Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology — Attraction in Claremont

Wow! Who knew this local Claremont museum held So many fossils, I mean life size dinosaur fossils. I’m so impressed with all they have inside these walls. Some of these fossils were discovered and displayed by student. You can observe current students handling and working on fossils. There are hands on exhibits and story time for children and adults to experience. Divided into sections the museum is covering 4.6 billion years up until present day. Take your time and read the descriptions as you pass from one prehistoric period to another, follow the time line on the wall. This museum has a handicap ramp entrance as well as alternative entrance to lower level without using the staircase, it does have lots of stairs. Met friends here and we all enjoyed it very much. Walked away saying our children/grandchildren would love this place. If you like dinosaurs you’ll love it. It’s located on a private boarding high school campus and you need to present valid id to be scanned for security to park and enter. George at the gate was very friendly and shared how his wife and grandchildren loved the museum. Plan to spend around an hour. Admission is between $9 to $12 per person...

Since the museum is hidden on the campus of private boarding school, The Webb Schools, my husband and I actually passed it the first time around.

It's a really small museum and while okay for adults interested in paleontology, is not that good for children as there is really a lot of deeper reading involved and not too many simple or interactive exhibits or activities. For us to drive out to Claremont is the same time it would take us to get to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and that one is so much better for children and adults alike.

The setup is simple- there are two stories, the first floor being underground. The entire museum goes around in a simple circle, so there's no getting lost or missing anything.

An interesting aspect of the museum is that the students of the school there partake in in finding and curating of the fossils for the exhibits, which is so cool. There isn't a whole lot of parking, so they actually allow you to park on the grass near the parking lot if it's full, so parking is also free. Yay for that! It was an interesting experience and I'm glad we got to try it but I wouldn't do it again when there are better...

I took my 5 year old son to this museum because he loves dinosaurs and it was not far from home. Although this museum is small, it truly is a hidden gem, especially if you live in the area. Not only the history behind all the fossils found is interesting, but the fact that the students at the school have participated in finding them makes it even cooler. The donation fee is small and goes to a good cause (we paid $9 for the both of us) and helps fund the small museum and the activities they have for families on the weekends. Children 4 and under are free, and there are student discounts. I gave it four stars because this museum is on a school campus, therefore you have to check in with a security guard and you cannot go in without a driver's license and a visitor tag. You can not explore the campus because it is a highschool campus. Definitely eat before or after because they don't...