Now that the kids are getting older, I’ve been wanting to take more day trips and do more around our awesome state. There is so much to do and see in North Carolina and even though I’ve lived here since 1989, there’s so much I haven’t seen.
This past weekend, we had the chance to check out the Greensboro Science Center. Part-museum, part-zoo and part-aquarium, this place has something for EVERYone.
The Science is open daily from 9-5 (with the zoo closing at 4.) Admission costs are as follows: Adults (ages 14 – 64): $13.50, Seniors (ages 65+): $12.50, Children (ages 3 – 13): $12.50, Children 2 and Under: Free
We started our trip in the aquarium section of the Science Center. The small girl and I were most excited to see the penguins and they didn’t disappoint. This little guy was sleeping standing up!
The coolest part in the aquarium, in my humble opinion, was the octopus. Every place I’ve ever seen one, it’s always been hiding inside something. This guy was out in full force (but I couldn’t get a good photo). It was so incredibly cool to see every detail of his eight arms. (Did you know each arm has it’s own brain that controls it?)
After the aquarium, we went to look at some of the museum exhibits. The dinasour area was under construction so some of the displays were in a temporary area. We’ll have to go back when it’s redone because it wasn’t that exciting.
But the area dedicated to the human body? That was cool.
Guess what the kids liked best?
Yup – the exhibits that explained farts and vomit and the nose that sneezed when you stick your finger inside were the favorites. Because, of course!
Then we made our way to the herpetarium to see all the snakes, turtles and other reptiles. (I couldn’t bring myself to take a photo of the tarantula. I shudder just thinking about it.)
Things to Know: Food
If you’re going with kids, obviously, you need to know what your food options are. There is a really nice cafe, run by the Fresh Market, that offers sandwiches, paninis, pizza and few other things. I loved that I didn’t have to deter too far from my current attempt at being “healthy”. All four of us got a meal, plus two chips and drinks for just over $30.
Things to Know: Inside Track Tours
For an additional $15 per person, you can do a behind the scenes tour of the aquarium. You visit the food preparation area, see animal holding spaces and walk through a maze of pumps before ending your experience high above Shark Reef, our 90,000 gallon Caribbean community.
Our guide, Katie, was AMAZING and super knowledgable.
We did run into a little hiccup as half way through our Behind the Scenes tour, the power went out and the entire museum was evacuated. (Apparently a tree fell on a power line just down the street.) So unfortunately our trip was cut short and we didn’t get to check out the Shark Reef OR visit the Zoo section . But we have vouchers to go back, and we definitely will because I really want to see the tiger and finish our tour.
The drive from Raleigh was super easy at just over an hour. I highly recommend this trip for all families. There’s plenty to do and with so many different sections, everyone is sure to find an area of interest. The kids can’t wait to go back and check out the rest of the center.
(There is also apparently an indoor play area that’s pretty cool but we didn’t find it in our limited time on-site. I will be doing a Part 2 post once we make the trek back.)
What are your favorite places to go in NC? What should we check out next?
I received complimentary tickets to the Science Center. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own or that of my family.
This looks so fun! I can’t believe we’ve never been. Must change that!