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!

Downtown New Bern is home to The Pepsi Store, otherwise known as the Birthplace of Pepsi Cola. The…read morestore is located where, back in 1893, Caleb Bradham developed "Brad's Drink." Brad's Drink was created as a digestive aid containing pepsin and kola nuts. It was renamed Pepsi-Cola in 1898. Today, the Pepsi Store is a soda fountain, a museum and a gift shop. Caleb Bradham's original pharmacy was a wooden building that burned down before he died in the 1930s. A new brick building was constructed after the fire. The museum is in both the soda fountain side of the store and the gift shop section, too. You can read about the history and see the original fountain tools, Pepsi bottles, advertising, and antique collectibles. The walls and pillars have a lot of detailed signage. I didn't try anything at the Soda Fountain as I don't like Pepsi, but I kind of regret not getting a float. I think it would have been fun to sit at the fountain. But I was too busy reading about the history. Apparel was a big item in the gift shop; they had had socks, t-shirts, sweatshirts and even baby bibs. Tumblers, books, puzzles, stuffed toys, key chains, magnets, decals, signs and stationery (greeting cards and postcards). Restrooms were also available inside, which is a great convenience for those walking around downtown. I got to see Bradham's house on the New Bern Trolley tour, the Slover-Bradham House. It was built in 1848 and is a beautiful Greek Revival mansion. Whether you are a fan of the drink or just a fan of North Carolina history, this is a must-stop in New Bern. You can go back in time and see where Pepsi began.

This is such a fun and unique spot, especially if you enjoy history, souvenirs, or anything…read morenostalgic. The store has a great selection of Pepsi merchandise, collectibles, apparel, and gifts, and it's neat knowing you're visiting the birthplace of such an iconic brand in New Bern, North Carolina. It's a cool little stop for both locals and visitors, and definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.

The Queen Anne's Revenge Conservation Lab is located in Greenville, NC. Once a month, on the first…read moreTuesday of the month, the lab is opened to the public for tours. Reservations are required for the free tours but it is easy to make a reservation on their website. In 1996, Queen Anne's Revenge which had been named La Concorde as it was a French slave ship was found off of the Beaufort inlet. The boat was 103 foot with 40 cannons and sunk on the Beaufort sandbar in 1718. In 2003, QAR Conservation Lab was formed in Greenville as they needed a bigger facility to work. Archaeologists work at the facility to uncover; preserve; clean; identify and catalog the artifacts. This is a very long process. Some of the artifacts took 9 years from when they started until it could be displayed at the museum. The artifacts are covered with concretion which is a mixture of shells, sand and debris that latch on. So they start with xrays to see what is inside. The artifacts need to soak in a tank to keep them wet. Then archaeologists have to use air scribes (it reminded me of a dentist drill) to remove the the concretion. The artifacts then need to soak to desalinate and this can take many years. Electronic reduction is used to help stop corrosion. Anodes get attached to artifacts to help the process. The warehouse has some parts of the hull structure; a 12 foot anchor that weighs over 2000 pounds; cannons; cannon balls; and much more. Some of the small artifacts were found in the sand. So far, 30 of the cannons have been recovered among the hundreds of thousands of artifacts. I had no idea how much was involved in getting items from the sea to the point they are ready for the museum. I have much respect for these archaeologists preserving history. I highly recommend taking a tour at QAR Conservation Lab as it is a unique experience.

I highly recommend I toured this museum when bi was a little girl and hageva picture on the…read moreoriginal Queen Anne Pirate Ship. Greenville has alot of historical places and history no one knows about.

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.

I had heard such good things about the Imagination Station in Wilson I decided to take my…read moregrandchildren there for an outing since they had never been. As we walked up to the entrance there is a dinasaur. The kids loved it but it could definitely use a fresh coat of paint. The gentleman at the front desk was very nice and helpful describing the 4 floors so we would know what we were doing. The first and 2nd floors were definitely entertaining for the kiddos. They loved the area on the 1st floor where they could race lights that moved at the speed of animals. They also loved the weighted scales and exercise machines. The 2nd floor is reptiles which the boys loved! From there it went downhill...the 3rd floor is the history of wilson which may be good for adults but not young kids. The 4th floor we found out was administrative offices so we couldn't go on that floor. In the foyer there are two kaleidoscopes and the kids absolutely loved those.. At $6 per person I was a little disappointed but the kids seemed to be happy so that's what matters.

Everyone there is so nice! I love seeing the new exhibits and always enjoy seeing the animals. I am…read morealready looking forward to seeing what will be next!

Aurora Fossil Museum is located in Aurora, NC. The museum is in two buildings and there are three…read morefossil pits (two official and one left over from a festival) that you can dig. Admission is free for all of this. There is even a parking lot. Some of the fossils in the first building are local fossils that came from a nearby phosphate mine. But others are from all over the world. The other building across the street has mostly gems. The museum has a nice gift shop and restrooms if needed.

This is a very remote field trip, so plan accordingly. Bring food, bring water, and bring your…read moreenthusiasm....and if your knees are bad, a lawn chair. This place will appeal to the dinosaur enthusiast in all of us. YOU WILL find stuff....teeth, shells, occassional vertebrae. They get dirt drops 2 or 3 times a year from the local phosphorus mine. The mom and pop that set up this venture support their two museums with donations, so buy something at the shop or make a donation because this place needs to continue. Otherwise, the only cost is your time and patience. They are warm, friendly, and very knowledgeable, so bring your finds to them for id. Guaranteed, you will learn something. Parking is abundant and free, and bathrooms are available. You and your kids need to experience this place so come on to one of the neatest experiences in NC.

The Tobacco Farm Life Museum is located in Kenly, NC. Admission was $10 but when I checked in on…read moreYelp it had a deal for $5 admission! We watched a 15 minute or so video when we first arrived that went over planting tobacco, harvesting it and preparing it to sell. There was a lot to it. While the museum's focus is on the tobacco history, it also covers agriculture; medicine; education; and general life in the area. Some of the museum is inside the main building and there are buildings outside that you can enter or peak into. I highly recommend visiting this museum.

Trip back in time. Interesting museum and the buildings are in excellent condition and staged with…read moreperiod pieces appropriately.