Frequently Asked Questions

• What are your museum hours?
  OPEN

  • Wednesday – Monday: 9am – 4pm
  
  • Sundays: 9am – 11am for Members only

  CLOSED

  • Tuesdays (open select Tuesdays during winter & spring school breaks)
  
  • Holiday Closures: New Years Day, Easter, July 4th, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day
  
  • Maintenance Closure: September 19, 2017 – September 22, 2017

  • *Group visits can occur Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and occasional Fridays.

• Where should I park?

  The Museum has a parking lot, on busy days it can fill up quickly. Please only park in our parking lot, or on the public streets.

  Please do not park in the Charles M. Schulz Museum or Snoopy’s Home Ice parking lots.

• Can I get to the Museum with public transportation?

  Yes, the Museum is accessible through the Santa Rosa City Bus Route 11. The bus stops directly in front of the Museum.
• How much do you charge for admission?

  • Adults & Children: $12
  
  • Babies under 12 months: FREE
  
  • Members: FREE
  
  • Reciprocal Memberships: Visitors with a reciprocal membership from a participating Association of Children’s Museum organization will receive 50% off admission prices for up to six (6) people – dependent upon the membership level the visitor has. A current membership card from the participating museum must be presented in order to receive the discount.

• Do you have discounts for admission?

  The Museum offers the following discounts: $3 off for military adults with an ID, $3 off for seniors

  Families in need are welcome to apply for free admission passes through the Children’s Museum’s Family Access Program. Or the Sonoma County Library Discover & Go Program.

• Why do adults have to pay for admission if they won’t be playing?

  During a visit to the Children’s Museum, we hope that adults will take some time to play and extend the invitation. As a small, not-for-profit organization that subsidized each entrance, we count on admission dollars to keep our Museum open.

• Does the Museum have free days?

  
  The Museum does not have free days.

• What if we can’t afford to pay admission?
  

  CMOSC does not turn away visitors due to lack of funds. Families are welcome to visit the museum on a pay-what-you-can basis. To participate, tell the front desk staff that you wish to enter under the open door policy.

• Do you offer membership options?

  With many unique features and benefits, the Children’s Museum has a membership suitable for your family or organization. All memberships include unlimited visits for one year. We now offer online membership purchases!

  Please see our memberships page: www.cmosc.org/memberships for more info

• I am an adult and would like to visit the Museum by myself? May I?

  We let adults in at the front desk to look around as long as they check-in at the front desk and receive a visitor’s badge. If you would like a tour please email info@cmosc.org to arrange one.

• What age range is the Museum designed for?

  The Museum is designed for children ages 0 – 10

• Is there a limit of how many children 1 adult can bring?

  Yes, we require 1 adult for every 4 children visiting the Museum.

• What kind of activities the Museum have?

  We offer a variety of self-directed and facilitated activities to explore with our Playologists. Please see our calendar for public programs or just come and discover what’s happening in the pond or in the Science and Imagination Gallery, or explore Mary’s Garden where you might learn about the physics of water. Ella’s Art Studio has wonderful art experiences that focus largely on collaborative projects using various media. There is a large window that might get painted with paint or shaving cream.

• Do you have a list of your events happening at the Museum?

  Yes we have events listed on our Calendar and on our upcoming events page: www.cmosc.org/events

• I want to bring my 1 year old into Totopia, why can’t my 5 year old come as well?

  Totopia is a multi-sensory experience designed for infants and toddlers only. This exhibit offers crawlers, early walkers, and toddlers a safe and stimulating environment to explore. If you have older children, please skip this room or bring another adult to supervise them while you enjoy the space with your wee one.

• My parents are here with me and are watching my child, may I sit and work on my laptop while they play?

  We encourage all of our visitors to interact and engage with each other. Even if your child is being supervised by other grown-ups, we ask visitors to save their work for another time. Limited space at shared tables also makes laptop and other similar work best saved for another time and place.

•  Do I need to make a reservation to bring my group to visit the Museum?

  Yes, we require all groups coming to visit to have a reservation, you may not be allowed in if you have not reserved your group’s day and time. Please visit our group visits page to make a reservation: www.cmosc.org/group-visits-to-the-museum

• How can I make a field trip reservation?

  Please see the Field Trips page to make a field trip reservation: www.cmosc.org/field-trips

• May we celebrate our child’s birthday at the Museum?

  We love to have children visit the Museum on their birthday! For the comfort of all our visitors, the Museum cannot accommodate unscheduled parties at our picnic tables. Please see our Birthday Party page to book your celebration: www.cmosc.org/parties/

• Are strollers allowed in the Museum?

  Strollers are allowed in Mary’s Garden only, for the safety of visitors, and to allow room for my guests in our smaller indoor spaces, we do not allow strollers in the Science and Imagination Gallery or Ella’s Art Studio. We have semi-covered outdoor stroller parking in Mary’s Garden

• Do you sell food at the Museum?

  We have a Fresh Healthy vending machine in Mary’s Garden.

• Where can we enjoy a snack or lunch?

  We have a number of outdoor picnic tables for you to eat your snack or lunch at. We do not allow eating in any of our exhibit areas, and ask that you only eat at our picnic tables.

  Picnic tables are for family dining only and are expected to be shared. Staff may ask families to give up their table after 30 minutes of use if there are others waiting to find seating. Tables cannot be reserved or saved and birthday parties/groups are not permitted.

• Where can I store my personal items?

  We offer storage cubbies in our lobby for your personal items. Please note: these are open and unsecured and leaving items in them is at your own risk.

• Can I drop my kids off to play?

  No, we require all children to be supervised by an adult at all times

• Can we go out and come back in again?

  Yes, grab a hand stamp at the front desk on your way out and you can show the front desk staff on your way back in.

• How can I volunteer? How old do I have to be to volunteer? What would I be doing as a volunteer?

  For all your volunteer questions, and to apply to volunteer, please see our volunteer page: www.cmosc.org/volunteer/ or, email our Volunteer Coordinator, Abby Lake: abby@cmosc.org

• At times, the museum is too loud for my child. What can we do?

  Children with sensory issues may find the noise level in the Children’s Museum overwhelming. If your child needs a quieter environment, try one of these ideas. Borrow a pair of noise-reducing headphones from the Calming Bins in the Parent Resource Center, visit early in the day, or plan to visit a calm space in the garden if the sights and sounds get too overwhelming.

• Where can I nurse my child?

  The Museum does not currently have specific nursing areas of the Museum, however we do have a comfy couch and chair in our Family Resource Center (in the Science Imagination Gallery), as well as benches and picnic tables in shady areas. If you need a secluded space, please ask us if our programs and meeting room is available.

• Can we have our shoes off while in the museum?

  No, please keep shoes on at all times while visiting the Museum for safety. The only exception to this rule is that families and young children playing in Totopia must remove their shoes prior to entering the space.

• Why can’t I put my feet in the river?

  We do not treat the water in the the river with chemicals, only UV filtration systems, to allow fish and frogs to share the river as it filters into the wetlands area. Putting feet in the river adds germs and pollutants which make the water dirty and unfit for play and creature habitats.

• What is the story behind Ella’s Art Studio?

  The Loving Ella Foundation generously donated funding to create Ella’s Art studio in memory of Ella Bisbee, a very young artist from Sonoma County.

More Information

Plan Your Visit
Membership
Exhibits