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At the Museum - Jun 18th

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First-Time Visitors

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Noon Year's Puget Sound
General Information

Plan your trip to Hands On using the following information:
If you have any other questions, please feel free to call us at (360) 956-0818.
Additional Admission Information

What is the targeted age range for the Museum?

Exhibits are ideally designed for children age birth to ten.

Are strollers allowed in the Museum?

We provide stroller parking in our Lobby and ask that you not take your stroller into the galleries, except under special circumstances, to ensure there is adequate circulation for all guests.

Do you have a sensory friendly guide?

The museum can often be crowded, loud and filled with bright lights. We have prepared a Museum Sensory Guide to help you and your child familiarize yourself with the museum and its exhibits before you visit. Written from a child’s perspective, the guide can be helpful in planning which exhibits to visit and in which order. We also offer sensory-friendly events when you and your family can enjoy the museum with fewer crowds and stimuli. Does your child find the museum too loud during regular hours? We have noise-muffling headphones you can borrow for free at our Front Desk.

What about food in the Museum?

The Play Day Cafe is open every day, and offers a selection of sandwiches, soups, salads, grilled cheese and other family friendly choices along with seating for Cafe patrons. If you bring your own food from home, we do have a few tables reserved for this in the Cafe. You are also welcome to have a picnic in East Bay Public Plaza, but please keep food about 5 feet away from the water feature. (Please no outside food from other restaurants or vendors in the Cafe.) We also ask that food and drink are not consumed in the galleries, including the Outdoor Discovery Center. Cafe hours are Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Why is it important to stay with my child while visiting the museum?

Please remember children under age 16 must be accompanied and supervised by an adult. We believe family members are important as a child's first teachers and as a partner in learning. Our exhibits are designed specifically to encourage interaction and inquiry, as well as participation from the entire family. We also take visitor safety seriously and supervising adults help ensure their children are enjoying the exhibits and facility safely.

Photo/Video Policy within the Museum

Each person entering the Hands On Children’s Museum grants the museum permission to photograph, videotape, record or otherwise reproduce the image and/or voice of that person and all accompanying minors, without compensation, for the museum’s business purposes, including copying, distribution, and other uses.

IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED, please inform the front desk upon check-in and request a NO PHOTO sticker to place on your child. Our staff, volunteers, and visiting media are instructed to look for the stickers and will do their best to avoid including your child in materials. Large crowd shots where individuals are not identifiable may still occur. 

What about other special restrictions?

For the comfort of our visitors and their families, we are a weapons-free zone. We ask that visitors not bring any sharp objects or concealed weapons into the museum.

When is the best time to visit the Museum?

During our busy field trip season (March through mid-June) we typically see a high volume of school field trips Tuesday-Friday between the hours 10am-2pm. Like us on Facebook to see best times to visit! Families are welcome to call in advance of a visit to check on scheduled field trips if they prefer to identify a less busy time, (360) 956-0818.

When is the Museum closed?

The museum is closed on the following holidays: Easter, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and one week each September for scheduled maintenance and cleaning.