Our Mission
To spark a passion for life-long learning. We will accomplish our mission by providing a place where children are encouraged to think for themselves, expand their problem-solving abilities through creative exploration, and exercise both their bodies and their minds.
About the Museum
Sacramento Children’s Museum (SCM) is a nonprofit educational and cultural institution that provides exciting, hands-on learning opportunities for children ages birth-8 in the Greater Sacramento region. Our mission is to spark a passion for lifelong learning!
At our Museum, children learn through hands-on exploration in an environment that promotes adventure, cultivates curiosity, and inspires self-confidence. Our 20 interactive exhibits include STEM-based discovery spaces, art and creative pursuits, a pretend-play neighborhood, and an area for infant and toddler development. Take a peek inside our Museum, and you will see children experimenting with the movement of air at our Airways wind tunnel exhibit, creating traditional folk art from cultures around the world in our Art Studio, and stretching their imaginations on our theater stage. Additionally, we offer daily drop-in programs for early learners. These Early Childhood Education programs include hands-on experiments at our Science Cart, music instrument exploration in our Sound Explorers class, and mindful exercise in our Yoga Play class. These exhibits and programs teach foundational concepts in STEM, the arts, and literacy, as well as help children learn about the world around them.
Since opening our doors in 2011, SCM has become a cornerstone community and educational resource for children and families in the Greater Sacramento area, serving more than 44,000 visitors last year. Hundreds of families attend our free, family-oriented events, such as our popular annual Trick-or-Treat event and a Pride event celebrating LGBTQ families. And, in recent years, we added programs to improve our Museum’s accessibility and impact with increased programming for children with special needs, a mobile museum for schools, and discounted admission for low-income families.
In 2021, the museum expanded to include a total of 10,000 square feet of interactive exhibit space and additional office, storage, and classroom spaces thanks to a donation from the City of Rancho Cordova. The expansion allowed us to provide new educational experiences, including nationally traveling exhibits and a hands-on STEM space, Leo’s Learning Lab. Our goal is to inspire all children through play-based learning!
IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) Statement
Sacramento Children’s Museum (SCM) welcomes all children and their adults to visit
the museum. We invite everyone to learn, create, and explore together.
At SCM, we are committed to:
- Listening and responding to the needs of the children in our community
- Providing a safe space for all children
- Offering accessible exhibits, play spaces, programming, and events
- Celebrating the diversity of families, especially in our region
- Exploring cultures and traditions that may be unfamiliar
- Taking steps towards a more equitable admissions process
- Acknowledging the land where our museum sits to recognize and honor
Indigenous peoples. - Conducting an inclusive and bias-free hiring process that recognizes diversity
and embraces a wide range of qualities and perspectives that candidates bring to
the organization - Utilizing pronoun best practices
- Establishing guidelines for tracking diversity of board, staff, and visitors and
defining diversity set metrics. - Learning and growing with our community.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge the Nisenan people, on whose traditional lands we gather in Rancho Cordova, CA. We also acknowledge all indigenous people of California. Thank you for your past and present care of the water, plants and animals of this area.