Is a family trip to a science center worthwhile with pre-kindergarteners? Yes, according to Parents magazine, which conducted a survey of the more than 150 science centers in the United States and discovered about a third of them have galleries designed for kids 6 and younger.

The magazine's September issue also came up with a list of the country's 10 best science centers, with an emphasis on those catering to younger children with hands-on exhibits and family-friendly experiments.

They are:

  • The Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, Ohio

  • The Exploratorium in San Francisco

  • The Museum of Science in Boston

  • Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, N.J.

  • The St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, Mo.

  • The New York Hall of Science in Flushing, Queens, in New York City

  • The California Science Center in Los Angeles

  • The Sci-Port Discovery Center in Shreveport, La.

  • The Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia

  • The Maryland Science Center in Baltimore.
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