The Original Playhouse Children's Museum in Ballenger Creek

My son had a horrible experience with another child right before we were getting ready to leave (he left in tears). The lady who works at the front was very nice and apologetic and the other child did apologize, however we will not be going back.

My daughters favorite childrens museum! We spent five hours here! She gives it a 100/100! Very clean, lots of activities ( see picturesfor young children and they offer birthday parties on the weekends. The owner is very friendly and great with kids.Check out the cute cafes across the street for lunch or a snack!

A true gem where kids can be creative and explore original play. Kids and parents can truly step away from electronics and the sensory overload that comes with it. Best kept secret for birthday celebrations! Ellen understands the value of play and imagination for our little humans. She possesses a sense of community and kindness - hallmarks of small business that can be hard to come by these days.

We highly recommend the Original Playhouse if you’re planning your child’s birthday party. Ellen and her team made everything possible and were very accommodating to our needs. The kids (and parentshad an awesome time playing together in each and every room they have, with many different environments and activities to choose from.

All was okay until 10 minutes after we arrived when we were asked to leave because there was a private party about to begin. Why weren’t we told when we called about parking out back? Or even when we were checking in and struggled with no stroller due to steps and lack of convenient access? Maybe the teen at the front desk was more interested in their social media account than a customer. They were clearly distracted and in a hurry ti get back to their phone at check in.Otherwise, we’ll. probably return for the sake of our kids that sort of liked the place - different expectations of course. We’ll probably do the same as was done to us and book the place for ourselves as a party to avoid a crowded venue.Word to the wise; drop off in the front and park around back and leave the same way.

This place is amazing. Thank you very much to whoever created this space for the little ones. My baby is only one, but he enjoyed playing the instruments and exploring colors and textures. We will be back!!

2.5yr old had a fantastic time this summer afternoon. Lots of age appropriate friends. The time was put into this place, and it deserves the recognition with every kid getting a chance to experience it.

Highly recommend. This childrens museum is small but packed to the gills in quality, well-curated toys and activities. My two boys (6 and 4easily play here for 3 hours+ every time we come. Ellen is so kind and welcoming, and her love and respect for kids and kids play is so evident in how she has put together this childrens museum.

Love this place for when its too hot or cold outside, or just boring.They have many kid activities that can be adjusted for many ages. They have a little of everything for all kids and its a good way to socialize a pandemic kid without overwhelming them.

Very cute house filled with toys. Each room has a theme and a cute setup. My kids love going there. The entry fee is also affordable.

My toddler was entertained and engaged for over 3 hours. It was so fun to watch her explore and find so many different ways to play.

So glad I found this Playhouse! My children ages 6,5,3,and 18months all greatly enjoyed! Clean, happy, friendly environment with LOTS of options. Real wholesome imaginative and hands on play. The crafts were especially fun! Looking forward to spring when we can try out the backyard too!

As longtime visitors who just celebrated a birthday party here, we are so thankful to have this museum in our community. The guests were relaxed and engaged with activities for all of the two hours we had the facility, and everyone from ages 3 to 42 found fun things to do and space to roam. No one had to wait turns or argue over wanting the same activity; there was plenty of entertainment for everyone. Normally when Im throwing a party I barely get a chance to talk to my guests for being so busy with hosting and managing my own socially-anxious kids. This party at TOP was the first time I could visit with everyone Id invited because the museum director helped facilitate all the parts of the party, and my kids werent jumping on me or my partner since she offered an extra pair of trusted hands. She even helped with taking photos so I could be free to enjoy our friends, many of whom we hadnt seen in months. A+!

I don’t do reviews much this place deserves everything I can add to it. My kids (ages 2+ 4and I are from out of state and we drove an hour to get to This place. It was well worth it and would do it again.As a parent I am so intrigued by the amount of detail and thought into this concept. It is a place for parents/adults to step out of “life” and simply play with children. I wish we had something like this close to home. Each room has a theme/concept, that can allow for different ages and different learners to all enjoy. Dress up, arts and crafts (the amount of crafting items is every child’s dreamlots of building/thinking toys. The owner was incredibly genuine and sweet. She was helpful and you can tell she has put her heart into this business. The outside even has a playhouse, sandbox, diggers for kids, slide and bridge. My favorite part was being able to play with my kids and keep them within sight/same area . The concept of just cleaning up before we left each room was awesome. Teaching the kids about responsibility and cleaning up after themselves. Most children’s museums are pretty messy because kids move from one thing to another and don’t “have” to pick anything up. If your thinking about visiting with your kids don’t think twice! GO! You will have the most memorable time. We spent about 2 hours here and could have stayed longer!The only thing I’ve felt a little bad about is maybe we should have taken our shoes off ?! I might have missed that sign. 100% recommend. Beautiful place in a really nice area.

I was here with my 3 year old granddaughter today. This museum is amazing! Lots of fun and educational things to do. She was entertained for hours.

Great place for our grand daughter’s 4th birthday party!

Good old fashioned electronics-free fun! Its so nice to see kids without their eyes glued to a TV or a tablet in-hand. This is a fun, creative, and well-thought-out play house where kids can let their imaginations run wild.

went here with my daughter today. so glad we found this place. at first we were the only ones here wich was great. the owner is a absolute sweetheart. couldnt of been nicer. we had a great time. you have to appreciate a place like this. two floors with multiple rooms..bathroom on each floor. love it , will definitely be back.

As others have said, this is place is a gem! Lovely reuse of a historic home in downtown New Market. The Playhouse is full of opportunities for imaginative, hands-on, child-led play. I’d say it is better for younger kids, that is ages 2-8 or so. Great stuff!

Absolutely love this place! I took my daycare kids, ages 1,2, 4 and 7. They all had a amazing day!!!

Had an amazing time with my 2.5 yr old, she really loved the ice cream and arts and crafts. Will definitely be going again.

We always have such a wonderful time here! the kids love it and there are so many fun interactive things to do! Forr a kids museum, Im impressed at how clean she keeps it! I highly recommend this for your kiddos to enjoy as well.

My wife and I have taken our 3 year old granddaughter to what she calls the museum 3 times in the last few months. Its a lovely place for toddlers which provides several unique rooms on two floors with plenty of space for the little ones. The owners have combined history, art, and anthropology in the various play-spaces which makes for a number of wonderful teaching moments for both parent and child. Our granddaughter loves the little stage on the second floor with the costume collection that is provided for the children to use. The first floor has what we consider the project room which has various art supplies, small stools and a large table for the children to be creative on. Outside in the back is a controlled play area for children to explore and play in the castle as weather and season permit. The Childrens Museum in Newmarket is absolutely a wonderful place. It caters to toddlers and brand new toddlers so there isnt the problem of mixing much older children with the little ones, The owners frequently change the themes in the upstairs rooms with hand made and absolutely terrific creations. This month Michelangelo and the Renaissance are part of the fun and theres even a mini replica of the Duomo for the children to play around and (both parent and childlearn about. The Childrens Museum is a relaxed, safe, age appropriate and welcoming place to bring your under 5 year old. I strongly recommend a visit.

Took the kids here today when we couldnt get into the place we wanted to originally go. It was very nice for kids I recommend it highly for toddlers. My kids love dressing up in the costumes and playing in the water tables. Very reasonably priced too.

What a wonderful place for kids! Many rooms offer an area to use their imagination & pretend play. Bright, colorful and lots to do!! Id recommend it for the kids & us "old" adults loved it too!!!

What a wonderful place for little kids! My 3 girls have loved coming here since they were toddlers. The owner is so nice and helpful. The rooms are filled with fun toys but are not cluttered. There are educational toys but also just fun make believe dress up spaces too!

This was our first time going, Ive been wanting to visit for a while but was unsure if my son was too young. Hes now almost three and he LOVED it. We played for 2 hours! The top floor is mostly imaginary play so he was the perfect age and the bottom floor could definitely be for younger children, coloring and fine motor activities like legos, gears, train table. They also have a playground outside. We will definitely be back!!

What a wonderful gem. The owner is fantastic and very caring. My two year old had a blast and is looking forward to going back. Everything is well thought out and very kid friendly.

Amazing place that fosters creativity, imagination and pure fun. It is clean, organized and externally well run. My children (1,3 and 5LOVE going here. The owner is the BEST!

Having been to other childrens museums, this one allows the kids to use their full imagination instead of relying on high tech exhibits with lights and sound to hold their attention. The outdoor section of the childrens museum was well constructed and each of the different rooms was well balanced in terms of its own unique theme and space to exhibit ratio. Highly recommend stopping in here if youre passing through or if you live locally and have never been before. Your kids will love it.

This place is the best!! My 2 year old absolutely had a blast! The decorations, stations, rooms, are all thoughtfully set up and very clean. Will definitely be coming back again.

My 3 YO daughter absolutely loves TOP. All the different themed rooms and opportunity for creative play make for a fun-filled afternoon. We are somewhat new to town and very much looking forward to playing outside on the Caterpillar Trail as the weather permits. When our friends come to visit from out of town, it’s always a hit with the kids!

My girls loved this place! SO much to see and do, we cant wait until we come back again. Plan to spend the day, because you will need plenty of time to explore and play in each room and section!

Our daughter and son in law had a party for our 6 year old grandson, the place was very appropriate for children of that age, lots of things for them to do and explore. I liked the costume room where they can dress into their favorite heroes or for girls, all kinds of dressing choices. One down side, in the bubbles room the floors stay wet, which is the room you have to cross to get into the ancient Egyptian history room, and since you have to have your shoes off; of course everyone socks get wet. My suggestion , when a group is coming sugest to bring extra socks for everyone. Great place other wise.

Very fun for a day off of school. Lots of things to do for every kind of kid. We could have easily stayed all day!

Absolutely the best interactive childrens playhouse, museum and learning center Ive ever been too! My nieces had a blast and after 3 hours, we still hadnt done everything they have to offer! Ellen was the best and we will definitely be back very soon.

I brought my friends twin 6 year old daughters and they had a great time. The next morning they woke up and asked if they could go back 😀 Definitely a great place to bring youngsters who want to get out of the house and the rain! It is clean and the owner is delightful.

We enjoyed our time at this cute Children’s Museum. Perfect rainy day trip. It is like a 2-story house. First floor had the arts room, water room, and engineering room. Second floor had the rainforest room, farm room, and stage-play room. The owner was very nice and welcoming. I wish they had a parking lot as the parking is a side-street parking on a semi-busy road. Anyway we had a great time here and highly recommend this place!

This place is amazing! The owner, Ellen, is a true pleasure. My niece had her 4th birthday here with kids as young as just beginning to walk to 5 or 6 year olds. EACH room is themed from arts and crafts to a water room with a giant water table and a human bubble apparatus (so cool!), to a jungle room, a dress up room with costumes that stretch well beyond girly princess things and allow for lots of gender neutral dress up. The Building themed room was my fiancées favorite with legos, gears, blocks of all sizes and more. There is a beautiful outside play area that we didnt get to enjoy because of the weather. Based on a one visit price (the only pricing I actually remember), its a steal! Super accommodating for my disabled mom (the birthday girls grandmotherwho was in a wheel chair. Street parking and lot parking available. I wish I actually lived in the area so I could go back with my nieces often! Reminds me of a more personal, home-y feeling Please Touch Musuem like in Philadelphia, but more compact and way cleaner! I cant say enough great things as a teacher and former childrens librarian.

I recently went there with my great grandson and enjoyed watching him have such a great time using his imagination. I highly recommend that any grandparent or great grandparent go to watch kids play how we used to play back in our day! It was so refeshing!

Perfect for my 3 year old. She played for 2 + hours. We could revisit often!.

It was average at best. Nothing really stood out that was over the top cool. The price was affordable and the staff was courteous. The no shoe policy seemed strange and there was a lot of people walking around barefooted and it makes you nervous about what a child could potentially pick up from that. Clean and organized was a plus as well.

Parent approved, Kids love it, lots to do! What more can I say about this place that has everything you need to keep your kids engaged? Turn off the TV, the tablet and iPhone and head out to the original playhouse. Great environment, great pricing! Lots of fun!

This place was a great meet up for our moms group, Middletown Moms at Home. All the rooms are different themes and my toddler had a blast! When the weather gets warmer the backyard fairy garden will be loads of fun!

We love visiting the Playhouse and Ms. Ellen! We started going last year when my son turned 2 and he is always asking to go back. Its definitely a nice change of pace for us!

Unique kind of place with each room of the house has something different to do. Theres a dressup/play room with a stage, a vet clinic to help stuffed animals, a craft room and a sensory/building room. The rooms are a decent size but can crowd up easily with just a few people. The kids have a lot of fun. Rooms dont seem to change, so youll always know what to expect, but it might be less exciting after a few times of visiting. Overall, worth checking out!

My kids love it, and its great on a sunny or rainy day. Its the only venue of its kind that Im aware of in the county. We spend most of our time in the engineering and water areas. There is an area on the upper level that changes periodically. I asked my 6 year old to help with the review."It has a lot of things to play with and I like the giant bubble thing. I like the water room and the veterinarian room, and I like the jungle."One word to describe it from a 6 and 3 year old: "Awesome" & "Fun". A great local business, and definitely worth a visit.

Catch the five visits for $45 deal, it is well worth the cost. My just turned five year old finished all the rooms (and gardenwithin a little over two hours. There werent other kids there her age to play with, mostly younger, so I bet if she had some other five year olds to play with she would have lasted longer. We plan to come back once a week or so during the summer because she enjoyed herself and Im hoping the more we go the more creative she will get as she becomes more comfortable to the facilities. It is a small childrens museum, but it is well done and very quaint. There is a no shoes policy, which my kids prefer over shoes anyway! The water room was a hit for my just turned two year old. My five year old preferred the rooms upstairs where she could dress up and use more of her imaginative side. I would recommend this to anyone with children ages 2-8/9 based on my own children and the children I teach. Great adorable indoor place to play. The only thing that would make it better would be a picnic area, but there truly isnt room for one and they maximized every square inch of space they do have in very creative ways. Love this place, the adorable art work on every inch, and the owner is SO sweet and gets to know all the guests.

We took my daughter here for her 3rd birthday and she loved it! My son was 1 and loved it too. The owner is very nice and included my daughter in helping her make gack, she thought it was hilarious! A lot of different rooms with different things to do. Got a little crowded once a field trip came, but overall a really fun time. I would highly recommend for a fun day out!

Took my 5 and 6 year old yesterday with 4 of their cousins. All children had a wonderful time. The owner was wonderful. The Playhouse encourages children to play, be responsible, and learn at the same time. From the mouth of my 5 year old, "This is the best day ever!" Its great to have such a wonderful place here in the Frederick area.