Children’s Museum of Idaho — Attraction in Meridian

🌟 Children’s Museum of Idaho – 5 Stars (Grandkids Gave It the RAVE Reviews!)

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We’ve now visited the Children’s Museum of Idaho three times with our grandchildren, and each outing has been a delight. The museum is a wonderful place for kids—and grandparents—to explore together!

What we love most: • Perfect for repeated visits: With evolving exhibits and engaging Community Room activities like Trash to Treasure, Let’s Get Messy, and Early STEM, our grandkids (ages 3½–11) could experience something fresh each time we came . • Hands-on learning through purposeful play: The interactive design invites kids to engage and learn at their own pace, all in a welcoming and thoughtfully designed space . • Planetarium & programming options: We added on planetarium shows during visits, which provided a magical, educational break that all the kids enjoyed . • Family & grandparent friendly layout: Plenty of seating, easy sightlines, and exhibits suitable for multiple ages made it stress-free to supervise and participate together.

Practical details: • Hours: Monday–Saturday 10 AM–5 PM; Sunday 1 PM–5 PM. Members can arrive one hour earlier each weekday . • Admission: $13 per adult or child (ages 2–64), $5 for ages 12–23 months, $11 for seniors. Planetarium shows are $2 each. Membership perks include early access and discounts . • Community Appreciation Day: On the second Thursday monthly, admission is just $5 with extended hours until 7 PM .

Highlights from our visits: • Story & craft sessions, themed STEM, messy art, and creative crafting kept the grandkids excited ⚙️. • The toddler play zone has been perfect for our youngest, while the older kids enjoyed pretend play areas like the Trader Joe’s or pizza shop, and transportation exhibits (trains, airplanes, etc.)  . • Each visit felt enriching—creative play, educational exhibits, and just the right amount of energy to keep kids engaged but not overwhelmed.

Tips for Grandparents: • Arrive early to beat crowds and take advantage of slower morning hours. • Consider a membership—it makes frequent visits even easier and more affordable. • Check the schedule for special activities or planetarium shows before you go. • Bring layers, comfy shoes, and parking is ample and easy.

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✨ Final Thoughts The Children’s Museum of Idaho is a gem for families and grandparents alike. Its thoughtful design, evolving programming, and welcoming atmosphere made all three of our visits a joy. More than just fun—it’s a place where creativity, learning, and quality time come together. Highly recommended!

— Grandparent of Six, already counting down to...

Great indoor place for kids with lots of interactive activities! (Outdoor was closed due to rain) the kids seem to love it and we spent several hours there until the fun was ruined. The behavior that was displayed to us as well as a couple other children by the Executive Director and her second hand person was appalling. These two are certainly have no understanding when it comes to children at PLAY. They also do not understand the very basics that go into customer service! Myself & 2 other adults attended and we had 4 children under the age of 5 with us. The kids were actively playing with the toys in the room when the executive director walked in and acted as though her heart had stopped. She could not believe “the mess” that the room was and walked around berating children and parents to their faces saying they needed to pick up the room. The adults in the room stepped in and said they had planned to pick up the room, just as we had with all of the other rooms we played in today. But there is no sense cleaning up and putting away toys that kids are actively using and playing with. The director then went on to still berate the parents saying they need to keep better watch of their children so that they don’t make a mess at all. (Again clearly she is in the wrong business if she doesn't understand how children play they aren’t a Fischer Price commercial) and when parents tried to explain this we were just met with scowls, dirty looks & rude comments/excuses on why we should be better and that they are allowed to be upset because we “would not believe how many messes they have to clean up in a day” (Again, not a customers problem). The secondhand person then began cleaning up the room while huffing and puffing and making a scene about how hard it is. (Toys that were being played with and parents were no given a chance to pick up said toys, one dad told his son he had stop playing with the toys so he could give them to the lady who was cleaning up.) The executive directors face and attitude was not that of a person who enjoys knowing or being around children in any sense and does not understand basic communication. So your kids will have a great time so long as you don’t have to deal with the ED and her protege. 4.5 stars would have been given if we hadn’t been...

We love this place and will be going here every week!

I am a mom of three young ones and this place is a God send for me. It is very similar to a place I used to frequent called Pretend City, but even better I think. We have been there four times so far and I only discovered this place two weeks ago.

They DO require mask wearing for anyone over the age of 2. And have a TON of hand sanitizer stations all over the place. It has always been very clean, organized and peaceful when I have been there. Even with other families present it never feels too crazy because of the way all of the zones are partitioned.

My 4 year old daughter's favorite parts are the Trader Joe's grocery store that has everything kid-sized, the make your own pizza parlor (felt pizzas), the veterinarian office, and the large wooden dollhouse.

My 2 year old son loves the huge train track, the outdoor barn area with fake horses they can ride, the rocket ship with astronaut jumpsuits, and the cave with fake bugs in picture boxes.

My crawling baby loves what I have termed "the baby living room". It is open for anyone to play in but seems to be the perfect set up for little babies. I tend to meet lots of other moms with babies when I sit in there, so I must not be the only one to feel that way.

We have been four times now and my kids still have not played with everything or even been to every room.

Oh and for parents... there is ample seating everywhere you turn. Rocking chairs, benches, couches, etc. Very nice when you get tired of chasing the kids around and need a break.

I highly recommend this place and recommend the annual pass. The whole year for my 3 kids and myself was around $80. One visit would have been in the $20-25 range I believe. So even coming here once a month or so, the pass is still a killer deal. So great for families on a budget that want somewhere indoors to be able to take the kids through the...