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Location
Best time
Visit on weekdays when field trips are occurring—reviewers noted they didn't feel overwhelmed even with multiple school groups present, making weekday visits ideal for avoiding crowds while maintaining a good experience.
Visitor tip
The planetarium and laser light shows are major attractions with frequent mentions (154 and 16 mentions respectively)—plan to experience these early in your visit as they're popular draw points that may have wait times during peak hours.
Visitor tip
This museum is exceptionally well-suited for toddlers and young children (ages 2-5), with dedicated play areas, water tables, and interactive building stations—allow at least 3-4 hours for young children to fully engage with hands-on exhibits.
About Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
Science museum & archaeological site. Archaeological park & all-ages science museum with a planetarium, live animals, fossils & more.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Natural History Museum
- Main Attractions
- Discovery Zoo, Planetarium, SunWatch Village, Ice Age exhibits
- Admission
- Children (3-12) $13, Adults $16, Seniors $14, Under 2 free
- Hours
- Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm
What visitors say
Took my 4 year old grandson during the week and he loved every second of it. While we went when a couple of field trips were taking place, we didnt feel overwhelmed and had the best time. We love the interactive spots to build, pretend,…
I’ve been a member for a couple of years, and it’s disappointing to see how little attention has been given to the actual children’s exhibits. A significant amount of money was clearly spent renovating the entrance, while many of the…
Really great for kids lots of hands on stuff for them to interact with. Cute little zoo, a real mummy, great specimens. So much to look at!
From 3,730 Google reviews Read all reviews
Did You Know?
- SunWatch Village is a reconstructed 12th-century Fort Ancient Native American settlement, making the museum both a science center and an active archaeological site
- The museum features a planetarium with laser light shows, including matinee performances and ABC+ Night events, providing immersive astronomy education
- Otters are among the most frequently mentioned animals in visitor reviews (45 mentions), indicating they are a major attraction feature in the Discovery Zoo
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