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.

Nice small historic place to visit. Only $8 for adults. Pretty cool to see what you've only read…read moreabout in history books. Interesting and Amazing to see how life was all that long ago. And they even do reenactments at different times of the year. Our teen enjoyed it.

Located on the grounds of Horn in the West, we had a bit of time before the show began that we…read morewalked thru this Living History Museum. Reanactors and historians talk about everyday life from the mid 1700s to the early 1900s. There are demonstrations on weaving, blacksmithing, candlestick making, and smokehouse cooking, on site. Things were just winding down for the day as we walked thru so we missed all of that, but did get a bit of history lesson in how the phrase: "good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite" came about as we went in one log home and listened to a docent tell the origins of this phrase. The general area and buildings seemed a bit run down. Overall a nice little detour, as we walked to the Horn of the West.

This place was closed due to COVID the last time we were in town but we were pleasantly surprised…read morethat they were open on July 4 when we were walking around downtown. This is a cute little museum that has rotating art displays on the bottom floor and a smaller history museum upstairs. We saw a whimsical display of chickens, and another from a collection of art from a school in California. When we were there the upstairs had an exhibit about the annual horse show in town. The museum is free to visit but we gladly left a donation.

Stopped in on a rainy day and enjoyed the museum. Each room was beautifully curated with a…read moredifferent theme. We also stopped into the cottage and met a local artist making baskets. She is part of the local quilting guild. She was extremely friendly and informative. I really enjoyed the variety of quilts and the work that went into each. I noticed others commenting about price and we were not charged on a Wednesday. Friendly staff, small gift shop but that did not stop us from shopping. (Smile). Good visit especially on a rainy day!

Hubby and I wanted to explore Mt Airy on this lovely Monday early morning. Tickets are 10.00 a…read moreadult and plenty of parking around the museum. There are two small section one upstairs and the down stairs. I would say this museum is on the smaller side. We were done within 25 mins. It's nice to see things from the show since I did grow up watching this over at my grand parents house.

Nice museum with plenty to take in! There's beautiful…read moremurals outside for photo opportunities. Employees were friendly and both buildings were clean. You can get a deal on the museum across the street if you buy tickets for both places. It also includes the Earle theater. If you're in town definitely check it out.

Manageable and serviceable museum at best. While small things are able to pack a punch. This one…read morefalls a bit short. We travelled 7 hours to see the special Nightmare Before Christmas exhibit which was mis-marketed and was very sad. We're it not for the Looney Tunes special exhibition, we would have to have given one-star. That was the highlight of the trip. It was so neat to see the original artwork and this was well-dosplayed and well-light. In comparison... The NBC display was in the back of a corridor and the artwork, which is dark to begin with was not well-lit and unable to be seen fully...

Located in the Heritage Green museum area of Greenville, the Upcountry History Museum is the…read moreperfect small city museum. It has well laid out and informative permanent exhibits, giving you a great overview of the history of the region without it being information overload. They have a fairly large theater that plays a film if you're not too interested in walking around the exhibits. It's fairly compact in size, so you can visit both floors quickly if you are in a rush, or take an hour or two depending on your level of interest. They have several rotating special exhibits, which I feel is essential to keeping things fresh and encourages repeat visits. On my visit, I found both the special exhibits on the Avengers and Lady Bird Johnson to be of excellent quality. However, there was a dinosaur exhibit which I felt was of poor quality and not very informative, and it seemed to be more of an area for younger kids to play rather than have visitors learn. They are setting up to have a Looney Toons special exhibit some time in the next year. There is a small gift and cafeteria area with vending machines on premises. They participate in the Bank of America Museums on Us program, providing complimentary visits to cardholders the first full weekend of every month. Overall, I'd rate the Upcountry History Museum a 4.5 stars out of 5 for a small city museum, but happy to round up since I enjoyed my visit and found it vastly superior to the Greenville County Museum of Art a few minutes away.

I was so looking forward to my stop at the Hickory Aviation Museum located at the Hickory Airport…read morein what used to be baggage claim. Admission is free as is parking in the lot. When you enter the airport, follow the hallway back to the museum. I was greeted at first then asked to sign the guestbook. From there I was on my own and felt like I was interrupting the groups conversation and not welcomed. Although they continued talking about medical conditions; whether they liked the menu at the reopening restaurant in the terminal; what they were going to eat for lunch, etc. It made it difficult to read the signage. The museum had many artifacts and memorabilia that provide insight on how flying has changed over the years and military history. One section is dedicated to Bill and George Preddy. A Wall of Honor was created for those who have died. Outside there are many aircraft to see. It would have been nice to get some background information and extra details while there but that might just depend on the volunteers that day.

This is a gem of a place for people interested in aviation and as I experienced, Mustangs! I…read morevisited the Museum for the first time when they were hosting the Snakes and Plane auto display where the cars (Mustangs) were on display among the planes. They have some really cool planes from the Blue Angels to some WWII planes and lots in between. Admission is free and it's right at the Hickory Regional Airport. There's also a little Cafe in the terminal building that I want to try on my next visit.

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.

A small museum in Greenville, SC, but staffed by volunteers with amazing knowledge. On learning we…read morewould be going to the Hunley Museum in Charleston, one of the gentlemen gave us first hand information about the raising of the Hunley. A lovely little museum.

The house is packed with Civil War memorabilia, military gear, photos, etc. Everything is amazingly…read morehigh quality. There is something for everyone - from muskets to dresses, and medical instruments to cannons. Very clean, very well-run, and the volunteer was great. You may need 2-3 visits to see everything. Free admission; no pressure to donate.

It was like I was transported back to the 90s. The walls are literally works of art. My friends and…read moreI had a blast going through the different rooms, taking photos together and whatnot. I have a cute photo of me pretending to be sub-zero in front of the Finish Him/Mortal Kombat area. It is a quick visit. You only really need an hour in there. Also, there is parking in the front and a little lot in the back. I highly recommend stopping by.

This weekend was all that ‼ This brought back so many…read morememories and the owner Jessica captured everything from the 90's in this space for sure . We enjoyed our time here & my peeps definitely understood the assignment lol . We were in character and gear . This was so fun and very nostalgic taking me back to the 90s which to me was the best time to be alive . This was the hi light of my weekend ,take friends with you that love taking pictures & love being in the moment .