Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose Winter Wonder Exhibits

About this adventure

Housed inside an unmistakable 52,000-square-foot bright purple building designed by renowned architect Ricardo Legorreta, the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose (CDM) on Woz Way is a nationally recognized paradise of playful early childhood learning. Designed specifically for infants, toddlers, and children up to age 10, the museum features over 150 hands-on exhibits spanning science, culture, arts, and environmental awareness. Kids can board a full-sized real San Jose fire engine, climb inside an actual street sweeper, explore a replica paleontology dig site to uncover a cast skeleton of Lupe the mammoth, and send floating boats down water vortexes in the Waterworks gallery. For the littlest explorers under age 4, the dedicated Wonder Cabinet provides an enclosed, shoe-free sensory sanctuary with crawling ramps, soft textured toys, light tables, and infant mirrors. Outside, Bill's Backyard offers a half-acre nature exploration space with mud kitchens, tree forts, and native winter gardens. Family Experience & Accessibility: • Stroller Accessibility: Entirely ADA compliant with elevator access between floors, wide carpeted aisles, outdoor paved garden trails, and abundant stroller parking bays near every major gallery. • Nursing & Rest Spots: Dedicated private nursing lounge with glider rockers and changing stations; all public restrooms feature toddler-sized low sinks, stepstools, and baby changing tables. • Age Suitability: Specifically engineered for children from birth to age 10, with self-contained developmental zones for crawling babies and active preschoolers. • Sensory Tips: Waterworks and physical vehicle exhibits can get bustling and lively; low-sensory quiet break areas and sensory toolkits are available upon request at the front admissions desk.