Find Out Whats Happening In Santa Monicawith Free Real
This decision comes as a result of declining omicron cases in the county and a sign that the surge is now waning, Drati said.
Given that the majority of students and staff in our district are now vaccinated and that our 5 to 12-year-olds are authorized to be vaccinated, we feel confident that this alignment continues to be in the best interests of students and staff, Drati said.
The Cayton Childrens Museum Uses Experimental Adaptive Reuse
From food hall to childrens playground, the Cayton Childrens Museum in Santa Monica takes adaptive reuse to a fun level.
The museum opened in 2019 but was shuttered temporarily due to the pandemic. It reopened in late August with a new pay-as-you-wish admission system that makes playtime affordable to all.
The museum takes over the upper floor of the Frank Gehry-designed retail plaza, Santa Monica Place. Operating within the existing framework, Culvert City firm OFFICEUNTITLED has installed a series of tactile, freestanding play structures that allow kids to choose their own adventure, feeling and playing their way through 30 exhibitions.
Different zones or neighbourhoods cater to different age groups: 0-2-year-olds can build coordination and confidence in the topographical space, while other exhibitions such as Lets Help spotlight the roles of first responders and the food supply chain from farm to table. Cloud Climber encourages children to reflect and connect with nature.
Ticketed time slots are available, and enhanced safety measures are in place .
Membership At The Cayton
Members may visit the Cayton Childrens Museum anytime, without making a reservation, and they will receive priority entry, as well as exclusive access for the first hour of the day. There are several membership levels to choose from.
There are 3 levels of membership that go beyond personal use. Known as the Super Dupers, these membership levels also underwrite admission for members of the public, so that the Pay As You Wish policy may remain.
| The Launchers |
Also Check: How Long To Visit Vatican Museum And Sistine Chapel
How Is The Cayton Organized
The space is designed as five exhibit wings that are meant to inspire visitors to explore core universal values, such as kindness, compassion, respect and hospitality.
Each space has something fun for kids, like the soft play area for toddlers, or the retired Fire Engine and Helicopter, both made to be climbed in.
Theres a giant ball pit with an inflatable raft, a Veterinarians office , a ropes course type climbing gym, a water table, a large area for playing with foam blocks, a tiny grocery store to pretend in, and so much more.
On top of everything to play with and experience, the Cayton Museum is beautifully decorated with original artwork on all the walls. Its a colorful space, inviting and fun for all.
What To Do At Cayton Childrens Museum In Santa Monica
The first thing youll notice, as you enter, is the large Courage Climber, a web of ropes suspended on the ceiling that kids and grown-ups who accompany their children under 5 can climb to. This is most probably be the first thing your children, like mine, will want to try. Part of the Reach For Wing, this colorful spider-web gives a different vantage point to the young visitors and help them reflect on the world around them.
In the Lets Help Wing, right under the web, you will find the ball pit, which is always a favorite of my daughters. This is no ordinary ball pit. A real-size lifeboat sits in the middle of the lake made out of blue and white balls and there are life jackets, so children can rescue the poor souls in the water.
The most impressive part, for me, were the realistic helicopter and firefighter truck. Uniforms, helmets and boots are available for children to wear to immerse themselves in that universe and play the part. My daughter became an instant NASA technician and my son turned into a pilot. They had fun touching all the buttons inside the helicopter that would respond with flashing lights.
Do you have a budding vet and pet lover at home? Then, the animal hospital is for them. Grab a scrub and a stethoscope and tend to the ailing animals. This wing is all about helping, as youve already guessed.
Read Also: Phoenix Art Museum Virtual Tour
The Cayton Childrens Museum
Posted on Last updated:
Categories Museum Guide, Things To Do in Los Angeles with Kids
The Cayton Childrens Museum, formerly the Zimmer Childrens Museum, opened in 2019 in its new home in Santa Monica. Dedicated to activating the Power of Play to enrich the lives of children and their families, The Cayton Childrens Museum is a delightful place.
Their location in Santa Monica Place Mall has convenient parking, and is 21,000 square feet of fun and discovery for children, with many hands-on exhibits.
The Cayton builds on over 30 years of experience from its predecessor, the Zimmer Childrens Museum, and is a nonprofit organization.
An Armadillo Porcupine And Onion Walk Into A Museum
Bringing play indoors, the Cayton Childrens Museum was designed as a series of unexpected spaces that inspire kids to learn about and engage in their community. Located steps from Santa Monica Pier, the museum will adaptively reuse part of the upper floor of Santa Monica Place, a retail center originally designed by Frank Gehry, by transforming a former artisanal food hall into the home of the Cayton Childrens Museum.
Imagined as an inclusive space for free and safe discovery, the museums non-linear design relies on a network of freestanding, tactile objects purposefully sited to frame portions of the five exhibit neighborhoods while not revealing the entirety of the museums total offerings all at once. The free plan approach affords each visitor the opportunity to chart his or her own Path of Awesome through the more than 30 exhibits focused on helping kids play their way to a better world.
Acting as waypoints along their path are architecturally scaled objects affectionately referred to as the Armadillo, Porcupine, Onion, Egg, Houses and Drum. These objects shape the exhibit neighborhoods and address the requirements for non-exhibit program such as: entry/ticketing, security, classrooms, flex theater and MUSE the Museums retail frontage in a fun and irreverent way. Nicknamed for their external appearance, these objects solve non-exhibit program requirements while remembering that everything is a teachable moment in a childrens museum.
Also Check: Martin Luther King Jr Museum Memphis Tn
New Childrens Museum At Santa Monica Place
A new Childrens Museum at Santa Monica Place opens to the public on Saturday.
The Cayton Childrens Museum is a 21,000 square-foot facility featuring 35 exhibits, a multipurpose room, state of the art theater, art studios, gift shop, and more. The museum is located on the third floor of Santa Monica Place.
Childrens museums are powerful spaces for gathering, for being in community, for celebrating, for playing and for learning, said Esther Netter, founder and CEO of the Cayton Childrens Museum, in a statement. We are so excited to unveil the Cayton in Santa Monica for all the families, children and youth of our great city.
You May Like: Hall Of Fame Museum Atlanta
Check Out Cayton Childrens Museum In Santa Monica
Theres kiddie cultureand more.
The Cayton Childrens Museum is the exact opposite of any museum experience you ever had as a child. Instead of Dont touch anything! kids are encouraged to touch everythingand we mean everything!
The 21,000-square-foot space is the new version of the Zimmer Childrens Museum, which for the last 20 years was located on Wilshire Boulevard.
We knew we wanted to find a site that had greater accessibility and visibility, so we started looking for a new home, says Esther Netter, founder and CEO of the Cayton.
Located just two blocks from the beach, and on the top floor of the open-air mall Santa Monica Place, the Cayton houses five thoughtfully curated colorful exhibits that are experiential. Kids are able to touch and feel and climb aboardoffering undeniable appeal for the 0- to 10-year-old crowd.
Spaces like the Cayton allow people and families of different backgrounds to gather as a community. This is a place where children can play and practice life skills, shares Esther.
In the exhibit Lets Help, kids can climb onto a full-size helicopter, a Coast Guard Zodiac rescue boat and a vintage fire truckall of which at one time were used by first responders to save lives.
In our fire station, kids put on costumes and create a theater of play by working with and helping others. Thats how children learn skills like empathy, says Esther.
Read Also: Miami Childrens Museum Volunteer
Read Also: National Museum Of Natural History Dc
History Of The Cayton Museum
The Cayton Museum opened its doors in the Santa Monica Place shopping center in June of 2019, but the organization already had a long history and an excellent reputation.
For 20 years, the venue was located in the Jewish Federation Goldsmith Center, where it was known as the Zimmer Childrens Museum. The new name recognizes Andrea and Barry Cayton, whose support enabled the Museum to move to its sunny new beachfront home. The new location is ideal for families since Santa Monica Place is a close neighbor to dynamic family attractions like the Santa Monica Pier and Pacific Park. The move increased the Museums space from 14,000 to 21,000 square feet, and the number of annual visitors is expected to triple.
The Zimmer stretched beyond its Jewish focus during the transition, leaving behind some synagogue play scenes and converting its model Wailing Wall into a more generic Wishing Wall. The new space has been designed to deepen the Museums mission to create a future where young people are nurtured at every age to become compassionate, confident human beings with the power to shape their lives and a desire to make the world a better place.
Into The Magic Of The Cayton Childrens Museum
Picture a place that invokes the wholesome art of imaginative play so effectively, it has the power to flip some of your most fixed perceptions on their head. Santa Monicas new Cayton Childrens Museum is proof that such a place exists and from the young to the young-at-heart, those who step into this portal of learning may step out seeing things a little differently.
Started as the Zimmer Childrens Museum on Wilshire Boulevard and grown through philanthropy, the vibrant learning lab has now bloomed into its permanent perch on the southeast corner of the citys iconic Third Street Promenade. Just blocks from the Fairmont Miramar, the Cayton Childrens Museum offers 20,000 square feet of immersive experiences both whimsical and wise.
This isnt one of those seen-one, seen-them-all childrens museums with a magnetized wall and infinity mirror tunnel. Sure, the Cayton has these things too, but like all of the museums attractions, theyre thoughtfully imbued with a deeper purpose. Deviating from the STEM-based structures of classic childrens museums, this institution is a horse of its own color, brimming with opportunities for self-discovery while focusing on core values like teamwork, community, and empathy.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Cayton Childrens Museum on Oct 28, 2019 at 4:22pm PDT
Also Check: World War 2 Museum New Orleans Hotel
S Mark Taper Foundation Brilliant Blue Room
The S. Mark Taper Brilliant Blue Room & Celebration Sphere seamlessly blend into the Cayton play space, combining creative aesthetic and functionality. These spaces can accommodate a wide range of one-of-a-kind events for you and your guests. These rooms can hold groups of up to 40 on their own, and can be rented together for larger parties.
Santa Monicas All New Cayton Childrens Museum Is A Game Changer
The long-awaited Cayton Childrens Museum opened its doors at Santa Monica Place Mall, moving from its former incarnation as the much loved Zimmer Childrens Museum in the middle of the city. While we looked forward to this new museum with great anticipation, we had to wonder: could anything warm our hearts the way the Zimmer did? Spoiler! The Cayton is up to the job!
Keep reading to find out what you can expect on a visit to the Cayton
How high can you jump? Photo by Matthew Tucciarone
Recommended Reading: National Mississippi River Museum And Aquarium
Children Learn Play And Explore At New Santa Monica Museum
SANTA MONICA, Calif. â Grocery shopping is something a kid may not always want to do, but 9-year-old Stella seems to be having a blast. However, this isnât any old grocery store, it is a mini one at the new Cayton Childrens Museum.
Tiny kids can learn how to be grown up and actually use all of this stuff, says Stella.
Stella is at the new Santa Monica childrenâs museum with her sister Phoebe. They love playing together, but they are also able to make friends. The museum has many interactive exhibits that allow children to touch and play.
Stella wants to start her own company when she grows up to help people and says the museum is teaching her how to do that.
I feel like Iâm learning here, says Stella.
Founder Esther Netter says the Cayton Childrens Museum is where children lead the play. They have free range to explore and learn, with adult supervision.
Play is important. It is how children learn and we invite adults to show up with their inner child and play and learn, says Netter.
Netter hopes the museum will create opportunities to teach kids how to be kind, patient, and learn to share. She also says they will be able to see the world from a new perspective.
It makes it unique in a world where kids are often limited in what they can touch and gauge and play with, said Netter.
Children can touch the real life fire trucks and helicopters. Stella feels her possibilities are endless.
For ticket information click here.
Need To Know Before You Go
Parking at Santa Monica Place is free for the first 90 minutes. Posted rates apply after that the Cayton does not validate parking. Santa Monica Place is inches from the Expo Line .There is a small, designated snack area with vending machines, in view of a number of the installations.
The Cayton Childrens Museum is ideal for children up to 10 years old, with the sweet spot probably in the 3 -7 range. That said, my 10-year-old enjoyed every last inch of the museum, and will likely continue to do so for some time to come. And along those lines, most of the exhibits are equally enjoyable for adults, except for the few that we might be too big for, old lady.
Admission is $14 for adults and children infants under 12 months are free. Advance ticket purchase is advised, although walk-ups can usually be accommodated. Tickets have a designated entry time guests are allotted two hours per visit.
Recommended Reading: Boston Tea Party Museum Military Discount
Also Check: The Children’s Museum Miami
Santa Monica’s Cayton Children’s Museum Is A Game Changer
The long-awaited Cayton Children’s Museum opened its doors at Santa Monica Place Mall, moving from its former incarnation as the much loved Zimmer Children’s Museum in the middle of the city. While we looked forward to this new museum with great anticipation, we had to wonder: could anything warm our hearts the way the Zimmer did? Spoiler! The Cayton is up to the job!
Keep reading to find out what you can expect on a visit to the Cayton…
How high can you jump? Photo by Matthew Tucciarone
Private Events At The Cayton Museum
The Cayton Museum is available for rentals, for private gatherings as well as kids birthday parties. There are multiple spaces within the galleries, and they can work with you to create a one-of-a-kind event.
The Cayton has hosted many fabulous events, and has been featured on TV shows as well.
Related: Los Angeles Birthday Party Guide
Read Also: Manhattan Children’s Art Museum
Cayton Childrens Museum Reopens In August Here Are The Details On Pay
SANTA MONICA, CA Cayton Childrens Museum is reopening its doors with waived admission fees to help promote its PLAY FOR ALL initiative in the pandemic.
The museum opens on August 4 and will add time entry slots for visitors. Museum-goers will also have the museums new pay-as-you-wish admission model for Los Angeles County residents, museum officials said.
The new admission model supports the museums goal of making play accessible for all kids. The museum will reopen with its popular exhibits designed to inspire young visitors to explore creativity, imagination, community, and self-discovery.
Read Also: Natural History Museum Dc Hours
Museums In Santa Monica Ca
Santa Monica is an incredible place to visit for kids! A short distance from the bustle of Los Angeles, this sunny city is amazing perfect weather, pristine beaches, very walkable and it is incredibly family-friendly!
Of course, you cant visit this iconic city in Los Angeles without visiting the infamous Santa Monica Pier. Its an amazing place for kids, with yummy treats, an aquariums even a trapeze school!
Did we mention the pier has an amusement park!? Pacific Pier is THE family place to play with lots of fun rides perfect for the whole family!
Santa Monica is also known for its beach with over 340 days of sunshine every year, you have plenty of days to get down with the family and enjoy the 3.5 miles of incredible coastline! Get those buckets and spades out!
However, Santa Monica isnt all beach. They also have great attractions and museums, like the Museum of Flying, where kids can even enjoy a fun flight simulator! Amazing!
Get those swimmers and sunglasses ready, because Santa Monica will bring a ton of summer to your family day out!
You May Like: Paris Hotels Close To Louvre Museum
