Cool Places to Visit in the Hot Summer

On hot summer days, local pools, lakes and swimming holes beckon. But when you and your kiddos have had enough water and sun and need a drier place to cool off on a hot day, consider taking the tots and teens to a museum. The North State is swimming in super cool museum discovery experiences to engage eager minds and keep restless bodies active. We’ve selected a few of the best to keep cool close to home!

Glenn County

Honeybee Discovery Center

This engaging interactive exhibition gallery and learning space in Orland, the “Queen Bee Capital of the World, educates children about the importance of pollinators – especially honeybees – in our environment. Kids can see bee anatomy up close, discover how honey is produced, taste honey from different nectar sources and watch the honeybees work. Admission: $3 per person, $2 for children 6-12 years. Children 5 and younger are free. Open the first consecutive Friday & Saturday of every month, Fridays 3pm-6pm, Saturdays 10am-1pm. honebeediscoverycenter.org

Butte County

Bolts Antique Tool Home

Kids are fascinated by the weird and wonderful. This Oroville museum boasts the coolest collection of hand tools in the world, with all sorts of weird shapes and wonderful uses. With interactives for children and a unique gift shop, your kids will love wandering through this unique museum. Adults $7; children under 12 free. Cash only. Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 10am-2pm. cityoforoville.com.

Chinese Temple

This California cultural landmark in Oroville offers an opportunity for children to learn about Chinese culture and the significant contribution Chinese immigrants made to the North State region during and after the gold rush and up to the present day. This beautifully appointed museum, featuring colorful tapestries and historic Chinese and western apparel, is a great opportunity to expand your child’s world view and understanding of California history that shapes us today. Adults $3; children under 12 free. Cash only. Open Fridays and Saturdays, 10am-2pm. cityoforoville.org.

Gateway Museum

Bees are buzzing at the Chico State’s Gateway Museum. Bombus: A Natural History of Bumble Bees will keep kids mesmerized with hands-on, interactive science and learning activities for all ages – in-museum and to take home. Adults $7; children 3-17 $5. Open Thursdays-Saturdays, 11am-4pm. csuchico.edu/gateway

Pioneer History Museum

Kids can get a taste of pioneer life in this unique Oroville museum built as an oversized replica of a 49er’s cabin. The original building has been enlarged to hold 6,000 square feet of historic treasures from the gold rush era, including an extensive collection of Native American artifacts. Rooms are furnished with gold rush vintage items such as a grandfather clock from the Bidwell bar, gamblers’ items, a miner’s vest tailored to hold different size nuggets and more. Adults $4; children under 12 free. Cash only. Open Fridays and Saturdays, 10:15am-2:15pm. cityoforoville.org

Shasta County

Behrens-Eaton House

Travel back in time to 1895 and experience life in a Victorian home from early Redding. Kids will love roaming the mansion rooms brimming with interesting and one-of-a-kind artifacts dating back to the mid-1800s, including beautifully preserved 19th century fashions, depicting the fascinating history of Redding and Shasta County. Admission is free. Open Tuesday and Wednesday 10am-4pm, Saturday 1-4pm. eastonhousemuseum.org.

Mt. Shasta Sisson Museum offers cool kid’s activities and opportunities to learn and try new things. Photos by Joann Goble.

Colman Museum and Historic Schoolhouse

If your kids love history, they’ll love the Coleman Museum in Centerville. They’ll enjoy exploring the gold mining equipment and 1800s clothing, imagining what it would be like to use antique cooking utensils or learn with school materials used before 1900. New and changing exhibits and the historic one-room schoolhouse give kids a fascinating view of pioneer life and learning in the West. Open Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4pm. centervillemuseum.com/story

Gaumers Mineral and Mining Museum

With hundreds of gems, crystals and minerals, kids can get their fill of sparkles at this fun museum. With beautiful and rare gem and mineral specimens from around the world, stone carvings, fossils, Native American artifacts, a fluorescent mineral display and a detailed replica of an old mine tunnel complete with ore car, tracks and mining equipment, there are hours of cool indoor fun for kids of all ages. Admission is free. Open Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. gaumers.com.

Siskiyou County

Mount Shasta Sisson Museum

Kids are fascinated by volcanoes and we live in a volcanic region! If your kids are like mine, they are full of questions about the world around them. How was Mount Shasta made? Why are there so many volcanoes in the area? What are the dangers of living near a volcano? Answers to these questions and more can be discovered at the Sisson Museum in Mount Shasta. Kids can crawl through a lava tube right in the museum. Do your kids love trucks and trains? They’ll be excited to sit in the driver’s seat of a fully interactive 1915 Model T fire truck or experience driving a train in the interactive train exhibit. These fun exhibits and more will keep your kids active, entertained and learning! Admission is free. Thursday – Monday, 10am-4pm. mtshastamuseum.com.