- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
The Children's Museum
Category: Arts & Entertainment Museums Museums [Edit]
305 Harrison StSeattle, WA 98109
Neighborhood: Queen Anne
(206) 441-1768
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 10 am - 5 pm
Sat-Sun 10 am - 6 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
52 reviews for The Children's Museum
Review Highlights
"I took my 4 year old nephew here and we both loved this..."
(in 16 reviews)
"...a reading room, a "grocery store", a "stage" and a..."
(in 11 reviews)
"My son is 15 months old and loves this place."
(in 4 reviews)
Loading...
52 reviews in English
-
Review from luvtotravel J.
Seattle, WA
8/26/2011
This is a cute museum with a wide variety of items. I love the little homes they set up of Japan, The Phillippines and a village in Africa. They also have a variety of experiences like the "shopping area" and the woodland area. Definitely an afternoon of playtime for my little one. My kiddo had fun but I was definitely wary of her putting things in her mouth (which for a 1 year old is basically everything).
My biggest pet peeve is the lack of cleanliness. I mean it seems really really grimy-like dirt in the crevices. Kids play here and touch stuff all day long every day and it seems liked the items really needed to be bleached and corners wiped down. Maybe they do a quick wipe of counter tops once a week but when you look closely, it is just gross. I also am not too happy with some of the wear and tear in the discovery woodland area. The mats are really worn out! They should replace these - can't imagine it being that expensive in the grand scheme of things.
I also like how they offer donation only in the last hour of every week day. Pretty cool for kids who have very limited attention spans like a 1 year old. -
Review from Scott G.
12/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, this is an activity that only a parent would love. Yes, no matter where you are in the world, watching your children have fun never gets old.
So, on a cold and stormy December day, having forgotten our umbrellas back in Long Beach, yes I know. You need not say anything. This seemed like a FINE idea. And, it was.
This museum certainly has enough to keep your little ones busy for hours. It is relatively small, totally contained and spacious enough that you don't feel cramped. Although, they do have some heating issues that make some of the rooms feel like a Turkish Spa, but that is a story for another day.
Certainly, places like this are germ breeding grounds, so once you get over that, I think you'll find you will enjoy your time more thoroughly. Although, immediately after leaving I reached for the anti-bacterial. Two steps forward, three steps back.. -
Review from C L.
Monroe, WA
Updated - 12/17/2011
We had the opportunity to go back for a friend's birthday party and my girl is now 4. So to compare from last time the 'ball room' as she refered to it was in even more defunct - with balls shooting out from above pipes on to your head and floor. We were there also during the Christmas season so the 'mountain' (which she loves to climb up) was closed unless it was time for a Santa visit (free with admission). The party room for the 20 or so 2-5 y.o. fit everyone fine until one of the tables collapsed (the adjustable legs gave out on one side and was not able to be fixed). My girl is definatly a 'doer' and doesn't have the patience to want me to read all the informational plaques on the wall telling about the African, Japanese and Phillippines rooms. I think the theater went away and now has a Lego sponsered room?
Glad it was free for us. Also the other problamatic thing is that since it's under the Food Court at the Seattle Center, it has an partially open ceiling and if there's any loud concert/performance/activity going it only adds to the loud din in the museum.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
1/15/2009
Now that my daughter's 1 and walking I was interested in checking this place out that I've known was… Read more »
-
-
Review from Dave R.
Puyallup, WA
1/24/2012
After visiting other cities children's museum and the Pacific Science Center I've realized that this place is looking worn and abused. There was a lot that was not functioning or rooms closed. The Lego exhibit that they bragged about at the ticket window was nothing but a room scattered with Legos. I was more impressed with Cleveland's kids museum and Cleveland is a worn down city. Unfortunately it seems like the whole Seattle Center area is looking this way. The city needs to invest to overhaul this area. Although my kids didn't mind this place, I won't be bringing them back unless they drop prices or renovate the place.
-
Review from Laini H.
Seattle, WA
2/3/2012
They will not refund a $50 deposit to reserve a party room even if you call back the very next day. I have been to this museum before and the kids enjoyed it, so I was going to have my daughter's birthday party there. Booked the date and was informed there was a non-refundable deposit of $50 and she would email me the contract. In the meantime we had changed our minds on the venue. I called back and emailed that I would like to cancel the reservation. I was then informed the $50 is to just reserve the party room not for the contracted event itself. I have a year to use this $50 for a party...
-
Review from Debbie W.
Kent, WA
1/8/2012
I used to frequent this museum with my older grandkids and had the experience of visiting again in December with my newest grandson, just 3 months old. (Yea, I know there is not a lot for him to do yet, but we were meeting friends with older children there, also.) But, he did enjoy looking around at all the bright colors and even made his first painting, with the help of Dad. There were a new couple of new rooms set up since I visited several years ago and they still have one area that changes on a regular basis that makes it a little more interesting on each visit. I like the fact that after your first visit, you can apply the cost of that visit towards a yearly membership, which is what I did with the older grandkids. And, I like that with your membership you can bring in a certain amount of guests for free because it really doesn't make that much sense to pay for the experience of watching your kids play, or does it?? I do agree with some of the other reviews that some things were not kept up as well as they could have been and we also experienced a lack of working raincoats at the water station. But, if the kids and I still lived closer, no doubt I would be springing for an annual membership once again because even with it's minor imperfections, this is a great place to bring kids on a rainy winter day to blow off some steam. My biggest pet peeve is with their signage for bringing drinks inside. They have a sign that says something like "Bump and Spill" policy and a picture of a drink dispenser. We were unclear on what they meant and as we waited for our friends, wondered if we could get a Starbucks coffee. We checked inside and outside for any signs saying drinks were not allowed, but only saw the above sign and weren't sure what it meant but assumed we could get a latte and bring it in. Apparently, not so as we had to throw out the greater part of our Starbucks investment as only drinks with twist on lids are allowed, no other cups. Just a head's up to bring your own mug if you want to enjoy drinks inside!
-
Review from David K.
San Diego, CA
7/22/2011
In most other parts of the country I've lived or visited, places like Seattle's Children's Museum are in malls and have names like "Kidzone," "Adventure Alley" or "Pedophile Palace." They are places in which you drop off your snot-encrusted children (whom we all love very much) to play with toys that have recently been touched by hundreds of other snot-encrusted children, thus promoting the sale of antibiotics for children and antidepressants for their parents.
Somehow, in Seattle, this well meaning but otherwise amazingly lame place qualifies as a "museum" replete with borderline-scolding literature about how this is not a place to dump your runts, but rather an enriching and immersive experience that you and your prodigy must have together. Apparently that disclaimer is necessary as I kept looking for the mall entrance. In fact, it is underneath a food court, further confusing the matter.
Other than the surprisingly deep and narrow "marmot hole," especially disappointing was the "Cog Room" which had been hyped as some Rube Golberg wonderland but which had so much broken equipment that it was more a lesson about ennui. Again, a well-meaning place that supports causes near to my heart but far from a must-see attraction. -
Review from Lisa R.
Kent, WA
11/5/2011
Went here for a birthday party and we will probably be back again. The biggest con was the defective, overused equipment in some exhibits. Other areas, however, were surprisingly enjoyable for our 2 1/2-year-old. It was bigger than expected which, on a weekend no less, was a plus as it didn't feel overly crowded. Another plus - it's at the Seattle Center, so on a hot day you can play at the fountain outside after visiting the museum. Overall, if I lived closer I would probably bring my child here more often as it is a step up from the malls and at least a good option for indoor play during the rainy season. Maybe not worth a special trip, but if we are in the area again we will probably make a point of stopping by.
-
Review from Junko S.
5/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Oh, how as a child I used to love this place. Now as an adult, not so much. The museum has been open for 31 years and it definitely shows. All of the exhibits are tired and worn down. Granted, my two year old had a blast and could spend hours playing so that's what really matters.
If my daughter could give it a rating, she'd give it a 5, but only 2 stars from me.
... thank goodness I used a coupon from my Entertainment Book so that we got one admission for free. -
Review from Thy R.
4/8/2011
The rating is based ONLY on my nephews experience haha. Btw, my nephew is 2 years old.
My nephew is visiting from out of the country so I brought him here with my 2 friends from the east coast as well. Come on, kids doesn't know how to complain even the toys are worn out haha. For short, my nephew had a great time.
From my point of view, it's another story though.
1. I brought my 2 adult friends because they are visiting Seattle so I have to entertain them as well. But I don't like them to hang-out at the Seattle food court or Seattle Center park because it was raining so I invited them to the museum as well.
I think it would be better if they charge 1 or 2 adults rather than "everybody". For example, parents and grandparents visit the Children's Museum, does everybody have to pay to enter in just to watch the baby play around? It's just a thought.
2. Some of the toys are worn out but it's fine with me. But when my nephew likes to play on the water pool - - come on, there's only 2 available rain coats and it has holes in it. :-(
I'm not sure if I will recommend it but it's worth a visit I guess. -
Review from Alice R.
2/17/2011
For any parent or childcare giver with kids under 5, an annual membership to the Children's Museum would pay for itself over and over again.
We live in Seattle, a city known for it's rain and cloudy weather. No matter how much we protest and try to tell ourselves that it rains more in other cities than ours, it still remains that it rains here and it sucks, especially when you have a very energetic toddler who wants to go play outside.
I got an annual membership from my mother-in-law as a gift and we have definitely maximized it's use. I read some of the other reviews about some of the exhibits being old and tired, but I didn't grow up here so it's all new to me. My daughter loved the little area geared especially for tots just learning to walk and she has now graduated to all the other rooms. There's lots of play areas built around different themes to ignite your child's imagination: grocery store, restaurant, homes from around the world and reading room to name a few.
I only wish the museum was open later so I could come play here with my daughter after work. No matter how many times we come here, she never seems to get tired of it. Also, the featured exhibit changes often enough to freshen interest. -
Review from Bruce H.
Mercer Island, WA
3/16/2011
While walking back to the car after our visit to The Children's Museum my five-year-old grandson looked up at me and said, "That wasn't fun."
Picture what a children's museum might have been like in, say, Stalinist Russia. That pretty much sums up this place. Most of the exhibits are worn out, broken or boring. How they can charge the admission prices they do for this non-experience is a testament only to how few small- child-oriented destinations there are in Seattle.
Save your time and money. Take your child to a park, spread out a blanket and watch the grass grow for an hour or two. I promise you, it will be more entertaining than a visit to the Seattle Children's Museum. -
Review from Mike I.
Seattle, WA
Updated - 10/3/2011
Just an update - we take our 14 month-old here too now. He loves this place. There's so much to do for children of all ages. It's a great spot.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
7/25/2011
It's funny to read reviews from people saying their kids liked it but the adults didn't. Suffice to… Read more »
-
-
Review from Darcy M.
Lake Forest Park, WA
7/28/2011
The Seattle Children's Museum bills itself as appropriate for children birth-10 but after numerous trips here over the years I believe it's really best for kids 6 and under. A recent trip here took us about 30 minutes, start to finish, and my son was so bored and disappointed that I felt bad for him (we then went to the Science Center, which was much better!).
To make matters worse, much of the stuff here was broken (Cog City, which my son was most looking forward to, was the worst!), dirty or just looking pretty shabby and worn. I know budgets are tight but really? You can't remove all those stuck ping pong balls from the plastic tubing so it works properly? Jeez.
Here's a tip, parents - head to the Imagine Children's Museum in Everett - it is world's apart from the Seattle one and appropriate for kids of all ages - not just the little ones. Or if you really want to stay on the Seattle Center grounds, the Science Center is much more engaging for the older kids. -
Review from Jen C.
9/6/2011
For an adult this place may not be a ton of fun; but it isn't for adults now is it? I have been to many children's museums throughout the US; although this one is rather small the admission price reflects that and really it is just about the perfect size for the younger crowd. I did buy a year admission for my daughter and I because there are just enough different activities to keep her interested and learning through play. From the water play, restaurant, grocery store, cars, legos (special exhibit), villages from other parts of the world, physics, arts and crafts, music, and play area there is plenty to keep a child entertained for a few hours. Plus, there is an additional outdoor garden area that they can explore! The museum is far from the best in the U.S. but it is wonderful for little ones and the admission price is very reasonable, particularly if you buy a year pass.
-
Review from Augustina B.
Seattle, WA
4/28/2011
I've been to the Children's museum at least 3 times with my 3 year old step daughter. It's a big space with a lot of interesting exhibits and activities for kids. The theme is mainly education about different cultures and pretend play.
Recently they hosted a breakfast that featured Clifford the Big Red Dog. The breakfast itself was pretty disappointing (they said there would be waffles... there were none) but my step daughter enjoyed seeing Clifford.
My main reason for only rating them 3 stars is because the state of repair of most of the exhibits. Components of exhibits are typically non-functional, blatantly broken, or in disrepair. Given the price of membership and entry, I expect things to be in better working order.
Another issue that bothers me is how a few of the sponsored exhibits have a 3 dimensional commercial feel. It's not too tacky and pretty well downplayed but still there's something kind of creepy about it I can't quite put my finger on.
Overall this is a fun museum and I recommend getting a membership as it's a great indoor activity for kids when it's raining outside. Given the nature of the pretend play, I recommend going with a few kids at a time so they can interact with each other. -
Review from Erica W.
Seattle, WA
2/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
The last time i was here was probably about 20 years ago and i remember everything looking so much bigger...huh lol. So finally i was able to get my 2 year old goddaughter in here, and boy did she enjoy it. They have a small little area for infants to 3 year olds which is good because the bigger kids can be ruthless if you're in their way. It has this sea theme to it, with little slides, a small water area, and lots of padded things. From there we went to the world neighborhood which i thought was kinda interesting and fun, not very diverse though. It consisted of homes from Africa, Japan, and the Phillipines, but each section was quite large. The neighborhood area is very very worn down, the theatre needs to be revamped, and the little taco shop could be bigger, it gets really crowded. But the market was cool, but only 3 carts?
The downside is the price to get in, its $7.50 for adults and children. Which I feel sucks because there were more adults than kids and we weren't even the ones playing so why do we have to pay? You can only enter with a child so its not like we'd go in on our own. I probably won't be my first pick when looking for something to do with a kid simply because of the price, i'll go to the science center, its much more interactive for all who go. -
Review from Em A.
Seattle, WA
6/3/2011 3 photos
We brought my out of town family here to spend the day. They brought a couple of kids with them and this seemed like a reasonably priced venue for the event.
The kids had a great time! They really loved all of the fun stuff there was to play, and it was clean and well kept. They spent hours in the little village and they painted and played with clay. They even put on a little show for us in the theater.
The reason I didn't give it the full stars is because of the whole enter exit policy. I understand they want to keep the kids safe, but when all they offer is metered parking, to say that you cannot reenter without a child is crazy. Grandpa went to go add money to the meter at two hours, and upon his return was greeted by "Sorry, you need a kid with you to re-enter."
So he tried calling everyone inside, but it was loud and no one heard their phones. Eventually someone walked by and let him back in.
Why not just set up a "Hall Pass" for going to add money to the meter? Maybe a hand stamp and an actual piece of paper with the time and date on it? There are SIMPLE solutions to this issue, why not come up with one? How they have it set up now, you have to drag a kid out of fun time to plug the meter because the kid with you IS the hall pass. This is a completely crazy expectation if you are dealing with groups of adults with one or two kids. -
Review from Crystal H.
Seattle, WA
8/7/2010
I agree with the other posters.
Yes it is a bit tired and run down (I played on some of this stuff as a kid)
Yes it is inconvenient to get to and/or park
Yes it is expensive when you don't have a membership
However - I bought a membership, and it is THE go-to place when downtown and my kids just need to play. I have a 10, 7, and 15mo old. I go here and they are all entertained for an hour minimum. My membership has also provided us safe haven from rain at the Folk Life Festival and heat from the Bite of Seattle. Kids don't care that much that stuff is broken because they use their imagination - that's what this stuff is for - add imagination and it becomes whatever you want it to be. My two oldest can spend hours just on the stage in the theater area alone.
I have absolutely no regrets in purchasing my membership - it is a great little lifesaver...and I intend on renewing for years to come. -
Review from YOUMETHEM Y.
Puyallup, WA
8/2/2011
We (3 & 9 and myself) attended a birthday party in one of the theme rooms at the Museum . Because it was a 'new' experience for my children, they had an amazing time. As a parent I agree with almost every positive and negative review on this board. I imagine like with any new venue the kids have a great time exploring: The fake grocery store was a HIT as was the art room where you could create your own clay figure, or art project imaginable. The 'build it yourself" room was so cute. My boy loved to put the child-tool belt on and fill the pockets with nuts and bolts and fake hammers and drills to create his masterpiece. He also enjoyed the water and toy boats he could play with. It was nice how just when you thought there wasn't anything else to look at or access, you'd turn a corner and another room appeared for the kids to experience.
I think this place is best for about 5 and under...my 9 year old appeared to be the oldest child in the museum, yet she did have a great time. I heard from several other parents that the Everett Childrens Museum blows this one out of the race, so we may have to make the trek out to see it. I do think they need to re-think fixing up some of the rooms. The COG ROOM had quite a few "suction tubes" broken, the plastic golf balls were stuck and there seemed to be some pretty aggressive kids trying to figure out how to fix it! The bathrooms needed servicing almost every time we visited it and the "no-return once you exit" policy is crazy when you are in Seattle Center and parking all around is metered parking. They need to offer the option to leave and return, however imagine the policy is in place to keep the flow of people visiting in and out within a few hours. Needless to say, it was an enjoyable day for all. -
Review from Nancy B.
Slickpoo, ID
11/8/2007
People have children for many reasons: pure hormonal coercion, the pathetic need to fill some void in their soul, a knee jerk reaction to societal norms, ego, hope that there will be someone around to change their diapers when the time comes and the overwhelming desire to relive their own childhood, all come directly to mind.
I fall into the overwhelming desire to relive one's own childhood category (and I would love it if I got to pay him back for the diapers someday). The last 25 years has seen some incredible improvements to children's entertainment. I spend a lot of time working through the resentment I have towards the Disney and Mattel corporations for not hauling all the good shit out for my generation. It totally explains the X thing; had I gotten to love a Furby, I'm convinced I wouldn't be the apathetic, cynical, disaffected slacker I am today.
So I made a person and now I get to go places like the Children's Museum and: pretend to shop for empty boxes of cereal, drive a bus in Nairobi, put on a play with real costumes on a real stage with real velvet curtains, run my own Mexican restaurant, play instruments from all over the world, read books in a fairy tent, and lately - learn about money in the Moneyville exhibit. I was finally able to buy a home.
I am not too proud to admit that I once lost the mini-hero here. It really wasn't just me - his father, grandmother, grandfather and older sister lost him too. Ok fine. It was me. Anyway - the place went into lockdown and we were able to track him down right away. I guess it happens a lot. I'm a good mother...i am....
Memberships start at $40 - good, good deal.Listed in: Procreation, Lactation,…
-
Review from Scott K.
Honolulu, HI
12/7/2008
Wow.
I had no idea!
What you see from the main room of the Center House is only a small portion of this expansive play space!
And for the record... I was babysitting... I wasn't hanging out in a Childrens museum in my spare time... not that I wouldn't! this place would crack me up if they served drinks!
I was really fascinated by the miniature replicas of the homes and businesses of other countries! I really didn't expect to walk away impressed... but I did! -
Review from Aja R.
Bellevue, WA
11/7/2010
WOW...not in a good way. I've been to the CM several times over the past 7 years. My first encounter was impressive as I had never experienced a children's museum before. over the years I have attended for different parties and always felt like there was a wealth of activities for kids. Thus when it was my turn to bring my darling toddler to explore and enjoy I was really excited.
To my dismay, this place has gone down the wayside. Unfortunately the exhibits are dated, damaged, and dirty. Most of the multicultural exhibit is rundown and just boring. The toddler area is not even worth a mention and quite frankly was poorly lit and a little scary for my almost two year old. The water toy area is a yawn compared to KidsQuest Museum. Some of the exhibits left me thinking the heck was that? Where was the fun, the interactive, the excitement? The fairytale area...really a bunch of books on the shelf, a wannabe castle in the corner, in a dark quiet room? The grocery store is the most redeeming feature of this museum, my daughter could spend days pushing and filling the shopping cart.
A big fat BLAH for The Childrens Museum...unfortunately and i do really feel bad writing this. I agree with a previous poster, needs major renovation and some much needed Tender Love and Care. -
Review from Heather H.
Seattle, WA
7/26/2011
My son is 15 months old and loves this place. We live nearby and go at least 3 times a week. Lots for him to explore and learn. Great place! And we are especially fond of Bryant one of the camp leaders. He is wonderful with kids and my son is drawn to his positive energy.
-
Review from Joshua B.
11/23/2009 2 Check-ins Here
My kid loves this place, so I love this place. There's tons of different activities, all of them hands-on, and usually a different traveling exhibit once/quarter. You've got a whole craft room, a ball room, some musical instruments, a reading room, a "grocery store", a "stage" and a "building area". If you're only going once, I agree it's not cheap, but my kid went here 2x/week (or more) in his first 3 years - and so the average cost/visit is like $2. He's spent hundreds of hours in the ball room, or playing the drums, and when he was really little playing in the 0-3 yr old area.
The museum is open early, it's open late, it's open Saturday, it's open Sundays - and there's a food court upstairs. One of the best places to take your kids (1-5 are the best ages, I'd say) on a rainy day in Seattle. Also good to get your out-of-town guests/family out-of-your-house, esp. if they bring little kids with them.
Considering that hundreds, if not thousands, of kids beat the heck out of everything in this place every day, I'm amazed this isn't a Mad-Maxian wasteland of rubble. I have been a little annoyed lately at just how many exhibits have become run-down, but they assure me changes are in the works for 2010, so it's something they're working on. It's hard running a non-profit museum these days. Perhaps they should re-incorporate as a bank and get some bailout money? I deducted one-star for letting things get so run-down, but the people deducting a bunch are seeing this place through an unfair lens (most museums go through phases of new/old).
The parking's not the most convenient (street or a few paid lots about 5 min walk away) but you should be more green and take the bus anyway. And if your kid is older than 5 this probably won't hold their attention as much as the nearby Science Center - but there's not as much to do there for under 5. And besides, why choose? We've got memberships to all the Seattle-area kids places (zoo, aquarium, science center, here). Need to have stuff to do if you have one or more active kids.
I'd say a membership to the Seattle Children's Museum is a definite "must have" tool in every Seattle parent's arsenal.Listed in: Good for Kids
-
Review from Sarah B.
Seattle, WA
7/18/2008
Who's ready for safe fun? Are you? I bet you are!
The Children's Museum is one of those great things about living in a city. You always wonder where the city kids play, this is one of the hot spots. It would bore older kids but for the small ones, this is a little slice of heaven.
If you are local, the year pass is a good idea. It means any rainy day you can go play.
There is a whole bunch of areas for children to play. The biggest one is the "nature" walk up the mountain. They actually have a huge fake mountain in the middle of the place. It's really quite amazing. And the walk up is fun even for toddlers. There is a story time room with books and an open floor. A fake grocery store. A fake restaurant. A theater with costumes and stage. An arts and craft center. A room full of gears and levers. An international area. And even a small toddler area.
It's just a really fun place to play. If you are afraid of germs or other parents, don't go. You'll have a panic attack. Just expect your kids to get wet, colored on and dirty. You know, being kids.
The parking sucks in the area. But it is right next to the food court!Listed in: Kid Power
-
Review from Heather C.
Angels Camp, CA
7/5/2010
Not quite as good as Portland's, better than San Jose's, and less expensive than either one. My kid had a blast. His dad and uncle had a blast. I was bummed that the ball/water area seemed to be totally broken down. I was also a little disappointed in the mini-forest area-- it was super neat looking, and extra informative but without the fun hands-on activities of other exhibits. I wish the art studio was a little more user-friendly (you take a ticket to reserve your art time, which is a neat idea except I didn't see that explained anywhere beforehand so we didn't even look over there until we were almost done with our 'loop', by which point the next available art time was over an hour out.)
Other areas though- global village (really interesting and lots of fun), grocery store (kids never seem to get sick of this), hardware store/giant tinkertoys (we were dragging the guys away from this one), restaurant... the kid and the adults all enjoyed. Definitely worth the admission price ($7.50, kids and adults) -
Review from Mangu C.
Everett, WA
7/10/2010
Well... this place was OK. A lot of the games were broken, which was a bummer so seems a little run down because of this. The kids area isnt that big, but there was a arts section where my son had a ton of fun painting. We had more fun in the huge fountain outside than in the museum. Ill give it 3 starts because of the arts section and the location of the museum. Normally this would be 2 stars
If you go, make sure you go to the EMP museum right next to it. That was fun and all the interactive games WORK. -
Review from D.J. Y.
8/15/2007
It always tends to amaze me coming here. I mean talk about turning over "control" to kids and the ending result becoming somewhat like a scene out of Lord of the Flies...
While the insanity abounds for some, those who remain somewhat under control, seem to enjoy this little treasure. Found in the basement of the Food Court at the Science Center, it's really not to be missed, especially if you are a child at heart.
Some of the interactive exhibits are showing some wear and tear, in general things are clean and functional.
The reality of this place is it's a wonderful place for kiddos to experience and enjoy. While "older" kids and those somewhat on the introvert side of personalities might find this place boring. Partaking of some of the cultural events held here are worthwhile. Discovery abounds around each and every corner of this place!
Again older kiddos might find this a tad bit boring but they can always head upstairs for a romp at the "Fun Forest." -
Review from Tyler A.
Lakewood, WA
5/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
I took my 4 year old nephew here and we both loved this place! If you have any sort of an imagination this place is wonderful. They have a kiddie grocery store, a place to build things using "wood and bolts", They have a stage for acting and doing shows. There were a ton of things to do. There were some buttons and things that weren't working which would be nice if they updated that and got those fixed, but for the price you pay I say it's definitely better to take a younger child here than the Science Center.
-
Review from Tarewyn M.
Seattle, WA
1/6/2007
Sure there are other children's museums in the Seattle area. Many with newer, bigger exhibits. Both my boys ( 2.6 snd 8) love this place. They love to climb the mountain, play with the japanese pay phone, and toss the balls around in cog city. My only complaint is that the rotating exhibits frequently are nothing more than thinly, very thinly disguised commercials for whatever character they are using. Even if the character is from a PBS show, it's still a TV character "selling" educational themes. But hey, everyone has bills to pay.
So even if you have other museum memberships ( I do) and even if you hate parking at the Seattle Center ( I do) and even if you have to drag yourself there ( I do) Go. It's the original children's museum around here and worth at least a visit or two every year. Plus they have awesome CLEAN birthday party rooms. -
Review from Douglas C.
Orchard Park, NY
1/26/2010
Good to try once, but won't be back.
It's really tough to write this review when I'm a 28 year old and really didn't interact much with anything there. If I wrote the review through my sons eyes I'm sure he was thrilled with the place. He didn't cry or complain once.
As a grown up its a different story. Here are my gripes:
1.) Inconveniently placed relative to parking and poorly labeled. It was pouring out the day we went and dragging the whole family what felt like a few city blocks was not a treat.
2.) Its expensive for what it really is. I have to pay for my kid..I get that, but my wife and I also had to pay for being wall flowers. Seriously?
3.) Beyond the front gate the staff was few and far between.
4.) Activities are broken up into age groups - so my 1yr old could really only enjoy a few areas, but I felt like older kids just had free reign over everything thanks to some careless parents. One kid, easily 4 years old was playing in the newborn - 2yr old section and shoved my son out of the way of a toy he wanted. Why exactly did my kid have to pay full price again?
Overall this place was OK - again, my son had fun, but there are better play areas that are cheap or free that accomplish the same thing. Bellevue Square, the Factoria kids playhouse etc. -
Review from Jaymie B.
Seattle, WA
4/26/2009
I have nothing to compare this place too... but my daughter and I still LOVE IT!!!!!! She has so much fun here... we just had to buy the year membership. It actually pays for itself after 3 visits.
Anyway... this place has a library, (free) art and craft center, and much more. Sophia hung out here almost 2 hours before I had to drag her out for a nap. Her favorite was the mini metro market. She loved to push the carts. -
Review from Miranda S.
Medical Lake, WA
4/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
My 4 year old had a blast and so did my husband (when building a house around our daughter). Great fun but can't be a "quick visit"...workers are nice and friendly. So much to see and do, I went on a Monday and don't think I would attempt a weekend crowd...week day was busy enough(yet managable)!
-
Review from eric k.
Dublin, CA
9/9/2009
Ok.... its a given that at almost any place like this.... your kid is going to have fun.... when it boils down to it... I used to have fun with cardboard boxes and tinkertoys.
But this place was a bit old and felt run down.... some of the rooms even had that hint of pee that might not have washed out of the carpet all the way.
Ok.... maybe I'm spoiled by the fact that within 45 minutes driving time from home, I have the Children's Discover Museum(San Jose), Oakland Zoo, SF Zoo, Academy of Sciences(San Francisco), the Tech Museum(San Jose) etc.... and all of these places felt newer and in better shape than this museum.
so... please donate to this place more... it needs to be redone and updated, or at least, fix the items that aren't working right. -
Review from Tani S.
2/6/2009
Really disappointing, after visiting Childrens museums in Boston and Chicago we had high hopes for this one in our home town. Fortunately we managed to get a discount for tickets for a trip with our 17 mo. old but so many of the exhibits either seemed broken, missing pieces, or dusty. Plus the venue at the Seattle Center with the smell of donuts (from the upper level) wafting in the air just struck me as wrong when you're visiting a museum.
If you have to take your little ones to somewhere in Seattle, I would recommend checking out the aquarium instead. -
Review from samuel a.
7/26/2009
I have to really remind myself that this isn't a place for me.
Sure if you're a local it would probably be a pain in the ass getting up there, but we visited and walked from our hotel a few short blocks.
The kids 4 and 1 LOVED it. I thought there could have been MORE. More as in more effort to keep evolving the place. It seems like it's been the way it's been for a long time. And the Discovery Bay area for toddlers is very skimpy on things to do, but again, this isn't for me.
The hit with the older child was the art and craft area. It's the best part of the whole place in my mind. Everything else seems kind of worn down, and I thought of germs until I read a sign there that explained what they do to keep the place clean and as germ free as possible.
It was a quick 3 or so hours. It would be worth going back and I would recommend it, although I think kids might grow old of most the things there after several visits. -
Review from Mina T.
Seattle, WA
6/29/2010
I hate to write a bad review of the museum. I have been coming here for years with my four year old and now my 15 month old. I have felt the place was going a bit downhill but my visit yesterday pretty much appauled me. So I felt I needed to write a review. Mainly in the hopes it will prompt a revamp.
So here are my concerns...
Ball area: (this area happens to be my sons favorite but it was so pathetic we had to leave), The roller coaster broken, also the ball that goes up by air ...gone. There was moldy filth under the water area in the ball area. So nasty! My baby dropped a ball and went to pick it up by the filth. I had to grab him and get away. The crank thingy to make the balls go up in little buckets...broken.
The stage area: Buttons to make the noises broken off.
The rotating exhibit room: No exhibit! So they simply moved in all the old and tired exhibits that were probably sitting getting dusty in storage in there. Yawn.
Toddler area: The water was half gone and dirty in the kids water table. NO smocks. Just gone.
This is all the places we went today. I was just blown away with how they have let the place go. They have tons of staff..I mean really? They can't get anyone to fix these things? OR clean a few things?
YUCK YUCK YUCK! I regret getting a membership. :( We've had so many good times here. I just makes me so sad. I truly feel they need to close the place down. Hopefully to redo it. -
Review from Chani B.
Seattle, WA
3/29/2007
Dang where the heck have I been? I just discovered the Children's Museum today. Yeah , Ive seen it from the 2nd floor,but you can't see much,so I figured there was nothing down there...whoa Nelly! Well today, was Whirlygig and I took my son to sign up for a membership. We spent most of the time jumping ( well he did) I can barely walk. Afterwhich, we went downstairs to the museum. For a 2 yr old it was awesome and for someone who's 2 at heart(but potty trained) it's super neat. Lots of hands on things to do. I got the joint membership and you get to bring up to 4 people with you. So you can bring yo mama,yo daddy,yo sistah,yo cousin Bootsie or whoever. We had a lot of fun. I agree parking is difficult,but if you circle around a bit, you can park on the street. Food there is expensive, so pack your own.
-
Review from Sean M.
Edmonds, WA
11/25/2006
I have to agree with Amy about this place. I took my seven year old son and he was just not impressed. About a half an hour into the visit he asked me if we could leave. It looks like little kids really love this place, as they seemed to be every where screaming and yelling. But I'd say anyone older then six should just stay away.
Listed in: Kids
