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Local Fun: Coyote Point Museum
August 16, 2007

As end of summer quickly approaches, I look at my summer fun wish list and realized we have yet visited the Coyote Point Museum. Since it is a short drive from us, my family decided to spend the afternoon there.

Sitting atop Coyote Point Park, the Museum is shaded by tall trees and enjoys panoramic bay views. Next to the museum entry is a small but interesting aquaponics display. My daughter was very fascinated by the koi pond and giggled when the caretaker told her that fish poop helps fertilize the plants growing on the attached living wall and looked in amazement when she learned that the system runs on sunlight and not batteries. Not as grand or splashy as the Monterey Bay Aquarium or Bay Area Discovery Museum, it is really geared towards toddlers and kindergarteners. There’s a nice activities/exploratory area for the kids and a stage for the twice daily educational “animal show” to teach kids about the habits and habitats of rescued animals.

Currently, the Museum has a small Green Farm exhibit where kids can learn about how animals and plantings co-exists, complete with resident goats that love to be brushed and petted. The second floor houses permenant displays and a very fun Bee Hive Exhibit.

The Museum’s surrounding grounds hosts different displays and habitats like the aviary, reptile house and the very popular river otters. We had a nice snack break in the picnic area while wondering through the habitats and gardens. We even found a makeshift TeePee among the trees – probably a project from the summer camp run by the Museum. We eventually made our way down the large beach/picnic area (near the Park entrance) and had a great time exploring all the different playgrounds and watching the windsurfers practice their skills.

Like I mentioned, the museum grounds are much smaller than some of the other destinations but the entrance fees are reasonable ($6 for adult and $2 for kids). Even on a lovely Sunday afternoon, there was no crowd in or around the museum, except around the BBQ and picnic areas. We ended up buying an annual family pass for $55 which not only provides free access to Coyote Point Park and Museum but also discounts or even reciprocal free access to other parks and museums in and outside of California.

Also, we wanted to show support for the Museum as rumors of an impending closure have been reported. Although it attracts over 100,000 visitors and provide environmental education for 20,000 school kids every year, the Museum has been operating at a loss for several years now. Reports of a proposed new global warming and climate center (in lieu of the Museum) from the well-funded (but somewhat mysterious) 11th Hour Project. Sure, I am in favor of a high tech, educational center on global warming but I would hate to see the Coyote Point Museum be the sacrifice. It’s really one of the few remaining places in the Bay Area where families can enjoy and learn about the environment, animals and their native habitats, even if they don’t have $80 to $100 to spend on admissions, food, etc. Perhaps there’s a way for the two programs to co-exist. In the meantime, if any of you are looking for a great family place to visit, I highly recommend a trip to Coyote Point Museum.

CindyC at Organicpicks

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