EcoTarium

Great time with the kids, they have changed alot since our last visit. Spent about 3 hours here and did everything beside the theater showing and the walk along path outside as it was hot out. We saw most of the animals and they looked well fed and shaded in their habitats. The bubble exhibit is always fun.

So we drove over an hr to get to this place. You have to wait half way in the road because they have a booth one person when you drive in to do tickets. I had called the day before to see if I had to make reservations they said no... When I got there my kids could not go on the train because it was sold out... I explained how I was frustrated and literally called the day before to see if I had to make reservations... Half the animals like the cats were not out.. we did see the owl and eagle before you walk to the main entrance. The best part of this place was the bubbles... They only have a small food shack so make sure you bring your own food. They only have a bathroom on one floor. They do have stairs or an elevator to use... They have a playground... But I can go to a playground for free... I will not go here again. Maybe for people within 20 min away and kids around 10 yrs old this would be good for... But not for kids under 5 yrs old and not worth a drive if you live a ways.

We came to visit over Spring break in April. The weather was damp and cool. We had a very nice time exploring the exhibits inside. Unfortunately, the outside activities were either closed due to weather or construction or were unpleasant due to the weather. We would love to come visit during the summer! Bring a picnic and snacks as the snack bar area is limited.

We booked tickets for the breakfast with otters for my daughter’s birthday. We drove 2 hours to get there and let me tell you it was worth it! The event was well put together and our group was small enough that no one was squished. But my favorite part came after, the river otter caretaker and the events cordinator, we were in the building when they came up to us and gave my daughter a bag. Inside was a stuffed otter, water bottle, picture of Sydell and Daisy as well as a canvas painting Sydell did. We were not expecting it but the fact that they went out of their way to do something to my kid happy. I can’t thank you all enough

Many attractions in the museum didn't work. The otters were in a confined space as well as the birds. The "Pine Forest" trail doesn't have signs- hard to navigate. The planetarium was cool but they only talked about satellites. $20 per adult. Snack cafe is expensive. It's really a place for kids.

We really loved our visit to the EcoTarium. It was our first time going so we had a lot of fun exploring all the exhibits and activities. There was enough variety to keep all our kids (11, 9 & 4) engaged throughout. A few highlights were the building blocks, the mountain lions, and the place where you could examine all the horns, bones, rocks and fossils.

Eco Tarium is so fun. The outside play area is enormous. This spring break we did a nature walk and my boys had a lot of fun and had so much to learn.

I love bringing my son here for fun and educational activities.

I'm almost embarrassed to say I never knew about this place until it came up on my fb feed a couple weeks ago. Couple that with it being the first weekend of the month and as a boa cardholder I get free admission to select museums and that was all I needed to go. Great place. Combination of museum and zoo but on a smaller scale. The extent of the animals are a couple mountain lions, a couple crows, groundhog, a couple owls, a few mice, a few turtles, and a couple snakes. A variety of hands on exhibits, fun both adults and kids. I did pay for the planetarium show, as I felt bad about having free admission, and that was a little underwhelming, but the host was great. Just wasn't quite the show I was expecting. The whole thing should only take you 1-2 hours, but I found it be a worthwhile experience.

We recently visited the Ecotarium which is almost an hour away from where we live; and while it had some highlights, I left feeling the admission price didn't quite match the experience--especially with a toddler. For our family, it came out to around $55, and for a 2-year-old, there wasn't a lot to engage with at this age. Many of the exhibits are better suited for older children who can read, explore independently, and understand the science concepts. Both the planetarium and the train ride require an additional fee beyond admission. My toddler enjoyed the train and we thought the planetarium was nicely done, but it would've been nice if there was an option to just purchase tickets for those experiences instead of paying full admission. We were excited to see the mountain lions, but learned they're often resting high up and out of view. It was a little disappointing since that's one of the main animal exhibits. The bubble exhibit was also not functioning properly during our visit. Overall, the grounds are nice and I can see older kids having a great time exploring all the exhibits. For families with toddlers, though, the value just isn't quite there. I'd recommend this more for kids 4-5 and up who can really interact with and appreciate the exhibits.

I haven't been to the museum in quite a number of years, now I'm back with my granddaughter and was amazed at all the updates and user friendly experiences. She had a blast! We were there for 4 hrs and didn't nearly see or interact with everything. We did enjoy the train ride, $7 per person additional than entrance fee. We also did the Planetarium showing that was $7 per person. She enjoyed both and in turn I did, reminded of bringing my girls here throughout their childhood. Bathrooms were clean, the few employees we interacted with were kind and helpful. The playground area is much more extensive than it used to be with plenty of room for playing and exploring. It was a great day

My daughter purchased tickets to feed the otters for me for Xmas $60 each! When we arrived for our scheduled out door time we were stopped at the gate and were told that we had to pay an additional $20 each for admission into the ecotarium. We told him we were only there to feed the otters he insisted that we would not be admitted if we did not pay. Well we ended up paying and we ended up with 10 minute walk and talk to the outside exhibit and a 3 minUte cup of sardines throwing session. absolutely not worth it!

We finally went for our first time - such a fantastic science museum / nature center! There is an outdoor area (in the shade) to play, with wildlife paths and a bubble station! There is also a fun little train you can take. Inside are three levels of interactive exploration and a Planetarium that runs shows throughout the day. Planetarium shows and Train Rides are an extra cost, but are very fun! We had wondered if this would be an ok place for a rainy day, and there is SO much to do inside it's perfect for any weather! We spent 4 hours there, and certainly could've spent more! You can also bring your food, which is wonderful, with a few designated areas to eat. Lockers are typically available, but we're not running when we went. Fantastic museum with great reciprocal membership locations if considering joining! (Old Sturbridge Village is free!)

Fun and educational. It's small but worth checking out at least once. There is a short walking trail on the premises which is nice. I wouldn't go out of my way and drive a distance to visit, however if you happen to be in the area, it's something nice to do with kids.

I only looked around the museum portion for a few minutes but most of it was closed. We went for the Mesmerica show so that's all I'm talking about here. It's essentially an IMAX screen but with music/meditation voices on repeat while they play those 90s psychedelic screen savers on the screen. I left feeling... underwhelmed and a little cheated. The reviews I saw before purchasing tickets are people losing their minds saying how amazing it is and I left feeling like "did we see the same thing?"

This is a great place for children, offering many educational and tactile exhibits about nature, animals, environment and conservation. They have so many fun things to do, including a hurricane wind enclosure, a live animal pond exhibit, miniature rock climbing wall, bridge building, live animals, walking trails and much more. They have live educational shows throughout the day, and a planetarium. If you looking for a fun, educational place to take your kids, in the warm or cold weather, look no further. A family can spend a couple of hours here, or much more. Note that they have reciprocal museum privileges with other museums including Sturbridge village.

Great time was had by all. Lots of great exhibits and kid friendly activities. We will definately be back soon

This place was an hour away for us but totally worth it. It's a zoo/science museum. The planetarium is small but quite nice. Also the otters were amazing!

One of my favorite places! I brought my kids here many times when they were younger and now I bring my students. Tons of cool, hands-on exhibits in their three story building. Outside they have animals and huge playground. This year we took our entire lower school and they all had a blast!

I came here to go to the Mesmerica show that was held in the planetarium so my review is mostly based on that experience and not the whole museum. Since I got there early, I did walk around a little and checked out some of the exhibits. It's a museum that is definitely geared more towards children as there were some activity stations for children. The museum didn't appear to be that big, but I'm not sure if there were some areas that were closed off when I was there since it was after museum hours. The planetarium itself was really nice. The seats were comfortable and could recline back quite a bit. Even my 6'3 friend (who normally struggles to sit comfortably in most seats) said it was quite comfortable for him. The parking lot is nice and has plenty of parking spots. It doesn't seem like a place that would take a whole day to visit, but overall, seems like a fun family friendly place to check out with the kiddos.

Mermerica is an AMAZING experience! It is an incredible mind journey filled with beautiful music, meditation and visuals that give you the sensation of floating through other realms. I highly recommend if you want to experience inner peace for a bit.

Stopped in for the first time with my daughter on a rainy Saturday. Smaller than I expected but there are a lot of different stations to keep kids entertained. I would not recommend bringing older kids, maybe middle school age and younger as the older kids would get bored very quickly. Make sure you eat lunch or being your own food as their website said there was a cafe but on the rainy day there was only a snack bar with chips nothing of substance. I thought the price of admission was a little high but luckily took advantage of passes from our local library. I would suggest looking into any type of discount. The Ecotarium is somewhere I would go again with my daughter but not somewhere we will be spending a lot of time at.

My kids ages 3 and 5 did have a lot to fun with the exhibits. Paid $66 for two adults and two kids. THEN had to pay an additional $28 for the train ride that was 10 minutes long around the parking lot. I was pretty upset. What a waste of money

Very cool science museum! Inside exhibits are pretty extensive and impressive. Best part in my opinion is the extensive grounds. You can spend a while here in the museum and also exploring the park area outside, which had a good number of animals to see too. Was not expecting a museum this good!

Great place to take really young ones. Our granddaughter is 6, and she loved it. We got our enjoyment out of watching her. Older might get bored quickly. Needs to be updated/upgraded, some signs of it show as aged and beginning to get tired or running down. Hoping they invest into this place as it has signs of being a really great attraction and destination.

Great for a family fun afternoon. Wait for the deal days, if you don't have much money.

I would not waste my time or money going to the ecotarium until it opens in July unless you want to take an expensive walk. The outdoor exhibits were not well enough cared for and others were inaccessible. Also they weren't not operating the train

I do love this place use to go here as a kid now I take my son here I have the best memories of this place and I'm glad I get to share them with my son

Good size museum for the kiddos to run around. I would say that the Ecotarium is a combination of the Boston Children/Science and Aquarium. After paying for admission tickets, you are greeted with cute sea lions. The train ride is $3 for non members. There are 3 floors to the museums - rock climbing area, infant/kids indoor playground, turtles and fish tanks (yes leeches too), an entire area dedicated to mosquitoes (how they sense and see you, etc), a giant tick chair for you to sit on to overcome your fear, and so on. I am not a museum person but thankfully I went because I was able to learn a lot from one visit (the complexity of the sewer system for example). Want to get messy? Then the bubble area is perfect to end your visit.

We went while on Spring break in March, we were visiting from Arizona. There isn't much here. The theater was closed for construction. There were no birds outside in the cages along the entryway walkway. The sundial was cool, my Montessori kids appreciated a couple of attractions but it wasn't very engaging or exciting. I am pregnant so I had sent the business a message the day before verifying that I could bring my kids and not be forced to wear a mask while there. The business cheerfully replied to come on down and gave their hours. We had zero issues while being inside and it wasn't too busy. However, when we went outside to see the animals which was what my 2 kids were most excited for, it was very VERY uncomfortable. A golf cart with two people followed us and demanded we put masks on because we may get the animals sick, OUTSIDE. I looked at them and at the cages and told them there is ample amount of "distance" between us and the animals because we can't even get close to the cages standing on the road looking in. They started to yell at me about how animals have died from COVID-19 and that it is their policy to protect the animals. One of my kids started to cry. I explained I was pregnant, and that I will not wear a mask because it affects my oxygen intake and that I had specifically emailed the business through yelp to verify that since the MA mandates had been lifted that I would be able to be a patron without being forced to cover my face. When they sent a member of management down she had me show her the message saying that the business replied to come. It was only then that she walked us back inside and refunded me for our admission. I would not recommend this business.

We enjoyed our trip here on 8/16/20 despite the COVID-19 restrictions and will definitely come back. There's an interesting variety of exhibits, a nice layout that helps keep it from feeling crowded, and thought given to the needs and interests of all ages. I'm eager to see what it's like when they have fewer pandemic-related limitations.

Fun museum for families. I would recommend it for 5-10 year olds. Our daughter is almost 4 and we spent almost four hours here, and could have stayed longer if we had brought more snacks. A handful of animals, and we loved the turtles and opossum the most. Not an inexpensive day, admission for two adults and a 3 year old was $51, and riding the train was an additional $3 a person. Three floors of exhibits, along with walking trails and an outdoor play area. Very clean facility, multiple restrooms available and they have steps-tools in the bathrooms, yay! We didn't buy anything at the snack cafe, we brought our own food and waters. We will probably return when our daughter is a year or two older, because a lot of the exhibits are over the head of younger children. We always like to support locations like this that care for and give the public access to injured/unreleasable creatures like the bald eagles, owls, etc. that they care for.

New England winter would be A LOT harder with my kids if we didn't have an Ecotarium membership. This is our go-to place on cold days. I love that there is indoor and outdoor space for the kids. The outdoor space is worth the membership in and of itself. There's a giant xylophone, stage for dancing and playing, traditional playground, sandbox, and in the warm months, water play. Inside there is lots to do for kids. The exhibits change frequently and there are often science exploration talks - live animals, games, etc that my kids love. Plus just tons of room for them to run around. If you get a membership it pays for itself rather quickly. Only criticism - they open at 12pm on Sundays. Torture for parents of little kids! Staff is super friendly and they wear "My preferred pronoun is...." pins.

This place is great. I would highly recommend this place. Lots of indoor interactive exhibits and outdoor trails and outdoor play area. The train looked cool but the line was long. Lots of parking and bathrooms were clean.

Just came here to say wait until your kids are a bit older (maybe 5ish?). I knew it was a risk but brought my 10-month old anyway. Definitely not for babies - little to nothing geared toward kids that young and a lot of the animals are tough to find or see. She would've liked the sandbox but it started raining while we were there and we can go to a playground for that.

This place was fantastic for my science loving son! I usually go to the Boston museum of science but this is actually closer to us from northern Rhode Island. The science experiment area was so cute where the kids could put on lab coats and goggles! The train ride was fun although the wheels need some WD-40. We spent a lot of time here. We did the planetarium as well. My son fell asleep for that part but it was a journey through the galaxy and school vacation week so I get why he passed out haha! This place is so nice and worth the trip. We will be back again!

A nice, open airy building and sizeable grounds. Our two and a half year old was so happy standing in the brisk air gazing at the polar bear (a nice sized enclosure versus the zoo). The train ride was so sweet as well. The exhibits here were perfect for our toddler and just as enjoyable as her normal haunt (the Childrens Museum) although less of them. Fortunately it wasn't nearly the madhouse that the children's museum is on weekends. We'll definitely be back here but will pick a warmer day so we can linger more outside at the exhibits and trail. Although it was great that they had complimentary sleds for tobaggoning on this snowy day :)

We were making a trip to Old Sturbridge Village (about 30 minutes away) and figured that this would be a good stop to add to our trip. We have the Family Membership to the Intrepid Museum in New York City which includes ATSC Membership that grants us free admissions to many Museums and Science Center throughout the country, including the Ecotarium. We arrived at around 12:45 on a nice Sunday afternoon. There were people there, but I would not say that the place was overcrowded in any way. We arrived and stopped at the entrance/ticketing gate. We showed our Intrepid Membership with the ASTC logo on it and were granted free admission. We then parked in the Upper Parking Lot (there is a Lower Lot as well). Once in the Upper Lot you can take the outdoor path walk (not much there except a pond and you may spot a few birds or animals) or you can make your way to the Science Center. On the way there are a few caged animals including Bald Eagles. The Science Center is great and consists of three floors. The top is where they gift shop is and they have a few exhibits about the Mountains. The middle floor has a wide range of exhibits including animals and some on city life. The first floor currently has a special exhibit on Dinosaur Poop which was quite interesting. From the first floor, you can exit to the Lower Parking Lot. Right outside the building is a large area with a few bubble activities which all the kids seem to love. There is a small house also with a few smaller animal including a porcupine and a skunk. Walking further there is a small food stand area which was closed at the time but offer a bunch of seats and tables for lunch. There is also a lunch/break room inside on the second floor of the museum which has tables, chairs and some vending machines. Near the Lower Parking Lot of the train ride which takes you around the Ecotarium for $3 per person. The 10 minute ride or was nice, but it seemed like the prep (getting everyone seating and making the announcements) took longer than the actual ride itself. For $3 it was worth it though. We had a great time at the Ecotarium. Lots to do and to learn there. We managed to cover everything in about 3 hours or so, so don't plan on spending much more than 4 hours there. I would definitely recommend this place, especially for those with kids.

I visited the EcoTarium in Worcester with my family recently. Having lived in the area my whole life I wasn't surprised that I had never visited before. If you drove past it, without having picked it as a destination, you wouldn't even know it was there. It is kind of sad since it has so much potential and is a great place to go with young kids. My sister-in-law and I went with three little ones. My 4yo niece, 6yo nephew and 35yo bother had a great time. They got to experience 74+ mph winds, climb a rock wall, learn about Asian longhorn beetles, see a huge boa constrictor snakes, size themselves up to a massive slide of a Redwood tree, witness an American icon the bald eagles, and see many other great things. One of the cool new attractions that they had was a video tour of Mount Washington called "The Arctic Next Door". The video simulated the journey to the top of the mountain and you could play it forward or reverse. They also have an awesome interactive learning center where people of all ages can learn games called the "Playing Together: Games" exhibit. Here you can learn games like Chess, Checkers, Mancala, Skittles, etc. This section while cool was an annoying place to be. They have a large chess board and my nephew who has been learning wanted to play. No one was using it and we went through the process of setting the board up. Of course once someone was actually trying to use it everyone wanted to and other kids start moving the pieces around and their parents not saying a word. Control your children people and tell them to wait their turn when it was obvious we were playing a game. They also have an extensive network of trails and an outdoor train which you can ride (too cold today). They also have a large list of animals at the facility but they just sat in a cage or case and you could only look in. I felt bad for the Bald Eagles however. These large birds were cages out near the parking lot and looked miserable. They were so far away from the facility that no one even stopped to see them. They are spectacular and it was a shame that more attention wasn't given to an icon of America. Additionally I thought we were going to get some kind of lesson about Boa Constrictors when two staff members came and opened the case with the snake. Of course they drew a large crowd and we were all disappointed when all they did was weigh it and put it back and disappear. We were there for several hours and other then the weighing of the snake we saw or heard nothing from any staff members. At $14.00 for an adult and $8.00 for a child it was a bit of a letdown. I would have liked to have seen more interactive exhibits with staff explaining things. A more obvious path to enjoy the exhibits might also help improve the experience. There was no flow to the exhibits and it was kind of a free for all with people jockeying for their chance with some of the cooler exhibits. With the cold weather maybe I didn't get to experience everything the facility had to offer but I would not rush back unfortunately. It has so much potential and a great resource in our city. Hopefully they can find ways to improve. I am going to give it 3 stars because I didn't get to experience the outside.

Upon first impressions, this museum could do a lot better in terms of signage. Arrived here to a closed gate at 11:48. Saw another car then drive in, so I follow only to be told that we now have to loop around and return exactly at noon. The car in front was a staff member. The areas to "loop around" are very narrow so I drove down to a wider area (like 50 additional feet) and that staff member in front of us literally got out of her car to give me the same instructions. It's very off-putting to be scolded by two people in a row the very first time you try to go somewhere. No, ma'am, I'm actually not trying to sneak in to your museum with my two kids in the car. So rude to assume that -- must be because I still only have 3 hubcaps on my car thanks to some nasty Boston potholes. LOL. When I complained to the front gate cashier, he was very conciliatory. If you are going to open the gates literally minutes before the opening time, then put up a sign that tells guests where to park and wait (apparently across the street). So, for any other visitors, don't arrive early! Arrive exactly on time or 10 minutes after opening time. There is ample parking. You can park in the lower lot, which is closer to the outdoor play space. Or, you can park in the upper lot, which is closer to the main entrance of the museum (here again, more tips that would have been helpful to know from the gate keeper). Signage, people.

Best Earth Day ever! The Ecotarium is a combination of children's museum, science museum and zoo. There was a perfect balance of hands on activities with suggested instructions and materials to just explore. It was a bit chilly so we only saw a few of the outdoor animal exhibits. Food options are limited and it was too cold to eat at the outdoor cafe' so we left for lunch. When we returned we just showed our ticket for re-entry. The earth day tent had interesting activities including face painting. The granddaughters said it was the best day ever, even better than using electronics. We will return when it is warmer with all the grandkids, and bring a picnic lunch. Although Worcester is over an hour from home this may become our new Earth Day tradition .

It's a cute place to take younger kids (4th grade tops) to run around.. The outside definitely needs a little attention/updating. Since the polar bear died, the entire section and path is roped off. Very few animals outside and they look sad. There is still a small playground area for kids to run around, and the train is a big hit. The inside has been updated with a few new exhibits. Plenty of parking, and a little outside snack area

On the smaller side, but a wonderful range of exhibits that will keep both toddlers and tweets happy. The wind exhibit includes a wind tunnel where you can experience 80 mph wind! Lots of live animals, both inside and out. The tree canopy walkway (additional $10) should not be missed. Food is lacking. So pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the grounds.

I had my sons 6 birthday there. It's a really cool place to take the kids have a little discounts admission as well. There's a train and a Omni Theater. It's a great place to take kids anywhere from birth to 12

indoor and outdoor fun. Lots of things to do with children of all ages. Tons of hands on exhibits inside and a handful of animal exhibits outside. My son enjoyed the train ride and running around the grounds. There are plenty of picnic benches and places to sit and eat (for those of us that bring our lunch). They're partnered with the Museum of Science so if you have a membership at the MoS then you get into the Ecotarium free.

This is a wonderful place for children. The combination of science museum and fly panels was truly entertaining for my children. Their ages four and seven. There was plenty for both age groups to be entertained and educated. It was also educational for the parents which made the whole family enjoy the EcoTarium.

One of the greatest benefits to being a member of the Museum of Science is getting recriprocal memberships to a whole national(global?) network of science/technology museums and zoos. I'm so happy to have found Ecotarium! Ecotarium is a really unique blend of science museum, zoo, and park. It contains an indoor museum, outdoor walking trails around a pond, and animals and hands-on science activities scattered throughout both. It's far more interactive than any other science museum and distinctly rooted in ecology/naturalism. It was refreshing to see the focus on an on-going appreciation for nature/the environment, supplemented by science. I really enjoyed the set-up of the animals. They were spread out quite a bit and feel much more a part of nature (even though they're obviously caged) than zoos do. Major plus that it's wayyyy less crowded than zoos. We hung out with the polar bear, by ourselves, for a good 20 minutes. There are several short, easy trails around the grounds and a charming little pond, filled with all sorts of creatures. We ate a picnic lunch on the dock. Ecotarium is definitely set up for kids/families (it was filled with preschool to early elementary-aged children), but truly enjoyable for any science/nature/animal enthusiast. We were a group of three 20-somethings and had a great time exploring the grounds.

We went for the first time this weekend. The kids (boys- age 3 and 4) loved it. While the inside is smallish, it's very interactive. The kids had a ton of fun with the exhibits and watching the presentation of reptiles and amphibians. the crowds were reasonable too. As a parent and an adult, i sometimes have to put myself in my kids' shoes. I was worried the inside might be a little underwhelming for them. However, even the things I thought might not be exciting were for them. Even the water fountain was fun! It was cold outside and the train wasn't running, but the boys still had a blast on the playground, nature trail, and seeing the outdoor animal exhibits (raptors, owls, fox, otters, skunks, etc). The Ecotarium's strength is not in the quality of the exhibits (they don't compare to most local zoos or the Museum of Science in Boston); but rather in the combination of indoor/outdoor exhibits and the interactive design of the exhibits. The large grounds provide an open-ended world for kids to play without as much "no don't do/touch that!" from Mom and Dad. We'll definitely be back. We drove from Dartmouth, MA by the way. Worth it. If I were local, I'd be a member.

This is a great place, both in the winter and the summer. There is a polar bear display - we were once there on a bitter cold January day and the polar bear was in heaven. She even responds to her name - my children were fascinated by her. There are several beautiful birds on display as well - hawks, eagles, etc. I actually felt badly for the birds, until I learned that they were all rescued animals and could not have survived in the wild due to various injuries. We enjoyed the indoor displays as well. This is a great place for kids under age 7. Ecotarium is part of the ACM Reciprocal Progam, so we always get in free because we have a membership at a partner museum.

Great place for kids. Took our 3 and 5-year olds on a Saturday in September- half price all month! although we may go for the family membership next time. Place is on the smaller side but that's what I like. Not overwhelming. Spent about 3 hours here and would come back when they have new exhibits. Heard the Halloween event is pretty exciting so might check that out. Kids liked walking the wildlife path and seeing the few animals on display. Wish there were more live animals to see. They also enjoyed the outdoor park area. Lots of picnic tables for lunching outside. Bathrooms are conveniently located throughout and are clean & kid friendly. Train ride is about 12 minutes and was ok. Strong fumes but I guess that's to be expected. Goes thru small, dark tunnel...kids enjoyed that. Downside-food options were lacking. There was on outside stall that sold cold sandwiches, chips, drinks, etc. We planned ahead and packed our lunch but would have been good to have alternative options.

It sounded promising but, with the train and several exhibits closed, we were a little disappointed from the start. There is a fair amount of wear and tear on most of the exhibits. We did enjoy the Planetarium and the staff member running the film and answering questions was great. Otherwise the facility seemed to be staffed mostly by volunteers. Some were just doing their job, some volunteers were not only unhelpful, they were playing with the exhibits (which didn't allow visiting children to play) and not interacting with the kids at all. Finally, I'm kind of over huge daycares, schools and summer programs visiting museums and seeming to have zero supervision. I would be perfectly fine with museums being closed at times to host field trips. Until that happens, it would be great if groups were supervised by their own teachers/staff and maybe even museum staff...it does seem like it would be an overwhelming task to take such a large group of kids to any venue, let alone a place they are running around. Of course Ecotarium would need much better volunteer and staff training.

While I town visiting my sisters family, we decided to unleash our combined 4 boys loose at the Ecotarium for the afternoon. For us,the visit was free...yes, folks, purchase the ATSC science passport, and enjoy reciprocity at hundreds of science museums. Jackpot! As far as kids science museums go,this one is pretty darn good. Inside, the mount Washington exhibit had some really cool hands on displays...my favorite was the 78 mph wind tunnel. Second story had ecosystems and dinosaur tracks, and first floor had more ecosystems. All exhibits were functioning, clean, and informative. Outside, various birds were on display in cages- bald eagles, hawks, owls- and the sea otter display was great, especially seeing them get their fruit and fish Popsicle, a giant hunk of ice with foods frozen inside. We stayed for 2 hours, but cold have stayed longer. Only irony of the day was the line of traffic outside-12 cars long, all idling...waiting to pay at the front gate, due to downed computer systems. Aha, irony...idling,wasting gas, destroying ozone while trying to get into the Ecotarium. Not funny, but ironic. Worcester, this is a feather in your cap. Enjoy it.

Came with my husband & 3yr old. Generally this place isn't appropriate for a toddler but we thought the bubble experience would be perfect for her. Sadly the bubble solution was either too dirty or not the right proportions of soap/water/glycerin so it was nearly impossible to make any bubbles. It left us feeling frustrated and disappointed that we spent $50 for a mediocre experience. On a side note, the live animals on display looked very sad and most of them were hiding. The porcupine was wearing a path back and forth like he'd gone crazy. We live an hour away so I won't be back unless my daughter is older and asking to come.

Good place to spend an afternoon, especially if it is cloudy or rainy. There was a fun hands on bubble exhibit at the entrance during the summer, which we thoroughly enjoyed. In no way does this replace the Museum of Science, it is way smaller and the exhibits are less sophisticated, but my 8 year old daughter very much enjoyed our time and took advantage of most if not all the interactive exhibits. The staff and volunteers we friendly, helpful and informative.

So much fun for little ones! This was a great way to spend time with a little one on a cold winter day! She had a blast, learned a few things and couldn't get enough of the wind tunnel! She probably did it and the climbing wall a half a dozen times, each! She was so excited with everything and was thrilled to be running around from exhibit to exhibit; it was a good balance of hands on as well as well as looking/watching (turtles!). It just might be Worcester's best kept secret. We had out of town guests and they mentioned to a couple of people we were headed there and everyone kept telling them they had never heard of it! Their loss because it was a great way to spend a morning. PS- check out when the run the Bank of America customer deal - free admittance with a BofA credit card! I think it's the 1st weekend of the month, but don't hold me to it! Anyhow it was a steal we were 4 adults and a child and only paid for 1 adult and the child; good deal!!

It's early spring in New England. Hard to believe the planet's getting hotter. (I know - and I actually do believe it ... I'm just saying ...) Usually by this time of year we've had enough of the snow, grey and seemingly lifeless landscape. It's this time of year that as a family we seek out new and interesting places that offer escape from the doldrums of winter. Some families go to the Bahamas. Others go to Florida. But we have a four-year old and a one-year old who just last week started sleeping through the night (most of the night that is.) So we go local, and not over night - at least for the next few years. Last year, we visited Tower Hill Botanical Gardens just outside of Boston. Which, although it boasts its best in summer, has a wonderful indoor garden as well. It's a well-spent afternoon. This week, my wife and I one night, huddled together in front of the glow of the computer, discovered the EcoTarium. Their homepage says it best: [ ... The EcoTarium is a unique indoor-outdoor museum in Worcester, MA. Set in an urban oasis, the EcoTarium offers a chance to walk through the treetops, take a thrilling multimedia journey through the galaxy at a digital planetarium, meet wildlife, stroll nature trails, ride a narrow-gauge railroad, and get hands-on with family-friendly exhibits ...] We went. It's a nice family alternative to the Museum of Science ,which once you've been a few times, kind of loses its magic. Still, science and nature has a special place in our family. Our oldest has proclaimed more times than we can count, "I'm going to be an animal rescuer when I grow up." We feel, even though he's four, it's important to nurture our children's individual dreams early on. Too often when we're young, we're talked out of (by others and by ourselves) what we feel in our hearts is most important. In today's environmental climate, I feel really proud to have a little guy who is so devoted to helping the planet - and I'm devoted to helping him do it. The hour -and-a-half drive to the EcoTarium, and being repeatedly asked, "When are we going be there?", was well worth it. Plenty of parking and fair price; we're big fans of both. A few highlights are the energetic staff of educators, of course the live polar bear, various animals and plant life and the overall "science enrichment" ambiance of the place. A word of caution: If you do go in the winter, pack a lunch. They had a cafe, which looked nice, but was closed during the off season. We were left shopping from four vending machines that offered nothing resembling a balanced lunch. But a postponed lunch light snack was plenty to finish the tour. The place is big, with many indoor displays and some outdoors, but is not huge, as in, "How are we ever going to see everything in one day?!", huge. So it makes for a good day trip for young science-hungry minds. And after all, isn't that what's really important today? Educating our young future leaders about the world we live in, how it works and how to best take care of it and all the little curious creatures (including us) that call it home - all while enjoying time together as a family. For anyone who agrees, and for anyone like us who can't wait until the concert of life that spring ushers in, the EcoTarium is a great place to spend the day. - This article was first published at my parneting blog, On Fatherhood at http://lukepinneo.wordpress.com/

JUst spent an afternoon with a 71/2 year old grandson. Our first visit,He was enthralled and we pleasantly suprised. So much to do and so much to see. I was especially greatful with the volunteer who assisted me when I was feeling a bit light headed. I told her I thought my blood sugar was low and she nicely went and got me an "energy bar" which really did the trick. . Looking forward to returning in the spring or summer to catch more of the outside exhibits. THe train ride was fun too.