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.

The Catawba County Museum of History is located in a 1924 Courthouse. Museums in historic buildings…read moreare always neat. Parking was easy to find around the courthouse. Admission to the museum is free but they had a box for donations. This was a strange museum visit for me as I didn't encounter a soul. When I entered I heard the door chimes and there was a sign to check in at the guestbook then I went through the first level of the building as I wasn't sure where I was allowed and not allowed to be. It appears more exhibits were on the second floor. Some of the exhibits appeared to be missing in some of the rooms so might be getting restored or a new exhibit is getting ready to go in. But then there were some really nice exhibits on dairy farming; medicine and polio; minerals and mining of gemstones was another. They have the largest carved sapphire in a case. Some of the exhibits rotate so I might get back for a return visit.

Its was a great experience with my kids. Its was free but can donate if you want too. Very quite…read moreplace and interesting learning about this catawba county. It's even have a little place for kids to play too. Would definitely come and visit again.

While in Hickory, I knew I had to make a stop at the Harper House. After you drive up the driveway,…read morethere is a free parking for you to use on the property. When you arrive for your tour, you do need to go to the Lyerly House (Hickory History Center) to check in and pay rather than the Harper House. (I do think they want you to schedule an appointment to tour the house even though I just showed up and asked for a tour as I didn't know about needing an appointment then) I don't have much background in Hickory's history so I wasn't sure what to expect with the Harper House. From the minute I walked in the house, I was wowed. It is said to be the finest Queen Anne home in the state and I think I'd agree with that statement. The house was built in 1887 by Daniel Webster Schuler who founded Hickory's first bank. The Harper's acquired the house in 1923 and three generations of the family lived in the house. In 2000, Catawba County took ownership of the house and started to restoring it to its original Victorian decor. The architecture is just amazing and unique in this house from the fish scale shingles to the spindles on the porch railing to the pebble dashing to the stained glass windows to the cherry staircase to the winged Mercury on the stair post to the parquet floors. The ornate details are there. I hadn't seen wallpaper before on the ceilings or various patterns used together. One room had at least 13 different patterns in the design. The furnishings are elegant to show off their luxury. It is a little overwhelming. The draperies are beautiful and the chandeliers are amazing but it is a lot. The attic was a fun surprise as that is the speakeasy used during Prohibition and the Harpers required they get a silhouette on the wall. I highly recommend touring the Harper House as you are in for a treat with this gem.

Lovely Victorian house. Nice way to spend an hour or two. The guide had a lot of knowledge about…read morethe entire history of the home & the exhibit in the office building on polio was very interesting.

The Hickory Museum of Art is located at the SALT complex which was once a high school gymnasium…read more Both admission and parking are free and if the lot in front is full there is a huge lot in the back. Hickory Museum of Art just celebrated its 80th Anniversary. The museum is on three levels and they have curvy staircases; regular staircases and an elevator. I used each during my visit as the curvy stairs made me dizzy so I opted for the elevator to the 3rd floor and found the regular stairs. Besides in the big open spaces there is also art to be found in the nooks and crannies of the art portion of the building. There are also hands on areas for children. I really enjoyed the In Memoriam exhibit of Joe LaFone. I do not believe I had seen his work before but I loved the vibrant colors of the work as well as the textures. It grabbed my attention and made me smile. I believe there are permanent and changing exhibits so that means a return trip to see the new artwork and discover another artist new to me.

I'm surprised that I'm getting the FTR on this wonderful museum. While it's not MOMA or the Getty,…read moreit's a great museum in a small town that is an exurb of Charlotte. Five stars because it's in a category all by itself. Y'all need to make the trip up here! The Hickory Museum of Art has a long-term exhibition of Southern contemporary folk art, showcasing the work of self-taught artists from around the region. North Carolina's second oldest museum, Hickory Museum of Art was established in 1944 when visionary founding Director, Paul Whitener, declared, "I am going to make Hickory, North Carolina an art center." Hickory Museum of Art first earned national accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 1991. The museum is free to enter though they of course accept donations. When I visited, only the first and third floors were accessible as the second floor is currently having a changeover of exhibitions. You can easily tour the entire place in an hour. Today, the museum's permanent collection includes approximately 1,500 art objects, ranging from Hudson River School paintings, American art pottery, Glass Art, High-Speed Photography, and the work of regional artists. The third floor of "folk art" was interesting and enjoyable though not the type of art that I usually look for. On the first floor, more landscapes and portraits and a few pieces of contemporary art. Definitely more my speed. The museum has free parking and if you've come this far, check out the Ivey Arboretum two blocks away which features 50 different species of trees and plantings plus a few pieces of public sculpture, https://www.yelp.com/biz/ivey-arboretum-at-sally-fox-park-hickory?hrid=7Ncg9GcUykd7nIRM-MopeA. The museum shares the space with the Catawba Science Center. [Review 15882 overall - 3098 in North Carolina - 1386 of 2021.]

The Granite Falls History and Transportation Museum is only open on Sundays from 2pm-4pm. Knowing…read morethis, I rearranged my trip to fit in a stop at the museum. There is a good sized parking lot for the museum with an entrance and an exit. But the building had a sign in the window that it was closed so that was disappointing. It looked like it would have been a great museum with a lot of history.

The Catawba County Firefighters Museum is a hidden gem in Conover, NC. It is just open on…read moreSaturdays and Sundays as it is run by volunteers. Admission is free but they do take donations. I was warmly greeted when I arrived at the stone building and informed that the museum is the largest firefighters museum in the state. I have been to most of them so I would agree with that. I was given a guided tour of the museum but did have the option to go around on my own and did do that after my tour. But I wasn't going to turn down a guided tour by a retired firefighter 30 years experience. The museum pays tribute to those who lost their lives in service. The bell in the lobby has part of a pole from a fire station in the county. The wood work around it is amazing and the attention to detail is there. The museum is very organized into sections so you can see how each has changed and improved through time. I didn't count how many fire trucks were on display but there are a bunch of older ones that were donated. The museum covers everything about firefighting though from the the ways fires were discovered before the current technology. Alarms used to be on the streets and if pulled it would print out a punch tape with so many holes and they could look up which box it was coming from. Then there were pagers and walkie talkies to phones and there are phones from different times in history. Then there was the setup for what was used like 911 is today. Alarms, sirens and lights that were used are on display. Uniforms used to be like a rain jacket but have come along way since so they are lighter and keep the firefighters cooler. To dress a firefighter with everything needed runs about $4500 from boots to the helmet to pants to a vest to breathing equipment. The first breathing equipment was turned by hand to pump in fresh air so thankfully the machines are more efficient now. A large life net is on display where someone would need to jump into it. There are many ladders on display and the first ones were made of wood. The newer ladders are lighter and easier to maneuver. Fire extinguishers are on display as well as heat detectors and smoke detectors. Sprinklers would start when a part of the mechanism melted. Then various tools used from axes to wrenches ton alarm that would buckets when they used to put fires out by passing the bucket. The arson area of the museum was interesting as each fire is investigated to see where and how it started. So there is evidence of illegal fireworks to bombs made. The classroom area had scrapbooks with articles and photos and then some objects that burned from landline phones to a box of crayons to an alarm that would have melted on the wall. I'm not sure if I was allowed to touch these items but I couldn't resist. There are robots used to teach children fire safety and they will talk to them and explain what to do. I highly recommend a visit to the museum if near Conover.

The Mitford Museum opened in October of 2021. When I recently saw an article for the museum in Our…read moreState Magazine, I decided I wanted to check out this gem of a museum. I'd never been to Hudson, NC so another adventure awaited me as I explored the small foothills town of Hudson. The Mitford Museum is inside the Hub Station in Hudson, NC. There is plenty of parking available. The museum showcases, Jan Karon, a New York Times, best selling novelist, who wrote fourteen Mitford Novels. You will also learn about Karon's life growing up and where she got her inspiration for the ordinary people she wrote about. You will feel as if you are in the fictional town of Mitford. As the sign said when I entered "Midford is now home in Hudson". The Hub Center is the town's Art Center. It used to be a grade school building where Jan Karon attended school. This seemed like the fitting place as the museum highly values education and educators as besides being a museum it is a non profit as well that promotes literacy education. The museum is in the room that was Karon's first grade classroom. When you enter the building, you can buy your admission ticket in the gift shop. The museum gift shop called Happy Endings has a books signed by Karon as well. If you cannot make it in person, I believe there is an online gift shop or will be soon. I enjoyed my time in the museum and the staff was so friendly. The museum is self guided as there are a lot of artifacts to see and information to read. But a staff member is available to answer any questions you might have. I highly recommend a visit to Hudson as this museum is well worth a stop.

From the owner: This North Carolina literary landmark, founded by # 1 New York Times Bestselling Author Jan Karon,…read moreoffers exhibits, programs, and a bookstore.

Avajean is a very kind and helpful lady. As I've never…read morevisited the Depot, I have made a few purchases from their donated collection and have received quality items. One day I'm going to visit there.

I love railroads and decided to check out the Southeastern Narrow Gauge & Shortline Museum in…read moreNewton, NC. The museum is inside the former Newton Depot. Admission is free but donations are accepted. The museum is just open on Fridays and Saturdays. A narrow gauge railway is typically used in mountainous terrain and less populated communities as they are cheaper to build. They were used for mining, logging, quarrying, and moving agriculture products. Inside the museum you will see all of the artifacts and there are a lot of them. So much history in a small place. If you are passing through this area I highly recommend a stop at the museum.