Lawrence Hall of Science

The Lawrence Hall of Science is always a great place to visit and learn, especially with the rotating exhibits. It feels different taking my own kids here now, and I appreciate many of the kid-friendly activities even more than when I was growing up and visiting.The 3D movie on the life cycle of the T-Rex was awesome. Very engaging, and the effects added to the experience instead of being distracting. Definitely worth the extra $5 to see it! The sun presentation...not so much. I wouldn't recommend that one, but the planetarium is pretty cool and perhaps other programs are better.Other highlights were the outdoor dinosaur exhibit with the moving/screaming dinosaurs, the molecular biology room (great way to introduce kids to vortex machines, centrifuges, bioreactors, and microscopes), and the outdoor exploration area. Other places looked pretty awesome, but we didn't have time to visit.A couple of not-so-great things included the food options. The cafe downstairs was shuttered the whole time we were there. The tiny mini fridge in the gift shop was okay, but didn't have a lot of options, and even less veggies. In addition, how is there not more Lawrence Hall of Science-specific swag??? I asked about a sticker and they said it's been the most requested item for years. Kinda seems like a hint to offer some, right?Parking is easy, but paid. Staff is pretty friendly too.

Going here for the first time, I didn't realize it was a museum mostly for kids.Had I known that before, we probably would not have come, but we just gave it a chance.The most interesting thing here, to me, was the globe showing all the airline flights all over the world.There are lots of interactive things here for kids to do. And this place sits high in the Berkeley Hills, awesome views of the entire Bay Area!!

Growing up in the East Bay Area I remember making at least a couple different trips with my schools. Just on the other side of the Caldecott, with stunning views of the San Francisco Bay Area, it's got to be the best museum on the planet. We've been making the trek whenever we get a free day from school and this time we lucked into the Dinosaur exhibit. My youngest was just in heaven examining everything. We spent a good amount of time playing with the motorized figures outside, including pretending to run from a dino attack! Inside, we were treated to a globe which displayed the view from space, an earthquake simulator, gravity testing, and the AI lab. I know the museum gift shop is named the "Discovery Store" but really, isn't that what the entire museum is? It's selling scientific discoveries with your ticket right? It's ok, I know I'm a little weird. We saved the whale and DNA structure for last as we were heading home. I insisted on having the kids pose in the DNA for me, cause my DNA in DNA was too funny to resist.

I'm a fan of the Lawrence Hall of Science but I was less impressed with their summer camps. The Lawrence's Toy Builders was, by far, the most expensive summer camp we signed our kid up for. The camp's description includes the following: Participants will use their creativity to transform recycled materials into a take-home toy with moving parts! We didn't see anything resembling a toy come home with our camper. But she seemed to watch a lot of movies over her two weeks at the Lawrence...It doesn't square for me that this is the priciest camp and the only one where they frequently plopped my kid in front of a screen.The camp seems to lack the adult supervision and structure of other camps my daughter attended this past summer.Overall, my kid was also less than enthusiastic about the camp, so all around Toy Builders was a miss for us.

Took my two year old and he had the most fun playing outside in the ramp, though he kept slipping due to tree acorns and leaves on the pavement. I think this museum is better suited for 4 years - 10 year old kids. The indoor activities require reading and being able to do independent work. The dinos outside in the back scared my fearless kid so that surprised me. The views of Berkeley are photo worthy from these dinos. The few animals were all hiding due to noise. I think it is really pricey for what it is. It is standard museum rates $30 per adult, but given adults just chaperone in an old lecture hall, I feel it should be less. And you have to pay for parking!

I spent $80 for entrance. No free parking. You must download a parking app and enroll with a credit card, password, etc. ripoff for sure!!

Def more geared for kids but what an amazing view. Parking prices in the area are reasonable but good luck on a weekend. Wow that view is something else.

Stopped by for homecoming weekend. My favorite exhibit, the live animal room, has been updated and we enjoyed touching the snake and learning about different animals in their habitats. There are now two animal rooms. Love all the hands on exhibits that the whole family can enjoy, and the finale was exploring the outdoor exhibits and enjoying the beautiful bay views.

The Lawrence Hall of Science is a fun, hands-on museum designed for little kids to have fun while observing physics in action. It was named after famous Nobel Prize Physics professor Ernst Lawrence from UC Berkeley. He invented the Cyclotron and after he died, two national labs were named after him: Lawrence Berkeley and Lawrence Livermore. They have paid parking available on two lots. Just pay by License Plate number for a low hourly rate at one of the nearby kiosks. Enjoy the awesome views of the whole Bay Area, fountain, whale, and double helix exhibits outside before going in.Inside the Hall you'll see demos on paper airplanes, sound, basic gears and mechanical toys, and this air hockey table. They have a museum shop with snacks, toys, and books but no onsite restaurant or cafe. Also, no air conditioning so expect to see lots of fans throughout.I had fun while visiting, and I think our 3yo son also had a good time running around everywhere too.

Great museum for kids but be warned that there is no air conditioning. Animal exhibit closed at 4pm as well.