I can't believe that RMSC only has 21 other reviews! And shame on me for living here nearly 9 years and never checking it out until now. What a cool place for kids and adults alike! I was thoroughly impressed. I'm really just throwing my 2 cents in, because I'm sure I'm not writing anything new. Currently, they have the Wild Kratts exhibition on display. A lot of cool interactive things to learn from. There were definitely plenty of young volunteers; not sure what differentiated them from actual employees. One lady had a corn snake to show and educate on. The dinosaur trail was pretty cool. The concrete pathway could definitely use some repair though, because I can see that as a stumbling/falling hazard for kids, older people, anybody really. The butterfly enclosure is small, but I managed to attract a couple of winged creatures with the nectar stick; the boys did as well. Then there's the historic section - farmhouse, schoolhouse, and barn. The kiddos mined for a gemstone, milked a fake cow, and got to hold a chicken (don't think the hen was too thrilled though), but they're pretty docile. In another building they had a touch-and-feel tank for sea stars and rays, which was really nifty. Although, that always brings back scenes from "Finding Dory". Haha! We got to pet another snake and an Australian walking stick bug (think Indiana Jones and the Temple of Dooooooom!). One tank had a couple of large axolotls. There is just so much to see and take in; it's almost overwhelming. The free lunch for the kids isn't gourmet for sure, but it keeps them fueled up for the latter part of the day. Adults can lunch, too, but make sure you have cash or checks on you; they don't take plastic. There are two playgrounds; one on the dinosaur trail and another pirate-themed one. I can see how you can easily spend a whole day there and get your money's worth. I really want to go to the Hooper Planetarium and participate in Friday Starry Nights one of these days. It may really be worth getting a membership (120 - 1,000 USD). They also host summer camps and I heard that teens (who participate in a camp) can start to become volunteers at the age of 14 (pretty much my 9-year-olds current dream). Spring/summer hours are currently Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 4 pm, with the exception of Friday evenings from 4:30 - 8:30 pm for aforementioned Starry Nights. They also host other special events throughout the year. The only gripe I had was that one of the restrooms stated that it had a changing table and even though I looked everywhere could not find one, which made it difficult to change my toddler. Whether you're young or old, if you love science, this is the place for you! Happy yelping! read more

We visited this museum because we were in Greenville from out of town and saw it listed on the ASTC Passport Program. I'm so glad we went! It wasn't as big as our science museum in Durham but it was still nice. We loved all the hands on exhibits, the cool snakes that were out, and the marine exhibits. It kept our 2 year old, 6 year old, and two teens perfectly happy and busy for a few hours. I wish they opened earlier because with little ones, you can't stay long because they get tired and need naps. Thank you for the wonderful outing! It would be worthwhile for those in Greenville to get the membership because you can use that membership at other science centers around the country. :) read more

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We love this place! So much to do! I regret not getting a yearly pass. We were here for several hours and could of stayed longer but my girls had to nap. The indoors and outdoors are just great and perfect for kids of all ages. The staff and volunteers are friendly and knowledgeable. There is also a small cafe and I was surprised that my girls got to eat for free in the summer which was an awesome plus! We can't wait to come back! read more

To be fair, the only part of this center I visited was the planetarium but it was fabulous. We went for a Pink Floyd laser show. Sound and lights were great and seats were comfy. It was dark and raining as we arrived and drove up the mountain but it looked like there was lots of nature trails, natural space and other learning resources there. read more

My sister and I attended the TSO Lazer show last night. It was great!! Can't wait for more!! This is really great for ages 4 and up, music was not overwhelming and the light show was fantastic!! read more

I went here as a field trip for school and it was the worst. My class started with the fossils which wasn't fun Mr Tim Taylor was the one who was in charge of teaching my class. He told us to be careful with the fossils because some of them were real and th others were replicas (I have no problem with the rule) but when he checked to see if we did the activity right. He didn't take care of the fossils. Also we all know that some people don't like snakes wheather it was due to trauma growing up or just overall fear. My teacher told us that if we wanted to leave the class for the snake part we could. Mr Tim Taylor would not let us leave and said that "being afraid of snakes was childish". Overall I had a good time but the mood was kinda killed when I had a panic attack and started crying because of a snake (don't judge it is childhood trauma). read more

Loved the laser show at Roper Mountain Science Center! They offer shows July through August on Thursdays through Sundays in the evening. We attended the Stranger Things laser show and loved it. Music from the theme and 1980s songs choreographed to fun lasers in the planetarium domed ceiling. Great sounds, funky lights, cool patterns and constant interesting shapes! Be aware this is not suitable if you're sensitive to flashing lights or vertigo symptoms. They also offer Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and more! It's $8.00 for non-members and $4.00 for members. The seats were comfortable and they start officially at 5 minutes after start time if you're late, don't worry too much but they actually don't let you in if you're late and they don't let you back into the room if you have to exit which is understandable. read more

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It is truly quite amazing to have Roper Mountain Science Center right here in Greenville SC. What an unique science center, so different from others around the world, as this is part of Greenville County School District, which means during the week and school days, it is open for elementary and middle school students to come visit on field trips for interactive, educational, fun hands-on lessons. RMSC has several different special features. There is a planetarium that has undergone full renovation 2017 with new projectors and light system. Various different lessons are taught mainly through movies on it's full dome screen. For the general public, every Friday night is when the Planetarium is open for Starry Night which has two to three showings in the evening to night. You DO need to have tickets which you can purchase online to see the shows, or risk coming in and buying tickets at the counter but many times, shows are sold out! If you are a RMSCA member, then tickets are included with your membership yet still need to reserve your seat. Yet on those clear Starry Nights, you can also walk to their Charles Daniel Observatory and look through it's 23" Refractor Telescope. It's still the 8th largest Refractor telescope in the nation. There is also a Living History Farm! Outdoor walking trails, butterfly garden, etc. Harrison Hall has marine life lab and reptile exhibits. New plans for large facility in the works too. Keep eyes open for those special months when it's 2nd Saturday is open to public (as it's closed on weeknights and weekends like school) for certain themes like Feb - STEMfest, Mar - Space Day, Jun - Butterfly Adventure, Jul - Blueberry Festival, Oct - tbd (in past Star Wars), Nov - Fall Harvest. There are also several offerings for their summer camps for students (elementary/middle) but need to register quickly. Those with RMSCA membership gets discounts. This Science Center is not like those from big cities around the world yet I loved coming here when my kids were young, that I had volunteered for years, then even served on the Board, and much to my delight, teach twice a week here. I'm impressed how passionate everyone is here to share their excitement. read more

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Took my 2yr old to go see the dinosaurs, he ended up enjoying so much more. He loved the animals and reptiles. We would definitely take him again. read more

I hadn't been to Roper Mountain in 28 years. I first went on an elementary school field trip in the 3rd grade which was one of the more memorable field trips I can recall. This week my wife and kids are in town visiting family. We decided to check out the Butterfly Exhibit at Roper Mountain and it was awesome. But we had no idea how much more awesome stuff we were in store for. Instead of a quick hour stop, we spent the entire day seeing all kinds of animals, petting rat snakes, conducting experiments, and having just an great time. Tonight we went to the 6pm Starry Night Show at the Planetarium. We enjoyed it so much my wife and oldest kid came back to see the observatory and go to the Apollo 11 show at 8:45. Our $60 Annual Pass has paid for itself in two days. TWO DAYS! We've had passes to other places in Greenville, most recently the Children's Museum, but Roper Mountain is by far the best we've had. Planning to go to the old town part tomorrow morning. It took me 28 years to come back to Roper Mountain, and now I've been 3 times in 48 hours. read more

Roper Mountain Science Center - Observatory at night - Specialty Schools Near Me - Greenville, South Carolina

I've been coming here forever. (note: I'm only a child). The bathrooms are fancy, but they look like a liminal space. I love the living history farm area because it is so interactive and fun. The new, big science building is super fun and it has blocks that kids can build with! I built a torii gate from Japan. I had so much fun. If I could do [insert big number] stars, I definitely would. Hope you have lots of fun here if you are going here soon. PS: they have mini melts (knockoff dip n' dots) and sensory snails (really cool fidget toys) near the living history farm. PPS: Ryan Trahen, please notice this review. I watch your videos. SILENCIO! read more

It's a cool experience, but be prepared to listen to crying children. Having 3 of mine own, I get it. It's just a mindset you have to prepare for ahead of time. Like going to the movies to see a kids movie. You know what you are getting yourself into. Once you do, you can get over it :) read more

We stopped her on our way into Greenville on the day before the recent solar eclipse. I'd originally considered watching the actual eclipse here, but they sold out the venue too far in advance. My daughter likes science centers (probably from visiting them earlier in life, though she's in college now) and wanted to check this place out anyway. We arrived on a hot August afternoon that was probably extra-busy as the center was hosting weekend activities related to the eclipse. We got our wristbands and did the short hike up the hill to the science center. They did have some telescopes and displays related to the eclipse; we talked to a physics student from Furman about it for a bit. They have a moderately sized telescope also but the wait to look through it was over 30 minutes. The inside hall had a number of classroom-like areas more for demos for younger kids. We hiked down a hill, checked out the butterfly garden, and then the natural history building (which was nice). They had demo/classrooms reminiscent of 1980s high school biology labs, and had some live animals on display. We finished up with the living history area. One of the docent/volunteers was friendly and described a lot of what they were doing. If you live anywhere near Greenville and have elementary-school kids, this place would be a great destination. It might be worth a longer drive, considering that the equivalent for Atlanta is spread out over multiple facilities. read more

This place was amazing. Our five year old loved it but I think any age will love it. It's like an aquarium, Dino world, science museum, kids museum, historical place all in one. It's a great value and we could have spent the entire day here. Very clean and beautiful too. We loved all the interactive exhibits and opportunities to touch various wildlife/ocean animals. read more

The lights are great but not worth the hassle and wait time to get in the place! And even though it closes at 10 Santa leaves at 9. read more

Roper Mountain Science Center - Specialty Schools Near Me - Greenville, South Carolina

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Laser shows.. Whatever you do, do NOT buy tickets to two consecutive shows! They make you leave the auditorium and force you to the back of the line. He was VERY RUDE when we asked him if we had to go to back of line. Incredibly poor experience because of this. read more

My Mom and I spent a day here with a 10 yr old, 2 ur old, and 15 month old. We went for their Butterfly Adventure exhibit and were delighted to find we could explore the entirety of the science center with the one ticket purchase. The little girls enjoyed the butterflies as well as some other features of exhibits in the various labs (petting a bunny named Pepper and using brushes to uncover dinosaur fossils). My older daughter enjoyed every aspect of it. They have a marine based lab where we were able to see various ocean creatures and several touch tanks (she held a horseshoe crab, a chocolate chip starfish, and pet a small shark). Others showcase life cycles and various animal species with turtles swimming in aquariums, a bee hive, and many taxidermied animals; one with insects and amphibious life; one with snakes - a couple that you could pet/hold and art stations set up along the way for coloring. They also have a Design Lab with some STEM activities. We packed snacks for the kids to have along the way and a lunch for later in the afternoon. They have several picnic shelters along the path to the Living Farm. We didn't make it to the Living Farm or the many outdoor gardens solely because the little girls needed a nap. We will be going back to explore those at some point. I would've given 5 stars, but did experience a couple of negatives. I pre-purchased tix online ahead of time for my 2 daughters and I. When I presented them on my phone, the person at the ticket counter was so concerned that I didn't have tix for my Mom and niece (who purchased their own), she failed to give me a map of the complex or a paper receipt, which I could've used towards a membership once we'd explored and decided we liked the place. You can only put a ticket purchase price towards a membership on the same day the tix are used. Also, the restroom we used (outside of the marine lab just before exiting to The Living Farm pathway) did not have a baby changing station. We later learned they have a nursing mothers room and a bathroom with a changing station in two separate lab rooms, but by then it was too late. We'd already very awkwardly changed the diapers of two squirmy toddlers on our laps and I nursed on a log bench with other patrons milling around me. Again, had I been given a map of the complex, we might've known that, but being first timers, it wasn't intuitive. read more

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Roper Mountain Lights is a non- Christian, holiday light show. It is sterilized of all religious references and entirely commercial. It is pretty and hollow. Great place to go to get into the shopping spirit. read more

The 2nd Saturday's are the best! For a low price, you get to explore the science center that is usually open for schools only during the week. The volunteers are very helpful and the event is always themed. The only downside is that they only have this event on the Second Saturday of each month. I wish it could be open to the public more but that is understandable if you can only get volunteers to work on their schedule. It is owned by the school district so employees with their id badge get in free. read more

This is truly an amazing gem in Greenville. Their camps are incredible, second Saturdays are a lot of fun, and everyone is so passionate about learning. I highly recommend if you have school age children. read more

I had good time with my wife and daughter. Marshmallow and hot choco were added plus. $15 entry fee was affordable and my favorite Christmas light decor was the caterpillar. I would go back there again in the future. read more

[Second Saturdays] Firstly, it's run through the Greenville County School System, and most of the issues in the schools (counter-intuitive ways to do things, few/frazzled employees, pretty poor safety standards) are present here. The Second Saturdays are fantastic for kids 3-10ish, with some stuff for kids up to 12ish. There's not very many kids older than that who come frequently. The science center (Symmes, top of the mountain) has a bunch of really cool physical science (sort of) experiments great for kids 3-10. There are definitely ones more angled toward younger kids (arts and crafts stuff) while some are more angled toward the older kids (trial and error experiments). The natural science building's (Harrison, bottom of the mountain) main feature is 100% the animals. Primarily the chinchilla and the snakes. They also have hissing cockroaches, a tarantula, stick bugs, and other animals that the kids can touch, along with a few labs. The Living History Farm (by Harrison) is amazing, and props to everyone for being in full period costume all the time. It's really interesting and they always have a bunch of people there teaching/selling things- potters, woodworkers, metalworkers, re-enacters. But beware: it's a fairly uneven dirt road that's about a mile from the entrance to the barn. I've seen wheelchairs go on it, but anyone with a knee injury/disability should be careful. There's also a massive garden and a smaller herb garden with labelled plants. At the back of the farm there's an actual farm area, with sheep and goats and horses and you can go in the barn and pet some of them. Kids of all ages can enjoy it. Also by Harrison is the butterfly garden, which is basically a small garden with a walking path and small creek that's very cute and it's nice to walk around and sit in the "treehouse." Next to the butterfly garden is a huge lake with a bridge and that's also nice to walk around, but kids can get bored really quickly. There are mostly shaded paths that go up and down the mountain and a shuttle that also goes between the buildings pretty often. There's also always a couple of restaurant booths for lunch/snacks. Negatives: People: there's always a ton of people unless you're there very early. Cost: it's okay if you're going all day (9-3) with 3 or fewer people. But I don't recommend this to large groups because of the cost and the smaller amount of stuff that can get done because of the large group. [Camps] Generally pretty expensive, but they're also very interesting and taught by great instructors. Awesome for school age children. However, pickup is really slow and the instructors tend to do a poor job of checking them off as they leave. Awesome camps though! read more