The Yummiest Museums in Stockton

Museum of the San Ramon Valley

★★★★☆ 4.3 (10)

"Fun history of San Ramon Valley:  https://youtu.be/8zRlc9-06KII've seen this Museum on several occasions, but decided to give it a good visit today. I'm glad I did. Currently they are running an exhibit on the 1960s. There's quite a few material on hand, covering things like fashion, politics, and other important events. Several of the docents were on hand and we're really helpful when describing the various exhibits. Of course, the exhibits change over time. I believe the next exhibit will be the model train Railway.In the olden days the customers did their business downstairs, and the stationmaster lived upstairs. I didn't check, but I'm pretty sure no one is living up there today.Also, don't miss the very cute Caboose at the rear outside of the museum. PS it's also where the restrooms are.Definitely a good place to visit, and very inexpensive as well. Adults are only $5 if you can believe it."

Niles Rose Garden

★★★★★ 4.5 (11)

"A confusing place to find! Go to the intersection at Niles and Mission Blvd, then drive under the "California Nursery History Park" sign. As you enter, you'll see the rose garden with an arch and a windmill to your right. Very easy to miss! There's no signs.By the time we found the rose garden area, we had walked all over the park and only looked at mustard plants. The roses were all dead in mid-March 2023. Pretty underwhelming. They were not in good condition."

Niles Canyon Railway

★★★★☆ 4.3 (190)

"We went on the Train of Lights. 3 adults in the parlor car. It's super well arranged- and the only way I would ever do this is again is riding in a reserved seat. The other line looked like madness.The seats were comfortable and Santa comes through the cars. Also, there are drinks and cookies included- and the drinks are good. The volunteers who work on the train could not have been nicer.We were on the second trip- I think it was 7pm. Very dark out and couldn't see much.I'm not sure I'd do this again, but I'm glad to have done it once. If you have a kid that likes Santa this would be a fantastic opportunity to take pictures. Not sure it's as good an idea for adults by themselves."

Old Sacramento Underground

★★★★☆ 3.7 (88)

"Been wanting to do this for a while. Made reservations online. $25. A person, this includes in and out privileges into the California museum for the day. Nice stop for aircon, bathroom and $1. Bottled water. From start to finish the tour was about an hour and 15 minutes. Being a CA native and long time Sac resident I had heard a lot of this information before. Although, I did still learn a lot. Lots of history. Our tour guide did a great job describing everything and answering questions. A worthy tour. Be sure to tip generously."

San Mateo County History Museum

★★★★★ 4.5 (63)

""Don't Miss the Surfboard Simulator"This is a beautiful old building, which used to be the county courthouse. As museums go, it's not particularly large, but who goes to large museums anyway? The size was just right for my short attention span. I bet you will find it just about right as well.Admission is inexpensive, especially if you're a senior. Of course, I'm nowhere near that age, but if I were, I would only pay $4. There is street parking nearby, but it's about a dollar per hour. I timed my visit at $1.15 parking, which proved to be correct.There is a modest-sized gift shop right at the entrance. I didn't buy anything, but if you're a history buff, you might find a few interesting items. There's also a chair where you can sit down if you're getting tired or if you are an old person. Even though I'm exceptionally youthful, I tested the chair-- just to make sure it was safe for old people.The staff was helpful and informative, and suggested other historical locations to visit. I appreciated their enthusiasm and cheerfulness, but one museum visit per year is about my quota.One of the funniest exhibits is a surf emulator. You stand on a fake surfboard and try to avoid wiping out. Most of the time, I crashed after a few seconds, but it didn't hurt too much. The surfboard was one of my funnest things to do, but not sure how it fits into the history of San Mateo. All I know is that I'm a darn good surfer. I tried to put my initials on the Museum "leaderboard," but I couldn't figure out how to do it.I bet your kids will like the courtroom replica, which has a judge's bench and a jury box. They don't have stuffed judges or anything like that, but just places for them to sit if they were really there. I wish they had robes and fake Jurists. That would make it more realistic. Just think how impressive it would be if they had a life size Perry Mason.I pretended I was Judge Ito conducting a sidebar conference with Johnnie Cochran. It made me feel powerful. I kept shouting to the other tourists, "Order in the courtroom!" I'm pretty sure the other visitors were impressed with my performance. There are several exhibits with videos explaining the history of the peninsula. Let me summarize: Rich land barons moved to the peninsula to build mansions and raise their families. Back then, San Mateo was the suburbs. Hard to imagine, I know.So all in all, a very good visit. I found the museum to be mildly informative and entertaining. Plan on about 1 hour visit. If you bring teenagers, plan on a 10-minute visit, and just take them right to the surfboard machine.When you walk into the main area, don't forget to look up. The ceiling is absolutely gorgeous. It reminded me of the US capitol building.But whatever you don't miss that surfboard simulator. See if you can beat my record."

African American Museum & Library at Oakland

★★★★☆ 4.4 (25)

"This is a hidden gem in Oakland and we decided to stop by recently to enjoy this African American library. There is a parking garage and street parking nearby. It's very easy to navigate. California and the city of Oakland are enforcing the COVID-19 pandemic precautions and require visitors to wear face masks. All of the exhibits were very educational and shared African American history for the city of Oakland. I would highly recommend it to my friends, my family members, and other travelers to plan for a visit if you're in Oakland."

NightLife

★★★★☆ 4.1 (950) • $$

"It was a fun time walking around the Academy of Science at night with only adults, but it wasn't completely what I was expecting. Although it makes sense why we can't drink or eat inside, I was expecting to have cocktails while we walk around the museum. We were only allowed to purchase and consume all food and drinks outside, which is quite cold. Bring a jacket! They only had two cocktails on their menu and canned Cutwater cocktails. All for $12 each.There was a DJ and dance floor inside, but no one seemed to partake and would rather walk around the museum. The rain forrest (closes at 7:30 PM), planetarium, aquarium, living roof, sharks, fog room, and rock exhibits were all available. I don't recommend doing the planetarium show unless you want to fall asleep. It's not so much about space and stars, but instead... a documentary about Chile and their space programs there. So if you're planning to have a few cocktails, you're most likely to fall asleep."

Lindsay Wildlife Experience

★★★★☆ 4.1 (290)

"PRO-TIP: $3 entry with SNAP/EBT under Museums for All program! Definitely worth stopping by! You can easily spend a couple hours here learning about the local wildlife and conservation efforts that you can do at the individual level and community level too. There's LOTS of animals here as well and many of them are rescues taken in from the community that can't be released back into the wild and I think that's pretty cool. There's parking outside but since it's in a suburban area there's also street parking and on particularly busy days you can also park in the church across the street when it's marked as overflow parking. You go up the stairs to enter in at first and there's a small gift shop area there as well. There's lots of interactive displays and hands on okay to touch displays for children as well. Lots of taxidermy models as well as live specimens for children to observe. Love that there are so many animals here from arthropods, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Keep your eye out on their schedule for keeper talks so you can get up close and personal to learn about the animals, how they're taken care of, their own stories, and how you can help support them as well. There's also an outdoors area where you can take a look at their raven as well as some of their hawks and other raptor birds. I thought it was pretty cool that for a "smaller" wildlife "zoo" that they have a bald eagle! I also liked that they had more "common" animals here too such as rabbits, guinea pigs, alligator fence lizard, the common chuckwalla, and a rock dove pigeon as well. I also thought it was super cool that some of their smaller falcon type birds were hanging out indoors and were just squawking away. Definitely eye catching! Another thing that I really loved was the care in husbandry that they provided for their animals. I saw them do routine weighing, temperature gun scanning for basking spot, and feeding for their chuckwalla and it was quite similar to my own for my beardie and it's quite heartwarming. Definitely a must stop if you're in the area and love animals!"

Ainsley House

★★★★★ 4.8 (10)

"So many times going to Campbell and never realized this house is for visit and also has a nice backyard perfect for pictures as well as a nice affordable gift shop. My friend and I had no idea of who Mr. Ainsley was, so it was great to learn about the peach cannery industry in Campbell and expand our education about this area."

The Walt Disney Family Museum

★★★★★ 4.5

"After being gifted a NARM Reciprocal Membership (which the Walt Disney Family Museum falls under) I was incredibly excited to finally visit this museum (after visiting just their gift shop more than a handful of times).It really did not let me down. If you're a Disney fan or a fan of the old style of animation (which the honey is) you will love how many old sketches and reels and interviews fill this larger than is seems museum.Beyond having a gorgeous view of the Golden Gate Bridge, it also holds some original plans and art for Disneyland, as well as a miniature model of the original park.It is a family museum, so you do see quite a few walls of family photographs and memories, but I found even those interesting - such different hairstyles and clothing and mundane snapshots of someone who impacted our culture so significantly.All in all, the museum was absolutely more than expected and you could easily spend several hours inside if you're a Disney fan. Definitely a must-do if you're in the area."

Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum

★★★★★ 4.8 (11)

"An old friend from the Midwest came to California and we had decided to road trip to Yosemite. We had been driving for a couple of hours and decided to stretch our legs for a bit. We had pulled into a park setting parking lot and noticed the Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum! Ooooh! Inside this building to the right is the town library as well. As we entered the door, we were greeted with a big smile! They welcomed us and made us feel right at home! This is a small museum. Don't let that fool you!! They have amazingly collected a very large amount of history and strategically organized it in a way to tell a story!! This is a great place to bond with your kids/nieces/nephews to share/teach history in a fun way!! Ooooh! Heck!!! It was fun to see things as an adult!! They have managed to collect old firearms, coins, clothing, pictures, dinnerware, cameras, stuffed bears, and much more. BTW, did I mention this little piece of history tour was FREE??? Yep! It's free!!There's a donation container on the counter. Donations help with the upkeep and more. They do not pressure you to donate. However, please donate! It's very worthy."

Oakland Museum of California

★★★★★ 4.5 (607)

"I was pleasantly surprised by what this museum had to offer (way better than the California Museum in Sac), it was like three separate museums in one, plus additional special exhibits with an added fee. No need for the extras, as the three main galleries (art, history, and natural sciences) already took up all our time, at least a few hours to get through these, along with a break in the Town Fare cafe on site (which was busy on a Sunday afternoon), a walk through the outdoor garden and viewing of the sculptures and koi pond, and checking out the OMCA store before leaving, which offered unique gifts, books, puzzles, even a "letting your shadow in" mindfulness deck.The art gallery showcased a wonderful range of California artworks, including abstract art, 3D landscape exhibits, an 1880 silver Oakland Fire Department ceremonial presentation trumpet (a symbol of honor following the gold rush era), glazed earthenware pieces from the early 1900's, Dorothea Lange's "Photography as Activism", and my fave, the beautiful Baby Osiris Cookie Jar ceramic sculpture by David Gilhooly.The history gallery had so much to explore, we didn't know where to start. We listened to tunes from the wurlitzer jukebox that played songs from the 30's and 40's, checked out Hollywoodland and the history of cinema, sat in a re-creation of Joe's home in '"Pipe City" where the homeless lived in Oakland during the Great Depression, and spent a good amount of time in the Chevron History Hangout section with interactive exhibits related to sound and displays of "weird things", as well as a steam pumper from the early 1900's, used by the Oakland Fire Department to put out notable fires including those following the 1906 earthquake, beautifully restored.The natural sciences gallery consisted mainly of animal exhibits (I saw at least 4-5 different types of rabbits... though some were shown as prey). Just like the other galleries, the set up was unique and appealing and the displays informative. Exhibits included an ancient lava tube walk-through cave, an urban nature lab, and an SF Bay Area Shoreline landscan (providing an aerial view on a large screen). I even learned about roadkill and why animals cross the road. My favorite feature in the science gallery was the California Coast Lounge, the entire wall used as a screen showing sea life (whales, jellyfish and more), with the feeling of being underwater while relaxing on bean bag seats.Note, not all interactive exhibits in the three main galleries were in working order during our recent visit, but there was still so much to do and see, and plenty to learn for both kids and adults. And with free admission on first Sundays of the month, our entire experience was an absolute treat."

Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum

★★★★★ 4.6 (16)

"We enjoyed checking this place out over the weekend. An outdoor courtyard in front of the museum, as well as two levels of exhibits inside, showcased the history of Sunnyvale and the surrounding area, staged rooms (bedroom, kitchen, living area) presenting plenty of interesting pieces in the Murphy home, old photos of Libby's water tower (the giant fruit can that still stands today), antique instruments such as an 1895 graphophone along with several different pianos, vintage toys and technology with an impressive timeline display that brought a feeling of nostalgia, and of course the temporary Baylug Gingerbread Village Lego exhibit, charming in the details including a model railroad, planes, trains, and boats (with the option of a scavenger hunt too). The staff and volunteers here were helpful and cordial during our visit, and we appreciated getting to explore the various rooms at our own pace. We picked up a few items from the gift shop before leaving, some cool lego glasses and sunglasses for kids, the timing during the holidays working in our favor as they had some quite unique stuff.We also walked around the Orchard Heritage Park and Interpretive Exhibit, adjacent to the museum. We viewed the informational boards on site, about the community who cared for the land as well as apricots! Sure there were plenty of bare trees in winter, but the scenery was still so lovely. It was a great way to end our time here. Days/hours of operation are limited during the week, just Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays (for 2024, closed xmas eve and new years eve, but open an extra day Saturday 12/28). Free parking and free admission."

Union City Historical Museum

★★★★☆ 3.6 (7)

"Who knew the UC had a museum! Actually to be honest, I have seen it many times over the years but never got a chance to visit until yesterday. I was at the farmer's market and was strolling after and decided to check it out.It is small and has a lot of history regarding UC. My favorite one was a newspaper clipping from the 70s that was about a cop who went undercover as a student at Logan and busted some drug dealers. 21 Jump Street is based on a true story!!!!!!5 stars for effort and intent and being FREE."

Alameda Historical Museum

★★★★★ 4.9 (15)

"An Insight Into The Complex Persona That Is Alameda!SITREPYou'd almost miss this side street storefront if you just focused on nearby Tomantino or some of the other stores. But the Alameda Historical Museum is a treasured jewel amongst the business of downtown Alameda.THE SETUPSeparated into several distinct rooms, the museum lends itself well into separate areas of focus. I quite enjoyed the rooms dedicated to cinematic memorabilia with old movie posters. There was also an area right as you walk in that some great historical bicycles.CONTEMPORARY LOCAL ARTWhat was great was seeing some of the works of local school kids being featured on the wall, giving the museum a very contemporary connection to the community at large. FEATURESFrom time to time, there are some elegant exhibitions that feature local history ("Neptune Beach") and local icons ("Phyllis Diller Day") - all of these unique presentations bring out the history of Alameda in a very lively fashion.PARKINGAlong the nearby streets and in the lot across the street, there is parking that has a 2-Hour Limit, with 10 minutes per quarter. It's worth noting since the Parking Enforcement Officer was lurking nearby as we came to the museum and we saw them again as we left 1-Hour later. So we made sure to put quarters in.THE LOWDOWNA delightful romp through the history of Alameda!"

Intel Museum

★★★★☆ 3.8 (85)

"How exciting is the life of a microprocessor? Not very. But the Intel Museum does a great job of presenting one of the marvels of the 20th Century. This museum is free and takes at most an hour. It presents the history of Intel, it's founder, a history of their processor chips and has interactive screens and areas where kids and adults can get more hands on experience of what goes into making a chip physically and on the programming side. There numerous screen swipe stations that are popular the kids. While you're trying to explain how you first used a 486 chip in the 1990s in your computer, your kids have wandered off trying to spell their name at the 1's and 0's display. The back corner of the museum covers how chips are manufactured and explains and shows the clean rooms of chip manufacturing floors. There are various classic products displayed that have used Intel processors, from computers, to watches to video game machines. The staff was helpful, as they came by to check on us multiple times to see if we had any questions. If you arrange for a guided tour, that is very helpful because the guide simplifies the explanation of all the technical stuff. They host kids and school tours and they have a glass walled meeting room in the middle where they can do fun tech workshops with kids.The museum store has a variety of Intel shirts, jackets, hats, water bottles, pens, pins, bags, toys. The prices seemed very reasonable, at just a bit above cost. There were $10 t-shirts, $4 pens, $3 pins, things that would cost double at other tech onsite stores (like Apple and Google).If you want to get some tech history in for free or don't have time to cover the Computer History Museum that's 7 miles away, stop by the Intel Museum. One caveat... It's only open on weekdays.***Hot Tip*** Go in the main entrance lobby seating area and sit on the couches. Then look up. You'll see a giant every-angle-of-the-ceiling video of their manufacturing facilities. It's quite relaxing and therapeutic."

Turlock Historical Society

★★★★★ 4.5 (4)

"While it's not very big, this small museum has a nice collection of artifacts from Turlock's past. Several former Turlock businesses have items on display, as do various schools, the hospital, churches and much more. Among my favorites are items from Turlock's former bowling alley/bar/restaurant Devine Gardens that closed in the mid 90's, and old photographs and maps of a pre 1900 Turlock. It's not a a place you'll spend hours in, but if you have an interest in the area's history it's worth taking a look at."

Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum

★★★★★ 4.5 (98)

"I doubt if there was a more moving scene in all of silent cinema than the last two minutes of "City Lights" when the Little Tramp inadvertently runs into the girl who regained her eyesight thanks to his self-sacrifice and has since become a successful flower shop owner. He asks her, "You can see now?" to which she responds realizing it was he who helped her, "Yes, I can see now". I cry just thinking about it (video: http://bit.ly/2HRN7lX), but Charlie Chaplin had already been long gone from Essanay Studios fifteen years prior. Did you know in around 1915, he filmed his first starring vehicles as the Little Tramp in Niles of all places and became a cultural phenomenon?This little known piece of trivia is celebrated in this reconverted nickelodeon on Niles Blvd. about half a block away from the original Essanay Studios. I've heard of this museum for years but since it's a fair distance from 880, I never found an excuse to visit Niles, a historical neighborhood with a lot of Mayberry-like charm. I have to admit there was a ramshackle look to the place that really didn't endear me to the space, especially the cluttered consignment look of the gift shop with vintage magazines and even clothing for sale (photo: http://bit.ly/2prAION). On the left side of the building is quite a collection of period movie cameras and projectors (photo: http://bit.ly/2u6Pq2r).On the plus side is the enthusiastic and fully informed docent who will find you no matter where you are and start talking about the history and the story behind each artifact. He guided me through the room behind the theater which spotlight the nearby locations used during the various productions. Chaplin was basically everywhere from San Francisco to Niles Canyon (photo: http://bit.ly/2IE65xJ). He took me upstairs to the projection room (photo: http://bit.ly/2DHMdWH). The theater has plenty of seating (photo: http://bit.ly/2IE7dBt), and they show silent films on Saturday nights just like they did back before World War I when couples would go out for phosphates afterward. Definitely a niche museum but worthwhile if early, early film history is your thing."

Golden State Model Railroad Museum

★★★★☆ 4.4 (41)

"We visited with our train obsessed 2yo last weekend for the first time and this has to be one of my favorite museums in the Bay Area. It's a large room with 3 zones representing the different model train scales/sizes. There's basically small-medium-large. Go on a day the trains are actually running. The level of detail and craftsmanship is so cool and I learned a lot about old railroad stations and model trains. These aren't toys at all-the engineering that goes into them is really advanced.There is a little step for kids to stand up on a see the trains more closely. We spent about 90 minutes here and would definitely recommend it for adults and kids alike. The entry fee of $10 for a family was also really reasonable!"

Exploratorium After Dark

★★★★☆ 4.4 (204)

"Fantastic spot for date night and group dates! It's really nice that they have 18+ nights so that adults can enjoy and embrace their inner curious child without having to deal with actual children. One of my favorite exhibits and activities they had was the Tinkering exhibit. My boyfriend and I are big DIY-ers, so it was very fun to play around with different objects, like LED lights and arduino and dissections of singing toys, like Elmo. They do a great job of making the entire place very interactive and educational. Wonderful place!"

Hayward Area Historical Society

★★★★★ 4.5 (25)

"Who would have thought that this little gem would be tucked away in Hayward? I've got to say, I was quite surprised! The Hayward Historical Society is a local Hayward history museum that features 4 different exhibits. There are two permanent exhibits (History exhibit and children's exhibit) and two that are rotating (the community exhibit and the special exhibit). The history exhibit is filled with tons of old Hayward artifacts, photos, historical excerpts, and replicas of what daily life and activities were life in Hayward back in the day. I was really fascinated by their Hayward Community exhibit and I loved watching snippets of the documentary at the mini movie theater. The children's exhibit is very interactive and features a vintage cash register along with a mini grocery store with fake vegetables and other items for sale. It's a recreation of ancient Hayward civilization and I was impressed with how they were able to incorporate this into a kid's play area. The two rotating exhibits were quite intriguing as well. During the time that I attended, they were displaying both a risqué exhibit and a women's rights exhibit. I thought it was ironic that they displayed both of these exhibits at the same time since they kind of contradicted each other, but I thought that it made for a great juxtaposition. The risqué exhibit was known as their special exhibit and no photos were allowed for this one. Admission is $5 and you can easily spend over an hour exploring the museum in its' entirety. They have a parking lot located behind the building and there's also a small cafe, but of course, so food or drink is allowed while inside. All in all, I really enjoyed learning about the history of Hayward and I encourage anyone to come out and visit to get informed (especially if you're a Hayward local!)."

McHenry Mansion

★★★★☆ 4.4 (38)

"I've taken two groups of out of town guests to tour the McHenry Mansion. Thanks to the Gallo Family, tours of the mansion are free and are available Sun-Fri. They are closed Saturdays. You first enter through the gift shop, which is located a bit west of the actual mansion. You watch an informational video first and then go on the tour.The two tour guides we had were both good but were very different. They focused on very different aspects of the mansion. My main critique of the McHenry mansion is that the gift shop doesn't have items for sale by local Modesto/Central Valley artists. I had a hard time finding any item unique to Modesto. They do sell some postcards of the mansion but even those should be re-done."

South Bay Historical Railroad Society

★★★★★ 4.5 (29)

"Came by this past Saturday and was entertained for a good 15-30 minutes (though if you have kids with you or you're an ardent fan of trains or railway history, you may feel inclined to stay longer). The highlight for me was the model railroad room, a spacious exhibition with lots of details to explore. The trains chugging along the tracks, the mountains and landscape, as well as other fun little features including miniatures of animals, homes, and businesses are not only enjoyable for kids, but impressive to adults like myself... the rest of what the SBHRS offers is basically extra. The main museum room (Edward Peterman Museum of Railroad History) has interesting train and depot elements on display, and Southern Pacific memorabilia, along with descriptions noting the history of such items. They also offer free Model Railroader magazines and VHS tapes here, and have snack and drink vending machines in the corner. Down some steps, near the restrooms, is a small library and historic passenger waiting room with some seating (benches from the original Santa Clara Depot which were restored in 2013) and a few exhibits detailing the history of train conductors, chefs on board, dinnerware and promotional items for the Southern Pacific Transportation Company (behind glass casing)... And with Caltrain running along the railroad tracks right outside, you'll feel like you are actually at the former train station of the past. Only open 2 days per week, Tuesdays and Saturdays, hopefully you can catch them during their extremely limited hours of operation. I can say it was definitely worth the cost to visit... that's mainly cuz it's free, but there were some pretty cool and amusing stuff here too, making time spent here worthwhile."

Preston Castle

★★★★☆ 4.1 (130)

"This castle is absolutely beautiful from the outside, built in the late 1800's with bricks made by Folsom and San Quentin inmates. It is still in the long process of being restored, but hardly noticeable. Inside is a totally different story. I didn't come during a special event, just for the self-guided tour, where you can roam the castle at your own pace. I was attracted to the haunted stories behind this former rehabilitation institution for young male delinquents. But I learned a lot more about its interesting history when I visited, rather than the hauntings which resulted from the numerous deaths that occurred over decades at Preston School of Industry. For the self-guided tour, guests can explore freely, with several docents available throughout to answer questions or share noteworthy details about some of the rooms. Know that this is a restoration project in progress. Though most rooms can be viewed from the doorway (roped off), some are full of rubble and just have signs describing what the room was used for in the past. Others are in updated condition with props and furnishings, set up like something you would find at the Winchester Mystery House and you can actually walk inside the rooms and look at everything up close, like the Company B dorm room that housed 60-70 boys, the staff dining room, apartments, infirmary, day rooms, and patio (a giant courtyard similar to that of a prison). In the museum, we got to view original photos and artifacts, and discovered famous names associated with the reform school -- actors, musicians, athletes, and authors who were formerly wards at Preston (ie. Rory Calhoun and Merle Haggard). There was even a section dedicated to the various TV and film productions that depicted stories of or were filmed at this castle, including Ghost Adventures and The Unexplained Files (on Discovery). We had a great experience exploring the museum and castle this past weekend, and all of the docents we interacted with were friendly and knowledgeable. For less than $20 per person, the regular self-guided tour is definitely worth checking out. But they also hold various private events here (ie. weddings), as well as other cool events like the halloween haunt during October, and a beer and wine tasting event, even an upcoming Oddities and Curiosities Show this Saturday, which are all great opportunities to pay a visit if you're curious."

Great Valley Museum of Natural History

★★★★☆ 4.4 (18)

"Great Valley Museum is located on Modesto Junior College's West Campus in the Science Community Center. Our search for planetarium shows brought us here to the William R. Luebke Planetarium, one of many amazing features of the center.While waiting for the show, From Earth to the Universe to start, we explored some of the museum's exhibits. We learned about animal defenses, local extinctions, Central Valley habitats, and watched a pretty cool projection of planet earth in real-time on a 1.5 meter sphere.The planetarium show was spectacular! The 40-foot dome ceiling brought parts of the earth and universe to us in a way that I have never seen before. This show was geared for ages Jr. High and above. There are also shows suited for younger groups starting at age 4.We happened to come on Science Night and two of MJC's clubs, Federation of Engineers and Anatomy Club, were set up in the lobby with some awesome demonstrations and hands-on exhibits. Favorites were the motorized skateboard and a human brain specimen.Wonderful place to bring the family for fun learning. We look forward to it opening back up to walk the helical staircase and maybe viewing the stars if they offer another Telescope Night. Tickets were very cheap and can be purchased in the museum's Nature Shop."

The de Saisset Museum

★★★★☆ 4.4 (16)

"This is a small museum inside Santa Clara University that is free. Some folks spent a lot of money and effort to make this available to the public, so I can't give it anything other than a 5 star.They have some exhibits showing the history of the mission next door which was the most interesting to me. They also had some exhibits showcasing the work of Fletcher Benton who is a local sculptor."

Blackhawk Museum

★★★★☆ 4.4 (276)

"I came here because I found this place on TikTok. It's in a shopping center that has a ton of parking. The place is towards the very back . There is a lot of stairs and walking. The cost was $20 for adults and kids six and under are free. The place is pretty big with a lot of sections. It's very clean and it is an event center as well. They had a ton of beautiful cars if you're into that. I was extremely impressed. There was a from Africa and China. Also a two story room that showed a lot of different animals in their environment. My favorite was the Native American room. The detail they have put into this museum is beyond. Highly recommend I think it's great for all ages. Definitely worth every penny this is a must."

Museum of Children's Arts

★★★★☆ 3.6 (33)

"This place is not a museum. It's a great ppce to take kid though for a few hours mainly toddler 6 or less. It's a. art and creativity play space for children with a room with creativity toys. A snack area and they usually have an art teacher on shift. Parking is difficult though."

Castle Air Museum

★★★★★ 4.7 (129)

"Come fly with me ...What a great experience visiting Castle Air Museum. It's walking through history! The museum features aircraft from numerous decades, and these wartime birds have been lovingly restored to their original condition. The B52 is ginormous, but the B36... just wow! The titanium fighter jet that is probably displayed in the front of the museum near Air Force II, it's just astounding! If you ever thought about being a pilot, when you were a kid, walking through the Airpark, will bring back those memories.Parking is free, and admission is a few dollars, and the spending time looking at the collection of around 90 different airplanes is worth exploring! It's a great place to take your kids, the family, or even go on your own. You can take your time and read all of the historical plates and admire each one of the displays. It definitely is a lovely way to spend the afternoon!"

The Cobra Experience

★★★★★ 4.8 (17)

"A great day out with my Dad. Located in an office building with a private parking lot. This is the perfect place for a Cobra Enthusiast. Very historical. There is a story board that tells you the history of the Cobra. If you are lucky there will be a car show out front. I learned a lot and highly suggest you visit."

Stockton Field Aviation Museum

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"The newly formed Stockton Field Aviation Museum has a wealth of artifacts, including aircraft, vehicles, a library, and wealth of other items from when Stockton Field was a Bomber Training Camp for the U.S. Army Air Force during WWII. While not yet formally established, you can drop by and take a tour of the hanger where all of the items are stored ... just call the phone number and make an appointment!"

Children's Natural History Museum

★★★★★ 4.7 (18)

"There have been MULTIPLE instances where I have passed by this museum every time I visited Fremont and each time I asked I was told, "nah, it's not for you. It's really only just for kids and not really for adults", so I've never had the opportunity to go until recently and I'm glad to say that it's NOT just for kids, but it's definitely a GREAT place for kids to come and learn about the local natural history.The workers there are extremely kind and welcoming. Super helpful and I loved my entire time there. You can tell that this museum has been a staple to the community and that it's well loved by all those who visit. There's a scavenger hunt for little kids and big kids with a prize at the end (we got the big kids one, lol), an arts and crafts room, an electricity show (sad that we missed it!), lots of interactive exhibits that aren't too overwhelming (not a fan of touch screens and tablets everywhere, so a lot of the analog and hands on stuff was really, really nice), and a gift shop. There's also meetings rooms and such, probably for the field trips that visit.First off, the gift shop. I LOVED IT SO MUCH! The fact that there are actual items that are under $1 and that a child can purchase with pocket change is amazing. It's not junk either since you can get various shells, minerals, stones, and toys/items that are tangentially related to what you see going through the museum. Definitely got a bunch of souvenirs here and I really wish that I went during the school year cuz there's lots of small trinkets and knick knacks that would have been great for my middle school class! For all those crystal/gem people, it is definitely and INFINITELY much cheaper to get the crystals here than at any new age healing shop, just a side note haha. They also had a section with some lab items that are sold at a cost that is MUCH, MUCH cheaper than what I've seen on some STEM teacher supplies catalogs. There were even some free Periodic Table mats as well.Amazing! But now onto a review of the actual museum! The exhibits are on the second floor along with the arts and crafts room. If more time permitted I can easily spend hours here as there is a lot to look at, read, and engage in. As mentioned above I really like that this museum isn't like so many of it's more modern counterparts. It was nice to focus on what was in front of me and actually pick it up and interact with it (the ones that you are allowed to touch of course), especially in a matching and sorting sense (great way to get that pattern recognition thinking and learning for kids and adults likewise) without being overwhelmed by touch screen voices/recordings, etc going off at once. There's also something very nostalgic, familiar, and heartwarming about how aged some of the décor and how obviously homemade some of the stations are. Once again showing the love and care that went into everything.Now, I have to say that I am IMMENSELY impressed from the standpoint of a STEM major and from someone whose gone a decent amount of museums by the VAST collection of fossils, specimens, and REAL pieces of history that they have here. ALSO, from the standpoint of someone whose worked with zoomers before, very, very impressed that so much of it is OUT IN THE OPEN for the public to view. I've been to the LA Natural History museum and this children's museum has things that that huge museum does not and that is mind blowing for sure. I have never seen a taxidermy river otter, koala, or bear cub before. They had so many marine fossils and specimens of crustaceans that I have never seen preserved in such a way either. The 2 things that amazed me the most were the pieces of local natural history such as the fossils of prehistoric mammals that were found in Fremont or nearby and what may potentially be two real human skulls on display (how they got there, I REALLY wished I asked but completely forgot).If there's an opportunity to, I would LOVE to go back and learn, interact, and explore some more (and go shopping in their gift shop again)."

Merced County Courthouse Museum

★★★★★ 4.5 (8)

"I came to the Merced County Courthouse Museum to see their Panama-Pacific International Exposition exhibit, which was closing in a few days. When I walked through the door, I was immediately offered the choice of a tour or walking through the museum on my own. I split the difference. I took the tour until I reached the PPIE exhibit, and then I explored on my own from there.The PPIE exhibit contains a lot of black and white photos from 1915. They range from the still standing Palace of Fine Arts to the displays which were brought from Merced to San Francisco for the exposition. But the highlights of the exhibit for me were two Novagems which once graced the Tower of Jewels, along with opening and closing day badges.There is also a room full of Asian artifacts across the hall. So many things were on display, but I wish there were some signs to tell me what each thing was and what it was used for.Don't forget to see the upstairs exhibits. Use the stairs with a baby carriage on the landing. One room has a mini classroom complete with a teacher's desk and student desks and chairs, another has a courtroom.I took a few pictures. I didn't see the no pictures sign until I was leaving (I just went with the tour guide and she never mentioned it to me), and no one else said anything either. The museum was a lot larger than I thought it would be. I was there almost an hour. You can't beat the price, it's free!"

Knight Foundry

★★★★★ 4.9 (8)

"Definitely worth stepping away from the tasting rooms and souvenir shops to get a taste of historic Sutter Creek back in 1875. The foundry is a monument to mechanical engineering and the growth of industrial technology during the the late 1800's. The Foundry was completely water-powered which gives one pause in considering today's need for alternative power sources. We ended up having a private tour by Frank, one of the founding board members of the Knight Foundry Alliance. He was knowledgeable about all aspects of the foundry and the mechanics and the process of casting iron. He was able to answer my gazillion questions in understandable terms. All of the equipment is the original - it was really built to last. It is also a work in progress and is not a neat, clean museum but a dirty messy working foundry where you can watch and talk to and learn from the skilled craftsmen casting metal items using the machines, methods and tools from 1875. Highly recommended!!!"

The Double T

★★★★★ 5 (9)

"Close enough to 140 and a pit stop to YosemiteLots of historic things to look at:Railroad Carriages Historic architecturePicturesHorses JailThere is a bar (at least it was open when we were there)Friendly staffA great place for weddings, work get always etc"