Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose facts for kids
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| Established | 1990 |
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| Location | 180 Woz Way San Jose, California 95110 |
| Accreditation | Association of Children's Museums |
| Architect | Ricardo Legorreta |
| Public transit access |  Children's Discovery Museum |
| Association of Science-Technology Centers | |
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The Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose (CDM) is a fun place for kids, families, and schools in the Silicon Valley and San Francisco Bay Area. It's a member of important groups like the Association of Children's Museums. You can find the museum in downtown San Jose, California, on Woz Way. This street is named after Steve Wozniak, who helped start Apple Computer. He was a big supporter of the museum when it was first being built.
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Discover the Children's Discovery Museum
The Children's Discovery Museum first opened its doors in 1990. Since then, over 9 million people have visited! The museum building is a striking purple color and covers about 52,000 square feet. It was designed by a famous architect named Ricardo Legorreta from Mexico City. Inside, there are 28,000 square feet of exciting exhibit space. In 2017, a special outdoor nature play area, about half an acre big, was added.
The museum creates and shows exhibits that are interactive and hands-on. These exhibits help kids learn in a fun way, especially about early childhood education. The museum's exhibits and programs have received praise from all over. Some cool things you can see include two life-size models of Columbian mammoths. You can also explore real vehicles like a fire engine and an old Wells Fargo stagecoach. Plus, there are five different areas for visual and performing arts.
The museum is also well-known for its Cultural Celebrations series. These events highlight the traditions of the many different groups of people living in the area. Child magazine has even called the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose one of the top 10 children's museums in the United States. The London Observer ranked it as one of the top 5 science centers in the world!
Explore Exhibits and Programs
- Exhibits at the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose
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Water vortex
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Eric Lennartson's Tape Scape
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A mammoth skeleton
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A Wells-Fargo stagecoach
The Children's Discovery Museum offers many exhibits, programs, and events. They are designed for families with children aged 10 and under. The main idea is to learn by doing, exploring, and asking questions.
Popular Exhibits to See
- Bill's Backyard: Bridge to Nature: This is a large outdoor space. It's perfect for exploring nature and playing outside.
- Mammoth Discovery!: This exhibit teaches you about paleontology (the study of fossils) and geology (the study of Earth's rocks). You'll also learn about the scientific method.
- Waterways: Here, kids can play with water. They can see how a water vortex works. They can also observe laminar flow, which is when water moves smoothly. This exhibit also shows how fluid pressure and flow work.
Fun Programs and Events
The museum hosts a variety of exciting programs. These include the Cultural Celebrations series. Local arts groups also put on performances. There are also events that teach about healthy eating and staying active.
The museum also has programs that reach out into the community.
- BioSITE: This program partners with local schools. It teaches kids about the environment.
- Youth Programs: These programs help children after school and during summer breaks.
- Educare Preschool Partnership: This program combines museum exhibits with classes for young children and their parents.
The museum holds a special fundraising event called Legacy for Children. This event has honored many famous people. Some of them include Mr. Rogers, Dr. Seuss, and astronaut Sally Ride.
Join Discovery Youth
Discovery Youth is a cool program for young people. It's for students from 5th to 12th grade. They get to have fun while learning and helping out at the museum.
What Discovery Youth Does
- Computer Projects: Youth learn computer skills. They use programs like Photoshop and Premiere Elements. These programs were given to the museum by Adobe.
- Arts and Crafts: They create fun arts and crafts. These are for museum visitors on Saturdays from 10 AM to 1 PM.
- Their Own Website: The Discovery Youth even had their own website!
Learn with BioSITE
BioSITE is a special "action-science" education program. The museum started it in 1993.
How BioSITE Works
- Environmental Education: Each school year, about 1,500 students take part. They learn why it's important to protect the environment.
- Real Science Research: The program helps students love science. They do real field research twice a week. This research happens in the Guadalupe Watershed.
- Out of the Classroom: BioSITE takes science learning out of the classroom. Students get to act like real biologists. They do research along the river. Their findings are checked at the Coyote Creek Ranger Station.
See also
