395 Santa Monica Pl Suite 374 Level 3, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Hours:
- Monday-Tuesday (Closed) Wednesday-Sunday (10 AM-5 PM)
Overview
Parents and caregivers who are looking for a great interactive museum for their children should look now further than the Cayton Children’s Museum in downtown Santa Monica. This children’s Museum is one of the better ones in all of Southern California. Located on the 3rd floor of the Santa Monica Place Mall, this Children’s Museum offers exceptional interactive exhibits for children to play and explore their imaginations. The space may not be as large as the biggest Children’s Museums in Southern California, however the museum makes the most of its 21,000 square feet of exhibits and play and discovery areas. Some of the best exhibits range from a phenomenal, colorful and expansive net climber and a spectacular ocean themed ball play area. There are so many exhibits for kids to discover here and there imaginations are sure to run wild as they indulge in the many spectacular play options.
Features
Although most exhibits at the Cayton Children’s Museum appear to be permanent, it is possible that some may be temporary or rotating as this is the case without a lot of Children’s Museums in order to bring new stimulation to kids as they continue to visit. It is possible that some exhibits may be different from my visit or may no longer be at the museum in the future when others visit. Below I will describe the exhibits that were present amidst our visit in order to give others a good idea of what the museum offers and what they can expect to explore while at the Cayton Children’s Museum.
Real Helicopter and Mini Market Place
- A helicopter which kids can climb in and act as though they are flying. A neat market place will capture kids attention as well.
Vet Office (Grooming Area)
- Fun vet office with stuffed animals for kids to groom and treat
Reactive Virtual Reality Room
- One of my favorite areas of the museum. The room is small but has little mats to lay on as walls surround you with butterflies flying through and idyllic nature setting as day turns to night.
Huge Climbing Net that Winds Above the Rafters
- This massive, colorful climbing net serves as one of the focal points for the entire museum.
Small Mirror Maze
- Cool mirror maze takes visitors from one area to the next
Firefighter Truck
- Kids can climb inside this fire truck and pretend play as they dress up as firefighters
Ball Pit Play Exhibit
- Another main focal point of the museum. A ball pit made to look like water will attract kids to jump in, with a zodiak raft making a good prop in the middle of the ball pit. Kids will play here for countless amounts of time.
Toddler Tumbling Area and Magnetic Tile and Building Block Area
- Small enclosed area for kids to tumble around along with a magnetic tile and building block area
Art Studios and State of the Art Theater
- Rooms and large areas for kids to create crafts and put their artistic minds to work
Scout’s Story and Visit to Cayton Children’s Museum
Our two year old daughter, Scout, is now currently in her second month of remission after battling stage 4 cancer (germ cell neoplasm) since she was 15 months old. We are so excited to be able to pick up the pieces from this tough journey and move forward. Just a few months ago, visiting places like the Cayton Children’s Museum were mostly out of the question. Due to Scout’s weakened immune system, we often found ourselves relegating Scout to activities that didn’t consist of being around others. We are incredibly grateful that Scout has reached remission and were insanely excited on this day to visit Malibu and the fabulous Cayton Children’s Museum.
We had such a great time watching Scout run around the museum on this day. Finding where to park in the parking structure and then finding the actual museum on the 3rd floor of the mall was a bit of a challenge, but once we entered it was all smiles from there. Scout enjoyed almost every section of the museum but the ball pit seemed to be her favorite.
The insanely awesome net climber was just a little bit out of her age range, so maybe she’ll be able to enjoy that on her next visit. Overall, the Cayton Children’s Museum is a phenomenal place to bring kids, where they will enjoy letting their imaginations run wild. Scout’s face lit up with a smile at every corner, as her mom and I exuberantly watched her play. We had a fantastic day, making great memories and can’t wait to visit again.
July 27, 2023
Getting to Cayton Children’s Museum
The Cayton Children’s Museum is located on the 3rd level of the Santa Monica Place Mall, almost immediately at the top of the escalators. The mall is located in downtown Santa Monica, off of 4th Street and Broadway
395 Santa Monica Pl Suite 374 Level 3, Santa Monica, CA 90401 (Physical Address)
Parking is available in parking structures 7 and 8.
1571 2nd St, Santa Monica, CA 90401 (Parking Address)
Notes, Questions and Thoughts
Reservations are highly recommended but walk-ins are accepted. However, those without reservations may experience long waits during high visitation.
Admission Prices:
- Children and Adults ($15 from 10-4)
- Twilight hours, after 4 PM ($10)
- Annual Membership for Child and Adult ($240)
- Museums for All – WIC/TANF/Calfresh card holder with valid ID (Free/up to 4 members of household per card holder)
