The Tech Museum of Innovation has some aim in mind – to focus on inspiring the innovator in all who visit. Sounds pretty cool!
The Tech Museum in San Jose is filled with hands-on exhibits, and interactive experiments, all divided around their themed galleries.
It’s here that kids can learn all about science and technology, and challenge themselves to solve problems and learn new skills!
Kids can unravel the mysteries of the cosmos, and learn about the latest cutting edge technologies.
Body Metrics showcases the latest developments in technology, from wearable technology to metrics within their own body! You can step into the role of a cyber sleuth in Cyber Detectives, which is the FIRST interactive exhibit in the nation where you can learn all about internet safety – really important for kids!
The Heath Care exhibit will let you brainstorm new ways to filter water in developing nations, and develop pre-surgery checklists to make procedures safer – now THAT is a way for kids to realize they can change the world!
From building their own robots, to drop in activities that are free with admission, kids should certainly come away from a visit to The Tech Museum feeling creative, experimental, and excited about science and tech!
So why not grab those curious hands and minds, and spend the day learning and having fun in an amazing museum in California!
Science is waiting!
Fun place to hang out and spend a couple hours downtown. All the best exhibits are in the basement, so go there first. Head for the jetpack chair to go on a spacewalk, then over to the earthquake simulator to relive one of several different earthquakes from around the world. On the second floor, highlights include the wet lab (if it’s open) where you can grow your own bacteria, reactable, which lets you mix and match music sounds from around the world, and the roller coaster simulator. Build your own coaster and, if it’s not too deadly, hop in the simulator to experience your creation. Also, if you scan your ticket at each exhibit, you can go online to download photos and little extras from your visit!
The museum of innovation is mostly for kids. Most of it is just expensive high tech kids games. I found the exhibits to be inconsistent, lacking a clear mission, and overall not very useful. The brochure says it’s good for all ages, but this is a marketing mistake – it’s a kids museum through and through. Bring kids here, nobody else. The museum also attempts to show innovative things that people haven’t heard of that might solve human and social problems, but these things just end up being promising ideas with no results or track record to show it was useful. For that reason, it’s more a museum of promising good ideas than true innovation. I recommend the Computer History Museum for a true museum of innovation instead. This is a high tech arcade.
It is a museum of technologies that are 15 years old, so not far enough to be interesting and close enough to feel pathetic (my phone has more CPU power than most exposition). The building is grandiose and beautiful, the IMAX is good. But the tech exposition feels run down with many not working and very few engaging. I went there with my 8 yo, she had some fun pressing buttons, but I don’t think we’ll go back.
I liken the Tech Museum to the Exploratorium in San Francisco. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the hands on exhibits (the earthquake simulator was my favorite!). The palce was large enough that despite being a very busy day we didn’t have to wait very long at the popular attractions like build your own roller coaster. They offer a student discount which brings the price down to $10 -totally reasonable for the hours of fun to be had.
Quite possibly the best science museum in Northern California. Very cool hands-on presentations and display for a fun way to learn all types of current science innovations. When I was there last they featured a light saber building workshop, and the Star War’s exhibit. Highly recommended.