ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain

This is a nice center. It exhibits are interesting to all age groups. We learned a lot about the Lake. I enjoyed how most of the interactive exhibits were fun to play with for little ones but still had just enough complexity for adults to want to play also.

Before entering, we were worried the museum was too kid-targeted, and that we would not be entertained. Boy were we wrong! We ended up staying 5.5 hours, fully participating in all of the numerous interactive activities. We definitely could have stayed longer. We even got to speak with some of the employees as they fed some of the reptiles at the end of the day, and they were all so lovely and talkative. In addition, the “resource center” on the top floor was chock full of substance, which alone could have constituted the whole visit: do not skip!! A really lovely place, could not recommend more; great for everyone.

I thought this was a great museum. even the snacks were healthy and good here. my kids are 12, 9 and 5 and each found enough to do. 12 and 9 kept so busy in the STEM and Rube Goldberg lab they only did half the museum.

I recently visited ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, and it was such a fun and enriching experience—especially if you have little ones. I went on a weekday and there was no wait at all, which made things so much smoother. The center is incredibly family-friendly, with three engaging floors of exhibits that are mostly interactive and hands-on. My toddler was completely absorbed in the engineering area on the first floor, which had enough space and materials for multiple kids to explore and build. The third floor was another highlight, with water play stations, science experiments, and even a cozy little library. Some sections were under renovation during our visit, but there was still plenty to see and do. We caught a live eel feeding demo—not the most thrilling part, but still interesting to watch. The mini café and market-style setup added a nice touch, giving it a warm, local feel. I also really appreciated the solar panel structure in the parking lot—it provides shade and promotes clean energy, which I found genuinely cool. Parking isn’t free ($3/hour via ParkMobile), but it’s manageable. The gift shop had some lovely books and toys as well. Overall, it’s a great place to spend a few hours learning, playing, and making memories. Highly recommended!

We easily spent four and a half hours here seeing everything. There is a lot to see and do and learn. There are fun activities and hands-on experiences that translate to all ages. I came knowing almost nothing about Lake Champlain, Champ and the area in general and I feel like I left with a legitimate education. For my own particular interests, I wish there was more about the geological development of the area. I'm fascinated by the idea that the Green Mountains formed VERY differently than the Adirondacks and White Mountains. That's no knock against ECHO, just my own request. I also wish there were an exhibit about LEED certification and what that means - for educational purposes, not bragging. Staff was super friendly and helpful when I needed it. Keep up the good work!

Great place to take your toddler. I love that they have changing exhibits. We've visited when they had one with the Pidgeon from the childrens books, Rube Goldberg machines, and most recently with the animation. Your kiddo could spend hours here with all the interactive exhibits. The little Cafe and market setup is too cute The section across the hall from the changing exhibit has finished with its remodeling. The shipwreck is gone, which I assume is from this recent renovation. I believe it was from back when the science center was just called the basin science center. Despite that, it was nice to see they had kept some things from the old science center for as long as they did anyways Also, the structure shading the cars in the lot behind the building was actually solar panels. Solar energy + shade for your cars? That was cool to see

It’s a cool science and activity center for kids. They have 3 floors with lots of engineering and builder sections, lots of physics experiments and a small marketplace on the third floor. For additional price, they also sell tickets for 3D movies that are about 20 minutes long. The engineering arena in first floor is really huge and has lots of items for bunch of kids to play at the same time. The second floor is mostly empty, just an eel tank. On third of are all the experiments, a library and water play area. A lot of the parts were closed for renovation. We also saw a live eel feed demo, that was underwhelming. There were bunch of live activity also ran by the associates. Gift shop was nice. Parking is not free, need to pay with ParkMobile app/site, $3 an hour + fees. We spend about an hour 40 minutes in the center.

It was very nice. A lot of activities for the kids to do. Science center was nice helps the kids think outside of the box.

I didn't think I'd enjoy myself in a children's museum as much as my friend's young daughter would, but this is actually a nice museum! Who said that it's not for adults? Did I smile when I banged on the air drum to move the bead curtain? Yes I did. Did I watch the dripping water appear to slow down in midair? Yup. Did I play with her daughter to move the fake terrain around and make it rain in the valleys by moving my fingers apart? You betcha. Did I learn about steam devils with some amazement? Sure did. They also have a play area for the kiddies and I couldn't help but to walk around and check out the murals and paintings on the walls. They're so beautifully done and they show the beauty in diversity in Vermont. That, the animal tanks, and the Native exhibit kinda puts my hometown museum to shame I hate to admit. Definitely a good place to check out.

As a parent of young kids, I'm always on the hunt for quality spots, and in Vermont, it seems like many such options shut down for the winter/spring seasons. Luckily, ECHO isn't like that. Even though it's a bit of a drive for us, I appreciate that they give discounts on parking, which is plentiful and in super close proximity. As for the museum itself, I'd say it's ideal for ages 3-8. It's got nature-focused education alongside learning-by-doing experiences (like building and racing cars and digging around in water, because of course). We visited when they still had a Mo Willems interactive exhibit, and my kids about lost their minds. Members get in an hour early on Saturdays for a few months out of the year, which is enough IMO to get a family membership. Highly, HIGHLY recommend packing a backup outfit for your kiddos if they're like mine and get carried away with the water play.

This is about the day we went to a children's museum...without kids... and had a really great time! Between us, we are well over 100 years old - hey, don't judge, we indulge our inner children, and you should too, every once in a while. We were visiting Vermont and found ourselves by a park/marina on a beautiful day. We saw the building housing a museum and went inside to take a tour. The rep at the desk charged the entry fee, after asking if it was "just two adults", which I thought was odd, but ok, maybe they do things differently in Vermont - like asking if you want a receipt, which they do everywhere, including grocery stores. We didn't have a lot of time before they closed, so we asked her for advice about where to start. She immediately had a thought about how to see the museum in the right order to see the coolest things first and everything else before they closed. Right after we started touring the displays, it dawned on me that each area is geared for kids - uh oh. She appeared a moment later and I told her that I just figured out why she asked if it was just 2 adults. This is a KID'S museum! We told her we were having fun anyway, and she said she had a feeling that we would because we seemed like fun, and she was glad. She said some people come with kids, but they don't get into the experience and she thinks they're dead inside. We laughed at that, and then grabbed hands before entering the exhibit where you use your breath to makes big chimes ring. The museum had thought-provoking exhibits that helped sort out self-perceptions and the world around us. It had fun interactive exhibits - one reminded me of Silly Sand that I played with as a kid. Everyone can learn while we play. I took too-many-pictures of turtles, played the drums, simulated rain erosion, wrote notes to myself, my husband and the world, and generally had a great time. Here's a bonus that we adults really appreciated - there is a deck off the upper floor that overlooks the bay, and if you go there, you too might see the statue that we didn't see on the ground because this building blocked our view. We took pics of the statue and pics of us with the bay in the background. One of those pics became THE pic of our trip to Vermont. You never know where you'll find joy - now that I know how much fun we can have at children's museums, I'll want to check them out. Hey, maybe this'll be our thing, wherever we go we'll check them out. SUPER huge thanks to the wonderful person who welcomed us, rang us up, and checked in on us during our tour. You made our day!

Good place to take children to learn about science and that kind of stuff is about how to sum up this museum in Burlington. It won't take a long time to get around for most. The ECHO Leahy Center is where to go if wanting to check out geological and lake stuff. Maybe geared more for children to be honest. You can still have fun as an adult though. Among the best things about this museum is it's next to the lake of course. It's as expected, because it has lots of biological exhibits. There's quite a few fish in here. On the first floor is an exhibition area. This has special live shows. Also there's the area with the tanks filled with fish. There's also other critters like tree frogs and more. Across is a room about inventions like bicycles. Upstairs has exhibits about things like the weather. Learn about the water in the lake and more. There's also a replication of lake steam. For sure it's great for teaching children about science and anything. It's open daily in the mornings and afternoons mostly. There's quite a lot to see in this small space so give yourself enough time to see whatever.

Awesome science center located right on the waterfront, with a focus on the science of Lake Champlain. Ticket prices were reasonable (adults $20 kids $16) and the exhibits were very engaging for the kids. This was a great "rainy day" activity for our trip to Burlington and well worth a visit!

Really lovely center, and we quickly understood why this place is so highly recommended for young children. We appreciated there were two play areas for toddlers - both on the first and second floor - with a large variety of activities including building blocks, water play, a toddler cafe and grocery store, and more. That said, it's a bit pricey to visit. We knew that we were catching them on the last day before renovations began, and that most of the animals had been removed (save a few turtles), but I wish that was accounted for in the ticket price as that did take away from the experience. Note all the bathrooms have changing tables and even a toddler potty. Another nice perk is that your ticket provides all day access. I can imagine locals spending an entire day here on a rainy or cold day.

This is a lovely little jewel of a children's museum/aquarium, but like Maya C below, I believe it's perfectly good for adults too. I banged on the air drum to move the bead curtain too, and played with the lighthouse/fog display, and tilted the sail of my tiny sailboat to play tacking duels, and all that good stuff. Moreover, my wife set up a fun thing where we arrived two hours before the place opened to help staffers feed the turtles, and it was a very informative experience. Part of that was getting free admission back in later in the day, of which we took advantage. I must admit that this would be an outstanding place for children (and I'm closer to 100 than I am to 10); there are loads of interactive displays, as well as areas for toddlers, nursing areas, and the like. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. It's not a LARGE place, and adults can be done in 45 minutes or less, but that's alright! We look to be back.

This place was absolutely Spectacular from the moment we walked in. Overlooking the Thousand Islands and Lake Champlain this Children's Museum is truly one of a kind. I was especially impressed with the cleanliness and the interactive stem program that they appear to have. As we were visiting this particular location in Burlington I couldn't help but compare it to our home Children's Museum. They had phenomenal staff, Interactive exhibits, reptile amphibian fish exhibits, and everything was fun yet informative. The museum itself is not too large not too small so you don't feel overwhelmed or as if you've missed anything in particular. I was especially impressed with their resource room which allowed children to explore deeper into the habitats surrounding them. I would highly recommend anyone with younger children to join this particular Museum or visit if you're in the area.

First off, this place is not for adults and kids over 11. It's not cheap to get in and I was expecting more for the ticket price. There are a couple of good interactive exhibitions, but the rest is pretty lame. Some fish tanks and lots of turtles. There is a nice outside balcony overlooking the lake Champlain. They even charge extra if you want to watch one of the 3D movies. This place could be so much better. Overall, disappointed.

Ok, I did some research before coming to Burlington and saw that ECHO was a big attraction, according to the internets, so I put it in the back of my mind for an activity to do if it was too cold or raining or something like that. Well, after a walk along the park, we were feeling an ice cream and noticed that the truck selling said ice cream was supporting the center. Even though it was already 345pm, and they close at 5, we decided to come in and check the place out. We were worried about having enough time to check the whole place out but we shouldn't have been. It's a super small place but for what it lacks in size, it makes up for in interactive exhibits and meaningful displays. I would honestly say that this place is more meant for children. I would categorize it as a children's museum. However, my boyfriend and I have no problem being children again so we definitely made the most of it. There are many an animal here to represent the natural fauna of the lake and I loved that. There was a lot about conservation and I also appreciated that. I can see why it may seem a bit underwhelming to people who are used to the bigger science museums that cater to all ages but if you have an open mind and a young heart, you'll love this place.

Nice children's museum on Lake Champlain. Our 2 toddlers had a blast here. It was a little busy on the weekend but still enjoyable. There is a large interactive play area with an indoor slide, water activities, and hand on experiences. The kids could of stayed in this area all day. They have a small movie theater that plays nature films. We saw the dinosaur one. It was in 3D. They have paid parking. Admission: Adults $18. Children up to 2 are free. Give yourself a few hours to enjoy.

My kids loved it here! All of the activities kept them busy for hours. It was cold in early April so it was great to have this center to keep kids busy.

This little science museum packs an outsized punch!! Although a fraction of the size of our hometown favorites -- we're a hop and a skip away from NYC's American Museum of Natural History, a short drive from the Liberty Science Center in NJ -- ECHO Leahy has no trouble holding its own. To our happy surprise, ECHO Leahy even offers reciprocal entry to LSC members. There's a strong focus on hands-on exhibits, which do a great job of engaging everyone from toddlers to ten-year-olds. On our visit, the young man staffing the engineering lab on the third floor was funny, patient, and smart, an excellent educator who grounded a hands-on engineering challenge (build a zip line for turtles!) in scientific method / engineering process. Our six-year old enjoyed for a good half hour; our ten-year old would've spent the entire day in that room tinkering. There is a brief, but very interesting section on indigenous nations who lived in the area prior to European settlement, including explanations of how different types of native trees were used for different purposes. There are fun exhibits featuring animals native to -- as well as invasive of -- Lake Champlain; exhibits about weather conditions often seen on Lake Champlain; exhibits on sound; water and imaginative play areas for very young children; a hands-on exhibit about different kinds of transportation, etc... There's no cafeteria on site, though the (excellent!) gift shop / front desk sells a good variety of high-quality, locally-made, pre-packaged snacks and there's a small eating area towards the front. You'll want two to four hours to really give this museum its proper due, so plan accordingly. The views of Lake Champlain from the third floor decks: priceless.

Great experience for my grandchildren lots to do friendly staff we visit every year from Ft. Lauderdale I enjoy it as do my grandkids ages 5-17.

We stopped in town to walk on Main Street and then decided to come down to the lake. We stumbled upon ECHO and decided to go in and check it out. We were with our two teenage daughters and each enjoyed some elements of the museum. Great space with lots of activities for the younger crew.

This is a smaller science/kids museum, but I thought it was really nicely done. (Of course it helps that we visited for the cost of parking, thanks to our ASTC membership.) They have a lot of the standard kids museum things including dramatic play areas (kitchen, vet, etc), water play areas, climbing toys and simple science exhibits, as well as some tanks with animals from the local area. The thing that stood out the most to me is that they have these little robots that read colors from special markers, so kids can program the robots by drawing patterns. Of course for little kids this requires a lot of involvement from an adult, and they have staff there to help the kids do it. I haven't really seen that kind of hands-on thing with so much staff involvement even at much larger children's museums. My 4 year old had a really great time here.

Great interactive children museum. I went there child free and I still had a great time there. The workers there are friendly and knowledgeable. They answered any questions I had.

I ended up here on a random weekend trip to vermont. I wanted to eat at a spot right down the road so I figured I'd check out this nature center while waiting. I can't say enough good things about this center. It has fun activities for children of all ages and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. My 9 year old had a blast and wanted to stay for a long time. There are a lot of stem type activities which are so good for kids minds. The view from the top floor is amazing and there is a gorgeous outdoor area you can just stand on and relax. I would absolutely go back again with my son.

My boys (10 & 12) spent an entire day here. Lots of great interactive displays, science educational experiences, friendly staff and local information (we learned all about "Champ"!). Highly recommend.

My boyfriend and I went here on a whim because it was a hot summer day and we had little to do. While it took us under an hour to walk around the whole place (because of our age, not lack of stuff to see), we were pleasantly surprised. Lots of fun interactive stations and for a small place, there were many animals to see and learn about. It all felt very clean, engaging, fun and inviting.

Excellent science museum. Kids had a great time. Good for 2 hours probably. Ages 1-teen.

We had a wonderful experience visiting ECHO. We are from the DC area, so I'd consider ourselves museum snobs (sorry!) and this was one of the funnest and hand-on museums he has ever been to. Every turn we made, there was something for him to touch, see, or do. I wish we would have had more time to spend there, will definitely plan for it next time!

My kids' favorite place to visit while in Vermont. They have so much fun and are old enough to ask to go now. Mom and dad love it because it offers hours of entertainment. It's also commendable the amount of conservation they do and how much they do to educate our youth about conversation and protecting wildlife. We usually begin our day with a visit to the cafe located on the first floor in the back. They offer healthy meal and snack options and coffee to get your day started. There's usually an exhibit or a craft table outside the cafe that will entertain the kids a bit. Then we make our way to the aquarium section. It's not grand by any means, but there's still plenty to see and a sunken ship for kids to run under. Upstairs is the majority of the exhibits that include reptiles, a preschool room, a water play area, frog land, some sensory tables and whatever special exhibit for that time period. We can spend a good two hours by then before we make our way down to the gift shop. They have some irresistible toys that aren't just junk, including cute t-shirts. My favorite is a $5 frog that has gotten more play than some pricy dolls. Parking is $10 in their lot if not a member.

So much fun and just big enough to not take all day, but provide a couple hours of exploring. Our toddler really enjoyed it. I'm sure older kids will enjoy it as well. Views of the lake were also an added bonus.

This place is either empty or so overcrowded you can barely move. It's not worth the full cost of admission. But it's a great cause and a good place for kids to learn and explore. It's a cute diversion that can keep your kids busy for a couple hours +/- My son loves coming here, but it can be no fun and quite frustrating for a parent. People can be rude and I've had some unpleasant experiences here. If you go, choose a time when there are likely to be fewer people here or you will be getting jostled around while listening to children screaming.

We visited this center on Wednesday, June 8th, 2022 with my 10 year old grandson. This center is unbelievable! The adults had as much fun as the kid we brought! All kinds of fish, turtles and wildlife exhibits. Loads of hands on learning experiences. The STEM center was amazing. The staff worked with my grandson while he made a platform to slide down a line angled down with the object being to keep a little plastic turtle on it. He took a couple of tries to get his design to work but he figured it out and it was awesome! We spent all afternoon there until closing. We had to leave at 5pm because they were closing! Great family place right on the waterfront of Lake Champlain.

My partner loves science/ecology/fish and I thought this would be a great date. It was not. This place is not even for children. Really lacks aquatic life and information... to be frank it lacks everything. Not worth $30. More for creating memories with children- like "oh I took you somewhere" not "you learned something that time".

This Science Center on Burlington's Waterfront is a nice place to learn about a bunch of science things...Wildlife, ecology, lake, the area, etc.... The aquarium exhibits were full of delightful to watch varieties of fish and frogs and turtles and lots of other wildlife....some of the small animals, you can pet.... The Center is home to more than 70 species of fish, amphibians, invertebrates, and reptiles. The name ECHO represents Ecology, Culture, History and Opportunities for stewardship of the Lake Champlain Basin. Nice place to spend a rainy or cold day in Burlington...

It's geared towards kids, like 10 & under I would say. Any older than that & it's not worth the visit because they won't be entertained for more than 30 mins at the most. As for a learning center for the younger kids though, it's great. Instead of going with my boyfriend (marine science major) so he could geek out over the fish, I should've brought my 8, 6, & 5 year old nieces & nephew - he & I paid more than $30 (I got a student discount with my college ID) for about 30 mins of exploring all the exhibits, maybe 45 at the most, so it felt a bit expensive for how short of a time we were there. It is also smaller than we expected, but there is two floors to check out. Located right down by the water & they have a small cafe, so our favorite part was actually grabbing a light lunch from there & sitting out on the patio area that they have overlooking Lake Champlain.

This is a WONDERFUL aquarium for the size! We were impressed! It offered quite an education on Lake Champlain! Sugar Bear left the aquarium and began a quest for Champ (or at least, a Champ shirt). Champ, for those not familiar, is the Lake Champlain monster. The restaurant in the aquarium was also educational. There was so much information about recycling, eating seasonally, and composting! There were also 4 trash cans: one for compost, one for plastic and paper, one for metal, and one for basic trash. VERY COOL! I love that Vermont is on the forefront of the Green Movement! Terrific aquarium! We'll be back on our next visit!

My family had a tremendous time at ECHO. We spent a couple hours there and the kids (9 and 14) weren't done! The adults in the group also found it entertaining and informative. The museum itself is striking in appearance and easy to navigate. There's a lot of information regarding the geological history of Lake Champlain, archaeological/anthropological information about some of the native American peoples, and the biology of the lake. There's a stunning display regarding the wreck of a ship just outside the Burlington's breakwater. The wrist bands/hand stamps allow for re-entry, so you do some of the museum, go off to grab some food, walk around and then return later in the day to do more of the museum. Possibly a good option for families with antsy kids ;-) We really had a wonderful time and would highly recommend it. I also found it paired well as an experience with the information I learned on the Northern Lights cruise of the lake which was more concentrated on the 18th & 19th century history of the area. The two experiences gave me a good overview/background on Burlington.

The natural and historical exhibits were excellent. There is also a wonderful deck with Adirondack chairs where you can catch the breeze off the lake and watch the boats on the water with the New York mountains in the distance. The only area that was underwhelming was called Trivial Pursuit and consisted of lots of things like fake cars, fake boats, etc for kids to sit in. It seemed to be designed more for juvenile selfies than anything either educational or local.

This is a very small so so aquarium. They don't have very many fish and it was kind of boring for our kids. They did enjoy the sand exhibit and the river exhibit. The bathrooms were clean and it was conveniently located.

Echo is a great space for a small city. I would say these points are most helpful; younger kids may prefer this based on whatever the rotating exhibit it. But a nature curious older child may enjoy immensely. Your local library often has discounted or free passes. It's a little expensive, so worth checking out! I would budget 1.5-2.5 hours if have a very curious child. My nephew is 3 and adores this place. Large space for strollers, jackets and a gift shop in the lobby. Beautiful entrance.

This place was kind of a let down. The only thing you could touch in the touch tank was the starfish, which was fun but I wish you could touch more animals. There are a few fun exhibits but most of it is pretty boring. You have to pay extra for the 3D movie and that was also boring.

When you mention to the desk clerk that you're there to see the dinosaur exhibit and she says nothing about it being closed. (Maybe building a new exhibit?) but, you get to pay full price for grandma and a 5-year-old = $24. (Plus $3 to park). The hands-on things are in serious need of refurb with pieces missing or very worn out. Cheated is how I felt. Not going back.

I have been to at least 15 aquariums. This one for the price is somewhat of a let down. They don't have much for animals and fish... and the ones that they do are on "repeat" meaning they have the same turtle in three different places. They have one really small touch tank with saltwater animals with starfish. They have some nice hands on learning but really it is for 2-6 year olds to visit and get out of the house. This is not a place for very much learning. The space is nice but it is way over priced for what it is... I wish it was better, Burlington needs more quality education and exhibits. I wish they involved artist, and live animals to show the community what is going on in vermonters backyards. I would say it is OK at best.

This museum is perfect for kids. The lake Champlain resource room is great for all ages and tucked away on the third floor. The Mr Rogers exhibit is awesome and my 3 year old had a fun time building his own trolley. Also if you have a family plus membership at another science or children's museum with ASTC access you can get in for free. Awesome museum. We went two days in a row and the kids still didnt exhaust all of the things to see.

I chiefly went to ECHO "for the kids". My buddy and his two and a niece were visiting on a super rainy day, so a visit to ECHO made perfect sense. We got there at around 10 and it was already packed with like-minded adults. ECHO is exactly what it says - it's a LAKE aquarium. I was a little nervous (why nervous, I don't know) that the kids would be disappointed by the lack of sharks, seals, jellyfish, etc... But they freakin' loved it. There is so much to do and see at ECHO. We spent a solid two hours and could have done 4. Contrary to what I had previously heard, there ARE living things at ECHO! The turtles, fish, frogs, snakes, and other things at ECHO are derived directly from the Lake Champlain area. I also really enjoyed the focus on the history as well. Some of the exhibits are dated and should either be replaced or repaired, but ECHO is adding some kind of movie theater-type room upstairs, which will really add value. Parking behind ECHO is $5 per hour, $2 each additional. It would be nice if you could add time within the aquarium, but I think you'd have to go back outside to the pay station if needed. There is not much parking, but there are two lots nearby on College St. at which people can park. Admission is very fairly priced: FREE - Toddler (2 and younger); $10.50 - Children ages 3-17; $11.50 - Seniors (age 60+) and College Students w/ ID; $13.50 - Adults ages 18-59 VT residents also get an additional $2 off. Admission allows unlimited re-entry until 5pm. I was impressed with ECHO. I have been in a few museums and aquariums that feel run-down and underfunded. ECHO is not that. It seems to have a vibrant membership and is advantageously located on the waterfront. Again, some exhibits and activities could use a facelift, but no-showstoppers. I'm looking forward to returning!

If you come here expecting a for-real aquarium, you're going to be disappointed. Echo is much more of a "learning center," with small tanks you'd be more apt to find in your 9th grade biology classroom. There are also other exhibits that highlight the natural sciences, but many of these weren't operational as I was here for a private evening event. The architecture of the space is most impressive: with an open floorplan, most of the exhibits are on the 2nd floor. Also to be found on the 2nd floor is a very large patio with a breath-taking view of Lake Champlain. We spent several hours sipping on local brews, watching the sun set, and keeping our eyes peeled for Champ, the local lake monster. Although this is not part of the typical programming offered by Echo, I still believe I'd send friends to return: to see both the camouflaging frog collection and the incredible scenery.

This small, freshwater aquarium was a lot of fun. Exhibits center on flora and fauna of Lake Champlain and the area. My kids enjoyed the animal exhibits, interactive exhibits, and play areas. The family bathroom has a child-height toilet and very large changing area.

This place really needs to change their name. If you are looking for an Aquarium you will be very dissapointed. If you are looking to take your honey to see some fish, get some seafood. But, If you are looking for a place to take a kid to learn some rudimentary geology/lake science this is the place to go. You won't see too many fish, but they have a nice frog section. All in all it only took about 2 hours to go through all of the exhibits if you move at a snails pace. Over all it was a pretty big disappointment but Burlington itself is still nice.

The ECHO center is simply beautiful. It's absolutely stunning. The view is always gorgeous and worth taking in. It is right on the lake and the scenery is literally breathtaking. I love being down at the waterfront-nothing beats the atmosphere.

I'm reviewing the echo purely as a wedding venue and not as a museum. There are ups and downs to using this space as a wedding venue. The ups far outweigh the downs, but the downs are worth noting. The ups are - it's super cool and very unique. It's very, very kid friendly-- they have attendants on some of the open-topped, touch-me tanks. The downstairs dancefloor lit only by the column of bubble can be really neat. If you incorporate the aquarium-ness into the theme of your wedding, the space makes it so much less necessary for you to decorate. The downs are - the space is oddly cut up, the lighting is not terribly flexible (and has seemed very bright both times I've worked there), and if you don't incorporate the aquarium-ness of the space into your wedding theme it comes out awkwardly.

We had the wonderful opportunity to have a work dinner event here. The aquarium stayed open later just for us to take a tour of it prior to venturing out back where we had drinks and dinner waiting. The aquarium is settled on Lake Champlain. It is very much geared towards children. It had exhibits that were very juvenile but educational. It wasn't something that adults, such as ourselves were able to appreciate. The staff were very friendly, however, and had a great spread of food and a bar out back that was closed off to our event. The view of Lake Champlain from this area was great. If you are going to be in the area and are looking for unique place to have a special event, this is a great idea!

Nice little - you can zip through in less than an hour - conservation science center focused on Lake Champlain. While the quality of the exhibits wasn't the best (3 stars) and the price wasn't cheap (somebody already mentioned no free parking), this is worth the visit. My youngest loved looking at all the indigenous animals and especially liked the 'dive' from the upstairs to the main level that made it seem like swimming under water. What really made the place were the people from the local teens doing community service to the senior citizens volunteering at the exhibits, everyone was really nice and helpful. Should we ever get back up to northern Vermont, I'm sure we'd make this place one of our visits.

My kids and I have been to a bunch of these types of place around the country. This is one of the smaller science centers of this nature, but in some respects I almost think it is better to be small as it did not seem to overwhelm my kids -- oh, and they got to pet a turtle! :-) Apparently you can go through this place at a reasonable pace and see most, if not all of it, in about an hour. The price of admission was reasonable, and the kids enjoyed it. Of course they also have a gift to be found at the end of the tour -- again, although small, my kids still found what to take home with them. I like it because it is right there on my favorite lake in the country.

This is a pet shop aquarium on steriods. It is not big, but large enough to fill about three hours of your day with fun. It is a good place to take a little kid on a rainy day. They have story hours, a water-play table and special exhibits. I would love to see them expand.

Very interactive, educational museum. I loved the kinetic sand box (I spent 1.5 hours constructing an epic island paradise). I found all the staff to be very friendly and approachable. This is not a giant aquarium with polar bears, But it is a place where most stations can be tinkered with (makes it great for kids). Beautiful location on the lake.