Spanish 
Videos for Use
Fast Facts
Leadership
CEO & Founder, Collette Michaud
Full Board
Mission
The Children’s Museum of Sonoma County’s mission is to inspire curiosity and creativity through joyful transformative experiences.
History
In 2005, a group of Sonoma County mothers began planning a children’s museum to address the lack of a local gathering place where parents, grandparents, and teachers could support a child’s natural craving for curiosity and exploration. This team of educated volunteers established Children’s Museum of Sonoma County (CMOSC) as a Federal 501(c)(3) corporation in December 2005 and launched the Museum-on-the-Go (MOG) mobile science and art outreach program. Basic and engaging concepts in these two focused areas would become the hallmark of MOG exhibits.
In 2014, CMOSC opened Mary’s Garden and Ella’s Art Studio to the public and saw 70,000 guests walk through the gates. A year later, the opening of the Science and Imagination Gallery and Totopia interior galleries followed and 130,000 visitors were welcomed. Now, after a decade, the Children’s Museum is a bustling hive of activity inside and out and welcomes 200,000 guests annually from all 50 states and 15 countries. Click here for a complete history.
Museum Visitors & Site
The Children’s Museum of Sonoma County is a vibrant and welcoming place for all children and their caregivers. It provides opportunities to experience the transformative power of learning through joyful play. The Museum is located on a 50,000sf2 campus with both indoor and outdoor exhibits, which are focused on science, art, and nature for children aged ten years and younger. Programs and exhibits experienced at the Museum have long lasting economic, health and social outcomes for children and society.
The Children’s Museum of Sonoma County welcomes low-income visitors through core Access for All programs, described below. These programs demonstrate our vision that all children have the right to equitable learning opportunities to help them achieve their full potential as engaged learners and successful members of society. Over 20% of our annual visitors enter the Museum through one of the following programs:
- The Access for All initiative, which includes the Museum for All program, provides discounted admission to families who need it most. Access for All is designed to serve families who are not able to afford the Museum experience by offering annual memberships at 50% or 80% of their regular cost depending on which governmental assistance program they participate in.
- Museums for All program. Through this program, anyone with an Electronic Benefit Transfer card (CalFresh Food Stamps) can enter the Museum for just $3/person (regular admission price is $16/person). WIC or MediCal recipients are eligible for $8/person admission.
- Open Door Pay What You Can program. Visitors pay on a sliding scale basis, including no charge (letting the caregivers decide what they can afford).
Location
Located at 1835 W. Steele Lane in Santa Rosa, the Children’s Museum is within easy access to HWY 101 and Coddingtown Mall. The Santa Rosa CityBus (stop 11) and the SMART Train Guerneville Rd stop are both within easy walking distance to the Children’s Museum.
Additional Recognition
- Voted “Best Children’s Museum” by the Northbay Bohemian 13 years in a row, 2010 – 2024
- Voted “Best Place to Take Kids in Sonoma County” by the Press Democrat, 2018 & 2022 – 2024
- Voted “Best Place in the World for Kids to Play That is not a Playground” by Landscape Architects Network, 2016
- Voted “Top 3 Places to See in Santa Rosa” by Three Best Rated, 2019
- Voted “Best Children’s Education Center” and “Best Children’s Museum” by Bohemian, 2019
- Top Things to Do in Sonoma County with Kids, Sunset Magazine, 2018
Recent Press Releases
- Grand Opening of the Dino Dental Clinic (August 2024)
- Children’s Museum Celebrates Record-Breaking Attendance, Successful Exhibit Launch, and 10th Anniversary (July 2024)
- CMOSC Partners to Provide Free Summer Exhibition and Lunch Program (June 2024) Article Link
- Large Volunteer Event at the Children’s Museum Pulls in Local Community Partnerships (April 2024)
- Children’s Museum Community Engagement (June 2020)
- Rediscovery Plans for Children’s Museum (June 2020)
- Space Odyssey for Galactic Explorers Exhibit Opens in Santa Rosa (April 2022) Article Link
See all press releases, click here.
