A Day Out at the Bay Area Discovery Museum

One of my kids favorite places to go, hands-down, is the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito. If you haven’t been there, they are located in the beautiful Golden Gate National Recreation Area at Fort Baker in Sausalito, which overlooks San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge, and the views are amazing.

The Discovery Museum is truly a one-of-a kind children’s museum that offers a variety of indoor and outdoor hands-on exploration and educational experiences that offers hours of endless fun. Some of the exhibitions and features include Lookout Cove, a nautical themed outdoor play area with an old fishing boat for climbing; an area full of rocks, shovels, hard-hats and dump trucks; and a old wooden ship that the kids can search for shipwreck artifacts. There’s also a tot spot for babies and toddlers, where they can roll and jump on a water-filled “pond” similar to the old waterbeds of my generation. Outside the tot area, there is a multi-level faux rock stream filled with rubber fish and sea creatures that the kids can play and splash in. They also have an art studio for the kids to paint and do a variety of art projects; Bay Hall, a room filled with trains, and a simulation of Fisherman’s Wharf and the Port of Oakland, a wave workshop and a Discovery Theater. There’s a lot more to do… I’ve just highlighted a few of our favorite things there.

There’s an extensive picnic area on the museum grounds. If you don’t bring your own lunch, you can buy food from the Discovery Café, which offers pre-made sandwiches, coffee drinks (for that daily afternoon cappuccino fix), salads, freshly made panini sandwiches, Niman Ranch hot dogs, and more.

We’ve found that the best time to go and avoid the crowds, is right after lunch. I don’t know what it is, perhaps a common nap time for most kids, but the crowds tend to dematerialize in the early afternoon, leaving you the place pretty much to yourself.

If you find you and your kids love this place, then a membership is definitely worth it. For $95, you can get unlimited admission for four, which comes in handy when bringing the whole family, grandparents, or friends, as well as a discount in their store, special members-only offers, and more. They’re open Tuesday–Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm; they’re usually closed on Mondays. For more information, go to their website.