We stopped by here for a road trip pit stop since it participates in the ASTC reciprocity program…read more The kids' area was much smaller than I had anticipated (though my kids still had fun!), and unfortunately the planetarium was closed for renovations. The special exhibit was about bikes and the natural history portion was a weird mix of taxidermy and fake animals. We also checked out the art area which had a good collection by local artists and school children. Very laid back place to visit and stretch your legs, but I'm glad we didn't go out of our way to check it out.

It was such a joy to stop here to break up our trip back home. This is the perfect place to spend…read morehours with kiddos young and old. They have lots of natural discovery zones for little ones to go to and immerse themselves in learning and play. They hd numerous lego stations with guided learning or just independent play. A huge sized connect 4 game offers a delightful opportunity to play with hand sized discs and drop them into the slots with your partner or kid. My husband and I played several rounds of this together! Then there's the planetarium with several shows planned throughout the day. While the show was a bit pixelated for modern-day technology, it was completely fascinating and enjoyable. The program walked us through the spring sky and the constellations we could find. The program was designed with specific memory clues that were repeated a few times so that even an adult with challenged short-term memory would come away with new knowledge and tricks to recover the information again and again. Read the blip about Pathagaras and how math and music work together... then follow the sheet music and tap the colored pipes with flip-flops to play familiar songs! Y'all I can't say enough wonderful things about this place. The museum area had so much entertainment that we never had the chance to make it to the art gallery side of the building so I can't speak to that. But let me say, this was so worth it! We spent 2 & a half hours there and could have stayed for another two in the museum alone. Each one of us was sad to leave. It is apparent that the museum staff is incredibly dedicated to what they are doing there. Each person was glad to be there and was joyful that they were giving kids the opportunity to expand their imaginations. I do hope to come back again soon!

Yelp 100 2026 #8…read more Marbles Kids Museum is a wonderful children's indoor and outdoor play area. There is an upstairs and downstairs with different themes throughout to help keep any child engaged. The giant piggy bank upstairs, mini scooters downstairs, to the ABC new high in the sky cam. Visited when my flight was delayed to help my little get her wiggles out and she did not want to leave. It was chilly during my visit but there are outdoor play areas available as well.

We visited Marbles Kids Museum today (Sunday). Street parking was free and plentiful this morning…read more En route to the museum we grabbed coffee and got there at open. 2 adults and a kid is $40 (you can get military discount and also purchase tickets in advance online) It's a busy place but also large and we never felt it was too crowded. There are so many spaces for little ones to explore and try! Definitely enough for a couple hours with a 3 yr old. Would recommend for anyone with 2-7 years old kid, probably a highlight for our daughter.

We had the best time at the children's museum in Jacksonville! My two boys, ages 2 and 4, had an…read moreabsolute blast. There were so many different rooms filled with interactive displays and hands-on activities--we easily spent the entire afternoon exploring and playing. It's clear this place is well-loved and well-maintained. The staff was friendly and constantly tidying up to keep everything clean and inviting. It truly feels like a hidden gem! There's plenty of parking, and I really appreciated that you can bring your own snacks and drinks to leave in the checked bag area--so convenient for moms! If we lived closer, I would definitely grab a membership. It's such a great value and a perfect spot for regular visits. My boys are already asking when we can go back!

It was great! It was clean, you get a LOT of value for the money, and the kiddos loved it!! We will…read moredefinitely be back :)

The NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Downtown Greenville has its own parking lot and parking is…read morefree. The historic Cuploa Building (1916) was renovated to become the museum and it is ADA accessible from a side entrance that has an elevator. I liked the design of the museum but I thought there'd be more exhibits. The Deep-Sea exhibit is where I started and enjoyed that. Then I saw a fish tank without any fish. There were some reptiles too; a large children's area; hands on areas for children; taxidermy and some minerals. Admission is free.

New address 226 W. 8th Street. Nice and new, clean. My grandson, 5 years, enjoys learning the…read moreocean and creating a race car, manatee hand puppet and "feed a manatee ". He did not want to go home. We recommend this fun museum, donations suggested.

The NC Museum of Natural Sciences was the perfect way to spend a very cold, wet, afternoon in…read moreRaleigh. It was a few miles from our AirBNB, so while we had to drive, there's a large parking lot right across the street. I'm not sure if parking is normally free, but it was on this particular Saturday. No one was monitoring the gate or could figure out how to pay, so we didn't. I *think* the sign said it was normally $5 on days they do charge or monitor. VERY reasonable. The museum itself is FREE unless you want to see an IMAX movie, which is reasonably priced. If you're into dinosaurs, plants, geology, or natural science in general, you'll enjoy yourself here, but the museum definitely adds a local flare and incorporates NC history and geography. While the museum is kid-friendly, it is not kid-focused. It is family focused and for all ages. My husband and I are child-free and had a great time. Of course, we are nerds and had science classes together in college. I do think this is a great museum for kids who are school aged and able to read well and ask questions. It is probably not the best option for toddlers or preschoolers when it comes to museums. The museum hosts birthday parties, and a group was there for that- what a fun idea! If you visit, plan to spend a morning or afternoon here- it definitely takes a few hours to see everything but not the full day.

I've lived in NC for almost 4 years and this was the first time I visited NCMNS! My friend had won…read more4 tickets to the whale exhibit and invited my husband and me to join. We met at 10am right when they opened. We easily found street parking and since it was on a Sunday, it was free to park. The museum is huge! I was so surprised by how large and open it was. All of the staff were friendly and knowledgeable here. We interacted with an employee in the whale exhibit and he was fantastic. The museum is incredibly clean and well maintained. There's so much to see and do. You can easily spend over 2 hours here. I especially loved the geology section, taxidermy/skulls room, and my favorite...the dueling dinosaurs!! It was SO incredible watching paleontologists work on this massive fossil. This part of the museum absolutely made it to be a wonderful experience. This is a great museum and it's free! I donated a little to the museum and also made a few purchases, one being a magnet and another being a beautiful $75 sulfite mineral. This was definitely worth our time and I'm so happy we finally visited!

Always a fun interactive experience when you visit Kidzu. They have lots of places to explore and a…read moregreat craft room. Today we are a 3D dinosaur and cute puppets. They are expanding and will have a new location in a few years. This is always a fun afternoon.

As a family new to the area, we were on a mission to find kid-friendly spots that could help my…read morelittle ones burn off their endless energy (because let's be honest, parents understand the struggle! ). This place is like a magical wonderland for kids! They have the largest art room I've ever seen--seriously, it's big enough to host a small art heist! And guess what? Everything in there is free to use with the cost of admission! I felt like I hit the jackpot! Plus, there's a rock climbing wall, which is a nice touch. Nothing says "family fun" like watching your kids scale a wall while you sip your coffee and contemplate your life choices! The place is decked out with fun artwork and quirky characters that make it feel like a playground straight out of a storybook. And they even have a treehouse! I half-expected to find a squirrel in a top hat serving snacks up there! Located in a shopping plaza, this spot is perfect for hitting up before or after errands. Who knew you could combine grocery shopping with a mini adventure? I highly recommend taking your kiddos here for a day filled with fun and laughter. It's a win-win for parents and kids alike--because a tired child is a happy child!

I will gladly drive the extra five minutes it takes me to get here than to go to Fayetteville for…read moretheir children's museum. Exploration Station is worth the drive. Nestled in downtown Lumberton, Exploration Stations is a well-built and cared for children's museum. The clean and tastefully decorated interior is perfect for young children to upper elementary in age. My family was warmly greeted by the employees, and they were genuine in their interactions with us. Near the front, there is a lovely space to do birthday parties and have cake, while being separate from the food-free rest of the facility. The rest of the facility is an absolute blast. There are more areas than I have pictures of, and my littles loved every spot. The favorite area was the ship, as it has a second level and sound effects to imitate a cannon firing. They even have a dedicated area for small children who cannot walk. It truly has something for every young child. Parking can be found along the street or in a side parking lot, so we had no issues with finding space, even though they were hosting a birthday party while we were there. The bathrooms are clean and bright. I could tell even before talking with one employee about the cleaning schedule that the materials are well cared for and routinely inspected for cleanliness and quality. I could spend a whole day here, but we unfortunately we were coming close to their closing time and had to leave. This definitely will be a place I keep in mind for my youngest kiddos next birthday. It's truly a magical place.

The scheduling was easy, the work was great and the price was better than expected. It is a…read moreconvenient location and a clean shop with quality workmanship.

It would be better if they sporadically went and sanitized items. Especially in the toddler room…read moreinstead of just collecting items throughout the day. Some areas are better than others. Some have a ton of toys to play with, and some have absolutely nothing in the area. It's a good place if you have a toddler and want them to run around and burn some energy off

I'm honestly shocked this place has any good reviews. It was so dirty and all the toys and displays…read morewere old and dingy. In the toddler room, all the plastic toys had no batteries. Everything looked dirty and ancient. The reading area was so dingy my friend said "looks like we are about to get bed bugs." There was a school group absolutely destroying the place when we arrived in the display areas. Not a single item was where it belonged (all the food in the grocery area, the mail in the mail area, etc was wrecked). The children were running completely wild with zero supervision while the few chaperones stood in a different room and didn't put a single thing back where it belonged. I can't believe I paid $20 for this and our kids didn't really enjoy it. My toddler who barely talks said "messy, clean up." The hand sanitizers didn't have actual canisters of hand sanitizer, they were empty. Good thing I brought my own. Place looked like a germ factory. Go to Marbles or Rockingham for a good children's play space/museum.

First time coming here, and I would give 5 stars if not for the exorbitant pricing. Adults costing…read moremore than kids at that, for a kids museum has always rubbed me wrong. But this place is quite expansive with several areas including wildlife, butterfly and insect garden, a train tour that takes 2 laps around (might as well get it for the $6 a ticket), and several outdoor play areas including a tree house and mist/water areas. Place was crowded, but there were still plenty of spaces available at 10:30 in the garage. If I lived closer, I might consider a membership to save costs, but I live too far currently to justify that. The cafe food was mid, and again too expensive. The pricing for me knocks a star off, but if you've never been and are prepared to spend a couple hundred bucks for the day on a family of 4, you'll probably enjoy!

We spent a day at this location while visiting family in North Carolina. We had a lovely experience…read moreand found the location to be quite expansive. There is a lovely wildlife area, butterfly garden, fun little train tour, an outdoor treehouse, and more. The price was quite high, but I imagine based on the number of staff and the animals that this location is quite expensive to maintain. The little gift shop was also great with lots of children's games, clothing items, toys, and more. If I was in the area I would definitely consider an annual pass. All of the staff were lovely from the train driver to the ticket takers. Fun location!

The Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park has opened the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Museum since my last…read morevisit. The museum is across from the park on Goldsboro St and admission is free. The museum and gift shop are together in the suite so it isn't a large museum but there is a lot to look at and read as well as a tv to watch the magic at work. The museum is where you can learn more about Vollis Simpson and his work. The large hands are impressive to see featured as he made beautiful works of art with scrap metal. He was a machinist by trade and artist in retirement. In WWII he built a windmill to power a washing machine to clean the clothing of soldiers. He took ordinary objects and made something amazing with it. His mechanical creations that move in the wind started out on his farm then later moved to the park when he could no longer take care of them properly. Smaller whilrligigs can be seen up close in the front window but remember not to touch them although it is tempting. After visiting the museum, be sure to go in the park to see the fifty foot creations. There are several restaurants to choose from within walking distance of the museum too. I highly recommend visiting so that you can learn more about this remarkable man.

Wow... amazing and unique and intriguing and entertaining... what an amazing and nifty find in this…read morelittle town - only a few miles off of I-95. Worth a visit!