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.

Easy stadium. Parking was $5, could just be free. No security walked right in. Came for one of…read moretheir last fireworks shows of the year on a Saturday. It was a shame the team were in silly Oat Milk uniforms rather than their usual rotations. Was able to get paper tickets which was nice. Small merch store. Didn't eat anything, was curious if they were any crawfish but didn't see any. Did find a craft beer stand selling $4 12oz Carolina beer! Deal! Got to meet Conrad. Firework show was good, a little short. Saw Gavin Fien make his MiLB debut. Parking lot was a little jammed getting out, we just waited til it cleared out.

Wanted to love this as a fan but the fact that this stadium allows hecklers to store their signs in…read morethe stadium and encourages the taunting of 19 years old is sad. Especially when they are saying things that hit below the belt. Music is ok. Food isn't great. Not the best minor league stadium by any means.

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.]

Went to a BeeGees Tribute band concert. The sound system was…read moregreat. All attendants were very professional & kind. Nice theater with 1000 person capacity. Only advice, arrive early so you can park. If raining, bring an umbrella as there is no cover above the entrance.

This theater is a slice of history! I would choose it over any of the big chains anyday. Why?…read moreTicket prices vary between $5-$7 per person (depending on time of day) and concessions are even inexpensive as well. We paid around $3 for a small popcorn. The theater has plenty of seating and the staff are all so friendly! There are stairs so be sure to check the website which tells which films are being shown upstairs for anyone who has limited mobility. The seats are surprisingly newer & very comfortable. They "rock" or "give" a bit for anyone who likes to lean back instead of sit on what feels like a wall of bricks (like most old theater seating.) Lastly, parking deck is directly across the street if you can't find street parking. Enjoy your movie!

Seats were comfortable! Theater was clean and nice. The cost is an A+++ We love the fact the…read moretheater is close to restaurants, and other fine establishments close by as well. Great shows to watch snd entertainment for the whole family!

I absolutely love this shop! When I travel to the mountains, it's a must stop. They have beautiful…read morepottery from talented locals. Husband wife owner team Adam and Molly are so sweet and down to earth. Great gifts and decor found here.

I just took a pottery class to make a patch work bowl. Adam, the instructor was informative and…read morehelpful. I finished early and he let me work on a second project. very fun afternoon!

A true apple festival people! Well worth the drive here. Apple cider fried donuts, several several…read morecraft vendors, 3 music stages, and food vendors galore. We were pleasantly surprised by the vendor options and very impressed by this organized and fun festival.

Since moving to North Carolina we have gone to a number of fairs and festivals. I think the people…read moreof Taylorsville know how to do it because a Apple festival should be surrounding Apples....and it did. If you have the chance to go to this in the coming years, take the time and go. There is a lot of great food and craft items there for sure.

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.