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Children's Discovery Museum
Good-for-Kids Rating
Babies
Toddlers & Pre-KSchool-Age KidsPre-Teens & Teens
Children's Museum
Special Collection
History Museum
Children's Discovery Museum Description
This charming children's museum offers hands-on play and learning activities. The small size means it can be fit into a packed itinerary, but young children could easily spend hours here on a rainy day. The very affordable price includes admission to the Judy Garland birthplace and museum, which is also worth a visit. (They're connected by a covered walkway.)
Kid Tips
Babies: Mobile babies may enjoy crawling through the museum's large maze. If you plan on bringing your baby into the Judy Garland side of the museum, keep in mind that there are some narrow doorways and stairs: a sling or frontpack is a better choice than a stroller.
Toddlers & Pre-K: Little kids will find plenty to do, from playing in the water table to having a conversation with a gigantic talking tree.
School-Age Kids: Older kids can keep busy playing the piano, keyboard, or organ in the music area.
Pre-Teens & Teens: Your best bet might be to let your teen occupy herself at the Judy Garland Birthplace Museum, where paraphernalia from the Golden Age of Hollywood, plus gossipy details about Judy Garland's untimely death, could provide enough intrigue for even a cynical teen.
Planning Notes
- Kids prefer the Discovery part. The Judy Garland portion of the museum isn't too kid-friendly, so if you're traveling with another adult, you may want to take turns letting one adult sit with the kids in the children's museum while the other finds out more about Garland. Luckily, it's very easy to get back and forth between the two -- you don't even have to go outside.
Just the Facts
Hours: Memorial Day through Labor Day: Mon.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (CDT) September hours: Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Oct. through March: Friday and Saturday only 10 a.m.-5 p.m. April to Memorial Day: Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Sunday Closed on Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
Fees: Under $10
Recommended Time: 1 to 2 hours
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