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Field Trip to Catawba Science Center4/10/2026
opens at 10am
Costs:
Adult (18+): $16 + tax
Youth (3 - 17): $14 + tax
Children (2 & under): FREE
Military, Student, or Senior (62+): $14 + tax
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 museum that offers a wide range of engaging experiences for visitors of all ages. With hands-on exhibits, animal habitats, salt and freshwater aquarium galleries, and a planetarium we provide a fun and interactive learning environment. Our mission is to change lives and inspire learning through science and wonder!
From engaging school field trips, homeschool classes, and preschool programs to summer camps, birthday parties, and adult science we have something for everyone. Come explore the wonders of the natural world in an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere that fosters curiosity and discovery!
Science Hallway (Nano)
Imagine and discover a world you can’t see!
Nano is an interactive exhibition that engages family audiences in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. Hands-on exhibits present the basics of nanoscience and engineering, introduce some real world applications.
Explore progressively smaller magnetic materials.
Build a giant model of a carbon nanotube.
Try a series of interactive challenges.
Spin disks containing small and large plastic beads, comparing the relative effects of static electricity and gravity on different size beads.
Naturalist Center
Come observe our eclectic non-living collection of animals, live insects and arachnids, plus a variety of fossils, rocks, seashells, and more! You can also visit our live mammals in the Naturalist Center; Pancake the Groundhog and the 7 Sugar Glider Sisters.
Foothills Co-LAB-oratory
Experiment and innovate through our weekly engineering and design challenges. The Foothills Collaboratory, or The LAB, offers staffed drop-in activities, as well as many different unfacilitated activities that you can explore on your own. We also host SPARK: A STEM Career Showcase on the second and third Saturday of the month featuring local industries in the Carolina Foothills. Visitors can participate in guided activities based on STEM careers.
This program is always FREE with the price of admission!
Velo-City
Explore the forces that make things move, slow down, and stop. A world of physics fun can be found in the new exhibit Velo-City! This exhibit includes 8 different hands-on pieces teaching concepts such as kinetic and potential energy, gravity, force, friction, and more!
Treehouse Adventures
Treehouse Adventures is the perfect exhibit for CSC's youngest guests. Venture through all four seasons as you climb into a treehouse, sail on a sailboat, explore hide-and-seek panels, build a snowman, tend a garden, and pretend to shop at a local outdoor food market! This exhibit allows kids to dress up and use their imagination to take them on their own treehouse adventure! If an item in this exhibit needs extra care when cleaning please leave it in the green Yuck Bucket provided. Thank you for helping us keep our facility safe for all!
*NOTE: This exhibit area is best suited for individuals in early development stages or small groups of young children.
Carpenter Hall
This area is reserved for new featured exhibits that switch out every few months to keep the Science Center feeling fresh and new! To learn more about our current featured exhibit below.
This exhibit area can be found in the North Lobby of the Main Arts and Science Building.
Gross Labs
In this interactive exhibit, visitors play the role of scientists who are applying for jobs at Gross Labs, choosing from such jobs as “Poop Analyzer” and “Snot Surveyor”. Despite the humorous and gross-themed job titles, the skills required for these jobs reflect the same science and technology skills required for real world Bio-STEM careers.
Gross Labs is located on the Ground Level of CSC and is accessible via elevator or stairs.
Energy Avenue
Let's rock down to Energy Avenue where you can experiment with electricity, kinetic energy, and light! Launch rockets at a target, take a spin inside Spin Circle, race a friend on Pulley Playground, and attempt to power a TV and an electric fan! Discover what Bernoulli’s Principle is and use it to make balls float in the air.
Energy Avenue is located on the Ground Level of CSC and is accessible via elevator or stairs.
M.O.V.E.
Mental Health, Oxygen, Vascular System, and Energy! All are a part of a healthy happy body. Play a rotation of games to get moving while you learn all about the benefits of exercise. The games are played with your body and change every 5 minutes.
M.O.V.E. is located on the Ground Level of CSC and is accessible via elevator or stairs.
Hall of Astronomy
The Hall of Astronomy has officially launched a new exhibit called Expanding Horizons. In this exhibit, you can explore our solar system to learn all about space travel, where we've been, where we're going, and how new technology will help us get there. Prepare to join humanity's quest to Expand our Horizons!
Millholland Planetarium
Catch a mid-day show in our state-of-art planetarium! Shows change monthly.
Aquarium
Observe exotic fish, turtles, and other species found in the Amazon River Basin, and touch live sharks and stingrays in the Saltwater gallery.
Land to Sea
See CSC’s live reptiles, look into the Herpetarium at the rest of our living collection, and explore coral reef conservation & weather!
Outdoor Science Courtyard
Discover the science of North Carolina style. Climb the mountain wall, experiment with sound, and play in the babbling brook. This area is also the location of the FlutterBy Butterfly Habitat which returns to CSC every 3 years. Please note this outdoor exhibit space may be closed during inclement weather.
This outdoor space is located in the main building between the North and South lobbies.
Aquaponics Greenhouse & Raised Bed Gardens
Visit this attraction to see a garden in seasonal stages and learn about the nitrogen cycle. The Aquaponics Greenhouse, which was recently renovated by William Bledsoe, grows plants used for feeding our in-house animals. The Raised Bed Gardens, maintained but Hickory Greenway Harvest, introduce the community to sustainable farming opportunities and provide food for local soup kitchens. The Compost Bins, Sponsored by Terraloam, require a quick turn every once in a while, make sure to give a spin when you visit this gardening area.
This outdoor space is located between the West Wing and Aquarium buildings.
Solar Tree
Our new Solar Tree charging station sculpture is making headway! Please excuse our mess as we make final preparations for this installation. Soon this will be a place where families and school groups can rest, eat lunch, and charge their devices with the power generated from the solar panels on our Solar Tree Sculpture! PLEASE DO NOT CLIMB ON THE SOLAR TREE!
This outdoor space is located next to the Aquarium building.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Catawba Science Center, 243 3rd Ave NE, Hickory, NC 28601-5151, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.
