Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose

Exhibits at CDM

The Museum's exhibit philosophy is rooted in its mission and responds to the distinctive need for children to learn through concrete interactions — touching, exploring, manipulating and experimenting.

Over 28,000 square feet of semi-permanent and travelling exhibits address the educational and cultural needs of CDM's audience through the themes of Connections, Community and Creativity.
Exhibit galleries are fully wheelchair accessible, and offer multi-sensory, layered experiences for children of varying developmental stages, interests and backgrounds.

Exhibit galleries are fully wheelchair accessible, and offer multi-sensory, layered experiences for children of varying developmental stages, interests and backgrounds.

As you browse our exhibits online, look for 'Connections' boxes in the upper right-hand corner of the page. These links will give you ideas for school curriculum, pre- or post-visit projects, or online interactive activities.

The Wonder Cabinet

The Wonder Cabinet: A FIRST 5 Early Learning Laboratory is a 3,100 square foot exhibition dedicated to children ages 4 and under and the adults who accompany them.

The exhibit invites hands-on exploration upon walking through the doors and into a remarkable environment rich in materials and textures to inspire curiosity and imagination. Snuggle with a puppet and a good book, experiment in the Sand Laboratory, touch natural wonders, and step inside a child-sized kaleidoscope. Be sure to climb the stairs to relax in a carousel of light and music.

Secrets of Circles

Circles are pretty amazing shapes. Look around to see that they are everywhere: in the wheels of a car, on the clock on the wall, on the tortillas on the dinner table, and the Frisbees and tops you play with. This highly interactive 2,000 square foot exhibition features 18 exhibits designed to inspire children and adults to ask questions and investigate the answers as they explore the math, science, and engineering of circles.

Throughout the exhibit, there are examples of two- and three-dimensional circular forms to help to learn how circles aid engineers in solving problems.

Draw circles on a glow-in-the dark table, go on a circular scavenger hunt, use mirrors to experiment with symmetry, and build a gear contraption to turn a dancing doll.

Ball Tower

In this kinetic sculpture, tennis balls rise to the ceiling, roll through tunnels, and navigate mazes – all powered by manually. Turn cranks, work levers, and maneuver magnetic ramps to guide the balls along many different pathways through the sculpture. The Ball Tower teaches children about the engineering principles behind simple machines and encourages them to influence the path of the balls as they decide which controls to activate.

WaterWays

NOTE: WaterWays will be closed September 16th, 17th, and 18th as we replace the floor.

Discover the special properties of water as you guide colorful plastic balls along our WaterWays. Watch the balls tumble over waterfalls, squirt high into the area, and travel along a system of pulleys and tunnels. Create your own unique fountain at the Waterfall Wall, and listen to the soft melody of a quiet storm in our Rain Shanty.

For our visitors under 5, there is a separate Little WaterWays area, designed specifically for toddlers and preschoolers. Explore concepts like empty and full, sink and float, or wet and dry while playing at the over-sized water table. Practice the physical skills of lifting and pouring while developing hand-eye coordination.

Bubbalogna

Bubbalogna encourages visitors to explore the principles and properties of the fascinating world of bubbles. Experience physics hands-on and close up as the bubbles reflect light and create rainbows. Explore the magic of surface tension as by seeing how big a bubble can stretch and by trying to change its shape.

Current Connections

Learn about energy from Power Girl, in CDM's high-energy exhibit sponsored by PG&E. Crank some gears, work a pulley, and turn a treadle to generate power. Then use the harnessed power to light a playhouse and move toy engines. The exhibit helps children gain an understanding of how electricity is generated, how it is distributed, and how it is ultimately converted to other forms of energy.

Kids' Garden

Weather and staff availability permitting
Kids' Garden is currently closed, reopening April 4th

Monday – Saturday, 11:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, 12:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m

The Kids’ Garden is a real working garden where seasonal fruits, vegetables, and herbs are grown. Venture outside to see what is sprouting in the ever changing beds.

Children will get their hands dirty as they use their five senses to explore the garden and its inhabitants. The garden is the perfect place for children to think about life cycles as they view plants in different stages of development, watch the fish in the pond, and find insects buzzing about the garden.

Streets

Take an excursion down the Museum's streets to investigate the sights, sounds, and textures of city life. Unravel the complex systems that keep the modern world humming – from traffic control to city support services.

Visit CDM’s own postal annex, constructed with authentic 1950’s furnishings. Be a part of a rescue team on our ambulance and fire truck. But, be sure to wait for the green lights to cross the streets safely.

The Lee and Diane Brandenburg Theatre and The Cadence Amphitheatre

Performance Spaces

CDM’s two performance spaces are forums for authentic performing arts, including, dance, theatre, music, film, and cultural festivals. Children can be inspired by watching performances by their peers, interact with professional artists, and explore their own self-expression through a variety of experiential opportunities. Almost all of our theatre performances are free with Museum admission (exceptions will be noted in the performance description).

CDM Exhibit Sales and Rentals

Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose's exhibit development team has created interactive exhibitions that you can bring to your museum.

Pinscreen

Whether pushing on the pins to leave their handprint or to write "Joe was here," the tactile feel of a pinscreen appeals to visitors young and old alike.
Our new design of pins, caps, and perforated plastic screen has resulted in an easier-to-maintain exhibit. Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose is selling these new custom designed components.

Alice's Wonderland

Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose is pleased to offer a traveling exhibition based on Lewis Carroll's classic, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

With inspiration from Alice the intrepid explorer, the exhibition inspires curiosity, encourages exploration, and helps make the unknown more familiar, maybe even logical, and certainly fun.

Gear Up!

An instant favorite for your exhibit floor

Increase math skills while introducing visitors to the basics of mechanical engineering.
Promote family interaction through a colorful and finger-friendly experience.
Fascinate any age group with a modern spin on a classic design.

Huckle Cat™ Inflatable

Help draw visitors to your BUSYTOWN™ exhibit.

Huckle Cat can be used both indoors and outdoors and is a 24-hour key marketing component to attract passers-by to your museum!

The White Rabbit Inflatable

Help draw visitors to your Alice's Wonderland exhibit
The White Rabbit can be used both indoors and outdoors and is a 24-hour key marketing component to attract passers-by to your museum!

The Art Gallery

To honor children's artwork and inspire appreciation for art in young people, Children's Discovery Museum hosts a children's art gallery in the upstairs hallway between the elevator and the Art Loft.

The Art Gallery space displays art created by children and youth, by adult artists working in collaboration with children, and by professionals who explore topics of relevance to children and their families. Self-guided exploration of the Art Gallery offers children the chance to develop and refine aesthetic perception, make connections between works of art and everyday life, and make reasoned judgments about visual art.

Museum staff curates and develops Art Gallery exhibitions, showcasing work created in its own visual arts programs and collaborating with partner organizations and individuals to display exemplary work made by children and adults in other settings. The Museum exhibits work by beginning artists as well as artists whose work has already been recognized internationally. The Museum welcomes unsolicited proposals for Art Gallery exhibitions. Please note that, due to the volume of proposals received, there is no guarantee that a proposal submitted for review will result in an Art Gallery exhibition. To submit a proposal, please contact the Arts Educator, at artloft@cdm.org. Specific size requirements are critical.