Best Museums & Educational Spots for Kids

Explore the best best museums & educational spots for kids options for kids and families in Vista

Alta Vista Botanical Gardens

Alta Vista Botanical Gardens

Botanical park integrating art & gardens. Botanical gardens dotted with works of art offering native plants, a lotus pond & ongoing classes.

Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum

Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum

Historical exhibits of rural life. Farming history via exhibits & demonstrations of old steam tractors, plus blacksmithing & weaving.

Craftsmanship Museum

Craftsmanship Museum

Museum featuring metal & wood models. Miniature models of engines, buildings & vehicles made of metal & wood are displayed at this museum.

Palomar College Planetarium

Palomar College Planetarium

Modern Astrotec dome with Friday shows. Modern campus planetarium features a 50-foot Astrotec dome with public shows every Friday evening.

Heritage Park & Museum

Heritage Park & Museum

Historic buildings & a gazebo. Park featuring many early 1900s buildings from downtown Oceanside & a gazebo for events.

Muramid Art Studio of Joanne Tawfilis

Muramid Art Studio of Joanne Tawfilis

Huge global collection of murals. Thousands of murals painted on canvas from around the world, plus events & rotating exhibits.

Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation (Discovery Center)

Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation (Discovery Center)

Visit this great place for kids and families!

LEGOLAND California

LEGOLAND California

Vibrant Lego-themed hotel with a pool. Vivid Lego-themed quarters in a lively hotel offering dining, an outdoor pool & free breakfast.

Fun Town

Fun Town

Visit this great place for kids and families!

SEA LIFE Aquarium

SEA LIFE Aquarium

Oceanic exhibits & play areas. Family-friendly exhibits featuring more than 5,000 sea creatures, plus a play area & group packages.

Museum of Making Music

Museum of Making Music

Galleries of instruments & live events. A museum about making music with galleries of instruments, special exhibitions & live events.

Oceanside Museum of Art

Oceanside Museum of Art

National & global artwork in a mod space. This contemporary building presents a rotating collection of modern art pieces & cultural events.

California Surf Museum

California Surf Museum

Historic boards, iconic surfers & more. Surf museum chronicles the history of the sport with exhibits of surfboards, famous surfers & more.

Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation

Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation

Coastal wetland & nature reserve. Protected wetland habitat with on-site parking & wildlife-viewing opportunities.

San Dieguito Heritage Museum at the Heritage Ranch

San Dieguito Heritage Museum at the Heritage Ranch

Community history, artifacts & exhibits. 1-acre property & museum of the history of San Dieguito in photos, stories & hands-on displays.

San Diego Botanic Garden

San Diego Botanic Garden

Sprawling locale with unique vegetation. Large botanical garden with vistas & four miles of trails featuring flowering trees, palms & bamboo.

California Center for the Arts, Escondido

California Center for the Arts, Escondido

Visit this great place for kids and families!

San Diego Children's Discovery Museum

San Diego Children's Discovery Museum

Playful, hands-on exhibits for kids. Lively indoor & outdoor museum providing interactive educational exhibits for children.

EcoVivarium

EcoVivarium

Reptile, amphibian & arthropod museum. Nonprofit museum dedicated to reptiles, amphibians & arthropods with hands-on encounters.

Los Penasquitos Adobe

Los Penasquitos Adobe

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Rose Haven Heritage Garden

Rose Haven Heritage Garden

Botanical park with 1,600+ plants. This outdoor showcase for many rose varieties offers walking paths, picnic tables & kids' programs.

Pennypickle's Workshop

Pennypickle's Workshop

Hands-on children's museum & gift shop. Family-friendly venue with an on-site gift shop offers interactive exhibits for kids of all ages.

Temecula Valley Museum

Temecula Valley Museum

Regional history & author memorabilia. Historic museum featuring city artifacts & a permanent exhibit on author Erle Stanley Gardner.

Birch Aquarium

Birch Aquarium

Up-close marine life & hands-on exhibits. Interactive tide pools & exhibitions for all things under the sea in an oceanside building.

Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Preserve

Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Preserve

Rugged hiking site & a visitor center. 9,000-acre nature conservation with varying terrain & habitats, open trails & a visitor center.

Mulligan Family Fun Center- Murrieta

Mulligan Family Fun Center- Murrieta

Go-karts, mini-golf & small rides. Amusement center features go-karts, batting cages, an arcade, mini-golf & small rides for kids.

Alamos Schoolhouse/Nature Center

Alamos Schoolhouse/Nature Center

Visit this great place for kids and families!

San Diego Air & Space Museum Gillespie Field Annex

San Diego Air & Space Museum Gillespie Field Annex

Models & restored aircraft on display. This museum dedicated to aviation & space technology boasts a number of models & restored aircraft.

Junípero Serra Museum

Junípero Serra Museum

Spanish Mission-style building on a hill. A Spanish Revival-style structure built to showcase the collection of the San Diego History Center.

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