Bay Area Discovery Museum — Attraction in Sausalito

So this place has a lot of potential, but there are a lot of things to consider. The place is great for toddlers & slightly older kids, it has different areas/spaces both indoors & outdoors. My child had a wonderful time & I thought I would want to come back...

The staff & rule enforcement is lacking. There is a sign that says adults & children who are sick are not allowed, but I saw several children with all the clear signs of being really sick comfortably contaminating the enclosed spaces. There was a kid with green snot all over his face coughing & sneezing looking like a spray bottle (first this is disgusting behavior on the parents part, but where was the staff?!), it really doesn't help that there are a lot of entitled parents who think rules don't apply to them or their kids. It was disgusting to see adults encouraging their kids to keep their shoes on in the indoor areas that were clearly labeled no-shoes because it was inconvenient for them to take them off and put them on each time.

There is a no-shoe area supposedly designed for children smaller than 42 inches and there were huge kids well over the height limit playing in there aggressively (there should be a measuring post at the entrance & if the kid is taller than the height limit they should not be allowed to go in. There are plenty of spaces for the older/taller kids), kids running in and out with their shoes on, and the staff member was comfortably leaning on a watermelon boat with a blank stare looking out into the abyss of unruly kids. I get it! Things get old, but also it is still your job to enforce the rules, period.

The bathroom was very dirty, the floor sticky, the changing table lacked an isolated space to comfortably change your child. There was an open window across this space & the hand washing area is right next to the "changing area" so curious kids & parents come right next you as you try to clean poo

There were toys & stuffed animals in some of the indoor areas & those things were disgusting to look at. I tried to keep my child from touching them, but it was impossible because she is in the stuffed animal stage & she kept looking for them at every single spot.

We visited on Sunday, by Wednesday my child had a fever & Thursday she broke into a rash. We initially thought chicken pox, but after a visit to the Dr. we were told she has hand, foot and mouth disease 🤢🦠😭🫩 so gross

I'm very happy a place like this one exists! Some of the spaces were very cute, almost beautiful! Would I come back? Probably. I can't put my child in a bubble to keep her safe, but I wish some of the aspects mentioned above could be improved. I took one star because of the obvious cleanliness issue, the second star is due to the lack of rule enforcement/staff. Everything else about this...

Update May 2022: We have been back a lot and are never disappointed! Masks are still encouraged outdoors and mandatory indoors. The cafe is open! We usually get the pizza, sandwiches and cookies. Coffee is great and service is quick. No reservations needed anymore, new attractions all the time. We went to the Halloween jubilee, and spring something. Just do yourself a favor and head over there 🥰

Went on a rainy Saturday afternoon with the kid, 2.5 yo. Some of the exhibits were closed or not offered due to weather and restrictions. But let me tell you, that did not matter! My kid has been there a bunch before with the grandparents ( phenomenal idea!) and this was my first time. I have a very active and social little one so sometimes I get nervous these days with public interaction. I felt very safe and well attended. EVERYONE is required to wear masks and they do enforce it. Currently there is no eating or drinking inside so that's kind of a bummer, but i think that will change soon. They limit the amount of people in at a time and all the mutual toys are packed for individual play and then cleaned...except for mud kitchen which I think my kid would LIVE IN if I let her. Over all we had a great time and met some lovely families. The attendants were friendly and playful. The bathrooms are clean and even have small people facilities! I would guess on a warm day with eating allowed, it would boarder on perfect for an outdoor, covid safe, super fun day. Highly...

The museum itself is pretty amazing. The exhibits are very interactive and varied for different ages, the mud kitchen is a particular favorite. The tot spot and water area are perfect for curious little hands and the changing outdoor exhibits keep the space fresh and exciting for the kids. The clay studio is a great place to calm down and create, the playgrounds are amazing and a real challenge, and the sand box is a hot spot at the end of a busy morning.

If you have toddlers or infants though, do your diaper changes in the car, or outside. The bathrooms are not well kept, and the changing tables are absolutely filthy (pooped smeared in them, layers of just dirt, even right when they open, they're still dirty).

Oh and bring your own lunch, the Cafe is overly priced, for food that's not...good. It looks cool, but that's all. The folks in the Cafe are perfectly lovely and polite though, and they do their best with the ingredients they're required to use. The coffee is...ok.

The positives far outweigh the negatives. Despite the bathrooms being gross and the food being worse than usual museum fare, I still highly recommend visiting. I just renewed our membership, because overall, it's a fantastic place to visit with young kids. We go at least once every...