It is a great place to take your kids! They can learn stuff about different animals, insects, & space. They also have a few fun things for kids, like slides and a water well with boats and different activities to keep the kids interested. Its cool you should check it out!

Omgosh! We had the best time. My family feel in love with it. We are going back very soon. And really reasonably priced.

Always a GREAT venue to take the grandkids. All the Covid protocols were in place but there is still plenty of interactive displays for the kiddos to do.

Great place to take my boy. He enjoys the entire experience. Covid really gave a beating to a lot of businesses, and Boonshoft has really tried to keep it safe and enjoyable with more exhibits opened every so often and planetarium shows. It is a quick walkthrough if you rush, but if you take your time and learn then it can be an easy 2 or 3 hour, or longer excursion. To avoid crowds, the best time to go obviously is through the week in the morning. But if you get up early on Saturday then you should be good.

We had a wonderful childs birthday party.Our hostess was polite and friendly. We all wore masks, social distanced and enjoyed our own private tour!

This place is simply the coolest - hands down. Having went on a Saturday with the family it was definitely busy, but not so busy that you had to wait to see different attractions or running in to other patrons. Honestly it was the perfect kind of busy. The families that were there with their children created a sort of excitement for me. It was a kind of excitement that allow me, at 41 years old, to be a kid again.There are so many attractions that it is easy to lose track of time while youre in the museum. We burned through about 3 hours in what felt like no time flat. I would venture as far as saying that 95% are there attractions are hands on and all have to do with science. Each attraction or science experiment pipe station as easy kid-friendly explanation posted by it or on it.They have a multitude of imagination stations if you will that allow children to go back to the lost art of pretending. They have a Veterinary Clinic which is complete with live animals such as turtles, cockroaches - yes I said cockroaches, and a Tarantula (all these behind their respective glass windows). Children get to make sick stuffed animals better again and even get to use real X-rays that they can hold and study of animals in their quest to heal. There is also a small replica of a house that allows kids to learn about wind energy and its many uses, a grocery store, mechanic shop, etc. There is also Interactive stations where kids can interact with creatures from the ocean such as starfish, sea anemones, and sea cucumbers. There is a whole section of the building that is dedicated to space and has numerous interactive stations for kids to learn about things like gravity and energy as well as planetary systems. As stated earlier in my review- hi found myself being a kid again and playing along with our daughter and testing out different theories at experimental stations. Another cool feature how many museum is that if your children should get a little bored with science experiments they can always go play on the two-story playground that is guaranteed to where your little one out and allow them to burn some extra energy.What else can I say? Boonshoft absolutely got it right in terms of engaging children to learn about science. The pricing was surprisingly cheap. I expected at least pay $20 per adult and 15 / kid, but it wasnt even close to that. Below is the pricing -Adults $14.50Seniors (60+) $12.50Children (3-17) $11.50Children (under 3) FreeMembers are FREE!Might I add as well that if you are a Columbus Zoo member ticket prices are 50% off so me and my fiance paid $14.50 for me and her and $5.50 for our 10 yr old.

Did not visit the museum, just drove past it. Havent been inside for 20 years. But I loved the place last time there.

Its neat, very educational. And a good place to go with the kids were they can have a good time while they are learning too.

Went for a Sloth Tai Chi class. Very relaxing and enjoyable. Wonderful evening.

Honestly, there is some exhibits closed due to covid, but they are doing the best they can and I had a lot of fun with my daughter and niece, so 5/5 . Staff was nice and place was clean

Great for all ages. My kids (15,10,2) all loved it. There is so much to do and see, the 5 hours we spent there went really quickly.

A great place to go with kids of all ages.

Boonshoft is an amazing place of adventure play and discovery for kids! They have a water table, which is a stream, a huge cargo net for kids to climb up to the second floor, a small viewing zoo with otters that are super cute, a beautiful tree house where you can sit and view all kinds of birds at their feeders, a planetarium, and a science theatre where they have numerous kid friendly science shows! Make the memories last all year and get a family membership for under $130, we’ve found it to be well worth it!!

This was a fun place to take my young son. There are a lot of interactive exhibits for kids of all ages. There is experimental hands on type stuff for the younger kids, and videos and reading education for the older ones. There were live animals too. The otters were playful, and enjoyed popping out of the water and rushing the glass to mess with the little kids. There is no food service on site, but there are vending machines, which were empty. The place was exceptionally clean. There was a planetarium where they showed 40 minute movies, included in the cost. There are discounts if you are a zoo or other museum member.

Love this place! Always clean and well maintained. We pack lunch and snacks and can spend all day there. They have microwaves and vending machines at break room.

I adore this museum the staff is incredibly friendly and the exhibits are educational and fun.

Wonderful place to take the grandkids. Lots of hands-on activities. Not many animals, but the ones they have are interesting and easy for all to see. The only disappointment was the Flying Monster movie in the planetarium. It wasnt formatted for the dome screen and was very blurry. Would go again.

Greatly enjoyable even with the current limitations. Disappointed that we didnt see the armadillo in the zoo, but the otter display was absolutely adorable! Could have watched them all day. The other exhibits were fun in their own rights, especially the Egyptian one.

We took our 5 year old and 18 month old on a Sunday, and it was busy, but not overly so. It was really fun for both kids, and it was educational. We watched the movie in the Planetarium, which was cool. The animal exhibits are neat.Theres a quiet room and a nursing room for breastfeeding moms. Well definitely go back.

Really cute and not too big. Gift shop reasonably priced. Best part was the sleeping sloth and the otters.

It was my birthday and I was spending the weekend with my daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren. My my grandson and granddaughter love coming here. The lego area is not only a favorite of both of them but also myself. Now there is also a new interactive race car area with wooden cars and tracks that change up on a regular basis. The Treehouse is another favorite section where you can view nature out the window with binoculars & enjoy educational interactive displays. But there is do much more here including a wateworks play area, climbing a rope net to the second floor and the tall curving slide to ride back down. You just have to come and experience the place for yourself. I recommend getting a pass to come here all the time. Until next time be kind to each other. @boonshoftmuseumof discovery @yelpcincy #familyfun

A great place for learning and exploring for kids of all ages.I kept a family membership for years. Now with grandchildren the Boonshoft is still a family favorite. I have three generations enjoying the Boonshoft in my family. My favorite part has been visiting the animals. My husband and I enjoy the planetarium. The children enjoy everything about this place, it is always a new adventure. No matter what the weather you can enjoy the Boonshoft.

This was our first time and we will definitely be back. There is so much to do at a very reasonable price. The kids loved the water and climb are but the planetarium was my fave!

Cool for the kids needs a little updating but nice for the kids to learn and have fun

My family loves the Boonshoft. We haven’t been in months, but my daughter cannot wait to go back and see the river otters when it is “safe to visit them again.”

Good to go at least once a year, playground is closed due to covid.

Let you kids unleash their curiosity and explore their hearts out.Super family-friendly environment.My 3yr old was entertained for hours while my teenager was upset that he didnt join us after hearing all about it.Highly recommend it to locals as a regular staple for family activity and for visitors looking for something that their kids will remember.

If you are vacationing in Dayton, this place is essential to visit, especially if you have children. It is a small but wonderful museum that has a healthy mix of science and history.The main attractions are an astronomy section with a planetarium (the astronomy section has no extra fee, but the planetarium does), a treehouse for bird-watching, a small town area for kids to play in, a big sphere in the back where different video of the Earth is projected, and a little animal exhibit on the second floor.This place only has two floors but is great fun!

Loved it very educational for the kids ! Great family day Had my grandsons birthday party here and enjoyed the museum with everyone afterwards!!!

Fun experiences for the young and old. Awesome mini zoo and educational activities.

This museum is great! Not too big, not too small. My only complaint is that the layout seems chaotic and disorganized and it was hard to figure out where to go next. We drove two hours from home to see it and it was three hours well spent! Wed definitely come back.

Great place overall. Has a lot of educational activities for kids. The treehouse gives kids a view of nature and wildlife that isn’t normally seen at science centers. The zoo is small, but still worth visiting.We also watched one of the educational programs with a zookeeper, and they were great at interacting with all of the kids and answering all their questions.

Very hands on an fun for young children! My 1.5 year old loved our time here

We were from out of town and thought wed check it out. Fun childrens museum with a small collection of live animals. I would say its best for preschool thru early Elementary aged kids.

This was a great little get away for our family. Perfect activity for our kids ages 10, 5 and 4. There was plenty to do, they just couldnt stand still! The remodeling looks great and its a smaller museum if you dont like to walk a lot. Lots of science activities and information for both kids and adults. We loved going through the small animal exhibit. I would recommend to all, not too expensive, comfortable and convenient if your local.

I like the size of the museum for toddler and preschool age. My kids were able to walk the whole thing without getting tired and it was easy to see them. The centers were fun and interactive. We will go again. I wish they sold coffee.

Wonderful place to bring to kids on a rainy or sunny day. Big water table, demonstration, interactive lab, inside climb & slides, nature observatory, planetarium, zoo, mind engaging play areas, and more. I personally love the planetarium and space exploration area. Well worth the membership. The wheelchair accessibility is a great pluse.

A lot of fun and very enjoyable!There are a lot of neat events and cool things for members. The reciprocity this museum offers is also amazing!We really enjoy coming here. Clean and affordable.

I worked at what was first The Dayton Museum of Natural History, and its transition to the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery from the ages of 12-17. I’m now disabled, and terminally ill, but my father really wanted to go back, and so over 20 years later I returned, and I was utterly disappointed to see that this Museum had drifted away from its original origins of Educating the public of the wildlife native to the state of Ohio. We now have Brown Bear back in the state, as well as Badger! We once boasted a complete collection of every species, minus the Queen snake of EVERY snake native to the state. The importance of knowing what animals inhabit your state, and are affected by fracking, habit destruction, pollution, and global warming just to name a few are where we build the foundations with children. WHAT THEY SEE EVERY DAY, Squirrels, Groundhogs, NATIVE SPECIES, this museum has kept the River Otters, and a Burmese Python which was handled by myself and numerous other people, and is now 20+ years later I was told on my visit, not the easiest to work with. That broke my already dying heart. Such potential put to waste. I guess if you want to see NATIVE OHIO WILDLIFE, BRUKNER NATURE CENTER IN TROY, OHIO off of HORSESHOE BEND RD. is the only place around here to go. I’m distraught over this, and in no way mean to disrespect the Museum, things change, this change was just in the complete wrong direction.

Its always a fun, learning place for kids. There are lots of displays and interactive activities. They definitely need more seating in the cafeteria though, you have to wait 10-20 minutes for a table if theyre busy. Overall, a great time though, plan on spending at least 4 hours there to see everything.

Amazing!!! Everything was interactable and kept the kids interested and entertained the whole time!! So educational and FUN at the same time....so glad we found it!

This museum is a pleasant surprise near Dayton Ohio. It has lots to offer with a small animal exhibit, planetarium and much much more. Definitely worth a visit.

Nice little museum. It had everything from learning abt planets, playing with water, kids play area, huge python, all kinds of kids activities, tarantula, sea animals to importance of recycling. Its good for kids around 2-12. But older kids will find something cool to see as well. We saw 1 show while there, the sky tonight. The host was very informative and the seats in the middle are the best. Kids were very entertained all oohs and ahhhs. A lot to do and a lot to see. We were the 3 hrs. My husband and I ended up taking a break and made a puzzle. It was nice day to be indoors. It was free today so it was busy but kids werent rude surprisingly.

It wasnt too bad. It was a great place if you are want to just let your kids play. The day I went was free so look for super science Saturday.

Love Boonshoft! I bought the membership before ever going and Im glad we did! My 7 year old loves the exhibits and the summer camps.

Always love going here with our preschool and primary elementary grandchildren. Lots of hands-on activities in STEM, the environment, careers, as well as great living animal observation habitats. Best time to go seems to be when the museum first opens. Smaller numbers and quieter.We have a grandparent membership that we use several times a month. Great investment. (Reciprocal membership with other museums and organizations.)

One of the best discovery and exploration museums in our area. Plus if you buy a membership you get a hefty discount at a lot of the other childrens museums, zoos, and aquariums all over the country.

Fun unexpected museum. Mix of an indoor zoo, childrens climbing area, archeology, and planetarium. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Took a camp field trip here and the staff was very helpful with check in and finding a lunch spot when things changed around a bit

This place was great! From outer space to live animals and even a tree house for bird watching. It was great for my kiddos and their cousins for the afternoon!

What a great place for kids of all ages! They also have ample opportunities for discounted entry depending on what time of day you visit as well as reciprocity with COSI and the Zoo so you can secure a discount that way as well. They also have exhibits that change every few months and an indoor playground that is more than 3 stories high that the kids go bananas over. Highly recommend!

My daughter was part of a small school group that went and I got to take her class. There where ages 5-11 that went. The whole school for it a fun place. The museum had made learning for through Hands on displays. There was anything from animal science. To learning about the Stars.. the gentleman that too us through the plants wasSteve did a wonderful job keeping it fun!

We had a great time at a Passport to Kindergarten event!

Great place for kids of all ages. Love the hands on activities for kids.

My grandson loves, loves, loves this place.

Weve visited here twice and its such a great place! There is so much to see and do. Weve spent several hours each time and still didnt see everything. Its perfect for little kids as well as adults.

What an amazing visit, I LOVE that we get a discount for being members of the FW Childrens Zoo. We had a wonderful time and our favorite parts were the tree house and the legos!

Went there with our 4 year old grand daughter today, was very impressed with both the educational and interaction available for all ages.. A very entertaining and most enjoyable experience for our grand daughter and us. Looking forward to coming back for another visit.

A great experience and a wonderful activity for children and adults!!!

Great place to take children to learn and run off extra energy. Animals take naps around noon. The otters give a great performance.

Awesome place to take your kids. Kept a 3 year old entertained all day pretty much. The planetarium show and the planet projection room were the highlights of the trip. Very impressive.

I was the wedding planner/coordinator for a wedding at the Boonshoft Museum a few months ago. I cannot say enough good things about the space and their staff! Mandy was responsive, friendly, and helpful in the weeks leading up to and on the day of the wedding. The rest of the staff was also fantastic - ready and willing to help with whatever we needed throughout the day.Couples who choose to get married here are in for a real treat! In addition to being just a super cool space for an event with many exhibits open for guests to explore, the museum created a customized star movie in the theatre which showed the constellations and planets at various important dates throughout their relationship (the day they met, got engaged, their wedding date, etc.) It was nerd-tastic.I highly recommend the Boonshoft Museum as a wedding venue.

When on a discovery Saturday so definitely more people since its free. My biggest complaint here is that hardly anyone watches their children. I noticed more people using the play area as a babysitter than actually enjoying it with them. Several children were throwing various items while their parents stood nearby talking or on their phones. I get it, we all need a break, but a public place with other children isnt the place.

This is a great place to take your young kids, they will have a blast every time. They have a very interesting gift shop with lots of science fair type of projects to purchase. Its worth it to buy the membership as its expensive otherwise. Theres lots of native American, Asian and Egyptian artifacts to see but I never can really check it out because Im chasing my toddlers around everywhere.

We took our three year old granddaughter for the first time, she loved the interactive displays, especially the water play area. We will return!

My kids love it here and I am looking forward to the ancient Egypt exhibit opening this month. Theres plenty to do and learn for small children. The planetarium is cool. Been going here for years.

The exhibits are great, although some are a little dated. Very fun for the kids, so amazing to watch them learn. Highly recommend

This is one of the better kids museums. The prices are very reasonable and everything is hands on. We happened to go on a Thursday just after they opened and we had the place to ourselves. The kids randomly watch Blippi and this place is very much like a kids museum that he would make a show about, so the kids loved it.

We very much enjoyed the Planetarium! The rest of the museum wasnt what I remembered as a child. It was still an educational experience, I guess; with a McDonalds style Playland mixed into it!?

Beautiful and education place for bringing with Your family. Its for children

I enjoyed our time there, we actually received half off ticket price for being zoo pass holders! So we went a second day.

Nice place to spend an afternoon with kids. There is plenty of things to do. My kids like the giant water table, climbing area, and the animals.

Attended a conference hosted here. Lots of creative programming coming from museum staff. We enjoyed exploring the unique exhibits including all of the animals and the treehouse area.

I had not visited since I was kid. Recently took my 3 year old son, it was a great change of pace because there were plenty of things for him to play with but also we were able to spend a few mins here and there actually learning. Staff was amazing, and the facility was very clean.

Beautiful! Friendly staff including security. I have taken my son multiple times and we always enjoy it. I recently attended a wedding there and it was unique and awesome. They showed the stars and planets in the planetarium correlating with the bride and grooms birthdates until their wedding date.

I took my daughter and granddaughter s to the museum. The girls said it was the best day EVER! Loved the planetarium, the animals, and the museum as a whole. I got face time with a kinkajou.

I like Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, because is a wonderful place.Im a Dayton fan, and person.

We love boonshoft! The memberships are super affordable we get one every year!

One of the greatest places to take kids in Dayton! So fun and informative, and getting a pass is well worth the money! Our favorite is the tree house.

Fantastic family event. Kids can play and interact for hours! Keep up the great work!

Just got back from here, and I had a good amount of fun. It is a much better experience for little kids around 3-7 years old because of all the more basic hands- on equipment. It is a good way for little kids to learn about science and Ohios lakes, rivers, and Daytons recycling. I recommend coming here if you have a younger child that loves science!

Fun and learning and weaving through crowds!

They did a fantastic job of engaging the kids interest in science activities, and in keeping them active also. They really went out of their way to keep us informed and to help us feel welcome!

Great place to bring young children. Clean, educational, and a great variety of learning adventures.

Well curated. Exhibits for children and adults mixed throughout. The zoo section had small animals that I usually dont see in other zoos. The Science on a Sphere is not spherical geometry but displays how various native cultures from around the world used scientific principles in daily life. One South American culture had a tall, skinny basket where poisonous vegetable matter was drained to separate toxins for hunting. The residual matter was made into flour for eating. I had never seen that in other cultural exhibits. This Museum of Discovery is worth another visit. Our 2-year old granddaughter loved it. Sure, she wore out fast but the ticket is good all day so you can come back after nap time. Or this would be a great way to break up a long cross country trip, especially if you already have passes to a participating museum.

Great air conditioned place to hang with young children, lots of fun, lots of science. Fourth of July is exciting and wonderful with indoor .

So disappointed. Site says its for all ages. This is not true. Its geared to pre-school. The zoo actually made me cry. Maybe 6-7 small exhibits. More insect and a couple snake and frog. The animals had small enclosures, no enrichment, looked and acted depressed. It took under two hours to walk through as an adult. Add a couple hours more for children as there is a couple interactive play areas. Dont go if your dont have children.

Very fun place. One of the more interesting museums Ive been to in my life.

Great place for toddler and young children to explore, learn and play. Can be expensive if you dont have membership. Also can be a little crowded at times.

One of Daytons true highlights. Please take your children here and plan to spend the day. So much to learn and do.

My daughter loves it. Great way to spend a cold winters day!

I had a great time

The kits really like it here. They really enjoy all of the hands on activities and features that the Boonshoft offers.

Nice place to take your little ones

My kids, ages 4-8 love the Boonshoft Museum! The exhibits are fun and educational and the layout makes it easy to supervise multiple children. A membership is well worth the investment!

My classroom kids loved it. Space 360 is an amazing experience. I highly recommend.

We had a great time! It was my first time taking my kids and they just couldnt get enough and really didnt want to leave.

Great place to bring the kids. Its like a educational play ground.

This is a great place to take young children between the ages of 2 and 8 years old. Younger and older children can certainly enjoy many of the activities, but 3-8 is the sweet spot. While many of the areas focus on science and natural history, there are also exhibits/activity centers that encourage imaginative and open-ended play, which facilitates excellent early learning opportunities. My personal favorite room is the tree house where you can watch birds. Its a wooden room that has many windows, so you feel as though you are sitting in the trees among the birds.

If you have a zoo pass they give you 1/2 off. The planetarium shows are neat and theres so much for kids do.

At first it seems a bit small, but the museum really opens up. Easily two or three hours of activities, and all of them designed to really draw children in. Well worth admission!