SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity

This is a very educational museum with some exhibits that include nature, water, space, design, and multiverse theater. I learned a lot and my kid had a lot of fun while learning. There is a small toddler section to play but overall not much to do for really young kids so ages 4+ would have a better experience here.

I went on a weekday and there were a couple schools there for field trips. They left around lunch time so the best time to go would be after 12 pm to avoid the crowds on a school day.

The space exhibit and planetarium were my son's favorite.

We stopped by the gift shop for a souvenir before leaving. They had a lot of unrelated gifts like a dog stuff animal which my son got for himself and does love it. I do wish they had more items in the gift shop that was related to the museum and the exhibits.

There is a small cafe with drinks and food.

Finally got to check out the Sacramento MOSAC for a family birthday party today! While there are some cool activities, I left a bit underwhelmed. I think I had a different idea in my head of what the museum entailed. My daughter was entertained and there is a lot to keep kids distracted though - we were there for 4 hours! During the party, one of the employees helped the kids build rockets out of straws, paper and tape and they got to launch them. Pretty fun idea!

They have a private room(s) for parties where they fed us pizza, salad and lemonade. They also have a pretty good (cheap) gift shop and café - which we did not check out unfortutately.

The different areas included nature, water, space and power. My favorite part was the solar system presentation in the Multiverse Theatre.

FYI: they charge $6 in their private parking lot which I find odd since the museum isn't free.

The fire alarm also went off 30 minutes into the party and they made everyone go outside and stand in the rain...supposedly a kid pulled it, but it still was slightly inconvenient.

Not sure if I would personally come back, but I do like that there is a museum like this in Sacramento. It's also great for field trips!

Oh, my goodness! What an adorable museum, exhibit, date day place this is. And it's right here in the heart of Sacramento.

On first glance, the neighborhood seems a little sus, not gonna lie.... but just pull into the defined parking lot and pay for parking!! There's either a machine outside or you can pay inside with the front desk.

We don't have kids so it was just my wife and I, but my main reason for visiting here was to watch one of their galaxy viewings in the cinedome room. It's kinda like..... a seated viewing experience that feels like Soarin' Over CA (at Disneyland) but with Science and 3D imagery above your head. Oh, and no dangling feet ;- )

I really want to return for another viewing session and highly recommend that everyone go here at least once. Local bucket list!

Thank you for reading!

We had an unforgettable family day at the Smud Museum of Science and Curiosity! From the moment we stepped in, it was evident that this museum is designed with families in mind. The soft play area for toddlers and babies kept our little ones happily entertained, and the variety of interactive activities engaged our older kids in a way that was both fun and educational.

What impressed us the most was the exhibit on water consumption. It provided a unique perspective, showing our children how everyday tasks impact water usage. It's fantastic when learning is seamlessly woven into entertainment.

The star show in the UC Davis Multiverse Dome was the highlight of our visit. Being transported to the vastness of space, gazing at stars and planets, left us all in awe. The visual experience was not only breathtaking but also sparked curiosity and questions from our kids.

The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, adding to the overall positive experience. The museum's commitment to providing a blend of education and entertainment is commendable. We left with smiles on our faces and a newfound appreciation for science. Highly recommend this gem of a museum for families looking for a day of fun, learning, and exploration!

Ever wondered ... what is that oddly dome-shaped building along the riverside on highway 5??!? Welp, it's a museum, not only for children but for all ages!

For a recent date night, my husband purchased tickets for a us to see the highly anticipated, Mesmerica which is a visual music journey that brings the mesmerizing music of Grammy-nominated composer and percussionist James Hood together with visually-hypnotic, 3D animated art curated from artists around the world. With the combination of his music paired with artistic images James Hood created an immersive experience designed to transcend time, soothe, and relax your mind and senses. I would recommend this interactive experience.

Safe to say our first time visit to SMUD was pretty memorable. Finding parking was super easy. Checking into to our VIP experience was even better. I wish we would have went to the museum earlier so that we can walk around the entire museum, but that will have to be another date.

What a horrible situation.

Israeli Management forces Arab employees to not show solidarity and support for Palestinians who are being murdered and forced them to remove their keffiyehs , but makes exceptions for those who chose to show support for Ukraine, pride, climate activism, etc. creates policy stating that "political statements" aren't allowed - but "I stand with Ukraine" is ok?

Staff members being disregarded when questioning the double standard, staff members individually being interrogated by the executive director without warning and without any 3rd party present.

Arab staff dismissed from work and escorted out for showing up wearing a pink scarf instead.

I'm no lawyer, but that sounds like something a lawyer should get involved in to represent the staff members who were harassed by upper management.

I will NEVER be taking my children to this museum as long as this is how they treat their staff and try to silence some forms of solidarity while allowing other forms to be allowable

Got to finally check this place out when I accompanied my kid on her field trip recently. I've always wanted to check it out, but the admission prices have thus far kept us from coming. For adults it's $17 and for kids (ages 2-17) it's like $14 per kid. The place doesn't seem big, but there are quite a few exhibits that we didn't even get to go through in our two hours there. Granted, we spent more time at certain exhibits longer than we should of but the ability to keep kids' attention in each exhibit has me impressed. We only got to check out the Design Challenge Zone and the space area. I really enjoyed the exhibits from the space area, even though it wasn't that big. There were definitely more exhibits downstairs that we unfortunately didn't get to check out during this visit.

A great place for kids to learn and build things here. Definitely need to come back and check the other exhibits another time!

As for the parking situation, there is a pretty good sized parking lot, but it's $6. You can either pay at the kiosk or with the park mobile app.

Parking here was fairly easy however you have to pay for parking. Inside is nice but it is really small. We came for Mesmerica and since it was projected on their dome ceiling, it was a great show but if I was coming for just the museum aspect and had to pay the parking and entrance fee, it's definitely not worth it.
The do have a gift shop, but as will most novelty stores, items were pretty pricey.

This is a very subjective review. My kids may just be too young for this museum (they're 2 and 5). My 5 yo loved the space exhibit, but many of the other areas were either not hands on enough or the hands on options were too advanced.

My 2 yo did enjoy the toddler/baby area, which is a gated area with some large foam stacking/climbing blocks, connecting tubes with balls, and a sensory block. This area isn't very large and not really robust enough in my opinion.

There are nice exhibits, but we won't be coming back until the kiddos are a little older and can appreciate the more complicated building tables.

I was hoping this museum would replace our regular visits to the Cal Academy of Sciences in SF, but it's a different experience that's not quite for us yet.

We recently visited with my son's school for a school field trip and we loved it!
This was a hands on museum perfect for kids! There was also activities where they could learn and experiment while playing. There was a nature room where with bugs and things you could smell from nature.
The technology was amazing, the screens, projectors and how interactive it was, so very cool.
The facility is beautiful. They have a spacious parking lot which is not always the case when visiting Downtown. There is a fee for parking. You can use the parking app to purchase.
They have tables outside if you wanted to bring a lunch, it was perfect for a class field trip!
They have things for all ages to enjoy!