Childrens Museum of the Lowcountry

Great place to let the kids explore and learn. You may have some of these small toys at home but kids will watch and learn how to play them differently with the exposure of other children around them, one of the key thing to let kids grow in the real life environment. There is a work bench where they provided hammer, nails, screws and screw drivers for older kids to try their hands on the basic manual tools, with some safety gears available to use. Outdoor playing area is huge and lots of different activities to do for kids.

We visited from out of town and my 3 year old had a blast! There was so much to do there even with it being pretty busy. There was an indoor and outdoor area which was really nice. There were constantly workers coming through and cleaning up and organizing toys. We were able to park our stroller on the side while he ran loose. It was such a fun experience and highly recommend!

This is a good museums for young children. There is several different rooms they can play in including a Publix, theater, boat room, art room, and a toddler/baby area. Our toddler particularly enjoyed the under 3 area and it was nice to have an area where she could crawl around. My older child was a little overwhelmed by the number of people and different activities but she did have a great time. I would say it is more of a play center than a traditional museum. Adult admission was 15 when not purchased in advance. If you live in the area, I would recommend purchasing the membership so you can enjoy multiple visits.

I feel a little bad leaving the 3 star review because my daughter had a blast and at the end of the day that’s all that truly matters. The reason for 3 stars is I’m born and raised in Charleston and growing up I loved going to this museum as a kid and I was telling my daughter what it was going to be like and it was not that sadly. There used to be a water room, you used to be able to paint and you used to be able to climb around on the exhibits more and they were more interactive. I understand things have to update as time goes on but this update to the museum just feels to minimalistic and it was really disappointing to see. I feel like they have given the kids less to do and play with now than what I had growing up. Would I take my daughter back, yes because she did love it but I do think what is there now is not worth the money. It’s not expensive but this museum used to have a lot more interactive spaces and be more enjoyable when I was growing up.

A little worse for wear with broken devices, scuffed surfaces, battered toys, unorganized puzzles, and an unappealing outdoor space - especially on a hot day. It feels less like a museum and more like a glorified playroom. Nonetheless, our toddlers enjoyed it. But the price is steep if you’re visiting as a family. Might be worth it if you are a local and have an annual membership.

This is an excellent day activity for children, in a well appointed building. It is not the same size of major city children’s museums so I would suggest planning for maybe 2-3 hours but not an all day event. For two adults and 1 child it was $45, which seems about average.

My kids ages 3-11 really enjoy this place! We typically stay for hours at a time. They just opened up a putt putt outside which kept my 11 and 5 yo boys entertained! We love the location and staff are always very friendly. We look forward to our next visit!

We came here with our 6 and 3 year old daughters and they both had a blast here! It's not a huge place, but there's plenty to keep kids entertained including multiple indoor play areas, an art area, and some outdoor activities as well. Our kids had a blast going between the different sections over and over. Prices were a little high, but you should be able to get a few hours of entertainment out of this place. Overall, I recommend checking out this museum for anyone with younger kids.

The Charleston Children's Museum is clean and well maintained. My two year old granddaughter had a great time. Even my 10 year old granddaughter had fun, but I think she is aging out.

This was a great stop in Charleston with littles! My family went here with our two kids - 3.5 and 1.5. Our 3 year old had a blast- he especially loved the grocery store room that's set up to look like a Publix! The museum is a long building with a series of rooms in a straight row. When entering, you walk into the ticket area/gift shop and it's pretty much a straight shot down and then turn back around to go back through the rooms to exit. I wish we could have spent more time at the museum, but we had to leave after about an hour and a half because of our one year olds nap. We could have easily spent the better part of the day there playing! It's priced on the higher end in my opinion, but it is a nice place. Recommend to visitors with littles!

This is a great place for young kids. My son has loved this place since being a toddler. He is 9 now and still asks to go even though he is somewhat outgrowing some of the play areas! Excellent place for imagination and pretend play. There have been many changes over the years - my son greatly misses the pirate ship and the upstairs castle area that are now different spaces. The outdoor area is fun too with some building blocks, sensory activities, and building rollercoaster set. The summer camps were always fun for my son. They would have free play as well as art/crafts.

Nice place! Very clean and friendly. Wasn't terribly large but our kids played for a good 3 1/2 hours here.

Tons of fun for my 5 and 3 year old, with a variety of activities with everything from mini golf to puppets to art and even a make believe grocery store. Time flew by, and the best part is that it's only $13-15/person.

The Children's Museum has really gone downhill the past few years. We've been loyal customers for about 5 years now buying the annual pass, etc. Half the time, probably 25% of things are out of order, but my biggest complaint is how loud the music has gotten. It is literally like being in a nightclub loud. I asked them to turn it down today and they turned it up. Not sure why. I won't be renewing my membership. While it's not exorbitantly expensive, you pay for what you get. Not worth it in my opinion.

I'm not one to leave a one star review for a non-profit but the experience I had today was unacceptable. I have been going here since I had my son here in 2020 and before that I once volunteered here for 120 hours one summer when I was in high school. I was given a $75 credit in 2023 that I was allowed to use it for admissions and anything in the gift shop moving forward. Someone from the office would look up my credit to help the person at the front desk. My son and I have finally recovered from having the flu so I went in to take him to play and the new "Director of Visitor Experience", Randy Capps, not only tried to immediately insinuate that I was lying about the credit because he's "never heard of such credits" but he also continued to speak to me in a condescending manner while laughing about it even after I provided him proof of it (pictured below). He even suggested I got my money's worth from coming there TWO times. He did all of this at the front desk in front of my child with families coming in. We ended up just leaving because I am disgusted with the way me and my child were treated. I am an educator for young children and previously worked in a role where I was the customer experience point of contact and handled customer complaint resolution daily. Not only was there ZERO attempt to rectify the situation but this was incredibly unprofessional. Needless to say I won't be stepping foot in there again.

Decided to come and let the kids burn off some energy in this heat. Indefinitely thought this place would be bigger. Unfortunately the pirate ship was closed off during our visit but my kids spent most of the time at the grocery store. Which was super cute! However, most children museums / playgrounds I've been to always just charged the kids. Which makes sense because only the kids would be utilizing anything here. But they charged all adults including kids here the same price. Which I did not think was worth it for how small this place is.

Nice place to spend a few hours on a nice day It's smaller than most museums. There is enough of a difference that kids aren't doing the same thing over again. This place has art's in craft and painting area. Outside seating play area snacks are actually reasonably priced. Costumes for play as well time really gets away from you but she was definitely tired out in the car.

Cute little place. It's enough entertainment for about an hour. Now I have to be honest, compared to other children's museums we've visited this one is definitely the smallest. It is also (imo) not appropriate for child older than 6. My 6 year old enjoyed most of the activities but my 9 year old was a little too old for most activities. He did however enjoy water digging for stones as well as the little garden in the back. This place would be super awesome with a few more added activities that are a bit more hands on. But for what it is the price isn't too bad and I do LOVE the fact that they make it affordable for everyone regardless of their financial circumstances.

After going to different children's museum in different cities especially the one in Atlanta this musuem is very disappointing to me. For the admission it's one long hallway not a lot of exhibits. The grocery store and the cash register is in different locations which you can use the carts but that takes away from the grocery store. Wanted to do something with my godkids and the options in Charleston is limited so at least the children musuem can be a little bit more interactive.

What a great thing to enjoy in Charleston. Lots to do for kids of all ages. When you purchase tickets, you can come in and out all day with your sticker. Checking in on Yelp gives you a $5 off entry and you can get 10% off if you are a teacher or military. My only wish is if it was a little bigger because it is such a great way for kids to learn!

It was perfect for our little ones! We have an 8, 5, and 2, and they each had so much fun! From pretend broadcasting the news and weather, to cooking, to hammering, to grocery shopping, they had a blast! They also had an outside area that could use some work but the kids played hockey and searched for gems. It was a fun time. When you have young ones it's so nice to take them somewhere that is hands on. We definitely recommend it!

Such a wonderful Children's Museum! My son is only 18 months old so I went in with limited expectations on what he could do while we were here but he enjoyed almost every room! His absolute favorite was being able to paint and the staff was so kind and patient while he made art (and a mess). Second favorite for him was the grocery store. Kids of all ages were loving this room (understandably) and they were able to play together. Some kids posted up at the registers and were excited to check the other kid's groceries out. We had a great couple of hours here and will definitely be returning.

They no longer accept Medicaid as a discount starting of the new year, only food stamps. They also now charge for adults to sit and watch their children. No other indoor playground/play area for kids charges for an adult to enter to watch their child. This place used to be about helping people who are on the line of poverty. Now this place has done remodels and all they want is as much money as possible. It's a shame. Won't be returning.

This is a great place to spend a few hours and I especially liked that you can leave and return so you could go out for lunch and then come back. I'd say the ages are likely between 2-6 but there are some areas, like the builders section and the art area that can likely appeal to slightly older kids. They are a nonprofit so their merchandise, including books, snacks, and water, are all tax-free and the prices were very affordable. They also have an outdoor play area but due to the weather we stayed inside The price for admission was very reasonable as well, considering we spent several hours here. My kids' favorite area was hands down the Publix area. It's definitely a little chaotic with kids pretending to check out and a lot of hectic shoppers, but they loved the kids-sized carts and okay food.

Came here during the holidays and this was the perfect place to take the kids for a couple of hours to get their energy out! The first room is the arts and crafts room, lots of seating, lots of diff options of what the kids can use to draw, color or make something. It was nice to see how many different things the kids were doing, no one was fighting for one set of colors or copying what the other was doing, loved watching everyone's creativity run wild! The second room was the dress up/broadcasting room-- so much fun, they have a green screen and everything! Publix is up after-- all the kids were running wild shopping there and it was so cute. Then they have a little play room for the toddlers- lots of fun puzzles there too! And lastly a boat room and a building/engineering room with lots of legos and building toys. The outside playground could use some new toys, or a whole new playground set but you can't really beat that admissions fee of $15!

This is a cute museum for young children ages 2-6 is perfect. My daughter is 4 and loved it. Her favorite things today were the shopping experience and the outdoor "energy" track (roll a ball down a track that you build). They also have an art room, a pirate ship, a room for exposure to tools and a room to demonstrate air lift. We spent about 1.5hrs here and had a great time. This museum might be less stimulating for older kids (12 and up).

It is a lot bigger than we anticipated and something for everyone. We have brood of six in tote ranging from 15-3, so this hit everyone's curiosity. One is autistic and he really enjoyed himself with some of their sensory toys. There is a great drawing/painting room, a pirate ship with fun facts to read, gift shop, three and under section and a few more. I would highly recommend for the whole family to enjoy.

Really awesome 2-3 hours of fun. Bring a bottle to refill your water- or buy a tax free one at the entrance (it changes colors too!). 7 total inside exhibits and a great outside play/build/picnic area. The kids especially loved the mini Publix/Grocer store with actual checkout counter. Enter in and to the left are 5 exhibit rooms for varying ages and 2 to the right. The right has a theater/drama/kids castle room which was fun for hiding and seek, running and playing. Past that is the art room for painting, slime making, recyclable art and more! To the left of check in is the toddler room, Air room, bathrooms, Grocer store, and circuit/wood/building room. We had so much fun in each of the rooms. The staff kept it all orderly as best they could throughout the day which was nice to see. Outside there was large connect four, building ball tracks, large legos, and foam building pieces. Beautiful weather makes for a nice afternoon there. Pack a lunch and enjoy for all ages.

Random find while venturing out in SC! Best lil spot to keep the little ones entertained, inquisitive and creative! Bonus, if you are there on a second Friday of each month - admission is free from 4-7pm!

Great fun museum for the kids to spend a morning or an afternoon! Bathrooms everywhere! Clean bathrooms too!!! Indoor play- outdoor play - choose both! So glad we stopped in and will return! High energy, helpful staff too! Very attentive

Great way to spend a few hours with your kids in Charleston - located right in downtown too!

Great stop in for part of the day with our 3.5yr old as we explored around Charleston. There were several different rooms yo explore with a variety of themes and varying degrees of difficulty of different age groups. Castle room: biggest hit for our kiddo and had plenty of stairs and hallways to explore plus a puppet show area to show off your skills. Art center: options for painting, crafting and constructing out of jelly beans and tooth picks. Toddler area: a bit for the under 3 age so didn't spend time here. Grocery store: another hit. Kids cans push carts and grab grocery items from around the shop and check them out. Fun life skills and the kids get a kick out of it. Pirate ship: second favorite of the day, pirate ship to explore. Had a small cabin and dress up area. Construction zone: a surpassing array of tools and wood for kids to work with (saw, hammer, nails). A little too old for our kiddo but we knocked a nail in quickly. They also had a 3D printer in action you can see. Only downside here is it is a little pricey especially for 2 adults and 1 kid.

Half the museum is closed for construction, therefore they should charge half the price. This is more like an indoor playground. Not a lot or kids to do. Two hour max visit. Mostly for kids younger than 8. There was a class of older kids here when we visited and they were very very loud, were quite bossy to the little kids, and the space is very small

The Children's Museum of the Lowcountry is the perfect place to bring you child(ren) to play. There is all sorts of fun to be had; water tables, pirate ship, castle, fire truck, kids under 3 play area, and craft room. In addition to all this the museum also offers arts and craft classes for the kids. The museum is a bit pricey if you don't buy an annual membership. We opted for the family plus membership that runs $125.00. I want to say without the membership for 2 adults and 3 children it costs $40.00 for admission. The only problem I encountered was that of parking. The museum does not offer parking and you'll have to find a lot or meter to park at and walk to the museum. The visitor's center parking is one of the closest lots.

I visited CML for the Night at the Brewseum: Mardi Gras party last week and had an awesome time! There were crafts (I made my own mardi gras mask, and a Mardi Gras "float" out of cardboard for a float parade), silent disco, wine and beer, photo opportunities, games, toys, snacks (although I wish there had been a little more food), and an opportunity to play Super Market Sweep! I don't have a kid, but if I did, I know they'd love coming to the Children's Museum!

We have a membership here. Since it started, we've visited on 4 separate occasions. The summer was busy but the school year has been quiet. Lots here to occupy my son's time. He is 2 1/2 years as of Dec 2019. The new area of golf balls in motion has been a great addition. Seems they have an audacious and wonderful plan for the future. Check out the pics of what they are raising money for!

Would not pay 15$ to visit this place again. Not much to do here. A lot of the exhibits were closed. They should charge less for adults because they don't get to do much.

My two year old nephew had a blast! We visited on a Wednesday morning and arrived just as it opened. I found street parking for $2 hour on St. John street. Of all the things to do at the museum my nephew loved playing in the water and with the vehicles for sale. Every time we passed through the lobby he had to stop by the rocks and vehicles and play with them. He also loved to put the golf balls in the tube that goes around a cylinder tower and watch the balls go round and round. We stayed there three hours and we could have stayed longer. This is a great place for toddlers to explore and learn. Their is a castle with costumes, a pirate ship with a jail, an area for art, and of course the waterwise, Charleston Market were you can learn how to pick and buy groceries, an infant and toddler play area with a private place for breastfeeding mothers, and learning zone. In the castle, which is awesome, if bending down at the waist or crawling is difficult for you then you may have to restrict yourself to certain areas because your toddler may need your assistance to get down steps or over an obstacle. I've been to one other childrens museum and this was much better. If your toddler likes trains then you can also view a "big train" for free across from the museum.

Super fun!! Not the best Children's Museum we've been too, but overall not bad. There is no nursing room. And only one changing table in the bathroom. Can get super crowded as it's narrow rooms. Really decent price for the quality/space/options available.

This was our first time at the Lowcountry Children's Museum. The workers there are SUPER nice and helpful, so the lack of 5 stars is not at all a reflection on them. It's ten dollars per person and free if you are under a year old. I will throw out there, I'm rating this as A-OK for our situation (with about a year old kid). There's one basic room that is really appealing for that age group, but it's essentially just a bunch of toys in an area. It's not bad, I just don't know that it's worth $10 per person. However, there is a little area that is set up like a grocery store, with mini carts for the kids to push and fake groceries for them to ring up (I think I would have loved this as a kid). There's a giant pirate ship area and there's a large craft area. I'm not totally sure how that area works, but I feel like that could be fun in the future as well. So, if your kid is one, eh, it may not be worth it, but a bit older and I bet a lot of kids would love it!

I have visited this museum many times and my children really enjoyed, however many of the attractions are no longer in this museum. They are planning to renovate. I feel this is excellent to visit if you have a membership, however if you are a tourist, I would skip this unless you just need a place to relax and let your toddler run around. I'm looking forward to returning after they have completed renovations.

Always a great visit on Sensory Sunday's. A couple of Sunday mornings a month, they open early for special needs children and their families. It's nice and quiet during this time with a limited amount of people. Lots of fun stuff from a giant play castle, large art room, pirate ship play house with jail, waterwise, and changing exhibitions. Can't go wrong visiting here!

There is not much for a toddler to do and I didn't see any sanitizing going on while I was there. I was surprised by how small the building was and felt the price of admission was high, considering. If you have an older kid, it might make more sense.

I have been taking my kids here in the summer since 2010. My oldest is 11 but still had a great time today! There is a water play section, forts, a pirate ship, grocery store, castle, art studio, and baby area. I went with my sister-in-law and between us we had 5 kids ranging in age from 2-11. The kids had a blast in the castle making up games. The two girls really enjoyed painting and creating little houses in the art studio. The two older boys participated in a STEM challenge and that entertained them for at least 30 minutes. Thank you to Kevin for being so great doing the STEM activity with the kids! Tip- if you have Verizon check the app for local deals. There is currently a coupon for buy one free admission. There is a lot to do here for kids and it's a good way to escape the heat. My only complaint is that adults are charged admission. When you take the kids to a trampoline park, skating rink, etc adults do not have to pay.

I've taken my nephew here a few times and he always has so much fun. There are so many different activities for all ages and lots of fun things to do. They've been in the process of renovating for a long time but I know it'll be worth it. Staff is so friendly. Love this place!

Such a great place to take you 2 to 10 year old kid for the afternoon. From art center to the toddler area; there is something for every child to enjoy. The lobby can be a bit crowded and hard to maneuver in when you first arrive, but once you pay your money and start exploring, you will discover a super-fun building dedicated to the art of play! There is a mock-up of a medieval castle: complete with a kitchen, dragon's den, and "royal quarters". There is a huge art center which always has tons of paints and paper out for the kiddos. There is room dedicated to the physics of golf balls, where kids can roll balls up and down roller coaster tracks, launch them into cup, and send them rolling around an elliptical orbit funnel. There is a Pirate Ship docked in one room. A tiny grocery store for the kids to "shop" in. On the very end there is a toddler room for the wee ones under the age of 5. If you can't find something for your kids to do here then you are the most boring family on EVER! On the odd rainy day in Charleston, this is the perfect place to pass a day with little ones. Be warned though...they are very busy and crowded on the weekends, especially the rainy, cold, or miserably hot ones!

Love the children museum. We have the family membership which is worth it as a family of 5. Lots of activites to keep all ages entertained. Lots of events to choose from on their monthly calender. We have had birthday parties here which was awesome we wonderful party hostess.

We attended the Brewseum event here. It was our first time being here, so it was nice to check it out- especially for future use since we have a kid on the way. The museum is small, but it certainly has a lot of activities. I'd highly recommend it!

Great place to visit on a rainy day. So much to do, we barely got out of the first room. Would definitely recommend when visiting Charleston!

Our son absolutely loved it here. Although he's only 2, there were plenty of things for him to do. This is an excellent to bring your kid to let them run around and play. He was sad we had to leave after 2 hours of playing. There are so many more things here he'll be able to experience in a few years once he's bigger. We'll definitely be back.

Good spot for young kids to run around, blow off some steam and get out of the heat. Not really much of a museum - more of an advanced playground where basic skills can be learned such as understanding water currents or building bridges in the water playroom. A pirate ship playground, mock grocery store and a medieval castle make for fun and safe play for kids 9 and under.

We came from out of town and easily spent four hours here! So many fun things to do, and having the option to play outside was great too. Staff was very friendly and everything felt clean. Highly recommend.

It's been a great rainy afternoon there would recommend this for anybody with young children

I came here for a Night at the Brewseum with my wife, a night when it is adults only, and the alcohol flows from 6pm - 8:30pm (included with ticket) and the snacks are tasty yet not enough to fill you up. On this particular night, it also happened to be Star Wars Day, so I, along with many others, came dressed in my nerd-regalia, and enjoyed every little bit of the museum. Watching adults play like children, while downing a wine or craft brew, was everything that you'd hope it would be. Everything in the museum was all access, and they even had part of the room set up as a silent dance party, with participants wearing blue tooth headphones and jamming to music that only they could hear. Imagine this while they were dressed up in Star Wars gear. We've been here before with the kids too, but this visit was worth a review.

very cool place for my 3 year old niece and I to have fun on a rainy day. her and I were intrigued by so many different things to do. I am a strong believer of hands on learning at an early age. once you learn how to do it you don't lose it!

My grandchildren love this place! One of the first stops when they come into town. Lots to do for children of all ages. Especially fun when all the princess's show up! Boy do the kids squeal! If you have little ones take them here, you will be very pleased Also it can be crowded so hang onto your child!

Kids of all ages unite! At CML you can dress up like a queen and rule at the fairy tales castle, learn to cast a net from a real shrimp boat, shop at the supermarket, paint and get wet...in other words you have Fun! Admission is $7. CML is closed Mondays. Get a virtual photo tour with this slideshow: http://shoutaboutcarolina.com/index.php/2008/04/charleston-childrens-museum-of-the-lowcountry-photos/ Parking tips: - No hassle parking at Charleston's Visitors Center (located across CML, you enter from Meeting Street). - Metered parking (free on Sunday). Spots go quickly. - Free parking in the neighboorhood located on the other side of Meeting street. Spots go quickly.