lawrence hall of science

We visit family in the SF Bay Area a couple of times a year and have been making the Lawrence Hall of Science a regular stop while were there. They change "theme" exhibits periodically so check the website to see what the current theme is. Prior reviews have captured this attraction so here's some side points related to LHS:If you show up on weekend or holidays, expect a large crowd. They have science "camp" programs and the occasional birthday party. We visited on Dec 30, 2014 and the place was packed. There is a charge for parking. There is ample parking but if you have older adults there are also a lot of stairs if you end up parking on one of the upper levels. My parents no longer join us on this particular outing given my Dad's difficulties in getting around.If it's crowded, time your lunch at the cafe and come after the crowd. We waited until 1:30 to go to lunch and only had to wait in line for about five minutes or so. The view from the cafe is beautiful.I have two boys (12 and 8 as of the date of this review) and while the younger still finds the LHS interesting, the elder was getting bored. The target demographic is a bit younger than 12. This may be the last visit we do given what I saw in how my boys were interacting with the exhibits. NOTE: this is NOT a negative on the attraction. The target demographic is simply younger than my boys.If you are a member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers, there is a reciprocal membership benefit which allows you discounted or free admissions to participating centers outside of your local area. Do an internet search for the Association and you can get more information on this. As we are members of the Discover Science Center in Santa Ana, CA, our admission to the LHS is complimentary.One odd item: The Hall of Science (and Berkeley in general) are very "eco-conscious". Oddly enough, the restrooms still have toilets and urinals that look like they're from the 1970's and use about five plus gallons of water to flush. Next to them are the trash cans for recycling your used paper towels after you've dried your hands. It caught my attention amidst all of the 'eco' information that they haven't bothered to replace the toilets with ones that use less water. Weird.So, if you have younger children, they'll enjoy the Lawrence Hall of Science. Your junior higher or high schooler will probably want to sit and surf on their device.

We're LHS members, but Design Quest just drives home that membership is money well spent. My daughter has spent DAYS at this exhibit on the stop-motion animation station. Loves it-- I love that it's encouraging creativity. There's lots to do here, from the Animal exploration rooms (weekends only, I think) to the Kiva blocks, to the wonderful movies they show (they rotate every 4 months or so). Bonus: the gift shop is a treasure trove of really smart toys and quirky gifts for kids. Check it out-- membership pays for itself in about two visits! Worth every cent, especially for rainy days.

Lawrence Hall of Science is a local treasure and rainy-day mainstay for East Bay families. The exhibits are carefully thought out to be both fun and pedagogic. And new exhibits are deployed regularly, so repeat visits are fun.The cafe has decent child-friendly foods at reasonable prices and with a killer view over San Francisco Bay.There is often a special section for toddlers, although this sometimes gets moved around. I find it perfect for crawling babies and toddlers who are just beginning to walk, There are also age-relevant exhibits for older kids too, as well as an outdoor play area with geological exhibits and flowing water play areas. Just don't count on staying dry there.

We took our just 4 year old grandson here for his 1st time. I also signed him up for a " family" membership". We all loved it! Especially grandson. It can get a little frantic, as you can imagine. But we went on a weekday. Not quite so frantic. But they don't (kids) care. So many things to do and learn. 3d movie was wonderful! His 1st. 4 year olds are full of wonder. So magicall. Us too!! Had lunch in the cafe. Was very good. We had the Skyline, Cincinnati Chili...it's was so good asked for the recipe. Kudos to the chef! Grandson also loved the huge whale (he could climb on) outside. Beautiful,views from above Berkeley when not foggy. magical when it is. Plenty of paid parking. A good place for all.

We love the exhibits - Earth and Space; Design and Build; and Brain Teasers. Great place for all ages and inquiring minds.

This is a fairly large complex with something for everybody, especially kids! The outdoor sculpture and fountain are lovely and the view is amazing. There are many interesting exhibits but several didn't have the interactive piece operative. We saw a movie on Meercats which was very educational and fun. The 2 kids with us really enjoyed the creative areas where they could build things etc. A wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

Tourists, locals: YOU WILL LOVE THIS PLACEFantastic place to get some fast, fun science on San Francisco Bay Area geology. Earthquakes, faults, tectonic plates: you'll know how they work and how they RULE the Bay Area after you visit to this fun science center. There's a simple hands-on model showing how the Hayward and San Andres faults cause mountains and valleys. One minute with this exhibit and all of your questions are answered. There's a scale-down model showing how water flows from the mountains to the bay where you can baffle off canals and create dams to see the effects. Ever wonder what it would look like if a damn suddenly gave way? This exhibit will show you.From the outside deck you get a priceless view of the San Francisco Bay. Best of all, you can see the earthquake fault trace through the city while reading exhibits describing the details. After you leave The Lawrence Hall of Science go straight to the University of California at Berkeley football stadium and straddle the Hayward Fault. After you visit the science center you'll know what I mean. This science center is fantastic for kids and adults. There's even an area for little kids to play and learn. At the lower level you'll find an animal room where you can handle a snake and see some furry woodland creatures.The cafeteria has a GREAT view but is very dated. I didn't eat, but the food looked okay. There were healthy choices. Only complaint, and reason for a 4-star rating versus a 5: No wifi. You'll have trouble getting a good cell phone signal and if you want to do so quick internet research you're out of luck. I thought I'd end my visit with a quick lunch and some web surfing, but that's not going to happen.

In the Berkeley Hills is the Lawrence Hall of Science which offers hours and hours of fun explorations and exhibits. It's entirely kid friendly. Spend an afternoon there and you'll agree.

We used to go here all the time when our kids were younger. Now they are a bit older (11) and not as interesting to them to go here. Also, it seems that the funding may have declined over the years (it is a nonprofit) and thus their exhibits have suffered a bit. Hopefully they will find ways to raise some more funds and put on some great exhibits like they did a few years ago.

Good exhibits, a smaller science center but worth visiting if interested in sci. Centers. View of area is amazing!

While driving around on the UC Berkeley campus, we happened upon the Lawrence Hall of Science. It is located on a winding road above the campus with one of the most gorgeous views of the Bay Area, including downtown San Francisco ,you can imagine.There are quite a few spots to park and take great pictures. The science center itself is perched on a cliff overlooking the city below and the bay and Bay Bridge. Just beautiful The exhibits inside are interesting and include a rather basic planetarium which was lots of fun. It is not the most state-of-the-art facility but the exhibits are engaging especially if you have younger children. Even though the facility itself is not ultra up to date the location, the variety of exhibits, the killer view and the relatively low admission price - about $20.00 for adults with student, senior and kids discounts- is well worth an afternoon.

I took my two grandchildren (6 and 9) and one of their friends (6) to LHS. The LHS is mainly for children and they love it there. They have hands on activities, but the science of what they are doing is not explained, although I am not sure if this happens when a school group attends. Most of the volunteers lacked enthusiasm and seemed quite bored with their jobs. The main reason I am writing this review is about the Grizzly Peak Cafe, in the lower level of LHS. We had lunch there and even though there were only two family's ahead of us, it took almost an hour to get our food. They were out of chicken, which you didn't know until you placed your order. So then the kids had to rethink what they wanted. There were many "cooks" so I can't imagine what took so long. Nobody wore gloves and food was passed from one "cook" to another. There was a big bin of fruit in a cooler and one of the workers used her bare hands, along with a large scoop, to put the fruit into a smaller container on the counter. We didn't bring anything to eat and were not ready to leave, so there was no other option than to eat there. I highly recommend that people bring their own food. I definitely will the next time I go. The view from the outside terrace, as well as from the cafe, are breath taking. I would recommend going there just for the view. And as I said previously, the kids love it there.

Overpriced McMuseum, with a great outside & views. Predictable traveling exhibits, betting area in basement, crappy cafeteria. Would have been cool on the 70's. No competition to the Exploratorium.

We always wind up taking our grandchildren. It's interactiveand allows them to run around in a controlled space

My husband and I purchased Family Yearly Passes the night before we visited with our 3 year old granddaughter. We took her dad here when he was a little older than she is and he loved it back then also. We will be going back again soon. We wanted to see the summer theme "Extreme Bugs" and we are happy we did. We paid the extra $4.00 a person to see the Planetarium show of "Our Changing Moons." This was great since she is so interested in the moon right now. The show was 20 minutes long, just long enough for her short attention span. She started having fun even before we entered the building climbing on the DNA and life-sized whale.