our Story
Hi! I'm Rachel, the founder of Little Marin.
For the first two and a half years of my daughter's life, I was lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mom. We spent our days exploring every playground, children's museum, library story time, nature trail, music class, beach, and play space we could find. If there was something for kids in the Bay Area, we probably visited it.
I knew that when I returned to work, I wanted to work with children. I had some really eye-opening conversations with my closest friends and family, and they all kept telling me the same thing: I needed to do something creative with kids.
Along the way, I found myself asking the same questions over and over: What do moms need right now? What did I wish existed? What would I have loved as a child?
I craved a place with good energy, good music, beautiful design, and a space that felt clean, welcoming, and genuinely cared for. I wanted to create an easy option for parents and caregivers—a place where kids could get lost in imaginative play while the adults actually enjoyed being there, too.
I wanted it to be a place where children could grow up making really fond memories. A place where we could invite talented creatives to share their passions and their art with children. And more than anything, I wanted a place where community could happen naturally, easily, and with zero pressure.
As a parent, I know how hard it can be to make time for friends, coordinate schedules, and plan playdates. I wanted to create the kind of place where playdates happen without having to plan a playdate—a space for easy, low-pressure mornings where kids can play, parents can chat with others in the same season of life, and friendships can grow.
I spent a year and a half researching, planning, and designing every detail of Little Marin with that vision in mind. I visited every type of children's museum, indoor playground, and immersive experience I could find, constantly asking myself what worked, what didn't, and what I would want to bring home with me.
Seeing the response from our community has been more than I ever imagined. It confirmed what so many of us already knew: there was a real need for a space like this on this side of Marin.
It feels like an honor to create a place where families can hang out, children can get swept away in their imagination, and parents can plan an awesome outing with very little effort.
I wanted Little Marin to be an easy option. A beautiful one. A magical one. And a place that families would come back to again and again.
Thank you for being here. I can't wait to welcome your little ones to Little Marin.
I really, really love kids—and I'm so happy I get to build this for them.
