As a full-time traveling family, we have the amazing opportunity to experience a wide variety of museums across the country. So trust me when I say, the DoSeum in San Antonio is top notch. My family voted it an all-time favorite! My children are currently ages 5 & 13 – a fairly wide spread when considering activities that will delight and entertain. But there was plenty to do for both kiddos in this unique space. In fact, we loved it so much, we went back a second day!

First of all, as a frequent visitor of museums, I will openly admit that we see a lot of repeat exhibits. So many paper planes & wind tunnels, am I right? But not at the DoSeum! I saw only two things we had done before, and even those had “new” spins on them.

For the Younger Crowd

The Little Town space was well-loved by my 5 year old, and we saw many kids in the 3-7 age range happily playing in that area. We would leave to check out other areas, and inevitably find our way back to Town, where we engaged in imaginative play from food trucks to airports! This space is well put-together and *bonus* is enclosed with a gate and staff member to make sure no little feet leave town without their adults.

Water play is my little one’s happy place, so we were ecstatic to find not only one, but three distinct water areas! The first was a beautiful, calm & peaceful area called Will’s Creek located in the Big Outdoors area. Kids were walking in it, racing leaves, and just generally exploring water in a more “natural” environment. I loved the tables & chairs in the shaded area to enjoy our lunch in. We spent a few hours just in this one spot!

The second water area was more familiar; a “waterworks” station that had all the levers, pumps, funnels, & balls you could imagine. We built dams & tracks, made a bucket tip, and splashed around plenty in this area, too!

Finally, they had a delightful Bubble Lab. Prism bubbles, tons of wands, and a hand-washing sink right in the exhibit made this area not only fun, but practical for parents, too. 

For the Older Crowd

Spy Academy was the most unique experience in a museum that I, personally, have ever seen! My 13 year old loved this space and spent her second day completing all the missions. Essentially, you get a spy watch in the beginning with specific tasks to complete, including things like ciphers, disguises, & secret messages! Once you complete them, you earn the honor of “master spy” . Then, you can go on to complete ALL the missions to get your picture on the Hall of Fame. The space was SO well designed that even I had fun discovering it!

NOTE: You do have the option of just going through this exhibit without the specific missions and can explore the puzzles on their own. However, even this method proved too difficult and frustrating for my 5-year old.

The traveling exhibit while we were there was a space-themed one with lots of things geared for older children. I’m not sure if that is always the case, but my teenager really enjoyed diving into the experience of an astronaut.

For the Sensory Sensitive

The special calm down room, called Calm Corner, that they have on site was a welcome reprieve when my kiddos got a little overwhelmed with all the options, lights, and sounds and simply needed a quick recharge.

There are even multiple pop-up style activities throughout the day in the art room & lobby areas. We loved doing some popsicle stick engineering & rested with a sweet zen garden activity.

The logistics:

• Parking area had easy access and plenty of spaces. 
• Bathrooms were clean, plentiful, and well-placed.
• There is a small playground on site for days when it isn’t too hot. 
• ASTC & ACM reciprocal entry works here! 
• One rotating exhibit on site.
• Can bring in outside food or enjoy their on-site cafe. 

Address: 2800 Broadway, San Antonio, Texas 78209

Cost of Admission:

• Kids and Adults (1+): $18
• Kids Under 1: Free
• DoSeum Members: Free
• Circle Society Members: Free
• Educators: $4 off admission. Required: Valid educator’s ID.
• Military: $4 off admission for active and retired military and their family members. Required: Military ID.
• Seniors:  $4 off admission for Guests 65 years and older.
• Museums For All (MFA)*: $15 off admission for up to 4 guests per visit. Required: SNAP or WIC Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card.  Learn more >
• ASTC Members*:  Free admission for up to 3 guests. Required: Membership ID.
• ACM Members*:  50% off general admission for up to six (6) people.  Required:  Membership ID.

Special Offers:

• CityPASS: Sightseeing? Save 39% off admission to San Antonio’s 4 top attractions, including The DoSeum. Learn More>
• Museums on US: Present your Bank of America®, Merrill Lynch® or U.S. Trust® credit or debit card and a photo ID on the first full weekend of every month for one free general admission ticket. Learn More>

Hours:

• Monday-Saturday: 9am – 6pm
• Sundays: 12:00pm – 5:00pm

Overall, this museum ranks at the very top of our list! We can’t wait to go back and play some more.