Pretend City Children's Museum
Irvine, CA
~$18.50/person
By Simir Shah
Updated September 10, 2026
★★★★★4.5(2,073 Google reviews)
From our editor — we've been
This was the place when ours were small. They'd spend an hour in the grocery store alone — stocking shelves, working the checkout, completely absorbed. It's also where they made friends, and where a lot of our play dates ended up happening. If you're new to Orange County and want your kids to meet other kids, I'd start here. I have hundreds of happy memories of it.
💡 Local tip: It adds up if you go often, so look at a membership — the family tiers cover unlimited visits and get you in at 9am, an hour before the public, which is the difference between a calm morning and a loud one.
What parents say
AI summary of 5 Google reviews — not a first-hand visit. How we write these
Reviewers describe role-play areas: a market, fire station, car shop, water play with aprons, and a clean sandbox. Free parking, no time limit, and places to sit with your own snacks. Several call it loud and overwhelming, and mention sensory-friendly days. Babies over about a year need a ticket.
A miniature city of 17 interactive learning spaces — designed by architect David Rockwell — where kids run a grocery store, hop in a fire truck, tend a farm, or check in at the health center and police station. Built for ages 0-10, it's a nonprofit museum and a genuine lifesaver on hot or rainy days.
Good for
- Ages 0–2
- Stroller-friendly
- Shade
- Free parking
- Sensory-friendly
- Restrooms
Happening near here
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29 Hubble, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
Hours via Google — confirm before a special trip.
Map
What visitors say
- Nancy travelwith★★★★★
Such a great place for family and kids. They have no limited about the time. I hope that they open late in the evening too. My baby is 16 months and she so excited to explore here. We bought ticket for her as the website said it's not free for baby over 12 months
4 months ago
- A C★★★★★
Pretend City children’s museum brings a unique twist to your average museum and allows children to fully express their emotions through learning. It enhances a child’s understanding of everyday things from grocery stores, emergency services, mechanics and the postal service. It teaches them about road safety through the use of a pretend traffic light system with road crossings and traffic lights. For the kids who want to get away from the noise a pretend library is also included with books.
5 months ago
Showing 2 of 5 Google reviews · Read them all on Google Maps
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