CT Mommy Blog

Disclaimer: Imagine Nation provided me and my family with complementary admission. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I recently took the kids to visit Imagine Nation Children’s Museum in Bristol, CT. It has been on my list of places to visit in Connecticut for a while now. The museum is geared toward children ages 2 – 8 so my girls (age 3) were the perfect age to participate.

Parking

The museum has a parking lot but it’s a little tricky to get to. The entrance to the parking lot is not on the same street as the entrance to the museum. I found it a little confusing and had to drive around a bit before I found it. There is also some street parking available.

TIP: The Imagine Nation parking lot is located on Upson Street.

Admission

The price of admission is $10 per person. Children under one are free. Imagine Nation is part of the ACM Reciprocal Network that also includes museums like KidCity and Stepping Stones. If you have a membership to one of the museums in the ACM network your admission to Imagine Nation is half price.

TIP: Check your local library for a discounted admission pass to the museum! You can also find the occasional Groupon deal for discounted tickets.

1st Floor

Imagine Nation is divided into three floors of interactive fun. Within each floor are several different hands-on exhibits. My kids loved playing at each different display.

Science & Energy

I found one of the more unique displays to be the spirograph. At this exhibit you moved a large weighted board (with help from a staff member) in different directions to create a one of a kind spirograph. I think older kids would really enjoy making these.

Farm to Table

The farm/kitchen area was a favorite for my kids. It was large enough that several kids could play side-by-side to create delicious imaginary food. One of the features of the farm was the milking cow. Children could pretend to milk the cow and milk (water) would really come out. My kids are still talking about this cow.

2nd Floor

TIP: Imagine Nation is stroller-friendly so I was able to wheel Andrew all around the museum. I was cautioned that during their more busy days, it might be harder to navigate a stroller because of all the people.

ESPN SportsCenter

Lights, Camera, Action! Little ones can put on a sportscoat and be the star of their very own ESPN SportsCenter broadcast.

Multicultural Room

All three of my kids were able to get in on the fun in the Multicultural Room. In this room kids could beat on drums, try on wooden shoes, read books about different cultures, and wear traditional clothing from different regions of the world.

Wellness

Art Studio

Greenscape & Live Animals

The animal room was a favorite. There were a handful of small animals in tanks around the room. They all had names. My girls loved the tarantula named Coco the best!

Water Exploration

The water room was another favorite spot. There were little raincoats that kids could wear over their clothes. In the water room kids could use fishing poles to catch magnetic fish, splash (lightly!) in the water table, paint with water on a chalkboard, and stand in a life-size bubble.

Invention & Engineering

Kaleidoscope

3rd Floor

The third floor has one last exhibit, The ESPN Theater. It’s a theater where kids can dress up like an astronaut and watch the countdown of the space shuttle.

Lunch

We brought along our lunch to eat at the museum. There are several tables located in the main lobby. I spotted one highchair to use for the littlest visitors.

The museum also offers some lunch options for purchase. Along with some lunch options, the museum features an old school soda fountain for sweet ice cream treats. This would be a fun way to end a fun day at the museum.

We had a wonderful time visiting Imagine Nation Children’s Museum. My kids are already asking for a return visit.