Long Island Science Center — Attraction in Town of Riverhead

Visited with a friend and we chose this place as it was the only science museum in the area we haven't been to that is open on a Monday. Admission was $15 but they also offer memberships.

Do not let the size scare you away! When we first walked in, we were expecting more. It is one large room organized with different stations. You self-guide your experience and there are resources as well as clearly labeled sections.

We spent 4 hours here and did everything! Perfect for older elementary kids- our group has ages 8-10 and they're starting to get bored of the childrens museums but these activities kept them engaged. Drones and VR were the favorites. 3D Pens and edison cars were close second. I would absolutely bring my 12 year old niece. I think a younger child with an interest in science would have fun. There were a variety of activities.

The staff were very patient as we learned how to be much more gentle with the drones. We unintentionally kept hitting it into the netting and it would fall and batteries drop out or a piece would come out of place. The employees were helpful and happy to assist even after having to come over multiple times.

There were picnic tables set up outside with umbrellas making this a perfect location for lunch. There weren't many people at this museum on a Monday. The mall bathrooms are close. There is a cute gift shoppe that has fair prices. (The Aaron's putty we purchased for $16 is on Amazon for $15. I'm happy to support them!)

We will be back! I think it is a hidden gem for my family because of their ages, the way the activities kept their interest and a good location. My children often leave museums overwhelmed or upset they didn't get to anything. They left the LISC satisfied. We plan to leave one adult hanging with the kids exploring the museum while the other adult(s) have an afternoon of shopping. We might spend less time there since they're familiar with the activities in the space but both of my boys said they'd return.

I hope they switch up the exhibits but if not, I think they'll still enjoy it there with the variety of...

There's so much potential here for an amazing and educational experience for children but there's one problem: the majority of the interactive exhibits were broken. Only 1 of the 4 robot cars was in working order, the drones were out of commission as they were waiting for a part, the sandbox with projection regression lines wasn't calibrated/aligned so the actual sand height didn't match the projection colors. The gravity wall funnels and tubes, about half of them were missing magnets or attachment points, 50% of the retro video games had an "out of order" sign on them, the gravity race car ramps didn't match the car sizes they had, and half were missing the guides on the sides so the cars would fall off.

They can solve this by simply investing in upkeep. Have some extra robots handy, keep piles of extra parts for the drones on hand, hire someone for a higher hourly rate who can actually repair the exhibits in their downtime instead of just sitting behind the desk. The cost of admission warrants that this type of care is taken.

I want to love this place but it's a disappointment when the exhibits doesn't work...

This pop up site was underwhelming. The cost for entry was quite high 15 per person over 2. And they don’t have much for toddlers. For example, they have a tiny box of legos for a “Lego table” and even tinier box of Duplo for younger children. They have quite a few arcade legacy games, some Virtual reality items. The sand and the battery electric grid was neat. The electric grid apparently had to have a different orientation to work (tho that wasn’t informed to us until after we built it and the batteries didn’t work). There is no toilet in the center but one outside in the outlet mall close enough. This place is really a pay and then discover yourself. Don’t expect the staff working there to demonstrate much customer service or...