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Providence Children's Museum
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
4 reviews for Providence Children's Museum
Try to get a pass from your local library. We get in free, thanks to those. My daughter has special needs and really enjoys this, they have something for everyone. It's not comparable to Boston Museum of Science or something, but it's a nice thing to do to get the kids out of the house, and less overwhelming as a dad said previously. I have also seen moms nursing here in comfort which is very appreciated. The water room is so much fun for all the kids. There is even a good, safe area for the very little ones to crawl around in where the bigger kids aren't allowed.
One thing to watch out for, I hate to say, are the anti-abortion fanatics around the corner outside of Planned Parenthood on Thursday afternoons, and some other days as well. The graphic posters they have can be very disturbing to kids and adults alike and I recommend taking an alternate route that bypasses that part of the street, which is very easy to do.
I was quite impressed with PCM. We have been to the Childrens Museum in Boston, and in my opinion PCM gives Boston a run for its money!
My son loved all the interactive stations, and it kept him interested and occupied for 2+ hours, which is amazing for a 3 year old. I would highly recommend making the drive from Boston. We will be coming back!
It seems first Sundays of the month are free. I came in solo to take a look around. This place is chock-full of interactive, informative fun. The first floor is pretty standard fare--the shapes of animal skulls and the way water works are two subjects I remember specifically. There is an entire "water room" where kids can explore the physics of falling, moving and still water, and comes complete with smocks and a dry-off station.
Go up the ramp, which is lined with tiny Plexi-fronted dioramas (I personally found these really magical), and you enter a whole new level of kid-friendly trippiness. There's a really intense time warp tunnel that outlines Providence history from the beginning, including a Spanish-language produce market, the interior of a ship, etc.--all climbable and interactive, of course.
There is also a very cool stationery bicycle that is hooked up to another bicycle ridden by a skeleton--when your child rides the bike, the skeleton moves in tandem. There are tons of funky mirrors, an "excavation" sand box, and a really enormous "art chair" that is an upholstered velvet woman. In the furthest corner of the second floor is a beautiful ceiling-height puppet with movable parts.
I was really pleased to see a sort of Providence local art aesthetic joining in with the more basic "science museum" offerings. The experience surprised me and delighted me more and more with each step.
The only thing is that the whole place felt rather grimy to me (I'm slightly child-phobic). I noticed the distinct patina of baby saliva on the uncounted knobs, pulleys, handles and railings. They do offer hand sanitizer, if I remember correctly, but considering the traffic this place was getting, I might expect to catch a cold or two.
Even if you have to pay, or have your kid's grandmother pay, this museum is well worth the price of admission.
The little one LOVED it. And unlike a lot of other kid centric attractions, it was not too overwhelming. The scale was right on, and there was plenty for him to do. And in the 3 hours we were there, he got to do most of it.
My personal favorites were playing in the water room and on the outside percussion sculpture. The kiddo really loved the crane, steamroller, store, boat, water room, and animal hospital.
He could have stayed forever. But I was getting a bit tired of the repetition of exhibits after a few hours. Still, I have a funny feeling, this place is going to be a de facto mandate every time we roll into town.
Next time though I may leave the kiddo with his grandmother, and work on my drum solo outside in the playground.
