NCMLS Reviews

This is a great place for kids. If you come here often a membership comes in handy. There are many activities and your young ones will typically have an entire days worth of adventure.

You can spend hours indoors, outdoors or both at this amazing center. Inside: learn about aerodynamics, create a tornado, play a song by hopping around the room, visit NC wildlife exhibit, and more. Outside, visit bears, wolves, lemurs and farm animals, play in a tree house hideaway, walk through a dinosaur exhibit. I love this museum!

On nice days my kids beg to do the dinosaur trail outside and on cool and rainstorm days we stay inside.

This place
Gets busy and fills up on weekends so be prepared .

They do have restaurant and lots of activities

It was very nice but half the museum was close........

Wonderful place sad that its closed for the most part this year.

The family membership is the best if you have kids.

Very good museum. Lot's to do for children. , Outside there are also many places for children to explore and have fun. The grounds are well maintained . There a good little restaurant with outdoor dining. The butterfly house is wonderful, Have been there a few times with the grand kids.

I gotta say, I love museums, and this place doesn't disappoint.

The admission isn't much, 16$, can add up quick fir a family of four and yes, they offer military discounts.

I went before the tree houses were built, so I can't give my opinion there other than it looks like fun. Also, I went when it was cold, so I didn't do any of the outdoor exhibits.

The butterfly house was lovely. It's a magical feeling to be surrounded by butterflies.

I loved the museum overall. It was a fun, interactive, creative adventure and a great place to take kids to work out some energy.

They had an adorable cafe. The coffee was good, wasn't the most amazing I've ever had, but was acceptable. The decor in the cafe was cute. The place was extremely clean and well kept, it was comfortable.

It's a great place to take your kids during the summer, spring, or fall. Don't go when its cold or you'll miss all the outdoors exhibits unless you don't mind the cold. It's a fantastic place to take your kids and enjoy a day full of fun adventures!

Great place for family. There are a lot of fun things to do and you can spend all day there without being bored. It s $21 for adults, $16 for kids (up to 12 years old), and free for babies and toddlers. The space theme is interesting. There is also a dinosaur trail where kids can learn about dinosaurs and dig the fossils. It s more of an outdoor place so we would not recommend going on a rainy day. Parking is free and there are a few cafes and vending machines available. It s open 7 days a week from 10-5 PM.

There is so much to do here it is hard to say what exactly is the "best" The red wolf pups are great! Very cute. The bears too. There was almost too much to do, which is never a bad thing.

Cafe was dirty and I had to wipe down my own table. Animals were boring and u couldn t even see the bears. If u have a little tiny kid I guess it s fine.

Fun for all ages. Membership has privileges, but just going once is also a treat. Plenty to do and see ranging from indoor hands-on activities to outdoor spaces to get wild in. The train is a fun treat for the kids, and we really like the butterfly house.

There is a lot here, but tickets are very pricey, especially for adults. $20 for an adult is a little nuts. We came for the zoo and the butterfly house, everything else had tons of children running around and isn t really meant for adult anyways. Took us a good 3 hours to get around to everything though.

If you have kids and live in Durham, then you need a membership here.

Hands down our favorite place for taking the kids on an outing. We became fast fans of the Life and Science museum and night a membership on our first visit. There is so much to do that even after 3 yrs here we still go weekly.
And, is been clutch when the grandparents are in town and can't figure out what to do with the kids when We want to go on a (taste) date!
Our kids love it and it's become a second play place for us when they are tied of being home.
The Catch The Wind exhibit is still probably our family favorite. But we do also spend a lot of time in the tree houses!
It's a kids fantasy land. How I wish something like this existed when I was a kid.

I brought my 1 year old (not walking yet) and 2.5 year old here and it was WONDERFUL for all of us. The outdoor part is pretty shaded-especially on the paths. There is a section with water mist so if you let your kids go there be sure to bring a change of clothes and/or towel! There were some kids there with swimsuits on. I could go on but the best part is that everyone slept great that night!!

Great experience if you have children. A lot of interactive exhibits. Plenty to keep kids engaged and interested. Also, plenty of spots to sit and rest. Fun for the family.

Suitable for children to play, both animals and plants, very rich

Great place for families and free for residents on wed afternoons

Other than the fact that I love the museum iitself and the many additions it has made in the years since my last visit, the staff are wonderful. I attended with my service dog, and immediately at entry there was a brief discussion with me regarding the dog being there. The manager was extremely proffessional with me and was apologetic for the hold up. All of their flora and fauna look healthy and well maintained. I'm also totally impressed with the vast age range the museum accommodates. Some of the things mainly geared for children were still extremely entertaining and educational to me.

Such a wonderful place. Loved the dinosaur trail and the fossil dig. Good food at the Cafe too.

It his is an excellent museum for both younger and older kids. With the addition of the new outdoor area, it is an especially great place to play, learn, and explore. My family goes here at least once a month, sometimes more often because of all the great exhibits and things to do.

Best activity for young kids in Durham. The outdoor area is vast and way better than the inside parts. Definite recommend for nice days, but it's got enough to work on rainy days in a pinch. Membership is a good deal or it's good for out of towners just for a day.

The cafe is also decent for lunch.

Biggest complaint is not opening until noon on Sundays! Mornings are the best time to come, so Sunday is effectively lost for us.

Came to Durham this weekend just to go to this museum and it did not disappoint! We spent the entire day there and could have stayed longer. The lemurs are the best part!!

Fantastic place to visit. Definitely bring good walking shoes and a stroller if you have little ones. Carrying a worn out 2 year old for 3 miles of up and down, winding trails creates a worn out Dad. Worth every bit of it!

I liked it because it has entertainment for children and adults.

This is one of our favorite places and drive over an hour just to spend a day even with teens. The exhibits are top tier and most the staff within the museum and in the park are great. We love to visit the coffee shop but find everytime the staff are not in the best of moods. The girl that made our coffee seemed to be having a very bad day and was more worried about her phone than customer service I also noticed this from the girl at the gift shop register. After having such a great day this kind of put a damper on the end of our day. We will be back but may avoid the coffee next time. To be working in such a great environment should be a joyful time. Let's figure this out folks.

Who in there right mind would pay over 10 dollars for a burger

So much to do and see, we had a great time. I definitely will be going again!

My wife and I have had a season pass for two years running. We take our now 2 and 4 year old kids to the museum multiple times a month. When we first signed up we were taking them weekly. This place is expansive, and a ton of fun for kids. It took us a year to go enough times to actually see everything, and I am still not 100% sure I've seen it all. Of all of the attractions in the area for young kids, this one is top of the list. I couldn't recommend it more.

Pro tip: The membership is definitely worth it, but pay attention to which passes get reciprocity with other venues in the NC area. Also, members get to go in early, which is huge on busy days. We normally try to get there as soon as it is open and stay for 2-4 hours.

My wife and children love this museum. Plenty of hands on Learning spaces. Love the outdoors section. The tree play area is amazing. Even when full there is plenty to do.

Pricey but so so worth it! My kids have a blast, as do my husband and I! Everytime we go we stay from open to close and still don t see everything. You MUST visit at least once! I have five kids aged 0-7 and they all have such a blast. Honestly though, skip the train.

The tree house bigger than our home sold us at first sight. It's often very busy for good reason. The animals are a lot of fun as well as the dinosaur trail. There are also many wonderful exhibits inside but generally for older kids. The MLS instantly became a kids activity staple for our family.

Museum is unique. Yes, it s educational and focus on STEM but distracts everywhere - petting zoo, wild life exhibit, wetlands and a train ride. Good for family with kids of different age group but not a value for your money. Cafe is poor unless you know what to order as a frequent visitor. Butterfly House & Catch the Wind are bonus where you also explore quite few tropical plants, trees and wind science.

Great for kids and adults. Nice mix of science center and Zoo. Very well designed exhibits.

Plenty to do and very kid friendly. Many trails and things for children to explore. There is also a petting zoo and a large butterfly exhibit. Kind of expensive if you are on a budget (almost $20/piece for 1 adult), but imo well worth the money. Would definately recommend.

Great value if you get the membership. My kids love the tree house. Overall a lot to do for younger kids.

Great fun for a family with little ones. A little on the pricy side if you re visiting from out of state. Plenty to see and do to wear out little ones.

Although some of the exhibits are in need of minor renovations, this is still a great place to take the kids and to enjoy as an adult! I agree with the family membership. If you go a few times, it pays for itself. This is a place where you can learn while interacting with the world around you. It is better than most museums I've attended and is only 30 minutes from North Raleigh via I-540 and I-40 or by US 70. You have to check out the Bear and Red Wolf exhibits for the best in live animals you won't see just anywhere. And the dino trail is a cool place to learn.

Great place for kids. Sprouts cafeteria has really good food. Kids love this place and plenty of comfortable and cool seats for relaxing.

We love it! Well worth the membership fee!! So many things to do. We love the tree house, the train rides, slides, little stream, the butterfly garden and of course the little farm!! Our kids are ecstatic every time we bring them and never want to leave!! Check out the tower we built with the blocks.. I think we went 5-6 stories. If you can do more post a picture!

Parent + you have kids under 12 = Go here often and become members asap. This place is a wonderland ! There is so much to do and its huge. Animals, insects, butterflies galore ! Science exhibits ! Train ride ! A huge playground ! Dinosaur path ! Special events in and outside of museum hours ! Adults only events ! Art and sound fusion exhibit... The list goes on and on. We almost always do the train ride when we go. It's a must ! This is a regular meetup place for families with kids under 5. Bring the stroller for the super littles. Go early and your kid will be napping by the time you leave the street. Enjoy !

Great place to go I've been going there since I was a kid now I take my nephew and niece there

Very pleasant experience today. Very orderly, social practices in place. Brought my Little with me and we had a great time. The food was great, too.

If you live in town, and are part of the Stroller Set, a membership is totally worth it. Otherwise, if you only have a day at the museum:
- Make peace with the fact that you won't see everything. By all means, get there early and leave late--but you still won't see and do everything.
- Ask your kids (and yourself), before getting there, "What's most important to you? Do you want to see lemurs? Climb in a big treehouse? Go inside a space capsule?" Then target your day accordingly.
- Although you could easily spend a day (maybe a rainy day?) on just the indoor portion of the museum, the outdoor portion is a REALLY BIG DEAL. It's a farm and a zoo and a butterfly house and a train and a freakin' Ewok village up in here. But it's really big--expect to walk. It will be a tiring day, even if you're in good physical shape. Give yourself enough time to take it easy, and expect tired kids by the end.
- Expect to shell out for the extras. Even if you've come on a free day, or have a membership, you can still pony up for train tickets, gift shop items, and food. (Plan on eating lunch at the cafe--it just makes things so much easier. And it's good food! Like, actually enjoyable for adults good!) Or, of course, use the visit as an opportunity to teach your little Ferengi that they don't have to acquire a new piece of personal property every time they visit a place with a gift shop.

Not good terrible very boring and has no taste on f imagination

We're members, and we've been dozens of times. It's always great -- fun, friendly, educational, and easy. It's great for my son -- we'll be members for a long time!

We love this place try it go there at least once a year it is a great learning experience for adults and children I would give this place a 10 Stars but it only has five

I've been going here for years with my kids. They still find it interesting. Absolutely amazing.

It's the best place in the region to go with your kids

Awesome for the whole family!! We spent 6 hours there and had a great time!! Highly recommend!

This was an amazing Museum and activity center for kids. The facility is clean and up to date. The activity s and workstations are very clever and well thought out. The outdoor activities are also very clean and modern. Was well worth the money for the events and time spent.

I love this place. We have been coming for years. They add new exhibits and keep it interesting. As the kids get older, they interact with the existing exhibits in new ways. It's great!

Fantastic exhibits for kids of all ages. The facilities are clean and enjoyable for parents as well.

I love this place, and the kids do too. They have so many things for any age to do. Great food there too. We will be annual pass holders for years.

My kids always love coming here. They are never bored because they have enough activities for them. I specially love their lab on 2nd floor and their new addition Hide Away Woods. My kids are 6 years apart, one is 8 and another one is 2 and they both can be equally engaged. A lot to do. My favorite place in town specially in winters.

Tons of fun for you and your kids. Super convenient to ride a bike to.

Always great experience at this amazing place, doesn t matter your age!

Great learning experience for kids. Lots of interactive displays and learning tools for kids and adults alike. The cafe also has great food!

We have been members here for years and every year it gets better and better. The place js simply massive, with incredible diversity of exhibit. My kids never get tired of the place and even the adults can enjoy a lot of the fun.

A great place for kids and adults. Fun scientific topics, hands on experience, intelligent workers. Been coming here for years and glad to be able to bring my kids here.

We hosted our first event with Lauren and Sarah last night and we can't say enough good! The communication throughout the planning was awesome and I had no worries going into the event. Even with the last minute add-ons I threw in there. Their team was nice and extremely helpful. What we loved most was the atmosphere of the event. Everyone was enjoying the exhibits (all adults!!) and it made for a great ice breaker. This was a perfect place for our networking event of wedding professionals who are all eager to participate in wedding events at the museum! Thank you guys for a great event!!

This place is amazing for everyone. Kids love lots of places to explore inside and outside.
I saw wolf, bears, snakes and so many other animals. I walk the dinosaur trail. Played with wood bricks.
What great place, plenty of places to sit and watch the kids play. Everything super interactive.
A must visit place with family and friends.

I'm 9 and went was the best my favorite part was the tree house 5 stars from me

Its the worst place to go first of all when the summer camp was there they were using all the chairs in the jenga block zone and the counselor dident even do nothing about it i mean sure there kids but the counselor was looking at me like i was the one doing some thing wrong second the cafe outside was closing at 3 and they have to close at 4:30 so i do not recomend going there

It is an amazing place to take your family to. A ton to do especially if you have kids.

Went with my 10yr old son whilst on holiday in NC. Got to see a black bear, wolves and a whole host of farmyard animals. There Dinosaur Trail was a huge hit. You need nice weather as the majority of activities and things to see are outside on the trail that you follow. Highly recommended!

I grew up coming to this museum from Raleigh and, having just moved to Durham, wanted to revisit. I'm glad I did - In addition to having the exhibits and features I missed, they've grown to be even more interesting with new exhibits and whole new outdoor sections to the museum. I enjoyed it enought to get a membership and I'm excited to go back.

This museum is so freaking awesome!!! There is so much to do I don not even know where to begin!!! From Natural Science, to wildlife, to Space Age exhibits, everything in this place is super awesome!!! Fun for every age! If you have not been to this Museum you are really missing out!!! I absolutely loved it!!!

The museum and everything within the compound is top-notch. The interactive exhibits are superb for kids. The butterfly house is absolutely amazing. And the outside exhibits are awesome. The tree houses, the boardwalks, the animal exhibits in their outdoor habitat, dinosaur trail, are all excellent. A truly wonderful way to spend a day with the family.

Not a great wedding venue ... the museum seems ok but they do weddings here and they are to expensive for what is included they give you a hard time about vendors and everything
Lauren has proven to be difficult

One of my favorite places to take the kids in The Triangle. Definitely more of an outdoor place (although the butterfly house is incredible) - so if you're debating when to go - I'd recommend a day with nice weather.

Wonderful science museum with tons of hands on exhibits

Absolutely awesome, as always. Every employee had a mask, areas where kept safe. It was a good experience

It's really fun and educational for everyone regardless of age. The wolf pups are super cute, but sometimes the animals are sleeping so you can't always see them, but when you do it's worth it. The treehouses are cool but usually full of little kids. There are lots of fun activities inside and outside.

Amazing place. Expensive without a membership. But an amazing experience for the kids.

It was wondered from beginning to end. Our 20 month old grandson had a ball.

It's a nice place but is very cost prohibitive. Has some live animals to see which is fun, the butterfly house is amazing, and the new tree houses are quite cool and fun for all ages but unless someone else is going I'd personally just take my kids to a park or downtown Raleigh's museum of life and science which is free. I went with my sister and her family and they said when we bought are tickets we could apply the cost towards membership but then when we went back they said you could only apply the portion of the admission cost that corresponded to the membership you were getting - so if you were getting a four person membership you could only apply the admission cost of four people towards the membership not the total amount you spent that day (in our case 8 admissions). Honestly I think most of these places the adults should get in free with the purchase children's tickets since really you are there to make sure your kid doesn't break anything.

It's always fun for the kids, a great way to escape the heat while getting the kids out of the house to run around, the staff is always nice helpful and welcoming. I love this museum