The
Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum in Santa Maria is a small, interactive play place for children ages 2 to 8. Exhibits include the Mission to Mars Climbing Wall, Pets & Vets discovery area, the Pirate Ship, Tar Pits, Barnyard, Shark Tank and Discovery Cove, among others. Children get hands-on experiences that teach them about marine life, birds, insects and reptiles as well as information about storm water pollution prevention, gardening and pet care.
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| Digging for treasure near the pirate ship! |
My family spent about two hours exploring the museum, with lots of time spent digging in the "sand" (recycled plastic pieces) near the Pirate Ship, checking out the Shark Tank and jumping on the giant piano keys. My son loved the opportunity to sit in the driver's seat of the tractor and USS Discovery and he really enjoyed the lesson on bird poop aboard this boat. Both of my kids were fascinated by the reptiles on display and we managed to catch part of a presentation for a school group about snakes.
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| Insects are big fun at the Discovery Museum. |
The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with special hours on Thursday (until 7 p.m.) and the last Sunday of the month (12 noon to 4 p.m.). Admission prices are $8 per person with children under 2 getting in free, but discount coupons can occasionally be found in the free weekly entertainment guide
New Times, which is distributed on Thursdays to local hotels, motels and retail stores
, as well as in the area's daily newspaper
Santa Maria Times. We had discount coupons for our visit, which allowed a parent in free with a paid child admission, allowing four of us to get in for $16 which was a reasonable price for the entertainment value of the museum.
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