Hands-on House, Children's Museum of Lancaster — Attraction in Manheim Township

We came here on a Saturday afternoon with our three kids under 6. We arrived and were met at the desk by three not so friendly staff members who couldn’t be bothered to stop talking to greet us. When they finally looked up, one instructed us to go to the bathroom to wash our hands, when there was sanitizer right at the desk. I don’t not understand that they are trying to keep germs out, just felt a little strange they way we were instructed to do so when I feel like the sanitizer would’ve been just as effective.

Some of the exhibits really were nice and allowed for a lot of open ended play. My girls loved the flower stand and the ice cream stand and my son really liked the farm. Each of them also loved the back tube wall which I’m pretty sure they could’ve hung out at the whole time.

My issue was less with the facility and more with the staff. We never saw a staff member out on the floor reorganizing and resetting anything. I understand that they want parents to pick up after their kids, but I myself had three kids there and probably didn’t see everything they touched and moved. Also not to be rude, but I paid 60 dollars for the 2 hours my children played and I think that there should be some effort from staff to make sure areas are clean and the exhibits are set up so that the kids can enjoy them.

During our visit, the back tube wall got jammed with the scarves the children use to demonstrate the changes in air pressure. Every single scarf has gotten backed up and stuck. My husband went out to get a staff member since all of the kids back there were disappointed. He said when he went to the desk, the staff looked at him like he was talking about something in a completely different museum. They stared at him until finally one said she would be back to fix it. About 20 minutes later she finally wandered back, but the interaction was enough to really put us both off. I realized after we left I didn’t see a single interaction from a staff member with a child. I’m not used to that. Other children’s museums where we have been have staff out on the floor working with the kids, teaching them things, communicating with them and giving parents a break.

I struggle to understand why there were three staff members all behind the desk when there is a lot of area to monitor and keep clean. Especially during a pandemic, I never watched anything get wiped down (and there were bins for toys that had been placed in mouths that I saw numerous times turned over and thrown on the floor by kids before being cleaned) or organized by a team member while I was there. I think more guidance on some of the individual exhibits and what kids should do with them - even a staff member actively playing with the kids and showing them what to do- would...

I brought my kids there today since i remember going as a child and LOVING it! But i was honestly a little disappointed. For my boyfriend, my 4 yr. old son and myself it was $33.00, which isnt crazy expensive, but the amount of things to do inside is pretty limited, especially with other people there.. We spend a decent amount of time in each area but was only there for an hour and a half.. So that much money for only an hour and a half? Not that worth it to me, yes we could have stayed longer, but the activities there just werent engaging enough, at least for my son. My favorite part as a kid was the grocery store, which has now been reduced to a much smaller size and my son basically didnt get to play in it due to the small space and it was filled with the same kids the whole time we were there.. Its nice that they have an outside play area but i have to say i was pretty disappointed in that too. Yes its outdoor toys, but a place that charges you to come and play should probably keep the stuff clean and in shape.. All the outdoor play areas they have (a castle, little house, play shed, a kitchen set, toddler tunnel, etc.) was all quite dirty. Hosing things off and keeping the things a little cleaner would go a long way in my opinion. The bathrooms were not very clean either.. I was happy when i saw they had a nursing area (we brought our 1 yr old with as well) but when i went to use it, there were stains on the chair, crumbs all over the place, i ended up just nursing him in our car.. I dont think we will be...

First time visitor today with my 2 1/2 year old. Utterly… impressed. My daughter almost didn’t want to come in from the outdoor area but… we finally made it inside. The team was so welcoming as soon as we came through the door. Informative and inviting, making me want to get a membership right then and there.

Next, everything was orderly, clean, and well attended to as children played freely. I love the rule where items stay in there designated place, of course some will get scattered, but letting the parents know the expectations helps us direct our children to be mindful of others and respectful of property. It is more fun to have the right tools for right scene. Workers would randomly come through and re-set stations and then, whew, fun all over again. I really appreciated the attention to detail.

Super clean - even a bin higher up for toys that have been in ‘mouthed’ - literally how smart and simple.

I thought the placed seemed on the smaller side. Until we went down the hall and there was another room with books, sand, blocks, play-dough. Nursing station was a bonus. They may have a smaller building but all the space is utilized well and I think the overall size is perfect.

We expected to be there for an hour and a half - we were there for four hours and she could have kept going.

I wanted to take the time to say thank you to all the kind women at the front door this morning, Friday 1/12. We had a great time. See...