Austin Children's Museum551

The winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the best museum in Austin, the Austin Children's Museum is an ideal place to spend the morning or afternoon with little ones.

Permanent exhibits include Global City, made up of eight mini-environments where kids hang out at the Bat Bridge, become doctors at the Health Clinic, order lunch at the Global Diner, shop at the Global Grocery, visit Global Train Depot, and do some construction work under the city.

The Museum offers a wide variety of workshops, camps, performances, sleepovers, and other opportunities for community and family involvement.

Birthday parties should be scheduled a minimum of eight weeks in advance if you'd like to hold one here. Members receive a discount on the price.

Memberships start at $75. Benefits include free admission, and discounts on programs and camps. Memberships also provide free admission to other Youth Museums and Science and Technology Centers across the nation.

Parents and kids can also check out the museum's blog together at blog.austinkids.org - it's full of at-home activities, explorations, science experiments, online resources, and behind-the-scenes info.