Totally incredible way to spend an afternoon with my family - these museums have it all! Since we have a family membership (which I highly recommend), we typically pop in for an hour or two at a time, focusing on different areas of the complex in Oakland every time we go. Our daughter seems to enjoy the dinosaurs the most, but she's also intrigued by the art collection! My favorite part is the Hall of Architecture, filled with many incredible casts of facades and sculptures. Just the fact that they have casts of the Venus de Milo and Nike of Samothrace is unbelieveable - I don't think that casting of these timeless works of art is even allowed anymore. Don't miss out on the basement kid's room, because it's full of hands-on activities for the young ones.
We will definitely keep our membership current as the years go on - it's timeless, and always fun!