The New Children's Museum
San Diego, CA
~$15 per person
By Simir Shah
Updated September 13, 2026
★★★★★4.4(3,461 Google reviews)
From our editor — we've been
The New Children's Museum in San Diego is super nice and a ton of fun for kids of all ages. We took Saaya there when she was 4 or 5 — she had a blast in the foam block area and all the other interactive exhibits. We haven't been back since, but it was genuinely great. They've also got a nice on-site cafeteria.
💡 Local tip: There's a real café on site — Bean Sprouts Cafe — with healthy, kid-friendly food, so you don't have to leave for lunch.
What parents say
AI summary of 5 Google reviews — not a first-hand visit. How we write these
This is an art museum for children rather than a traditional play museum, and reviewers expecting the latter were let down. Clay, crafts and climbing hold roughly ages two to nine. One reports broken exhibits, an unclean toddler area and a ramp their child fell from. Parking is hard.
This downtown museum, opened in 2008 in a green building designed by architect Rob Wellington Quigley, commissions contemporary artists to build room-sized interactive art installations kids can climb through and explore. Its Artopia studios add hands-on workshops in painting, drawing, and pottery.
Good for
- Ages 0–2
- Stroller-friendly
- Shade
- Nap-schedule friendly
- Sensory-friendly
- Restrooms
- Food on-site
Happening near here
- Seaport Village Live MusicSan Diego · <1 mi · Sat–Sun 1pm–4pmFree
- Summer Movies in the ParkSan Diego · <1 mi · Sat duskFree
- Trick-or-Treat on India StreetSan Diego · <1 miFree
- Little Italy MercatoSan Diego · <1 mi · Sat 8am–2pmFree
200 W Island Ave, San Diego, CA 92101, USA
Hours via Google — confirm before a special trip.
Map
What visitors say
- Scott Carter★★★★★
We've been to children's museums in cities all over the world on our travels, and this is the best one we've experienced. It's well maintained, easy to navigate, and each area is creatively and thoughtfully designed. It's like a wonderland imparting feelings of whimsy and splendor that others could learn from. The staff is helpful, friendly, and visible. Unlike other children's museums, where the staff act more like security guards, the team here is all about helping the kids maximize their experience. My kids loved the art room and working with clay. I appreciated the nearly screen free environment and plentiful seating for tied parents. This is a must-visit for parents with young children.
3 months ago
- Brian Chan★★★★★
We needed to find something to do before flying back home and decided to come here. I really didn’t expect my kids to enjoy it as much as they did as we were here for almost 5 hours. Usually after 2 hours they are ready to go but they kept going back to the clay molding or climbing on things. I would recommend going back but I think as they get older maybe 10-11 they won’t find it nearly as fun so anywhere from 2-9 is probably a good age range. Parking is a bit tough to find and apparently there is a parking lot down the alley dedicated to the building but I didn’t see any marked signs for parking so we parked a couple blocks away at the public lot.
a month ago
Showing 2 of 5 Google reviews · Read them all on Google Maps
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