These museums are the winners of the 2026 Best of Bay Area Parent reader poll. Read the full list of winners here.
East Bay
Gold: Blackhawk Museum. Originally established as an automobile museum, here you can also learn about Western history, African art and more. Danville. blackhawkmuseum.org.
Peninsula
Gold: CuriOdyssey. Visitors enjoy wild animal presentations, science exhibits, hands-on learning and more. San Mateo. curiodyssey.org.
Silver: Hiller Aviation Museum. San Carlos. hiller.org.
San Francisco/Marin
Gold: California Academy of Sciences. Features an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest and natural history museum in the heart of Golden Gate Park with tons of educational exhibits and events. San Francisco. calacademy.org.
Silicon Valley
Gold: Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose. With the motto “Inspiring creativity, curiosity and lifelong learning,” this children’s museum features hands-on exhibits and activities for kids as well as cultural events. San Jose. cdm.org.
Silver: The Tech Interactive. San Jose. thetech.org.
Bronze: Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. San Jose. egyptianmuseum.org.
