Marbles Kids Museum — Attraction in Raleigh

So many fun activities. It took us about 3 hours to go through the entire building, spending a small amount of time in each area, but we didn't even do all areas because some are geared towards slightly older kids and we have a toddler. There is so much to do and it's a two-story building. I wish we could have spent the whole day there in order to spend more time in each area. There are rooms with different themes like camping, cooking, and ocean. There's a water area with a river, paddles, boats, sprayers, water-tornado tank, and other fun interactive things. There's a submarine to play in and press buttons. There's a large boat to climb up and explore. My son loved that. There are playgrounds for toddlers with large foam cushions to climb on. There's a fort-building area with large Legos, pillows and cushions. There's an animation studio where you see your drawing come to life. There's technology sections to learn about wind, air suction, and electricity. There are large rooms built to be like a town with a veterinary, news caster studio, farm, grocery store, restaurant/kitchen, pizza kitchen with pizza oven, and more - there's a large area like that both on the first and second floor. There's slides and small caves built into the walls for children to play. There's an indoor jungle gym on the second floor with a twisting slide. Kids can put foam balls into chutes and pipes and see them roll all around the room through the other pipes and on rails. Kids can turn wheels to move conveyors that take the balls up to the ceiling and then they roll down on rails. Kids can play dress up and pretend. There's a section with lots of Legos and you can attach the Legos to the walls. Outside there's other play structures, a large sandbox, and a garden. This children's place is probably best for ages 1-7. Above that a kid can still have fun in some areas, but there's less to do for really big kids. It's fantastic for toddlers and young kids.

My son was running around laughing and babbling. He was so excited to explore and try everything. He loved getting to meet other kids and play. We saw him become so much more expressive than we usually see him. Going to a place like this is great for children's development and learning.

Tickets can be bought in advance online and you should, because they sell them for time slots and the time can quickly fill up. When we went at 1:15pm, we did not buy tickets in advance, so we had to buy tickets for 2:00pm and wait. There are small outdoor playgrounds you can access without a ticket and a great toy store, so if you have to wait a little while it's not too bad and you can still keep your kid entertained. We took pictures and walked around the toy store until it...

Has anyone else been misled by the advertisement from the Marbles Kids Museum? Marbles misrepresents itself. On their website it states they are an inclusive, welcoming and safe environment. Our family had a disappointing experience at Marbles. Marble’s advertisement does not match what happened in reality. The museum turned out not to be inclusive nor welcoming to our son, who has disability. We bring our son to many museums and public places throughout Raleigh. At other places, people have mostly been helpful and friendly, but not Marbles. Apparently, there are no protocols to provide accommodations for kids with disabilities or in the way they inform security. We explained to the museum staff many times about our son’s disability over 5 months when he successfully visited this museum. This Valentine’s Day 2025, an uninformed security guard rudely approached him, shouting at him to stop recording the closing day’s announcement. My son got startled, scared and because of his disability he was unable to advocate or explain that he was allowed to record. Communication with management was disappointing; a lack of compassion or understanding towards a person with a disability, even though the museum is obligated to provide accommodations to kids with disabilities under the ADA law. Digging into the matter, we found a few reviews about how rude security is in Marbles. We are under the impression that the management is not willing to change this culture. The root cause for why security is this way is because of a great tolerance from the museum’s management. There was never an apology for this terrible experience. It is apparent that Marbles does not welcome people with disabilities at their museum during regular hours. The public has the right to clearly understand what exactly the “inclusion” ad for Marbles is meant to be. If the Marbles perspective is that inclusion for individuals with disabilities should only be provided once/month during a 2-hour event with low lights and sound, away from others, then this needs to be clearly communicated by their front desk staff and stated on its website that during all other times people with disabilities cannot be accommodated and are not welcome. This would be clear and transparent without creating any confusion or misleading the special...

Located in the heart of downtown Raleigh, Marbles Kids Museum has been a staple for families and educators alike, offering a myriad of fun-filled, sensory prompted play areas for children of all ages. As a frequent visitor and organizer of group visits, I have always held a positive impression of the museum, until an unfortunate incident tainted my experience.

In April 2010, I booked a birthday party for 38 guests at Marbles Kids Museum. Initially, the experience started on a positive note as we were warmly greeted by the staff, and the party coordinator was exceptionally accommodating and helpful. However, after the birthday celebration concluded, our experience took a drastic turn.

Upon preparing to explore the various parts of the museum, we were instructed to place our personal belongings in the staff lounge, with the assurance that they would be kept secure. However, upon our departure, it became apparent that our trust had been misplaced. Our camera recorders were missing, and cash had been taken from our wallets. Distressed by the theft, I promptly filed a report with the Raleigh Police Department. During the investigation, I gained troubling insights into the museum's security practices. Firstly, none of the administrative staff reached out to us or provided updates on the situation. Secondly, it was discovered that the majority of security cameras either did not function or were not turned on at the time of the incident. Lastly, despite the severity of the situation, no gesture of apology was extended to us.

While Marbles Kids Museum offers an array of engaging activities for children, the lack of accountability and security measures following the incident in 2010 leaves much to be desired. Families and educators should approach their visits with caution and be mindful of safeguarding their belongings. Until there are tangible improvements in security protocols and customer service, it's difficult to wholeheartedly recommend Marbles Kids Museum as a reliable destination for family outings and educational...