A child studies an insect at the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo

The Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo (JMZ) has offered education and wonder to children in Palo Alto and beyond for decades. The Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo is a non-profit organization “dedicated to supporting and enhancing” the JMZ.

The organization works alongside the JMZ to provide interactive museum exhibits, free science education classes for East Palo Alto students, and improvements to the JMZ facilities. With support from the Friends and the Palo Alto community, the JMZ is able to further its mission to “engage a child’s curiosity in science and nature.” Some of the exhibits at the JMZ include African Bats, Bobcat Ridge, Tortoise Hill and Weaverbird House, among others.

“For more than 80 years, the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo has been a place for children to discover, learn and grow,” Friends of the JMZ states on its website. “The museum’s science exhibits, science education programs, and workshops and classes create unique opportunities for children to learn about STEM academics (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) in a fun and creative way.” Donate now.