Mystery Hill — Local services in Blowing Rock

We did the weekday package, which meant we were able to do everything they offered. They have a gift shop. We did our tour first. I thought we would be able to go explore on our own, but we had a tour guide for the whole part. The whole tour takes about 30-ish minutes or so with the allowance to explore further in the anomaly room, and the bubble area. Our tour guide was extremely enthusiastic! He got into character for the different rooms we went in to in order to hear more information. My children range from seven years old and under. Not really sure that they got any information out of the tour at all. They were just really chomping at the bit to get into that gravitational anomaly room. That was about the middle of the tour I would say. It was wild!!!! Such a crazy, fun experience for that alone. If you have vertigo, just take it easy. I learned that about myself. ;) They have a little snack shack type of place there as well. The tomahawk is ax throwing. They have two museums, but those cost extra. We did not do those. They have an old time photo area. We went during Christmas so we could choose if we wanted a Christmas theme or the traditional saloon theme. With our ticket package, we got two 8 x 10 photos included with a border around one of them. Each additional photo is $20. The photographer is great! They have bull riding and gem mining. For our family of six, but with only five participants, I would say what we paid was average. Not sure that I would suggest going back there again any time soon. It’s not really like a Christmas hotspot, but it was a good experience for all of us...

The ONLY reason it gets 4 stars is the price. It’s a bit high for what there is to do.

The mystery hill part is hilarious and I would give it 5 starts alone for just the people watching. “Aliens” I was cracking up. It was great. The kids LOVED the gravitational anomaly part and could have stayed in that room for hours. The rest of the main mystery part is classic old school road side attraction. Great for kids about 1-4th grade.

The Native American exhibit is a massive amount of arrow heads, which is neat, but there needs to be more education and less “look at these 50,000 items on the wall” the only video playing was from a news reel about how they bought the arrowheads.

The wildlife is rabbits, and some chickens. Again, a funny add on but nothing you wouldn’t see at that crazy neighbor’s house down the road.

The axe throwing is…. Well axe throwing. We have been to several of these things and this is the only one where the axe heads had to keep being pounded back to to the stick…. So use at your own risk on that one.

Did the family have a good time? Oh absolutely. We’re there tons of laughs? Definitely,.

Is it about 30% more expensive than it should be? Maybe?! You decide. As of the summer of 2022 it was $45 per person for the ultimate package.

Side note, my hat is off to Wes and Grant in the old west photo booth. They were funny and professional and would give them 5 stars alone if there was a GMB listing...

This place was definitely not worth $30. There is a museum of arrow heads, a house that was set up as one would have been in past times. They had the gravitational room, and a bubble room. Gravitational room has a swing, water that goes up a pipe, and balls that go up hill, and space to walk. The bubble room, has three pans of bubbles, with bubble wands you can buy at Dollar Tree. A string on a rod that you can blow bubbles. And a bubble hoop you can surround yourself in a bubble. Nothing more. There is also a bull ride, if you can catch it open. You’ll be waiting an hour, as the museum only takes 15 minutes. You can add gem mining and axe throwing for $10 each or $15 for both. Apparently the person who works the bull ride also works the axe throwing. Bull riding is 11-11:15, 1-1:15, and 3-3:15. If i remember correctly, that’s the correct times. We waited forever to ride the bull, and then didn’t get to. Catawba Science Center is $15 and has a planetarium, aquarium, and the science museum is five times bigger than Mystery Hill. Mystery hill should be no more $12. There is nothing to do, and it’s over within 15 minutes. All of the people who worked there, with the exception of the lady in the cafe...