This past weekend, we packed up and drove to Detroit for a visit to the Michigan Science Center.
After being closed for a year, I was thrilled when I heard they were re-opening last December. This place is SUCH an asset to the region for families looking for fun things to do! I had been once before with Jason to see the Bodies Human exhibit {so cool}, but hadn’t visited yet with the kids.
As a fan of all things science, I knew I would totally be in heaven, but I wasn’t too sure about my kids — after all, Kinley is just 2 years old and Karina 8 months. Boy, I was wrong to assume they wouldn’t be into it. They both LOVED it. We literally walked in, Kinley saw a truck exhibit, and went nuts. What’s so great about a science center is that it’s encouraged for kids to touch everything. So nice to not have to say “Don’t touch that” for once!
The gal who checked us in at the front desk told us all about the best spots to take kids that are 2 and under, starting with Kids Town, an area designated for the 5 and under crowd. It was set-up like a little town and was so cute {mini mailboxes, anyone? Adorbs.}. Kinley had a ball trying on all the dress-up clothes, playing on a kid-sized computer, and playing in the pint-sized diner.
Even Karina was able to get in on the fun and enjoyed an area specifically designated for her age.
After scoping out Kids Town, we walked around to all the neat exhibits, taking everything in. Kinley loved seeing the space shuttles, plasma globe, hot air balloon and more. She ran around until she was exhausted, which always leads to a great nap — and happy parents!
Of course, with me trying to get healthy, I was partial to checking out the health and nutrition area, which focused on foods and even had some couch potatoes — perfect for photo ops! {Why I look like I am trying to be nice to these guys is beyond me…I should’ve been giving them an angry fist shake instead ;)}
After we got done walking around to the exhibits, we ended our adventure in the awesome IMAX to see Animalopolis, a cool Dr. Suess-esque movie about animals, geared toward younger children. Kinley was in awe of how big the screen was and both girls behaved like angels the entire time. After, it was fun chatting with Kinley on all the cool animals we saw in the flick. {Let’s just say I had no idea crabs produced so much offspring! That part was creeeeeepy.}
A few alternative things I loved//tips about The Michigan Science Center:
- Parking. We got there right when they opened, so were able to find a spot right in front of the building. For no cost. So nice!
- Family bathrooms. These are SO nice when you have multiple diapers to change.
- Prices at the Cosmic Cafe. Normally when you go to any cool tourist destination, you pay out the eyeballs for food. Everything on the menu was under $4, making it totally affordable for families.
- Bonus for nursing mamas: Plenty of spots to sit down and feed baby! I had no issue finding seats to feed my littlest gal. I even found an amazingly comfortable chair in Kids Town, and Karina enjoyed her lunch as we watched our IMAX movie.
- Get there early. We got there right when they opened and loved roaming around without fighting the crowds. By the time we left at 1 p.m., it was starting to fill up.
See my entire album of photos on my Facebook page here or check out #VisitMiScience on Twitter to see what others saw.
More information about pricing, special exhibits, and hours here.
I was part of a paid TweetTeam™ that tweeted about our adventure and was given complimentary entry passes, however, this post was written just because we had such a great time and was not part of my compensation. All opinions expressed belong to me.
Have you been to the Michigan Science Center since it reopened? What are you waiting for? Plan a trip today and let’s keep this amazing spot in business!
Mike says
Thanks for this. We’ll definitely be checking this out. It’s practically right in our back yard. Much close than the Hands On museum in AA.