CHANGING LIVES AND INSPIRING LEARNING THROUGH SCIENCE AND WONDER.
Catawba Science Center is proud to host the 8th annual Hickory Bot Battles combat robot competition, returning September 11th & 12th, 2026! Featuring over 100 competitive combat robot builders, robots weighing up to three pounds fight to the "death" in the 8’ x 8’ bullet-proof arena with a fiberglass floor.
This event is fun for all ages! North Carolina's largest combat robot event is a great opportunity for families or anyone interested in robotics to watch competitors from across the country, often including teams that have previously competed on the BattleBots TV show. Watch exciting 2-minute battles to 'the death', meet the builders, and cheer on your favorite robots. Bring your friends and family for an unforgettable experience!
Join us for 2 days of combat robot battles! Purchase tickets below to reserve your spot! Admission to the Science Center is not included; non-members who purchase tickets to Battle Bots can add CSC admission for 1/2 price the day of their event. Tickets must be purchased for each day separately.
Member (Adult, Youth, Senior): $3.50
Nonmember (Adult, Youth, Senior): $6.50
Member (Adult, Youth, Senior): $6.50
Nonmember (Adult, Youth, Senior): $9.50
Bot Battles will be live-streamed on the CSC YouTube channel
Subscribe to know when battles go LIVE!
Each each in January, Catawba Science Center hosts a 4 week course to help you design, construct, and build your 1lb combat robot! The last class is a competition to test your bot in the ring, or save and register it for Hickory Bot Battles in September. Learn all of the basics to build your very own combat robot with skills such as 3D printing, CAD software, and more! 2025 Dates: January 5th, January 12th, January 19th, and February 2nd 1:30 – 4 PM in the Foothills Collaboratory.
Learn more about Tech Club and register HERE
What a wonderful place to visit! Great environment to learn and the staff is very helpful! Hickory is lucky to have great family education and entertainment.
This place was great. We have kids from 8 to 1 and they all had a great time. What I really liked is most of the exhibits are hands on and that really kept them occupied.
Fabulous and I don’t often give praise. We took our grandson and were there for hours. He loved it and so did we.
Took the kiddos and they loved it. Employees were nice and helpful. If your looking for something to do with the kids give this place a shot.
We love the Science Center! I take my 2 and 4 year old boys weekly to play and enjoy the exhibits. The staff are wonderful and the classes offered are excellent! We are so blessed to have such an amazing resource in our area.
