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!!

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 just bought a house with a pond in the front. I did not know how to take care of it. I had a…read moregreat conversation with Pond Country where I explained the service that I needed and the problems I was seeing with the koi fish. They ordered the parts necessary and were very communicative about when they would be there to fix the pond. The repair was done in an excellent way with constant communication which I appreciated since I was out of town at the time, the pond looks great and the new pump is keeping the water crystal clear.

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.

The Greensboro Science Center is a true gem for families AND adults. They are committed to wildlife…read moreconservation, rehabilitation and education. The center is constantly improving and evolving the facility by maintaining current exhibits and adding new ones. They also host traveling exhibits such as BODIES. Right now, they are working on adding a new rainforest biosphere (Current ETA September 2027). There is also a butterfly room filled to the brim with butterflies, it is quite a site to see! The interior features children play areas, weather ed, reptiles and more. Not to forget about the AQUARIUM (my favorite part), which gives visitors the opportunity to touch rays and sharks, see the penguins, awe at massive tank with a wide variety of fish, and don't forget the penguins and jellyfish! The exterior is like a mini zoo, it could easily take you an hour+ to visit the flamingos, monkeys, tigers, Pygmy hippos, wolves, red panda, petting zoo and more. They also have concessions inside and outside if you need a beverage or some snacks. Don't forget to end the day with a ride on the carousel! During the December/January holiday time, they also have a lighted exhibit outdoors that you can walk through with lighted sculptures, shows, and hot cocoa. The Greensboro Science Center is a great value experience for something to do in Greensboro, I can't recommend it enough.

I came here to kill time during my drive through the state…read more Unfortunately the AI generators said they participated in Museums at all and the range was $3 to $5 for adults. I arrived there and the front desk people said they increased the price to $7 5 months ago. Since the museum didn't compare favorably to the science museums I was accustomed to (Maryland Science Museum) nor the aquatic centers (Baltimore Aquatic Center), I decided to give it a pass. Instead I went to the Tanger Bicentennial Gardens (free) and so glad I did. It made me grateful for the Maryland Science Museum and the Baltimore Aquatic Center that I frequented with my children. Because of them my son was inspired to become an aerospace engineer - now in his first year in college. That said if it's all you have, it is what it is. I think the $21 ticket price is ridiculous. As I mentioned their increased ticket price of $7 for Museum for All doesn't compare at all to other participating museums around the US.

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.

Sea Life Aquarium located inside of Concord Mills Mall in Concord, NC…read more I've lived in Charlotte most of my life and have never visited this aquarium. I'd heard mixed reviews, with the scales tipping more towards rotten tomatoes... The biggest complaint usually being that it's not worth the money. I will say, the prices are a bit steep for what you get, bluntly. But, take that statement with caution. These days, what IS cheap and/or appropriately priced. It is a bit pricey, but I tell myself that for it to be our only aquarium in Charlotte, they're holding it down, so. ‍ Now regarding the size of the aquarium, don't expect to see huge sharks & whales in these tanks, haha. Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of sharks. I'm just telling you not to go seeking a hammerhead, great white, or anything over 400lbs. Yes, 400 is considered small for a shark. It's a smaller scaled aquarium by all means. For reference, depending on your pace, you can finish the entire exhibits in about 30-40 minutes. However, considering that it's in a mall, there's not much room to criticize or complain about that fact. When we went, the baby of the family was celebrating her birthday, this aquarium hit all the right notes for her & that is good enough of a win for the rest of us, . We did the Beyond The Surface Tour which was a 30 minute guided tour showing the behind the scenes of how the aquariums' water system works, how they prepare food for their residents, etc. ending with an aerial view of the main tank called the Ocean Tank. Seeing the animals from this angle WAS cool, gotta admit. Notably, the staff were extremely friendly and informed. Every employee we encountered was able to give us a fact about the animals or their lives, as well as a good attitude received from every person. In conclusion, I would go again as it was a fun time with family, we all left feeling like we'd had fun, and that's the whole point!

We took my 1-year-old godson to SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord Aquarium and he really enjoyed it. There…read moreare so many different sea animals to see, and you get to learn about them along the way. One of the best parts was the interactive station where you can stop and touch some of the underwater creatures. At the end, there's also a nice play area for kids plus a coloring/craft station, which was a great addition for little ones. The only downside is the pricing. Tickets are about $30 per person if you buy them the same day, versus around $19 online if purchased at least 24 hours in advance. Personally, I don't think it's worth $30, and there are no discounts for NC residents either. Overall, still a fun experience, which is why I gave it 4/5 stars.

The customer service is amazing. Everyone is super helpful and they are knowledgeable about the…read moredifferent types of fish they sell and the environments they should be in. The prices of the fish vary but super affordable. Fresh water and Salt water fish/eels/starfish. Colorful. Cozy store.

Best LFS (local fish store) in the area!…read more Albeit small this store packs a big punch into its cramped quarters. They have everything to outfit a basic beginner tank to high end CO2 Aquascape, freshwater tanks and high end coral or fish only saltwater set ups! If you've got a desire for monster South American cichlids, they got you covered there as well. Not into aggressive fish?... then they have high-quality betta fish and guppies in the back. C-Macs employees are very knowledgeable about every aspect of the hobby, and are willing to answer even the simplest questions and provide the best solution for your situation. They don't push sales, but try to fit the needs of every customer. I've been in there when it's super packed and there's barely any room to move and the employees are still positive and happy to share their knowledge and help with everyone. I even asked if they were going to move to a larger location and the owner mentioned, he's been looking, but hasn't found the right one yet. If you're old enough to remember the old Fintastic fish store that was the gold standard in Charlotte. This is basically the new version and to be honest it's even better!

Great time with the family on Father's Day with the one-on-one primate experience. Brought my sons…read moreand hubby and the staff was so prepared and welcoming. We sat in the concession building for a bit exploring before our session started. Once they scooped us up we were escorted to a private indoor area and got to meet and connect with red leemers, an armadillo, a sweet baby spider monkey and one more primate I can't recall the ame. Our trainers were very knowledgeable and so good with the animals and us. We spent about an hour with the animals and then walked the property to checkout the giraffes (we were warned not to get to close), sleuths, kangaroos, tigers and so many more animals. Highly recco if you have an animal lover amongst you.

I wish we had never paid to come here. What was supposed to be an enjoyable visit turned into an…read moreexperience that left us feeling genuinely sad for the animals. Several of the enclosures seemed much too small, the facility was run down, and the entire place felt neglected. We also saw very little visible staff presence actually checking on or caring for the animals. Walking through the facility, it was hard to ignore the condition of the enclosures and the overall lack of upkeep. I understand that no facility is going to be perfect, but when you are responsible for the care of animals, there should be a much higher standard. What we personally saw was concerning enough that we would never return or recommend this place to anyone. We left feeling terrible for the animals and regretting that our admission money went toward supporting this facility. In my opinion, the conditions we witnessed deserve serious scrutiny from the appropriate animal welfare authorities. This place needs major improvements.

I loved our time at the zoo…read more some tips and tricks: If you come in the hotter months make sure you take precautions; plenty of water, liquid IVs or other electrolytes, neck fans, sun hats, sun protective clothing, sunscreen, bug spray. take your time, take plenty of breaks. No matter which route you take you will walk up hill at times. North America has more cold areas than Africa. More air-conditioned areas and more misting stations. Utilize the tram and bus systems inside the park. This gives you a behind the scenes look at some of the exhibits and gets you off your feet and cools you down with the breeze. The smaller bus is air conditioned. The staff will help you load and unload your stroller or wagon if you bring one. There is an extra charge to feed the giraffes (worth it) you can buy tickets at the giraffe feeding station directly, butterfly garden (worth it) you buy tickets for it at junction plaza, zoofari (worth it) you can buy tickets for it at junction plaza. And the carousel (not worth it in my opinion) you can buy tickets for it at junction plaza. The zoofari only runs Thursdays and Fridays at 11 am and 12 pm or Saturdays and Sundays at 10am, 11 am, and 12 pm or you can request a private tour for a private group. the carousel isn't worth it for me personally. It's small and in a very dark shaded spot of Junction Plaza. If you want a better carousel experience you should check out Nido & Mariana Qubein Childrens Museum if you can. It has a double decker carousel that offers unlimited rides for free once you pay for admission to the museum. Bring your own water and your own food/snacks that are light and won't bog you down. This will save on money spent in the zoo. There are plenty of restaurants and shops around the outside of the zoo you can stop at to save on money. When in the zoo make sure to check out each one of the gifts shops. Each gift shop has something a bit different that they sell, so there is a chance you might miss an item if you only go into one gift shop. bring some good binoculars. We got lucky and didn't really need to use them much, but they do help when trying to spot animals in some of the bigger enclosers.

The North Carolina Zoo is one of our favorite places to visit as a family. We have been coming here…read morefor years, from when our children were young to now bringing our four year old granddaughter, and it never gets old. The experience is always enjoyable. The zoo is clean, well organized, and offers a very interactive environment that keeps everyone engaged. There is a lot of walking, but that is part of the charm and allows for a more natural setting for the animals. Food is about what you would expect from a large attraction and can be on the expensive side, but the overall experience more than makes up for it. We have never had a bad visit here. It is a place we will keep coming back to, and we are excited to see the new Asia section they are adding this year.

I brought my son to night at the museum at Discovery place, and it was a time! My son absolutely…read moreloves Legos and currently right now the brick masters studio is at the museum. We went through the exhibit and got to see some really incredible displays. We marveled at the displays, wondering how long they took to complete, how many people worked on the display etc. It's just so amazing to see that all the displays were made out of Lego pieces. There were some interactive displays which was nice for the kids since they were unable to touch most of the displays in the exhibit. There's a section where the kids can be master builders and time themselves on how quickly they can complete a miniature display, they ranged from easy, medium and difficult. At the end of the experience there was an entire city made of Legos, with loose lego pieces for the kids to be creative and make their own lego creations. It was a great finish to the experience. This exhibit is every lego master builders dream. It brought me back to my childhood!

What a fun place for learning we hoped this place would be! However, for the price, I left a bit…read moreunderwhelmed. We covered the entire museum and by the time my 7 year old left, she had fun but was unimpressed. The Lego exhibition was phenomenal in comparison to the science exhibits and learnings themselves. As far as the exhibits, so many were not functioning or were not being serviced by an attendant to explain what was being displayed in the creative spaces.

Went thrice and have purchased fish, plants, and decor from them. All were premium quality and all…read moreis well with the purchases. Great customer service, and they truly cared about what they were doing. 5/5 would recommend.

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.