Imagination Station
Imagination Station
4.5
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
Make Imagination Station, Toledo's Science Center, your family's destination. In addition to your favorite exhibits and attractions, we always have something new. In 2014, a new simulator film, Over the Edge!, joined the High Wire Cycle, the BOYO, the Gravity Room, eight Learning Worlds and hundreds of interactive exhibits, activities and demonstrations!
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
347 reviews
Excellent
226
Very good
96
Average
19
Poor
3
Terrible
3
Jeffrey Koslowski
Canton, MI675 contributions
Apr 2022 • Family
The Imagination Station is a very well done Children's Museum with a lot of different attractions. For anyone with young kids in the midwest, you really should make this a priority.
There is a movie theater built on that requires an extra ticket. If you've never been before and you have kids, you probably won't have time to do everything. There are a lot of hands on activities all throughout so your kids will be challenged and edu-tained throughout your stay.
The high wire bike is popular as it runs over the main plaza. There will probably be a wait so don't get too hung up on that. The sideways room was my daughter's favorite as she treated it like a slide. There will probably be a wait for that one too. What makes this place extra nice and different from your typical children's Museum is how the exhibits are built. They aren't plain rooms with the exhibits and stations but really well thought out scenes where kids feel like they are at a hospital or grocery store. They put some really good thought into the aesthetics and look of the areas. The sections are broken down by age appropriateness and sensory modalities. Some areas, like the tinkering room, may not do as much for the younger members of your party while the younger age sections may seem boring for the older kids. There truly is something for each kid if not everything.
There is a movie theater built on that requires an extra ticket. If you've never been before and you have kids, you probably won't have time to do everything. There are a lot of hands on activities all throughout so your kids will be challenged and edu-tained throughout your stay.
The high wire bike is popular as it runs over the main plaza. There will probably be a wait so don't get too hung up on that. The sideways room was my daughter's favorite as she treated it like a slide. There will probably be a wait for that one too. What makes this place extra nice and different from your typical children's Museum is how the exhibits are built. They aren't plain rooms with the exhibits and stations but really well thought out scenes where kids feel like they are at a hospital or grocery store. They put some really good thought into the aesthetics and look of the areas. The sections are broken down by age appropriateness and sensory modalities. Some areas, like the tinkering room, may not do as much for the younger members of your party while the younger age sections may seem boring for the older kids. There truly is something for each kid if not everything.
Written April 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wkend_getaway
ClevelandSuburb36 contributions
Jan 2023 • Family
This museum was formerly a sister museum to COSI in Columbus (and was labeled COSI back then as well). It has many wonderful interactive exhibits for kids 12 & under. Curious kids over 12 and adults can have a blast here, too. This could be a whirlwind hour visit or an entire day of experiential play. We enjoyed our time!
Written January 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bet543210
209 contributions
Mar 2020 • Family
What a fun place to visit! We spent the weekend in Toledo and came here on a Sunday morning. Spent two hours in the exhibits and the kids just had a blast. Our favorite part was Mind Maze in the basement level. There is a small cafe but we didn’t eat there, and a gift shop with a bunch of science related items at the entrance. Park in the lot across and down the street and walk through the underground walkway.
Written March 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jill Z
2 contributions
Jun 2022
Absolutely wonderful!!! We were in town for a family reunion - we took our son (8 yrs) to the Imagination Station and we all loved it. The exhibits were all very well done and the variety of topics was amazing. All the hands on stuff kept his attention and kept him busy for hours and hours. Money well spent.
Written September 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jules
Coffs Harbour, Australia11 contributions
Apr 2023 • Family
Bloody excellent little museum. Kept the kids and I busy for hours. LOVED the Guiness world record section. Great price, awesome space and really well done museum.
Written April 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carol P
3 contributions
Aug 2022
We had an absolutely wonderful time at the Imagination Station! There is so much to see and do. Fantastic experience for the kids. They did not want to leave and we ended up going through every exhibit twice. Very educational and enriching. Done very, very well.
Written August 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ann E
6 contributions
Mar 2022
Excellent children's museum. Go mid-week; not busy at all. The best hidden secret is the Tinkerlab on the first floor. Bring an idea and they will help you create it. Perfect for a budding engineer. The staff was incredibly kind.
Written March 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2326_10
Wauseon, OH2 contributions
Jul 2011
Arrived on Sunday July 17, 2011 at 3:20. All we wanted to do was to see body's revealed! The attendent said it would take about 1 to 1 1/2 hours to see body's revealed. I said i will take 6 $9 tickets to go see this. The attended said it would cost $18 because we had to pay for imagination Station also. I said even if I wanted to see it I would not have enough time. I only want body's revealed. She said can't do that $18 please. No wonder COSI closed down. Cost is way to high What a rip off. We left without seeing body's revealed. It would have cost us $108 for 1 and 1/2 hours and on top of that parking. They would have made $54 if they would have just sold us the one ticket. What a ripe off . Tell all my friends not to go.
Written July 18, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew G
Monroe, MI142 contributions
Mar 2018 • Family
I chaperoned my son’s second grade field trip here and was blown away by how much there was to do. The exhibits are so interactive it got the kids thinking hard about solving a problem whether it was building a flying object, controlling water flow, or building a marble route. My son is begging to go back and we will!
Written April 5, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
slina77
Toledo, OH38 contributions
Mar 2018 • Family
The Imagination Station is a science center that is located in what was once a downtown specialty shopping mall known as Portside Festival Marketplace. The science center frequently changes their main exhibit near the front entrance. Sometimes they bring in a traveling exhibit, while other times they may create one of their own. Currently the exhibit is called Build Toledo: Engineering our Future, which allows kids to build with all types of materials including LEGO’s and K’Nex. The next exhibit will be Body Works RX! The rest of the building has stayed pretty steady over the years with an awesome area for your children under 5. There is also a water area, where kids chan change the flow of water, they do live science shows throughout the day, there is a virtual ride, a high wire cycle, a human yo-yo, a mind zone, energy zone, health zone and a cafe.
Overall the science exhibits are fun and interactive. The food in the cafe is usually pretty good and while eating you get a view of what’s happening on the Maumee River. My kids always love the hurricane simulator and the mind zone area, plus many of the other exhibits.
The reason I marked it down a star was because of the gravity room in the mind zone. The kids always have fun, but be aware that it can make you quite dizzy or give you motion sickness as it really messes with your balance. I say this because if you have small children and you are easily bothered by this type of motion, I wouldn’t send them in without another person. The area is rarely manned by an IS worker, even though I’ve been assured multiple times that someone is supposed to be in there at all times. Once when we were in there, my 2 and 6 year old were with me and no one was manning the area and kids came in backwards and lost their balance and knocked my two year old down and he ended up with a huge rug burn on his forehead. Another time, the place was so crowded in that area and kids were going in and staying in and no one was telling them to get out. They filled the entire space near there and all I wanted to do was pass through and the parents would t let me through with my stroller. This last time was a little better, the first time we went in there was an employee that was inside helping people the through. When we went back, no one was there once again and kids were staying in extra long, coming in backwards and jumping up onto the walls and hanging on the rafters, even though there are clear signs saying not to do that. The room can be dangerous and should have someone in there at all times. When a person goes on break, another person should always be there to relieve them. For the safety of all of the kids that visit, this seems like it would be a requirement, but it isn’t. In fact, I rarely see anyone manning any of the exhibits except the 3 rides and the science show.
I find myself cleaning up after other kids all the time. For instance with the build exhibit, I was trying to clean legos that had been thrown about and my husband and I were picking up the tubes that were thrown all over and wouldn’t have taken much to step on and break. Having a person walking through once in a while and picking up things like that would be nice. It would just make the place so much better for everyone.
I think the science center is a lot of fun and engages students in science, but I really think there should be a few more employees who walk through exhibits making sure things are running well and cleaning up areas for kids that are coming through.
Overall the science exhibits are fun and interactive. The food in the cafe is usually pretty good and while eating you get a view of what’s happening on the Maumee River. My kids always love the hurricane simulator and the mind zone area, plus many of the other exhibits.
The reason I marked it down a star was because of the gravity room in the mind zone. The kids always have fun, but be aware that it can make you quite dizzy or give you motion sickness as it really messes with your balance. I say this because if you have small children and you are easily bothered by this type of motion, I wouldn’t send them in without another person. The area is rarely manned by an IS worker, even though I’ve been assured multiple times that someone is supposed to be in there at all times. Once when we were in there, my 2 and 6 year old were with me and no one was manning the area and kids came in backwards and lost their balance and knocked my two year old down and he ended up with a huge rug burn on his forehead. Another time, the place was so crowded in that area and kids were going in and staying in and no one was telling them to get out. They filled the entire space near there and all I wanted to do was pass through and the parents would t let me through with my stroller. This last time was a little better, the first time we went in there was an employee that was inside helping people the through. When we went back, no one was there once again and kids were staying in extra long, coming in backwards and jumping up onto the walls and hanging on the rafters, even though there are clear signs saying not to do that. The room can be dangerous and should have someone in there at all times. When a person goes on break, another person should always be there to relieve them. For the safety of all of the kids that visit, this seems like it would be a requirement, but it isn’t. In fact, I rarely see anyone manning any of the exhibits except the 3 rides and the science show.
I find myself cleaning up after other kids all the time. For instance with the build exhibit, I was trying to clean legos that had been thrown about and my husband and I were picking up the tubes that were thrown all over and wouldn’t have taken much to step on and break. Having a person walking through once in a while and picking up things like that would be nice. It would just make the place so much better for everyone.
I think the science center is a lot of fun and engages students in science, but I really think there should be a few more employees who walk through exhibits making sure things are running well and cleaning up areas for kids that are coming through.
Written March 24, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jenn H
South Lyon, Michigan23 contributions
How long does it take to walk through museum? Thanks!
Do you rent battery power carts
pep1per
ohio city63 contributions
You could call Imagination Station at 419-244-2674, 10 A.M. to 5 P.M.
Extra charges after admission
slina77
Toledo, OH38 contributions
Only if you want food or a locker. The only other cost is for the simulator for non-members. Not sure if it is free for reciprocal membership or not.
AlansGirl1
Detroit, MI3 contributions
Can you rent power chairs/scooters for handicap patrons? I can't find anything online, or on the website about it.
slina77
Toledo, OH38 contributions
I just saw something that said wheelchairs are on a first come first serve basis. So I would definitely call and double check.
Farmergirl1017
12 contributions
Can you bring your own food and water into imagination station.
Moses33
Toledo, OH73 contributions
We brought our own food, sat down in the cafe and ate. We didn't hide that we were doing it, employees saw us, and no one said anything or bothered us. Others were doing the same. Not supposed to eat elsewhere in the museum, although we saw people doing it.
mandi41381
Perrysburg, OH
Do they still offer valet parking?
Imagination Station
Toledo, OH
Hi, I work at Imagination Station. We no longer offer valet parking. If you go to the website under Directions and Parking there is a map that highlights the 10 parking garages surrounding the science center. (I tried to paste the link but it won't let me.)
All members of Imagination Station receive discounts on parking at the garages highlighted in pink. Members at the Family Plus level and above receive free parking which is also highlighted on the map.
If you visit on the weekends, metered spots on the street are free.
cmorgan4
Colorado Springs, CO11 contributions
What are the fees for entry and are there discounts?
prieger8868
Toledo, OH87 contributions
Hours & Admission
Normal Operating Hours
Tuesday – Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Sunday: Noon – 5pm
Monday: CLOSED
Imagination Station Is Closed On The Following Holidays:
Easter – April 16
Fourth of July – July 4
Thanksgiving – November 24
Christmas Eve – December 24
Christmas Day – December 25
New Year’s Day – January 1
Imagination Station Is Open On The Following Mondays And Holidays:
Start of the New Year- January 2
Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January 16
Presidents’ Day – February 20
Spring Break – March 27, April 3, April 10, April 17
Memorial Day – May 29
Labor Day – September 5
Monday – December 26
Admission Prices
Big Kids (13 – 64): $11
Kids (3 – 12): $9
Seniors (65+): $10
Children 2 & under: Free
Discounts*
Lucas County Residents
$1.50 admission discount
FREE Saturday admission for Lucas County kids, 12 & under, with paid adult admission. Limit 2 children per adult. (Proper ID required)*
Teachers
Teachers receive FREE admission. (Proper ID required)
Teachers receive a 10% discount on memberships. (Proper ID required)*
Military:
Active Military personnel of all branches receive FREE admission. (Proper Military ID required)
Active, Inactive and Veterans of all branches receive a 10% discount on memberships. (Proper Military ID required)*
Group: Discounts apply for groups to 15 or more.
Imagination Station (Toledo) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Imagination Station
- Imagination Station is open:
- Sun - Sun 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
- Tue - Sat 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Hotels near Imagination Station:
- (0.06 mi) Renaissance Toledo Downtown Hotel
- (0.32 mi) Homewood Suites by Hilton Toledo Downtown
- (0.40 mi) The Casey-Pomeroy House
- (0.32 mi) Hilton Garden Inn Toledo Downtown
- (2.93 mi) Hampton Inn Toledo / Oregon
- Restaurants near Imagination Station:
- (0.05 mi) Brim House
- (0.04 mi) The Heights
- (0.11 mi) The Chop House - Toledo
- (0.08 mi) Focaccia's Delicatessen
- (0.11 mi) Kyoto Ka Downtown