Planning a Visit

Wegmans Wonderplace is open Wednesday–Sunday from 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; closed Monday–Tuesday. Hours subject to change.

Tips for visiting:

• Activities are all organized around themes, but there is no order in which they need to be completed. You can start anywhere! Ask a facilitator or docent if you have questions about how to get started or need assistance working with the activities.
• Wegmans Wonderplace is designed to foster intergenerational and collaborative learning. Adults must stay with their children while in Wonderplace.
• Facilitators and docents are available to assist, engage, and experiment with you, but they do not lead visitors through the activities. They also are not responsible for supervising children.
• Food and drink are not allowed in Wegmans Wonderplace, though you may have bottled water. Nursing and bottle-feeding are permitted.
• Photography is permitted

Some tips from the Museum Blog:

• 5 kid-tested ways to explore a museum exhibition (without touching)
• Top tips for a rewarding museum visit with kids
• Taking a toddler to the museum: Why bother?
• Strollers, security, and snacks: A parent's guide to visiting the museum with kids
• Escaping the parent trap: Facing tough topics with kids at the museum
• Tips for visiting a museum with kids: Don't arrive empty-handed
• Why you should take your little kids to a museum

Visiting Wegmans Wonderplace with a Group

The following applies to groups of 10 or more children, including school groups and camp groups:

Minimum Child-to-Adult Ratio:

• 0- to 2-year-olds, 3:1
• 3-year-olds, 6:1
• 4- to 6-year-olds, 10:1

Wonderplace does not take group reservations or appointments, but we do appreciate prior notification of your visit. You may email wonderplace@si.edu to let us know you are coming.

Your group is welcome to visit at any time during Wonderplace's public hours, but please be advised that due to space restrictions, we may not be able to accommodate your whole group at one time. We encourage you to have a plan in place to split your group, as necessary, to visit other areas of the museum with proper adult/chaperone supervision.

We recommend that you allow 15–30 minutes for a visit to Wonderplace to ensure your group has time to explore the activities in the space that are developmentally appropriate and interesting to group members.

Upon your arrival to Wonderplace, a docent or staff member will greet your group and assess how many children and adults can be admitted at that time.

If we can accommodate your whole group at once, a greeter will orient you to Wegmans Wonderplace and provide a brief overview of what you can do during your visit. We recommend splitting into smaller groups once inside to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to fully engage in the activities.

If the space is busy and we cannot accommodate your whole group, we will ask that you split into smaller groups and take turns visiting Wegmans Wonderplace.

FAQs

• No outside food can be eaten in the museum.
• Wonderplace has stroller parking, a small nursing area (not private), and a family restroom inside the exhibit space.
• Parking is limited. Plan to use public transportation if possible or download the Parking Panda app to help navigate street parking options.
• Older children are welcome when they are members of a group that includes children ages 0-6. We ask that the adults in a group help monitor older children to ensure that they are playing safely with younger children and with the toys and equipment in Wegmans Wonderplace.

Ticket Info

• In order to reduce wait times, Wegmans Wonderplace uses a free, timed ticketing system on days when the exhibit is busier than usual.
• Tickets can be picked up in front of Wegmans Wonderplace.
• Ticketholders will have 30 minutes to play in the exhibit.
• You cannot reserve tickets online or ahead of time.