Since opening in 2021, the Merced Kids Discovery Station has welcomed 88,000 visitors
The Kids Discovery Station appears to have found a foothold in Merced since opening in 2021, welcoming 88,000 visitors.
The nonprofit children’s museum, located at 350 West Yosemite Ave., is looking to build off its success by adding an outdoor exhibit with construction expected to start in early 2026.
Celine Vajdak, museum director of operations, said she believes giving children an opportunity to learn while having fun with interactive exhibits has been a hit for kids ages 0-12 in Merced.
“I think we give it an interesting twist to everything,” said Vajdak. “We’re not just an establishment where you can come and just play with your kids, but we do quality programming, right? All of our programming is designed by our education director, and everything is very play-focused, so it’s kind of a twist to school.”
“In school, you sit, you listen, but here you play, but you also learn,” she added. “You will learn that learning can be fun.”
The museum was created by UC Merced Professor Mayya Tokman, who is one of the founding faculty in applied mathematics and faculty director of the CalTeach program at UC Merced.
She spearheaded the project with fellow UC Merced professor Angelo Kyrilov and former Merced County Supervisor Lee Lor.
It started with a few pilot exhibits that were started through the UC Merced CalTeach program that were held at the Multicultural Art Center, the Merced County Library and the Merced County Fair.
The popularity of those first few exhibits led to the idea of creating a children museum.
The museum still features the three original exhibits: Innovation Island, Home Valley and Little Explorer Planet.
Additionally, the museum contains an experience exhibit that changes every few years. Currently, it’s a 1990s themed exhibit where kids can play with 1990s technology, including record players, VHS players, cassette players, an original Nintendo game system, a rotary phone and adesktop computer.
“Kiddos can experience a lot of older technology, and parents get the chance to explain some of the technology to their kiddos,” Vajdak said.
Kids Discovery Station also opened an outdoor playground in November, which features a space-themed play structure with a rocket slide, climbing obstacles and other fun activities. The playground was funded by First 5, City of Merced and Central Valley Opportunity Fund.
The museum will soon open an outdoors train exhibit and will begin construction on a a small-scale city model, funded in part, through a $150,000 matching grant from the Central Valley Community Foundation.
“The exhibit will have little streets, there will be little bikes, maybe little tricycles, traffic signs to learn,” Vajdak said. “Around it will be buildings that kiddos can walk into their exhibits, they can learn about jobs, what makes a city a city, what’s important to have in the city, but it will also tie it to the Central Valley.”
The idea behind the Kids Discovery Station was that children were underserved in the community.
The museum’s programs have helped generate 6,243 visitors, according to Vajdak. The programs include after-school programs, including science and engineering academies, spring and summer camps.
Another 10,017 kids have visited the museum through field trips, which is about 400 classes.
The cost is $7 for anyone over the age of 1 with monthly memberships available.
Vajdak says she still enjoys watching the children and families experience the museum.
“It makes my heart just grow,” she said. “Every single family that comes here brings a new story. It shows that learning can be fun, right? We can all learn through play, and there’s so much opportunity out there.”
This story was originally published March 18, 2025 at 12:00 PM.
