Is the Sacramento Children’s Museum Worth It? Tips for Visiting with Kids
The Sacramento Children’s Museum in Rancho Cordova is easily one of the best things to do in Sacramento with kids. From interactive exhibits to incredible seasonal events, there is always a reason to venture here for kids to explore and engage in imaginative play.
While the Sacramento Children’s Museum is one of the best museums in Sacramento for kids, you could also consider it as one of the top indoor play spaces in the Sacramento area that kids can enjoy on hot or rainy days.
Our family has visited the Sacramento Children’s Museum dozens of times, so I have lots of tips for you! Keep reading to learn everything you need to know when visiting the Sacramento Children’s Museum in Rancho Cordova.
Sacramento Children’s Museum – Quick Info
- 👶 Best for: toddlers + younger kids
- ⏰ Time needed: 1.5–3 hours
- 🌡️ Great for: hot days & rainy weather
- 🎟️ Membership worth it?: yes if you’re planning repeat visits
- 🧠 Vibe: hands-on, interactive, imaginative play
What is the best age range for the Sacramento Children’s Museum?
The Sacramento Children’s Museum is best for younger kids, ages 0-8. Older toddlers will especially love the museum, as it’s one of the best things to do in Sacramento with toddlers. From a grocery store to a stage with costumes, an art studio, and more, there are many hands-on exhibits for younger kids to engage with.
Popular Exhibits at the Sacramento Children’s Museum
Camp Rancho
Kids can pretend to fish in a huge canoe and have campouts in this area of the museum. In the back of the same section, there’s also a real observational beehive and a beehive cornhole game, which is always a hit.
Imaginative Play: Vet Office, Leo’s Market, & More
There are several imaginative play areas in the main area of the museum. Some of these include taking care of animals in the vet office, weighing produce at the market, sitting in a mail truck, and ringing a doorbell of a pretend house.
Airways
There’s something about putting scarves in air tubes that kids can’t get enough of. The Sacramento Children’s Museum has the popular airways exhibit in its museum.
Art Studio
An art studio in the museum allows kids to get creative. They can don a smock and literally paint on the (glass) walls. There are often art programs held here, which vary by day.
Imagination Playground
You know those giant blue foam blocks? They’ve got them here, too.
Baby Bloomers
If you’re wondering if there’s anything for babies or non-walkers, there is a dedicated farm-themed area just for little ones, ages 0-2. It’s socks only, and there’s a gate to keep the crawlers corralled. There are many soft play items for babies to touch and explore.
When visiting the Sacramento Children’s Museum, be sure to venture to the back of the museum. This is where you’ll find temporary exhibits, Leo’s Learning Lab, and where special daily programs often take place.
How to Get Free Admission to the Sacramento Children’s Museum
Did you know you can get free admission to the Sacramento Children’s Museum? The museum is part of the Sacramento Public Library’s Discover & Go Program, which means on the 1st of every month, you can try for free tickets to the museum. I have a whole article on everything you need to know about the Discover & Go Program.
The Sacramento Children’s Museum also participates in the annual Free Museum Weekend in Sacramento. Advance tickets are required for this free event, which typically takes place the first weekend in March each year.
Tickets & Hours
The Sacramento Children’s Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 3pm, and Saturday & Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
Admission is $10 per person ages 12 months and up. Children under 1 receive free admission. Grandparents/seniors and military/veterans receive a discounted $8 admission. The museum also participates in Museums For All for $3 each (up to 4 admissions).
Is There Food at the Museum?
Food is not for sale at the Sacramento Children’s Museum. You can, however, bring your own food. At just two tables, the dining area is quite small. A snack or two in the designated dining area is fine. I would not expect to sit down and enjoy a full meal here, as the dining area is not really equipped for that.
If you’re looking for family-friendly dining options in Rancho Cordova near the Sacramento Children’s Museum, I have recommendations below!
Know Before You Go
Make the most of your visit to the Sacramento Children’s Museum in Rancho Cordova with these tips!
- There is ample free parking in front of the museum and around Rancho Cordova City Hall.
- Small toilets and changing tables are available in the restroom.
- You can bring your own food to the museum to eat at the designated dining tables.
- The Sacramento Children’s Museum does get busy on weekends, especially when it’s hot or rainy, so expect it to be busy
Is a Membership Worth it?
Our family was members of the Sacramento Children’s Museum at one point, so I have thoughts on whether a membership is worth it or not. If you live in Rancho Cordova and plan to go to the museum frequently, then it’s definitely worthwhile.
If you don’t make it to Rancho Cordova that often, you probably won’t use the membership as much as you might think. Museum admission is only $10, which is considerably more affordable than most other museums.
The best perk that comes with a museum membership is the member-only hours from 9-10am. We did use this perk when we were members, and loved it. With young kids, we’re up early, so having this option early in the day was great.
Another great benefit is that the museum is part of the ACM Repricrocal Network. This means you can receive heavily discounted admission to other children’s museums in California and even across the country.
Best Sacramento Children’s Museum Events
The events at the Sacramento Children’s Museum are one of the main reasons our family regularly returns to the museum. They have wonderful annual events, many of which are free or have low-cost ticket prices. I often include events at the Sacramento Children’s Museum in the Sactown Supermom Events Calendar and in my weekly weekend events article.
Many of the events at the Sacramento Children’s Museum are held outdoors and do not include museum admission. Shamrock Shimmy and Sensory-Friendly Play are a few that do take place inside the museum.
Dogs with Jobs
If your kids love dogs, take them to the free Dogs with Jobs event at the museum. They’ll get to pet and interact with various dogs who have different jobs around the Sacramento area. This event takes place in early April each year. While it’s a free event, pre-registration is required (and it usually fills up!).
Shamrock Shimmy
One of the many things to love about the Sacramento Children’s Museum is its dedication to inclusive play. Shamrock Shimmy is an annual museum event around St Patrick’s Day for kids with special needs and their families to enjoy play and have a dance party in a safe, supportive environment.
Mess Fest
Mess Fest might be one of our favorite events for kids in the Sacramento area. If your kids are always getting messy, this is the event for them, as mess is encouraged. My oldest had a blast playing drums splattered with paint. There are bubbles and suds to play in, canvases to paint, and lots of sensory tables filled with goo for kids to dunk their hands into while embracing the mess. It’s such a fun event! Just be sure to bring a change of clothes.
Batty’s Butterfly Release
Each September, the museum celebrates Grandparents Day with the release of butterflies at Batty’s Butterfly Release. This event sells out quickly! The butterflies released are locally sourced and raised.
Sensory-Friendly Play
The museum hosts monthly sensory-friendly play days specifically designed for children with special or sensory needs. These supportive play days occur for 90 minutes and cost $3.
Trick-or-Treat
Amid the many free Halloween events in Sacramento for kids, Trick-or-Treat at the Sacramento Children’s Museum is an annual Halloween event that takes place on Halloween morning. Instead of admission, the museum asks everyone to bring a new or gently used book to donate. Kids go around to the many tables and vendors, trick-or-treating on Halloween. If your kids aren’t in school yet, this is a fun way to kick off Halloween morning.
Nearby Food Options in Rancho Cordova
It took us a few trial runs to figure out where to eat near the Sacramento Children’s Museum, but we finally figured it out! Right across the street from the museum, off of Data Drive, is a whole plaza of kid-friendly places on Zinfandel Drive. It’s a 3-minute drive from the museum.
In the plaza, you’ll find Petali, a quick, casual Italian spot, Famous Burgers & Brews, Soho Sushi, Priya Indian Cuisine, Eat A Pita, and Sala Thai. So far, we’ve only tried Petali, but Famous Burgers & Brews is always full of families.
More Fun Things To Do in Rancho Cordova
There are tons of fun things to in Rancho Cordova with kids, especially with younger kids. Make it a day by adding on these other kid-friendly activities in Rancho Cordova.
1. Peek-A-Boo Factory
If you still need a place in Rancho Cordova for kids to release their energy, Peek-A-Boo Factory is a great option. It’s a large, three-story indoor playground where kids can climb and slide, conquer a timed Ninja course, and ascend a moving Mario wall. It’s best for ages 3+.
2. Heron Landing Community Park
Heron Landing Community Park is one of the best playgrounds in the Sacramento area for toddlers. I was really impressed by all the unique features at Heron Landing Community Park, from a built-in trampoline to a giant sand area, and one of the best splash pads in Sacramento.
3. Hagan Community Barn
If you plan to visit the Sacramento Children’s Museum on a Saturday, consider combining it with a visit to Hagan Community Barn first. On Saturdays from 10am to 12pm, kids can feed farm animals for $5 per family of four. If you time it with the first weekend of the month, there are also steam train rides through the park.
4. Nimbus Fish Hatchery
When you want an outdoor adventure in Rancho Cordova but the kids might not be quite old enough yet for kayaking at the Sac State Aquatic Center, the Nimbus Fish Hatchery is a perfect outing. The best part? The Nimbus Fish Hatchery is one of the best free things to do in Sacramento with kids. Children will love seeing the salmon and trout, and they’ll even get to feed the fish. There’s an outdoor play area and more fun interactive exhibits inside the Visitor Center.
Overall Thoughts About the Sacramento Children’s Museum
The Sacramento Children’s Museum is, by far, one of the best activities for toddlers in Sacramento. The museum is a staple for kids in the Sacramento area, offering a fun space for younger kids, particularly on hot and rainy days. I love all the many inclusive events they host for families and their constant efforts to make the museum a welcoming space for all.
Is this the best children’s museum I’ve ever visited? No. I was more impressed by the Modesto Children’s Museum, the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County, and the Bay Area Discovery Museum. Something all three of those have in common is water play spaces. I’d love to see the Sacramento Children’s Museum add a water play area, which would be especially wonderful on hot Sacramento days.
The Sacramento Children’s Museum is also affordable, making it more accessible to the average family compared to the price of other children’s museums. At only $10 per person, it’s actually cheaper than most other indoor play spaces in Sacramento and has no time limit. Plus, they have fantastic family-friendly events for the community. It’s definitely worth visiting when planning fun activities in Sacramento with kids.
📍Sacramento Children’s Museum Address: 2701 Prospect Park Dr, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
