Cayton Children's Museum

Perfect place for little movers! The museum is sensory oriented, play-based and a safe place to explore. I didn’t make a reservation and waited an hour to enter. Next time I’ll make a reservation or go on a day that’s not a federal holiday. They have a bag check for security and you walk through a metal detector, a quick and easy process that makes you feel secured. Your stamp on the hand is good until the end of the day when they close at 5 so you can leave and come back in. There’s something for everyone. My toddler loved building out train tracks, crawling through the ceiling nets and jumping into the ball pit. I am excited to take him back as he grows and becomes more interested in other offerings such as their art classes. A great place for a play date with friends that have kids too!

Was a bit surprised there was an entrance fee. In UK, museums are always tax funded. But it was a magical experience for the little one. Not over crowded and lots of great play to emerge themselves in.

Great venue for kids! We just flew in for a short vacation and this was a great option in the late afternoon with plenty of activity areas for kids 2-around 10yo. There's an infant area as well. Our little one refused to leave when time was up! It's a great option if you have Santa Monica beach on the itinerary on the same day. Pretty relaxing and air conditioned for the parents too. Thumbs up!

First time. Love that it was free for WIC or Medi-Cal holders. Wish the areas were governed better. Was there with my 13mo. His first time to a park/play situation with so many children. The "baby" area was nice until some parents allowed their older children to come in and roughouse. We moved to another area and tried that. It was crowded. I came by with an hour and a half till closing, thinking it would be less. I'll have to try it again during the week when there are less people for a more accurate review.

My 6-year-old had a blast for an afternoon. This place is basically an indoor playground. Her favorite parts were the ball pit and climbing around in the extensive network of ropes and tunnels. The photo I share here is the one weird corner of the place that made me laugh. Maybe they should just put another inflatable pool filled with balls there too.

Great place to visit at least once! If you have kids of all ages you will find something for each to have fun and enjoy together as a family! If you buy tickets online I believe it was 2 dollars cheaper then in person

I’ve recommend that you buy the tickets before you go, we didn’t do that, so we had to put our names on the waiting list and waited for about 1h:30. My 2 years old son loved it, he played for about 1h:30. Tickets price are around 15 bucks.

We came to spend the day at the Santa Monica beach but got rained out… luckily, this awesome museum was literally just up the boardwalk ramp from the pier. This is an awesome place to let your kids run around and learn from the great hands on exhibits.

Perfect place for little movers! The museum is sensory oriented, play-based and a safe place to explore. I didn’t make a reservation and waited an hour to enter. Next time I’ll make a reservation or go on a day that’s not a federal holiday. They have a bag check for security and you walk through a metal detector, a quick and easy process that makes you feel secured. Your stamp on the hand is good until the end of the day when they close at 5 so you can leave and come back in. There’s something for everyone. My toddler loved building out train tracks, crawling through the ceiling nets and jumping into the ball pit. I am excited to take him back as he grows and becomes more interested in other offerings such as their art classes. A great place for a play date with friends that have kids too!

Was a bit surprised there was an entrance fee. In UK, museums are always tax funded. But it was a magical experience for the little one. Not over crowded and lots of great play to emerge themselves in.

Great venue for kids! We just flew in for a short vacation and this was a great option in the late afternoon with plenty of activity areas for kids 2-around 10yo. There's an infant area as well. Our little one refused to leave when time was up! It's a great option if you have Santa Monica beach on the itinerary on the same day. Pretty relaxing and air conditioned for the parents too. Thumbs up!

First time. Love that it was free for WIC or Medi-Cal holders. Wish the areas were governed better. Was there with my 13mo. His first time to a park/play situation with so many children. The "baby" area was nice until some parents allowed their older children to come in and roughouse. We moved to another area and tried that. It was crowded. I came by with an hour and a half till closing, thinking it would be less. I'll have to try it again during the week when there are less people for a more accurate review.

My 6-year-old had a blast for an afternoon. This place is basically an indoor playground. Her favorite parts were the ball pit and climbing around in the extensive network of ropes and tunnels. The photo I share here is the one weird corner of the place that made me laugh. Maybe they should just put another inflatable pool filled with balls there too.

Great place to visit at least once! If you have kids of all ages you will find something for each to have fun and enjoy together as a family! If you buy tickets online I believe it was 2 dollars cheaper then in person

I’ve recommend that you buy the tickets before you go, we didn’t do that, so we had to put our names on the waiting list and waited for about 1h:30. My 2 years old son loved it, he played for about 1h:30. Tickets price are around 15 bucks.

We came to spend the day at the Santa Monica beach but got rained out… luckily, this awesome museum was literally just up the boardwalk ramp from the pier. This is an awesome place to let your kids run around and learn from the great hands on exhibits.

We absolutely love the Cayton Museum. There are so many interactive activities for my three year old little man. From the fire truck to shopping to cooking to the ball pit to the helicopter, there is always something to do and see. The staff have always been friendly, welcoming, and happy to help. The location feels safe, the toys are cleaned and organized, and with all of the various rooms, the space doesn't feel overwhelming at all. My son loves the art room and enjoys dressing up in the firefighter outfits. My only concern: As is with any child "play area", there are children that are not supervised by their adult(s) and are misbehaving, which is quite frustrating. My little guy was called a very mean name and was then pushed down, all because an older boy didn't want him to play in the same ball pit. (He had declared it his). I looked for the parent(s) and unfortunately, they were no where to be found. Again, this is one of those things that happen when you have kids in one place but it would be nice to have an additional employee or two walk around to ensure there is some type of general supervision/safety check.

We spent the afternoon enjoying the museum. My little one created puppets in the art room and climbed up a ladder to crawl around a ceiling-high net. He played in a grocery store, a veterinary office, flew a helicopter, and drove a fire truck. The space is very family-friendly. The gift shop has high quality toys and books for sale. The museum is a worthwhile stop for families with young children.

Tickets are cheaper if you buy them online vs. at the register. Great for babies and kids. There's a special area for 2yo and under. There is a great variety of stuff to play and interact with- including: *an art room *a ball pit *a fire truck and helicopter *a table with train tracks, magnet tiles, wooden blocks *a big, contained structure for climbing up almost to the ceiling *grocery store *mirror hallway

Terrible experience. Was told to wait 45 min to go in while I was very pregnant with a 4 yo. I was told it was because they were at max capacity but as I was waiting in the gift shop where the exit is I saw over 20 people exit and no one enter. I then asked if I could go in and they said no. While waiting I asked to use their bathroom and was told they could walk me back there but they didn't want to leave the desk even though there were 4 other people on staff there and no other customers. I asked if I could buy a membership to get in and was told I could use the value of my ticket towards a membership but still couldn't go in immediately, even though members normally can. No one was very friendly when delivering this information. Will not be returning.

We brought our 1 year old here during the "twilight hour" ticket. I think it was a good price for the amount of time. The soft play area was a good size and the slide was a cute touch. My son enjoyed walking around and going through the mirror hallway. Everything felt pretty clean too.

Cayton Children's Museum is a great museum to check out if you have a toddler aged child. The tickets cost $15, but the prices will be going up shortly. The museum is open 10 am to 5 pm. They have membership plans for families if that's something you are interested in. I highly recommend taking your child here for the day to play. Your child will be have a lot of fun. This interactive things for children to play, ball pits, play grocery store, play kitchen, play vet's office, an art room and many other places to play. You can take your picture for free in front of one of the monitors and it will e-mail you the picture.

Very kind and caring staff The space is pretty, and my toddler loved all the activities There's basically nothing i would complain about!

They had a wide variety of exhibits and my son enjoyed the peddling machine and climbing. The staff were very informative and welcoming to everyone who came.

It was our first time visiting Clayton Children's Museum and it didn't disappoint! Our daughter enjoyed every exhibit. I love that they allow families to re-enter the facilities throughout the day! Worth it for less than $20 pp. Children age 1 and under are free. $16 if you pay online or $18 in person. Save the $2 and your sanity like I did! I can't say enough great things about this museum. I would totally buy a membership if I lived near this place because it's inside of a mall with plenty of shops and restaurants.

What an amazing place to take your kids. Although I don't see coming here every weekend and probably not even once a month but it's right in the heart of Santa Monica with free 90 minute parking in structure 7. If you want to access the museum directly you can park on level 4/5 and walk across the walkway straight to the 3rd floor of this outdoor mall. There are quite a few food options before or after a long day of play at Cayton. Overall there are tons of activities for the kids, restrooms were very kid friendly, and the staff was constantly cleaning/sanitizing the play areas. There is a security checkpoint with metal detector to make sure the kiddos are safe. Although it's on the smaller size in terms of kids activity spaces, the place felt safe with enough things to do for kids of all ages. Make sure to check them out.

My kids love Cayton! There are activities suitable for a wide age range. Our favorites are the ball pit, climbing structure spanning almost the entire space, and the fire truck and helicopter. As for cons, the museum itself is not large and there were fewer activities than I initially expected. That coupled with a pricey entrance fee (and nothing for adults to do) means we don't frequent it that often despite being relatively close by.

It was a fine place. There were several options for varying age ranges. It didn't feel very clean, and quite a bit of things were broken. The ball pit was the highlight for the kids we were with, and the dramatic play was also very fun. I don't think I'd drive the hour+ to go back, but I'm glad we went.

It's January 2024, you expect people to have understanding or a bit of compassion with these rough years we've just endured as a collective community. In Los Angeles ( and in America in general). I especially, feel that people that choose to work around kids have a bit more empathy or at least more patience than the average person. I try to lead a life with kindness and respect for others. So although I didn't speak up at the moment, it was to protect my harmony and the people around me. I felt really uncomfortable and icky today. I came in for the open play at 10am. I have two daughters who are disabled. And recently lost my business. So I have fallen into the "financial hardship " category. For those who don't know if you have an EBT card which I do, it's a card that helps me pay for food at the moment. I do not receive cash from the government, I make "too" much for that assistance. Well, I come in at 9:45 she asked if I had a membership I said I'm not sure she looked me up and said "oh, ok you do have a membership but, since I'm not paying full price fees like other members I have to wait until 10. Which is fine, if those are the rules I'm not against it. So me and my 2.5 daughter are waiting. Watching people go inside who are members and at 9:57 some people get in line who aren't members and pay. She allows them to go in line to get inside. At that point there are two other people in line to pay so I decided since my daughter had been trying to get in by the time I wait in line behind them it will be 10? So I did I wait behind them and right as it's my turn to go through the security checkpoint. She comes running around the corner and says very rudely, you need to wait until 10 next time ! Give me your hand ! Next time I won't let you in ... Almost, as if I was a child. She herself is pretty young. I honestly was shocked and surprised but more so I felt so disgusted and discriminated against. I just said, ok, she stamped my hand and I looked at my phone it was 9:59. I wear a hoodie and vans when I'm out very la/Santa Monica vibe no makeup and no high end brands names. She acted as if I did something so horrible and I should be ashamed. The thing is I totally get needing to wait my turn. But fair is fair. Why were the people in front of me allowed in they weren't members? They came for Open play which started at 10am ; Just like me? I know for sure because I asked them. While we talked and waited to get in. I didn't feel comfortable so we stayed about 15 mins and left. It gave me an uneasy feeling. My back story is pretty long. But I will say, I was born in Santa Monica. I'm 40 years old and live on Colorado and 4th. I didn't grow up with much and we struggled and saw my parents being treated very differently. I worked hard to get out of that situation. At the moment, yes I need help. But I won't stay stuck for long. I'm a part of the Santa community for longer than most of these places have been around especially this "museum " which shouldn't even be allowed to have the name museum. Since they are charging a set amount and not accepting donations. I normally don't fall in such a "low economical status". Which is extremely fortunate for me and my children. But, there are many people who do in this area and in La that treatment was horrid. Not ok, and felt very specific. I much rather spend $20 which I do pretty often and go down the street where there is a zipline and friendly people running it. Rock the spectrum. The thing is if I had to pay, and that would have made you treat me better than being treated like a "lower part of society" because I get a discount. I would have paid but there are many people who don't have the funds and if you treat them like that you should be ashamed. If that is the case don't offer it? I can almost guarantee the only reason it offers " financial hardship help" is more a mandatory requirement and or tax write off and maybe to look better in the community. I can't wait until, something about this place comes into play with my area. My kids go to Roosevelt and Franklin elementary (one has a special needs class) and I will be voicing my opinion about that place this year. Also side note. I have only gone here a couple of times and it always look pretty dirty. My neighbors daughter worked here for a bit and told us they don't really wipe anything that why it's "closed for cleaning " so you don't see what they do and when they are off at night they don't clean anything but trash. Her words not mine. Personally, it always looks the same anywhere there's kids there is germs. At for the place it's self, it's ok.. the only cool thing they have is the climbing net but if your kid is 3 and under and doesn't like to do things themselves it's a no. I'm not going back there ever and it's free for me.

I was first introduced to Cayton via their "Paint the Walls: Art Explosion" class. They basically paper the walls and floors of an art studio and allow your kids to go wild with paints. They even provide fun toys to paint with -- for example, my son's first time he discovered the joy of dipping monster truck wheels in the paint and driving it all around the room! We have done a few more classes like this, and it's always been great fun to explore the museum after the class because general admission is included. My 3 year old loves this place so much that we decided to go all-in and buy a membership this year. I got the Launchers program which is one child + 1 adult. The great thing is the adult can be anyone -- dad, mom, grandma, other caregiver etc as long as the child is (obviously) the same ha. It's only been 3 months since becoming members and we have already made it worth its cost! We love members only hours 9-10a as it's significantly less crowded. My toddler is still a bit shy around other kids and he will always wait until he helicopter or firetruck is completely empty before going in -- but that usually means we wait outside for a good 15 minutes while kids rush in and out until we inevitably give up and try something else haha! And forget about Fridays close to 11a as that is usually when school field trips are in full swing! Since we started going to members hours, my son has gotten a lot more confident at climbing the jungle gyms that sprawls across the ceiling and will spend hours shopping at the mini grocer, cooking food at the restaurant, dressing up as a fireman or helicopter pilot, and checking up on sick stuffed animals at the vet. He especially loves chasing the bubbles outside when they have chalk art in front of the museum. He's gotten better and diving into the ball pit even if other kids are in there, and I think he may even had his first date in the restaurant :) Parking is free for 90 minutes in the the connecting garages : structure 7 - floors 3/4 connects you the closest to the museum. The family bathrooms in here are clean and maintained. This place can be chaotic and a bit rough for younger kids during midday hours and definitely weekends. I highly recommend getting a membership for younger kids -- you make it back with 8 visits with the lowest member level, or less if you buy during their April 20% sale! But if you don't have membership, I suggest arriving right at 9a open as you can usually get a good hour in before the crowds and school buses arrive!

Pretty underwhelming. First off, anyone over 1 has to pay including the adults. Walk in is $18 and online is $16 (which I would recommend to avoid waiting if there is a crowd). It's more set up for taking pictures than for play. Not much to do, kids didn't enjoy it and kept asking to leave. I would not go again. I'd rather spend that money on something else in that mall like the restaurants or a toy. Not worth the traffic you have to deal with in Santa Monica, just go to the beach.

Pros: -Advanced online registration guarantees timed entry with no overcrowding. -No entry fee but you were asked to make a donation online and in person. -Dress up opportunities for good photos. -Great activities for young kids. Cons: -Lady was not very friendly in the gift shop. My two-year-old ran out of the museum door which leads to the gift shop. I grabbed him to pull them back in, and she said that next time I would have to go all the way around through security to re-enter, even if she saw me frantically run after my toddler. -There is a corner of the museum that's a photo opportunity with some stairs. My toddler fell down in this area and it should be padded. -$2 parking in the structure or a couple of hours.

This place is awesome. $15 per person / kid (under 1 is free). Plenty for kids to play with including helicopter, firetruck, boat in a bullpit, baby area (under 2s), foam building block area, overhead climbing netted area for bigger kids, art studio, plus interactive "sciency" areas... Endless things to do! Big bathrooms with baby changing which we never had to wait for. As others have mentioned, the Children's Museum is stroller free and stroller parking at the front gets full by 11am. Baby wear if you can (or have more than 1 kid), and I recommend parking up on Floor 5 so it's a simple walk out of the car park, taking the immediate left into the Museum.

Wow!! We had the pleasure of taking our two year old here last weekend and were delighted with our experience!! Easy parking on level 4 with sky bridge over to the Cayton. $15 per person is a little pricey but was ok for a single long visit. If you end up really enjoying and live close enough, a membership might be the best bet. Only water inside. They do a good job of ensuring food is consumed outside on patio to avoid any allergen issues. Metal detector upon entry to keep everyone safe. Immediately our little guy was elated by all of the activities available. Started with the climbing course which was fantastic. Then spent some time in the fire truck and helicopter. Great photo op as they have faux firefighter and flight suits for the kiddos to wear. Ball pit was a favorite. Art studio was super fun with the activity of the day being creating and decorating their own mini telescopes. Can't wait to go back!!!!!

We been here a few times & the last time we went my son got sick. & he's been sick for 2 weeks. This place needs a major cleaning job. A lot things are broken. This place isn't as sanitary as it use to be when I first found out about it. Probably wouldn't be back. My son loves this place but the management needs to step it up.

I'm giving two stars because every time we come they deny entrance and kids get depressed. Why would you open for birthdays when it's weekend and every child wants to come to play. If you don't have a room to accommodate all kids why would you allow shit it down for birth days. My heart breaks when my son sees others go inside all happy and my son is very sad that he is not allowed. Breaks his self esteem. I think there will be a law suit one day. Very disappointed

My 3yr old and 1 year old had lots of fun. Clean place. Super creative space, needed more time to explore all!

The place is extremely dirty and unorganized, with a very small kids' space that offers little to do. I would recommend skipping this place altogether. If you live in LA and have children with no other options, it might be worth two stars, but it's definitely not worth visiting from other cities expecting something fun or interesting. The art studio has barely any supplies, and there are very few employees working to maintain the space.

My 1 year old daughter loves this place but everytime we went she'd be sick days later...I'm afraid to go back for that reason..I'd totally blame myself.

Small more great for toddlers~ But had great time doing art craft and enjoy the unique stuff to do in the museum~ It is so unique and cute museums! The atmosphere is clean and modern looking. They have lots of pretend areas and climbing area! Bubble time and storytime! They have lot of relaxing area for parents while kids play~ There is huge magnet area and workout area for kids~ It really fun for 8-9year old kids too. The workers are so nice. You can park in a mall structure. In the mall there is place to eat and drink ( shop til drop ) across the street you can go for a walk on 3rd street promenade. On 5th floor near museum entrance there's also sprinkles cupcake vending machine it was so cool and got to eat red velvet cupcake.

This place was amazing!! I had no idea what to expect going into it and was pleasantly surprised. I took my young toddler and we had so much fun!!The museum is split up into different sections and has a ton of activities to keep them busy for a long time. We loved the grocery store, the fire truck, the helicopter and the water table. They also have a baby area for them to play in which is perfect for babies who still crawling or learning how to walk. The facility is clean, modern, specious and welcoming. The bathrooms are clean and the employees are very friendly. Parking is free for the first 90 minutes. The entrance the museum is currently free for LA county residents, but they do ask for a donation. I must say that their gift shop has some really great kids books! I'm a preschool teacher I'm always on a hunt for kids books. The lady at the gift shop told me she is constantly researching for unique, educational, interesting kids books. She picked and choose the books by herself. I bought 3 books and got a free T-shirt for my toddler. We will absolutely come again! Absolutely love this place.

I got Covid for the first time coming here. Didn't catch Covid for 4 years but came here once and the whole family tested positive. The place is poorly ventilated and there's no sanitizing protocols at all. I wore a mask the entire time I was there and still caught Covid. Yup...never coming back.

This is located at an outdoor mall. The parking structure is free for the first 90 mins?. The Museum does not validate parking. They don't allow strollers but you can park them at the front desk. I don't think anyone is keeping track of them. There was a screener for bags like any theme park. I'm not sure of the bags get x-rayed or what. $15 per person over 1 year old. I would say this is a good place for very young kids, like prek or kindergarten age. There was a padded play area for kids under 2. There was a very shallow ball pit. There was a climbing net area in the ceiling. I did not check out the art area. There was a firetruck with outfits to put on. A grocery store with a scanner and diner area for play with foods. It is a good place to tire out little legs.

This place was absolutely not as advertised. Was very disorganized and uninteresting. Don't waste your money please

I'm so impressed with this children's museum and so happy that the recently reopened to the public on August 4th. They're currently using a "pay as you wish" system for Los Angeles County residents. I'm not sure who's funding, how long that will last, or how that's possible, but it's such a cool thing to provide to the community especially during these wild COVID-19 times. You can park in structure 7 or 8. Free parking for 90 minutes with reasonable fees after depending on the day and the Cayton doesn't validate. We parked in structure 8 on level 5 and it was a quick walk there. It seems like structure 7 would be an even quicker walk since it was right next to the entrance to the museum. You can reserve your time slots on their website, but you can stay there as much as you'd like once inside. Strollers aren't allowed inside the museum, but they can be parked by the entrance. Masks are required of anyone 2 and up. You'll pass through a metal detector, too. We took our 2 year old and she had a blast. We spent about 3 hours. There's a ball pit with a boat, a soft play area for 2 and under, a fire truck, a veterinarian "clinic" for pretend play, a jet cockpit, a market, water table and more. There's something for everyone. The soft play area has a sign designating it for 2 and under but did see a couple parents letting their older kids in there to toss themselves and run around like crazy. I saw some small babies in there playing and that didn't seem very safe. No employees came over to say anything to these parents. There's a fun colorful portal mural on the small stairs to get some cool photos of your kiddos. This is a must do. Food is currently allowed inside and can be eaten by the tables next to the vending machine or the long bench right next to it. They have two vending machines that also sell snacks and drinks. There's a refillable water bottle station by the bathrooms. They have a set of lockers where you can leave your bags. You don't need a lock since you can set your own passcode via the keypad. These were so handy for us! We didn't have to lug our backpack around. The bathrooms had a couple changing tables and toddler safety seats in the stalls. The sinks also had a raised platform for children to reach the faucet. Our 2 year old loved the suspended net play area that hangs from the ceiling. Parents are allowed to accompany their kids in there, but it's mostly kids on their own. My wife had the privilege of climbing along with our daughter since it was her first time trying it. There's a large water table area and our toddler got pretty wet, so make sure to bring a change of clothes if your little one intends to play there. There's a small gift shop when you exit the museum where you can purchase unique toys (some are branded with their logo), shirts, hats, etc. We will definitely back to Cayton's Children museum! I just wish it was closer to us because that 405 traffic is crazy.

Great fun little museum for littles. I would say it's good for kids 1 to up to age 5 or 6. Ideal for toddlers to spend a couple hours before nap time. Parking in structure and lots of other things to look , eat or shop around the area.

This place is amazing for kids my nieces and I can't wait to go back. We had a blast they had so much fun with all of the material available the staff was constantly cleaning and organizing the stuff kids are able to get tired out because of all the choices they have to offer. I highly recommend you come here just to check it out you won't regret taking any kids here they're gonna have a blast.

Beautiful, spacious, and colorful, Cayton is everything you'd expect for a children's museum. Located at the top of the Santa Monica Place on Level 3, the museum is quietly tucked away across from the food court. Park in the Parking Structure 7 on Level 4 or Structure 8 on Level 5 to have the easiest access to the museum, especially with strollers. First 90 min is free but goes up avg $2 up to a max of $20 on weekdays and $25 on weekends. A typical 4 hour stays means $9-11 depending on weekday or weekend as of Spring of 2022 First thing first. LA County residents can enter for free if you enter your zip code as discount code when registering for a time slot. It's based on a pay ad you wish donation basis. Otherwise it's $16, which is a steep price considering you're most likely here as a family of 2+ people. It's only one story but they packed a lot of activities from ball pits to a fire truck to water play. I think kids 2 and up can really have a blast and easily spend 3-4 hours here. And in case you need a reminder... this is a high touch facility with tons of kids running around slobbering and touching everything in sight. I understand the pandemic has gotten everyone hyper vigilant about hygiene but don't be surprised by the fact that this is a museum designed for kids. There are tons of tactile experiences and kids are going to be kids. I'd recommend bringing your own snack. It's been years since we visited Santa Monica Place and the pandemic really made a mark on the Promenade. Half the eateries in the food court weren't in operation and the choicest available are less than appetizing. The museum is closed on Monday and Tuesday btw. Paid members get an extra hour to themselves in the morning (9-10am). If we lived closer, I would definitely bring my kids here regularly. Great job Cayton! We need more experiences like this for kids!

Great kids museum! Given its location in a mall, it's all indoors but we went on a Sunday afternoon and it didn't feel too crowded. (They also have a ticketing system, so presumably there is some sort of capacity restriction.) My 2-old especially enjoyed the helicopter and fire truck, and they also had an art studio when you need a more relaxing/quiet activity to do in between bouncing around. It's currently donation-based for LA county residents, meaning this is a very inexpensive activity for local families. Also, kudos to the person who mentioned parking in structure 7 on level 4. The entrance was literally across from our parking spot (which is convenient when you're carrying a fussy toddler who had a blast playing at the museum and doesn't want to go home).

Fun place but be prepared it is definitely crazy in there. It's free/donation based for LA county residents and no matter what time of day you go there's just an overwhelming amount of kids. That being said, it's a popular spot. My daughter loves it and there's a lot to do between the different areas. They have a small kids section, larger kids section, animal vet section, fire truck, helicopter, grocery store, large water table, bubble maker, projection room, a private room where you can do dances etc. and on my way out I think I even saw an art class going on. I'm missing some sections I'm sure of it, these were the one in my head. All in all my child loves this place.

My daughter enjoyed it at the beginning but so there were so many older kids who were violent and pushing smaller kids, throwing balls at them and destroying any castle they built. So many sick kids coughing and sneezing all over the place. Parents were all their phones. The staff is quit rude and not helpful whatsoever. The place is very very dirty. Not well kept! We went on a Friday midday and it was so crowded. All the parents looked as miserable as I was. Unfortunately I would not recommend this place and we won't return as the parking fee is too high as well.

Such a horrible experience. Not only did I have a horrible time but I can't see how kids can actually enjoy themselves. First off, I paid $15 for my daughter under 2. When inside it was packed and a huge mess of everything all over and kids out of control. Not much really for kids to do except bounce off the walls with toys and such probably not cleaned for awhile. Do yourself a favor and save the money and go somewhere else or just walk down to the beach witch will be a better experience.

Kids loved it here! They could have stayed all day if we let them. The museum is all 1 level and is very well-thought out. There are a few free lockers for parents to put away their bags. There are plenty of restrooms. No food or drink allowed inside, but you can easily go out to the mall to eat and then come back in. There's an art room where kids can get creative. The day we went, the kids got to mold clay animals. The biggest hit for my kids was the overhead jungle gym made of rope. Adults can climb in there too and move around relatively easily for our size. The grocery store was extremely popular as well - all the kids were drawn to the check out scanner, so it was difficult getting a turn on that single register. Parking on the 4th floor in parking garage 7. Easy walk to the museum entrance.

The place is good for an hour of play or 2 at most. Its well constructed and nice. It used to be a donation place...we used to like it but it changed.... Now everybody over 1 y/o has to pay a 15 dollar fee. Which does not make sense at all. 2 parents 1 toddler $45 dollars. Charging 15 for a kid is a good deal but charging parents is ridiculous. Not worth it.

Great museum for all kids of different ages. Their imagination can run wild and I wish there were more places like this that allow the kids to use their imagination and interact. Everything is so nicely coordinated and also very colorful.

The water table was off. Looking at the duct tape, I am guessing they don't plan on turning it back ever(?). The "how high can you jump" was out of order... The magnet wooden gears were gone. The magnet tiles were STICKY. The entire supermarket section was STICKY. None of the grocery items were not covered with sticky feelings and a layer of grey... the green play blocks were also covered with a layer of grey... sticky too. The art studio, veterinary office, and the climbing net areas were hot and stuffy (outside temperature today was 70-80F. The tiny ball pit was cramped with kids with runny nose and toddlers mouthing the plastic balls. Found a few cracked balls in there too. $15/person and with parking. That's a little too uncomfortable for that price.

Location-wise it's inside the Santa Monica Promenade. The museum is right next to the entrance for Garage 7, Level 4. This connects to Level 3 of the mall. Hope that helps someone else out. Not sure if they validate because we forgot to ask. We paid $11 in the parking structure. We went on a Sunday afternoon and it was much more crowded than I expected. On a weekend I was expecting a good amount of people, but with the current Covid spike and reservations being made online, I thought there would be less people there. I wish there were more sections that are toddler-friendly or for smaller kids. They do have one area for those 2 and under which we liked. My little one is 2 y/o, and there were mostly older kids overall (at least 8+ years old). Only a few people seemed to be mindful/considerate towards little ones. The museum checks vaccination cards and reminds people to keep their masks on, but many of the older kids didn't have theirs on. It was really uncomfortable because there was an older kid trying to take toys away from my daughter who was a fourth of his size (and age). Another was a group of older kids (looked like siblings) in the animal clinic telling her that she couldn't play with any of the animals on the shelves and she has to "pay" for each one she touched. They weren't joking around either. Mind you, they were yelling this loudly UNMASKED. Again, about 6-8 years old. The parents weren't anywhere in sight. I know they are supposed to be supervised. Lastly another unmasked kid went up to my daughter and suddenly pull hers down. Ugh. So uncomfortable. The exhibits (grocery store, cafe, ball pit, fire truck, helicopter, etc.) are all cute, and I'm guessing this place would be much more enjoyable if there were less guests or more people following the rules. I added an extra star for cute photo potential. The staff seemed nice, especially inside the art studio which my daughter seemed to enjoy the most. Maybe we will try again on a weekday.

I was not at museum, as I was at home here in NY. Last weekend, my daughter, son in law, and my granddaughter attended the Creature Dance Party, and had a great time. Please note, my daughter reports that there is a free garage under the Museum! Thank you

This is nothing more than a playground for kids. The name Museum is absolutely misleading. Rude staff with lack of knowledge and zero customer service, they also refused to provide a receipt for what they charge. SAVE YOUR MONEY AND GO A PLAYGROUND.

I attended a bday party here with 2 kids. The play area is very nice and entertaining for my 6 and 8 year olds. There are many different stations and activities that would appeal to 3-10 year olds. There is a arts and craft room, play cafe and market, a good size play helicopter, a netted tube attached to the ceiling, and a ball pit. There are several other activities for kids. One thing I noticed is there doesn't seem to be the same security as Chuck E. Cheese where parent and child have matching wristbands. I walked out of the facility, through the gift shop and out the door to buy coffee. And when we left we just took our kids through the exit with no one really checking anything.

The location is great with convenient parking in structure 7 or 8 The concept is nice but this place is not well kept its run down and dirty you can tell they don't clean very well Also no one enforces the no shoe policy specially around the baby toddler area. the playmat where the legos are is so disgustingly dirty and it's not from a day or few hours dirty. I went to the previous location in Beverly Hills and that place was very nicely kept and bigger more spacious

My daughter loves this place. I take her there often. There are many things to do for all ages and you in/out access all day.

Holy moly how did I not know that this was here all this time in Los Angeles. They have a huge fire truck. a huge helicopter. A bin full of balls and a tugboat. And they have a children's shopping mart (my girls love it). They also have an interactive screen, art studio, water works and photo booth. It is very clean and anyone over 2 years old is required to wear their mask. The only negative thing i can say is It was like pulling teeth trying to get my children to leave this place. I highly recommend!

Located on the 3rd floor of Santa Monica place, make sure to park in lot 7 or 8. Came here on Sunday right when they opened, by 11 or so it gets pretty packed. Great exhibits like a fire truck, helicopter, store, cafe and some other play areas. Overall probably 2 hours max. Looked like everyone was wearing masks and they checked vaccinations cards when entering.

This place was absolutely not as advertised. Dirty, rundown and filled with unsupervised children and distracted parents. Not a team member in sight (they all gather at the front of the building but can't be bothered to take care of the actual play areas). Overpriced for what this is. Don't waste your time.