Sciencenter — Attraction in City of Ithaca

OH. MA. GAWD!! This place was INCREDIBLE!! Of everything we have done with my kids all summer, THIS place was an absolute favorite!! We drove from an hour and 40 minutes away and it was 1000% worth it. We spent nearly all day here. We arrived a little after 12 and didnt leave until after 4, and the kids were NOT ready to go. The amount of exhibits this facility has is insane! And the things to do were endless. And.. these were not just regular "exhibits". I LOVED the variety and ALL the interactive aspects. You had everything from weather and tornados, to light reflection, sound waves, bubbles, robotics, and LIVE ANIMALS. (Just to name a FEW). The touch tank was incredible!! A favorite for sure! And the outdoor "tree house" with all the musical instruments and climbing was such a wonderful area for my two sons who both have SPD to just go wild. Building the damn was super fun, despite up not being able to get it 100% right! Haha. I was incredibly impressed with the size as well. It was massive compared to other museums and interactive science centers we have been to thus far. Initially I was worried about that, given the distance and drive, but we we not disappointed at all! I thought the community room filled with portraits and information on those who navigated the science world to be a wonderful and educational touch. I also appreciated the fact that bathrooms were everywhere in the facility, especially for those of us navigating several children at once, its such a relief not having to run all over trying to get kids to the restroom. We 100% will be coming...

For toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary kids the Sciencenter is a really fun time. The large exhibit rotates for interest, and they have very well maintained live animal areas. The outside area is fun for all ages, and they have a small outdoor area for the little ones. The area outside for the little ones was designed somewhat.... interesting (poorly?). There are a variety of ground covers, that are not well maintained because if you've ever met kids, they never keep anything separate. So think, sand pit mixed with wood chips, and pebbles. The grocery stand needs help as well. It has the potential to be amazing, and maybe as people use it, they will reconfigure. The indoor toddler area is great. Lots to do for the 4ish and under crowd. I am saddened they took away the kitchen because my crew really enjoyed that, but I understand they can't keep everything. The Tide Pool is interesting for all ages, the rotating exhibit is definitely enough reading and info for older kids to have something to do. Food and drink allowed in...

We love it here, and drive from about an hour and a half away to visit a couple of times a year. Their exhibit area changes pretty frequently, which is neat — but they also have spaces that haven’t changed in the eight years we’ve been going that are still well maintained and are favorites of my kiddos. The staff is friendly and helpful. A typical visit for us lasts about two hours. We could probably stretch it out more…

The museum is also a member of ASTC — if you have a membership to a science museum that participated in the program, you might get free admission.

This is a great place for kids to participate in hands on science learning. Our kiddos have enjoyed visiting from the ages of 2-12 (with peak enjoyment seeming to fall between 4-8). There are designated areas for younger explorers. We try to visit around lunch time and early afternoon and usually find the space to have enough other visitors for our kids to enjoy talking with, but not so many visitors that exhibits and spaces are...