Here are a list of some of the more popular children's discovery places, museums, zoos, aquariums and more in our corner of the world:
Northern California
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Aquarium of the Bay - aquariumofthebay.org
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Academy of Sciences - calacademy.org
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Monterey Bay Aquarium - montereybayaquarium.org
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Exploritorium - exploratorium.edu
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Chabot Space and Science Center - chabotspace.org
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Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose - cdm.org
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Oakland Zoo - oaklandzoo.org - Check out our YouTube Video of one of our visits to our favorite zoo ;)
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Micke Grove Zoo - mgzoo.com
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Sacramento Zoo - saczoo.org
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Children’s Museum of Stockton - childrensmuseumstockton.org
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World Of Wonders Science Museum - wowsciencemuseum.org - Watch the YouTube Video from one of our visits.
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Explorit Science Center - Davis - explorit.org
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Lindsay Wildlife Experience - Walnut Creek - lindsaywildlife.org
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Sacramento Children's Museum - sackids.org​
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Powerhouse Science Center Discovery Museum Campus - Sacramento - powerhousesc.org
Note: ^ This isn't a comprehensive list. I just started out with some of our favorites (and bucket list) locations. Will be adding more in the future.
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On the Go
Make it a Learning Experience
Oftentimes we can learn a lot just in some of the local places around our neighborhood that we may not of think of us as being "education"
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Pet Store / Feed-n-Seed
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Farmers Market / U-Pick
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Beach
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Supermarket
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Craft/Fabric stores
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Hobby Shops
LIBRARY!! -- Find your local branches and get those library cards. Find out what special events they have. We go weekly to PreSchool StoryTime session which includes playtime afterward. We always bring a big bag and load up on our maximum limit of books and DVDs Seriously, you should be going often.
Parks and Rec -- Your local Parks and Recreation offices are a great way to find out what resources are available for some outdoor and family friendly places in your community. Don't just look at your cities but also your surrounding cities and counties. Playgrounds, trails, lakes, community centers, camping sites, etc. are great activities to simply get out and about.
Victoria and Violet have been to most of the places listed below. We LOVE exploring new hands-on, interactive experiences that make learning and discovery more fun and exciting.
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Try searching your area for children's discovery centers, museums, aquariums, zoos, national parks and other learning centers open to the public.