The science center is always such a fun time when guests from out of town are visiting. I don't think people comprehend how big this place is until they're headed up the elevator. My favorite exhibits have to be the Made in CT room and the butterfly exhibit. It's so cool to see all of the things that were created right here in the nutmeg state. The room has a lot of fun and interactive modules as well. The butterfly exhibit is such a great time, especially when it is sort of empty. The butterflies love, floating around and landing on you which makes for great photos. It's definitely worth the additional few dollars. read more

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The Science Center has a lot of interactive exhibits. There is plenty to read, if you want to, but honestly, the children I saw were jumping in and participating in the many hands-on exhibits. Some of the favorites were the air cannons where they tested their skills keeping a ball aloft while moving it toward a 'hoop' to drop the ball through. The interactive downhill ski machine was also visited often. The day we visited, a group of high school students were there with a display on aerodynamics. They had visual displays of air moving objects and then the children were allowed to build their own paper airplane, put it into a wind tunnel and see how well their design flew. They very much enjoyed that. There is a huge megalodon static display with a wide open mouth to show just how much one could eat in a bite. All the kids wanted to crawl inside, which of course is not allowed, but it was certainly large enough to swallow all of them whole! The shark exhibit had lots of information and a video game they could use to make a shark eat a squid. They enjoyed that as well. The admission is quite expensive, which I understand as everything is quite expensive these days and there are plenty of staff on hand in each exhibit to answer questions. Then there's maintenance, electricity, etc. At one time the Science Center offered passes through the libraries for half off admission which would certainly be helpful to families straining to live within a budget. Camp groups were in house during our visit so perhaps they choose to focus their giving back to the community in that way instead of offering the library passes. A sandwich shop and an ice cream shop are on the first floor along with the gift shop. The gift shop has a variety of items from games to jewelry at a variety of price points. Some exhibit spaces have restrooms and water fountains. Ask a staff member for directions. Very long, steep staircases lead between exhibits and you have to exit the exhibit on the correct side to access these stair cases. An elevator bank runs from the lobby to each floor as well. They do have a parking garage, which was full when we visited. The Convention Center parking garage is just across the street and a short walk away. read more

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CT Science Center is located in Hartford and is a hands on science museum. There are many exhibits in all the science fields that you can explore; it's also for all ages too. My favorite was the butterfly encounter; there is a room just for butterflies and they do land on you. There is a parking garage available. There are 4 levels open to the public. My family and I enjoyed the exhibits. There were plenty to keep us all busy. My children enjoyed the play kitchen, dinosaurs, and butterflies. Blue Chip Creamery is also located there. I highly recommend it and can't wait to go back soon. read more

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This place is so big that definitely should have started at 10am. We went at noon and did not see/participate in all activities they had. Kid loved it. It was overwhelming in the negating, some exhibitions are geared towards older kids (older than 8yo) but every floor had something for every age. read more

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We decided to visit the science center with our 2 year old who is eager to learn. This place was a blast! We became kids again, there were so many fun "science project" type activities. Everything was very well organized and split into 4 floors of interactive fun! We really liked that there was a Subway restaurant and an ice cream shop in the building that were very reasonably priced. read more

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Amazing, enlightening and overall knowledgeable experience. However the exhibits are better suited for children NO YOUNGER than 8 to really understand the concept of this place, especially in the anatomical body area. It takes time to go through each exhibit if not just passing briefly. Butterfly garden was a nice touch with the different quail and butterfly's in the area, a little small. PARENTS WATCH YOUR CHILDREN....the butterfly garden deliberately stated to NOT TOUCH the butterflies because they will die....I saw MULTIPLE CHILDREN AND ADULTS touching the butterflies!! Please, don't be this person. read more

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Super fun day for my kiddos (2YO and 4YO). Honestly the water play area on the first level was the most popular. Most of the other exhibits upstairs were definitely geared more towards older children. But there was a good variety of toddler friendly things to do on each floor. We had a great time! Highly recommend. It's definitely not as big as I thought it would be. But we will be going back again! read more

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Crazy this doesn't have 5 stars! Great fun, lots of learning and my three kids love it. Parking is super easy and ask about their birthday party package cause it's a great deal and they are really flexible. A must visit if you have kids read more

If you're looking for a great place to take your kids to break up the boredom, the CT Science Center is a great place for someone of any age. I was lucky enough to have some time off this summer to take my 10 year old son. I snagged 2 free tickets through the CT Summer at the Museum. Each time we visit he finds something new. He may have outgrown some exhibits but continues to do everything. On this trip, we enjoyed exploring each of the three floors, but did not venture outside due to the weather. We took in a 3D movie about animals, built things and took them down. We checked out the reptiles and other living things. The only issue we had was when it came to lunch. The offerings in the building are pretty slim. Subway or ice cream. Not being a huge fan of Subway and even less of a fan of super huge, time sucking lines, we opted to leave. We found a less expensive, better option elsewhere. I do have to say, if you're on a tight budget, this may not be a great place to go. Between the parking garage, tickets, food and gift shop, things add up quickly. read more

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The CT Science Center has done a terrific job of adding back in our favorite exhibits that haven't been accessible over the past two years. Staff were extremely pleasant and helpful as always! The crowd was very manageable on a Friday with no lines for any of the exhibits. Tip: If you are a member, make sure to show a copy of your membership card when you are when leaving the parking garage for your flat rate of $5.00 no matter how long you were parked! read more

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A lot of things were broken in the exhibits. Some of the doors did not have handicapped accessible buttons. I was not impressed what so ever. My kids are seven, there was very limited interactive parts except for the Pixar. Butterflies interaction was neat but I expected more to be flying around. read more

Isn't my first time here, I come here often with my kids for a couple of years now! Being a member is super fun because you come as many times as your want and also experience some member only events as well as their "reciprocals" which is places you can get into for free or cheap with their membership. Or if you're coming just for the day, it's also very very fun to explore although I recommend coming early because their very informative/educational and FUN exhibits and activities can take time and you really will want to take your time with all of it. Overall, my kids and I enjoy it every time even when there's things we've already seen. A lot of things are different every time we go which makes it more exciting to explore. The butterfly encounter is the most adorable experience. There's also an outdoor garden upstairs which is beautiful. One of my favorite places to go not just for kids but also adults! The coolest water table and hands on toys are on the first floor too, more for the little ones though! Our most favorite part is definitely building things that you can use, like their race cars! read more

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What a great place for the young minded learners to grow, learn, and have fun. 4 floors of education and fun all in one!! I could spend all day exploring each exhibit. You can spend the whole day there and not be able to do it all. The exhibits are safe for most ages. Directions around the facility are posted well. One of the big exhibits was under construction, but hoping it will be done next time I go! The staff were helpful, and the variety of activities ensured there was something for everyone. Don't forget to visit the buttery garden. Highly recommend for a fun and educational day out! read more

What a well run science center! I love going year after year when visiting home to see the new exhibits put on by the staff. Definitely add this to your trip next time you are in town! read more

I really need a membership. This is the place to be with children. There is so much to explore. You could come everyday of the week and the kids would not get bored. The 3d movies can be long for younger children and perhaps a little scary. Multiple food and snack options. And I love the ability to dine outside in warmer months or even go for a walk to take a break then come back in. Just make sure you get your hand stamped. read more

The exhibits are in fairly good shape except for the sports exhibits. They are run down and the computers seem to freeze . However, the staff is quite disorganized and clueless. The child at the register couldn't explain the exhibits to us. The lines are confusing because there are three different places to go. Girls standing at a cocktail table right in the middle of the lobby, then the ticket counter, then another cocktail table at the entrance.. No signs. No directions. The staff were confused about how to explain things to us. Overall, the ticketing and entrance needs better organization, training, and management. Then the butterfly exhibit. We explained to the lady we were one group and we wanted to go together and we would let a smaller group go before us. The woman at the door didn't listen, and split kids from parents! She was nice but just wasn't paying attention. So annoying. read more

Fun with family brought my granddaughter had a blast she loves coming here, we spend the whole day. They even have an area where you can rent it for birthday parties. If your kids, like Science , I would definitely bring them here like my granddaughter does! read more

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the employees were incredibly rude, the subway workers were also very rude. I got screamed at for no reason and the gift shop worker was very rude. do not recommend at all do not go. read more

This museum is accessible to the whole Hartford area, well-designed, clean, and regularly updated. They have a real volume problem. Many of the exhibits make noise, and they all drown each other out. As an example, they have a video entitled "This year in space," showing current news. It has speakers on the sides but because of the ambient noise in the room, it isn't audible. (And it wasn't even captioned!). You'll find that situation repeated over and over as you visit the floors. You get the impression that each exhibit was tested in isolation, in an empty, quiet room, and approved without anyone realizing it won't work in a busy museum. The outcome of all this noise interaction is that you'll be exhausted from sensory-overload by the time you leave, while also feeling frustrated because you couldn't really understand what the exhibits were trying to teach you. If you have kids with you, they'll constantly be asking "What did that say? What am I supposed to push?" read more

"Questions of science Science and progress Do not speak as loud as my heart" (The Scientist -Coldplay) Six floors (seven if you consider the rooftop garden). Thirteen permanent exhibits containing 165 individual stations. Here is that Bakers Dozen: Science Alley KidSpace Butterfly Encounter Engineering Lab Forces in Motion Sight and Sound Exploring Space Invention Dimension Picture of Health Sports Lab Energy City Planet Earth River of Life There are so many interactive exhibits! Here are just a few we saw -you can record a segment as a TV weatherperson, play a harp that has no strings, smash a hammer into a helmet (in the name of teaching about safety), play on a simulated ski run, experience hurricane force winds, pan for gold, play with Legos and all varieties of crafts, make hand and foot skeletons move around, and see snakes and turtles and bugs. The CT Science Center is a Crown Jewel in the Renaissance of downtown Hartford. If you haven't brought your kids or grandkids here yet, shame on you. read more

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I didn't think this museum would be so completely children oriented, so, since it was 1/2 block from my hotel, I went. I was wrong...completely for children through grade-school age, although...I did try several of the exhibits for the fun of it. The best part was watching the kids so absorbed in all of the activities, and their parents involved with them. I spoke with a couple of the parents, and they said they were happily amazed at the wide range of exhibits their children wanted to get involved in. The butterfly room was an extra charge which wasn't worth it. Small room with many fewer butterflies than I expected. read more

A full day planned with adventures! I explored the Science Center with my three nieces- ages 4 to 9 & my brother and sis-in-law. Plus we had one more adult with us to help corral the girls! We blew through so many interactive exhibits in the couple of hours we were there for! The girls explored Science Alley, Engineering Lab, Exploring Space, Picture of Health, Our Changing Earth, Energy City, Genome In Me, Sight & Sound, Rooftop Garden, Forces in Motion, Invention Dimension, Sport Lab & River of Life. The favorites seemed to be Exploring Space and Invention Dimension followed closely by the Sports Lab and the River of Life. I think I spent the most time with my 4 year old niece- so these were mostly her favorites- although the Space was enjoyed by kids and adults! The rooftop garden was not blooming and was a very quick out and back in. It was busy! Spring Break was in full effect and the parking garage was full for a couple of floors! Not to mention all the kids running around inside! Make sure to use your military discount and/or teachers discount! And have fun chasing the knowledge! Some exhibits cost extra- make sure to look at what is included in your ticket. read more

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There was a small mouse running around the place and I tried to tell an employee and they seemed not to care. I had come here for fun and enjoyment and this flithy place ruined my day. I had also seen a group of cockroaches eating in a corner this place is so nasty and disgusting if you care do not come here read more

The Connecticut Science Center is located near the Connecticut River. This place was the most crowded place we've been to in Hartford, which isn't saying much since Hartford is pretty empty. The museum is a bit pricey and is geared towards children, but we had fun here. There are lockers to store your belongings for 50 cents. The current temporary exhibit is the Bodies exhibit. It was cool but also a bit disturbing considering that everything is real and the controversy behind it. The children there didn't seem to be fazed though. But please don't touch the exhibits! The rest of the museum was very interactive and even entertaining for adults. A couple of the exhibits weren't fully functional though. There isn't much of a wait for each exhibit (max one or two people). They have a really interesting Mind Game exhibit where you use your brainwaves to move a ball. read more

Had a great time visiting the science center. I brought my niece and nephew and they had a great time. I recommend starting from the stop of the center and working your way to the bottom. One of my favorite attraction was the "space section". It was in the same section as the Legos. I thought it was very educational and also fun for the kids. I will go back again to see other aspects that we may have missed read more

The staff was friendly and it was ok. My daughter was able to get the family in free for a school event. My daughter is 15 and my son is 8. They enjoyed some of the exhibits but it seemed more for like younger kids. My kids did enjoy some stuff. We only got the general admission. What I didn't like was you have to pay for all the extras like the butterfly garden. The movie theater is one thing of course pay for the movie but the other stuff like the butterfly garden etc should all be included with the admission. If we had to pay for 4 of us it would of cost $110.00. read more

Some exhibits aren't maintained, at least 3-4 of them were broken. At least 1 on every floor. It was very interactive, really fun, but overall I wouldn't return. The noise makes it impossible to hear some exhibits, headphones should be put in along with hand sanitizer that's more visible. Kids touch everything, to see hand sanitizer and clean wipes barely provided I was shocked. There should be several stations per floor, not just the elevator. The bathrooms are very spacious and accommodating for all genders/disabilities. You don't need tickets here or maybe in the past you did. We purchased tickets and they weren't even checked. Waste of money. Safety clearly isn't a thing here, you're on your own. read more

Who said the CT science museum was just for kids?! I love this place! CT was pretty nice this year with allowing free entrance to museums for 1 kid and 1 child until the fall. I was happy because otherwise I probably wouldn't have tried this place out. There is tons to learn, tons to explore! You can be here literally all day! We stayed for 4 hours and could keep going! I separately bought the butterfly exhibit and the bubblemania show. I'm so glad I did! The butterfly area was a little wait due to COVID regulations but it was worth it. I truly enjoyed the bubble show as it was entertaining for adults and children! Each floor has a different focus and my favorite was the space floor! There is a subway inside if hungry. It's best to make reservations early in the AM as this place gets packed!! This is an amazing family day that you will want to experience hands on ! read more

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A lot of fun! Parking garage is tight with lots of columns so don't drive your monster truck for this gig. Science Center is super amazing on every level. Lots of moving dinosaurs, space exhibit, water work area- bring extra clothes for that one! read more

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Fun interactive exhibits. We were a group of adults and we had fun. I would imagine a kid would be over the moon to hang out here. Loved the moving dinosaur. read more

This is a really fun place to take children. Downstairs there is a play area where kids can play with this incredible water and ball system. It's great for kids to learn about water pressure and interest them in how things work. There are a few floors that are accessed by an elevator of all sorts of displays. Many of them are interactive. Visitors can learn about weather, sports, space, butterflies, play with mind puzzles, and many other things. There is a cafeteria area downstairs and a patio guests can use as well. If you are local, I recommend getting a membership. Members get discounts at the gift store and on the movies that they play. Plan on this taking at least a half a day. read more

Connecticut Science Center - Fun with Legos and water! - Museums Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

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For Earth Day today we took our daughter to the Science Museum in Hartford. What better day to celebrate than learning all about our earth and what it creates? :) We ended up buying seasons passes because for the price of a day pass for just a little bit more you can get a season pass. We splurged a little bit more and purchased the add-on package of the butterfly room. We love butterflies so it was worth it for us. It's great for the locals because the exhibits change I believe monthly. Although I could probably be corrected on that lol ‍ . The exhibit this month was about mummies . When we first walked in my daughter was a bit scared, she is almost 8 years old, but as you got closer and learned the science of mummification it became really intriguing and she actually enjoyed it and really studied the artifacts. We had a 1:20 appointment at the butterfly room and we made it just in time. My husband had a big brown butterfly land on him. It was amazing. It's definitely worth the trip and the price. I would highly suggest getting the season pass if you're local. Just two visit pays for itself. It was a fun day! Took us about 3.5 hours to get through it all! read more

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This has to be a must-do on you list esp. if you have kids of the age 6-10... unlike most museums where your not allowed to touch the displays and always a lot to read... can be quite putting off and cause an aversion to museums forever .....This does just the opposite....the kids can touch, experience, experiment and watch..while they learn firsthand on how things work.... making it more fun. I recommend getting the annual membership, costed $160 for a family of 3....it's better than paying a one time fee of $30 per person.. plus the membership comes with a lot of benefits. I got to explore the museum on their kid free night... while attending the liquid lounge Mardi Gras....a spectacular nite, indeed!.... bars on every floor... moko jumbies walking everywhere ..DJ's...food...all while dressed up in masks, feathers n beads and all the Mardi Gras festivity. It was quite a turnout... a few hours in and the place was packed. Hands-down the best museum experience I've ever had. read more

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I think this is a great museum for little kids. Lots of hands-on displays. I feel like I didn't really read many of the signs accompanying the exhibits so that made me feel guilty. From the name alone, I figured there would be more things for adults to do and keep them entertained. It is definitely geared towards kids. Overall I think it was a fun trip. Also, with regards to pricing. It is $5 for parking for members. But it's literally within the same building so it's very convenient. Unsure what the membership fee is because I can with a member. But it's an annual thing and then you come for free (minus parking). I think the membership really shines in that 1) you can bring a different guest every visit and 2) they partner with other public venues (for March you can use your card to get into Mystic Aquarium for free). Did not check out the theatre but I heard it's great. I actually have an event there in a couple of months. Will update afterwards! read more

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Did a company team building event here that was really cool. The closed the place down for us and we had 6 teams that each took a floor to complete missions. The water jet for ball moving on the ground floor was really cool & we scored almost 500 balls in 10 min. The Davinci room on the 4th floor was one of my fave, you can see all the gear driven machines that Da Vinci built in scale down models. Having watched the TV show Da Vinci's demons, I was looking for the Military canon that he had built but wasn't able to find it. My absolute fave was the wind section where you can build something using paper & my team went to the ceiling at 18 feet! Unfortunately I caught the photo on its way down only at 11.5 ft. Overall, it was excellent evening of cool team works! read more

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I moved to the area late in spring and hadn't gotten the chance to visit any museums or do anything touristy. Well, my friend who loves museums was in the city visiting me, so we made reservations for a Sunday with a morning entrance (10:30). We had fun! It was an overcast, somewhat rainy day, so the overlook was closed. But we had butterfly garden tickets, and I made a new "friend" for a good 5 or 10 minutes. I think one of the more fun exhibits was the inventions area. My friend and I tried to build a rollercoaster track for ping-pong balls, which proved to be rather intellectual. We also enjoyed the visualization of styrofoam beads dancing in response to sound waves changing frequency. Something else I liked was in the space area, the trivia answers were revealed by physical engagement. And watching my friend try block coding for the Mars Rover was fun too. (I'm a software engineer.) There are a lot of stairs, but the elevators ran well. We went up one floor at a time. Towards mid afternoon it was getting pretty packed, so we walked back down the stairs instead. There are gender-neutral/accessible restrooms at the back of at least a couple exhibits. They were placed discreetly and kept extraordinarily clean, so I was totally comfortable using them. The CSC is conveniently located near Front Street. We left for lunch since we assumed lunch in the museum would be unnecessarily expensive. (Bear's BBQ is always a pleasure.) I was shocked how cheap museum parking was. We were parked in the garage for about 4 or 5 hours. read more

Connecticut Science Center - Masked young adult trans masc sporting an owl butterfly on the back of his shoulder. Some plants are in background. - Museums Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

This place is awesome for kids of all ages. My family and I became members just because we found more value in going more than once to this place. Plus it included the Aquarium. There is a ton of hands on exhibits, your kids and yourself will find something interesting. The place is clean and well organized, lots of bathrooms locations so it's easy to get to too when your traveling with kids. They have healthy food options for lunch inside without stepping foot outside. You will have a great view of the city of Hartford when you get to the top. On New Year's Day during winter time they had some sock skating what a great idea for an indoor activity to start the new year spending time with family. read more

Connecticut Science Center - Museums Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

What a cool place! Large enough for kids and adults. More for kids though! Parking is very affordable. A bit pricey (as many similar places) but well worth it! Very educational, clean, friendly, lots of bathrooms and great customer service. If you are in the area this place is a must try if you have kids. read more

This is a great place for all ages. I brought my niece and nephew here ages 7 and 13 and they loved it. There was something for him and her. I believe the adults enjoyed it the most though. Lol. So much to see and the activities are interactive. If space exploration is your thing, engineering, sound waves, or human anatomy, it doesn't matter, they have it. My family said that it's much better than some of the museums in the UK. read more

Connecticut Science Center - Museums Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

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This science center is very cool. It is located downtown Hartford CT. Very close to the nice restaurants, Marriott Downtown next door and right off the I-91. From space to dinasour exhibits, it has many things to do. You can watch 3D 40 min shows in here. They are open mainly 10-5pm, but check with the place for the hours. Easiyl can spend the whole day with the activities. There is also some water activities as well, make sure bring sandals, and extra clothes to change, because they might get wet. read more

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