San Diego, CA

New Children's Museum San Diego
DESCRIPTION: a striking and creative 50,000 square feet museum that reaches three-stories high and includes a dramatic atrium, 17-foot concrete entrance bridge, angled “saw tooth” roof structure, and a glass-enclosed elevator shaft that functions as a heating & cooling tower enabling this "green" building to use very little electricity; multiple galleries provide spaces for hands-on experimentation, two birthday party rooms, a 250-seat theater and an indoor/outdoor café are additional features; compared to the old facility, the new museum features a triangle-shaped on-site park designed for children with three shade-covered play spaces for day and evening activities; most impressive, the new structure utilizes green-friendly architectural practices and is one of the first green museums in California; lastly, it has improved handicapped access, and many family-friendly features; Gizmo Garage is designed by former teachers to feature exciting toys and gifts that help kids think, play, create and take home the museum experience
ADMISSION: Adults and Children $10, age 65+ and Military with ID $5; children under age 1 enter Free; Target Free Second Sunday runs from 10a–4p
DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Tue & Fri-Sat 10a–4p, Thu 10a–6p, Sun 12p–4p; Wednesdays are closed Sept-June
ADDRESS: 200 West Island Avenue  MAP
PHONE: 619-233-8792
WEBSITE: http://www.thinkplaycreate.org

Birch Aquarium at Scripps
DESCRIPTION: This relatively public treasure hosted by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography emphasizes learning for children, adults and teachers; it sparkles with eye-popping, informative conservation exhibits and that scary, if we don't address Global Warming; award-winning aquarium staff lead numerous efforts and family activity programs as well; visitors will enjoy its giant Coral & Kelp Reefs, Tide Pool, Pier Walk, seahorses, sharks exhibits, explorers gallery and best of all, its dive shows in a 70,000 gallon aquarium
ADMISSION: $14 adults, ages 3-17 $9.50;  seniors & college students $10, ages 2 and under enter Free
DAYS & HOURS: daily 9a-5p
ADDRESS: 2300 Expedition Way  MAP
PHONE: 858-534-FISH
WEBSITE: http://www.aquarium.ucsd.edu

San Diego Zoo
DESCRIPTION: Located on 100 acres near downtown San Diego, the zoo has championed many save-from-extinction campaigns for a variety of animals; it offers a guided tour bus that traverses 75% of the park and an overhead gondola lift called Skyfari, providing an exciting aerial view of the zoo; the sunny maritime climate is well suited to many plants and animals that give the zoo a distinctive look & feel, yet a comfortable home to an extensive collection of birds, reptiles, and mammals, and a fantastic arboretum; as part of its gardening effort, the zoo raises 40 varieties of bamboo for the pandas on long-term loan from China, and it maintains 18 varieties of eucalyptus trees to feed its koalas; you may have heard about their great work with the California Condors; you can easily spend a day here; from downtown take 12th Ave north, you see signs for zoo parking; also notable for being among the first zoos to install near-natural animal habitats; worth the admission price to arguably, see the best zoo in America; events both day and night are legendary at this zoo, including African Extravaganza in the summer months
ADMISSION: $42 adults, $32 ages 3-11, ages 2 and under enter Free; multi-day ticket and VIP options also available
DAYS & HOURS: daily 9a-5p
ADDRESS: 2920 Zoo Drive  MAP
PHONE: 619-231-1515
WEBSITE: http://www.sandiegozoo.org

Fleet Science Center & Planetarium
DESCRIPTION: The Perception exhibits are first-rate, even if you think this will only appeal to the kids – surprise, you’ll get hooked on the many interactive exhibits too; tons of fun for all; the IMAX Dome Theatre is a nice treat, especially if you wait in line 15 minutes before it starts to a an upper middle seat; separate admission fees for the museum and IMAX; for best viewing, come late to enjoy the planetarium
ADMISSION: $10
DAYS & HOURS: daily 9:30a-6p
ADDRESS: 1875 El Prado in Balboa Park  MAP
PHONE: 619-238-1233
WEBSITE: http://www.rhfleet.org

Museum of Natural History
DESCRIPTION: Kids will love watching the giant pendulum time exhibit and the dinosaurs; a keynote exhibit explains and demonstrates how Western wildfires spread quickly
ADMISSION: adult $13, age 62+, military ages 3-17, students with ID $8, ages 3-12 $7, age 2 and under free
DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Sun 10a-4:30p
ADDRESS: 1788 El Prado in Balboa Park  MAP
PHONE: 619-232-3821
WEBSITE: http://www.sdnhm.org

San Diego Air & Space Museum
DESCRIPTION: Showcase exhibits include How Things Fly, Atlas Rocket, San Diego: the Birthplace of Naval Aviation, Centennial of Naval Aviation, 3D/4D Theater, History of the Ford Building, and International Air & Space Hall of Fame; another exhibit celebrates African Americans in Aviation with, among others, photographs of the Tuskegee Airmen in training and on war bond posters; scale models of the planes they flew in Europe can be purchased in the gift shop
ADMISSION: $18 ages 12+, $7 ages 3-11, seniors & military $15, ages 2 and under enter Free
DAYS & HOURS: Mon-Sun 10a-4:30p
ADDRESS: 2001 Pan American Plaza in Balboa Park  MAP
PHONE: 619-234-8291
WEBSITE: http://www.aerospacemuseum.org

Escondido, CA

San Diego Zoo Safari Park
DESCRIPTION: Many people consider this to be their favorite zoo because it places priority on the animals’ physical space and social well being, allowing them to thrive in dignity; no wonder they reporduce better here than practically any other man-tended habitiat for wild animals; aside from the elevated overview of the park, a narrated tram encircles a large region of park space with strategically placed gullies and fences that let you safely see gazelles, long horn elk, pandas, elephants, rhinos, wildebeasts, cheetahs, reptiles, lions and birds of prey in natural-looking African and Asian environments; some pay extra for the VIP treatment to feed giraffes and safely pet rhinos -- it is the closest experience to a real African safari and unforgettable; wathcing the lions up close and the unchained Cheetah Run up to 70 mph are show stealers; a reminder of the park's conservation mission, this animal park helped rescue the California Condor and many other animals from extinction; in summer months it features special performances by the incredible Zuma Zuma acrobats; the park has also expanded its shops and includes a zipline for those unafraid of heights to zoom a great distance over animal habitat
ADMISSION: tickets start at $42 adults, $32 ages 3-11, ages 2 and under free; there many packages for VIP, Zipline, multi-day experiences and overnight camp
DAYS & HOURS: 9a–5p; summer hours are longer
ADDRESS: 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road  MAP
PHONE: 760-747-8702
WEBSITE: http://www.sdzsafaripark.org