Bootheel Youth Museum — Attraction in Malden

This place is great and there are a lot of different things to do. My kids have a great time, and so do I. The only reason I’m giving 4 stars is because of a confusing and somewhat frustrating experience with the group pricing.

Both their website and the sign at the museum state that groups of 8 or more receive a discounted rate — $6 for kids and $4 for adults. We had 5 adults and 3 kids (a total of 8 people), but were told we didn’t qualify because we didn’t have 8 kids or 8 adults. Nowhere on the website or signage does it clarify that the group must include 8 individuals from the same age category — it simply says “groups of 8 or more,” followed by the discounted prices per age range.

They did end up giving us the discount, but only after we questioned it and advocated for it. The manager agreed to honor the group rate this time, but noted that it’s not typically applied that way. While we appreciated the flexibility, it would be really helpful if the website and signage were updated to reflect the actual policy more clearly. That way, families can better understand what to expect and avoid similar confusion.

That said, we still had a wonderful time and will...

A Hidden Gem for Curious Young Minds!

We had a fantastic time at the Bootheel Youth Museum! This place is a true treasure for families with young kids. It's packed with hands-on exhibits that are not only fun but also educational—perfect for sparking curiosity in science, technology, and the world around us.

What really stood out was how interactive everything was. Our kids loved experimenting with water flow, building structures, and exploring the science behind everyday phenomena. The staff were friendly and clearly passionate about helping kids learn through play. You can tell a lot of thought and care went into making this space both engaging and accessible.

It's also very affordable, making it a great stop for families traveling through the area during the week or anyone local looking for a fun weekend activity. The museum isn’t massive, but it’s laid out really well, so you can easily spend a couple of hours here without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.

Highly recommend if you’re anywhere near Malden, Missouri—definitely...

Took my 6 year old niece here yesterday. She had a fun time. However, it appeared there was only one worker in the entire building, and she was at the register. There were a lot of high school-aged kids there running around, throwing footballs, making messes, flirting with the girl at the register, etc. My niece almost got ran into multiple times by these high schoolers. In addition, a lot of things in the space area did not work, which was disappointing. Other younger children were also not supervised and were running around as well making messes and running into people. I feel as if there were more workers around to help enforce the rules it would have been a...