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!!

I've been here twice and I've been delighted with the selection and the customer service both…read moretimes. Brian is super knowledgeable and had great suggestions. He tested my water, made some recommendations and helped me select the right plants and fish for my pond.

What great folks to work with. Pond Country put in our koi pond and landscaping. Their installation…read morecrew was prompt, courteous, and went out of their way to explain everything they were doing. We shop at both retail locations. Their staff are courteous and are helpful when you need it. They often provide advice when you ask questions about maintaining your pond. Their clean out crews leave my pond looking like new. They go the extra mile to reduce any stress on our koi. Overall, if you're interested in a koi pond, these are the people to talk to. You won't be disappointed.

Such a fun place for kids, took our grandson and we loved the aquarium, the zoo, the dinosaurs. So…read moremuch more to see, we'll need another day to see the rest!

My husband and I took our grandson for spring break and honestly, we acted like big kids ourselves…read morethe whole time! From the moment we walked in, it was a wonderful experience overall. The highlight for all three of us was definitely the stingray touch tank, getting that close and actually petting them was so cool. And seeing the penguins up close? Absolutely amazing. There's just something special about watching a child experience these things for the first time. It took me right back to when I came as a kid, and getting to share that with my grandchild made it even more meaningful. The staff was consistently friendly and helpful, the temperature inside was comfortable, and the weather outside cooperated beautifully. We also appreciated how manageable the crowds were and parking was better than expected, we even snagged a front spot! The reason this is four stars instead of five comes down to timing and expectations. We visited during spring break, which is one of the busiest weeks of the year, and unfortunately several exhibits we were looking forward to, including the red panda, the tigers, and the meerkats, were not available. For a week when families, grandparents, and school groups are specifically planning around this visit, you would hope the full experience would be ready to go. It was a noticeable disappointment, especially for the little ones. That said, what was available was genuinely enjoyable and we will definitely be back, hopefully with the full lineup next time!

I love it here. I am a very science-y girl, I love anything to do with science and medicine. So, of…read morecourse, I started coming here a few years ago. The planetarium shows are gorgeous, my particular favorite was one about monarch butterfly migration. The Aquarium and reptile section is so cool, you get to see these massive tortoises and an alligator named Lucy, pet sting rays, fish of all kinds, etc. You can also explore the human body section and the physics section, where you can play on a special pulley system on a physics playground. There is also a section with insects where you can take a closer look at different types of preserved butterflies. And, every three years or so, they hold a butterfly exhibit where you can watch the butterflies flutter about. They'll even give you some sugar water on your finger, and butterflies will come flocking to you and even land on you! I had the privilege of being present for it last year and butterflies landed on me left and right, I absolutely felt like Snow White! All in all, the Catawba Science Center is a family friendly learning environment that is perfect for field trips of all kinds. You won't regret visiting!

The Catawba Science Center is located next to the Hickory Art Museum in the SALT complex so I…read morestopped here too. It was about $15 to visit the museum. I had reciprocity but didn't think to ask about it and they didn't ask like is done at the other museums. The Science Center was on the small side and a lot of the exhibits were out of order. The exhibits they had seemed geared more to younger children. So there wasn't a lot there. I never found my way to the aquarium as that is apparently in another building and that was not mentioned. The planetarium show wasn't starting until 2pm so that was disappointing. I will go back with my reciprocity to see the building I missed.

It was a nice aquarium to visit . There was four of us . I would say better for the younger kids…read morebut still plenty to look at and activities to do . Bonus was that it was all Ada accessible.

AMAZING. Not too bad a price but this experience was great if you love aquariums! Would def go backread more

I've kept tropical fish for decades. It's a fun and peaceful hobby that I've enjoyed since I was a…read morechild. In all these years, I've never seen a shop like C-Macs. It's a local family owned place that is really into the hobby, not just profit margins. I had a Rafael Catfish that died after 31 years. Regular big retailers would have laughed, but Cindy actually cared ordered two new ones just for me, They're in my tank now, doing fine. In addition to maybe a hundred tanks of fish, they have every medicine, filter, and gizmo you could imagine, on shelves on the walls from floor to ceiling. They're also very nice people. If I could give more stars, I would.

This place is amazing. They are super friendly and nice AND are very knowledgeable about all…read morethings aquarium. Highly recommend. Great selection. Love this place!

We absolutely love spending the day at Zootastic. The petting zoo, the safari, gift shop, employees…read moreall are fabulous! There is a huge variety of animals and they are mostly super friendly and not food aggressive like the animals at the Lazy 5. Everything is well kept and it is easy to navigate your way through the park. Excellent value for a great fun day!

We took our two granddaughters 10 and 12 on Saturday and we all LOVED it! It is a casual, informal…read moreexperience with animals to delight all ages. A great petting zoo area and everything from a pair of lemur with two new babies to white tigers and lions. And lots more! The Safari section was lots of fun with the wide variety of animals to see, including zebra, camels, and buffalo and many more! I would highly recommend it. However, I suggest you bring your own lunch. Choices were very limited.

Absolutely loved our visit to the North Carolina Zoo! The entire experience was wonderful from…read morestart to finish. Every employee we interacted with was incredibly friendly and helpful, which made the day even better. My daughter was especially excited because she's currently obsessed with elephants, and getting to see them in person absolutely made her day. She also loved seeing the tigers! Unfortunately we didn't get to see the giraffes on this trip, but that just gives us another reason to come back and visit again soon. The zoo itself was very clean and well kept, and it was such a beautiful day to be outside exploring. Overall it was a fantastic experience for our family and we will definitely be back!

We got to the zoo when it opened on a Sunday. 9 AM. In my opinion, if you can't get there early,…read morethen don't go. We parked in Africa and we thought the animals in Africa were great ! Maybe because it was early and they were pretty active. By the time we got to the North America side, the animals seemed to be less visible. It was hot out. We only stayed until just after NOON. It got so crowded !!! A lemonade was $10 ! No idea how much the food was but ---- NO !!! Bring your water bottles and snacks. Employees were friendly and beyond helpful. Restrooms are pretty spred out so plan accordingly. After just over 3 hours, we walked over 9000 steps. Go EARLY !!!!!

Fabulous kid friendly museum! We like visiting and checking…read moreout the new exhibits and the permanent ones are wonderful. Hot tip is to park on the roof and walk in upstairs where you can pay and get your parking validated.

To the Discovery Place Management Team,…read more I am writing to formally express our deep disappointment regarding the experience our second-grade team had during our field trip on April 28. While we chose Discovery Place for its reputation as an educational leader, the lack of professional communication and logistical support we received was unacceptable. Our primary concerns include: Total Lack of Communication: Leading up to our visit, we reached out multiple times via phone and email seeking guidance and logistics. We received no response until after our trip was already completed. For an educator planning a trip for over 80 children, this silence is incredibly stressful and unprofessional. Inadequate Logistics and Materials: For the price paid per student, we expected a baseline level of organization. We were not provided with maps, a detailed itinerary, room numbers, or specific class times. We spent a significant portion of our day navigating blindly rather than focusing on the educational exhibits. Safety and Departure Issues: Most concerning was the lack of staff assistance during our departure. Because no direction was provided regarding exits, we were forced to lead 83 second graders out onto a busy city block to walk to our waiting buses. This created an entirely avoidable safety risk that could have been mitigated had a staff member simply directed us to a proper exit or bus loading zone. As a result of this experience, we will not be recommending Discovery Place to our coworkers or other schools in our district. We expected a partnership in education, but instead, we felt ignored and unsupported. We hope you take this feedback seriously to ensure that future student groups do not face the same disorganized and potentially unsafe conditions. Sincerely, Nicole Roberts

Always a great experience here. Great selection of fish (salt and freshwater) with a much better…read moreselection of freshwater compared to other stores in the area and same for inverts. Always manage to stop by when I'm in the area and never disappoints.

From the owner: When it comes to Aquarium Service, Local Fish Store, Aquarium Maintenance, and more, no one…read morecompares to Under The Sea Aquarium Marketplace. With years of combined experience, Under The Sea Aquarium Marketplace has worked hard to build the trust of our clients in Monroe and surrounding areas. Visit our website to learn more or better yet, call us today!