Greensboro Science Center — Attraction in Greensboro

This place is truly a gem, blending a science museum, aquarium, and zoo all into one destination, making it perfect for families, couples, or solo visitors alike.

Exhibits: The exhibits inside the science museum are incredibly engaging, with interactive displays that cover everything from space exploration to biology. I loved how hands-on many of the displays were – it makes learning fun and memorable for kids and adults alike. The "SciPlay Bay" is perfect for younger children, and the "Create Zone" is great for older kids interested in STEM activities.

Aquarium: The aquarium section is surprisingly extensive for a science center. It includes a stunning variety of marine life, from playful otters and majestic sharks to vibrant tropical fish. The underwater viewing tunnel is a highlight – walking through and seeing sharks and rays swim above you is breathtaking! The penguin exhibit is another must-see – they're adorable and incredibly active!

Zoo: The zoo is the perfect complement to the indoor exhibits, featuring animals from all around the world. The lemur exhibit is especially fun, and I was impressed by the well-maintained habitats. The staff clearly care for the animals and were very informative when answering questions. They also have a large playground outside, making it a great place for families to take a break and let the kids run around.

The SkyWild Ropes Course: For the adventurous, the SkyWild Ropes Course was a thrilling addition to our visit. It's a well-constructed course that allows you to test your balance and agility while getting a unique view of the zoo beneath you. It’s a great challenge and worth the extra fee if you’re looking for something active to do.

Other Highlights: The OmniSphere Theater is another impressive feature, offering planetarium shows and 3D films. It’s an immersive experience that really brings science to life, and the visuals are stunning.

Staff and Amenities: The staff here are fantastic. They are friendly, knowledgeable, and really make an effort to engage with visitors. The center is very clean, and the layout makes it easy to explore all the different areas without feeling crowded. There are plenty of benches and rest areas, and the café offers a decent selection of snacks and meals at reasonable prices. Parking was also easy to find and free.

Overall Experience: The Greensboro Science Center offers something for everyone. Whether you're interested in marine life, outer space, or exotic animals, you’ll find plenty to enjoy here. The combination of zoo, aquarium, and museum makes it an excellent value for the price of admission. I highly recommend planning to spend at least 3-4 hours here to fully experience all it...

I went to the Science Center yesterday May 12, 2025. It was a rainy Monday so I thought I would visit and take my Granddaughter to see the animals and exhibits. It was so rainy it would be a great day to spend inside. BOY WAS I WRONG!!! It was the most horrible experience I've ever had at the Science Center and I've been going there often over the last 40 years. First it's offensive that I am a senior citizen and I brought a 3 year old and it cost $40.00!! That's totally too expensive, crazy really. Then the cashier gave me back two tokens and said they were to make donations inside to where ever I wanted to. ( I still don't understand this, I paid, so they could call some of it a donation and then...)??? It smelled BAD the minute I walked in I thought they must be cleaning the aquariums, because it smelled like fishy, yuck! So we went through the aquarium and basically spent about three hours walking around. These were my observations and these are based on 40 years of experience coming to this place, way before it became a huge "attraction". Smelly, also so hot and muggy inside. I was just walking around PRAYING FOR AN AIR VENT and I ask people if they were hot. EVERYBODY WAS MISERABLE. There was NO AIR ON. The entire place was sticky and hot, smelly like a big mold pit. NO STAFF AVAILABLE ANYWHERE. I saw two people in the food court and the people taking money and sitting behind the front desk at the entrance. I never saw another employee all day, it was raining outside so I'm assuming that most of their staff would have been INSIDE. No! I NEVER SAW ANY STAFF ALL DAY. NO LIVING THINGS, Aside from the fish and penguins in the aquarium, I saw 2 spiders, a lizard, and a Komodo Dragon. Not another living thing, human or animal. Where are the exhibits? NONE were open, just signs up blocking doors, so in fact it was a building where the kids could play. That was moldy and hot. NO PROGRAMS SCHEDULED. I could tell they have people to do little "shows" all around but not one scheduled. No planetarium, No bees, No weather, No ANIMALS. All in all I'm just so disappointed and sad. Generally, I wasted $40 buxs to walk around a hot, smelly, moldy, building with nothing open or available to see or do except some inside playgrounds. SO DISSAPPOINTED! I'LL NEVER GO BACK OR TAKE MY GRANDKIDS BACK EVER AGAIN! Gone are the days when me and my kids would spend hours in that tiny Center without the aquarium, carousel not even any food, but people there Natralist who held the snakes and talked to you, taught all my kids to love animals and reptiles. Sometimes bigger isn't better!! DO BETTER...

The Greensboro Science Center is where I recently spent the day. I signed up for two behind-the-scenes tours. One of the tours was of the zoo and the other of the aquarium section.

I enjoyed the zoo behind-the-scenes tour more than the aquarium as it was more hands-on. I got to learn about and feed lemurs, a cassowary, two trumpeter hornbills and two tortoises. It was an experience I will not forget.

I was familiar with lemurs but couldn't touch or feed them in Durham. So I really enjoyed being so close and feeding them here.

I'd never seen a cassowary before but they are similar to emus and ostriches and considered the world's most dangerous bird. So after I heard that I was wondering why I'd be feeding one. I was scared each time it took the food from my hand. It never hurt when the beak snatched it up but it always made me flinch.

The trumpeter hornbills were noisy. These I got to throw frozen blueberries into their mouths which wasn't the easiest to do. One of them moved closer to me as I wasn't doing so well with my throws. I did better with the plumper berries than the smushy ones.

The last stop was my favorite with the Aldabra tortoises. I didn't expect them to be my favorite, but they were just remarkable creatures. I could feed them with large tweezers and give them lettuce. Then I was also told I could rub the shell, and they got so excited that they got taller as that was something these tortoises enjoyed.

The center has a place for lunch with a variety of options. If the area to dine upstairs is full, just go down a level as there is more seating as well as a room for those who brought their own food from home to eat.

My second tour was of the aquarium, and we learned about the food the aquatic animals eat, then went to feed the sting rays. From there, we got to touch jellyfish and see the room they were in and learn about the different types. We saw some seahorses.

We went to the top of the shark reef, fed some fish, and got a different viewpoint of the tank. This tour was still a unique experience, just not as hands-on as the previous tour.

I want to go back and feed the penguins on...