Yelp 100 2026 #8 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. read more

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We visited Marbles Kids Museum today (Sunday). Street parking was free and plentiful this morning. 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. read more

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Great place for kids of all ages. My 6 yr old grandson played with the wood trains for almost an hour. (They do need replacing as they are worn out a bit. There is so much imagination. My 1 yr old grandson was having a ball too. read more

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In town for the State Fair, we had a few free days in Raleigh. With some free time, we decided to take the kids to Marbles. Both our younger middle schooler and kindergartener were happy with the visit. Both found fun things and although the younger ones have a little bit more available the older kids can still find a lot to entertain them. We went on a Friday afternoon so the crowds were very light which I'm sure helped the experience being so awesome for us. Both kids favorite experiences were the painting area and the sports sections. read more

Marbles Kids Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Marbles Kids Museum in a Nutshell: A vibrant wonderland for little ones (toddlers to 3rd grade)! Downstairs = epic play kitchen, splash zone, pirate ship, submarine, & chill low-sensory room. Upstairs = sports galore, artsy fun, and even animated art! Crowd favorite? The exploding piggy bank in the money zone--pure kid joy! read more

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Marbles is a large kids museum in downtown Raleigh with a truly massive variety of activities for kids. Some of the top attractions were an electrical exhibit area, musical instruments, water tables, and sports equipment. There are activities for kids from 1 to about 10. We spent nearly two hours playing and marbles and still didn't get to every attraction. It is the biggest and probably best kids museum I've seen. The price for two adults and a kid was under 40$ and they have some discounts available for first responders etc. if you're in the area with kids this is a must do in Raleigh. read more

Marbles Kids Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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I took all 4 grandkids, ages 10-months to 17. All 4 of them had a great time. There is so much to do and for such a wide age-range. read more

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Came here on a weekday with my five year old niece and she had a blasty blast! We were visiting from out of town and wanted to give her some time to run around. This place was great for that! She could run and play and touch everything! Just what she needed. Very interactive playgrounds and spaces. My only complaint was that the A/C was broken in the Moneypalooza room and it was so hot my group had to rotate turns staying with my niece and breathing fresh cool air outside the door. read more

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Wow, this was an amazing museum! There was so much stuff for our toddler to do. For example, there were some really cool stairs that played music as you walked up them, and then at the top there was a dance area where my toddler had an amazing time! Upstairs also had an arts and crafts area where kids could express their creativity through drawing, painting, etc. Downstairs, there were a whole bunch of different play areas, ranging from a kitchen with tons of cooking utensils to a news helicopter with cameras included. When we went, the museum was busy but not crazy busy, so we didn't feel overwhelmed at all. Parking was also simple, with a garage right next door. I will say that we didn't really see any marbles in the museum, which was a little surprising given the name :) But still, 5 stars! It was a really great time. read more

Updating my review as Marbles has continued to remain awesome as my soon gets older. First off it is very affordable to visit for the day, especially compared to some other spots in the area. I still love all the variety you could go on a Saturday and go back on Sunday and do completely different things. The new updated water play area is a great addition. My son still loves spending time at the train table (although kids keep accidentally stealing trains), our next biggest hit is the electricity room upstairs. The lego wall is a big hit as is their painting wall. The technology in their travel drawing room still impresses me everytime too. When the weather cooperates the garden in the back is great as is the front music/sand area. We go on the weekend and either try for street parking or park in the city deck right across the street. read more

Marbles Kids Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Marbles 21 Adult event review: I appreciated the Wizarding Wizzard event for what it offered. There were plenty of adult version games to participate in or just be a spectator on the sidelines. A nice change of pace for something different. I can honestly say I had the most fun playing DIY Beer Pong. You will not be disappointed in the experience and games. My only suggestion is to eat your dinner before you leave home. The Marbles21 event doesn't cater to good food options. As a museum (primarily a kid's domain) transformed to cater to adults for the event. The food options weren't great. There was an excessive amount of junk food which is to be expected for this type of space/event. Marbles should invest in insulated coverage for the pizza until ready to serve. The staff was selling cold slices of pizza. Food should not be sitting out for over two hours because it's subject to bacteria growth after that. I do feel bringing in outside food should be allowed. There wasn't any real cocktails. There were low-calorie beer/spritzer options and wine. Overall, this was a good time and it met my expectations for what I paid to receive on this visit. The experience aligned. read more

Marbles Kids Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

It's crazy how many activities there are in this place. Me and my kids spent over six hours here. We came on a Saturday as well, so it was very busy. Just make sure you know where your kids are at all times. It's really cheap to get in as well, I think it was nine dollars a person. There are two levels and so many things to do, from play kitchens, Domino's, sand, pits, hockey, a money area, an art area, a Lego area, and so much more. I wish we lived close by because we would become members! read more

This is a really fun place to bring the kids! It is very, very big and very clean! They have so many things to do including outside and inside things. The staff are very nice and I was really impressed with how many different items they have. Each room is a different theme and it kept me busy as an adult! read more

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Very well designed to accommodate different ages of toddles all the way to pre teens and beyond. We spent over three hours and then had food next door. Highly recommend the second floor area where kids can make art. All supplies are provided- and they can display their art or bring it home. There is a puck and hockey enclosure where kids can play too. read more

My daughter celebrated her birthday here and lets just say it was overwhelming to say the least. So much for kids to do that I couldn't keep up. With the number of kids coming in and out of the play areas around the clock I wanted to see more sanitizing going on cause there was alot of coughing and sneezing going on. Not a lot of seating area for parents and even when parents try to engage with their kids it was hard to be able to play with other kids wanting to get to the equipment as well. I really wish they had a quiet area for kids to decompress after a full day of playing. read more

Definitely a cool children's museum to visit. Lots of stuff to do with you preschool & Elementary age kids. Two floors of fun! The only thing that disappointed me was my 12 year old still loves children's museums and most of the activities were directed towards younger kids. We go to children's museums all over the area and this is the only one we've been to that doesn't. read more

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My 3 year old had so much fun here. This is a large children's museum with many different exhibits to keep them entertained for hours. We will definitely be back. It was very busy on a Sunday morning, so we will try a weekday next time. read more

So awesome. Great place to bring young kids. Huge area that just seemed to keep going and going and going. So many different interactive places for the kids to play. My kids loved it and would have stayed there all day if I let them. If you have kids between 2-12 this an ideal spot to take them. read more

Took a 7 year old for a visit. This place is great for kids to blow off some energy. Lots of variety. Seems to me the optimal age is 5 to 7. We spent just over 3 hours on our visit. 2 hours in main museum, 30 minutes in cafe and an hour at the movie. Place was packed with campers, so the kids were not as closely supervised as if with their own parents. This makes it hard for shy children who will not push up in line. Imax movie was a great experience. read more

Marbles Kids Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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a wonderful place to take your kids of 1 up to about 10 for a jam packed day of fun and energy burning. there is a lot of different experiences for them to enjoy. toddlers will love being able to explore and socialize with other littles. there are also areas to get messy and create. a fabulous gift shop. it is noisy and super crowded on the weekends. i would also say if you are concerned with germs perhaps not the place you will enjoy unless you walk around and wipe every surface down before your child is allowed to touch it which would be impossible. read more

Haiku: Marbles Kids Museum Welcome to Marbles Learning through discovery Play in around town. --- Marbles kids museum believes play is how children learn best. Our kid thoroughly enjoyed Marbles' hands-on fun and interactive exhibits. We spent a good couple of hours in this two-story kid museum. One of our favorite exhibits is Around Town where pretend play is king. There's a bake shop where you can roll up your sleeve and whip up sweet treats. Gear up to be an emergency responder and drive the ambulance to aid those in need. Grab a shopping cart and shop for canned goods, fruits, and veggies. Tend to cows, pigs, and chickens and plant, harvest, and sort corn and sweet potatoes on the farm. The Art Lot is another wonderful space. Paint, draw, and sculpt! Use quality art supplies and experiment with various art materials and styles. You can fill your own paint at the dispenser and let your imagination run wild while painting (or fingerpainting) on the wall. We made a couple of Christmas tree ornaments using popsicle sticks and bedazzling them with ribbons, pom poms, and glitter glue. This museum is in decent shape and they keep it relatively clean and organized. There are a couple of exhibits where parts of the attraction weren't working. Parking: Marbles doesn't have a private lot. Paid street parking is available. For $9 a ticket (reserved in advance, online), I'd come back and bring my kid. She had a blast because she immediately fell asleep on the way home. read more

Great place to take kids of all ages it's even fun for adults. It's best to buy tickets online for a quick check in.

5 stars on the most fun museum in raleigh. Truly the best time! Kids love it and it's so easy to keep everyone happy! Two stars on the staff that makes it so difficult to purchase a membership (in person)!! Beyond frustrating!! I just want to come back and be a member why is that SO HARD!!!! read more

We always have fun visiting here. They continually update the place and keep it clean.

Great place for kids with accommodating sensory play. Fairly priced for the experience. We enjoyed the quiet room and the option for headphones. All of the play is educational, but this aspect doesn't take away from the fun. read more

Staff does not pick up any toys or reset activities through ought the day meaning families later in the day pay the same price but do not get a comparable experience. A lot of stuff to do for kids but still $50+ for a family of 4. read more

This museum has a lot to offer younger children. We have visited multiple times. Today most areas were in disarray. We saw only one area with a staff member in attendance, the art area. No one was apparent in any other area we visited. No one seemed to be providing any routine organization of materials or play structures . This was very different from past visits. The cafe was also not up to past visits. Tables were dirty, debris on the floor, garbage cans for disposal were covered with serving trays necessitating opening storage area below to discard trash. Grilled cheese took 15 + minutes with only one person ahead of us. Disappointed today especially after positive previous visits read more

If you have kids and you haven't been here then you're doing yourself a disservice it's a great place for kids. If you stay long enough they won't cry when it's time to leave or get them a souvenir at the gift shop read more

This place was a lot of fun. We brought our 11 month old so we only had to pay for us, mom and dad. We went on a Saturday and it was pretty chaotic. Children were running around everywhere. I do believe ours was a bit young to bring as some kids nearly ran him over. There were a couple rooms more his speed where he could walk around and explore objects. I appreciated the bins on the walls for parents to place any toys that got into kids' mouth. Good job, Marble. There was a designated room for eating to further keep other rooms sanitary. Children were clearly having a blast. Moms were chasing around kids and dads were sitting on benches looking at their phones to steal a moment of peace lol. We will probably visit again once our little one is a bit older. Otherwise, it was a fun time. I recommend going on a weekday to avoid the chaos and crowds. Don't forget to get your tickets online before you leave the house. They have designated time slots for you to arrive based on your tickets. This makes for a seamless visit going in, as I observed a conflict with someone who did not have a ticket and was trying to walk-in. Have fun! read more

Marbles Kids Museum - Children's Museums Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Great place for kids to have a variety of understanding experiences. We are regulars coming at least once a month. However, today the music on both floors is way too loud. I don't know why it's different today but it's highly distracting and is not conducive to learning experience. read more

Marbles ceases to amaze the little ones. There is so much time do you could come everyday for a month but the kids will feel like it's the first time every time when they discover something new. Can we a little over crowded just depends on the day you go. Early in the day during the week and weekend are usually best. read more

I've looked through the other more recent reviews to bring something different to the table, so here goes! First, my credentials are as follows: mother and I've worked in the children's museum field, which specializes in evaluation and development. The pros: 1.) Very affordable! My family is military, we paid about $18 for an adult and child. As a point of reference, if you were to attend the Boston Children's Museum it would cost $18 per person. Affordable parking on the street (2 hr limit) and parking garages (we paid $6 for close to 4 hrs). 2.) The variety of programming is quite amazing and it's not a stretch to see grandparents, parents, preteens, 5-7 yr olds, and toddlers all enjoying the same space. Can you imagine the amount of thought and planning that had to go into creating a space like that? Kudos! 3.) The exhibits look cared for and well-maintained by the staff. I cannot point out one area that we had to skip because something was broken or worn down. Again, another testament to the quality of the museum. 4.) Overall, the environment was clean and there were ample sanitizer stations. The bathrooms were well maintained, even my 5 year old pointed that out. They have plenty of spaces for "toys that went in my mouth" too. The areas that would need improvement to raise the review to 5 stars: 1.) This seems to be an issue at every children's museum: more staff!! There's a fine balance between interfering with guest experience and keeping an area functional and organized. When I come to these places, I expect to see controlled chaos because they completely cater to children. Yet, they have the added responsibility of meeting parent's expectations simultaneously...not easy. All that to say, the craft areas where in desperate need of attention. If I was to offer a suggestion, perhaps adding a staff member during peak times would be advisable or closing it off periodically for cleaning? I'm not sure but I almost starting cleaning and sorting to get some semblance of structure. Again, not important to kids but to adults we need to make sure scissors and glue sticks can't be plucked off the floor by toddlers. 2.) Moneypalooza is a miss for me. Mostly because I'm looking at it from the viewpoint of evaluation and exhibit development. The idea is ambitious and the age groups that I saw were not slowing down to read signs with their parent's and talk about money management. While one could argue that multiple age groups can enjoy the space, I would argue that the little ones overrun the place in such a way that it doesn't foster the business/budgeting/saving/money management goals that creator had in mind. If you don't care about what I just mentioned from an evaluation standpoint, it's still a lot of fun. To invest that amount of space though, it would benefit the museum to improve the exhibit. To make the most of your visit: 1.) Go online and get your tickets before showing up. They still have reserved times and limited capacity. 2.) Bring your own snacks! They do have a small array of treats to choose from in the gift shop but why not just bring your own? After all, they do provide a space to sit down and eat inside the museum. I love that you don't have to feel like you're breaking the rules! 3.) Plan to be there for a long time! A few hours will not do this place justice. 4.) I know it gets hot during the summer but do yourself a favor and go out and see Tree Tunes (right next to Splash! aka the water tables). Whoever designed the guitar and pick combo...genius!!! There are so many surprises in this space, you won't be disappointed. In conclusion, this place is AMAZING!!! Your inner child will be inspired to play and enjoy not having to clean up the mess!!! read more

My 20-month old and 5 year old grandchildren loved it! The dress up clothes through out made imaginary play so fun on the pirate ship and the yellow submarine. read more

What a fantastic place to take kids! The Marbles Museum is located downtown near Moore Square and it very hands-on, interactive museum for children to learn about power, art, money and all kinds of life skills. The museum is very clean and colorful and my niece loved it. There is also an imax theater and I have been wanting to go to that as well. I believe you can still find coupons in the GO Play Save Raleigh book. I also went for a luncheon and the speaker talked about the importance of play and it was reiterated by the CEO fo the museum. You need to play in life and this is really a place to do that for all ages. I highly recommend this as a destination for children and adults alike. read more

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Take your kids and go!! This place is amazing!!!! There is so much to explore and so many areas to see. The museum is very clean and well thought out. Lots of staff on hand. Just amazing for younger kids. read more

Marbles Kids Museum - Map with areas - Children's Museums Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Came here with my two year old and she had a blast here! We have membership at our state children's museum so we were able to get tickets at a discounted price. The staff that helped us at the front desk were nice. They had so many different sections for my daughter to interact with including: camping, water and pirate ship, games, grocery shopping and cooking, sports, arts, money, and more! Even us as adults had a great time doing some of the activities. The gift shop has a lot of great options and parking was very easy to find! read more

Located in the heart of Raleigh is the very cool Marbles Museum. Even if you have a drive to this place, I say it's well worth it with the well-curated and diverse STEAM activities. We took children ranging from 2-8 and all had a wonderful time. The cost is very reasonable for the amount of things they offered and I would say 2 hours give or take would be enough to explore it all (but maybe add another hour if your little would want to do it all). Since we were with a tiny tot, we allotted 2 hours to ensure there were no melt downs of overstimulation. Some activities had more traction than others (we went on a weekday) but there are still beautiful spots that are not as loud if your child is sensitive to sounds. A little woodlands area, a mini stage for a mini performer, a farm to tend to, an ambulance for a future paramedic and that's just scratching the surface. I would say this place reminded me of a mix of CA's Discovery Cube, Pretend City, Kidspace, with glimmers of Ca Science Center all rolled into one. There is street parking available that you pay by the hour (can pay via an app). There is a theater right next door which is cool if you are looking to fill your day longer. We would definitely revisit this kids museum. read more

My 3 year old had a blast! We would return. Using only the mobile view of their website let me miss the $3 surcharge for same day tickets. You also have to create an account to buy advance (cheaper) tickets. I hate making accounts for museums out of town! But I guess I will do it next time... but come on, let's implement "check out as guest" folks! Street parking nearby is limited to 2 hours. The lady cleaning the art area dripped paint on my toddler. And the maker area has working saws and screws but no barriers to toddlers wandering in. Just stuff to watch out for. We will be back on future visits, armed with better knowledge of these couple gotchas! read more

Excellent spot for the kids and the kids at heart. Lots of learning opportunities. So glad this was on the list of places to go.

My kids had a blast! There was a lot to do and for varying ages. When we arrived there was also and outside event going on so that was cool that they were doing something for the community read more