know before you go

General Admission is $13 for children and adults 1 year of age and older. Members and babies under 12 months are free. We offer a group rate for groups of 10 or more paid visitors with two-week advance reservation.

Amtrak: Explore & More is located approximately three blocks (0.3 miles) from the Exchange Street Station (BFX); an estimated 5 minute walk. With three Amtrak trains traveling daily between Niagara Falls, NY (38 minute ride), Rochester, NY (1 hour 25 minute ride), Syracuse, NY (2 hour 44 minute) – and 20 minute rides between Buffalo’s Exchange St. Station and Depew Station running seven days a week – Amtrak is an excellent option for those visiting us for the day from across the WNY region. Greyhound Bus: We are located approximately five blocks away from the Greyhound Bus Station, located at Ellicott and North Division Streets in downtown Buffalo; an estimated 11 minute walk.

All business visitors to the museum must check in at the Admissions Desk and are required to sign-in and out.  Staff are to escort all business visitors to their meeting location at the time of check in.

Restrooms are available on all floors of the museum. Changing stations are available in designated restrooms, including a fully accessible changing station on the second floor. For the safety of your child, we request that children are changed in designated changing areas. Family care rooms are located on the second and fourth floor. Please ask a staff member if you need any assistance.

Our museum staff disinfects all the toys, pretend food, balls, etc. on a routine basis. Our evening cleaning crew utilizes hospital grade cleaning agents in all of our exhibit spaces. Please inform a staff member if you believe something needs attention.

Visitors are welcome to use our coat room with available rental lockers. All lockers $.50 and are operable by quarters only. Please be advised that valuables and personal items should be either locked or with you are all times. Explore & More is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged items.

Safety is our priority.  In light of COVID-19 we have taken enhanced safety measures to keep our guests and staff safe. Please click here for the latest safety information.

All donation requests must be submitted online on our Donation Requests page.

Every child is different and visits can last anywhere from 1 to 3 hours.

Please check our Careers page for a current list of job opportunities.

The museum has seven permanent Play Zones: Being Good Neighbors, Moving Water, Playing Together, Building Buffalo, Lighting Buffalo’s Imagination, Farm to Fork and the Rooftop Terrace. Our temporary exhibit gallery will welcome new play opportunities to our museum on a changing schedule; currently, our Person Centered Services Community Treehouse.

Groups of 10 or more paying visitors with advance reservation will receive a group rate.  We are closed to the general public every Tuesday to accommodate large groups of 100+ visitors.  Please visit our Field Trips page for more information.

Please notify a staff member immediately if an incident occurs; security personnel are trained in first aid and will assist.

For health and safety purposes, food and drinks are not permitted on the museum floor. Hot beverages can be particularly dangerous. No outside food or beverage is permitted in the museum – visit the Low Bridge Cafe on the ground floor with food offerings designed to please both kids and adults alike.

We accept cash, Visa, Mastercard, Discover Card, American Express and museum gift vouchers. An ATM is available in the main lobby located on the second floor.

Groups of 10 or more paid visitors with advance reservation will receive a group rate. Groups of 10 or more paying visitors with advance reservation will receive a group rate.  We are closed to the general public every Tuesday to accommodate large groups of 100+ visitors. Visit our Field Trips page for more information.

Open: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, February break week, Spring break week, Indigenous Peoples Day (Columbus Day), Veterans Day, New Year’s Eve (10:00 am – 3:00 pm), New Year’s Day Closed: Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day. There may be additional closures due to severe weather. Check your local news for updates on delays and closings.

Please see our most updated hours here.

We reserve the right to close at any time. Be sure to check our website for changes due to weather, special events and holidays.

Visitors are welcome to use our coat room with available rental lockers. All lockers $.50 and are operable by quarters only. There is a $25 charge for lost keys. Please be advised that valuables and personal items should be either locked or with you are all times. Explore & More is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged items.

Lost and Found is located at the security desk on the first floor. You can call us at 716-655-5131 with any questions.  Lost and found items will be held for thirty days.

Please note: memberships are non-refundable and not transferrable.  Named member must be present for admission. Membership not valid without proper Photo I.D. Guests not named on the membership must pay general admission unless otherwise noted.

Members receive free admission for a full year of play plus additional membership benefits. A variety of membership options are available to accommodate your family. To learn more about our memberships, visit our Membership page.

Members with an Association of Children’s Museum Reciprocal Membership may receive 50% off general admission for up to six (6) people. Named Member must be present. Explore & More IS NOT a reciprocal member of the ASTC (Association of Science & Technology Centers). Click here for a full list of museums that are members of ASTC.

The BFLO Store is the largest Buffalo-themed retailer in Western New York, specializing in home and office décor, jewelry, apparel, gifts, and much more! Located on our second floor, these local products make great gifts for Buffalonians who have moved all over the world whose hearts are still in Buffalo.

You are welcome to nurse your child anywhere in the museum. If you would like additional privacy or a quieter location, our quiet cove rooms are located on the second and fourth floors.  Ask staff for directional assistance if needed.

Public parking lots, ramps, and street parking are located throughout Canalside and are a short walk from the Museum. Special events may increase parking prices in public lots.  Click here for more information on where to park in our general area.

Explore & More is an exciting venue for all ages with dynamic room, floor, and whole museum rentals available for a wide range of functions and celebrations. Visit our Birthdays & Rentals page for more information.

Photos and videos of your family are encouraged, but we ask that you do not capture other families and children in your photos or videos. Upon entry to the museum, you have consented to having the museum use your and/or your child’s image for marketing purposes.

Explore & More – The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children’s Museum seeks to create a safe, healthy and welcoming environment with exhibits and activities designed for the benefit and enjoyment of children and their families, friends and caregivers. Museum Policies

Explore & More is located approximately one block from the Erie Canal Harbor NFTA Metro Rail Station, and can be accessed by a variety of bus lines. For scheduling information or to plan your trip, please visit the NFTA Metro Rail State website.

Our exhibits are developed with children developmentally 11 years and younger in mind. Visit our Age Specific Exploration page for more information.

General admission tickets are valid all day. A printed receipt and hand-stamp is required for re-entry. As long as we are not at capacity, you are welcome to leave and come back on the same day. However, if you do leave and we do reach capacity, you will be asked to wait in an existing line for re-entry.  Timed ticketing and other ticketed events are subject to alternative re-entry poicies.

Explore & More seeks to maintain high standards of service. We reserve the right to refuse entrance or to ask a guest to leave the premises immediately without refund for any reason.

Restrooms are available on all floors of the museum. Changing stations are available in designated restrooms, including a fully accessible changing station on the second floor. For the safety of your child, we request that children are changed in designated changing areas. Family care rooms are located on the second and fourth floor. Please ask a staff member if you need any assistance.

Parents/caregivers are responsible for child supervision at all times. Child drop-offs are not permitted unless otherwise stated in a class or camp description. Adults seeking tours may do so by prior arrangement by calling 716-655-5131 ext. 2. Unaccompanied adults must present identification and must visibly wear provided tag at all times while in the museum. Lack of adult supervision of children is grounds for immediate removal from the Museum without refund.

Explore & More is designed with the needs of every individual in mind. We offer quiet rooms located within our second floor Moving Waters exhibit space, and in our fourth floor Farm to Fork exhibit. Additional information can be found on our Accessibility page.

The health and safety of our visitors, staff and volunteers are our top priority.  Any adult or child who is experiencing flu-like symptoms, fever, upper respiratory infections, diarrhea or vomiting, we ask that you postpone your visit to the Museum.

Explore & More can be found on Facebook (ExploreAndMore), Twitter (@exploremore716), Instagram (@exploremore716), YouTube, Pinterest (@exploreandmore716). Upon entry to the museum, you have consented to having the museum use your and/or your child’s image for marketing purposes.

For the convenience of all our visitors, we recommend leaving strollers at home or in the car when possible. If that is not possible, the museum offers limited stroller parking near the coat room. Valuables should not be left in unattended strollers. Strollers are permitted on the museum floor.

Unaccompanied adults (any person 18 +) are allowed into the museum by appointment for a staff escorted tour. All unaccompanied adults must sign in and provide a valid ID at the security station to receive a required identification tag from security upon check in. Unaccompanied adults must wear provided identification tag at all times while in the museum. Identification tag must be returned to security and check out completed before leaving. Any adult found lacking such identification will be escorted out of the museum by security.

Please check our Volunteers page for current information on volunteering opportunities.

Membership is the ideal way to save on museum admission, offering your family unlimited admission throughout the year.  Additional promotions and discounts are listed on our Visit Page.

Our museum and its exhibits are accessible via wheelchairs and other mobility devices. We recommend utilizing our Commercial Street entrance via our accessibility ramp and adjoining bridge.