The New Childrens Museum
"Think. Play. Create."
The New Children's Museum is designed to celebrate the visual arts, yet it's almost too grown up for kids. If your child loves to play with clay, paint, or play dress up with capes...yes, they will have fun. But the museum lacks the hands-on, crazy, colorful exhibits that characterize so many other children’s museums across the country. There are no vehicles to climb into or look at, gadgets to explore, levers to pull or buttons to push.
But don't just take my word on it. You can take a look for yourself. Let me give you a video tour of the main level of the museum.
On the main level, you’ll find an indoor and outdoor wet art studio.
Kids can make clay objects, allow them to dry, and then take them home as a great souvenir.
To the right is the obsolete vehicle, a 1973 VW, called the Painted Bug. It serves as a automotive canvas kids can paint on. Now that's something that should not be tried at home!
On the upper level, you’ll find the Bubble Fountain. There are bubbles in buckets and your kids can take different things like pipe cleaner to try to make bubbles. And I do mean “try.” I didn’t see many kids blowing bubbles successfully. Not nearly as impressive as the
Virginia Beach Childrens Museum
where a child can put an entire bubble around his or her body in the Bubble Room.
Here's a video tour of the lower level.
Personally, I think the museum is too environmentally friendly, and not kid-friendly enough. If you’ve got toddlers and preschoolers, the big concrete steps throughout the museum are not practical. There’s only one elevator.
Don’t get me wrong, the building is definitely an architectural achievement, but it’s just not a warm inviting place for kids. They don’t walk in and just start pulling your arm saying, “Mom, what’s THAT? We’ve got to go in there! I want to see THAT!” It just doesn’t have that kind of magic.
Free admission every Second Sunday of the month, sponsored by Target.
You can pay $75 for a Family Membership for the year which includes:
The New Children's Museum is located downtown:200 West Island Avenue San Diego CA 92101 Parking is $10. Metered parking and public parking lots also available.
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We visited on a FREE SUNDAY which I would highly recommend. Every second Sunday of the month, admission to the Childrens Museum is free, sponsored by Target.
Admission Prices:
If you live in San Diego, it’s worth checking it out on the free Sunday (2nd Sunday of the month) then you can judge if your family likes it enough to return.
