This is a museum located in the same building that contains the visitor's center, and some…read moreadditional space (when we were there, they were having a craft show, which we declined to visit). The museum was free, and although it isn't very large, it contained some really interesting pieces. There were some very old water pumpers, and an exhibit on firefighters. I especially enjoyed reading the old school book, from the 1800's, which was opened to a page on "Asia". It was fascinating to see what was known (or at least being taught) at that time. There were paragraphs on silk worms (they were steamed to death, to avoid damaging the silk cocoons), the Great Wall of China (in some places it is wide enough for 3 carriages to pass!), and parenting (children in Asia are very obedient and respectful to their parents, and education is very important). There were also agricultural exhibits, some rifles, furniture, a few garments, and quite a number of pictures from the local buildings. I wouldn't make a long trip to visit, but I will bring my children back, when I am in the area with them. ETA: I changed this from a 3 to a 4, because I am comparing it with micromuseums, not the Smithsonian. I really did think they had an excellent selection, which was well-presented and intereting.

I've visited the Hands On Discovery Center before and always thought it was a decent but fairly…read moresmall children's attraction. Unfortunately our most recent experiences were frustrating. We first drove out on a Monday because the door sign and online listings indicated they were open, but the building was closed when we arrived. When we came back later in the week around 4:30 PM (they close at 5), we were told admission would still be full price for both the child and the supervising parent ($22 for 30 minutes). For a museum that recommends spending 1-2 hours there, paying full admission for roughly 30 minutes didn't make much sense, especially when parents are mostly supervising rather than using the exhibits themselves. Other kid-focused play spaces in the area either don't charge adults or adjust pricing near closing time. In past visits we've also noticed that some interactive exhibits were not functioning, which makes the experience feel smaller than it probably intends to be. The concept is great and the fossil site connection is interesting, but the hours, pricing structure, and maintenance of exhibits could use some attention. With a few improvements this could be a much stronger destination for families in the Tri-Cities area.

I went here with a friend and it was fun alright…read more I've never been here before, and firstly, I went upstairs and the staff were so friendly! We had a nice chat about the Gray Fossil Center, over outside. They just dug up a new red panda skull. The entire walkthrough the building was really informative and fun. Exhibits were super cool as well. We also saw one of the Tesla Coil shows, and it was short but radical. Show lasts about 15-17 minutes and you watch the tesla coil play music with noise cancelling headphones and i'll leave that up to you to judge if it's entertaining or not, but I thought it was. This place is satisfactory alright. Very cool.

The Blowing Rock Art & History Museum is located in downtown Blowing Rock and offers free…read moreadmission, along with a convenient free public parking deck and garage. The museum officially opened its doors in 2011, but the community planning started much earlier, following a generous donation of artwork from the family of celebrated local artist Elliott Daingerfield. The building utilizes a beautiful mountain-modern design explicitly crafted to blend into the natural landscape of Watauga County. It is an impressive 21,000 square feet, but it feels like it fits into downtown. It had an inviting feel the minute I walked in. The front desk staff was exceptionally friendly, asking if it was my first time visiting before suggesting I start with the introductory video, guiding me through the main artwork galleries, and directing me to the local history exhibits upstairs. There is a large elevator to access the second level if you would prefer not to take the stairs. It features a unique built-in wooden bench. I had never seen a bench inside an elevator before, but I thought it was an absolute genius accessibility feature. The introductory video was very informative, providing a fantastic background on Blowing Rock's heritage. The downstairs gallery spaces are beautifully organized, making it easy to walk naturally from one piece to the next. I was absolutely delighted to tour the temporary exhibition "Silver & Smoke: George Masa & Ansel Adams." As a lifelong fan of Ansel Adams, getting to see an exhibit of his legendary work for free was a massive highlight. I had no idea he photographed so extensively in Western North Carolina. Ansel Adams was awarded a fellowship by the Guggenheim Foundation in 1947 to photograph all the national parks and monuments in America. So he traveled east to photograph the lush, ancient forests of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the winding roads of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The downstairs gallery space has a great layout. Immediately after the video, your eyes will be drawn to a delicate flower installation that is suspended from the ceiling. I was also drawn to a powerful wall of historical photographs showcasing early local residents and vintage landscapes of the town. Another fascinating contemporary exhibit featured a collection of artistic photographs of tree stumps. It is a wonderful reminder that you never know what a creative mind can transform into art that you will truly appreciate. If you choose to take the stairs to the second level, the Open Door Gallery utilizes the towering vertical space beautifully with eye-catching art running all the way up the stairwell wall, making the walk feel like a continuous gallery experience. Upstairs was a textile exhibit showcasing the deep heritage of Appalachian weaving, quilting, and coverlets, highlighting how mountain women used local flora to dye wool and create intricate geometric patterns to keep their families warm. This textile section blends seamlessly into the local history room, which chronicles how Blowing Rock evolved from a rugged settlement into a premier resort destination. The room is packed with fascinating artifacts, vintage memorabilia, and engaging storyboards detailing the golden age of grand mountain hotels. They even have an interactive section where you can write a postcard to someone, and the museum will mail it out for free! Make sure to stop in the curated gift shop before you leave for some great regional finds. Between the local crafts, history books, and unique souvenirs, I never seem to leave a museum gift shop empty-handed.

This place was closed due to COVID the last time we were in town but we were pleasantly surprised…read morethat they were open on July 4 when we were walking around downtown. This is a cute little museum that has rotating art displays on the bottom floor and a smaller history museum upstairs. We saw a whimsical display of chickens, and another from a collection of art from a school in California. When we were there the upstairs had an exhibit about the annual horse show in town. The museum is free to visit but we gladly left a donation.

We went awhile back to see Charlotte and were sorely disappointed. Hearing of her death today…read morereminded me I had forgotten to write a review. This location is privately run and not for educational purposes. More like going to a friends house to see their pets. Please consider going to an aquarium run by scientists for educational purposes.

I want to say this has been one of the highlights of my family trip. When your 16 yo his 17 yo best…read morefriend and wife all agree on this fact it says something. As adults we have this tendency to say "if I knew then what I knew now, I'd have paid more attention in school!" Well here's your chance. This tiny aquarium will impart more knowledge in a short visit than you probably take in most months if you take advantage of it. The interns and owner (a former teacher) are committed to answering questions. The things they are studying and sharing are amazing. If you go in and you want to learn and ask questions this will be an experience you won't forget. Think of the best science teacher you ever had, having an opportunity to show the world what she loves to talk about... and that is what you have here. Do yourself a favor, go, enjoy and learn!!

I've been meaning to post this review for awhile. The museum is undergoing some renovations. It…read morewas enlightening to learn about more of the local history. We enjoyed a self guided tour of the home and a trip to the gift shop. General Longstreet was an excellent tactician with a heart for his men. It was interesting to learn that he was often in disagreement with General Lee, especially over Gettysburg and Pickett's Charge. After the War, he supported his longtime friend and once adversary, President Grant. He was also in support of Reconstruction and healing a nation. Glad to have this museum and the very helpful curator in our community.

Mr. William Nenney's house is probably not much to look at on the outside. It's not ostentatious…read more It's really rather simple. But the hard wood floors creak with charm and the small handful of Nenney family historical pieces bring it to life. Overall, it's very well preserved and chock-full of archives from the Civil War. Beyond showcasing Longstreet, actually the interior is full of information, anecdotes and historical tidbits about East Tennessee's fascinating role during several campaigns. And since I'm particularly intrigued with both those things this visit was a real treat for me! I told my tour guide that I was just passing through and that we needed to be quick. She understood and made accommodations. She was so sweet and just let me tour around the house at my pace while she stood nearby to answer questions. You can tell she really loved giving tours, especially to the school kids as she tells me. She says, "You realize, you are walking around the same place where Longstreet marched around in his boots. Right?" Well, yeah. When you put it that way it makes this house really cool. If you want you can time your visit around a reenactment which they host seasonally. Besides that, there's no blood or gore or big elaborate exhibit at this museum. Mainly just a select few artifacts and the rest is knowledge and oral storytelling and trinkets passed down from nearby families. At the adjacent visitor center you can pull out a read from one of the dozens of notebooks, binders, and archives of paper, print and historical record. It's really great preservation work. You'll just have to visit the Nenney house to see for yourself. There's lots to learn.

Beautiful music history and great performances. Enjoyed it while on vacation! If you're in the…read morearea put it on your itinerary.

Great music. Delicious food. Great people. Had a epic evening. Highly recommend to all. Take the…read moreentire family from Grand parents to Grand children and make it a wonderful family memory. You won't regret it.

I love gemstones so getting to see where the only emeralds in America are found was so incredible…read more The mines here were originally owned by Tiffany's. You can explore a mini mine replica where it has different mining machines once used in the mines. Along with this you can learn about other gemstones and my favorite part which is getting to search and sift through your own gemstone sandbag. They also have a large shopping selection. They can turn stones you find while sifting through your sandbag into cut gemstones and jewelry pieces. Very cool experience!

Emerald Village is located in Spruce Pine, NC. It is a hidden gem that I highly recommend visiting…read more The campus is large so you can visit some attractions or all. I opted to tour the mine, visit the country store, visit the museum, and mine gems. Besides the mine, there were extra exhibits in the building. One was about the mine and the other on tobacco. At one point there were 12 mines. The tour is of the Bon Ami Mine. Some of this is accessible but to get down to the mine there are railroad ties used for stairs. The portion of the mine with the tour has everything labeled so you can read about it as you go. You just go to the top portion of the mine so it isn't claustrophobic. I was worried about that. Just watch your step as the railroad tracks are still there. They are easy enough to step over or go around but if you aren't paying attention could trip. You can enjoy the views and waterfall while learning about the mine and seeing the equipment. I liked that they had some storyboards and the small building to see the rocks with the black light. It was a unique museum to learn about mining. The country store was nice with the history of the medical office, post office and store replicas. The mill building had exhibits on twelve levels. A model railway exhibit, music room, black light room to see minerals. The only way to see this building was by stairs. This was the only part I didn't really care for but did enjoy parts of it. I did the gem bucket from McKinney Mine. It was a large bucket so after I got a feel for it, I gave the rest of the bucket to some kids nearby. A nice perk is they offer wifi to guests as I lost service in the remote location. So that helped me get to my next destination. I also liked ow well the attraction was marked and labeled so you knew where everything was.

I love it here. I am a very science-y girl, I love anything to do with science and medicine. So, of…read morecourse, I started coming here a few years ago. The planetarium shows are gorgeous, my particular favorite was one about monarch butterfly migration. The Aquarium and reptile section is so cool, you get to see these massive tortoises and an alligator named Lucy, pet sting rays, fish of all kinds, etc. You can also explore the human body section and the physics section, where you can play on a special pulley system on a physics playground. There is also a section with insects where you can take a closer look at different types of preserved butterflies. And, every three years or so, they hold a butterfly exhibit where you can watch the butterflies flutter about. They'll even give you some sugar water on your finger, and butterflies will come flocking to you and even land on you! I had the privilege of being present for it last year and butterflies landed on me left and right, I absolutely felt like Snow White! All in all, the Catawba Science Center is a family friendly learning environment that is perfect for field trips of all kinds. You won't regret visiting!

The Catawba Science Center is located next to the Hickory Art Museum in the SALT complex so I…read morestopped here too. It was about $15 to visit the museum. I had reciprocity but didn't think to ask about it and they didn't ask like is done at the other museums. The Science Center was on the small side and a lot of the exhibits were out of order. The exhibits they had seemed geared more to younger children. So there wasn't a lot there. I never found my way to the aquarium as that is apparently in another building and that was not mentioned. The planetarium show wasn't starting until 2pm so that was disappointing. I will go back with my reciprocity to see the building I missed.

This is the centerpiece of Saltville. This unoriginally named town holds more intrigue than you…read morewould probably think. The salt is a product of some unusual geologic conditions that lead animal bones to be well preserved, making this a top site for archaeology. In addition, the salt was also of enormous economic value and was a military asset during the Civil War, making this the site of a significant set of armed conflict. Some other environmental and cultural history pops up as well. The museum has several well-produced and substantial documentaries showing in a tiny theater. The two rooms of exhibits take up more time than you'd think, and I was probably there for an hour and a half or so. The $5 admission is worth it, easily. The town continues to have some unusually salty ponds that you can walk around on some paved trails, as well as some historic markers and a recreated set of salt mining equipment on the edge of town. All of these features and more can be viewed and contextualized on the museum's topographic map/diaorama. It's not a metropolis, but it is an interesting place.

Self guided tour. Small but very well organized and awesome artifacts. Information on Civil War,…read moreNative Americans, geology and fossils. They also have a few videos to watch.