garden state discovery museum

My first experience at this location was on a school field trip -- as a chaperone, it was a bit much to keep track of the kids as the "exhibits" flow into each other. There are a few that are partitioned off and aid in "containing" a group, but for the most part it was STRESSFUL.I would definitely prefer this as a family visit, as I would have to mind after 2, not 10, children.The exhibits themselves are great for hands-on learning experiences.The ONLY reason I would give 4 stars vs. 5, is that I had been to the Please Touch Museum in Philly which offerred a lot more and you could spend your day there without having exhausted all that the facility had to offer. But overall, a good morning or afternoon trip.

We subscribed for the sake of our grandkids...an enjoy the discoveries as much as they do! What a great way to educate and amuse and wonder, all at the same time. Highly recommended.

Got free passes from my library and the kids had a blast. Lots to do for the little ones. A bit crowded as expected for a rainy Saturday. Gets loud and hectic with the crowd but that didn't phase the kids. Will definitely go back.

This place is great for the younger kids, from 12 months & up. It's more homey & less official than the one in Philly, that's why we liked it for our toddlers. The one in Philly is definitely a better one but wouldn't go back till our kids are at least 5

My wife and myself took my two year old grandson there and he had a ball . He really enjoy all of the different things that he could do there.

We were looking for something to do with our one year old, and found the Garden State Discovery Museum through a quick Google search. This place is so neat!! While my son was still a little young to really enjoy all the little experiences it had to to offer, it did give him a place to walk around and grab and play with things freely outside our living room. We will def be back when he is a little older :)

Lots of exhibits, with lots of opportunities to play and learn. Both my toddler and my grade schooler loved. it.

My August visit was my first time back at Discovery in a few years since my girls are a bit too old now...but I would like to note that I spent plenty of hours from 2003-2012..."hanging" at the museum!!! One of my kids FAVS!!!! So many wonderful memories made at the museum...from just random visits during the week afterschool to formal activities like breakfast with Santa, trick or treating, etc. Can say enough...check it out!!!

this place has SO many rooms...my 2 year old LOVES the beach ball floating over the air, the hockey and basketball area, the science center part, the kitchen, etc etc. There is too much to name other than go here and have an awesome time!!!Since so many kiddies, might be nice if they had slightly healthier or organic options at the cafe place is my only comment.

Great for my 2 year old and 6 year old. Lots of different hands on activities. The diner and pizzeria were favorites. The science area was also great. We had fun but some areas were a little worn down and watch out for pre school trips. It got very crowded!

If you have children under 7, this is the place to go! There are so many hands on things to do. Just beware the kids will not want to leave!

My son loved this museum. Loads of things to do that were an appropriate age for him. The rooms are set up with sign for parents to help their children of targeted ages get the most out of the display through a skill or experience. We loved climbing and playing right along with our son. We look forward to coming back here over the next few years so he can explore and learn even more.Seems like Sundays are less busy than Saturdays, and we took advantage of the bank of America "museums on us" so we only paid $13 for our son's admission, which was well worth it. $13 seems steep for adults (seniors are $12 if you are bringing grandparents).

There were a couple good parts of this museum, which made me give it a "poor" rating instead of "terrible." The best parts were the dinosaur room and the bubble center, where you can form a large bubble around your child. In the dinosaur room there were many things to see and do, including a sliding board, life-sized dinosaur models and a sandbox-type area full of mulch where you can dig for fossils. However, even this room was not well kept. Overall, the museum is very cramped, which led to several instances of people squeezing in between parents and children. The most horrifying exhibit is the tree house. It is designed for children only, and is set up so that you cannot see your children at all while they are playing on it. There is also no way to retrieve your children if you want them to come down. I don't know who thought this was a good idea, but it definitely is not! If you want to visit a good children's museum in New Jersey, try the one in Hamilton Mall in Mays Landing. It's a much more pleasant experience.

After taking my children to the doctor, I took them to this museum.. (to make up for the needles) And I have to say It worked!! I did purchase a groupon. I had thought about having a birthday party here for one of my kids, but wanted to see the place first. (FYI They also have a coat room/stroller storage)The employees are nice, and it's very clean.When you walk in you just feel like your going to learn. We spent about 2 hours here and could have spent plenty more, but had other things to do. There are employees walking through constantly to check on the customers ask if everything is ok, pick up anything that may be out of place, and reorganize the exhibits. This is closer then the Please Touch museum. They had a little farmer's market, a diner, a California Pizza Kitchen, A hockey rink, basketball court, theater, veterinarian office, car service center, a build-a-bear type thing (much cheaper then BAB), a craft station, recycling station, a boat, mini fish, lizards, spider exhibits, a dark room to see constellations, and my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE THING ------> THE 'GIGANTIC BRIGHT LIGHT'I have my kids birthday's planned already but next year I will be having one of their birthday parties there! There is also a cafe/pizzeria to sit and eat and a gift shop. I honestly don't know who liked it more My husband & I or our 2 & 3 year olds! I must also say..... I was very pleased to see they employe, disabled individuals (I really don't want to offend anyone.. I'm not sure how to state this and be p/c) I had the pleasure to help this employee. I saw her struggling to dress a doll and walked over to help her. She was one of the nicest and sweetest people I've ever met. Later she tracked down my husband and I to invite us to story time. I cannot remember her name, but this employee alone would make me return!

So much fun took our grandson had a blast. Would recommend if anyone is on the fence about going jump and enjoy.