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Experiment, Play and Imagine at the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum

September 30, 2023

Foam Blocks

The San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum in Escondido features fun and interactive exhibits that sparked the imagination of my two young kids. The museum has numerous science activities that allow kids to experiment with wind, magnets, light, water and more.

Plus the entire month of October, Kids are FREE at the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum as part of Kids Free San Diego. Up to two children (12 & under) can get FREE admission with one full-price paid adult with your Kids Free Coupon.

Visit this interactive Water Wise Table to explore buoyancy, water flow, and test your problem-solving skills while constructing pathways and structures with LEGO brick sets.

We really enjoyed the Museum’s outdoor Discovery Garden where we got to build with LEGO’s at the Water Wise Table, and create ramps and houses out of large foam blocks at the Imagination Playground.

Upon entering the museum my kids were immediately engaged with the bug specimens they could examine with a magnifying glass. Then my 6-year-old son went straight to building a giant marble run on the Magnetic Ball Wall. It was great seeing him get so creative. My kids also really enjoyed the “Our House” section where they could use their imagination and pretend play.

Meet Sebastian, the 50 year old North American Desert Tortoise! Guests can get an up close look at Sebastian the tortoise and learn about his different adaptations during Tortoise Talk at 10:30 a.m.

The outdoor Discovery Garden was another favorite spot where my kids spent a lot of time building structures, watering the garden, playing music, and learning about pollinators. We were also surprised to find that a 50-year-old desert tortoise named Sebastian lives at the museum! And, for those children that love sand, the Base Camp allows kids to become young paleontologists while they dig for dinosaur bones.

We highly recommend a visit to this museum, here are a few suggestions for your visit:

  1. The museum is best for kids age 2-9.
  2. Check the museum’s calendar before you go to take advantage of one of their daily family workshops at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
  3. The museum has storytime at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
  4. After your museum visit consider walking across the street to Grape Park, it has a great playground.

Here are some visitor tips to help you prepare for your museum adventure:

  1. The Museum offers visitor parking which is located in the front and on the side of the building. Parking is free and offered on a first come first served basis. Overflow parking is also available. View Directions & Parking for more details. The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Sundays from 12:30 – 4:30 p.m.
  2. Check out their daily activities including Storytime Connections 10 a.m. & 2 p.m. /  Tortoise Talk  10:30 a.m. / Big Science Question 2:30 p.m. and Family Workshop 11 a.m. & 3 p.m.
  3. A fan favorite is Fun Animal Fridays on the last Friday of every month.
  4. There are plenty of restaurants nearby the museum for lunch or dinner

Find Tickets and More Information about the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum Here

Written by Danielle Deery

Danielle Deery lives in the Encinitas area of San Diego’s North County with her husband, two kids who are 8 and 6 years old, and a dog. One of her favorite things to do is take her kids on museum adventures around San Diego. She is a Freelance Curator, San Diego Museum Council Board member, former President of the San Diego Museum Council, and former Director of Exhibitions at Oceanside Museum of Art.
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