🔬 Hands-on & curious
Children's & science museums
Curated by Simir Shah
15 spots across Southern California — add your zip or city to sort by what's closest to you
Pretend City Children's Museum
Irvine · Children's museum
A child-sized interactive 'city' with role-play exhibits (grocery, fire station). Best for ages 0–8.
🗓️ Tue–Sun
💵 ~$22 general; $5 with EBT
Discovery Cube Orange County
Santa Ana · Science museum
A large hands-on science center — Eco Challenge, dinosaurs, simulators. Ages 3–14+.
🗓️ Daily
💵 see site (~$23–26 + parking)
The Children's Museum at La Habra
La Habra · Children's museum
Set in a historic 1923 train depot with a vintage train, carousel and dino/nature rooms. Toddlers to ~age 8.
🗓️ Tue–Sun
💵 ~$12 (ages 2+)
Aquarium of the Pacific
Long Beach · Science museum
A major family aquarium with touch pools, a shark lagoon and a lorikeet aviary.
🗓️ Daily
💵 see site (~$45 adult / $30 child)
Columbia Memorial Space Center
Downey · Science museum
A space/STEM museum on the former NASA/Rockwell site where Apollo modules were built; the national memorial to Shuttle Columbia.
🗓️ Tue–Sat
💵 ~$5 (3 & under free)
Children's Museum of Discovery
Escondido · Children's museum
Bilingual hands-on exhibits plus an outdoor Discovery Garden for young children.
🗓️ Tue–Sun
💵 ~$14; $2 with EBT/WIC
California Science Center
Los Angeles
FREE general admission, and home of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, in Exposition Park.
🗓️ Daily
Natural History Museum of LA County
Los Angeles · Science museum
Dinosaur Hall, a gem and mineral vault, and the Nature Gardens, in Exposition Park.
🗓️ Daily (closed 1st Tue)
💵 From ~$18; LA County residents free Mon–Fri 3–5pm
Kidspace Children's Museum
Pasadena · Children's museum
A 3.5-acre indoor/outdoor site with 40+ hands-on exhibits and nature play, near the Rose Bowl. Toddlers to ~age 10.
🗓️ Daily
💵 ~$15.50; under 1 free
La Brea Tar Pits & Museum
Los Angeles · Science museum
The indoor museum CLOSED after July 6, 2026 for a two-year campus transformation, reopening in 2028. Hancock Park stays open — the Lake Pit still bubbles and excavation continues in public view. Paths are being phased around construction, so check tarpits.org before you go.
🗓️ Outdoor park daily
💵 see site (outdoor park free)
Cayton Children's Museum
Santa Monica · Children's museum
A hands-on play museum on Level 3 of Santa Monica Place. Best for ages 1–8.
🗓️ Wed–Sun
💵 ~$16 (ages 1+)
San Diego Natural History Museum (theNAT)
San Diego · Science museum
Dinosaurs, regional wildlife and fossils, in Balboa Park. SD residents free the 1st Tuesday monthly.
🗓️ Daily
💵 ~$24 adult / $14 youth
Fleet Science Center
San Diego · Science museum
Interactive science exhibits plus an IMAX Giant Dome Theater, in Balboa Park. Residents' free day the 1st Tuesday monthly.
🗓️ Daily
💵 see site (~$20–25; EBT $3)
The New Children's Museum
San Diego · Children's museum
A hands-on interactive art museum for young kids in downtown San Diego.
🗓️ Wed–Mon
💵 ~$14 (ages 1–64)
MOXI, The Wolf Museum
Santa Barbara · Science museum
Three floors of interactive science and creativity, plus a rooftop Sky Garden with a glass-floor deck. All ages.
🗓️ Daily
💵 ~$25 adult / $20 child; $3 EBT
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best children's museums in Southern California?
Top hands-on children's museums include Pretend City (Irvine), Kidspace (Pasadena), the Cayton (Santa Monica), the New Children's Museum (San Diego) and the Children's Museum at La Habra. For older kids, the science centers — Discovery Cube (OC & LA), the California Science Center, the Fleet Science Center and MOXI — go deeper. Each listing notes the best age range.
Are any SoCal science museums free?
Yes — the California Science Center in Exposition Park (home of the Space Shuttle Endeavour) has free general admission. Several others have free resident days: the Natural History Museum (LA County residents weekday afternoons), and the Fleet Science Center and theNAT in Balboa Park (first Tuesday of the month for San Diego residents). Always confirm on each site.