Scientopia Discovery Center

This place is great for open play, unfortunately they flaked on me for my Twins’ 4^th birthday party with LESS than 2 months notice. Invitations have already been created and printed! Although my deposit is being refunded, I now I have less than a month to find a new venue, have the invites redesigned and printed before sending them out. DO NOT BOOK YOUR PARTY HERE, THY WILL CANCEL ON YOU AFTER YOU’VE BOOKED.
Horrible, horrible, horrible business sense!

Still a good indoor place to kill an hour with a toddler in Napa but the place has gotten somewhat run down and poorly maintained, and the price went up! Probably will not be returning next time I come to napa.

Basically akin to a filthy basement. Half the stuff is broken, ALL the stuff is dirty.

If you are expecting anything like the other good science museums of the Bay Area think again — like a little over priced playroom. Not open Saturday’s and often closes with no notjce.

I was really impressed by the multitude of educational and engaging play stations. My 3 year old loves it, from the little tots car ramp to Knights and dragons to figuring out how to make patterns from wooden blocks. The staff are great and the concept behind this place wonderful. Wish we lived here to enjoy it more than once.

I write this as I sit outside of Scientipia. During business hours. With no employee in sight. We drove an hour to get here, and whoever was supposed to be here to open the place this morning didn’t show up. The other people who are out here waiting with us said this happened the last time they came too. And no one ever showed. So to be sure it wouldn’t happen this time, they called yesterday to verify that Scientopia would be open today. Indeed, they’re supposed to be open.
Update
We sat outside for an hour and a half. Then we went to lunch, and to a park down the street. I kept calling. At 2:30 I got ahold of the front desk. The guy I talked to was not with the program. Finally he hands the phone to the owner, who is talking much more like you’d expect– apologetic. I was super mad (they now close in 30 minutes) I told her that she needed to hire a new front desk guy. The one I talked to was monotone, had multiple seconds in between words, was unapologetic etc. etc. of course that was her 15 year old son. He didn’t get the email that he was supposed to work. l’m going to chalk this up to one of those crazy things that happens in life– the owner was nothing but nice, and gave us free admission tickets. And we wasted a full day (I can’t even remember the last time we were able to go do something as a family) sitting around hoping they’d remember to come open the doors. We’ll have to try again in a month or so– the next time my husband gets a weekend day off :|

The dilapidated exterior should be a sign to any on-​comer as to how well maintained the inside is. On parking you will find black mold in the kid hut, crumbling pieces of it’s roof, wild weeds, and putrid fountain water in arms reach of your child; three «sandboxes» of dirt and weeds.
Where is the science in this scientopia? Anything science related was not explained — no signs.
Inside there is a rubber sand box– a place to color– a place to roll balls, a place to play castle, and a place to use magnetic trains with pieces of track missing. There is a magnetic building set but i wouldnt use it due to the fact that you can feel the grime on it. There was a gear set with very few gears. There is a nook for reading and a section for sorting vegetables and for cooking, a bunker with chairs and a rocking chair but ominous unsafe stairs, there is a couch that has been cleaned never, a small climbing structure that is conducive to children traffic jams.
The fact that someone came in and said «my wife and child are already in here» and there were no cameras or checking of ID’s or signatures makes this a very unsecured spot to take more than one child.
This place has such potential but for now the health department should shut it down. There were two «workers» paid to do nothing but chit-​chat with each other– maybe they should be cleaning or weeding? Just a thought…

Brought my one year old and had s blast. Friendly staff. $ 5 all day! Fun activities. The toddler room was safe and had a fun roller coaster toy. We will be back!

We have recently discovered Scientopia Discovery Center. This is a great place to take your kids, especially if the weather is bad. My son loves to play on there 2 story play house. It is adorable and there are many areas with different toys and activities to play.

Had my kid try their summer camp, she really enjoyed playing there with some friends. She also brought home cherry tomatoes from their outside garden. They also worked on projects such as figuring out what items float and putting together parts of different animals to make your own special animal.
Scientopia also worked with our group to have 7 kids (ranging from 3 – 9 yrs old) there on a Friday night after hours. They were friendly and accommodating.

I love this drop in play zone for toddlers + and a outside beautiful home w fenced in area. It’s awesome location across the street from Classic automotive made it very convent for me to get work done with a 2 year old ! Friendly staff !

Birthday party review:
What can I say? Throwing a birthday party is already stressful but if you pick the right place with the right employees, it’s a dream come true!
From the moment we walked in, the employees were more than helpful. They kept the party on schedule and communicated with us often to make sure everything was going as planned. The kids had a blast and my daughter felt like a little princess on her special day.
The assistants helped us pack our food (and there was a lot of it!) and brought our daughter’s presents into the car once the party was over.
I’m so glad we got to spend her memorable day at Scientopia. Thanks for everything!

I have two boys and we love playing at Scientopia. There are tons of education science toys and exhibits. There is an art space with tons of supplies and a drama space too for plenty of imaginative play. We adore the camps they offer in the summer. Each week they offer a new theme and have tons of creative and education projects. My kids have attended every summer and never get bored. They changed the pricing so that only kids pay (not the adults) and I find it to be very reasonable for a safe, clean and fun place to play. The staff are the real stars here. They are so friendly and helpful. We also had a birthday party for my oldest sun. What a blast and so easy for me! I can’t rave more about this Napa treasure.

Cool place to take the kids on a rainy day. Lots of different activities. The only downfall were the staff, not very outgoing, they seemed pretty much over being there, no smiles and a lot if sitting around.

Wow! This place is wonderful. My niece had her birthday party here Saturday and the gals working there (Megan and Melissa I believe) were super friendly and extremely helpful. So many different activities to do and all the kids (even me) had a blast! Highly recommend this place.

My son has always loved playing here, although he’s a bit old for it, now. Marcy, the owner, has always been very friendly & greeted us like friends. It was our favorite place to go on rainy winter days when playing at a park wasn’t an option. :-)

At only $ 10 a kid andarents cost nothing (FREE) this is a great deal for an afternoon of fun. Our son, aged five, and his friend, age seven, both LOVE it here. There are so many stations and learning centers that they stayed busy for about three hours and could have gladly stayed longer. The crafts change and in our three experiences here are always age appropriate for three to ten or so… the lights and shadow room, The brainiacs lab, the grocery, the castle, and of course the train table have also proven themselves favorites. While not as big as San Jose, it’s close and inexpensive fun! The owner is solo nice and her staff have alwaysroved engaged in their jobs and trained on how to bring the best out of the kids. c I wish I had more stars to give!
Rates:
Children $ 10
Sibling $ 8
Adults FREE
After 2 pm $ 7.50
Monthly membership
Children $ 40
Siblings $ 35

A favorite play to while away a rainy afternoon. Interactive, learning, play! (arts & crafts too) I would give them more stars, but…
Adults have to pay to get in. Why? We sit on benches while our children play. Why am I being charged $ 7 for that? I’d take my son more if I didn’t have to spend $ 14. to get in.
My son loves it here. I enjoy bringing him here. We’ve utilized the party room, and all 3 play rooms, which are divided by age. Under 3 room has balls, and soft things so the little ones don’t get hurt. Over 5 is for advanced children, the rest of the space is just beyond amazing. The train table is a favorite, at any age.

Had my son’s 3^rd b-​day @ Scientopia last year and we (the parents AND guests) really LOVED it. Marcy and her team are excellent at what they do. The stomp rocket art and launch activity that they led for my son’s party was awesome. Highly recommend this precious gem for any parent who wants to have their child’s party here. It will be a wonderful memory for everyone who attends the event!
Scientopia is also a godsend for playdates and during school vacation! They offer great classes and/​or camps during summer and winter breaks. If one is in need of the perfect gift for a young kiddo, Scientopia’s gift shop is THE place to check out. They definitely offer enjoyable indoor AND outdoor fun!
Napa is SO fortunate to have this place for children! It has truly filled a void in this community.

I’ve been here twice and had a blast each time (and so did my son)! :-) The owner is such a nice lady. She did an awesome job making Scientopia kid-​approved and FUN. From the moment you walk to the building, you can see their outdoor discovery area (which is gated to keep the kiddos inside and protected). Once inside, the kids are ready to kick off their shoes, place them in the cubbies, and run like the wind to the main play area for some exploring and playing. They can play dress up and have a rock concert with their musical instruments, then run over to the grocery «store» with their little shopping carts and buy veggies and fruits, then climb the stairs of the two-​story play house, then back to the ground to build a wood cabin… YOU GET THE PICTURE — lots to do.
I really enjoyed the toys that are provided — can’t go wrong with «entertaining» and «educational». I love how you can schedule your child’s parties there, too. This is a must see [and do] with your child and his/​her friends. During one of my play dates [all boys mind you], we came here and they had a great time; running around, exuding all kinds of energy, and just enjoying their stay. As moms, these are precious moments to cherish, making our kids happy and hearing them laugh. Awwww…
Also, on their website under CALENDAR, they have special days where they offer discounts to parents and grandparents, along with info about field trips, etc.
Now schedule a play date and go have fun with your little stinker … err I mean *angel*! Enjoy.