We went awhile back to see Charlotte and were sorely disappointed. Hearing of her death today…read morereminded me I had forgotten to write a review. This location is privately run and not for educational purposes. More like going to a friends house to see their pets. Please consider going to an aquarium run by scientists for educational purposes.

I want to say this has been one of the highlights of my family trip. When your 16 yo his 17 yo best…read morefriend and wife all agree on this fact it says something. As adults we have this tendency to say "if I knew then what I knew now, I'd have paid more attention in school!" Well here's your chance. This tiny aquarium will impart more knowledge in a short visit than you probably take in most months if you take advantage of it. The interns and owner (a former teacher) are committed to answering questions. The things they are studying and sharing are amazing. If you go in and you want to learn and ask questions this will be an experience you won't forget. Think of the best science teacher you ever had, having an opportunity to show the world what she loves to talk about... and that is what you have here. Do yourself a favor, go, enjoy and learn!!

It was so much fun! Star show was awesome there were so many different costumes and puppets!…read moreLittle ones loved the apple orchard and the star show while the older kids can have fun with the shopping, hurricane simulator, and car building. We had so much fun and we definitely recommend it for all ages!

The perfect spot for a rainy day and your littles! Our daughter had a blast here while we were…read morevisiting and truly didn't stop moving the whole time! Everyone was nice and it was clean inside. We would get a membership here if we lived here! So fun!

Mineral and Lapidary Museum of Henderson Co: My family and…read moreI decided to embark on a weekend getaway to one of our favorite counties, Hendersonville North Carolina. Instead of hiking and enjoying outdoor activities. We decided to explore Hendersonville, a quaint little town. While walking along the streets, close to the courthouse, we stumbled upon the Mineral lapidary Museum of Henderson Co. The museum is non-profit-volunteer based, with no admission but donations are appreciative. From the outside the museum looked interesting so my family decided to go inside. I was not disappointed and can't believe there is no admission fee. The museum is located on the second floor, so you will have to go up some stairs, not sure if there was an elevator for those unable to climb the stairs. We were greeted with friendly staff members, who were eager to answer our questions. I have never been in a mineral and lapidary museum before. The museum had a wide range of minerals and artifacts, as far as I could remember there was: raw and faceted specimens, Fluorescent minerals, North Carolina minerals, diamonds (they were so pretty), geode, and fossils. My favorite fossil is the giant dinosaur. I would say the museum is an average size, not too big or small. There is enough space to walk around without feeling claustrophobic. If you are spending the day with your family or friends, I would check out the museum-all ages will enjoy it. Just to make a note of, there are limited parking spaces, since you are in the town, but you should be able to find a spot within a short walking distance. In addition, as of what I saw, there is no restroom inside the museum, but I might have missed it though. If you are in the Hendersonville area, I would recommend spending a day in the town, because there are so many things to do, shopping, museums, and cafes. Make sure to stop by the Mineral and Lapidary Museum of Henderson Co and will definitely be back with the family.

The Mineral & Lapidary Museum of Henderson County is located in Downtown Hendersonville. Admission…read moreis free but they accept donations. Paid parking is available on the street. The museum is located in the basement so stairs are required to access the museum. The museum is on the smaller side but I was quite impressed with the collection and variety. The fluorescent exhibit is near the entrance, so make sure you check that out as it is a great educational demonstration. There are gems and minerals from the area and the world. There is a gift shop as well. It is a great place to visit and explore.

The Historic Hendersonville Depot is where the Apple Valley Model Railroad Club showcases their…read moremodel trains. Western North Carolina is the background behind the trains. There are trains to see both inside and outside the depot and the volunteers will answer questions. You can tell that they enjoy showing these wonderful trains. The detail in the displays is very impressive. The Farmers' Market is nearby so you can visit both if near downtown Hendersonville.

Great for both kids and adults! It is free (donations are appreciated) and there are several rooms…read morein which to watch the trains operate.

If you have a young train enthusiast (or if you are one yourself) the Apple Valley Railroad Club is…read morea must-see! FREE admission, but I encourage you to leave a donation to support this wonderful location! Located in a 100-year-old train station, come see model trains in action! There's a G track outside and an HO track inside that spans 3 rooms!! My 6-year-old future train engineer was in railway heaven!! All the volunteers were so friendly and knowledgeable. There's a counter piled up with a variety of old railroad and model train magazines that are free to take and enjoy. Such a nice place to visit!

The Henderson County Heritage Museum is located inside the Historic Henderson County Courthouse in…read moredowntown Hendersonville, NC. The building was constructed in 1904 and is a classic revival style. Admission to the museum is free, but they do collect donations. I only explored the first level of the building, but there may be more exhibits on the upper floors. More signage would be helpful. The museum covers local history and military history. They have artifacts and uniforms of all the wars. One room is dedicated to the area's railroad history. The model trains were not working when I was there, though. There is a memorial to "Big Jim", the world's largest pig. Back in 1941, the pig weighed 2415 pounds and was four feet 8 inches tall and ten feet 8 inches long. If you are in Downtown Hendersonville, this museum is worth a visit. There is a small gift shop as well.

Cute museum that was very clean and had a inviting staff plus nice restrooms! The information they…read morehad displayed was great and my whole family enjoyed it. It's free and a nice change from the shopping on main st.

Quaint town. Expensive boutique shops. Very faith based community…read more It has a very Main Street USA feel to it. In my opinion, not a lot of great restaurants, so they need to work on that. However McFarlane's bakery is amazing! Asheville is not far, so you can always enjoy the Biltmore and the other attractions in that area. There are better restaurants in that area, but they are usually more crowded and can be expensive also.

Downtown Hendersonville is a great downtown to spend some time in. Paid parking lots are available…read morein different area, and there are some free places to park. The first thing you will notice downtown is the bears. They are all over the place and each is so unique. The bears are auctioned off each fall to provide money to charities. It is an easy downtown to walk around with plenty of crosswalks and benches to rest and watch your surroundings. Downtown has numerous restaurants; shops; museums; art galleries to keep you busy. Festivals appear to be held throughout the year as well. An antique show was occurring while I was downtown. I liked the setup that Main Street was closed but the side streets were still open to traffic.