I spent about 2 hours here with my kids on a Sunday and they had a good time. The main floor has a water table area that the kids loved, a music room and an area to learn about your body. The body area had some sport activities that the kids enjoyed interacting with. The lower level had a travel wild kratts exhibit that we did not spend much time at, the climbing area, and an interactive city where we spent most of our time. On the top floor there is an art museum with some hands on play area for the kids. They also were able to paint with water colors. Parking was across the street from the building so easy to get to. They did have a cafe but the food was mediocre. I recommend eating before or after your trip. read more

Clay Center - Vet clinic - Museums Near Me - Charleston, West Virginia

On a day trip to Charleston WV we stopped by the Clay Center for our daughter. First I always judge the bathrooms as this is a perfect example of how clean a place is. They have male and female but always love to see a family bathroom so I am not fighting for my life when my kid needs to potty. It was very clean and well kept but we did go as soon as they opened. 5 out of 5 This place is 3 stories tall they do have different options stairs and 2 different elevators to help anyone explore all locations. Play options: They have a waterworks the roof does leak but they have over covers for kids to protect their clothing over all a nice water station. 3.5 out of 5 Outer space was quite lackluster and not very play forward more informative 2 out of 5 One place we loved and spent most of our time was the interactive village too cute!!! Vet, Dr, theater, mechanic, grocery store, garden, fire pit, and so much more this is by far the highlight! 5 out of 5 They did have an open and active maker space with many different options for crafts! 5 out of 5 They do have a cafe with options of food you can buy so you can play longer. 5 out of 5 The front desk was so kind and very helpful with any questions we may have had. But I wasn't sure about parking if it was free or if we had to pay. When calling back I didn't get an answer. 3 out of 5 Last but not least the price for 2 kids and 3 adults total was under $60 and when leaving for lunch we could came back to play some more. So with that it was very worth the money! 5 out of 5 Over all experience: 4 out of 5 read more

Clay Center - Entrance - Museums Near Me - Charleston, West Virginia

My friends and I had such a wonderful exploring the facilities on a short rest stop while driving through WV. There are a lot of different sensory activities for kids of different ages. There are also live science demonstrations throughout the day. I really love that there were interactive displays for children to explore different jobs in construction, grocery store, mayors office, etc. It is free to explore the facilities and we found street side parking across the street. read more

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Sold out concert with Mezzo soprano Kelley O'Connor. Neighborhood seems unsafe and parking in short supply. Theater cold and had to stay bundled up during the performance. Went out at intermission and found the only cafe in the center closed for the day, two hours earlier. You'd think they would have known a sold-out concert means $$ customers. Oh well. read more

What a fun day we had at the clay center with my little one and parents! Had I known about the basement level little city, I would have started there and spent the majority of our time exploring it since it was better suited for my 1.5 year old. But it was still fun exploring each level and seeing a great, family friendly spot in my home state. read more

The best place to take young children in Charleston, WV. Let's start by getting the obvious out of the way, ratings are relative, it's all based on what your other options are. If I was reviewing the Clay Center in a major large city (like Tampa/Houston/SF/etc.) I'd give it three stars. However, for Charleston, WV this is a solid five stars. I've been coming to WV once to twice a year since I met my husband eleven years ago. Since then we have two children, ages two and four. What I don't understand is how every year since my oldest child could walk (around age one) and now that nobody has ever recommended the Clay Center to me. Heck, even on this trip it just happened we were driving past it and my head swiveled around when I saw a huge banner with children playing on it. I incredulously said to my husband, "is that a children's museum?". We majorly struggle to find things to do in Charleston when visiting his family. Pretty much we spend the whole time with family, but that doesn't really cut it when you have two young children who want to run around a bit. Now that I know this exists, we will come here every single time we visit. Parking is to the left of the building when you're facing it. It's $3 for parking. Then admission is free for two and under. I think it came out to a little over $30 for two adults, a four year old and a (free) two year old. The floor you enter has a music area, a body movement area, and an innovation space. We were there at 10 a.m. on a Wednesday and it was pretty empty. When we go to the children's museum in Tampa it is packed, so this was a welcome surprise. The woman working in the innovation space was super nice, she gave my youngest feathers and coffee filters to shove in the wind tunnel to watch it get shot into the air. My son played with legos and built a car to run down a ramp. The downstairs area has a lot of pretend play including a theater, mechanic shop, pizza shop, grocery shopping, fire truck, etc. The kids had a blast and it's nice that the parents can just sit and relax since it is a relatively small area and all the pretend play areas open into a center area. It's very well designed so you don't lose your kids. There is a third art floor, but from reviews it seemed to be geared towards older kids/adults so we never ventured up there. We easily spent two hours here and then had to leave for nap. There is an area where you can sit and eat, but there wasn't a place to buy food. I'm not sure if that's cafe is normally open, but the cafe on the floor where you enter looked like it was under construction. Don't go out of your way to visit here, but if you happen to be in Charleston WV and have young children, this is a great place to spend time. read more

The Clay Center was by far my favorite attraction to visit while in Charleston! I will admit, after some research on their website, I was a little unsure exactly what their museum was. Turns out it's a combo of art, science, and a fun little 'career' play area for kids (But even as an adult, I was having just as much fun with it!) The price is such a great deal for what you get. It was only 8 or 9 bucks for practically 3 different areas. It seems like they also hold events and concerts here. This is a great place to check out if you find yourself in Charleston! read more

Love the little kids town on the bottom floor. It really does feel like a little town. Kids love all the things they can do in the neighborhood and town. They have a bunch of educational things and stuff to do. The Waterworks is probably the most popular, for a good reason. They have a bunch of things to explore and play with in there. I love that they have aprons, a sink, and a hand dyer all in that same room for less of a mess. The art museum on the top floor is worth looking at if you like art. If you go there expect a bunch of kids to be in the art museum though. The reason I gave this a three star is because a lot of things. Most of the stuff in the kids area is stolen (which is expected). A few things are broken in the kids area, like I said earlier are not rare. The workers really can't control all of the stuff that happens. Worth the experience, would recommend going. Just sanitize and wash your hands after going. read more

What an amazing children's museum! So well thought out. The first floor was hosting a dinosaur exhibit this month. My two year old loves the animatronic dinos. Also on the main level were an area about the body and how it works, a huge water table, and a music room with a laser harp! The lower level was incredible, too. There was a dinner, a medical clinic, cafe, bank, mechanic shop, grocery store, electronics shop, and a house being built. The level of thoughtfulness that went into the design of the town completely blows my mind. There are emergency vehicles with a laser light fire house to put out fires on TV screens. The kids can earn pretend money by working in the various parts of town and then take it to the little bank and make pretend withdrawals from the ATM. There's a working compact drill in the mechanic shop. There's a vacuum piping system for balls and handkerchiefs that pull them to the ceiling to be released. If you have kids under 8, this is an amazing center for learning and education through play! The kids were worn out after two floors of play, so we didn't even make it to the art gallery on the third floor. read more

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We had such a blast on Homeschool Day & loved the activities provided! Plus, all the imaginary play afterwards!

We attended the Haley Reinhart concert on the 14th. Great theater design. Not a bad seat in the house. The sound had to much bass and the theater was very cold. Most people kept the coats on throughout the show. I also called the Clay Center to ask if there would be a meet & greet and told there was not. When we arrived we were informed we just missed the meet & greet. read more

Clay Center - Haley Reinhart - Museums Near Me - Charleston, West Virginia

I'm just not a huge fan of this museum/center. Maybe it's because I visited the Carnegie Science Center many times and have gotten accustomed to their high quality exhibits and presentations. Or it could be Pittsburgh's art scene. But, I just wasn't too impressed. The tickets are decently cheap and they control where you can and can't bring in food and drinks. There seemed to be very few people over the age of 6 and I didn't see any of the music center. The only music I saw was a kid's music play area. Ashton's Climbing is an infestation zone for the Coronavirus. Seriously, how often do they clean this climbing area? There are so many kids climbing there, it's packed, and people are touching one another, touching the floor, and spreading germs all the time. There's a vending machine near the climbing area. There's also a water play zone, which had multiple malfunctions during my visit. It wasn't flowing as it should be, and the wheels were not turning. Employees tried to fix it but could not. There's a career play center, which is very basic. The music center is a bit more interesting, and the body experiments are pretty cool. Animatronics and dinosaurs are not very realistic, and even the kids there didn't seem impressed. The art zone is nice. It's a lot more peaceful than the kid zones. You can see quilts, sculptures, drawings, and other pieces of art. It's a good spot to relax a bit and the only location not completely dominated by kids and families. All in all, I didn't realize that this place was so kid and family focused. It's a good spot to visit if you have young kids, and it's quite cheap. But, for a relaxing and/or interesting adult experience, this isn't the spot. It does combine a few types of museums into one roof. However, it doesn't come close to the Carnegie museums. read more

Brought my 5 and 6 year old and they never wanted to leave. There's a great mix of activities, and the staff is lovely, kind and helpful. The water section and climbing structure were particular favorites. read more

I have four boys ages 17 to 7. It's fun for them all! They especially enjoy the planetarium shows.

Fantastic evening at the Clay Center with US Floyd! The band was amazing and he facilities at the Clay Center are top notch as always. The rating would be a 5 star if they didn't have the silly rule that drinks could not be taken out of the lobby. Quite ridiculous in 2018. read more

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I recently attended both the Kansas and Experience Hendrix concerts that were held at the Clay Center. The music brought back some good memories! It was awesome to listen to these outstanding artists that I grew up listening to. It was a dream to see them in person and man, did they put on an amazing show!!!! The Clay Center is a nice and appealing place. The bathrooms were clean with attendants who were present to conduct periodic checks for cleanliness. Our seating was very comfortable and the staff at the Clay Center are always nice, professional, accommodating and helpful! I am looking forward to my return to the Clay Center next month for another concert! read more

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Been here several times over the years with our kids. This trip has been like the others with one exception - multiple stations are either broke, very "weathered", and/or missing pieces or parts to actually use to complete the experience. Hopefully this was a one time thing, but only time will tell. I would suggest asking if all attractions are operational upon entering because you are paying for it. read more

We were passing through on a road trip and decided to let our 7 year old play here. The people at the front desk were super nice. Great selection of things to play with. Would definitely recommend!!! read more

Disappointed. Wheel chair accessible because of the open space, but nothing they've put in is wheelchair accessible. My son was excited for the fire truck but could not walk into the cab because the seat are bolted down. Nearly everything is too high for a child in a wheelchair to access or play with, including the water exhibit. read more

We have taken my grandson here for several years during Christmas visits to the area. His favorite thing is the Ashton Climbing Sculpture. He spends an hour climbing up and down multiple times from bottom floor to the top. The interactive play and learning areas are fun for both kids and adults. He really enjoys the waterworks area and learning about things in the human body display. The third floor is always some sort of art gallery. This year was an interactive Van Gogh exhibit that was really interesting. For the cost of entry, it really is a good way to burn a couple of hours. We have been every year for the last five years except 2020 and will continue to visit until he says he no longer wants to. read more

I attended the Gary Allan concert last and they ran out of beer before the concert started! It's a country concert every one likes to have a good time, so next time let's stock the bar!! The seating is a little tight getting in and out. Overall, I am so glad to have the clay center and love seeing such great artists here. read more

My family loves this place! Lots to do and see! Fun for kids and adults. Reminds me of COSI a bit.

I love the planetarium. Will go again to that for different shows. Third floor is my jam. Love admiring art. It changes out the galleries every so often, so it's worthwhile to go again and again. Same with the science stuff. I'll say that the science displays are a bit elementary but still good fun. You should definitely pop in. Support the arts. Support science and education. And you get to have fun while doing it. read more

You might need to look at my play lists to note my eclectic tastes, but one minute I could be listening to The Gambler and the next it could be Wu-Tang, Pantera or Journey. Right now I got a Keller Williams thing going on but I pretty much like everything. One thing though that has been a savior in my life from stopping my car on I-95 and just wailing on a random commuting A-hole is classical music. Keep that info on the down low but I've been a closeted listener for years but the Clay Center was the first place I actually listened to a symphony live. Yes I know you all are thinking.. but its in West Virginia! I know... but this center is beautiful inside and the orchestra can rival the offerings in many states. Grubs ~ read more

Clay Center - Museums Near Me - Charleston, West Virginia

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closed unless u call the number for tickets guess i biked here for nothin everything was dark even the front was locked

I can't help it: as a born and bred Charlestonian, I find the Clay Center mildly offensive. We had an awesome museum called Sunrise with free parking, cool stuff, and a great view of the city and now we have the Clay Center with fairly expensive parking, decent stuff, and no view at all. I know they have more things and it has a concert hall now but... Anyway, it's a little run down now, especially in the kid's area. They didn't seem to take into account that children are nature's erosion for human creation. read more

The art section upstairs was quite disappointing. If you want to go to an art museum this is not the place for you. That said the children museum section was wonderful. Would recommend to anyone with kids. read more

I agree that this museum rivals museums in other cities. I travel a lot and would easily put this museum up against most of the others I have seen. This museum does have a cool feature that most people don't know about -- the entire permanent collection is online! So if you're a teacher (like me) or an art lover (like me), you can log on and check that out. My kids love the science museum -- so much that my youngest thinks the museum is called "The Play Center." My only gripe is that the cafe isn't open a lot of the time, and there isn't much to choose from. Whenever I take my family, we usually plan to eat somewhere else. read more

This is a good stop along the north-south drive through West Virginia for getting kids out of the car. I would recommend using caution on weekdays, though, since it can get ridiculously overrun by school groups. The parking lot was a bit hard to find, since Charleston has lots of one-way streets. If you're facing the front of the building, it's on the side street to the left. For little kids, the under-5 play area is the best part (ball pit, tree house, musical instruments). The other exhibits are more tailored to older kids... there is a fun one with a game show about different parts of the body and one about weather/natural phenomena in West Virginia. The cafeteria appeared nearly devoid of food, but we ordered and got some pretty healthy fresh salads, so it's worth a shot! We've gone twice and will probably stop back when we're in the area, especially since they offer reciprocal admission for members of other science centers. read more

This is one of those supposed family friendly / hands on museum/arts places - I've seen better - seen worse - the upstairs art gallery is NOT FAMILY FRIENDLY! It is 3 or 4 stories tall with a kids hands on area down stairs - pretty cool - our family liked this part. Down stairs food court, planetarium, upstairs art gallery and music hall I liked the hands on musical instruments - top notch - got to try out a cello and violin along with several other real instruments. Other kids area booths were cool too. Art gallery upstairs had pseudo art.....go there if you want to laugh at bad art...but it may not be family friendly. For example one piece showed full frontal nudity (lower female privates - another showed exposed breast - and these are not paintings by the Masters - basically crappy "want to be" modern art. Another example of the crap up there - a row of pictures of someone burying Mercedes Benz cars in the ground various exotic locations. ...not a good use of my tax dollars if these "artists" got any grants. Planetarium was OK....kind of small...I think this is supposed to be an IMAX theater...but am not sure...smallest IMAX ever if it is..probably great for a town this size. Overall its a fun place for the family - but don't take the kids up stairs... read more

Fun for ALL ages- but if you're born '86 and prior you may enjoy the privacy of a early Thursday afternoon of fun in order to have it all to yourself. Three levels that I used consisted of an upstairs art gallery, middle entry floor had a simple physics principles manipulator room (aimed at the younger set but I enjoyed it), and the bottom floor has an outdoor vegetable garden and more fun interactive demonstrations that involve sound waves. It was great how hands-on the entire museum was and it definitely did NOT fit my typical impression of a museum. With that said, the food court left something to be desired and it was frigid in the building. The only thing I would avoid is the "hurricane wind tunnel" that will funnel $2 from you for free and only gets up to speeds you can do on the expressway- legally. Two can ride for the price of one on this machine, but all in all, a waste of money. Check out the moving clinky-ball machine in the middle and you're all set for a complete afternoon of enjoyment. Don't rush through and prepare to let your inner kid out! read more

Stopped by the Clay Center while spending a weekend in Charleston with the wife - had to stop here to compare with my workplace and to send secret spy messages via secret spy hawk courier...just kidding, but really did want to see what it was like compared to the arts center where I spend most of my time. This is a unique place compared to other performing arts venues in that it includes not only an 1800 seat theatre/black box theatre, but also an art gallery, an IMAX, and a kids science/learning museum. Did not get an opportunity to get into the theatre, but they do feature Broadway, Charleston Symphony, and even music such as Chick Corea, Jason Mraz, and authors such as David Sedaris - a really good mix of stuff here. The kids museum is cool, and the Hollywood Squares-esque portion where you learn about the human body (the squares are organs styled after famous folks rather than famous folks) would be KEY if you were a teacher with a classroom of brains to exercise. You would be the coolest teacher in school, but would have to be really selective about who played or else you'd be there all day. Seriously, it's fun and there is a place for the "audience" and everything. The gallery was a bit small and didn't feature any Warhol or Pollack, but was a nice touch to really round out the experience. Evidently all of the smaller museums in the area were brought together here when it was built. As far as the buillding itself, very state of the art looking and feeling, but really sticks out in downtown Charleston and doesn't "fit." Overall all though definitely worth the stop and I'll add the fifth star when I get to see/hear inside the main theatre.... read more

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The kids always have fun here... the staff is always nice. Great place to take the kids on a cold, rainy day.

Fun place for kids to run around for an hour. The whole second floor is closed right now. Very small but the kids enjoyed it. Didn't go the snack bar but it looked expensive. There was a big climbing thing that was cool. Would maybe give 4 stars once renovated but couldn't right now since we weren't even offered a discount for half of the museum being closed. read more

Lots of fun things to do for you and your family. I have been taking my son (who is 6 now) since he was about 2 years old. The Exhibits change every few months. You will never got bored. read more

It's just ok. The space is large but they don't use most of the space available. So there isn't much to see or do. You could go through the whole museum in about an hour or two. Not even close to being as cool as COSI. Wouldn't pay to come here a second time. read more

It would be nice to have a rotating theme for this place, but the most part once, you've been there once, there's not much to see for a return. It is a great place to see musical acts, theater acts, etc that come in town. I love to take my kids here and let them be kids, but the price is what keeps most away. Something worth trying at least once read more

We were able to go here for free with our Carnegie Museum Membership. Great treat! This place was really fun for my husband and I and the toddler area entertained our daughter for over an hour! The cafe has great food for a slightly higher price than average, but that's to be expected. If you have little little ones, this is the place to visit! Parking is close and fairly cheap and you can spend hours here, easily! read more

Excellent place to take children to for hands on science! Would definitely go again. My grandchildren were absorbed in all parts of the museum from the time we arrived until we left. read more

Cute interactive play areas for the kids. Grateful they had some puzzle tables in the art gallery to keep the kids entertained. The children's areas were small- but my girls loved the STEAM- works area downstairs. A bit pricey for what was available. $7.50 for adults and $6 for kids. Maybe takes 2 hours to see and do everything. read more