(updated 09.13.21)
The Children’s Museum – Where Learning & Fun Connect
Hours of Operation
Thursday and Friday: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Entry times 10-12 and 12-2
Saturday and Sunday: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
Entry times 9:30-11:30, 12-2 and 2-4
CLOSED Monday through Wednesday
Adults – $15.00 (including Seniors)
Children – $15.00 (ages 2-17)
Toddlers – FREE (under the age of 2)
EVERYONE must have a Timed Ticket to enter the museum!
Members are always free but you must reserve a ticket!
Click Here to learn how to receive your member discount!
Members and paid admission tickets ARE available in person. However, walk-up tickets are not guaranteed.
Please call (860) 231-2824 before you travel!
COVID-19 Related Measures
In light of COVID-19, The Children’s Museum is taking enhanced health and safety precautions. We are using our best efforts to act responsibly and reasonably to do what is within our power to prevent the spread of disease.
Masking Guidance-
The Children’s Museum is always striving to maintain the best experience we can for our visitors, guests, and staff. To that end, we will CONTINUE TO require masks for all patrons and staff over the age of 2 to be worn indoors while visiting our facilities. Our staff will continue to be masked. Masks must continue to be worn during visits, programs, and events at The Children’s Museum, our Preschool, and Roaring Brook Nature Center. Vaccinated patrons-only may remove their masks outdoors as long as proper social distancing is maintained. We are maintaining our masking policy as the majority of those who participate in our activities and visit our sites are too young to be vaccinated at this time.
We understand that there have been rapid changes in guidance from the state and federal levels. At this time, we are making this decision as a business. This decision will support the safety of a vulnerable part of the population, as well as those they come in contact with.
We will still require timed tickets to be purchased on the timed ticket page of our website. Should you have any questions regarding this policy, please reach out to our Senior Development Coordinator, Joseph DeFeo at jdefeo@thechildrensmuseumct.org. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
Some of these new safety precautions will be apparent to you and will affect hours of operation, admission, exhibit availability, occupancy, and more. We summarize some of them below:
Hours of Operation: The museum is open to the public Thursday & Friday 10:00 am to 2:00 pm; Saturday & Sunday 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Tickets must be reserved for everyone in your party. Once admitted, there is no time limit to your visit. Stay as long as you want! However, there is no re-entry after exiting at this time.
Timed Entry: Everyone must register for timed tickets PRIOR to arrival at the Museum. Entry is available for the following time slots: Thursday/Friday 10:00 am or 12:00 pm and Saturday/Sunday 9:30 am, 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm. Members may walk-in, but we strongly encourage pre-registration.
Admission: Tickets must be pre-purchased online for a timed session before arriving to the Museum. Admission cost is $15.00 for Adults, Seniors, and all children ages 2 and older. Children under 2 years of age (“tots”) are free, but still must be counted in the number of individuals in your party. Children’s Museum members are encouraged to reserve their tickets online for all individuals in their party (Adults, Children, and Tots). Membership discounts will be deducted at checkout, where applicable. Members will need to register and/or sign in to receive their discount.
Exhibit Availability: In order to keep our guests and staff safe while in the Museum we have reconfigured exhibit spaces and classrooms so that all public areas are on the main level and outdoors. We have reserved our lower levels for our Vacation Science Camp and other programming. We have created a flow through the museum that allows guests to enjoy the exhibits and encourages social distancing. We maintain the right to limit occupancy of each exhibit area and other spaces throughout the museum. Wheelchair access is limited to outside entrances. There are no elevators or ramps in The Children’s Museum.
Occupancy: In accordance with Museum guidelines and to ensure an enjoyable visit by all of our guests, we have limited museum occupancy in each timed entry slot. Tickets for each timed session are finite and we have the right to refuse “walk-up” or “at door” purchases of tickets.
Illness or Exposure to illness: Guests must stay home if they are sick, or if they have been exposed to others who are sick. Please call 860.231.2824 to reschedule your visit.
General health and safety measures: Guests and staff are required to wear masks at all times and the mask must cover both your mouth and nose. We require masks for ALL guests ages 2 and over, even if vaccinated, with no exceptions. We require frequent hand-washing/sanitizing for all staff, and encourage guests to do the same. We will be enforcing social distancing and mask-wearing, and have developed protocols for intensified cleaning and disinfection. Museum staff reserve the right to ask non-compliant visitors to leave the facility.
Read our COVID Admission Waiver here– 2021-COVID-ADMISSION-WAIVER.
*ASTC Reciprocal Policy:
Free-Touring ONLY
- Free admission is granted to the two adults named on the card and up to two children under the age of 12 residing in the household.
- Timed Tickets must be purchased for entry. Please call 860.231.2824 to learn how to receive your discount.
- Select Adult or Child tickets while selecting your timed ticket. You will not receive your discount if you select member tickets.
- You will be required to present a photo ID and Valid membership card
- If you do not have proof of ASTC reciprocity when you arrive you will be asked to pay for any discounted admission.
- The following local restrictions on the use of reciprocal membership applies when visiting The Children’s Museum, West Hartford:
- Based on your science center’s/museum’s location: Science centers and museums located within 90 miles of each other are excluded from the program unless that exclusion is lifted by mutual agreement. 90 miles is measured “as the crow flies” and not by driving distance.
- Based on your residence: To receive Travel Passport Program benefits, you must live more than 90 miles away (“as the crow flies”) from the center/museum you wish to visit. Admissions staff reserve the right to request proof of residence for benefits to apply.
- Please follow this link for additional details on use restrictions http://www.astc.org/passport/
- Curious what a 90-mile radius looks like “as the crow flies”? Please follow this link to our favorite radius tool. Here you are able to see 90 miles around the museum. Next, enter your home address and click ‘new circle’. This will show you an accurate view of your restriction map.
** ACM Reciprocal Policy:
50% off General Admission for up to six (6) people.
- Timed Tickets must be purchased for entry. Please call 860.231.2824 to learn how to receive your discount.
- Select Adult or Child tickets while selecting your timed ticket. You will not receive your discount if you select member tickets.
- Cardholder must be present at the time of admission (ID will be requested)
- If you do not have proof of ACM reciprocity when you arrive you will be asked to pay for any discounted admission.
- Membership card must feature ACM Reciprocal logo
- TCM is not obligated to call other museums to verify membership. The member MUST have his or her card for verification.
For more information, including a list of Reciprocal Museums, please visit the ACM Website.
*** Library Membership:
Did you know that many libraries throughout Connecticut and surrounding areas have their own memberships with museums and nature centers that you can use? The Children’s Museum has over 60 participating libraries! If you have a library card give your library a call and see if they have a pass available.
- Buy one Admission at full price Get one Admission Free. (limit four (4)) (Note: If you bring four people and a library pass you will be paying full admission cost for two of the four people in your party.)
- **West Hartford Public Library pass only allows one free admission. No BOGO
- If you wish to use a library pass you must present a library membership pass and photo ID upon check-in.
- Timed Tickets must be purchased for entry. Please call 860.231.2824 to see if we have space available for walk-up tickets.
Holidays
The Children’s Museum is OPEN on the following holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- President’s Day
- Spring Vacation
- Good Friday
- Summer Vacation (June 24 – August 31)
- Rosh Hashanah
- Columbus Day
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving Weekend (Friday – Sunday)
- Christmas Eve (close at 1 pm)
- Winter Vacation
- New Year’s Eve (close at 1 pm)
The Children’s Museum is CLOSED on Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and Easter Day. Prices and hours are subject to change without notice.
