Twenty years ago, a group of four parents gathered to create a premier cultural institution focused on the vitally important early years of a child’s life. First developed in a small storefront space, the popularity of the pilot Bay Area Discovery Museum soon proved the need for a major children’s museum in the Bay Area. Broad community support fueled the 1991 award-winning conversion of a series of abandoned Army buildings in historic  Fort Baker into a one-of-a-kind indoor and outdoor facility under the Golden Gate Bridge.

In 2003, the community came together again with a major capital campaign to expand the Museum through renovations of most exhibitions, the creation of the immensely popular 2.5 acre outdoor exhibition Lookout Cove, and construction of a new entry building and theater. This increased capacity allows families reflecting the full economic, ethnic, and geographic diversity of our community to participate in a range of arts and science activities, celebrate our community's diverse cultural heritage, and investigate and learn to protect the natural environment.

The Museum has grown dramatically over the past twenty years, with approximately 300,000 visitors annually enjoying its dynamic, child-centered learning environment. National grants, partnerships and media recognize the Museum as one of the best children’s museums in the country. With an emphasis on learning through play, we encourage children ages 6 months to 8 years to develop into curious, adventurous lifelong learners.