Editor’s Note: This is part of a monthly feature on arts and entertainment offerings in Orange County, which is rich with indoor and outdoor, often inexpensive or even free, options that you might not know about.
In a single visit to the Children’s Museum at La Habra, curious youngsters can go on an archaeological dig for dinosaur fossils, perform in costume under the lights of a stage, play in a 1920s Victorian farmhouse and get a close-up look at the gaping jaws of a rhinoceros.
And if there were one phrase that characterizes the treasure trove of learning opportunities found within the museum’s 10,000 square feet of exhibit space, it would be “hands-on.”
Because youngsters can touch and feel nearly every exhibit within the museum’s seven themed galleries.
Believed to be among the first children’s museums in the western United States when it opened in 1977 in a re-purposed 1923 Pacific Train Depot, the Children’s Museum at La Habra is geared toward toddlers up to fourth-graders.
Whether visiting with their families or as part of a tour group, more than 100 youngsters might filter through the museum on a given day.
Exhibits are designed as adjuncts to learning standards outlined by the California Department of Education, said Kristine Smith, education and outreach coordinator at the museum.
In the S.T.E.A.M. Lab, youngsters can build structures using blocks, discover properties of flight and examine the intricate details of the tiniest specimens through a microscope.
Little ones can sit in the driver’s seat or ride as a passenger on an actual OCTA bus in the Carousel Room or explore a 1942 caboose, which sits on tracks outside the museum and features a restored interior with artifacts and details on local history.
“I’ve been here over 10 years now,” Smith said. “We’re still keeping the spirit of the place, which is families spending quality time together, kids learning about everything in the world.”
Amanda Gendusa of Brea remembers having so much fun in the museum as a child; she is now a museum member and brings her 2-year-old daughter on a regular basis.
“She knows the whole place,” Gendusa said. “She comes in and she just runs through and knows how to do everything here, so it’s fun.
The Carousel Room features an antique carousel, which operates once per hour. Other highlights include water conservation displays and a nature walk with a menagerie of taxidermized wild animals.
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Through August, the changing exhibit is “Art Inspired,” introducing children to the works of Claude Monet, Leonardo DaVinci and Jackson Pollock, among others.
“They’re learning, but they’re playing at the same time,” said Priscilla Gonzalez of Chino, a museum regular who comes once a week. “I bring my son and I’m a nanny to a little girl, so I bring her as well. They love it. It keeps them busy. They’re entertained. They’re happy.”
Check it out
What: Children’s Museum at La Habra
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays; 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays; closed Mondays and major holidays
Where: 301 S. Euclid St., La Habra
Admission: $12 per person 2 years and older, there are discounts for WIC, military and older adults
Special offerings: The museum also offers Sensory-friendly Sunday on the first Sunday of the month to accommodate children with autism, sensory processing differences, and other special needs; there are daily storytimes in the Nature Walk gallery; and there are $5 play days on one Sunday each month
Information: lhcm.org
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