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.

This was a very interesting museum. They have a lot of items from the area that generous residents…read morehave donated. Our guide was very knowledgeable and super nice. We were the only ones there so we had his undivided attention and he was a wealth of knowledge! You could tell he really loved what he does. This is a must see if you like history! You have to get a tour, not just go alone because you really get a sense of the county when it is accompanied by a great tour guide!

I made it back to Morganton to see the rest of the History Museum. I was there around three hours…read moreon this last visit and still didn't see everything. I did see more than my first visit though as my time was limited then and had another docent take me through so gained another perspective. I also got to go in the vault this time! And to one section where photos were not allowed and after seeing that display I am not sure why. I highly recommend this gem of a museum and the great gift shop. Remember to leave a donation on your way out.

I love gemstones so getting to see where the only emeralds in America are found was so incredible…read more The mines here were originally owned by Tiffany's. You can explore a mini mine replica where it has different mining machines once used in the mines. Along with this you can learn about other gemstones and my favorite part which is getting to search and sift through your own gemstone sandbag. They also have a large shopping selection. They can turn stones you find while sifting through your sandbag into cut gemstones and jewelry pieces. Very cool experience!

Emerald Village is located in Spruce Pine, NC. It is a hidden gem that I highly recommend visiting…read more The campus is large so you can visit some attractions or all. I opted to tour the mine, visit the country store, visit the museum, and mine gems. Besides the mine, there were extra exhibits in the building. One was about the mine and the other on tobacco. At one point there were 12 mines. The tour is of the Bon Ami Mine. Some of this is accessible but to get down to the mine there are railroad ties used for stairs. The portion of the mine with the tour has everything labeled so you can read about it as you go. You just go to the top portion of the mine so it isn't claustrophobic. I was worried about that. Just watch your step as the railroad tracks are still there. They are easy enough to step over or go around but if you aren't paying attention could trip. You can enjoy the views and waterfall while learning about the mine and seeing the equipment. I liked that they had some storyboards and the small building to see the rocks with the black light. It was a unique museum to learn about mining. The country store was nice with the history of the medical office, post office and store replicas. The mill building had exhibits on twelve levels. A model railway exhibit, music room, black light room to see minerals. The only way to see this building was by stairs. This was the only part I didn't really care for but did enjoy parts of it. I did the gem bucket from McKinney Mine. It was a large bucket so after I got a feel for it, I gave the rest of the bucket to some kids nearby. A nice perk is they offer wifi to guests as I lost service in the remote location. So that helped me get to my next destination. I also liked ow well the attraction was marked and labeled so you knew where everything was.

We had such a great time and ended up picking up the base ticket that includes: Gravitational…read moreAnomaly, Hall of Mystery, Bubblerama, Native American Artifacts, 2903 Dougherty House & Farmyard, Rodeo Rampage Bull Ride Challenge. It is a really cool place to visit, walking in that gravitational anomaly room is the weirdest sensation I've ever felt, but it is something cool to experience. In the hall of mystery, we literally let our inner child just wander around. And sadly we weren't able to do the bull ride, because of timing. For sure it is a place where you can spend your day in there. They're very hospitable and our tour guide was very funny.

A pretty fun straightforward diversion good for rounding out an afternoon in Blowing Rock. I ended…read moreup coming here on a day trip weekend getaway. I'm originally from Michigan and grew up pretty close to the Mystery Spot in the Upper Peninsula, so I was somewhat familiar with this sort of place. I ended up checking out the "gravitational anomaly" room along with the "Hall of Mysteries" but none of the other stuff. There was also Axe Throwing and some sort of Native American History Museum but didn't see those as I was somewhat pressed for time. There was also somewhat randomly a huge obscure soda collection which was kind of cool. And they also had Vernors which as a former Michigander I appreciated. The "gravitational anomaly " room was pretty cool and is obviously the main focus of this place. There were a few demonstrative tools like a water flow demonstration, a rubber ball on a track that apparently defies gravity and a swingset. The room itself isn't too large and those three things were the only "tools" in there but goofing around in the room on your own is plenty entertaining as you can see from the attached pictures. Beyond that the "Hall of Mysteries" was basically a small section of optical illusions and science demonstrations which was interesting enough but something probably more interesting to and suited to kids. Overall the place is cool but kind of feels like it doesn't know what it's trying to be beyond the "gravity room" and feels like it could use a little update and some more focused development/presentation. If you haven't been before it's probably worth experiencing at least once if you're going to be in the area and have time for it. They also have a Zoltar machine, which is always a plus in my book.

Great asset to artists and art fans in Burke County. A great place to see and purchase quality…read morelocal artwork.

I highly recommend!…read more The Harvey B. Gantt Center was an amazing experience this evening. Educators night was perfect evening as an educator to collaborate, connect and enjoy their beautiful exhibits. Mario Moore exhibit was captivating and breathtaking! The food provided was amazing: lemon pepper wing, fried cabbage, mac and cheese, veggie spring rolls and peach cobbler for dessert. Delicious! I enjoyed my time at the Gantt Center and I hope you enjoy their exhibits.

The galleries at the Gnatt Center are incredible. I love the stories shared from the various…read moreartists perspectives. Our group received a guided tour by one of the staff members and that amplified our experience greatly. We received a backstory on the former Charlotte mayor who the center Is named for, the history of its location and even the architect who developed the building plan and design motivations. The art is not just contained in the galleries, the building itself with its interweaving tapestry of metals makes quite the statement in the downtown Queen City vicinity. Highly recommend taking a visit.

If you like old cars, you should definitely check out this museum. They have a bunch of historic…read morecars with little write-ups. There's an antique firetruck in the back, which kids can climb on and take pics. We also took a nice walk. The area where this museum is also has some nice trees and sculptures, which you can tack onto your visit.

The Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum is located in Grovewood Village. There is a free parking lot…read morenearby, and admission to the museum is also free, although they do accept donations. The museum is inside what was once the Biltmore Industries weaving shop. The building was constructed in 1923 and had about 40 weaving looms inside. The building is mostly ADA accessible; the back section does have some stairs. But you can still see those vehicles from up above if you don't use the stairs. The museum has vehicles from Harry D. Bloomburg's collection. He founded the museum in 1966 to share the antique cars with the public. His vehicles are in great condition. The 1957 Classic Eldorado is one of the rarer vehicles, as it is one of 400 made. There is a restored 1922 fire truck that had been in service in Asheville. Besides the different cars, there is a horse-drawn carriage, a motorcycle, and a moonshine still. It is a nice museum to explore.

If you have a young train enthusiast (or if you are one yourself) the Apple Valley Railroad Club is…read morea must-see! FREE admission, but I encourage you to leave a donation to support this wonderful location! Located in a 100-year-old train station, come see model trains in action! There's a G track outside and an HO track inside that spans 3 rooms!! My 6-year-old future train engineer was in railway heaven!! All the volunteers were so friendly and knowledgeable. There's a counter piled up with a variety of old railroad and model train magazines that are free to take and enjoy. Such a nice place to visit!