EdVenture

Our kids saw this location on Blippi and loved it, so we decided to come visit. You will not be disappointed—the place is amazing for kids and adults. You’ll both have an amazing time and learn so much. Highly recommended!

This was such a fun experience! There's so much for the kids to do and so many different ways they can explore pretend play! It was also clean and everyone was very friendly. We can't wait to come back again.

First time going (we are out-of-towners) and I took my 10 year old son, we had a blast!! Very educational all around and tons to do, even lots for toddlers! It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. 😊

My kids absolute favorite place! We’ve been on multiple occasions while my kids were small toddlers and now that they are 5 and 7. Everytime they have a blast in all the different hands on areas. Now that they are older their favorite part is definitely the human body playground. So much to learn and do there!

Great place for kids from 1 to about 12. My 3 and 5 year old were entertained in each area longer than I expected. Great variety of exhibits combining learning and fun.

Awesome time. I went with my youngest daughter. We had a blast for hours

We love EdVenture! It is the perfect place for younger kids to explore and learn. No rush though the venue just let me learn and play at their pace. This location touches on so many different areas of interest- planes, fire trucks, food service, veterinary, dental and medical… wonderful!!

Took our 3 kids ages 6-11 here for the first time over our Spring break, and they all absolutely loved it. My oldest may have been a little old for some of it, but still had a fantastic time exploring and playing with his little brothers. The museum is huge, the different setups were adorable, and overall we had a super fun day! We would love to return.

This is a lovely children's museum. It was a big and bright with some unique exhibits. They have books everywhere and the giant child statue is iconic. The staff was nice. My son had fun but did not want to stay long. He is 9 and I think the museum is best for kids under 8.

Great place for kids from 1 to about 12. My 3 and 5 year old were entertained in each area longer than I expected. Great variety of exhibits combining learning and fun.

I been to 3 children's museum and this is one of my favorites. I been there once when my son was 11MO (not walking yet) and again at 17MO (now running). When he was 11MO, we mostly spent time in the baby/toddler area since it was busy and I felt like he was going to get run over in other areas. The second time, we visited was much better since it was a Monday afternoon. We had most rooms/activities to ourselves so he could explore more. His favorite rooms were the grocery store and the vet/pet grooming room. We plan on visiting every time we are in Columbia as it is a great place to entertain kids for hours.

Everything went well except for the fact that it felt so grimy and unclean throughout. We were here all day and never saw any cleaning of places or things where snot, sneezes, and grumpy hands had accumulated. The fire truck exhibit is great but not knowing or being able to where your children are going to come out is dangerous. We watched a child come down the slide and head straight for the front door!

Great place to take the kids. They are having fun and learning at the same time. Arts, crafts, medical, and mecani operations. Play, learn, and wear the kids out. Great day.

I love taking my daughter to Edventure because it has tons of things for kids to do. My daughter's favorite area is the supermarket and kitchen and the playground. She can literally stay there all day. I pay for the membership because I have 5 kids total and it just makes sense to save the money. We go there often for her to get her energy out especially when we have some free time.

We have been here twice now and just love it!! It's so hard to get my kids to even leave. They love all the activities and things to see and do. Whenever we visit Columbia South Carolina we try to bring the kids here. Even Grandma Nonna was having a blast on the bike!

Wow this place is LOT - which can be good or bad depending on what you want. It is full of high activity entertainment for kids so it can keep your active kiddos focused for hours, while learning something about the human body, aviation, or physics in the process. There are seemingly endless interactive exhibits that are as fun to watch the kids play with as it is for the kids themselves. On weekends/holidays this place is INSANE. I'd avoid it on those days if you can. Hordes of kids make it difficult for parents to keep track of kids and for the kids to get access to the exhibits. Bathrooms are a WRECK. I mean just horrible. We tried maybe 3 and in each all the toilets were chock full and could not be flushed in that state, so it was a fun game of finding the combination of the least soiled toilet seat and least filled toilet.

Hands on interactive science museum for children. This was one of the best activities we did while in S.C. There's so much to see and do for the kids. The firetruck and grocery store were some of my son's favorite items to play with here. The grocery store even has the Publix vests! The little diner spot was always busy with kids "cooking, cleaning and serving food" I hope the workers get at least $50k for working here because it's insane and they've all kept their cool. There was a buzzer going off at the dairy farm and it didn't even phase them.

A fun experience for your kids with the opportunity to learn while playing. From driving a fire truck to learning about planes, and making food, the kids loved the experience. I highly recommend this for parents looking for something easy to keep their kids entertained for hours. From little to middle school, I think they will love it.

Not they bad. Wasn't too expensive. Several different type of exhibits. The negative is kids just running around like crazy.

So I decided to take my homeschoolers here for a field trip. Prices were great for the experience. I give it 3 stars because Some of the outdoor activities didn't work, maybe because the weather and The bio lab got cancelled. We did the cooking lab which was really fun. My kids had fun, it was a great learning experience, I would definitely take them back.

Lots to do in theory and some exhibits are great. They charge per adult to enter which can really rack up the cost to play. Also, much of the facility seems rundown. There is trash all over (chip bags, empty bottles etc) and many exhibits are a mess. Perhaps they were understaffed the day we were there but regardless it seems like the whole place could use a facelift. The kids had fun overall but I don't think I'd go back.

The people that work here deserve more pay. There is a buzzer that kids could buzz and it went off non stop. I was going to lose it, that was after 5 minutes. They deal with this all day. Oh yeah, my son had fun too. The buzzer just stopped. It buzzed the whole time I thought of and typed this.

We loved it. Our kids 1.5 and 3.5 had lots to do all day! 9-1:30 with a break for lunch and they could have stayed more. On the other hand, big Eddie has a ridiculously large face diaper on, so I can't give it 5 stars.

One of the best Children's Museums we have ever been to! My 6 and 9 year old spent the entire day here and would go back again with no hesitation! Mental and physical activities galore. Clean, friendly and well worth the stop if traveling or the hour and a half drive that we made. There is a science museum in the same parking lot and a beautiful trail along the water a mile away to bike, scoot, walk and exercise with picnic tables, benches and a workout playground. 6 thumbs way up!

I used to come here years ago with my older kiddos, and we decided to come back for a visit with the younger one. We had a good time, but it just wasn't as good as I remember it. There were so many things on the directional signs that we asked about and they said aren't there any more and haven't been for a long time. It seems like it needs some updates, and they just haven't done them. My kids' favorite things were the oversized chess board and the how to make slime science lab class. We spent about an hour and a half there and felt like we had seen and done everything. I remember there being more to do, and for the price, I would just expect a little more. With that being said, we still had a good time for the short time we were there, but I don't think we will be back again.

We were pretty disappointed in our experience here. There wasn't as much to do as I thought and my kids asked to leave after only an hour and a half - that's very unlike them - and I was fine with leaving. Everything was just kind of dirty and toys and equipment were sparse. I could see where this place could have been fantastic years ago but honestly it needs some upgrades and a deep clean. I feel bad. My kids were excited and it just wasn't that great of a time. Also for the price I feel like we got ripped off. It's not affordable for the average family.

This museum is a good concept that I loved when I was little but it looks like it hasn't been cleaned at all since I was last there (20+years ago). I took my daughter there to have some fun and I was left disgusted and disappointed. Craft activities were completely empty. The entire place is dirty. Kids running wild with no staff in sight except at the front desk. The grocery store had older kids THROWING the food and slamming carts on the ground and one toddler running the cart back and forth slamming into other carts, the walls and kids on purpose. He ran right into my 1.5 year old. Could be really great with more staff, order and a serious deep clean but wow. There need to be some solid rules for parents to follow and staff to enforce them.

At most museums, you a asked to be quiet and not to touch anything. Not at Edventures!! We stopped by here on our holiday road trip. I am so happy that we did. The kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves! There were so many different stations for children of all ages. A life sized fire truck, full grocery store, planes, farms and toys galore! In addition to the different stations, there is a HUGE statue of a boy sitting. At first I thought it was just a statue, but in all learning Edventures, there was something extra. Towards the back is an opening where the children can learn about the anatomy and even slide down at the end! They even have different presentations for the kids to learn. We went to the nitrogen presentation which taught the kids the effects of nitrogen on different objects. At the end, the kids tasted a marshmallow that was put into nitrogen. The talked about this museum for weeks after our visit. My only regret is that we did not live closer. If you are in the area, make a stop. You won't regret it!

My kiddo (5), niece (5), and nephew (9) really enjoyed themselves! There was a LOT for each of them to do. Climbing throughout Eddie had to be one of their highlights. There's so many interactive things for kids of all ages. I was impressed by how well sanitation was handled. I saw several staff walking through the building spraying sanitizer and cleaning areas throughout both floors. I highly recommend bringing the kids here for their next adventure!

Pur grand babies LOVED this place !!! Lots to do for all ages. Papa even had a great time

I went yesterday at 10:00 am and was very disappointed in the lack of parental supervision. There were 8 year old boys throwing things on the conveyor belt, kids yanking things out of my 18 month old grandchild's hands and even one girl snatched the buggy from my daughter in law. All without any employee or parents in attendance. There was a huge urine accident in the grocery store and the employee acted annoyed to be bothered. I saw parents way upstairs drinking coffee and not supervising their own children. This is unacceptable if parents aren't watching, they need to be told to leave.

Amazing! We took our grandchildren here while visiting Columbia. Please support this with your contributions above and beyond the price of admission. Thank you corporate sponsors like Public, John Deere, WIS news to name a few for making this place a fun and learning experience for children. There is something wonderful in every nook and cranny with more exhibits to come. If you don't have kids make a donation. If you have kids take them you won't be disappointed

Not to toot my own horn but...tooooooot!!!! I've worked in children's museums evaluating exhibits, educational goals, etc. in Illinois, Oregon, Boston, Tennessee and Chicago. This place needs an infusion of funding and I know how hard it is to get grants to maintain and improve children's museums. So from a parent's point of view I would say a solid 3 stars. However I'm sure if my daughter was a fellow Yelper, she's give it a 4. Theres a lot to see/do/create/touch/build. Your kid(s) will expend a lot of energy. They have the foundation to be an amazing children's museum and I see all types of programming that never seems open when we come on the weekend. In fact, that's the missing link in a lot of the museum...staff. It would be great to see more staff members available to maintain the areas and be available to facilitate play or educate families. They had a ton of cool space exhibits but they weren't user friendly and the signage wasn't helpful. Plus, a lot of broken equipment or areas under renovation. I understand kids are going to go full tilt boogie but it can't look like they actually run the place! It's worth a visit, a little pricey and maybe we just need to be more thoughtful in our planning and see if we can get into the food lab one of these times...when it's open. Please add more staff on the weekend!! Exhibits: Eddie (the huge boy you can climb around and explore his insides. No signs though to help parents explain what you're looking at), vet clinic, game room with mini golf, huge chess board and pieces, library with puppet show area and dress-up, a Publix grocery store, farm, diner, fire truck, media station, air plane, toddler specific areas, etc. The rotating exhibit had a mini hockey rink that mimics ice, a sledding area (open in half hour increments a few times a day) and fun info on polar bears and penguins.

Kids museums are not my favorite thing to do by far! BUT!!! My kids thoroughly enjoyed this place. The ran, jumped, learned and explored. There was many many things for them to do and keep them occupied. Everything was clean and the staff was great. This is something that we would do again for sure, to us it was worth the trip. I wish there was a good one like this a bit further north! Wink wink

This place was straight MADNESS. I don't know if we came at the wrong time, or what. Most of the exhibits need to be revamped and CLEANED. Most had missing parts, pieces, buttons, etc and were stained and worn from use. They really need to place a staff member in each exhibit area to help keep the areas organized and cleaned. And to make sure certain exhibits (fire truck, tractor, etc.) aren't being monopolized by one child. Overall, the concept of this place was cool, but we will not be coming back.

Here's the quick review of Edventure... 1. It is high-priced for the overall value. 2. Once your kids have been one time, it's the same thing. Not much new. So, experience it once but after that... Meh. 3. Go when it's not busy otherwise it's a madhouse! Kids running around like The Cat in the Hat is supervising them! 4. I understand the need for sponsors, but this is giant advertisement for corporations. 5. If you are looking to have your kids run about, park in the museum lot and walk the canal park. It is free, educational, and outdoors! 6. Eddie is, and always will be, cool. 7. Play items, like the market, are left scattered around. Side note: They do put on a good birthday package for kids. I'll give them that. That's it really. We only go when our older daughter wears us down. Which has only been three times.

Nice... clean.... plenty of hands-on and pretend activities... but it's $17 an adult for two floors. it felt a bit pricey and penalizing for mom and dad to take their kid. i felt like a cheapo asking my wife to go in with our son because it was $34 to visit a small place. i've been to Seattle's science museums and DC museums that cost less, or free and 4/5 times bigger

I have no idea how anyone is giving this place 4-5 stars. This place was SUCH a disappointment. My son watched the Blippi video of him going there for years and was so excited to visit and see Eddie. Only to be terrified by the giant mask on his face. He wouldn't go near Eddie, the main attraction because of this. Take it off! It looks ridiculous and is scaring children. That isn't even my biggest complaint. The museum was FILTHY and so many displays were in such disrepair. They need to close for a week, clean and update. They had signs up about people still wearing masks, what's the point if you aren't going to limit capacity? It was so busy. In the grocery area...the food was SO gross. It was dirty and sticky. The floors had dirt and piles of dust along the perimeter showing that the museum hasn't been properly cleaned in a long time. You know how kids get sick? By touching dirty things and then touching their face. So how about you hire a cleaning company and sanitize the place. We were there for 2 hours and had to do things multiple times to fill 2 hours of time. What an incredible disappointment. You could tell they just haven't kept up with things or replaced missing pieces or parts to displays making them pointless. Save yourself the time, money and disappointment and go to a different children's museum.

I want to start by saying this place is pretty large and features lots of fun activities for kids of all ages and some good rotating exhibits, but it is definitely overpriced and a bit overrated. The condition of the facility could be much better given the steep price for entry. It is very crowded, quickly gets in disarray and there seems to be no employees to keep it from being a total disaster. Obviously these places are designed for kids to be kids, but nobody tries to crack down on dangerous behavior. Other SC kids museums are much cleaner and more affordable. There are some free/almost free days where the place becomes a total zoo. This place is in a great location and has the potential to be better. The absurd cost precludes many families from going.

My four year old loved this place. She was entertained for hours here. There was so much to do. We loved the maker space and the space exhibit. She was really interested in the flight dome exhibit - 3 days later and she's still talking about it. The Cockpit of the plane was really neat to sit in. It was difficult to pull her away from this area.... until she saw the grocery store and little restaurant. So much fun. The huge child in the center of the museum (Eddie) proved to be too much for my daughter who was TERRIFIED. I'm sure this isn't an issue for most children, but if you're child is sensitive like mine, you may want to be prepared for that. Due to rain we weren't able to visit the outdoor activities, but they looked nice. Some of the toys/exhibits are definitely well-loved and there are some pieces of exhibits that didn't work. That was disappointing. It was also crowded while we were there (a Tuesday afternoon) which surprised me a little. We enjoyed our time here. I'm not sure we would return again, but I'm glad we visited.

I enjoyed coming here as a child/kid with my family & I can't wait to take my niece (soon to be 8) & daughter (3) tomorrow for my niece 8th birthday. (Will update with more information & photos after tomorrow).

No. Dirty. Exhibits are broken or out of order. This place has really gone down in quality over the past 2 years. Half of the displays / exhibits were closed, and several of the interactive games / toys were broken. The butterfly pavilion was sad. Dead flowers and only a few butterflies. You have to pay extra to play putt-putt. I loved this place in 2013,...it was nice and new...clean! Def NOT the case in 2016. New management? The carpet & paint is disgustingly dirty. I took pictures. I was honestly grossed out at how dirty it was. For the price, it should be maintained A LOT better. There are several other better options in the Columbia area.

We have a blast every time we come! Even our 9 year olds loved everything. Great place to play and explore. We don't come often - but when we do there is always a new exhibit - this time it was for the moon.... It was really cool!

We took our two year old to EdVenture, and even with the COVID measures in place, we had a blast! There were plenty of fun things to do at the museum, and with entrance being ticket only, there weren't a ton of kids for my son to wait behind at each attraction. While we were there I saw at least six or seven employees actively cleaning and disinfecting toys, props, and larger objects so it definitely felt nice and clean. We surely got our money's worth, and will absolutely be back again!

Children 8, 6, and 1 all had a wonderful time at this museum. Big Eddie in the front sure made a great impression on the kids. Able to see of the different body parts while playing in a jungle gym. Flight simulation was an attraction for our adults in the family. Employees were welcoming and engaging. It also has a little water area outside. Big plus f as ctoring in a play area for 3 year olds and below. They have their own nursing area for breastfeeding moms as well. Overall, Columbia EdVenture was a great little surprise for the kids visiting from Savannah, GA.

Everybody's a kid at EdVenture! What else can you expect from a place featuring a 4 stories high slide shaped like a boy? My 4 years old daughter and I spent many days here since the museum opened 5 years ago. EdVenture is located beside the State Museum (another must see children friendly attraction). Admission is $8.95 for adults and $6.95 for children (2-12). Parking is FREE and very accessible. There are more than 350 interactive exhibits. Children can check out a real fire truck, buy groceries, be a farmer, doctor or an engineer for a day; play musical instruments, anchor the news on TV, climb and slide down Big Eddie, navigate the ocean, solve mysteries, study how the body works, and experience other cultures. Tips to know before you go: 1. Go early morning and if possible during the week to avoid the big crowds. The museum is open 9 AM to 5 PM (Sunday opens at noon). This month there is FREE admission on Sundays. 2. Start on the 2nd floor. Young kids will enjoy playing musical instruments and explore the seasonal exhibits. Older kids will be absorbed at the live TV and newspaper stations. There is a quiet play and reading area for babies and toddlers. 3. Get them "exhausted" climbing Big Eddie up and down. That can easily take up to 30 minutes. 4. Catch a snack break at the Clubhouse, open 11 AM to 2 PM (closed on Sunday). 5. Continue your tour on the first floor. Main attraction here is the fire truck. Young kids love to go shopping at the grocery store or play farmer. 6. Cool off at the water exhibit outside. They will get wet no matter what you do, but the fun is guaranteed. 7. If there's still time and energy left drive to the Columbia Riverfront Canal park nearby for fresh air and an amazing walk down the river. Here is a funny video from the "Exploring Human Body" and "Being a Doctor" exhibit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKYokXtHqUc Enjoy!

Living in the Vista with a five-year-old, EdVenture has been a staple for our family. Before getting a membership, we rarely came due to the cost of admission, but the membership pays for itself twofold. Really, we have come to EdVenture on days off, rainy days, evenings after school (before 5) and have always had a nice time. A cheap membership (roughly $100 or so), if you pack your own snacks, it's a free and fun outing throughout the year. My child has never become bored before we left. Some cleaning and upkeep could be had, but otherwise, we avoid spring and winter break and come very early or in the evening and generally are some of few people there. Overall, so glad to have this place nearby.

Seriously fun place! Best children's museum in SC! 2nd time there and we spent just as long or longer and still have not explored every section. Many exhibits that teach children about the human body, recycling, water ways, dinosaurs, fossils, pet care, butterflies, fire safety, car care, grocery store, farm and more. Participates in Bank of America's 1st Saturday free admission for cardholders and sometimes offers Groupons.

This is a great museum for kids. Lots of hands on things for the kids to do. Great place for a child's field trip also. My favorite part is the area with the airplane. We spent a lot of time playing around with the cockpit and airplane seats. Sure wish the aisles on real planes were as wide as their version. The place is also good for birthday parties. And there's a concession stand downstairs that serves pizza. Great place to spend an afternoon with your child.

On our recent trip to Columbia, we were planning to take our 3 year old daughters to the zoo or park for the afternoon. Unfortunately, the rain derailed our plans and we were forced to come up with plan B: Edventure Children's Museum. Upon entering, we were immediately impressed by the size of the facility and the number of interactive exhibits available. However, the cost of admission seemed a bit steep for a single afternoon's visit. Only children under a year old are free. Everyone else pays full price ($11.50). Seniors get a whole dollar off their admission ($10.50). So, for us, a family of six (2 parents, 2 kids and 2 grandparents) cost $60+ !!! Also, after a short time there, it was clear that most of the exhibits were geared mostly to elementary aged students, not toddlers (our daughters are 3 years old). And the butterfly exhibit (which our daughters were looking forward to seeing) was closed for the season. Bummer. Curiously, I didn't see any staff wandering around, supervising the exhibits, answering questions, etc. as you sometimes see at other places. It was VERY crowded in the morning. The crowd thinned out considerably around lunch time. IF we were to come again, we'd come later in the day.

I haven't been here since 2006 with my older kids, but we now have a 2 year old and decided to take her. My son is now 18 years old and there are things there I remember seeing when he was 4. It just has a very outdated and dingy look to it. It needs more. Most things weren't working. Do they need donations? There's a car I'm sure was there in 2006. There's a cracked screen and seat foam allll over the place. I'm sure it's hard to keep up cleanliness with kids going in and out everyday, but it's like they're understaffed and under supplied and under-lysoled.

It's a fun place, but it is crowded, and social distancing precautions are not given attention in any of the areas. There are not as many hand sanitizer stations as there used to be, and my whole family became ill after our last visit.

My kids love EdVenture. There's lots for kids to do. We spent about 3 hours there. My kids could have spent longer. For reference...my kids are 4 and 5. I would say it is ideal for kids up to 12-ish.

This place is disgusting. It honestly seems like it has never had a good clean. Obviously my daughter got sick the day after coming. We won't be coming back.

Amazing children's museum. I would recommend it most for ages 4-7 years old. Lots of hands science exhibits. The most memorable exhibit is the 3 story climber that doubles as a gigantic sculpture of a boy. Walk through the heart, the ear, and many other parts of the human body. Very fun day for my little one.

This has got to be the worst children's museum we have ever been to!! First off it's filthy. The toys and displays are so dirty you can see it!! I suggest they redo a lot of this place and clean it.. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE TO ANYONE...

This review is NOT of the museum itself, but the Carousel Cafe inside EdVenture. Do NOT eat there. If you're a nonmember of the museum (I have no need to join, since my grandchildren live out of town and only visit Columbia once a year), the food prices are EXORBITANT and are basically inedible. $4.50 for a half of a very small quesadilla with a sprinkling of cheese and some salty chicken. Oh, and if you want fruit with the quesadilla, it's another $2 bucks. And the so-called "Carousel" inside the cafe? $4 per child. This is AFTER the exorbitant prices just to get into the museum.