K, E, G, and family friend A took off for the Greensboro Science Center in Greensboro, NC, a perfect distance from Roanoke for a day trip. Recently renovated, the center includes a zoo, an aquarium, and a science museum with play area. It's all very attractively presented, and on the weekends, we found lots of competent teen volunteers able to provide some interpretation.
For the zoo, think "bigger than Mill Mountain but smaller than Asheboro; for the aquarium, bigger than aquatics in Roanoke but smaller than Chattanooga; for the museum itself, around the size of the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville. This all combines to make a very manageable day for young kids. We adored the pneumatic tubes in the play area, the tigers in the zoo, and the expansive sting ray touch tank. Taking bigger kids? Consider the Skywild aerial ropes course add on (must be at least 10 and 70 pounds). E and A enjoyed an add-on dome theater show about stars.
If you go, know you can pack a picnic--there are tables in the zoo and at Greensboro's Country Park (it literally backs into the property). There's a fountain you can play in and animals to pet at the zoo, too. The public park also has playgrounds and paddleboats. Educators, take your ID--basic admission to the center is free. ASTC Passport holders are also free, or if based regionally, discounted. We were able to combine both programs for a great deal. You may come and go, using your receipt for re-entry.
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