McWane Science Center Reviews

I m shocked and extremely disappointed that the McWane center has re-opened amid this global pandemic especially with Jefferson County s skyrocketing numbers. With the word SCIENCE in their name, one would think that they would be hyperaware of the consequences of reopening and that by making this choice they are increasing the risk for anyone that attends. Everybody knows that toddlers are not compliant and it s extremely difficult for them to not want to put everything in their mouth. It shows me that they value profits and revenue over the safety of their members and staff. We have been longtime members and because of their eagerness to reopen we will not be returning and will not renew our membership. Very disappointed.

The McWane Science Center is a wonderful place for families, school groups, and any one with children. It's fun and educational at the same time. Kids learn while they play. It's great.

We were really impressed by what the McWane has to offer! Our 3 year old loved everything here. Tons of fun, educational, cheap entertainment.

My fiance and I visited this Museum when we are in town for a holiday party. I was afraid that it would be more geared towards children but we were pleasantly surprised. The whole first floor is Interactive and even adults can have fun with it. They even have a touch tank where you can touch sharks and stingrays. The only downside to the museum is that it was a little dirty but when you have a ton of kids running around interacting with the exhibits that is bound to happen.

Great place for the whole family. Tons of exhibits and activities. Food court is decent and reasonably priced.

This place is amazing! It was so much fun to explore the exhibits and get hands on with science. There is so much to do and something for everyone. The Cool Stuff Store has so many neat things to buy!

Great place to see science in action! A great adventure for kids, and those who like to pretend to be a kid

Very fun and educational. Something to do for the entire family.

The McWane center is great however Brittnie did not make me feel like I should have been at the McWane center. Brittnie was not friendly, helpful or interested in being at work. Customer service goes along way. I am a member here and today I feel like I need to rethink my membership.

Great fun place to bring your children, it's even fun for adults and people of all ages. You get to have fun while learning all type of things.

Great place to visit! Also teachers are free all day everyday! So me and the one year old only had to pay for parking! Great summer activity

We loved this museum. Lots of hands on activities and interactive displays. Very clean and well laid out. We spent about 3 hours playing and learning.

Great place for hyper kids. Fun. Very interesting place.

It's a great place unfortunately some equipment doesn't work because kids have broken a few things but my kids still had a great time!

Loved it had a blast there with my son and will go back

Many hands-on science exhibits that are great for children and adults alike.

We have went several times , it's always fun just wished it was little more budget friendly but worth the money every time we have been

My kids love going. They have some exhibits they keep around and some that change up so you have a slightly different experience each time you go. Great family fun. The shark pool is our favorite part to visit.

Fun place to bring the kids, especially the little ones.

I have grandkids, age 14, 7 and 9. They love coming, but the especially live the Little City. Think they live that the best.

I came here many times as a child, as a teenager, an adult,and now as an adult with his own child. This place has always been great and is always changing. If you like hands-on science and learning, go to McWane! If you have kids off various ages including crawlers, there's something here any age.

Three levels of learning and fun activities kids will love.

Ittu bitty magic city is a day killer for us. The kids love it and so do we.

So much fun! They have something for the whole family to enjoy.

The kids love it, they'll want to go back. Hands on science museum.

Should have had a guide to take us to the various stations

Awesome place for kids, but grownups can have just as much fun too!!

What a great learning experience!! My husband is a scientist and he enjoyed it more than I date

So much fun!! Clean and safe. Plenty of activities for children of all ages

Such a fun and educational place for children. My wife takes our young kids here quite often with our family membership. They never get tired of it!

One negative thing is parking if you're not in a group. That is it. Staff has been accommodating.

We loved visiting! So many hands on activities. Our students loved everything from the I max movie to petting stingrays and sharks.

Kids had a great time here. I the exhibits and staff were wonderful.

We're members so we go a lot and always have a great time... But they don't have the best customer service, I've spent 4 hours on the phone trying to find out the answer to one simple question and I have not been able to reach a single person.

We love the itty bitty area. My 22 month old loves to run and play here. There is one are on main floor that has bubbles. Make sure your little ones are being supervised. Mine got dish soap in his eyes and it was a whole ordeal.

Me and my sons had a great time. We stayed for about 5 hours. We watched south Pacific in the theater

This place was AWESOME! We took my 13 year old and his brother there for his birthday and we had a blast! The staff was friendly and there was plenty to do, four floors of different things to do. My only complaint is the food and drink pricing. Even the vending machines were charging $3 for a 20oz soda. If you go, bring your own drinks and snacks. Other than that, I cannot recommend this place enough if you have kids of any age. Even as adults, my wife and I had a great time. Loved it!

We stopped on our way north from Florida to meet some friends that live in the area, and they suggested this as an activity for all the kids. Their kids are older, while ours are younger, but both families had a great time. Our friends have been here multiple times, so they knew what to expect, but still seemed to really enjoy themselves. Meanwhile, our kids are both in the "five and under" category, so they got into the space for younger kids. It was awesome. The only problem was we weren't prepared for wet kids, so we couldn't let them fully enjoy the space. They still had a blast, though. They also really enjoyed all the hands-on experiments, even if many of those were well beyond their understanding at five and two.

The kids also loved the lower level aquarium. They particularly enjoyed the rays.

And then we found the model trains. I'm fairly sure we spent an entire hour just looking at all the scenes in the various displays.

The older one has repeatedly asked to go back.

Took the grandbabies and what an incredible memory! From the tornado simulator to the Imax theater and every single thing between was amazing! And my granddaughter who was visiting from WI was absolutely in awe throughout the entire dinosaur experience! She has been enthralled with dinosaurs from an early age and is set on a career in paleontology. At 12 yrs old she is genius level on anything dinosaur and has even caught the attention of a paleo professor in Scotland who offered her a spot there at college time. She would've been quite content in that one area the entire day I believe. Thanks for such a learning, fun family place to the community!

I had gone maybe 10 years without being here since I was a kid on a field trip, and I was not disappointed. Awesome experience

Probably the most fun you can spend on any given day while in Birmingham!

This place is a wonderful attraction and learning center for kids and adults alike! The IMAX theatre is incredible and is a must try when visiting. It truly offers enrichment for the community and tourists alike.

A great place to bring your children and for them to have fun while learning.

I took my 2yo son and 7mo daughter. There was plenty for everyone to see and do. Well worth the membership price.

Disappointed in most of the exhibits. They do not work properly. No one over 5 allowed in itty bitty city. Couldn't see the sharks exhibit closed while they cleaned the tank. The price is to high for an adult who is there to chaperone . This is the reason most families can't afford to do things with there kids. Will not go back.

Peace to you. McWane dazzles as a science center snd a place for kifs to be kids. I'm considering buying a membership, and I seriously recommend any families in the metropolitan Birmingham area make time to check this out

Great hands-on kid's museum. Some of the exhibits need repairs or updating.

Loved it! So much to do and your children are learning as they play. Looking forward to going again!!

This isn t worth the entrance ticket that we paid. It was very small and the exhibits were not impressive at all. Science centers should actually be free especially if there s nothing very special inside. I ve been to the California science center. It was free and beautiful and well-curated. Well, I guess that just shows how a progressive state values education so much more than conservative states like Alabama. Poor students have to pay to see a science center when it should be made accessible to them by their government. Good job California! Alabama can do so much better.

Overpriced and was not impressed really bad parking

Very crowded and busy the day we visited. It would be a great place when the crowds are not so big.

It is a very good place to take children but I think that from 5 or 6 years since they understand well, the cost is accessible, they give discount to teachers and military.