Lovely museum with a variety of exhibits…read more I was very excited to view the new armor collection they have on exhibit. It's a vast collection with full suits of armor down to the smallest embelishment, cerfemonial or functional. Pieces include European and Asian examples. The exhibit is included with admission and has timed entry so be sure to book ahead to get your desired time slot. A small kids area in the exhibit has art supplies and books in case the adults are taking too long. Directly across from the armor exhibit we viewed the "Peaceable Kingdom" exhibit. Artists around the world have submitted works of their interpretation based on the original painting. Some artist included information explaining their thoughts working on the project. Many of the pieces are very insightful. A recreation of an Italian palazzo courtyard showcases a roman mosiac floor. Gorgeous. Also on this level is a 12th century Charter House moved from France. The museum has adorned this space with period stained glass from England and mimic candle light with electric candelabra to set the scene. A small cafe near the moasic floor offers sandwiches, coffee, tea, water, sweets, soft drinks, soup and salad. The gift shop is by the entrance on this side of the building and offers a large variety of gift items including note cards, ornaments, books, games, kitchen items, hand bags and more. On the next level up in the palazzo are a series of galleries flowing into each other displaying European art from the 11th century to the early 20th. Behind this area you will find egyptian art and more. One exhibit included a kiosk with more information about items in that collection and a comfortable sofa and seating. At the time of this review, the third level is being renovated. The fourth level is modern art (Andy Warhol and Christos for ex.) and collection preservation labs. Fifth level seems to be an event space. Free lockers are available in the coat rooms near the ticketing desk. Class rooms are located near the Lance St. entrance. See their website for available classes. A free parking lot for museum patrons is available across Lance St. There is a cross walk with wheelchair ramps on/off the sidewalks here. An elevator is available to the left of this entrance if you cannot navigate steps. Interior elevators move between levels as do staircases. Restrooms are on a couple of levels and have diaper stations. A water fountain (bubbla) is near the elevator and restrooms. A few wheelchairs are available on a 'first come' basis. Discounted entry is available, see website for details. Most definitely recommend. I very much enjoyed our visit. Plan to possibly spend a few hours. You can easily spend hours looking at all that armor. You can also make a quick run through if you are short on time. On a side note, the Salisbury Mansion is located behind the museum and well worth a look if you have time.

The Worcester Art Museum is packed with memorable exhibits, and I had a great time exploring them…read morefor 2.5-3 hours. I was able to make it through the entire museum at a leisurely pace. The Asian art section, especially the Japanese prints exhibit "Reflections of a Changing Japan: The Evolution of Shin Hanga" was a standout. The Roman mosaics taken from a floor of a home were definitely memorable. They're incredibly well-preserved and shows stories about life, mythology, and religion. I was amazed by the amount of skill and detail it must've taken to puzzle it back together after transporting it across the world. The ancient Egyptian exhibit was super cool, packed with statues, sarcophagi, and other artifacts. They also have some restored European and American oil paintings that were truly stunning, some looked insanely realistic. I spent the most time admiring this exhibit. I wasn't a fan of the contemporary art but one can say that I lack whatever it takes to fully appreciate it. It's a small museum but worthy of a visit.

Really could (should?) be called war musuem. Here you will find a wealth of information and dozens…read moreof tanks and a handful of planes all wartime related. There's even a handful that are one of a kind and only displayed here. There's also a couple videos/presentations available to watch. So there's ample information in what is a relatively small space. There are staff milling around throught the musuem, so if you have questions you won't have to go far. I think during the summer they even offer rides in tanks for an added fee. The musuem takes about 1.5 hours to complete and you can save a couple bucks if you buy your ticket online, and its also good for any non-special event day, so you don't even have to use it that day. The driveway is also about 3/4 of a mile long, so its pretty far off the road. Overall it was as fun way to spend a couple hours inside on a raw rainy early spring day.

Do you like history?…read more Do you like tanks? Then this place is for you! Absolutely well worth the visit. You will learn so much! Lots to see, definitely leave yourself 2-3 hours to get through it all and read the facts. Some of the vehicles are the one ones on display in the US or the world!

Follow the instructions to science and technology. Let's explore !…read more Our nations majestic bird greets you as you walk down a path from the parking lot . The parking is plentiful and free! As you walk this beautiful place it's divided between different animal paths and eco systems! You will learn visual and physical features from each habitat. Make sure and enjoy the experience that has been created to show how these creatures interact and exist in their surroundings . They maintain well funded environment by individuals that care for the animals. Thank you for this opportunity. If you're a local to the area the yearly pass would benefit greatly . Make sure and visit the gift shop for a souvenir. Until the next time.

We recently visited the Ecotarium which is almost an hour away from where we live; and while it had…read moresome highlights, I left feeling the admission price didn't quite match the experience--especially with a toddler. For our family, it came out to around $55, and for a 2-year-old, there wasn't a lot to engage with at this age. Many of the exhibits are better suited for older children who can read, explore independently, and understand the science concepts. Both the planetarium and the train ride require an additional fee beyond admission. My toddler enjoyed the train and we thought the planetarium was nicely done, but it would've been nice if there was an option to just purchase tickets for those experiences instead of paying full admission. We were excited to see the mountain lions, but learned they're often resting high up and out of view. It was a little disappointing since that's one of the main animal exhibits. The bubble exhibit was also not functioning properly during our visit. Overall, the grounds are nice and I can see older kids having a great time exploring all the exhibits. For families with toddlers, though, the value just isn't quite there. I'd recommend this more for kids 4-5 and up who can really interact with and appreciate the exhibits.

Well that was super fun…read more When we arrived no one was on the desk so we began to wander the first floor. If you just want to walk around, and check out the machines that is free. I saw someone who works there and he gave us a quick 'tour'. Pinball machines are set up here by year beginning in the 1930's! There a many from the 70's, a big collection of 80's and then further back it's a mix. The tour took up upstairs. There is a wheelchair lift here, however, you have to step over a barrier at the bottom of the doorway leading to the stairs so not really handicap accessible? Call if you need info on that. Keep that door at the bottom of the staircase open so you can get back! At the top of the steps is a private event room. (sorry no photo, a meeting was going on). Turn right after the event room and follow the hallway to the 'Blue Room' on the left at the end. Here you'll find a small, open space for a party with shelves of board games, a table and comfy couches. The Blue Room includes several racing games (seated style), shooter games, skeeball, basketball throw and other arcade games. There were a couple dozen pinball machines without an outlet to play them stored in this space. Our tour guide tells us for events up to 150 people, these games are moved out and tables moved into that space. The second floor hosts many other businesses so be respectful when in the halls. Our visit lasted about two hours playing all the games. Some of the pinball machines include information on who designed them and other info. The Star Trek machine is signed by some of the actors. Scoobydoo, Addams family, Aerosmith, Rick & Morty, Dolly Parton, on and on. Some games have hepatic feedback - like when the dinosaur eats your ball in the Jurasic Park pinball game the entire machine shakes. I love how the machines are all set to 'free play'. You just hit the start button (usually a round button on the front) and you get your three balls. When that game ends, hit start again and you get another three balls. Also, if you loose a ball quickly, you get an extra ball. Really makes for a fun experience. Admission is ten dollars per person (all ages), cash or credit, and covers playing all the available games for the whole day - come and go as you please. Parking is available next to the building in two lots. No food or drink are available for sale here. When hosting an event here, bring your own catering. Contact them/visit their website for details on hosting events. Public restrooms are on the upper level off the hallway. The museum space is more or less warehouse space. It was cold in there when we visited and we left our coats and hats on (February). When there are a lot of games being played, it gets loud, so be prepared. There are a few step stools for the smaller kids. Check next to or under the machines for those or if you have a collapsable one at home maybe bring it along just in case they are all in use. During our week day visit there were a fair amount of adults in there enjoying pinball and all the other games. Staff are knowledgeable and very easy to chat with. Definitely plan an outting to visit this fun museum diguised as an arcade. Alone, or with the kids. You might become the 'fun uncle' after a day here with the nibblings.

We had so much fun discovering the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas several years ago, so when I…read moreheard about this similar concept in Rhode Island, I had to visit. It did not disappoint! The variety of functioning arcade games is limited, but there are many working/playable pinball machines from different eras and manufacturers. And sadly, many non-functioning machines (hopefully temporary). Michael and the quirky staff will enthusiastically provide a quick tour of the no-frills warehouse. With the super reasonable $10 all-you-can play concept, I was really able to test out so many different machines which gave me a new appreciation for the differences between the older Bally and Williams machines, and some of the modern outrageously themed machines. Surprisingly, I quickly discovered I had strong preferences in pinball machines. Who knew?! Ultimately, I found myself drawn to the simpler Bally style machines from decades ago, as the modern flashing lights in the dark warehouse were a bit of a sensory overload for me. As fun as The Simpsons and Family Guy might be, I hope Michael and his team are able to preserve the classic machines for many others to discover and enjoy for a long time!

Krista and Carla were our educational leaders. They have so much knowledge!…read moreThey gave so much information about all the weather apparatus and the use of this observatory! The view is amazing! Definitely need to go back in the spring!

Free water for dog and 2$ designer water. Best bargain I've received this month with a great view.read more

I don't have kids but I went with my mom, sister and nephew. It was so cool to see what kinds of…read morebusinesses and opportunities there are for kids to receive enrichment beyond the home & classroom (e.g. daycare). It sounds like this is a popular place in the winter given its wide range of indoor activities. It's organized very well and provides different types of stimuli for children to choose from. The staff inside support and encourage parents & guardians to utilize the Discovery Museum's facilities to the best their kids are able to. The outdoor areas & trails seemed fun, as well as the giant chair and swing set.

The Discovery Museum is a hands-on museum for families that opened in Acton, Massachusetts in 1982…read more It was founded by math teacher and naturalist Donald B. Verger. The museum blends science, natural and play. A second museum building opened in 1987. After an $8.8M expansion and renovation, the museum reopened as a single-building museum in March 2018. A 550 -square-foot tree house and accessible nature playscape were also added to the campus in July 2016. The current museum now has twice the exhibit space of the original museum and includes significant galleries for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) experiences including water, air, tinkering, design, engineering, early brain development, math, light and color, and sound. My family and I recently visited the Discovery Museum while we were visiting the area. We visited a local brewery for lunch and my wife and I were interested to see if there was a place nearby that we could take our sons. The museum came highly recommended. We're glad that we heard about it because we all had a blast. The whole campus was beautiful! There are a variety of different interactive exhibits devoted to topics such as math, airplay, water, music & sound, illusions, simple machines, light & color, and Leonardo da Vinci. My sons never wanted to leave. After exploring the museum, we all headed outside to explore the Discovery Woods. My sons really liked checking out the tree house, the nature playscape, Adventure Hill, the slap-a-phone, the outdoor da Vinci exhibits, and Bessie the Dinosaur. Overall we had an excellent experience at the Discovery Museum and we highly recommend it to families who are visiting the area!

What a beautiful home. Open to the general public for tours at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm, the door is kept…read morelocked. We knocked a couple of times before it was opened. We were a bit early for the tour and waited in the hallway until tour time began. One other gentleman joined the tour on this weekday visit. The house was moved from down the hill to it's current location in 1929 leaving behind a kitchen addition and outbuilding. Originally the home was mostly a store with a ground floor kitchen and living quarters over head. Later, the shop space was turned into a small office, central staircase, hallway, dining room and parlor as it is today displayed. The tour included information about the original owners family and their impact on the City of Worcester. The building was temporarily used as rental property, one of which was a men's club who tore down walls to build a bowling alley. Because why not? The museum has restored that area to be as close to period as possible. Some items in the home are original to the family, including a beautiful harp. Other items in the home are appropriate to the period and include some beautiful dresses, furniture and artwork from one of the gentleman's 'tour of the Continent'. One fun piece on display is a Lego mock-up of the home. The tour guide is very knowledgeable and friendly. Parking is located next to the building. I'm not sure if it's wheelchair accessible due to it's age. There certainly is no elevator to reach the upper level and the staircase is steep. Some of the wall paper has been reproduced from pieces found during renovation and the lower level floors covered in a reproduced 'floor cloth' which the tour guide described as 'the original linoleum'. Very interesting view into life in Worcester during the late 1700's and early 1800's.

Great tour. Guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. Showing just a few photos so you can see the…read morerest for yourself! Go there - it's awesome!

A great spot. $2 for general admission, $5 if you want to see the planetarium show too. Even with…read moreits small size you can't go wrong with those prices. As I said it is on the small side, in a hurry you could do the musuem in 15 minutes, and even taking your time it could be done in half an hour. There are plenty of displays, but not much in terms of factual information compared to other musuems. Check this place out, even if its not your thing for the price you can't go wrong.

Only 2 handicap parking spots and the entrance had steps where the door opens towards you are you…read moreare trying to come in. $2 admission is not bad and staff are friendly. So if you need an ADA parking spot, show up early and there's one in each of the parking lots adjacent to the building.

This place is about as awesome as it gets. I took my 8 year old son and my 70 year old mother, and…read morewe all had a great time walking around the three levels. The staff was very friendly, and my son was super happy to chat them up about the different things on display, and share what he knew with them. We spent about two hours, and we could easily head back again.

First, it's a very nice museum. Second, it's free…read more The exhibits are well thought out, and I like that they have additional samples in draws that you can pull out if you want, a nice way to encourage exploration. They also have codes you can scan to get additional videos on some displays. Very nice. The Hitchcock Ichnology collection is world class, an incredible display of Connecticut Valley dinosaur footprints. It is a great way to train your eyes before going to look for prints at the Trustees site in Holyoke. Also great mammal, fish, and dinosaur body fossils. A gem.