Odiorne Point State Park is a public recreation area that opened in Rye, New Hampshire in July 1972. It is administered by the New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation. The park is located along the Atlantic seacoast in Rye, not far from Portsmouth. The area is the site of the Pannaway Plantation: the first European settlement in New Hampshire. Settled in 1622, the plantation was completely abandoned by the 1630s when the settlers moved to nearby Strawberry Banke. The land was settled in the mid-1660s by the Odiorne Family, whom the park is now named after. From 1942 to 1947, the park was the home of Fort Dearborn. The ruins of the deactivated World War II-era fort can still be seen today. Today the park is home to hiking trails, bike paths, a playground, picnic areas, pavilions, and a Seacoast Science Center which opened in 1992. My family and I visited Odiorne Point State Park this summer while we were heading to Maine for a summer getaway. We had some time to kill before we could check in to our AirBnb, so we decided to stop at the park. We had fun exploring the grounds and my two sons especially enjoyed playing on the nautical-themed playground. The highlight of the park is the Seacoast Science Center. There are all sorts of exhibits devoted to the conservation of marine and coastal environments. My two sons loved learning about whales, local shellfish populations, the local fishing industry, the fight against ocean pollution, and underwater exploration. There was even a cool gift shop where we picked up a few things. Whether you live in the area or you're just passing through like us, Odiorne Point State Park is a fun place for the whole family! read more

Seacoast Science Center - Old-fashioned scuba diving helmet - Children's Museums Near Me - Rye, New Hampshire

Located in Rye Nh at a state park on the ocean with a view of the harbor and you can walk along the walkway there's also a park for the kids to play in climbing, and swings the park is a good size and then you can walk over to the science center and enjoy there fun activities like learning about nature and the New England coast sharks whales and other wildlife species it's not that big but it's really nice to explore they have a old fort that you can climb on. The state park has a lot of trails and other fun stuff to explore worth a trip to go to but make sure that the weather is nice. read more

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My husband and I took our 4 yr old granddaughter, I think i enjoyed learning and seeing all the ocean life. It was really nice, a great learning experience and Summer even held a starfish. And the park outside the Center was a big hit. read more

Seacoast Science Center - Summer enjoying The Seacoast Science Center. - Children's Museums Near Me - Rye, New Hampshire

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I appreciate little opportunities for my daughter to enjoy anything sciencey. When the rain cancelled our whale watch, we decided to take the grandparents and kiddo to the science center as, it appeared, this would be a nice morning activity. Some truths you should know: 1) The place is tiny. Like teenty tiny. We arrived at 11 thinking we would be able to get in but they were not letting folks in until noon because they were completely at capacity. 2) You are really not getting much for the price. 3) Because of the crowd it is impossible to actually experience the exhibits. They are all handmade (cute!) but not made for the kind of space they exist in. The touch tank was nice but small. 4) You should buy tickets first before you go, otherwise you WILL pay double for parking. The views are lovely, but this was kind of a bust. I think if it were just me and my daughter going on an off-peak time, I would have enjoyed it, but add my girlfriend, and my parents, one of whom has trouble walking, and add a ton of people, it was not really all that fun. read more

My granddaughter ABSOLUTELY enjoyed every aspect of this museum. The people who were showing sea life were awesome!!! Definitely recommend this museum read more

Great caring staff. Smart. Great for all ages. Particularly wonderful for children. Olivia the presenter was terrific. read more

This is my second visit to Odiorne Park. Today I went for a celebration of life on the waterfront. I did stroll through the center and was impressed on the curatorial effort. The entire oceanfront setting is magical. Young and old were enjoying the center and the surroundings. read more

Seacoast Science Center - Children's Museums Near Me - Rye, New Hampshire

Great for kids on a rainy day. Lots of local science and of course touch tanks. Great views on a clear day too. read more

Seacoast Science Center - Children's Museums Near Me - Rye, New Hampshire

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Stopped by, the water and the views were pretty nice, but I'm pretty disappointed in the inside of the place, I mean the touch tank is cool but nothing else was that cool. read more

The older gentleman with the lobsters was great. Very informative. Nice. I really didn't care for the giant transgender pride flag the second you walk in the door. What does that have to do with science? Or children? The answer should be nothing. I'm not suggesting that they not be an inclusive place. They should be. They don't need a giant political, sexual orientation etc flag to do so. The place is underwhelming. But has potential. We won't be back, though. But I hope to see them make some changes and succeed. read more

Great for my six year old Grandson who loves all things aquatic. The trivia games were a highlight of our afternoon. Great staff, clean, healthy exhibits. Super value especially if you have a local library discount pass. read more

Seacoast Science Center - Children's Museums Near Me - Rye, New Hampshire

interactive, no rush chance to explore our local coastlines. their naturalists love what they do and it shows

The center was so clean and kept up. The workers were so kind and helpful. The only downside was the school groups.. there was way too many kids per chaperone and they were wild. My two yr old couldn't play with things and almost got run over by the kids. I don't think it's the fault of the center but maybe stricter rules. They did tell everyone to respect the public but nothing was enforced. read more

We've loved it here for decades and our kids and grandkids do too!! Just went this month and can't wait to go back when we can climb on the rocks read more

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Very BASIC exhibits half of which don't work. Don't waste your $$! Also needs a good cleaning of all exhibits!

We had a great time bringing our toddler here! Perfect for an inclement weather day year round. Since it was "off season" it was a lot less busy than I expected. We had essentially the whole place to ourselves for the first 30 minutes or so and then a few other families trickled in. read more

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I was pleasantly surprised by this place! Reviews all said it was small and good for an hour or so but we spent 2 hrs inside, doing the touch tank, looking at all the fish, AND playing with the little fishing boat they have inside. My 4YO had a blast! Parking costs $6 but it's located at a state park. There's a playground and an area to walk around by the rocky coast. While NE Aquarium has more in terms of fish, it also brings huge crowds, a heftier price tag including a lot more for pricing. We will definitely be returning to this one! Very cute read more

I think this museum is very kids friendly museum. It is a small museum. Cost me $10 to get in. Not too much selection of sea creatures. read more

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Seacoast Science Center is a cute little museum tucked away in Odiorne Park - My family and I went this past Saturday to try and give the kids a COVID safe outing. We purchased our tickets online, and checked in at the front desk. Upon arriving we tossed our jackets on the provided coat racks and started our way through the museum. I was really surprised with how small the center is, there wasn't a ton to look at - and the majority of displays were school projects put together on tri-fold display boards. I appreciate that they are including school projects from local students or educators, but just strange to pay $10 each for admission to read tri-fold boards. I will say, the views from SSC were breathtaking! It's beautiful to sit and watch the waves crash along the shore. There were a few exhibits closed due to COVID restrictions. I was a bit surprised that they were closed because the ones that were open were still hands-on exhibits .. again, strange. Personally, we would not visit SCC again.. the four of us cost close to $30-40 for maybe 45 minutes of entertainment. We MADE our children walk the museum multiple times to really get our money's worth. *I will say, the staff was very kind and knowledgeable. Absolutely nothing bad to say about them, my OK review is solely based on the price/value and experience. read more

This was my first time there, I was with my grandson who has been there a few times and loves it. I was a bit dissapointed, only one touch tank was available. The aquariums were pretty. My grandson bought a couple of things from the gift shop and the girl checking us out didn't look interested at all. My grandson is very personable and was talking to her and she was rolling her eyes. I know she's just a kid but that was not acceptable. He was trying to tell her about what he was buying and the only thing she said was to put his item on the counter so she could ring it up. Unacceptable. read more

I bring my class here every year! You can't beat it! The kids talk about it all year long and ask when are we going back!! The parents love it too and tell me every year it is their favorite field trip! Peaceful and you learn so much about our history, environmental conservation, animal life, and sea life. If you're lucky you will see sandpiper's hatching eggs. Just be careful! They actually have their nests on the sandy beach. Don't get too close just be observant from a distance. This place is awesome! read more

A must stop if visiting the Seacoast of Rye, New Hampshire. Great place to walk, explore and learn.

To start, I've been coming here since I was a child. I grew up on the Seacoast and went to summer camp here almost every year. The history and the beauty of this place are just stunning in every way. I now bring my toddler here and she absolutely loves it! I love how it is so fun and interactive for them to learn, play, and experience our local coastal environment. The staff are so friendly and kind, and it is such a treat every time we visit. There is plenty to do and see no matter the season. Another wonderful aspect here is the walking trails! I can't recommend the Seacoast Science Center and Odiorne Park enough! This place is such a treasure to me. read more

Seacoast Science Center - Sea stars! - Children's Museums Near Me - Rye, New Hampshire

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our visit was fabulous , 2 hours flew by. something for all ages.. the staff was helpful and we all learned a lot . We were varied ages . No one was bored. Next time want to try the kayaks!! read more

A little expensive, but I the name of science and preservation of the area it's forgiven. A beautiful location to wander around in, and the museum is fun! There were a few aquatic exhibits (me and my boyfriend's favorite), a touch tank, some natural history exhibits, and a section about some parts of local human history. Around the back of the exhibits is also a section on pollution and some presentations on various subjects done by students. My partner and I both had a lot of fun, and we got a bunch of pictures! read more

If you are in Portmouth and want something to do, its a nice place, that also has some history around it and you can have a little picnic in the area. Since my wife and i had the whole weekend it was a good filler. read more

One of our favorite spots! Buy the family membership, it is worth it! Kids love the exhibits inside. Outside trails are the best! They also have so many special programs throughout the year so good to be on their email list. Outdoor concerts are amazing and their summer camp is awesome. Highly recommend! Hoping the playground is fixed for next year, it has been closed this summer for renovations. read more

We went for the Big Fish Little Fish event this week and my 14 month old loved it! We'll definitely be back soon.

What a nice day at the Seacoast Science Center yesterday! The SSC team was great from arrival to departure. Plenty to do for the kids with super attentive people to educate & share fun facts about all the sea creatures on site. The property is lovely! great day! Thank you! read more

A small but effective museum. It took us (adult and 9yo) about 2hrs and that included the small gift shop. Quite a few interactive (no screen) exhibits which was nice. On a warm day it would be a gorgeous place to hang out for a picnic, tidepool, and the playground. read more

Visited yesterday with family. Educational, fun and beautiful location. Great gift shop with books and educational items plus cute ocean related toys and stuffed animals. Happy to support a local NH museum and be reminded of the importance of our oceans. Definitely will visit again and invite our friends that have kids, however I think the museum is appropriate for all ages. My 83 year old mother in-law loved it. read more

We came here with our 6 year old granddaughter. They are a small facility and have some aquarium exhibits and a touch tank. Her favorites were the touch tank and the gift shop. We did persuade her to walk down toward the water. It is a rocky beach and the big rocks are covered with algae and other slimy sea vegetation so the water is not really accessible at low tide. If you are New Hampshire resident with ID and are a senior citizen administration is free. If you have one or two small grandchildren it could be a fun place to go. If not and you don;t want to explore the ocean / rock inter-tidal zone I would suggest the Great Bay Discovery Center instead. It is free with a suggested donation, has kids hands-on exhibits, a smaller touch tank, boats (but I haven't seen them yet), and NO GIFT SHOP. read more

My wife and I got married at the SSC last month. Can't beat those ocean views! We loved having the freedom to choose own vendors, which made it the wedding that WE wanted! Choosing our vendors gave us some price flexibility which was helpful, and also all of the vendors (food, alcohol, etc.) seem to have worked there before, so it was fairly seamless. There was some staff turnover during our planning process, so some paperwork and details slipped through the cracks in the transition. However, Andrew (no longer with SSC) and Fletcher were both very nice and easy to work with, and the day of worked out just fine. All in all, we had a beautiful, fun wedding. SSC was easy to book (just do it early!) and stay in contact with, and the tent was great. read more

This place is great! Took my grandkids and they were enthralled with the tanks and the discovery room. The people who work here are so helpful and obviously love what they do. We had such a great time and will definitely go again. read more

The staff is fantastic and very interactive with the kids sharing tons of great information. Great local spot so please support it. read more

Brought all my littles and SIL and our nieces and nephews. There was something for everyone, but seemed kind of like a short visit, but we all left smarter read more

Had an amazing time with my 8yr old. Exhibits were very informative and easy for children to read and understand. The young lady who was working the touch tank was seriously the best! I wish I had got her name, she was knowledgeable and took the time to explain each animal. She was super friendly and made the whole experience really enjoyable. We had her again at checkout and the interaction was again pleasant and friendly. We had a great time and can't wait to visit again! read more

This is an awesome place to take your family for the day. Great for all ages. All kinds of marine life to look at and even handle. There is so much to look at and when you're done, go out and admire the gorgeous beach. read more

We came to visit from St. Louis. My 10 year old daughter wants to be a marine biologist. What a blessing it was to have Connor B explain things at the touch tanks, allowing her to take her time getting over her apprehension of holding the marine life. He spent well over an hour answering her questions, teaching her about the sea stars, crabs, and mussels, and celebrating when she was brave enough to hold them! It made her day (and ours)!!!! read more

We arrived at the Seacoast Science Center shortly before the doors opened, so we had a chance to enjoy the view from the shore and look through the telescope at the Isles of Shoals before going inside the building. The staff was ready to receive visitors just before the clock stuck 10 am and immediately made us feel welcome. Appropriate COVID-19 provisions were in place in the building. After checking in at the front desk, we had to decide where to start. The younger visitors headed right for the virtual tide pool and touch tank. We started with a little history of Odiorne Point, the first family and the home that is partly integrated into the current Science Center building. The amount of written information at the exhibits was just right - not TMI. We also learned about the growing NH oyster industry. Very interesting. We passed on the interactive video (game) exhibit about ocean pollution but think the grandkids would definitely want to spend some time there. We read about reefs, whales and the amazing Gulf of Maine. The staff was always available and eager to share information. Most of our time was spent interacting with the creatures in the tanks: blue lobster, clown fish, sea horses, skates, and much more. They seemed to enjoy their morning visitors. The Seacoast Science Center provided some special moments for us. read more