Visit Western NC Children’s Museum, Aquarium & Planetarium

Looking for fun and educational things to do in Hickory and Western NC?

Plan a visit to Catawba Science Center, a 35,000 sq. ft. science and technology children’s museum offering rotating hands-on exhibits, salt and freshwater aquarium galleries, and a state-of-the-art digital planetarium. Our mission is to change lives and inspire learning through science and wonder! We are dedicated to providing a fun learning environment through relevant science experiences in our many exhibitions and habitats.

Catawba Science Center offers interactive and educational school field trips, engaging summer camps for youth pre-K through rising ninth grade, birthday parties, preschool science programs, homeschool classes, adult science evening programming & more! We strive to provide an inclusive and engaging atmosphere for people of all ages!

TODAY'S PLANETARIUM EVENTS

Magic Tree House: Mission to Space

May 17, 2024 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm

30 minutes

Travel with Jack and Annie, stars of the Magic Tree House® bestselling children’s book series, as they visit an observatory and beyond into space with the help of an astronomer and astronaut.

Show Begins at 2:00 PM
S.E.T.I - The Search for Extra - Terrestrial Intelligence

May 17, 2024 3:00 pm - 3:30 pm

23 minutes

A show that explores all sides of this topic, from the planets we are finding around other stars, to the feasibility of traveling to the stars, and what aliens might actually be like, to the possibility that UFOs have been visiting and the various methods that scientists are using to get in touch. Will we make contact in our lifetimes? This stunning immersive show guides you through the myriad of ideas to a surprising conclusion.

Show Begins at 3:00 PM