Just a little off the beaten path in Seminole, you and your family will uncover an incredible children’s museum packed with educational exhibits and endless ways to make memories together.
Whether you’re looking for a new place to take your preschooler or you’re planning some exciting fall break outings for your big kids, the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum in Seminole is the perfect place to go for hands-on fun. Inside and outside, the museum and its grounds are packed with ways for kids to learn through play. Here are five things you don’t want to miss when you visit the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum.
1. Tinkering in the Park
We’ve visited Jasmine Moran several times before, but one area that was new since our last visit was Tinkering in the Park. This exhibit has several tables where visitors can build with a variety of materials from LEGOs to Lincoln Logs. Both of my kids enjoyed this area and I also saw quite a few parents taking part, too.
2. The SuperSONIC Express
If you have any train enthusiasts in your family, they’ll definitely want to take a ride on the SuperSONIC Express. The half-mile train ride takes visitors around the museum grounds and gives them a different view of Safety Town and the Castle Maze, as well as a lovely pond with ducks and turtles. The train ride is not included in the museum admission price, but at just $2 per rider it’s a fairly inexpensive treat. While you’re waiting for your train ride, check out the playground or the Jasmine Ark, a boat-themed play area.
3. WaterWorks
Water tables always are fun but the WaterWorks exhibit takes it to another level. This is no longer the little table set up for young kids to splash around in; it’s an interactive waterscape where visitors can change the flow and speed of the water, lift big buckets and conduct races. The area is large enough for many kids to play at once without getting each other soaked, and they can crawl under the table to play from the center of the water ring.
4. Centennial Hospital
The Centennial Hospital is a miniature hospital that allows visitors to explore different careers in the health care field. Do you think you might want to be a paramedic? You can explore the ambulance and learn about emergency medicine. If surgery interests you more, you can scrub in and try your surgical skills out with a knee replacement procedure or heart bypass surgery. Children also can see how doctors and nurses care for newborns in the nursery area of the hospital. Most kids know about doctors and nurses, but the Centennial Hospital does a fabulous job of including information about more than 300 other health care careers. It’s never too early to start thinking about the future!
5. Real Life Learning
Much of the museum is set up to resemble a town, and visitors can explore a wide variety of careers in different stations throughout the town. There is a grocery store where kids can take turns being the shopper and the checker (and then the stocker), a mechanic’s garage where they can diagnose and fix car problems and a dentist’s office complete with an examination chair. If you’re looking for some excitement, slide down the fire pole and ride in the fire truck. For those interested in being on television, the new broadcasting area should be at the top of the list. Visitors can even become a judge or argue a case as a lawyer in the courtroom area.
Kids’ Recommendations
My 10-year-old son’s favorite thing at the museum was the climbing maze. This is one of the most unique structures you’ll see at any children’s museum and will keep your kids entertained and active. Standing 16 feet high, the maze is made up of many carpeted pods that are held together with five miles of cable and 15,000 connecting hooks. The pods lead climbers up to the top, where they can choose to either climb back down the maze or slide down the thunder slide for a quick descent. After a decade of visiting many playgrounds, my son has seen a lot of different equipment and this maze is one of his favorites. You’ll see kids of all ages playing in it.
My 5-year-old daughter absolutely loved the mechanic’s garage. We’ve been to a lot of different children’s museums and have never seen anything like this anywhere else. She loved using the noisy tools and seeing how fast she could change the tires and has asked to go back several times already just so she can work on the car. I never would have imagined that she would enjoy that area so much, so I think one of the best things about the museum is the opportunity to explore new and different things.
Other Useful Information
The Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum is just an hour’s drive from the metro, so it’s a quick and easy trip. Just head east on I-40 and take Exit 200 toward Seminole. Make a right on Wrangler Boulevard and the museum will be on your right. You can visit Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. The museum is closed Mondays and holiday.
Since you’ll probably want to spend a few hours exploring the museum, you may need to feed your crew. Visitors are welcome to bring their own lunches to eat at the museum or they can purchase food at the museum cafe. If you would prefer to leave the grounds to eat and then return for more play, you can do that, too. There is a gift shop on-site, so you may want to bring a little extra cash for a souvenir.
Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum
1714 Highway 9 West, Seminole, OK
405-382-0950, www.jasminemoran.com