Junior Center of Art & Science

My son attends the carpentry class here. Now going on 6 years, all the staff are really kind and helpful. Sometimes dealing with kids it can make you impatient but not here. You can tell they all enjoy being here.

I came across an article regarding the Junior Center of Arts and Science, and knew I wanted to take my toddler for a visit. I actually had no idea that it sat on the beautiful Lake Merritt, with accessible parking ($2 for 2 hours) near Fairyland. The building itself is small, yet offers enough for a fun-filled morning.One can peruse the exhibits for free. We found the most interesting to be the animals (lizards, snakes, and even cockroaches.) A 47 year old tortoise roams around, and doesn't seem to mind being petted. There are also some coloring sheets for a quick art break. For $2 per child, you can play in the play area. It appears to have once been well maintained, and is painted very lovely, with amazing views of the lake. Today, the toys are a bit sad and worn down, some even broken and a tad dangerous. Yet, for $2, there is little to complain about.My favorite part of the surrounding area includes an awesome bird sanctuary - complete with pigeons, seagulls, cranes, pelicans, ducks, and many other winged friends. There is also a nature center museum and playground close by. We enjoyed it!

This place is awesome! So I just recently moved to Oakland and was in search for a cool location to host my daughter's 8th birthday party and stumbled upon this place. I spoke with Gayle, who was very nice, to book the place. Upon arriving she, as well as Ryan, an instructor, kindly helped me unload and setup for the party. The kids had a great time learning, exploring and holding the animals. After that party was over, the kids headed to another room for food and cake. There weren't any other parties booked, so we had the entire facility to ourselves, which was the best. This place is truly a hidden gem and I was very pleased with the overall service and ambiance. Gayle as well as her staff, Ryan and Ryan, were very pleasant to work with and made sure my daughter's party ran super smooth.

I had my child's 5th birthday party here, which worked out great because it was pouring rain outside and this is an indoor birthday party venue. The staff are really kind and helpful and they work really well with kids. We selected the "animal theme" for our party where the presenter brings out varies reptiles to talk about them, let the kids pet them, and watch them eat bugs and stuff. All the kids (and parents) seemed to really enjoy it. Afterwards, many parents commented on what a great place it was. It was a lot of fun.

Well, I really wanted to like this place. First note, they don't have heat. The reptile room does have space heaters, but I can't think of a worse toddler combo. The floors are also filthy. A good vacuum and mopping would really go a long way here. 2 stars are for the friendly staff.

This is a great place for kids who love art, science and just plain fun. My kids have take many classes here and have loved them all. Last year, my kids built a chicken coop in carpentry. Now I have to buy chickens, but I know they had a great time building it. Plus, it's totally amazing what the kids make. I've seen skateboard ramps, book cases and tables. The art classes are amazing too, as well as the instructors. Some of the great classes are carpentry, jewelry making, cartooning and even rocket making!If you need a great summer camp, this is a great local spot. 1/2 day or whole day, the kids will love it. They also give classes throughout the year, so your little people don't ever have to be bored.There's even something for the preschool crew. Twice a week they have FREE classes for kids 3 to 5 years. Classes that build on visual arts, science, music and movement. How cool is that!

The hours posted on the website AND on the door AND on heir automated message must all be wrong! Made a date to come here and after paying for parking and walking entirely around the building, they are VERY closed.

We just celebrated our sons 6th birthday - a rocket science party- and it was just great. The kids had an one hour program, where they built and launched their rockets. The kids loved it! After that we had half an hour for cake and food. There were no other people than our birthday group and we could use all rooms... The little siblings had the possibility to play in a nice play room and after the official program we had our pinada on the "deck"...Overall it was a very nice location, nice people and great science topic!

We stumbled upon this place while walking around the lake one day. My 2 year old son and I were welcomed by friendly staff and had an awesome time visiting the animal discovery room, meeting Gary the tortoise and Spike the bearded dragon. One of their volunteers, Tori, even took the time to give us a one-on-one lesson on how to feed tortoises! And it happened to be my son's birthday so she made him feel extra special without even realizing it! They have great spaces for art making and playing for kids, with recycled and creative materials for young and old alike - and beautiful views. I won't be hesitating to come again and sign up for the yearly membership. Thanks to the workers and volunteers of this amazing center- we can't wait to come again!.

We love the Junior Center! Just for a visit or for a week long camp, my kids are always happy to go and learn something new. The location is easily accessible with ample parking for a small fee (or free with a pass with camp). A great place to spend some time.