Best Museums & Educational Spots for Kids
Explore the best best museums & educational spots for kids options for kids and families in Lake Forest
Pretend City Children's Museum
Imaginary town & exhibits for kids. Set up as a pretend city, this kids' museum has a post office, cafe, farm & other interactive areas.
Irvine Spectrum Center Giant Wheel
Family-friendly ride with city views. Day or night attraction with 52,000 LED lights & panoramic city views from the top.
The Escape Game Irvine
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Dinosaur Park
Fields & a dinosaur-themed playground. Large park offering athletic fields as well as a playground with dinosaur- & fossil-themed elements.
Old Town Irvine
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary
Wildlife preserve & science center. University-run wildlife sanctuary in a canyon with a science center, amphitheater & 3 trails.
Niguel Botanical Preserve
Visit this great place for kids and families!
MUSEUM of WOMAN
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Laguna Art Museum
Waterfront gallery with contemporary art. Contemporary art museum with a permanent collection of over 3,500 works & a waterfront setting.
K1 Speed - Indoor Go Karts, Corporate Event Venue, Team Building Activities
Indoor go-kart racing. Chain of indoor racing centers featuring electric go-karting for all skill levels, plus food.
Marconi Automotive Museum
Classic, exotic & historic car displays. This nonprofit museum exhibiting luxury, rare & historic cars donates admission fees to charity.
Jack & Shanaz Langson Institute & Museum of California Art (Langson IMCA)
Center for CA-inspired Impressionist art. Museum of rotating exhibits dedicated to American Impressionist art depicting the CA landscape.
Mission San Juan Capistrano
Spanish mission & historical museum. Landmark Spanish mission founded in 1776 with historic exhibits, cultural events & a gift shop.
River Street Ranch
Petting zoo & kid-friendly activities. Popular spot for families offers a petting zoo, train rides, panning for gold & more.
Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center (main entrance)
Estuary exhibits & interactive displays. Spacious education center features estuary history exhibits & interactive displays, Tuesday-Sunday.
Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve
Birding, biking & an interpretive center. Home to many bird species, this 135-acre park offers an interpretive center & hiking/biking trails.
Orange County Museum of Art
Long-standing museum for modern artwork. Venerable museum features a collection of modern & contemporary artwork, tours & educational events.
Balboa Island Museum
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Heroes Hall Museum
Veterans' museum with free entry. Free museum & education center with exhibits & programs celebrating Orange County veterans.
ExplorOcean - Balboa Arcade
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Ocean Institute
Maritime science & history exhibits. Coastal visitor center with marine wildlife, school programs & interactive exhibits on oceanography.
Bowers Kidseum
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Bowers Museum
Global art, lectures & a restaurant. Mission Revival-style museum for global art (permanent & temporary), lectures & an eatery, Tangata.
Discovery Cube
Rotating displays & interactive exhibits. Educational museum with a focus on kids offers over 100 hands-on exhibits, plus special programs.
Hilbert Museum of California Art
Showcase of local 20th-century art. Watercolor & oil paintings by 1900s artists, depicting diverse Californian landscapes & city scenes.
Heritage Museum of Orange County
Restored buildings from the 1890s. Attraction featuring restored homes & buildings from the 1890s set amid extensive floral gardens.
Corona Heritage Park & Museum
Historical exhibits & gardens. Park with vintage buildings, city heritage displays, gardens, an arts colony & event space.
Susanna Bixby Bryant Museum and Botanic Garden
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Camelot Golfland
Long-running choice for mini golf & more. Amusement chain featuring mini golf courses & arcades, some branches with water slides & laser tag.
Flightdeck + Rogue Racing
Interactive flying experience for groups. Flight simulator for ages 11 & up replicates the feeling of being in a cockpit & flying a plane.
Stanley Ranch Museum
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum
Longboards & other historic memorabilia. Museum dedicated to the aquatic sport offers a look at old longboards & other surf memorabilia.
Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center
Unique art exhibits for kids & adults. This contemporary museum hosts three inventive art exhibits a year & caters to all ages.
Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Cal State Fullerton
26-acre botanical garden. A sprawling, 26-acre greenspace featuring 4,000+ types of plants, walking trails & a museum.
Fullerton Museum Center
Rotating art, history & science exhibits. Educational space showcasing diverse exhibitions & programs in history, science, art & humanities.
World Museum of Natural History
University natural history museum. Natural history museum on a university campus with animal, plant & mineral exhibits.
Children for Planet Earth
Visit this great place for kids and families!
Explore More Activities
Discover more events and activities happening in Lake Forest.