Lexington Children's Museum
Lexington Children's Museum
3.5
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
The Lexington Children’s Museum provides an immersive learning experience that lights a creative spark for discovery and lifelong learning.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
3.5
131 reviews
Excellent
32
Very good
35
Average
27
Poor
24
Terrible
13
Shondra M
Lexington, KY1 contribution
Jan 2013 • Family
I had been to the Explorium a number of years ago and recently visited with my grandchildren. What a sad experience. i have been to numerous excellent children's museum's in various parts of the country ---- excellent ones have unique and surprising ways of presenting ideas. It doesn't have to be a grand building and budget. This museum doesn't seem to have any imagination or inspiration. A sad, dirty environment with exhibits too worn and broken ... i believe these were the same exhibits that i saw 8 or 10 years ago. I would hope that the powers that be might visit some children's museums and see what such a place CAN be.... Even young children were bored and disappointed and there was certainly no level of engagement for older children or adults. Lexington certainly seems to have grown large enough to expect more.
Written February 1, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jane R
1 contribution
Nov 2019 • Family
It’s so tired. Exhibits are broken . It needs refreshing. Can’t believe Lex is building a movie theater/bowling alley downtown and it doesn’t support this museum. Many cities have fabulous museums for children. Lex really needs to step up its game for kids.
Written November 25, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Xmbydx
1 contribution
Dec 2014
This is the worst childrens museum I have ever been to. It is incredibly filthy as nothing is ever wiped down and actually cleaned, but instead is just sprayed with a mild disinfectant I have never seen all of the exhibits in working order. Everything is always broken. I will never take my children or anyone else's children there because of the definite possibility of them becoming ill. The staff is very unprofessional as they appear miserable that they have to be at their jobs. I will never pay for their over priced admission again.
Written January 19, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am sorry you had a bad experience at the Explorium. As far as our cleaning practices, we have a daily and weekly cleaning procedures. Each and every day the Museum is open, all exhibits are wiped down, cleaned, and then sprayed with the mild disinfectant. Cleaning is done daily after hours (using checklists to make sure that no area is missed), and of course, our staff cleans throughout the day as needed. Extra cleaning occurs on Mondays when we are closed. And we close one week a year for a deep cleaning week. As to everything being broken, I am sure you can imagine that with as many enthusiastic kids as we have at the Explorium, things break from time to time. We have staff that fix and maintain our exhibits. I assure you that cleanliness and all exhibits being operational are top priorities for the Explorium. Finally, our staff is generally happy and receive more compliments than complaints. I'm sorry you found them unprofessional. If you were here on Monday (the day you wrote this review), it was a very busy day as children are free in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. They may have been a little harried that day. Thank you for your comments.
Written January 23, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
SunshineOklahoma
Fairfax, VA9 contributions
Bottom Line Up Front: This is a museum that desperately needs some TLC. A handful of volunteers, a few hundred dollars, and an empty weekend could work wonders at the Explorium.
It looks like the economic tough times have hit everyone, and this museum is no exception. We took our two daughters (19mos and 4yrs) to the Explorium this weekend and were extremely disappointed with the experience.
We read the reviews here on Tripadvisor and planned a day trip to Lexington (2 hours by car) during the Memorial Day Holiday. Unfortunately, the best part of the day was the beautiful scenery on the Bluegrass Parkway, and NOT the museum.
According to their website, the Explorium is "one of the oldest children’s museums in the United States", and it shows. Many of the exhibits were rundown and in poor condition, and the overall feeling was one of tiredness. There is plenty of potential (or former greatness?) here, but they need to invest some money and time back into the museum to bring it up to presentable levels.
My wife talked with the staff about several of the exhibits and they told her that they were under new management and things were changing...not sure if we believe it or not. After paying $7 per person we definitely felt ripped off.
Cons:
- Most of the attractions looked like they had seen heavy use and low/no maintenance. Labels were worn off, handles were broken, and many were missing pieces. A few examples:
-- Water/river exhibit was missing water! 2 of the 3 water areas were inoperable.
-- Bubble wall was missing a pulley and rope.
-- Vegetable garden was uninteresting with worn rubber cauliflowers and unidentifiable veggies.
-- Logic puzzles were missing pieces.
-- Computer exhibits weren't functioning properly or broken.
- Overall cleanliness of the rooms/areas was unsatisfactory.
Pros:
- Art station/studio was nice with plenty of supplies and room for little kids to work.
- Daily event with staff (they built windsocks when we were there).
- Exhibit of art from child artists.
- Dinosaur fossil replicas were interesting and in good shape.
- Newly installed interactive world map was in good shape with working computer and projector.
If I had to guess, I think the real focus of this museum is on the events that they sponsor, such as art, yoga, or parenting classes, hosting birthday parties, summer camp activities, etc.
Our kids didn't learn much, if anything. They enjoyed playing with some of the exhibits, but we weren't looking for a place to park our kids for an hour, we wanted a family experience where we all could play and learn together. We could have taken our kids to an indoor playground at the mall for free, and had a better time.
It looks like the economic tough times have hit everyone, and this museum is no exception. We took our two daughters (19mos and 4yrs) to the Explorium this weekend and were extremely disappointed with the experience.
We read the reviews here on Tripadvisor and planned a day trip to Lexington (2 hours by car) during the Memorial Day Holiday. Unfortunately, the best part of the day was the beautiful scenery on the Bluegrass Parkway, and NOT the museum.
According to their website, the Explorium is "one of the oldest children’s museums in the United States", and it shows. Many of the exhibits were rundown and in poor condition, and the overall feeling was one of tiredness. There is plenty of potential (or former greatness?) here, but they need to invest some money and time back into the museum to bring it up to presentable levels.
My wife talked with the staff about several of the exhibits and they told her that they were under new management and things were changing...not sure if we believe it or not. After paying $7 per person we definitely felt ripped off.
Cons:
- Most of the attractions looked like they had seen heavy use and low/no maintenance. Labels were worn off, handles were broken, and many were missing pieces. A few examples:
-- Water/river exhibit was missing water! 2 of the 3 water areas were inoperable.
-- Bubble wall was missing a pulley and rope.
-- Vegetable garden was uninteresting with worn rubber cauliflowers and unidentifiable veggies.
-- Logic puzzles were missing pieces.
-- Computer exhibits weren't functioning properly or broken.
- Overall cleanliness of the rooms/areas was unsatisfactory.
Pros:
- Art station/studio was nice with plenty of supplies and room for little kids to work.
- Daily event with staff (they built windsocks when we were there).
- Exhibit of art from child artists.
- Dinosaur fossil replicas were interesting and in good shape.
- Newly installed interactive world map was in good shape with working computer and projector.
If I had to guess, I think the real focus of this museum is on the events that they sponsor, such as art, yoga, or parenting classes, hosting birthday parties, summer camp activities, etc.
Our kids didn't learn much, if anything. They enjoyed playing with some of the exhibits, but we weren't looking for a place to park our kids for an hour, we wanted a family experience where we all could play and learn together. We could have taken our kids to an indoor playground at the mall for free, and had a better time.
Written May 30, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AngusRodrigo
Lexington, KY231 contributions
Jun 2018 • Family
I'm a big fan of Lexington and really WANTED this to be a "great children's museum" - but come on - this place is SERIOUSLY dated and only a half way acceptable place for a rainy day. They need to have a big fund raiser to get a much needed refresh....we went with an 8 year old and a 10 year old and it barely amused them at all.....
Written September 2, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
William B
Kentucky2 contributions
Aug 2017 • Family
Visited on 8/5/17 with my wife and 2 toddlers, conditions were dirty, no soap in the mens bathroom, was told it was not the exploriums problem? So male employees who use the restroom just never wash their hands? Very disappointed, I know there funds are low but being clean cost very little money.
Written August 6, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HCMHCM
7 contributions
My sister and I took my 3 year old niece....huge mistake. $24 for 3 of us, and we were done in an hour. Poorly maintained, messy, and many broken displays. I had to add water to the bubble machines because an employee was nowhere to be found. Although our 3 year old still had a good time for the most part she even noticed how most things weren't working.
Written February 1, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emily G
Cincinnati, OH1 contribution
Apr 2014 • Family
Just returned from our first visit to the Explorium with our 3 and 5 year olds. Overall, we were not impressed. Many of the exhibits were either closed for 'maintenance', missing needed items/toys to complete the activity or had broken items. It is also very small and can be completed in an hour -- even my 5 year old mentioned how small it was and how few things there were to do. School aged children were unsupervised by school chaperones and there were no employees to monitor inappropriate behavior. Overall, everything seemed dirty and worn. We won't be returning.
Written April 18, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heathermd83
Lancaster, Kentucky, United States1 contribution
Aug 2013 • Family
A LOT of the exhibits were broken which was a huge letdown. My 23 month old son loved the water table but it reeked of chlorine and had another funky smell that I couldn't identify. He has equally as much fun playing in puddles so suggesting that he was crazy about the water table doesn't say much. My 4 year old daughter was disappointed in the art room, which was incredibly messy (this was Fayette county's first day of school so it was dead all day, I'm sure), the shadow wall was a joke, as was the flight simulator, the toddler play area (more broken stuff), and the gift shop? Don't even get me started... It was all overly expensive junk. It needed a good cleaning (dust everywhere) and the whole place just smelled. I was scared to put any of the aprons or play clothes on my children because of the uncleanliness. Most of the exhibits for young children were just a huge disappointment. For $32, we got a little exercise chasing kids... That's all. I'm extremely disappointed. We made an hour-long trip just to visit the museum and will NEVER be back. We left in under an hour.
Written August 15, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
thekentucker
Kentucky33 contributions
Dec 2012 • Family
I took my kids to the Explorium a few years ago and we decided to make a trip back. We left disappointed as we were charged full price when several of the exhibits were "out of service." When you walk in, you are charged $8 per person (no matter if adult or child). There is a small area in a corner for toddlers. There are two areas of rotating exhibits - one upstairs and one downstairs. Be sure to ask where the elevator in case you are unable to go up steps.
There are different areas of exhibits. The equine area allows you to get up on a horse, see riding gear, and various items. There is a watershed area with a water table, but it was "out of service" when we went. There is an exhibit of the brain, teeth, and various body parts and how they work. This area could use some updating. Upstairs, there is a small area on dinosaurs, houses around the world, insects, the moon, and a musical tube thing. The interactive space ship ride was out of order both times we were there. There is a bubble room where kids can stand in the middle of a hula hoop and lift it as a huge bubble surrounds them. There is also a bubble wall and some funny mirrors. Beware that this room is popular and your kid might get tired of waiting for their turn.
The rotating exhibits were boring according to my kids as it was more about reading signs than actually doing something. The last time we were there they had a huge train exhibit that was a lot of fun. This time, the treasure exhibit had videos and non working metal detectors.
We were in and out in less than 30 minutes each time. Seeing that in several years that the exhibits haven't been updated much, we won't be back.
There are different areas of exhibits. The equine area allows you to get up on a horse, see riding gear, and various items. There is a watershed area with a water table, but it was "out of service" when we went. There is an exhibit of the brain, teeth, and various body parts and how they work. This area could use some updating. Upstairs, there is a small area on dinosaurs, houses around the world, insects, the moon, and a musical tube thing. The interactive space ship ride was out of order both times we were there. There is a bubble room where kids can stand in the middle of a hula hoop and lift it as a huge bubble surrounds them. There is also a bubble wall and some funny mirrors. Beware that this room is popular and your kid might get tired of waiting for their turn.
The rotating exhibits were boring according to my kids as it was more about reading signs than actually doing something. The last time we were there they had a huge train exhibit that was a lot of fun. This time, the treasure exhibit had videos and non working metal detectors.
We were in and out in less than 30 minutes each time. Seeing that in several years that the exhibits haven't been updated much, we won't be back.
Written January 22, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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