Reviews of Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine (Tourist Attraction)

Pete Cote

Always love it here, it's been several years, but just as fun now that we have another little one. Highly recommended!!

John Ratliff

Great place, my lil one went in grouchy and immediately changed her attitude when she saw everything inside...great place

Kween Jen

All kinds of stuff for younger kids to play with and explore. Not sure what age it's marketed for but has ball pits, things to climb on, large foam shapes, play fire truck, and a few live creatures to look at. My toddler had a blast but my 9 year old was a bit bored. She said it was a lot more fun when we went a couple years ago.

Christine Bernstein

My nieces thoroughly enjoyed all of the interactive exhibits. A bit pricey though. Only worth it if you get a pass and go often.

Katie Knapp

I have kids, ages 1-6 and they all have a great time at the museum. We gonna few times a month and they always find something fun to do.

j.b Payer

Had a birthday party there and it was great. They provided the tablecloths (which I had stressed about forgetting) and we got unlimited time playing in the museum with 2 hours in the birthday room. Yana had a great 4th birthday... a big thank you to The Children's Museum!

Bill Hinckley

Had a wonderful time with the kindergarten and first grade class of Woodstock school

Georg Syphers

Delightful. My 3 year old had 3.5 fantastic hours of fun on our first visit.

Kaylee Nickerson

Super fun! There's so much to play with. I love that there's a place to hang coats and drop strollers off.

B T

It's excellent value if you live here and buy an annual pass. My children have had many years of entertainment here! The staff are super friendly and really love their work.

Holly Quint

My 5 year old loved the activities, so many different stations : Firetruck, spaceship, farm, hospital, boat. Especially loved the face painting and the chance she got to hold the fish! Highly recommend

Amanda Whitney

Perfect place for my kids to play they love it

CWW

My family was feeling cabin fever with all the cold weather. This was a good cure for that, my son is 18 months and he had so much fun.

Katherine R. MacLauchlan

A bit expensive considering all of adults have to pay full price, but great for kids. My three year old loved it- stayed several hours.

Candace Fleury

Great place for toddlers to play indoor all year

Holly Dunn Pendleton

We all had so much fun as a family!! Couldn’t see everything in 3 hours!!

Jayson Myers

One of my favorite children’s museums of the six or so I’ve been to. Parents/caretakers seem to actually be paying attention to their children. Lovely, well-designed, locally-appropriate areas—a farmers market, a lobster boat, a forest area. Also a great exhibit on the Vietnamese new year(as of 12/17) that my 19mo loved. There is an area for small toddlers/babies but unlike a lot of other kids museums we didn’t feel like we had to stick to that area for our son to avoid getting run over/finding something interesting. Really well done.

cwr6679

Awesome place for kids

Dustin Ouellette

Very busy place, but still enough space for kids to play. Price is heavily discounted if you have an EBT card. Has some cool displays, but plan on kids getting bored after a couple hours.

Jessica Pérez

It was a fantastic

Michelle Volpe

Coming from New Jersey and New York, and have traveled to more than a dozen children’s museums and “indoor playgrounds”, I’m appalled that they force the parents to pay to supervise the children for the same fare. For us, a family of 4, this came to $50. First, the toys and equipment were badly maintained and very dirty. Second, the space and level of toys is not equal to what we are forced to pay. We pay less for children and adults at the touch museum in Philadelphia. This price is similar to the children’s discovery center in Toronto and Liberty science center, but not even comparable in reality. It’s disappointing and feel very robbed, for us and others who come to visit.

Isaac Truett

Spent a few hours here with young kids. They had a great time, and probably would have stayed all day. Lots to do in the exhibits, plus guides activities throughout the day. Would recommend, and would visit again.

Amanda Grier

My kids loved this place! It has a lot to play with. We spent most of the day there. It would be great for a cold or rainy day. The staff were very kind and interactive!

An Mag

Great for kids, educational and fun

Brad Fields

Great staff, but it could use more exhibits. Not that our 4-year old seemed to mind, still plenty to do for the under 7 set.

Tammy Waterman

So thankful for the Play Your Way sensory day

Stephanie Heinz

Highly recommend to anyone coming through town, especially since they're moving locations soon. It's a really neat space for kids of any age with a variety of activities. Few better ways to spend an afternoon with little ones during the winter when there aren't as many spaces for them to run around!

Nick Gurr

good place for easy victims

christopher lucas

Great place to visit with kids while in Portland. My daughter loved it. 2 years in a row now

Jeremiah Percival

Kids were mildly entertained and place is very run down. Most 'education stations' were broken or missing key items. Interactive displays didn't work and costumes were torn and dirty. Definitely time to take some of the admission money and fix the place up.

Jake Miers

Multiple floors with different themed areas. Including a smaller area, that is completely padded, for kids under 2. My 15 month old daughter loved it. Parking was tough.

Melanie DeWispelaere

Great place for kids...the staff could have been a little more informative at the front desk... Like stating how many floors are available to the public and what's on each floor.

Yick Lo

Lots of fun for any kids under 8.

Nate Gagne

This museum has a variety of different educational activities to simulate a growing mind. My 3yo loved the lobster boat, the aquatic animals and the light exhibit. Lots of independent activities as well as guided ones.

Matthew Bernstein

Great time especially if you get there right when it opens. Otherwise, it was a crowd fest from 11am on. The interactive play areas were great. I wish they had one more floor of interactive exhibits in addition to the two they currently have. Overall, a good time with difficult parking availability.

chris carr

This place is only good for small children. If your kids are over 5 you will be disappointed.

Luke Batt

Bring your 3+ year old child. Stopped in for a visit with our 16 month old child and had a great time. While they have an area for the very young children there was not much in it for our inquisitive daughter to do. While too young to climb on some if the "big kid" play equipment she was able to interact with many of the other educational displays. The medical area with stuffed bears, the L.L.Bean flowing stream, and the patio garden/whale pond were the highlights of the museum.

Emily Mouchon

Great time. Kids had a blast! Definitely recommend this place.

Erin Chenard

Fun exhibits for young children that allow for discovery and wonder. Small enough to visit each area in an afternoon, large enough to come back to enjoy new areas more in depth.

Derek Boonchaisri

Great place to take kids of all ages. They have several different activities and everything is well maintained.

Natalia Jouan

This place is amazing, it has three floors of tons of fun for the kids. We spent the whole day there, the kids did not want to leave. The bottom floor has a theater for pretend play, the second floor has a section for infants and toddlers. The third floor has a reading room and a tree house among other things. The price of admission is worth it.

Maria Vasile

My kids loved it!

Lisa Harmon

We always love going here. We have been going here for years... Both my kids love it (My boy's 11 and my girl's 7.) and that's rare lol. But it's beautiful. And very informative and it's above all Educational. For both kids and adults. It's not really expensive if ur a smaller family but you pay per person. It's 3 floors and a basement and an outside play area of all kinds of stuff to learn through play.

Seth Blanck

This a pretty small Children's Museum. There were activities about every half hour. Our girl's, 4&6, really enjoyed it. Finding parking was difficult.

Henry Gelzer

Lots of things for kids up to 10 years old.

michael chu

overpriced and very small. best for 2-4yo’s. the well-worn exhibit and toys are very well worn. would benefit from an upgrade and remodel.

Kelly Miclette

Great place for the little ones. Plenty of activities to keep them busy.

Jeremy Dean

Fun place when you have small kids. Sucks that it's moving to a drivers only location.

Moby Thomas

It is a good spot for locals to spend some quality time with kids. As a visitor, I dis not consider it a great must fish place. They have many activities and exhibits for kids. Kids will surely like it. We went on a rainy day and it was super crowded.

Douglas MacLeod

Great, fun place for kids - hopefully, crowding is less of an issue at their new location!

Daniel Benedict

Local kids shouldn't miss this Portland treasure!

Timothy Lewis

We come here at least twice a week. Perfect place for my 3 year old and enough play space for my 9 month old.

Rob Austin

Very impressed! My kids loved it!

Michael Spencer

Way over priced for what it is: 2 floors with some okay exhibits and some things for the kids to play with that are fairly worn out. If it's raining and you need a place to duck in to for a bit, it's fine, but I wouldn't go out of my way. It's definitely designed for younger kids so I'd definitely not recommend for families with kids over 5.

Chloe Wong

Your toddler will truly experience what it's like to be able adult. The museum is divided into sections in whicj the child had an opportunity to learn and experience on different occupation ranging from doctor, farmer, shop keeper, mechainc and so on. Recommended to bring your kid there it was fun for both kids and the parents.

rachael marie demeo

Such a great place for toddlers!! Very unique

ethan bixler

Great staff and a good place to spend a couple of hours with kids. I went with my 10 year old and 3 year old. $100 for a year family membership is a good deal. You can bring food and eat downstairs, parking can be tough but nothing a little patience or walk doesn't solve.

G L

Lots of entertainment for kids. Educational and fun. Wish it was bigger. Hard to get around when crowded. Don't miss it though - Kids loved it!

Candice Dyer

So cute! Wish we lived closer !

Jesse White

What a blast! Great day for my 5 year old!

Roe Adams

Our Two-year old loves this place. Seems pricy, which means it's a very rare treat. First Fridays are always deeply discounted tickets, and I'd recommend waiting for that. Another great tip, take the elevator to the top, and work your way down. The ground level is always packed! Don't forget to visit the outdoor area too, my kiddo loved the water feature and just wouldn't leave. Older kids (6+) seemed kinda bored, FYI.

Vicki Medlar

Amazing place to come with the kids. Very hands on.

Kara Metz

Always an adventure! Never a disappointment!

Bianca Oliva

Great place for kids between 3 and 10. May also be good for younger age groups, although there are less activities geared towards younger children. Very STEM based, informative, fun, clean and well run with friendly and helpful staff, and lots for the kiddies to do!

Elisabeth Harris

So fun! So many interesting exhibits and interactive spaces for various ages.

Peter Kurek

Great fun for the family

Giovanna Lantz

Great place!

Kate Janszen

We had such a great time here! My 2.5 yo was elated with all of the hands on activities and the outside area with the water table and sand pit. The ball room was another hit. We could spend all day playing here. I wish we lived closer, but we were only visiting for vacation!

Mandy Beausoleil

I wasn't impressed. We've been to the Children's Museums in Boston, Dover, NH, and this one in Portland. This one is our least favorite. Our kids are 6, 4, and 3. The ball room was a hit, and the pretend fishing, but that was pretty much it. They spent a few seconds at everything else before quickly moving on. It also seemed like there were no exhibits that worked properly or had all the pieces. The place was a mess, with no employees tidying up at all. We drove over an hour to get there and were pretty disappointed.

Stephen Priest

My kids have visited in different years and both my kids have had a good time. My son liked the first climbing exhibit where you can look out the window. My daughter liked the slide on the same exhibit. The spinning globe my kids liked. The fire truck and shuttle exhibits were popular. I actually liked sharing the aquatic touch tank with my kids. The camera room was ok. We didn't go to the theater. Very friendly staff. AAA discount available. Parking garage nearby. Reasonable priced.

Shawn Cross

The kids had a good time, but for me it was a little overpriced and didn't have as much to offer as I would expect.

Dana Little

I brought my 3 year old granddaughter here and she had a great time for 1.5 hours after which she was exhausted and fell asleep on the ride home. The place is small but was not crowded on a Friday afternoon during school vacation week. Lots of creative hands-on activities for young ones. Adults mostly sat around looking at their cell phones while the kids entertained themselves. I had a great time little-people watching.

Sean Hackbarth

Plenty of things to do for little ones! If your kid is into dress-up, this place is top notch! The staff is very friendly and accommodating to the needs of patrons. Kids are entertained and there are educational opportunities throughout the day (staff posts a time schedule and encourages patrons to snap a photo on their phones for reference); announcements keep you aware of what is up and coming.

Sterling Eide

Great place for a toddler on a cold or wet day. Not too sure about older children. Felt it was more of a toddler playground. Exhibits didn't seem too engaging.

Giuliana Motyczka

I'm a nanny and I absolutely love this place. The infant area is safe and clean, filled with lots of different things for your little one to engage with. Staff is helpful and really nice.

H Zahra Caldwell

Great for the kids. My son always enjoys himself. It could have more to do but still worth the trip.

Jim Noneman

Amazing space for toddlers and kids. My son absolutely loved the ball room with the vacuum tubes and air blowers.

K Christine

We brought our 4 year old daughter here Saturday only to continuously get bit by fleas! We do not have pets! A few minutes after entering it started. We paid $35 to get flea bites. I think way over priced and is better suited for children 3 and under. I also understand the fleas could have come from a customer or employee but to get as many bites as we did i think its been going on for longer than the day we went. Wont be back.

Renato Orsi

Small butentertaining. A bit too expensive for accompanying adults

Stephen Gowen

We brought our 6 month here and he had an absolute blast playing in the toddler area!

Joel Guilbert

This was a fun and educational children's museum. The theatre downstairs ended up being the highlight; even after hours of spinning the wheel in the lobby and running off to the area pointed at(the wheel pointer)

Ben Wessel

Always a pleasure, the Children's Museum has exhibits and activities for all ages to enjoy. My oldest can ramble and climb, pretend to drive a fire truck, race car, even a space shuttle, while my baby has a safe toddler area to explore and play with toys and scarves that float through the air. The touch tank and mountain stream are always a hit, and they both marvel at the camera obscura projecting images of Free Street in a darkened room. Purchase a family pass and enjoy all year round for a very reasonable price!

Seamus McGrath

Wonderful place for the kids of all ages. Pretend play in the fire truck, fishing boat, grocery or farm, or tactile play in the outdoor area, stream, logging site, or touch tank. The only problem is getting kids to move on from the ball room next to the entrance!

Christoph Griesshammer

Great place, don't go for opening though! We went up from MA for our first time and got there for opening. All the other parents had the same idea. If you go later, it won't be nearly as busy. Our 10 year old enjoyed it, even though she wouldn't last there as long as the others. Our 7 year old had so much fun. Our 6 month old loved all the children, loved watching everything going on, and loved watching balls seemingly float in there air as a jet of air held them suspended (cool toddler area!) Well definitely be going back, at least with the 6 month old when shes a little older.

Andrea Aversa

Awesome place! The live play was really great too.

Amie A

One of the best children’s museums we’ve been too. Our 3 year old loved it. They have a ton for them to do and it wasn’t horribly crowded on a Monday.

Kyle Coolidge

Lots of fun for my 2, 4, and 6 year old kids! We have an annual pass.

Maurice Bragdon

Fun place to bring kids and grandchildren

Chris Graham

Parking near the musem can be a bit of a challenge but it is well worth the walk from a parking garage to enjoy everything they have to offer.

Jessica Randall

We are tourist and needed to find something to do with the kid on a rainy day. Found this gem and had a blast. The price is no bad either for 3 floors of fun for kids of all ages. The husband and I enjoyed it also. Great place to go.

Conor Mack

It was small, but really fun for the kids and had a ton of activities for them.

miriam handler

Great place to let children run around and definitely Hands-On

Abby D'Ambruoso

Highly recommend the Children's Museum. Fun for kids of many ages. Even my 6 year old begs to go, especially for the star shows. The We Are Maine exhibit is a big hit, and any visit must include a visit to the fire truck for my 3 year old. Participatory children's theatre is a must for all ages. We go at least once a week, spending anywhere from 1 hour to 6 hours (bring lunch to eat downstairs). The kids play hard and sleep well that night. The only downside is the street parking.

Sabrina Butler

This place is surprisingly nice! A lot of fun things for kids to do

Leonard Adams

This is always a fun visit with the kids. It is not the largest museum, but they manage to pack a large amount of exhibits, events, and fun things to do within. It spans 4 floors with varying age groups throughout, including highlights for my kids that include regular theatre shows (that are interactive/allow participation), crafting activities, and a small stream with flowing water and toys to play in. My daughter especially likes the room with balls that can be placed in blowers with tubing that takes them to several different areas. Recommended for a half or full day adventure with the kids when its cold/wet outside. Bonus points for several bars and casual places to eat within a few blocks.

A Hattaway

Fun and educational for all ages. The Children's Museum of Portland is well-designed and engaging. The exhibits span the familiar ("Our town") to the more unique, like the camera obscura. It's a great place to spend a few hours playing indoors with pre-middle school kids.

Mark Hwang

What a gem in the city. We were looking for a place to entertain our 3-yr-old and this was a perfect place to get him through a hot day outside. First Friday of each month has a $2 deal for anyone. 4-yrs-old and higher pays $16.25; not a bad deal at all.

Cecily Merrill

Great interactive play stations for children of all ages to explore.They even have a closed infant center. I would, however, like to see them do an update with fresh paint, new stations, etc.

DB Alward Gaming

The kids loved it!! Great learning experience for the whole family

c t

Great for kids 1 to 7 yrs

Tim W

Great place for younger kids to burn energy. But 7 or 8 years old is starting to push it.

Pepe La pew pew

It's a fun little place in Portland. When I went, there were tons of kids. It was as if everyone was bumping into each other to get around but, the kids loved it. During the week we could only find on street parking. The garage the museum recommends was full by 930am, must have been the working crowd. Check this place out

Lynn Robinson

Great displays for kids.

Sergei Overko

Not so much a museum. More of a very advanced playground. Our little kids lived it. But our 11-year old felt she is a little too old for it now. I think she had a good time. She just expected a museum. Still a very good place to visit on a rainy day.

RenaeIsa Toadkisser

Brought my son here for his 3rd birthday. Needless to say... I will DEFINITELY be bringing him back. It's amazing and has so many fun themed rooms and play activities :)

Jenny Lunt

Great place for a birthday party!

Geoffrey Adams

Great day trip. 4 floors of fun including the diner and theater stage in the basement. Go outside to interact with a local author's story. Great kid science teaching for kids: live animals, space shuttle cockpit, world cultures with giant globe. This one should keep the older kids entertained almost as long as the little ones.

John Hillard

Had a great time with my wife and kids. Plenty for the kids to do and they don't frown upon adults joining in a bit! Make sure to check out the working beehive! It was so cool to see them in action.

Mindy Bolam

Awesome place! Our 14 month old had so much playing with other kids. There are so many little activities for them! A must visit!

Keith Kraft

Great place for kids to play/learn and adults to enjoy being parents. Plan to spend several hours here. There is enough to occupy your child all day. Parking is insane. But you get 50 percent off at the deck near by if you validate. Such fun!

Matt Faris

It was the best thing for the kids.

Anna Noel

We love this place! The Children's Museum is a great place too play and learn with your little ones that are 10 and under. The museum is full of hands on play and lots of useful little bits of information in each exhibit.

Sherry Ferreira

Great place for the littles. Could easily spend half the day!

Alisha Bhattacharjee

Good place for kids

Katie S

Generations of family fun always a special thing to bring someone here for the first time. Big part of my childhood that I really enjoyed. Glad I could show it to the Next batch of little faces.

Sarah M

Friendly staff, but really stick it to you price wise.

Noel Eaton

Great place for children to explore and play. My kids are 2, 4, and almost 7 and all three were engaged for hours. The littlest loved the climbing structures and ball pit, while her older brothers were fascinated with the pneumatic tubes and the cones demonstrating the Bernoulli effect.

Krista Peterson

I used to go to the Children's Museum when I was younger and I love it! Now I get to bring my kids and meet up for playdates here. Over the years they've improved the themed play stations and even added more. I'm super impressed by everything they have. Family friendly and lots of fun, tons to do!

Brian Vachon

Great place to take the kids. So many activities and themes. Kids loved it there!

John Beyer

No reciprocity w our home museum - not worth the money.

Christopher Clayton

This is a great children's museum. A good amount of information and learning in a playful way.

konokchowdhury

Doesn't make sense when they charge parents for entry fee and also there is no special activity for kids.

Erin Dixon

So much fun! We attended First Friday with our 3 year old and 11 month old and were blown away with all there was to see, explore and participate in! We can't wait to go back!

A Layton

Great museum! My 6 year old loved our visit! Everything is interactive, the staff was so nice, and they are a part of Museums for All, which allows low income patrons a discounted entrance fee. Thanks for a great time!

Jared Hall

Good for a rainy day. Creative exhibits for a range of ages. Our two year old had fun in the ball/vacuum tube room and in a few other exhibits.

Timbo 11.11

Great place, all around. Great content, great staff, great vibe. Parking situation could be better but its not that bad at all finding a spot.

Bradford Y

Super place to bring toddlers! So fun.

sara lee

Cute childrens museum. Had lots of hands on things for my kids. My 8, 6 year olds really enjoyed it

Kevin McNeil

Good way to entertain your children while in Portland. Four floors of hands on exhibits. There is a two and under section. Everything was generally clean and in good working order. Street parking and a lot next door make very accessible although Portland is an eminently walkable city. Recommended.

Rory Benjamin

Our toddler absolutely loves it here! Friendly staff and plenty of things for the little one to engage himself with. Well worth getting a membership here for repeated visits.

Samuel Lee

It's a smallish children's museum that spans four floors. It gave the kids something to do for the three or so hours we were there. One hour was spent just waiting out the torrential downpour. If you're traveling with kids in the area, go ahead and plan on a trip here if bad weather is expected. The kids loved it, and the price is lower than what we would for a similar, albeit larger, museum in the area where we live. If you're from a larger metropolitan area, this will seem small and a bit cramped. But take into consideration, that this is one of the few seemingly kid friendly activities to do when you're visiting here from out of town.

Nithya Michael Arockiasamy

We went during the first Friday of the month after 5 pm and hence the fee was very low, just $2 for each. My kids enjoyed here. They nearly spent more than 2 hours here.

Fandom Trash

I went with my 2 year old daughter today. First of all we are from CT and have 5 different children’s museums within 20-40 minutes of us so we have a lot to compare it to. First problem is parking. There is no actual parking at the museum so we wound up down the road in a parking garage since the garage closest was full. The place is very small and crowded when there are a lot of people there it is hard to move around. The air quality was horrible. The ac either doesn’t work or they don’t know how to use it. Everyone was sweating and complaining about how hot and uncomfortable it was. There is no food or water available unless you bring you own. Even our smallest museum at home sells applesauce, juice, water, coffee. The exhibits were comparable to some places we have been. She did have a good time which is what I wanted but we would have stayed longer had it not been unbearably hot there.

Megan Donoghue

Whenever we come to Portland we visit the children's museum. They package huge amount of exhibits in and rotate so many of them to keep it fresh. It's hard to just spend a couple of hours in here!

Kaitlyn Micks

Not so fun anymore. Used to be 9$ and had a ton of super cool exibits (like the whale room) and the way the grocery store was set up. Now it's 12.50$ and has half the cool stuff. Super boring for a 7 year old.. but you think it would be fun for all ages of kids..Super ripoff. Hope the new one is more up to date. And staff friendlyness was poor.

Dylan Spence

Would leave a better review if you actually updated your website for Monday's. It's says you are open until 5pm but really you close at 11am.

David Friedlander

Nice museum for children up to age 10, I'd say. A bit on the expensive side, in my opinion. Our 7 snd 9 year old had a good time, the 12 year old, not so much...

Kendra Hafford

Love this children's museum, reasonable prices and great for the family. We've enjoyed on rainy days and birthday parties.