Oakes Museum of Natural History

About Oakes Museum of Natural History

Oakes Museum of Natural History is a children's museum in Mechanicsburg, PA. Houses over 40,000 specimens including African and North American mammals, birds, eggs, fish, seashells, minerals, insects, and fossils. Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars by 171 visitors.

💬 What Visitors Say

• 💬Plan for a quick 20-25 minute visit if you're just browsing exhibits, but allow 45+ minutes if you want to read all the informational plaques. This is an ideal first natural history museum for young children due to its manageable size.
• 💡Take advantage of the knowledgeable staff and volunteer docents who are available throughout the museum to answer questions and provide guided tours. Many are undergraduate students gaining real museum experience, making them enthusiastic guides.
• 🕐Visit on Saturday mornings (10am opening) when the museum first opens to have a more peaceful experience, as this is the only day the museum is open to the general public (Saturdays 10am-4pm).
• 💡Explore both floors strategically: African animals are displayed upstairs while North American animals are on the lower floor. Scattered throughout are interactive play-and-learn stations for kids, plus shells and gemstones to discover.
• 💡Consider enrolling in the museum's homeschool science and lab classes or summer day camps for a more immersive educational experience beyond standard admission visits.