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 (often called CDM) is a special place for kids, families, and schools in the Silicon Valley and San Francisco Bay Area. It's a museum designed just for children!
CDM is located in downtown San Jose, California, on a street called Woz Way. This street is named after Steve Wozniak, who helped start Apple Computer. He was a very generous donor who helped fund the museum when it was first being built.
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About the Museum
The Children's Discovery Museum opened its doors in 1990. Since then, over 9 million people have visited! The museum building is purple 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 gallery space filled with fun exhibits. There's also a large outdoor nature play area that opened in 2017. The museum is known for creating hands-on exhibits that help young children learn and explore.
What You Can See and Do
The museum has many exciting things to see and do. You can find life-size models of Columbian mammoths, which are ancient elephant-like animals. There are also real vehicles you can explore, like a fire engine and an old Wells Fargo stagecoach. Plus, there are five different areas where you can try out visual arts and performing arts.
CDM is also famous for its "Cultural Celebrations" series. These events highlight the different cultures and traditions of the many diverse groups of people living in the area.
The Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose has received high praise. Child magazine once named it one of the top 10 children's museums in the United States. The London Observer also ranked it as one of the top 5 science centers in the world!
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 mostly for families with children aged 10 and under. Everything at the museum focuses on hands-on learning, where you learn by doing and asking questions.
Popular Exhibits
- Bill's Backyard: Bridge to Nature: This is a large outdoor space, about half an acre, where kids can explore nature.
- Mammoth Discovery!: This exhibit teaches you about paleontology (the study of fossils) and geology (the study of Earth's rocks and soil). You also learn about the scientific method by acting like a scientist.
- Waterways: Here, children can play with water and learn about physics principles. You can see a water vortex (a swirling pattern), observe laminar flow (smooth, steady water movement), and experience fluid pressure and how water flows.
Special Programs
The museum has many noteworthy programs. These include the "Cultural Celebrations" series, which showcases different cultures. They also host performances by local arts groups and events that promote healthy eating and physical activity.
CDM also has programs that reach out into the community. BioSITE is an environmental education program that partners with local schools. Youth Programs offer activities for children after school and during the summer. The museum also works with Educare preschools, setting up exhibits and offering classes for children and parents.
The museum's "Legacy for Children" fundraising event has honored many famous people. These include Mr. Rogers, Dr. Seuss, Kristi Yamaguchi, Sally Ride, Alice Waters, Ronnie Lott, Sonia Manzano, and Ruby Bridges.
Discovery Youth Program
Discovery Youth is a special program for young people in grades 5 to 12. It's a fun way for them to learn and help out at the museum. They work on computer projects using programs like Photoshop and Premiere Elements, which were donated by Adobe. They also help visitors make arts and crafts on Saturdays.
BioSITE Program
The BioSITE program started in 1993. It's a unique "action-science" education program. Each school year, about 1,500 students learn about being responsible for the environment. They also get excited about science by doing real field research every two weeks in the Guadalupe Watershed.
This program helps students learn science outside of the classroom, in the real world. They get to experience what it's like to be a biologist, doing research along the river. Their research is checked at the Coyote Creek Ranger Station.
See also
