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Museums and Educational Attractions in East Bay, CA
Explore›East Bay, CA›Museums and Educational Attractions

A day out that teaches something.

Museums and Educational Attractions in East Bay, CA

Looking for museums and educational attractions in East Bay? Here are 17 of them, with the details parents check first: price, opening hours and the right age range. Admission runs $3 to $18, based on the 7 here that publish a price.

17 museums and educational attractions in the East Bay area

Find a museum in East Bay

17 museums and educational attractions in the East Bay area.

Sorted by distance from Oakland, nearest first. Straight-line miles, so every drive is longer.

17 places

Oakland Museum of California

Oakland Museum of California

Museums · Ages 3–16
Closed today · Admission $18
Accepts NARM

Oakland Museum of California is a museum, garden, and gathering place in the heart of Oakland that explores the big ideas that shape California lives. Families can…

RestroomsFood availableOutside food allowed
0.6 mi View place
USS Potomac — FDR’s Floating White House

USS Potomac — FDR’s Floating White House

Museums · Ages 6–16
Today 9am–3pm · No price listed

USS Potomac — FDR's Floating White House is Franklin D. Roosevelt's historic presidential yacht located at Jack London Square in Oakland, California. Families and…

RestroomsFood availableParking
0.8 mi View place
Alameda Naval Air Museum

Alameda Naval Air Museum

Museums
Closed today · No price listed

This small history museum in Alameda is dedicated to the story of the former Naval Air Station Alameda, which operated from 1942 to 1996 and supported the Pacific…

2.2 mi View place
UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

Museums
Closed today · Admission $5
Accepts NARM

The UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive is the visual arts center of the University of California, Berkeley. Through art and film programs, collections…

4.6 mi View place
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

Museums
Closed today · Admission $5

Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive is an art museum, movie theater, and film archive located in downtown Berkeley, California. The venue offers gallery…

RestroomsFood availableParking
4.6 mi View place
Oakland Aviation Museum

Oakland Aviation Museum

Museums · Ages 6–16
Closed today · Admission $10

Oakland Aviation Museum is a non-profit museum in Oakland, CA dedicated to educating the public about the historic role of North Field at Oakland International…

RestroomsFood availableParking
5.9 mi View place
Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art

Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art

Museums
No hours listed · No price listed
Accepts ROAMAccepts NARM
9.2 mi View place
Golden State Model Railroad Museum

Golden State Model Railroad Museum

Museums · Ages 3–12
Closed today · Admission from $3

Golden State Model Railroad Museum in Richmond, CA displays and operates model train layouts in a 10,000 square foot building where families can watch trains…

RestroomsFood availableParking
9.8 mi View place
Richmond Art Center

Richmond Art Center

Museums
Closed today · No price listed
Accepts NARM

Free admission; community-focused contemporary art; youth art programs family workshops

Wheelchair accessible
10.1 mi View place
Bedford Gallery at Lesher Arts Center

Bedford Gallery at Lesher Arts Center

Museums
Closed today · No price listed

Bedford Gallery at Lesher Arts Center is a museum located in Walnut Creek, California that operates on a pay-what-you-can admission model, allowing visitors to…

RestroomsFood availableParking
13.2 mi View place
Dean Lesher Lesher Center for the Arts

Dean Lesher Lesher Center for the Arts

Museums
No hours listed · No price listed

Dean Lesher Lesher Center for the Arts is an arts and entertainment venue in Walnut Creek, CA that presents performances, exhibitions, and educational programming…

RestroomsFood availableParking
13.2 mi View place
Walnut Creek Model Railroad Society

Walnut Creek Model Railroad Society

Museums
No hours listed · No price listed

Walnut Creek Model Railroad Society operates the Diablo Valley Lines, one of the largest exclusively HO scale model railroads in the United States. Visitors can…

ParkingFree parkingWheelchair accessible
13.5 mi View place
Museum of the San Ramon Valley

Museum of the San Ramon Valley

Museums
Closed today · Admission from $3
Accepts NARM

The Museum of the San Ramon Valley is dedicated to preserving and celebrating our rich history and heritage. The collections and exhibits reflect our human…

14.8 mi View place
The Ruth Bancroft Garden

The Ruth Bancroft Garden

Museums · Ages 3–12
No hours listed · No price listed
Accepts AHS Garden NetworkAccepts ROAMAccepts NARM

A 3.5-acre botanical garden in Walnut Creek displaying succulents, cacti, agaves, aloes, yuccas, and drought-tolerant plants from around the world. Families can…

15.2 mi View place
Martinez Museum

Martinez Museum

Museums
Closed today · No price listed

Local county history; Victorian-era exhibits; community heritage

RestroomsFood availableWheelchair accessible
16.6 mi View place
Museum of History Benicia

Museum of History Benicia

Museums
Closed today · No price listed
Accepts NARM

The Museum of History Benicia (MoHB) is a California history museum located in Benicia California. The museum, which is located in two separate locations comprises…

18.8 mi View place
di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art

di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art

Museums
Closed today · Admission from $5
Accepts NARM

di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art is a catalyst for transformative experiences with contemporary art of Northern California. The nonprofit art center, located in…

31.7 mi View place
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5 of 17 museums and educational attractions

Where a card says no price or no hours listed, the venue does not publish it. We would rather leave the gap than fill it with a guess. Prices come from each venue's own website, and we publish one only when the figure appears on the page we took it from. Tell us if we are missing one you know.

Before you go

Quick answers for busy parents.

Look for a free day or eveningMany museums run one. It is the busiest time, but it is free.
Ask for the children’s trailMost have a backpack, a trail sheet or a hunt, and most keep them behind the desk rather than advertising them.
Check which galleries suit your childA museum can be brilliant for a nine-year-old and a long hour for a three-year-old. The website usually says which rooms are hands-on.
Bags and coatsLarger museums require a cloakroom for anything big, which is worth knowing before you carry it round.
Other things to do in East Bay
Amusement Parks Arcades Bowling Alleys Children's Museums Family Entertainment Centers Farms and Orchards Historic Sites Ice Skating Rinks Indoor Playgrounds Mini Golf Nature and Gardens Outdoor Playgrounds Outdoor Pools and Water Parks Science and Discovery Centers Splash Pads Trampoline Parks Zoos and Aquariums
Museums and Educational Attractions in nearby cities
San Francisco, CA San Jose, CA Sacramento, CA Los Angeles, CA Orange County, CA San Diego, CA Phoenix, AZ Seattle, WA

Common questions about museums and educational attractions in East Bay

How many museums and educational attractions are there in East Bay?

We list 17 museums and educational attractions within 34 miles of East Bay, CA. Every one is a published listing with an address we checked.

Which museums and educational attractions in East Bay publish their prices?

7 of the 17 here do, and each price was checked word for word against the venue's own page before we published it. The rest do not publish one, so their card says no price listed rather than carrying a guess.

How did Mini Navigators choose these museums and educational attractions?

We list every one we have within 34 miles of the center of East Bay. Each is a published place with an address we geocoded and checked, and the business can claim its listing to keep the hours and prices current.

Do adults have to pay?

It varies more than you would expect, from free to full price, and it changes the cost of a visit by a lot when there are two of you. The price on each card is what it costs to get a child in. 7 of the 17 on this page publish a price at all, so call ahead about the adult rate before you rely on it.

Do I need to book ahead?

Free museums often still ask you to reserve a slot, and special exhibitions almost always do. Where a venue publishes a booking page, the listing links straight to it.

What should I bring?

Water and a snack for outside. Many museums do not allow food in the galleries. Whatever else you need is in the notes beside the listings above.

What else is there to do with kids in East Bay?

East Bay has 18 categories of kid-friendly places on Mini Navigators, from playgrounds and museums to splash pads and zoos. The East Bay hub lists all of them.

Listings last checked October 5, 2026.

Explore related activities in East Bay

Amusement Parks 14 places Arcades 9 places Bowling Alleys 10 places

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