As an adult (yes, I know I'm somewhat kid-like), I wasn't into any of it until the Butterfly House. The museum seems like a giant children's play area. And not well done at all. Everything was kind of run down. I did enjoy taking pictures of the huge outdoor white sculptures but this place needs a makeover. Butterflies though? Super cool. Except when they land on little kids near you and they freak out and nearly step on more butterflies on the ground. It's kind of fun to be checked for butterfly stowaways though. read more

My favorite thing about this place is that you get to pay one price for all the different exhibits. Unlike Balboa Park in San Diego, they have different exhibits going on at once and you pay a straight fee and you get to attend all of them and check out what they have. It does lack and could use a nice update. One of the cooler exhibits to check out was all the different animals. I love seeing the naked mole rats and how they tunnel. The different aquatic animals, how a beehive is working and the butterfly area was really cool. read more

I thought the Science Center was very interactive for children. My daughter loved the tidal basin pool area, and loved holding a hermit crab. The butterfly house was also really amazing. We did not have enough time to explore it all, but what we experienced was fantastic. read more

This is definitely aimed for kids, but as adults not a bad place to make a stop at. Loved the butterfly exhibit!! So pretty & unique

Unfortunately, I don't have much in the way of a positive experience to share. I'm visiting from Southern California, and I was excited to use my CityPass to come to this science center. However, I found the museum to be quite antiquated. Many of the interactive exhibits were not in proper working order, but besides that, this place seems like a glorified children's play center- kids over age 10 really wouldn't find this place amusing. Also, the staff working didnt have a cohesive knowledge of regulations/prices making them less than helpful. The butterfly exhibit was really the only redeeming quality, and it was gorgeous! It made the trip here worth the whole experience.The outdoor fountains were nice, too. Unfortunately, maybe I'm spoiled by the California Science Center at home, which is geared more towards educating and engaging people of all ages rather than distracting toddlers. read more

During my stay in Seattle I had the opportunity to visit the Pacific science Center. From the outside the building is very fascinating with several options, the main center as well as an IMAX theater and exhibit area. Because I had a city pass and chose to go to another tourist option I would have to pay full price to go into the Pacific science Center. However as luck would have it to see the exhibit of the Terra-cotta warriors of the first emperor the cost was $15 with the city pass book. It would have been nice to see the main building but so many things to do and so little time. The exhibit is over 2000 years old and took 40 years to excavate. It was simply amazing, and displayed brilliantly with a detailed outline of what you were viewing. read more

I went to Seattle for a conference, and I am so glad I made it to the Pacific Science Center while I was there.... it was sort of like being a kid again. You can play with almost everything there, and boy do they have a ton of random stuff... For example, you can experience what it's like to be the weather person, with the blue screen and all - and, they have a naked mole rat colony. These critters (though ugly) are absolutely fascinating - they are mammals, but cold-blooded, and they have a social structure like ants, with a queen, tunnellers and soldiers. And, they don't feel pain! How cool is that? Check it out if you're in Seattle... chances are, you won't regret it, there is something for everyone there. read more

Laser Michael Jackson was pretty cool going to. And its cheap so if you have no plans head down over here. If you're a kid or have kids, perfect place to go. Just not a 5 for me. Although I still enjoyed. read more

When I was just a little hick from the sticks, our cub scout group came all the way across the state to visit the Pacific Science Center. It was some sort of cub scout science festival and we spent the night inside the center. We all had an awesome time. Fast forward 16 years. A former co-worker gave me two tickets to see the Dead Sea Scrolls. I was beyond pumped and went with a friend a day before the exhibit was closing. We showed up with our tickets and the ticket guy told us it was booked full at the time, and that we needed reservations. I was temporarily devastated! We ended up going in to see the permanent displays. Seeing all the various displays made me remember all the fun we had here when I was younger. The butterfly and insect exhibits were fabulous, and just as when I was younger, I still like the darkened room where a quick light flash leaves your silhouette on the wall. Hard to explain, but it is cool. The best time to visit would definitely be during the week. Also of note, the exhibits are designed for a younger audience, however, the parents of the kids seemed to enjoy the place just as much as their kids. read more

Always a great place to visit. I'm older now so a lot of the things here aren't as surprising, but it's always nice to visit and look around for the new and cool things they have. As some people have noted it's quite old. I would like for them to maybe redesign and add a lot of new things. It is Seattle, so it would be amazing to have a lot of new tech. Maybe partnering with Microsoft and other local companies to make it great like other museums in the country. read more

I can't speak for the actual science center, but their laser light show (Daft Punk our night!) was WELL worth the money. I think tickets were like $12 each? Maybe $21? Either way, it was money well spent. The guy mixing was incredible (shame it was his last night, I think) and the experience was awesome. As I'm sure others have said, take a pillow or something! You can lay right in the dang center of the floor instead of sitting in a seat and having neck pain the next day! I used my sweater and it was perfect! We bought tickets online, but you can buy them at the ticket counter the night of as well! read more

I love this museum. It has something for everyone of all ages. My parents live in Seattle so I travel there frequently. The main reason I wanted to come to this museum was to see the Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit. It was fantastic. For special exhibitions such as this, I would highly recommend buying your tickets ahead of time. This is an excellent place to bring kids to. If you are not coming to see a traveling exhibit, there is still plenty to do. If you have young children, there are lots of things that are hands on and interactive that they can touch and play with. It is all very educational as well. If I had kids, this is definitely a place I would bring them to explore! read more

I remember coming to the Pacific Science Center once as a kid. I have some fond memories there and pictures to prove it. Surprisingly, on my last visit to Seattle, I could clearly see that nothing had changed in over 15 years. The exhibits are extremely outdated, as is the facility itself. Unfortunately, the City Pass only gets you into the regular exhibits, and adding a ticket for the King Tut exhibit comes at a hefty price. I've heard the King Tut exhibit is phenomenal, but it's really unfortunate that they don't put any focus on the older exhibits. With the City Pass, you also get to watch an IMAX movie, but the ones you can watch are typically pretty boring. All of my friends and I knocked out for the entire thing. The Pacific Science Center needs a serious update! read more

I do not think I would have ever gone here if not for the CityPass. My girlfriend and I were probably here for no more than 15 minutes; which is weird because I love science! With the CityPass, you get one free IMAX show and the show that we had, we missed by a couple minutes; and you couldn't come into the theater late so we were stuck wandering. There was nothing going on outside. My girlfriend ended up riding the balancing bike and that was about it for the Pacific Science Center. I think this is one of those places that would be fun if you brought your kids. But if you're on vacation, I'd save my time for bigger events. read more

Just attended the Tutankhamun exhibit which was quite good. Have been here dozens of time with nieces/nephews. The entryway gives a poor first impression, with the World's Fair 1960s-style entryway and ticket booths which are reminiscent of a carnival midway. In the courtyard plaza, the overall feeling is one of "where am I supposed to go?" I think PSC is a victim of its outdated physical facility, and unfortunately the entire center feels like the building - fragmented and lacking in theme and cohesiveness. With many of the exhibits, the connection to science-learning is unclear. It's an okay place to bring kids on a rainy Saturday, but overall it is overpriced. I'd prefer to save my money and head south to the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (OMSI) which is better-themed, pulls disparate parts together well, and is in a beautiful space far more conducive to inspiring kids to learn. read more

Our CityPass included the Pacific Science Center, so we boarded a monorail, and off we went. Our first stop was this circle situated above water with a bike on it. Allegedly there's no chance of falling off while riding it. So, I took them up on the challenge, but unfortunately, did not fall off. Stupid science. Next, we watched the Queen lazer light show. I tried to sing along, complete with obnoxious hand gestures, but my wife stopped me. Stupid science. This vacation was during SPY, which was by far the highlight of the visit. So many glass cases with murder implements I wanted to try out, but couldn't. Stupid science. They had a challenge where you had to weave your way through lazers and smoke. I hit like four lazers the first time, but blew through it the second. Suck it, science. Eat it, nerds. The last stop on our visit was the insect exhibits. This section is more geared towards kids, but they still had interesting stuff. The butterfly habitat was peaceful and serene and adjective. We'll probably make a return visit, it depends on the featured exhibit. Oh, and Guardians of the Galaxy wasn't out when we went. Stupid science. read more

Ok, I've only been there once. I went as a chaperone for an overnight visit with my son's 6-grade class, steering 6 kids along with me. The staff for this event was awesome! From their greeting us, to steering us thru the day, to providing information at various exhibits, to feeding us, to keeping "lights out" time quiet. If you have the chance to do the overnight as part of a group visit, its a great way to see the place. You pretty much have it to yourself away from the rush of normal operating hours. We were treated to the laser show, an Imax movie, open range on all the exhibits, presentations, and the video game room, dinner and breakfast, and even an end of the night dance! Only piece of advice is to bring a blow up mattress or sleeping pad in addition to your sleeping bag and pillow, and most importantly, "earplugs." I really didn't need to hear the stirring of some 100+ kids and adults around me... read more

Visited on my birthday. Saw the King Tut exhibit, toured the museum, had a blast cleaning butterfly poo off my jacket, loved seeing the hobbit in IMAX 3d. Seriously, this place puts OMSI in Portland down a few notches. I highly recommend a trip. read more

Science can be fun -- a great place to take kids of all ages. As others have mentioned, this is a bit like SFO's Exploratorium or even Portland's OMSI (minus the submarine). Be sure to hit the exhibit with all sorts of insects and spiders, the butterfly room and the dinosaurs. If you have time, check out the planetarium and if you have the dough, check out one of the several IMAX films. An evening favorite of many are the laser shows. You can easily spend several hours here. We certainly did and didn't have a chance to see it all. A note to the parents of littler kids: there is an area for smaller kids to explore that sets a height limit that allows in only kids roughly five and under. A good place to check out if your younger ones are feeling trampled by the older ones. Nitpicks: the parking garage is very tight for almost any vehicle except a true compact car (i.e. smaller than a Corolla) but with seemingly everyone driving a SUV, minivan, or something in between (especially to a place that's such an attractor for families), the garage gets rather packed. Secondly, some of the exhibits were either not functioning or had volume turned down so low as to be unintelligible. Lastly, we went during the week thinking that the crowd would be not as big -- with schools getting out soon, many districts were taking field trips this month. This is not a place for people who have issues with crowds of kids. read more

Came here because we purchased the "City Pass". My son had such a great time (9 months old) at the tots area and so did my husband at the dinosaur and astronomy area. I personally loved the butterfly exhibit and checking out all the insects. We asked a lot of questions and the staff was friendly and answered them all. Don't be shy, get the most out places like these. It's better to ask and know rather than staring blankly at things wondering what the heck. It isn't extremely huge but has plenty to see! I would definitely return. Oh and if you're tourist, I highly recommend the City Pass. read more

Pacific Science Center - Museums Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This was a lot of fun for the whole family, but definitely more for the kids. We saw the show at the planetarium which was ok, and the walk-through butterfly garden was great, but it was really cool to see the huge dinosaurs near the end of the exhibit. I still prefer the space needle or the aquarium if your time in Seattle is limited and you can only do a few things. read more

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The last exhibition I went to here was last year for Star Wars. My boyfriend chose it at the time and I wasn't too interested, but hey let's try new things right? So the tickets were okay for the price. The exhibit was actually interesting even though I show no interest towards Star Wars. The space they had was pretty big to have it held at the spot they had it. They were actually very fun and enjoyable. Aside from doing the Star Wars exhibit, we went to the place with bugs and butterflies or whatever. It reminded me of elementary school. This place is pretty legit, educational and guaranteed fun. I'd probably go here again if I wanted a day out, but stay mellow. It's always fun to observe and see the inner kid in you. Outdoors, there's also the shooting water fountains. Haha, those were a cute little addition.. they're not just water shooting everywhere, it's scientific when you realize you have to shoot water someplace to get it at another destination. Overall, can you see I had tons of fun? I would definitely go back again for something I'd be interested in seeing. Lately, nothing they have come out w interests me. My sister and her boyfriend attended the King Tut exhibit and were very disappointed though. So hopefully they come out with greater things! It's a good spot for kids as well. read more

A slight update from my previous post: We drove down yesterday from Vancouver and stopped by the museum, paid $8 for parking and the nearest entrance was closed. We walked around the building (with my husband in tow who just had foot surgery and has six screws in his foot) to have a lady behind the ticket counter tell us that the museum was closed. There were no signs to tell us so at the parking garage or at any of the entrances. We also weren't the only ones there trying to get in. When we explained this to the lady behind the counter, she was like 'oh well, Next.' This drops the museum in my ratings. We wasted quite a bit of time on the phone with the parking company and we finally got a voucher out of it. Check the website before you go to make sure they're opened! read more

It's official. You have to schedule an entire vacation around this place. It's pricey, but if you get the Seattle Pass (a MUST for all you visitors), you can add on the Spy Exhibit for older children and it's a really good deal. We didn't get to see the Imax movie because there is literally too much to do here. Here are my tips: 1. Get here EARLY as there is very limited parking and if the lot fills, you will be stuck circling for parking or walking very far (or parking at the space needle at $24 for 3 hours. FROWN.) 2. Get here EARLY as there is lots and lots to do and you don't want to be dragging your kids from exhibit to exhibit just so that you can make your 5pm flight home. 3. Get here EARLY as this place gets packed and if you don't, you will spend an hour standing in line just to get in. The butterfly exhibit to totally awesome for those of you who are not scared of flying bugs. For those of you that are, I'm with you. Keep to yourself and don't make noise as I read that butterflies are attracted to noise. They ask you to leave food outside, so if you've just had lunch don't bring your leftover sourdough bread in, no matter how good. They frown upon swatting the butterflies away. Don't do it. Super educational and fun fun fun. Highly recommend. read more

Pros: cool butterfly garden. NOAA with live weather map on a globe was cool. BUT: Outdated. Need to be renovated. A lot of broken exhibits. Need more interactive modern exhibits. Needs a modern cafe for parents/chaperones. read more

So many fun things to do with your family! My kids love the bug exhibits and the butterfly room. We typically spend our whole day there and try to attend most of the shows. If you haven't seen the laser show you are really missing out!!! read more

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Would have given them five stars but their parking garage system is not workable. We were standing in the cold in a line of forty people and it takes approximately ten minutes per customer- make it part of admission like many other corporations who have joined the 21st century. This is not any form of customer service that makes us want to come back (visitors from California didn't want to walk in the cold from another garage after parking.) and yes the lines were at every kiosk. People were friendly and helpful throughout the exhibits, especially with the Sherlock Holmes (which was amazing. ) You can pay for parking at customer services in the Dinosaur building (#1) just remember your stall number! read more

This place is WONDERFUL for young children! Teens and adults would enjoy visiting if there's a special exhibit but most of the permanent exhibits seem to be focused towards children. However, they have a butterfly garden that would appeal to everyone! I recently visited to see the Tutankhamen exhibit. The museum is well maintained and the bathrooms were clean. Special exhibit security was also impressive! They actually maintained the boisterous children who were attempting to smash their little faces and hands onto the glass container of every fragile artifact. The IMAX wasn't very impressive and I highly suggest you use the restroom before seating. The way that seating is set up, you have to ask the whole row to stand in order to get out. Also, beware, special exhibits fill up FAST and make it difficult to walk around. I visited midweek thinking that it would be less busy...not so much. Drink machines are available ($1.50-3.00), as well as food stands ($5 pizza, etc), and sometimes they have people selling cotton candy. There's also a Starbucks down the road (for those of us who need our coffee fix). I highly suggest becoming a member if you live in the area and have small children! read more

Set up: Pacific Science Center, Seattle Washington - One of the first things I did when I moved here was to buy a year's pass to the Space Needle and to the Pac Sci Center. One main reason for buying for the Pac Sci Center was the Star Wars Exhibit and they didn't disappoint. Since then though.... Pro's · Architecturally awesome · Boeing IMAX is amazing · Some of the exhibits are/were outstanding · The laser shows are great and worth seeing Cons · Seems mostly to cater to the children · Even with the yearly pass, the exhibits are extra, night movies at the IMAX are extra and laser shows at certain times are extra · The cafeteria is a joke · 2 sets of bathrooms for that big of a center is a joke · The café is a joke · The gift show is over rated and expensive and really has nothing of interest to an adult · No one seems to be able to answer simple questions · Member services close at 5:00pm even though some of the member events are opened until 9:00 pm or later. · The laser shows aren't available daily · The Planetarium isn't available daily Summary- My first time here was great. I came to see the Star Wars exhibit and ended up seeing an IMAX movie and a laser show. I ended up spending the entire day here, but between each event, (you can only go into each event at certain times) I was left to my own devices and I wasn't very pleased at what they had to offer. Most of the displays that are there for regular viewing are catered towards children and not adults even though most of the exhibits are more for the adults. Most of the laser shows are also geared towards the older crowds as they play Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Nirvana and Daft Punk, just to name a few. The way the movies, events and shows are set up makes it hard to set up a day where you can smoothly transition from point A to point B to point C with a bite to eat in between, I almost felt as if I had to set it up to run from one event to another or spend hours waiting for something to begin after something ended. I saw the Nirvana and Beatles laser show and loved it and I saw a few movies on the IMAX screens. I was disappointed at the PACCAR Theater, but thoroughly enjoyed everything I saw at the Boeing Theater. The last issue I had was paying a "membership" price and still having to pay $4.00 per event for Star Wars and $3.00 for each laser show and $5.00 for each IMAX show after 6:00pm. I felt nickel and dimed to death. I would suggest this place with out hesitation if you have children from 4-13, but if not, it is a take it or leave it attraction based on what they might be showing on the IMAX or what the exhibit might be at the time of your visit. read more

Satisfy your inner science lover and visit the store! For those of you who love experimenting and reading about the workings of your body, learning about space, discovering more about geology, and testing your brain with teasers you will absolutely love this place. It's located in the second building at the science center next to the Laser Show. It is a bit small, I wish they had to older bigger one back, but this will do for now. If you are member you get 10% off and if you buy a laser show or imax ticket, you get 20% off so be sure to ask. read more

Pacific Science Center - Museums Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I'm the biggest adult kid in the world. I pride myself in finding fun in anything so while this place has some "fun" the real science is finding ways to improve. Most of the reviews were spot on about this place... most of the exhibits are outdated, boring, or just really dull. I saw several kids even ask when they were leaving. Unless your stephen hawking if your an adult the only science you'll be interested in is how to create a flux capacitor to power the delorean to the future with Marty. Overall, the most fun I had while there was the water hoses outside in the snow but other than that I can see why kids in the USA don't love science as much when grown ups keep pushing old exhibits and think kids are going to develop a love for science. read more

We have been members for years and I took our youngest Grandson to the train exhibition. I wish they would do two things - treat members better and get better exhibitions plus update the Center. For a city the size of Seattle - I think this - as a showcase of Seattle - is sad. IT is 50 years old and shows it. Perhaps if the Science Center was in Tacoma it would fit but not in Seattle. The dinosaur exhibit has been there for a long time without any updates. They finally changed the shadow wall - I think it was there for 40 years (it was there in the 60's when my wife and I started dating) and lasted forever. The photo exhibit was just photos on walls - not much effort put into displaying them. Upon entering - we got in the member line and it did not move - I finally changed to the regular line and moved much faster. They had 1 person helping members and 3 non members. Most members are wanting to see movies which slows it down as they get tickets. Why not have members and non members each have two employees helping. Members are the ones that support it. In summary - with all the money in Seattle/Bellevue this is what we have to offer. Sad - very Sad. read more

My family's worst birthday party to date was in August 2012 at the Pacific Science Center for my son's sixth birthday. (It was bad enough that eight months later, it stands out as the most important thing I should use Yelp to warn people against, now that I've signed up.) Below is the feedback I drew from when responding to their satisfaction survey, to which they responded that they would consider my comments in their future planning. No apology, no credits, nothing. I let our family's membership expire and no longer recommend PSC to anyone. * * * * * * * * I am writing to give you feedback on the birthday party we recently hosted at the Pacific Science Center, which did not meet my expectations. Upon arrival, the parking garage at the PSC was full, but there was no sign saying so, so we were all just driving down and then stuck at the bottom for 20 minutes while someone was waiting to get a spot. Our family had brought two vehicles. Once my husband finally found a spot, he took over mine, and my son and I ran to make it to set up the party on time. You should consider letting the birthday boy park in the staff-only lot right near the discovery lab door. We had a lot of snacks and party favors and kids to haul a long distance. Then, upon entering, it took about 10 minutes to find someone to show us where to go. We walked around the halls, saying "Hello?" with no answer. The woman assigned to manage the party (only one woman) was nice, but she was not at all a take-charge kind of person. It is advertised as "We provide everything; you just come and have fun! Parents can relax and enjoy the party - leave the entertaining to us!" My husband and I felt it necessary to manage the party and assist the children a lot more than we were expecting. The single staff person would start an activity (such as coloring) and disappear into the side room for 15-20 minutes, while we managed the kids. She was in the room for only a very small fraction of her "super science show." Speaking of the "super science show," based on the advertisement we saw, my son was really looking forward to assembling a dinosaur skeleton.... more like a lame craft project, followed by digging in cat litter boxes for toy dinosaurs that the kids were not allowed to keep... no assembly required. The plastic eggs were super cheap, and wouldn't stay closed.... frustrating for kids. The crayons were super cheap and impossible to peel, which made the rubbings frustrating. I just felt like PSC could have coughed up a second staff person and higher-end projects. I felt like we basically paid for the space and the cake. Oh, and the liquid nitrogen ice cream, which was very cool and fun. Lastly, we confirmed that we needed to be out of the room by 5 p.m., but we were not aware that we had to be out of the birthday party lab building completely by 5 p.m. The staff girl didn't say anything about that at all, the news was just sprung on the grandparents at 4:50 when they were cleaning up. (The rest of us were in the museum.) Instead of moving everything to the lobby, our planned meeting spot, my husband and his parents had to scramble to make a new plan, leaving me alone with six kids in the museum. Based on PSC's awesome science demonstrations inside the museum, I was expecting more. read more

This was my first visit to this museum. I have to say that I had a very fun time! I think kids would enjoy it more but I had a blast as a child ;) The first section is about dinosaurs. And the next one about science and space. It has lots of games for kids so we skipped it. Next time I will try the getting tickets for the planetarium and the laser exposition too!!! This time we were short in time because we got tickets for the China Gigants. Which was great!!! This is a temporary one but I bet they will keep bringing good stuff :) The funniest part was the one in the upper level with science based games. We all learn a lot by playing :) Outside are more games where you can play with water and ride a bicycle in the air!!! ( be sure to bring close footwear). The China exposition was amazing. As far as I know, it will go only to Chicago and then back to China. Afterwards, you can take a walk through the park or get into a folk fair as we did!! Great weekend :D read more

Seattle Trip Feb 2013: I came here during my four day Seattle trip. A group of us got the City Pass deal through Costco and Pacific Science Center was first on our list. We gave ourselves one hour to see the entire museum. The attendant at the ticket line was surprised that we gave ourselves one hour because there's so much to do.... yep! She was right folks! There is a lot to do. Especially if you're nerdy and like being child-like, there's so much to do here that I was surprised how much fun I had coming here! We couldn't do the IMAX movie that comes with your City Pass... I'm bummed! I really wanted to watch a documentary on orphan baby animals! But anywhoo, that's such a great deal that comes with the City Pass. I gotta say the butterfly exhibit was interesting, if you don't like insects... don't go in! They fly everywhere! I got to even touch one of those gigantic cockroaches (I think they hiss too????) At first it seemed gross but you don't have to hold it. Just touch the damn thing and walk away haha There's huge tables and chairs, we felt like little kids haha. There's a giant guitar as well as other giant things. We didn't get to explore near the dinosaur area because we were so focused on the other exhibits but I'm sure it would've been nice to look at. Although I don't think it would ever compare to the La Brea tarpits here in Southern California. Anywhoo... it's a nice place to check out especially if you have a City Pass since you save tons of money if you plan on going to all these museums and such. Other than that, I don't think I would come here unless you have children. read more

Great place to spend a Saturday. My wife & I went to the King Tut exhibit and while it was a bit cramped and full of people, it was very well done. It was on 2 levels and the set-up was great, nice sloping ramp to get to the 2nd level and plenty of room to walk. The theaters are great, very well equipped for sound. Exhibits are awesome, the bug one is especially creepy, but way cool. This museum is not quite on par with the Field Museum in Chicago or the Museum of Science & Industry there, but it's well worth the time and price of admission. Parking is a bit of a problem, but it's downtown Seattle, so it's not just the museum, it's pretty much everywhere. read more

Great museum! Lots of fun interactive exhibits. Perfect place to visit for a rainy day! Fun for both adults and kids alike! Spacious, clean and educational! read more

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I always love coming here with my kids. They bring in some of the best exhibits and they are always well presented. Recently I've been here for Star Wars, Harry Potter and King Tut. The regular exhibits are also really cool. Especially butterfly world. read more

I took my 8 year old step-daughter here one afternoon recently. Our plan was for the zoo but a downpour ruined that plan and we ended up popping in here. The price was a bit steep, but we did pay for the admission to the King Tut exhibit as well. We skipped the planetarium and IMAX for the day, so no comment on those. The museum itself was ok. Given it was the start of summer and raining, but the place was super busy. So busy, my step-daughter was frequently waiting line to try out some of the interactive exhibits. Also, there were several exhibits that weren't working that day and it was a bit frustrating. She enjoyed all the interactive things, but ran through some of the areas where you just stopped and read. The butterfly exhibit looked cool, but we didn't go in. Overall, it was a good way to kill an afternoon, but I don't know if it's a place I'd go regularly. I imagine if you could get some discounts it would be much more reasonable cost wise. read more

Another nanny, the two girls that we take care of, and I went down to the Science Center a few months ago, which I was thrilled about since I hadn't been there since I was a kid myself. I was not disappointed. The science geek in me (never too far behind) had a blast, even though we were supposed to be there for the kids. Our two year olds played for nearly an hour in the toddler area, where they can learn a lot about cause & effect, sequence of events, etc. with the variety of activities available. Also nice is that it's an enclosed area, so no fear of your toddler running off elsewhere should you have more than one child to be looking after. The dinosaur exhibit was much like I remember from when I last saw it 20ish years ago, and it was a bit scary for the little ones, but looked still fascinating if you're a bit more age-appropriate. The bug exhibit was extraordinary (and I'm a squeamish chick w/these sort of things), and I thought the bee tank & tube with live bees & hive action was amazing. Of course you must also go to the butterfly house if there, which is home to the most amazing variety of butterflies of all different colors and sizes. If you're lucky enough while there, you may have a butterfly land on you for a bit, or even catch a butterfly being freshly 'born' from its cocoon from within the cocoon viewing window (cocoons at all different ages/stages in growth-- so cool). Should you have the time, the IMAX theater here is also worth the visit for one of their temporary shows or even for a full feature film (I saw 'Batman Begins' here last year-- awesome). The price is comparable to regular movie theaters, but with the right movie, the huge IMAX screen will take the movie to a whole new level. When I came recently with the two year old, we didn't see but a fraction of the Science Center, so it's exciting to know that we have a lot more waiting for us when we return. Great for all ages, all skill levels... something for everyone. read more