The Best Museums for Kids

Though few and far between, there are two stand out museums on the Central Coast perfect for you little ones.

The Monterey County Youth Museum, Monterey: MY Museum is teeming with exhibits aimed at getting your children playing, exploring, learning, and having fun. Every activity, from the Go-Fore Golf putting green to the “sail” a rocking boat, will keep your young ones engaged and amazed. This is a hands-on museum that gets kids of all ages–mom and dad included–creating and playing. Suitable for toddlers to age 8.

Exploring a station at the MY Museum.

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, Santa Cruz: You may not even have to enter the museum for your kids to have a blast here thanks to the mega metal life-sized grey whale plopped right on the museum’s front lawn. I remember climbing over this statue of a gentle-giant when I was young. If you manage to get your youngsters into the museum, as my parents always somehow succeed in doing, you won’t have to worry about wondering attention spans thanks to the fascinating displays of Santa Cruz County’s natural history. From mountain lions to a touch tank full of slimey sea creatures, the Museum of Natural History will keep your kids exploring for more. And then, of course, they can always go back to climbing the whale. Suitable for kids 4-12.

The "climbing whale" in front of the Santa Cruz Museum of History.