younger one had moved on into the toddler play area at this point already, so my hubby and older child went off and did pretty much the whole museum while the little one played in the toddler area which yes, as other reviews have said, could use a cleaning. Still, it was a fun area with big soft building blocks, a couple of lock/peg boards/walls that my littler one loved, a magnetic table that he played with for a long time, and some fake fruits and a toy wheel barrow. There was also a train table. Seats available for parents to hang out. Overall, it was fun in the toddler area. What else did we do? We also "flew" a (out of commission) plane (it was the same lift off, flight, and landing every time on the screen though, haha), flew some paper helicopters through a wind tunnel up to the ceiling, played with bubbles, learned about our cardiovascular (heart, etc.) system, learned about the sun in the solar electric lab, and just had so much fun! The bathrooms are just ok, not kids friendly, but it was clean enough. As we were leaving, Luis wished us well and encouraged us to come again. He was friendly, helpful, and answered a few questions we had. We didn't interact with many staff on this trip, but we appreciate that the staff here were kind and genuinely concerned about their patrons, especially the littlest ones. =) We plan to be back!

It was okay. Very disappointed that the people working there NEVER interacted with the families! I couldn't tell which ones were broken ( no signs) or if wasn't doing it correctly. Good thing I had a Groupon- not worth the money. The SMUD museum and children's museum in Rancho Cordova were very interactive and a lot better.

Our three kids ages 10-13 enjoyed the museum. Great learning experience for us all. We loved it! The staff was so nice and helpful. Thank you

In looking at the building, you would think that this place was going to off the hook! While still fun, it was still a little disappointing. Would I give it another try? Sure! Was I expecting more from it? Kind of. A lot of the larger "attractions" were broken. It happens, I get it, but we had travelled quite a while to visit, and knowing a lot would be out of order, we would have scheduled another day. Other than that, it has cool stuff for kids and parents alike!

Awesome cheap fun! I took 3 boys ages 4-11 and entertained them for hours! Super cool exhibits, all hands on! Definately will be back!

Great place to go on Mothers Day! Moms are free, and it was NOT crowded. The experiments are interesting, and mostly hands on. Parking is available and close.

We came here Veterans Day-it was pretty packed but not so much that we couldn't freely move around. I recommend for older kiddos but little ones could have fun too. My two toddlers were content here. The staff was very friendly! Pricing is reasonable.

Spent an afternoon here with my 9 & 12 yo and my husband. We all had a great time. It was more than we expected from the reviews here.

Took the family here on a Sunday I had off and it was worth the time and drive. Kids had fun, spent about 3-4hrs there. Plenty of thing for the kids to play with hands on. Some puzzles for adults too, to keep you not bored. Price was exceptional for the entertainment you get. The staff was very friendly and was eager to make sure you enjoyed your time there. If you have a family day and don't want to spend a lot of money this place should be visited at least once a year with kids younger than 8. A bit older might not keep them interested for more than an hour or two.

I found this place randomly and omg I'm so glad I did! My husband, 3 year old and I all had a blast! Cannot wait to come back, also the price to get in is 8 bucks per adult, can't beat that! Definitely check this place out, if you're in the area

Pretty cool place but your kids have to be a certain age to enjoy. Can't be too old because they can get "bored" but don't want them to young even though some parents just let their children run around screaming. Had fun with my 12 year old nephew and 10 year old niece.

Brought of 5yo autistic son for the first time today and he absolutely loved it! The staff was very friendly and the facility was clean. I would highly recommend this for a kid friendly outing!

This is a science museum made for kids. It's focus is on physical science (electricity, sound, light, magnetism, etc). It has a lot of fun little experiments for kids to interact with. My son is 5 and had a lot of fun. A lot of the experiments are great to illustrate science standards for intermediate students! Cheap and educational fun!

I hosted a birthday party here without checking the bday venue portion first. Just know the party room is in the building next door and is ample in size. The doors lock behind u which keeps ur stuff fairly safe while ur in the museum. But makes it kind of hard to figure some logistics like where to meet the guests, etc. They provide 2 long tables w table cloths plates and forks napkins. Be warned the plates are VERY SMALL (see my pics). Only good for cake. If u bring ur own food, like pizza, u will need to provide your own plates. Luckily there was a liquor store across the street where we able to grab some along w solo cups for our soda. The cost of the party includes all day admission for 40, the party room, and one experiment. Tip: book in the morning so ur guests have all day enjoy the free admission. Over all the kids and a lot of the adults had a blast. The museum is very hands on which makes it great for all ages. Only 3 small cons: party room location, plate size, and insect traps all over the party room. I did ask for them to remove them for the party and they were very nice and quick to do so. Great staff!

Went here n it was pretty cool my son so enjoy himself. The bummer is it's small but the stuff that's in their omg amazing my son loved the different things they had. Easy parking n it's cheap which is great.

Very small place... My nephew who was 6 when I started this review was not that interested. I think this place is more so for smaller kids. Or kids that haven't already experienced a lot.

This is a great little museum for kids. It's not big but the space is well used. There is something for all ages (I'd say 10 and under) to enjoy. My toddlers love it and are busy for about 2 hours. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable.

We really enjoyed our visit here! I came with my whole family and all of my kids had a great time! My 3 year old really loved the toddler area with the toys as well as the area with the fan that blew things up in the air. My boys (6 and 8) enjoyed the experiments. Even my husband and I sat down to try out some of the puzzles. This was a great way to spend an afternoon. I would give this place 5 stars if they added an area where children can sit and have a snack. My daughter is only 3 and cannot function for more than 1.5 hours without having a snack. We had to leave because she was hungry and melting down.

One of our favorite spots for the kids in Lodi. They're always changing up the exhibits and with everything being hands on kids feel free to be kids. Downside is there is no place to allow kiddos to take a break and have a snack. The Cranium Cafe is misleading. At first glance it seems like the perfect oasis for a calm break to refuel your kids. I must not be the only mom who thought this because as you enter there are multiple signs stating its only for brains not food. Such an inviting space that is just asking to be used yet it sat empty the whole time we were there. This local mom strongly encourages the staff to rethink the use of this space and find a way to incorporate a place to parents to refuel their kids bellies. As scientists know our brain needs food to be at our best.

Cool place for kids (and me but I'm a science nerd). Lots of cool science toys to play with. They close for an hour in the middle of the day just to sanitize everything so its pretty safe. We went for a kids birthday party and they had a guided science experiment. The staff seemed really excited and upbeat when dealing with the kids. Bring some cash if you want to use the wind machine though... $2 a pop, and we didn't have any dollar bills and the credit card reader was broken.

I think this place is great especially for the price. It is better for younger kids but ones that are in school. Toddlers don't seem too interested in science "experiments". I don't expect much of it considering it's $5 admission. It's fun, inexpensive and easy to spend an hour or two inside. It's next to the parking garage and there's 90 minute street parking.

My husband brought our girls here when they were still in preschool; his impression was that it was small. Lol! Fast forward 5 years after, it is my turn to take the youngest due to a class field trip and my impression is the same--it is small. But, small in a good way-- This touch-museum is well-suited for lower elementary age children. Lots of hands-on activity--because face it, kids would want to play right away than first figuring out why and how things happen, correct? This would be an ideal place to have a playdate because the exhibits are not too difficult for the kids to figure out and mommies can have a conversation without having to run around after their children. (Floor lay-out is to an L, with a section for toddlers and younger siblings in the middle.) Except for the exhibits behind the door (shadows and lights), the rest are within view if you stand right at the corner of the room. Highlights of our recent visit was 1) using the "glitter bug lotion" to help illustrate how germs lurk specifically in our hands. What a great way to teach the kids the importance of proper hand washing. 2) the spaceship simulation (kids had so much fun riding it and pretending to be astronauts.) 3) the classroom experience in their "special lab." Probably offered to classes on a field trip, this educational half-an-hour session by a staff member was awesome! Nick had the full attention of the students from start to finish as he explained and brilliantly illustrated the different states of matter. The lesson was well-executed. It makes you want to throw your child's next birthday party with them (which they can!) There's ample street parking in front and the museum participates in the ASTC program. I only have WOW to say about this museum!

The kids won't even know they are learning science as they explore this small wonderland. We were visiting family near Stockton and a friend suggested we meet at the WOW Museum to hang out. We are members of a children's museum in Southern California and we were pleasantly surprised that we could also use our membership at WOW. Although smaller than we imagined, the kids really did not run out of things to do. Bubbles, building blocks to make whiffle balls travel down a path, magnetic shapes, and Lego cars were among the favorites. High-backed arm chairs welcomed parents to sit and watch if their children didn't need them. Loved those chairs! A nice toddler section entertained the little ones with a train table and other activities. We stayed for about 2 hours and the kids did not complain about leaving since they had their fill. They could have stayed for maybe 1 more hour if we did not have to go. My boys are ages 7, 5, and 2.