The activities for the kids are fun and all-inclusive! If you have an age gap between your kids don't worry, there's something for all of them. The dinosaur exhibit is always a lot of fun, they can look at life-size dinos and even dig for fossils. The Itty Bitty Magic City is the highlight of the trip! My kids can spend HOURS in there, which is nice if you're with other adults or your spouse and you want to be able to relax just a little. The kids can run around and play in a cafe, a mechanic's shop, a firehouse, a play house, and much more. The kids love playing pretend, serving "food" to the adults at the counter, it's a large area and there's plenty to keep them entertained. There's also a food court on the main level to keep everyone fueled up for the day. The Imax theater is always an excellent option if they're showing something that you want to see, but I usually don't go because once we cover the other areas we've been there for most of the day and had lots of fun!
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DLXVIII Recorded by Underscribe Shipal So it was that the grand emperor, while he sipped upon his sweet wine, began to wonder the nature of science. Wanting to know more, the glorious emperor summoned his greatest scholars to teach him the mysteries of the nature of all life. But it was not enough in the emperor's pursuit of knowledge, so the emperor ordered the scorned scholars out of his throne room.
As the Leviathan passed near the planet known as Earth, the emperor demanded the ship to stop. He soon gathered all of the inhabitants of the ship to his quarters for a grand announcement "My great people, my friends! Today we will go to Earth and learn the ways of science from the people of the Earth. And we will indulge ourselves in their finest delicacies until our faces are fat with delight!+" At this decree, the Leviathan lurched forward to the planet Earth and touched down safely near the southern pole of the planet.
The emperor flew upon his grand ship, scouring the Earth for a man, woman or child worthy to teach the emperor of the wonders of science. And so, after 54 days of searching, the grand emperor found the McWane Science Center. The emperor was entertained for days with the contraptions the Earthlings had designed and toyed with each one for hours on end. He watched a great deal of shows in the screening room, where he cheered with great jubilation every time a new film played.
And after 3 months, the emperor had finished his studies and reboarded the Leviathan and once again called his people to his quarters. When all had arrived, the great emperor Calus spoke to the crowd. "My people! I have finished my studies of the great advancements of science from the geniuses at the Science Center, presumably owned by the powerful being known as McWane. And in my studies I have made a decision. McWane, wherever he may be on our return to Earth, will be my champion in the arts of science!" And so the throng of Cabal cheered and a great feast was prepared in honor of the Emperor's decision.
+To my dearest Underscribe Shipal, You did not record the Emperor's search for the Earth delicacy known as BBQ. Delete this footnote upon the reconstruction of this account.
Love the science center! So great for people of all ages! It would be nice if they had a dedicated nursing station for mothers though. Specifically one near Itty Bitty Magic City.
Imax Apollo 11 movie isn't for young kids and as adult not a fan. my opinion it was a movie that was not shot in IMAX and I'm really not a fan of a movie that wasn't shot in IMAX format save your money and watch a documentary on Netflix. But the gift shop did have space icecream
Very fun for kids of all ages, even those not young enough to understand most science. Has constantly changing exhibits, as well as some that are permanent. Whether an exhibit is there always, or for a short period of time, all exhibits are without a doubt very fun, and understandable by kids of all ages. The IMAX theater Is colossal, and has one of the greatest screens I ve ever seen in a movie theater. It is over all very clean, and also very fun for everybody!
As a Birmingham attraction this is a good place to go for family fun. It's educational for the kids and there's a romp area where parents can settle a bit while kids run and play. Parking is free for McWane Center guests. Just bring a small car. The deck is old, and space is a commodity. However, the membership gets you free access to the Science Center and 20% discounts in the cafeteria. For locals and frequent visitors to the Birmingham area, it's hard to beat.
Good concept! Like that it is hands on science for kids! Wish they would fix the stuff that's broke I bought a membership on first visit cause it was only 10 bucks more than a one time visit. Some things were broke then now I went back for second time 3-4 months later same stuff still broke and some new stuff broke...and please dust!!!!! Duster are a dollar at the store!!!! Would think for how much it cost that they could fix or remove broken!
We love the Mcwane Center. There is so much for our family of nine to do. The children, from ages two to 12, always find something that they enjoy. The environment is family-friendly and the exhibits are, for the most part, interactive. Itty-bitty-magic-city is a favorite at our house. The slide from the third floor to the second floor is also a hit. Going during the week means it is a little less crowded. It's worth it to get the annual membership because just going once is not enough. Great inside activity for a rainy, cold, or extremely hot day.
Really affordable membership rates, fun stuff to do and see, and for all ages too. I'm a scientist and my photographer wife and our 1 year old and 3 year old all had fun, so there's something for everyone.
I cannot say enough wonderful things about McWayne Center. The manager Robert all the way down to the staff provided EXCELLENT customer relations. Not to mention the fact they went out of their way to help someone in the community. Kudos to these wonderful people.
This place is great for adults and kids. It is clean. The parking garage could have been built a little taller. If you have a lift kit on your vehicle, you may want to check clearance. I drive an SUV and it was difficult to maneuver if someone didnt pull all the way up in their parking spot. Parking on the street is available but it's only for two hours. You'll be in there longer than that!
We loved it! We went on a weekday, and there was almost no one there. It was great, since we got to do everything! Our kids had a blast, and so did me and my husband!
A jewel of Birmingham for young kids! We absolutely love this place for building curiosity and burning some kid energy in a healthy way. The dome theater is something you won't want to miss! The movies are the educational type but still worth it. The science exhibits are mind blowing and the itty bitty city keeps our kids happy for hours! Love this place!
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Traveled here from Atlanta. Amazing museum! Very interactive and educational! Would have given the museum a 5, but the first floor wheelchair race was extremely insensitive to people with disabilities. Very painful to watch people enjoying themselves race in a wheelchair, while patrons in wheelchairs looked on. No one would notice the disappearance of this exhibit. Remove it please. The museum has 4 floors of great things to offer! This one exhibit will not be missed!
We spent the day in Birmingham and wanted to see what else there was to do. The Blue Star Museums listed this as a place to visit so we went and used the free entry to just kill some time. We knew it would be kid oriented but it was actually more fun than we thought. I had been once before about a decade ago and it had been rented out for our work conference. It was fun then and was fun still too. The water world was more fun than the zoo! You can touch the animals in the tank which was fun. There were so many exhibits that you can really learn a lot from even as adults. We did enjoy getting most of it scene before the kids came as we went right at noon. Overall, it was a fun experience and really well thought out.
This place is amazing! I honestly don't remember when I have had so much fun. Everything is interactive! I played like a kid all day long. Awesome place for a family day but if you don't have children it's just as much fun for adults. They have a bed of nails, dinosaurs, bubbles, lights, an Imax movie just to name a few. There is just too much to list! My favorite was the interactive light screen (pictured below). We really had a great time. Honestly my boyfriend and I played like little kids all day long. I can't wait to go back!
Kids really enjoyed the exhibits here. Lots to do as we spent the whole day here. Only negative thing is some exhibits are not functioning. Itty bitty magic city was great for preschoolers.
A bit expensive, but worth it (probably worth the membership if you live in the area). There is so much to do. My 6 year old loved it and so did I! Even during covid-19, they still had regular programs.
Absolutely love this place. We're a family of 7 and decided to go with the family passes. We paid a little over $100 for the whole family to go as much as we want during the year. The shark exhibit is by far our favorite and the fact that they change out the top floor exhibit keeps it fresh. Highly recommend.
I really recommend the macwayne center to all people in Birmingham downtown... Well tbh its open for anyone around Birmingham. I loved this place growing up. And I still do childhood through highschool coming here has always been a blast for me. Always something new you can learn from here. Amazing customer support.
mcwane.org
