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.

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences has a number of exhibits in 2 buildings connected by…read morea skywalk (1 open, 1 enclosed). It's technically a free museum although donations are appreciated, and for a "free" museum it really exceeded our expectations. There is literally something from everyone, including a room where you can explore drawers of items. Loved the fish feeding at the aquarium too. The whale skeletons are definitely impressive. We spent 3 hours, but could have spent another 2. Definitely a great spot for kids and adults alike!

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 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!

We went to the reenactment today and it was spectacular! It's hard to pick any one favorite thing,…read morewell maybe the calvary cause the horses were beautiful! Well organized, super nice staff and something for everyone regardless of "which side" you're on. The campsites were interesting and folks eager to speak with us. Not one single negative interaction! A+++ and 1000% recommended!

This is the very first Civil War monument I have ever visited in my life. I found it quite…read morebeautiful, informative, and (of course) very sobering. That time was such a tragic one for our country, on so many levels. The visitor center portion of the monument is small, but educational. Its visual displays cover the background of the war and what led to the battle that occurred on these hallowed grounds. The brief-but-informative intro film (shown every 30 minutes) was a great introduction to the war (especially for my daughter, who somehow managed to get through 12 years of public school without any knowledge of the Civil War). There's also a walking tour with 10 miles of paths available to wander through the many monuments in the area, as well as a driving tour with accompanying (free) audio app. I found the driving tour a bit confusing, but still interesting. We did get out at one of the locations for a 1.5 mile loop walk through one of the battle locations. We spent about 2 hours here but I feel we only skimmed the surface of what their was to see. It would be interesting to devote even more time to this memorial if ever I return.

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!

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 Johnston County Museum is a newer museum located in Downtown Smithfield. It is located in the…read moreformer Rose Department Store and right next to the Ava Gardner Museum. Admission to the museum is free and there is free street parking or a parking lot behind the museum. The museum is well laid out and easy to view the different sections while you learn about Johnston County. There is even a gift shop. Make sure to check out the museum while in Smithfield.

I popped into this place for a teacher workday with my two sons who are under a year and just under…read more6 years. They really liked it. My younger son played in his area while the older one pretended to be a construction worker and a fire fighter and a race car driver. It was a lot of fun. I would love them to have more food options for kids but I loved my latte. We enjoyed our time - Well spent.

The place is alright. They did a nice job decorating for Halloween and the workers did the best…read morethey could cleaning up but it's a bit sparse with toys. The back room with darker lighting doesn't have much equipment and some of the toys seemed dated and needed to be replaced. And for $15 per kid, no free coffee or tea for parents seems a bit cheap. I did like all of the seating for parents though.

Although the museum was small, at least admission was free. I noticed that all of the paintings on…read moredisplay were created by artists who are from North Carolina which adds a local touch to the typical art museum.

This is a very small but charming free contemporary art museum in Raleigh. We really enjoyed the…read morelocal artists from Western NC featured during our visit. The space is intimate, which makes for a personal and unique experience. We're looking forward to their reopening and can't wait to check out the new exhibits. Definitely worth stopping by if you're in the area -- a true hidden gem!

Based on from what i gathered, the museum will close in October 2024 for a renovation to be…read morecompleted in 2027? Considering the 2nd floor was closed the day I went plus admission was free, this was definitely worthwhile to check out. So much history going back to the Indian tribes and the Confederecy to the Wright Brothers, albeit some of it not so pretty, but it's the truth and it needs to be remembered and not hidden. Museum row here is on the smaller side. Metered parking on the street. Will definitely be back after the renovation!

Visited with elementary aged kids during a day trip to Raleigh. Everyone enjoyed the museum…read more(surprisingly with kids) and found something they were interested in. There are exhibits covering everything from NC sports heros to the Revolutionairy War. I would love to see some areas get a little more detail but the basics are all there and having room to grow isn't a bad thing. The location is in the same complex as the natural history museum - right across the road from the legislative building and nearby to the Governor's mansion, so if you're seeing the sights this is an easy stop to add. It isn't massive but there are many exhibits so you can spend as much (or as little) time as you want. Being free, it's hard to beat.