San Mateo's CuriOdyssey opens 7 days a week, all summer long

“It’s all stuff that feels like play, and it is play, but it’s also testing hypotheses,” Mock said.

Targeted toward children ages 2-10 years old, the programs and exhibits offered at CuriOdyssey bring bigger, more advanced scientific ideas and present them in a way that is digestible and fun, Mock said. Instilling a level of curiosity among young kids is critical, they said.

“Especially in today’s age with science and critical thinking under attack in various ways, it’s more important than ever to make sure kids have early exposure to exploring these topics as well,” Mock said, adding that STEM is not necessarily lab work and white coats but is instead a fun, trial-and-error experience.

“There are two fundamental activities to being a human being — art and science,” Mock said. “Those are core desires for humanity. We want to create things. We want to explore things.”

Summer programming this year includes the return of First Friday Nights, when from 5-8 p.m., parents and kids can stay late to celebrate science and animals with music, food trucks and more. Rather than the first Friday in July — which is the Fourth of July holiday — a separate event will be held July 19, to explore the science of bubbles.

Ongoing highlights include the daily wildlife presentations, the wildlife zoo that houses nearly 40 different kinds of animal, the inclusive playground and the year-round exhibition ViewPoint.

A new exhibit on display will be a nature story loop, or “a trail of storybook signs” throughout the museum that children can follow. The story follows Newt, Owl, Fox and Turtle as they learn about living in harmony with nature in support of conservation, Mock said.

Opening the site for seven days a week — it was previously always closed on Mondays — was in response to the need staff had seen from the community.

“The demand is always there from our community, which is why we offer camps, classes and workshops year-round, as well as free admission, memberships, and scholarship opportunities to increase access to science education,” Executive Director Aragon Burlingham said in a press release. “I think it’s a big relief for parents who are looking to keep their children engaged and learning during the off-season.”

Many membership holders use CuriOdyssey as their neighborhood park, and there continues to be a need for space where children can spend their summer days, Mock said.

“You drop by and hang out at our accessible playground or see Gunner eat his lunch and kill an hour before nap time,” Mock said. “We’re not just providing a science learning experience, but we’re a space that supports our community.”

Sensory Sunday is a program offered once a quarter where the park is closed to the general public and open free to those with specific sensory needs or who are neurodivergent.

“The disabled community is statistically a lower-income community so making that financially accessible was critical to us,” Mock said.

Support for sensory needs extends day to day. Caregivers or aides enter the park free, and information is provided for families to know where places on-site are located for respite. The goal is for all families to feel comfortable while spending their day at CuriOdyssey, Mock said.

The playground was built in conjunction with the Magical Bridge Foundation to be a fully accessible playground so kids of all ages and abilities can have fun. Families under a certain income threshold can also get free admission or membership to CuriOdyssey.

“The goal is to get the whole community to have access to us,” Mock said.

The mission of science and conservation education has been a key facet of CuriOdyssey’s history, which was founded in 1953 as a junior museum. After rebranding in 2011 as CuriOdyssey, the science music and zoo has become a much-loved destination for young families.

“It’s really nice having a space that’s full of fun things to do that also feels safe and supportive and welcoming for kids to run around and explore and push buttons and learn things,” Mock said. “It’s a pretty idyllic space, especially in the summer.”

CuriOdyssey is located at 1651 Coyote Point Drive in San Mateo, seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents can visit curiodyssey.org for the full summer schedule.

“It’s really a great place to spend a day this summer — or many days this summer,” Mock said.