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Science Mill

4.9 (47 reviews)
Closed 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Updated a few days ago

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Jacqueline L.

I've had this museum on my list for a while now and it did not disappoint. My kids 8,7 and 5 all throughly enjoyed the museum. We spent 4.5 hours here and no one was bored. It is filled with interactive and educational exhibits and they give each child a passport to scan through out the museum as a sort of game to try and collect all of the badges, the kids enjoyed this built in challenge. The virtual reality ride was a big hit, the pendulum tug of war was enjoyed by all and the coding station was so fun! All in all I'd definitely recommend you come check out this gem of a museum if ever in the hill country!!

Katina J.

I took the drive from San Antonio to Johnson City to check out the Science Mill with my granddaughter. She had an absolute blast! There were many interactive things for her to discover, she loved creating her avatar and I too learned a few things. The staff was kind and readily available; there was even a military discount. Definitely a must for those with kids.

T V.

My husband and I took our three month old and him and I had the best time! We both had so much fun and learned so much. We would love to have an interactive museum like this close to home. The absolute best!

Ruby F.

Such a fun, educational experience! Fun for all ages, and very interactive! A nice outside space and picnic benches. Staff are very friendly and welcoming. Plenty of other activities in the area to enjoy, and cute cafes for lunch. A fun day out!

Rachael J.

Snow in Texas is rare, that's why when I saw it was coming to the Science Mill I acted fast. Our family had a blast visiting the Science Mill's annual Snow Fest Day. The kids were ecstatic to have the fluffy white stuff to play in. They had snow ball fights, made snow angels, and built forts. Then after playing in the cold we had hot chocolate to warm up with and hot dogs. We loved that they had food trucks onsite to make the event easy to keep everyone happy. Overall it was a great festival and helped us build long lasting family memories. 5 stars from me.

Ball run at the Science Mill in Johnson City
Inga C.

The Science Mill is in an unlikely place -- a crossroads in a rural county seat -- but the quality of the exhibits is outstanding. The building is modest in size compared to urban science centers, yet the space is used efficiently, from small tanks of zebra fish to tables spread with circuitry. The thoughtfulness of the activities creates "A-ha!" moments in visitors of all ages. We have watched the Science Mill grow, and now the outside exhibits -- from pendulums to tortoises -- are a large part of the appeal. With a high density of cool and mind-stimulating demonstrations, the Science Mill will keep you and your family busy all day.

daddy/daughter race cars
Laurie P.

We loved it! We went on Museum Day so there were a bunch of people there, not all of them were polite while waiting to do whatever activity we were on, but we just smiled and moved to the next. There are so many great thing to do and see here, we couldnt,' imagine being upset having to wait 30 seconds for something. It was educational, it was fun, it was very well organized and labeled and it was pristinely clean. It had indoor and outdoor fun as well as a 3D movie. We missed the Cafe which closed an hour before the museum (makes sense, just wish we thought to check) but farm to table sounds great and I'm sure that would have been terrific too. I have only raves for this wonderful place!

Bubbles!!
Michelle L.

A little science that wasn't expected in Johnson City. We had to make a detour of our weekend since the state park was fully booked. Decided to take the Little one to the science mill even though he's still too young to appreciate the animals and gadgets. So basically it was Mom and Dad's excuse to play with kids toys. Found the Mill to be packed with fun chemistry, biology, games. You can create an avatar of your kid to meet with you at each exhibit. The entrance helps you line up in a socially distanced manner and the workers meet you with some hand sanitizer spray. We glove up inside so when we touch the exhibits we aren't passing around covid. Got to play with man made wind, put together some chemical molecules like phosphoric acid, met the tortoise and her babies in the Greenhouse that cycles water from the fishtanks to feed the plans and herbs growing!! Played with the bubble maker and maze outside. A lot of things for little kids to play with and enjoy!! Would recommend it for those with children!! They also give military discounts! Would come back in a few years!!

Knex ferris wheel
Marisa P.

Johnson City is becoming a great short getaway for the Austin and San Antonio areas. The home of LBJ is now host to a fantastic children's museum. This past weekend they had a snow day with over 20 tons of snow and food trucks. The museum is science and technology focused with great exhibits for the 5 to 12 age range. There is a separate building with a theater and toddler play area. The outdoor area has a metal ball machine that is super cool! It has tons of contraptions for the kids to mess with. The museum also houses lady bird cafe with salads, soups, and sandwiches. If you head this way make a day out of it. I wish I had left earlier to enjoy more of the town. A short walk from the museum is the childhood home of LBJ. It's inspirational to show the kids that a small town guy from Texas became President.

Brittany B.

Really enjoyed this place. It is similar to the Thinkery in Austin, but so much less crowded, which was a relief. We arrived right when they opened on Memorial Day. We got to slowly explore each exhibit without feeling rushed. Our favorite things included the fractal room, playing piano on the bananas, exploring the outside exhibits including the pendulum, and the landscape/water sand silo. The greenery exhibit was beautiful. Would visit again! I plan on following their facebook page to see when there are new exhibits.

Shannon J.

Today we celebrated our 9 year olds birthday at The Science Mill. I can't express enough my appreciation for the staff here. Although, due to covid, they couldn't offer their full birthday service, they went out of their way to make my daughter feel special. All while keeping safety for all in mind. I'm so humbled and grateful.

Pump it up: pig lung
Nina H.

Such an incredible museum for kids and adults alike. My kids are 6 and 9 and we come here a lot when we are driving through the area. I'd say ages 3-14 are ideal. Totally worth a day trip from Austin or San Antonio. Indoor and outdoor exhibits, a small cafe, 3D movie theater, so many fun and educational exhibits. They also have special events, summer camps, and a brand new aquaponics greenhouse. Don't miss the giant tortoises and fantastic ball machine outside. We are members, and I love it more than the Thinkery in Austin, way less crowded and chaotic and good parking! The staff are super sweet and you can create your own avatar to collect badges as you visit the exhibits. If you have kids or are an inquisitive science-loving adult, I highly recommend this place.

What a cool place went with my 3rd grade grandson. So many things to see and do live it
Carmella M.

Loved the banana piano. Science exhibits was really cool watching the kids experience and getting excited with all the saw , watching them looking into the microscope was really cool.

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2 months ago

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Glad you had a great time, Carmella, and hope you'll come back again!

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4 years ago

Impressed. Great activities for 5-12 yo's. Most is air conditioned which is necessary in summer.

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7 years ago

Very tech based and inexpensive. It is small though. They also have a cafe for the little ones.

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8 years ago

Amazing! The best place to take your kids to explore and learn mine had such a blast doing all the exhibits we easily spent all day there.

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Ask the Community - Science Mill

Is this more of a kiddie place rather than more for like teens or young adults?

Hello Mackenzie! Our targeted age range is for 5th-8th grade but people of all ages enjoy a little bit of everything the Science Mill has to offer. I hope this answers your question!

Will teenagers enjoy it?

All ages will find something that captures their attention! Our exhibits are designed so that visitors can interact with them on their own level--some go deeper than others and everyone will have a unique experience every time they visit. Hope… Read more

View All 3 Questions

Review Highlights - Science Mill

We are members, and I love it more than the Thinkery in Austin, way less crowded and chaotic and good parking!

Mentioned in 3 reviews

Read more highlights

Museum of Illusions - Austin - Museum of Illusions Austin

Museum of Illusions - Austin

(101 reviews)

We came here for a family day out and while we had been here before, it was the former teen's first…read moretime. They had a few new things and it was less crowded then our previous time, You go through at your own pace and while there are a few big things, it is mostly cool smaller things you see and do and they make the most of a small area. If it has one issue it is that for the cost it is very small and a few things are just variations on mirror copies which is neat but after the 4th one that is in a similar vein it is a little old. SHANA SAYS: Museum is fun and informative! Easy to navigate. Helpful staff. There are some really cool things like true mirrors and puzzles to do. Some classic 3D Art and the magic eye pictures. There is a room that spins around you and throws off your balance quite a bit. It is fun, but this will most likely be the last time. It is not really a repeat place as only minor things seems to change. We were here last in July 2023 and very little has been added or changed. It is fun to see once or show to a new person then repeat viewings don't add much for the price. Still in a one time visit it has a lot to do and some fun illusions then a gift shop at the end, the staff is mostly friendly and there are more things to do in the domain once you are done here.

the museum of illusions was a fun experience, but it only took us about 30 minutes to go through…read moreeverything, so i'm not sure it fully felt worth the ticket price. there are a lot of photo ops, though many of them felt a bit underwhelming. i wish the space was more immersive with larger rooms and installations. it was also pretty crowded for how small the space is, which made it harder to enjoy some of the exhibits. that said, the staff was very friendly and helped us take lots of pictures. it's a fun one-time visit kinda thing but a cute spot to take your kids!

Lyndon B Johnson State Park & Historic Site

Lyndon B Johnson State Park & Historic Site

(89 reviews)

What a unique Gem that we stumbled upon! While vacationing in Stonewall, we drove past the park…read moreand became curious. We decided to drive through and see what it was all about. Wow! Is all I can say! Historic, farm animals, a school, cemetery, etc...This place is massive! We were there probably 2 hours and I'm sure we didn't see everything. We had our dog with us so he was able to experience this with us as well! It was so fun seeing the exhibits, walking amongst the sheep, and walking through the historic home and school. You can walk through some areas or you can choose to drive. We opted to walk the farm area and drive through the rest with stops along the way. Park ranger and visitor office staff were very friendly! Oh and it was free but I think you can make donations. Highly recommend!

So so happy that the State Park was open as our scheduled roadtrip was during the Government…read moreShut-Down (again) rough sometimes trying to see America. Super helpful & friendly Staff inside the Visitor Center which also has a nice giftshop & clean restrooms. We walked the beautiful grounds and toured the Farm that was staffed by informative Staff who were dressed for the time period, and who told the story of life on the farm and the history of the area. Live farm animals roam the area and you will probably see chickens, turkeys, Longhorns & if lucky Bison. Definitely worth the trip despite the National Park side not being open.

Science Mill - museums - Updated May 2026

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