North Carolina Estuarium

First time here, was something different to see and do. Beautiful location right on the water. Very nice, informative set up. Super friendly, knowledgeable staff. There's a nice theater to watch a short informative movie. The rest is a self walk thru exhibits, with many interactive displays. They have a snake, turtle, fish and crab to see. Although they had a few different tanks with a turtle & a crab it said no touch tanks. But other online info I seen said they had touch tanks. They are re-doing some things and expanding soon ,so those may return later. A staffer said they do alot of events throughout the year. There is a boat tour but we didn't become aware of it until we were leaving. No one told us about it, not sure if it wasn't currently operating or if it only operates during the week. Definitely would return. Great for kids. Recommend. Small $5 admission fee. I think kids under 4 are free.

Very impressive and educational science museum on the banks of the Pamlico River. Staff was more than welcoming and helpful. Impressive two-story art installation in lobby also told the story of the moisture cycle around North Carolina. Inexpensive admission. Displays Very professionally done.

This visit was simply amazing!!! The staff were beyond helpful. Shout to the young lady, the coordinator, and the captain, all of whom were friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend it to anyone of any age to visit. You will not be disappointed. PLEASE donate, donate, donate. It is worth it. Let's keep that place alive and well for the years to come.

I love this museum! We recently got married here in May and it was the best decision we made. We had a very small ceremony that was very short which made it really quick, simple, and easy. We chose to use the large sculpture in their entry way for our arbor. There was a ton of natural light which made the images look magical. The faculty were extremely helpful and welcoming. They had tables and chairs ready for us to set up. The most magical thing was the exhibition space was left open. So, as we waited to walk down the isle we had a very special moment walking through their space. It was private, magical, and welcoming. I want to thank everyone that helped with this rental!

Very cute little pocket adventure. Informative, interesting, and fun. A nice visit on our way out of town and a nice view of the sound of course. Only $5 and well worth it. A unique piece of artwork that doubles as a representation of North Carolina AND an example of the water cycle. A short movie, a few live animals and various facts about the local ecosystem of our wetlands as well as the history of the area itself and the lifestyle of lake-towns. Would be fun for kids as well I'm sure. There is NO photography allowed inside however so keep that in mind.

It has really gone downhill. It used to be halfway decent but staff has always been rude. We stopped today and it was dirty and unkempt. The grounds were overgrown and not in a cute way for summer estuary education. The gift shop was just shein and temu stuff where they used to have a lot of nice local pottery and water color art. I gave 2 stars because the employee in the gift shop today was nice and friendly.

Great place for kids. We homeschool and wish I could have taken photos of the kids learning and with the animals. There are 2 tanks at little kid level that are easy to touch the animals but do NOT touch the animals. The large art piece that shows the life cycle of water is a one of a kind sculpture and truly a masterpiece. This month's art gallery who so beautifully created. You can tell the artist truly enjoys what she is creating.

Have been here several times, I have taken so many people there, and everyone has loved it. Having nice boat ride on the river it is very educational learning about the history of the Tar and Pamlico River

Fun place to learn about the estuary. Watch a brief film about crabbing and the life of living in the area. The museum has live aquariums and displays area habitats. Great for all ages.

The North Carolina Estuarium is located in Downtown Washington, NC. It is the first estuarium in the world and focuses on the environment. The NC Estuarium offers ferry rides on the Tar and Pamlico Rivers at various times during the year. I really enjoy the rides as you might see some wildlife besides the plant life. The captain provide fun facts along the way too. The museum is 12,500 square foot and serves as an education center. It provides a great overview of the estuaries and coastal rivers which are an important part of the ecosystem where fresh water and salt water mix. 90% of NC seafood comes from estuaries. We need to keep these waterways clean. In the lobby the display is large and shows the different parts of North Carolina. The NC Esturium is part museum and part aquarium. The aquarium focuses just on estuary species. It has over 200 exhibits and a lot are hands on. The part about the hurricanes was informative and showed the damage done from the rising sea levels. I highly recommend visiting this unique museum.

If you are in Washington,NC, you must go to the Estuarium. The art installation near the entrance is worth the price of admission! There are lots of interesting exhibits that explain the importance of estuaries in the ecosystem. The best $5 you will spend!

I love NC history and anything that has to do with our coast, yet I'd never heard of this place. Of course, while in town, we took the opportunity to go visit. It's only$5 to get in and that's good for all day. The first part is a guided tour, but it's helpful and doesn't last long. It's a great exhibit on the water cycle and done with actual artwork. They then show a 12 minute movie, which in my opinion was 12 minutes too long. I didn't find it educational or entertaining. If on a field trip, this is the part where kids start misbehaving (I taught for ten years so I know from which I speak). The rest of the museum is exhibits with live animals, fun interactive learning exhibits, and really fascinating history of our state.

Very interesting to see the family names of some of the soldiers who fought and facts I did not know about Plymouth, NC

it takes about 5min to go through. While interesting, I am not sure that it was worth $5 admission. It is an okay place to go if you need to do something for about 5-10min. The water itself has a nice walking area around it, and had the weather not been rainy might have been fun to explore.

I love the N.C Estuarium and I'm proud of this organization and their efforts to educate the area about the Pamlico river estuary. One concern present with this place is the amount of litter that cumulates on the N.C Estuarium's wetland preservation walk. This group needs show their actions to conservation and act upon what they teach in the museum. Hopefully the litter and pollution issue on the wetland preserve will be taken care of and serious conservation will be enforced.

Neat little place! Guides were knowledgeable. Enjoyed are visit. It's only $5 to get in and is right on the river.

When visiting Washington, the NC Estuarium is a must on your to-do list. The facility itself isn't incredibly worthwhile, but the River Roving boat tour is a wonderful use of your time. The tour is free and lead by a knowledgeable Inner Banks native, who is charismatic, a great story-teller and an even better teacher. We would repeat this tour a hundred times if possible.

We just had our wedding reception at NC Estuarium (Washington, NC). For a reception of 75 people or less it was perfect. The inside is beautiful, no additional decorating is needed. And the Gazebo and waterfront were great backdrops for wedding pictures. I highly recommend it!

Wonderful new facility on the banks of the Pamlico River. This state of the art building houses an amazing art exhibit when you enter. After paying the $4 fee you watch a 15 minute video (that to be honest is more just a nice montage of scenery and isn't really informative), then walk through the exhibits which doesn't seem to take more than about 20 minutes. Good for kids and adults.