General Museum FAQs

Guest visits average 2-2.5 hours but visit length can vary guest to guest.

We’re open 6 days a week, Monday + Wednesday-Sunday (closed on Tuesdays) from 9am-4pm.

We are located at 200 W. Island Avenue, in between Front and Union.

Limited parking is available in the Museum garage for $20/car (NCM Members + EBT/WIC/SNAP $10/car). Please see attendant for parking ticket and pay inside the Museum. There are public parking lots and parking meters nearby. ABM Parking at 450 2nd Ave. offers a 2-hour discount with code 8792 (not valid during Padres games and other times at ABM’s discretion).

The parking garage opens 15 minutes before we open (8:45am) and 15 minutes after we close (4:15pm). You will NOT have access to your vehicle after 4:15pm.

Public transportation is available on the MTS Trolley Green Line and on the MTS Bus. Closest MTS Bus Stops:
1st Ave. + Broadway (Routes 2, 7, 11, 30, 50, 110, 150, 215, 235, 280, 290, 901)
4th Ave. + G St. (Route 3)
1st Ave. + G St. (Routes 11)

The Children’s Park, which reopened in Fall 2023, is a San Diego city park that is unaffiliated with the Museum. Please note, our parking garage is only available for guests of the Museum. If you go to the park after visiting the Museum, please remember that our parking garage closes at 4:15pm; you will not have access to your car after it closes.

The Rosso Family Foundation Innovators LAB is our collaborative makerspace where we work with local artists and experts from various fields to create a design challenge to nurture creativity, problem solving, skill building, and learning.
Things to know before visiting the Innovators LAB:
• Workshop sign up is located at the Innovators Lab; there are no reservations. Visitors must complete check in with our Welcome Desk team before signing up for a guided workshop.
• Morning sign up starts at 9am until full, and the workshop starts promptly at 10:30am.
• Afternoon sign up starts at 1pm until full, and starts promptly at 2:30pm.
• Capacity is 8 children for the guided workshop.
• Ages 6+ is adhered to for safety.

Learn more here.

Admission is $20 per child (ages 1 year and up) and $24 for adults. Children younger than 1 year are free and members are free.

Discounted tickets are available for:

• EBT/WIC/SNAP card holders (from any state) through our Museums for All program ($2/person, up to four people in the party). Museums for All tickets must be purchased in person with EBT/WIC/SNAP card in hand. Visit our Access Programs page for information.
• Seniors (65+), Military w/ID, and Educators ($20/person). Discounted tickets must be purchased in person.
• Groups of 10 or more receive a 10% discount. Learn more here.

We do not require advanced reservations and we do not offer timed-entry tickets. Tickets can be purchased online or at the front desk. Those who have pre-purchased tickets will still need to wait in line before entry. All discounted tickets must be purchased at the front desk.

The Museum allows for same-day re-entry! Simply show your admission sticker at the front entrance.

Yes, tickets expire 3 months after date of purchase.

No.

No, we do not accept the Balboa Park Explorer Pass.

You can get half-priced admission with your San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum membership card. Both museums are part of the Association of Children’s Museums Reciprocal Network which allows you to get 50% off admission at many children’s museums in the U.S.  The number of people on your membership is the number of people you can get into our museum for half price. See what other children’s museums participate: Association of Children’s Museum’s website.

The program offers family day passes to several of San Diego’s biggest attractions, including the New Children’s Museum! Passes can be reserved online, in-person, or over the phone with a valid San Diego Public Library card. Learn more here. Please note, any questions or changes to your pass must be handled directly with your local library.

The San Diego public library has a Summer Reading Program and one of the prizes includes a pass to the Museum. Learn more here.

Yes! Click here to learn more.

The Museum offers both in-person and virtual tours for schools and other groups from pre-kindergarten through high school. Click here to learn more.

Camps at our Museum combine hands-on art-making activities, creative games, and playtime in the park with the opportunity for children to think, play, and create in the Museum’s installations. Our camp programs are designed for children ages 5-10. Click here to learn more.

To ensure the best possible experience for everyone, if you are visiting with a group of 10 of more people please reach out to groupvisits@thinkplaycreate.org to schedule and coordinate your visit. Learn more about group visits here.

Food and beverages can be purchased at Bean Sprouts Café inside the Museum.

Outside food and drink is permitted but must be consumed in the café area or outside the museum ONLY to ensure we maintain safe, sanitary and allergen-free exhibits.

Exhibits within the Museum are ADA accessible. We also have sensory friendly spaces + programs. Noise reduction headphones are available upon request.

People with service dogs will be allowed full access to all areas. Service dogs must be on a leash and in the control of the person with a disability or their companion. Pets and Emotional Support Animals are not allowed.

A caregiver or aide accompanying a child with a disability is provided admission to the Museum at no charge (limit one adult).

An annual membership provides admission to the Museum, exclusive member discounts, and lots of other perks. Learn more here.

To make member changes and upgrades to your membership level, contact us at membership@thinkplaycreate.org.

Yes! The Museum’s Tax ID is 95-3619583. Earned revenue covers a portion of the Museum’s operating costs and generous donations make our high-quality exhibits and programs possible. Click here to learn how you can support the Museum.

The Museum welcomes requests for ticket donations from schools and organizations with a 501c3 or equivalent status. To learn more about the Museum’s donation guidelines and whether your organization or event qualifies, please click here.

Yes, please email info@thinkplaycreate.org or call 619 233 8792 to inquire about a missing item.

Yes! Learn more about Joyride Bookshop here.