Putnam Museum and Science Center

I started taking my grandsons to the Putnam this year cause I finally had them at the same time. They liven l loved it. So this year for their mothers 11 year anniversary of her passing we took the youngest one there. The pics above are from that day. The oldest grandson is now back in Texas so we had him on video chat to include him.

The Museum is the best one I’ve been at so far. There are a lot of cool stuff inside and you can easily get lost looking around. The rooms are connected, a lot of historical figures. My personal favorite is the Safari with wildlife

I haven't been to the Museum for awhile. It seemed like it was much the same, with little changed for most of it. So I was so happy to see all the changes that have taken place since I was last there. They now have most of the exhibits with information in both English & Spanish. I was also very happy to see the World Cultures exhibit, which is long overdue. I'm really looking forward to the remodeled exhibit spaces.

I wish there would’ve been a few people who could answer questions walking around, but other than that it was really great a lot of hands-on activities

Our local library got a quad cities fun card so we decided to come and visit the science center! There were so many interactive activities for kids. It wasn’t that busy either which was very nice. Plenty of parking as well. Nice gift shop available too. The junk boat was my favorite part! It’s worth checking out!

Kids love this place. Has a great mix of stuff for kids and adults. Can spend a few good hours here! Also love the free admission days they do throughout the year.

I love the Putnam Museum. I think it's the best science museum I've ever visited. I like how the different exhibits are separated from one another, almost like their own little museum. There's an infinity light mirror that I saw years ago and I've never forgotten. I recently visited again and it was still there! They also have wonderful movies in their Giant Screen theater and delicious popcorn. I recently saw a movie there about the monarch butterfly, and I learned that their over winter place in Mexico was only discovered by American scientists 50 years ago. I hope to see the one about Super Power Dogs. I highly recommend!

This is a great place to take the family. Theres lots of different exhibits, so there's always something for everyone. My kids are always most excited to see the Egyptian/mummy area. This past time we went was for a field trip and the staff went above and beyond to make the experience great for everyone there.

This is fun place to go, the price is right and you can learn with out feeling you are being taught. I was in town for a couple days, my daughter loved it. You should plan to spend a couple hours here at least so you can appreciate what they have to offer.

This is a really neat museum to check out, and I can guarantee that you'll walk out of here with some fun facts that you learned! I was really surprised with how much this science center had to offer for being in such a small city, we spent a few hours trying to get through everything. We were also here on a Saturday AND a holiday weekend, and had the whole place to ourselves! There are a lot of different exhibits here, so there'll be easily something for everyone. Space, nature, cultures..... even some interactive areas! They also have an IMAX theater, which we didn't do, but it seemed really nice! We really enjoyed our visit here! It's a great place to stop for all ages if you've visiting Davenport.

This was one of my museum stops while visiting Davenport IA. This museum is pretty small with half the areas not open with no exhibits at all. I was was unimpressed because it was stuffed animals, bones, pictures, fossils, rocks, one old car etc etc. This is an easy walk through and really 15 minutes and you have seen everything. The stuffed animal panorama room was the coolest display by far.

Wonderful museum in the QC area. I love that they have an area devoted to QC history!

I used to love coming to this place growing up. However, my last visit here it looked ran down and half of it was closed down. The usual entrance was closed off. Not a bad place to take your kids though.

My grandparents have lived in this area for longer than my mom has been alive and we found out my grandfather was on the board at one pint, but until this weekend we'd never been here - check this one off as a place to come back to! Located in Davenport, we figured it would pale in comparison to the family museum - our favorite kids museum of all time - but we now have a rival! This isn't so much a Children's museum as a science center. They've got two full levels of exhibits that are very interactive and great for kids of all ages. The science ranges from sound to animals, light and building with legos. They have rotating exhibits that, when we were there, included Rube-Goldberg devices - also known as "that weird contraption from the game mouse trap". The exhibit was totally interactive and very informative. They have reciprocity with other ASTC centers which made it free to get in for us with our Pacific Science Center membership. They also had a small animal exhibit with lots of taxidermied animals including a pangolin! Wild Krats taught us about it and no we know it exists! We spent a could hours here and could have spent the better part of a day - a great time for all, where you and your kids will learn something!

Large museum with lots of fun hands on science related learning activities. Good space for kids to run around and get some energy out. Also fun dinosaur video interaction. Some exhibits weren't working but most of them were functional. Nice displays of rocks and local animals. Appropriate lighting and informational signage. Clean convenient bathrooms. Large movie theater available for extra charge. The food stand was minimal so opt for a meal else where. Plenty of parking and elevators to access different levels. Worthy of stop in. Enjoyed the temporary exhibits on race and the indigenous.

We really enjoyed our visit today. I read about the Aliens and Androids exhibit which appealed to my son so we made the trip over. The A&A exhibit had a cool number of robots and some of the interactive exhibits were fun for him (7yr old). The Hands-On science center was our favorite part. This exhibit is spread out into several rooms & hallways and contains purely interactive displays for visitors of all ages to enjoy, especially kids. We've been to several sci-tech museums and found most of Putnam's displays to be completely unique. The rest of the museum is nice and very well put together. I felt their ancient Egyptian exhibit and Asian gallery were really cool..the two Samurai displays are awesome. Great museum, cool architecture too.

Really neat expansive museum in the Quad Cities. Plenty of interactive exhibits to learn and apply whatever is being presented. Really cheap fun way to spend a winter afternoon, $8 for adult

The Putnam has so much to see. There's "look only" exhibits and interactive ones so everyone can find something they like! My fiancé and I went together and felt like kids messing around with the science activities.

There are many things to see and do at the Putnam. I enjoyed the Pollinator exhibit and now am enthused to start our spring/summer garden!

I came to Putnam Museum with my boyfriend after receiving a pair of free passes and would not return as a paying customer. The permanent exhibits are small and many of the electronic or mechanical elements in the temporary exhibit were in poor repair, out of order, or simply turned off. I did enjoy the literary heroines exhibit that's currently being featured and felt that the Putnam was at its best in the exhibit about Quad Cities history. I really think that the Putnam Museum is a community asset but doubt it's worth the $9 price tag more than once a decade, unless you've got kids in tow.

My husband and I took our two grandsons there and they loved it! There was hands on fun things for them to do, and of course we had to get in on the action also. We had LEGO car races and learning about our past was very interesting.

We love to come here with our three children. It's about a 2 hour drive and well worth it. We usually make the trip twice a year. This time we had a great experience: the IMAX theater had James Cameron's film about going to the Titanic, and the traveling Titanic Artifact exhibit was in the museum. Our kids (ages 11-2) really connected with the history. The building is very nice and exhibits relevant. I think they charge a fair price as well. It's a good value. Please consider buying a membership if you can make it here more than once a year.

I had older kids and wasn't sure they'd enjoy this but they ended up having a blast. Great way to spend some quality time with the kids!!

I didn't think this museum was anything special. It sort of looks like a big bomb shelter from the outside and the inside is cold. It's concrete everywhere. They had what appeared to be a mini-flea market set up that day with vendors? I thought that was definitely strange. The IMAX showing of the Ghosts of the Abyss/Titanic was disappointing. The theater was comfortable, but the show itself was not good. When we came out of the theater after the show was over, you exit onto the scenic overlook area, which was nice, but there was trash ALL OVER the place! It was really gross. If I had known there was another IMAX theater in the area, we would have gone there instead.

$10 theater popcorn combos. Pretty good for an IMAX... nothing different, but always a good time.

For the IMAX only. We went to see Wild Africa 3D. cost $5/pp. This is a very short/mini film (20 min?), more like a preview. It was NOT worth the money. No 3D effects that I noticed. It was a narrative. Very disappointing for both child and adult in our opinions.

Even if they've been playing the same intro music and montage since the last millennium, the IMAX is a nice treat for the Quad Cities. The features are hit or miss, but the surround sound always gets your attention. I suppose the 3D effects may have lost some of their luster with practically every movie theater in the country picking up that feature in the last few years. As for the Putnam, it's been a while. I always got a kick out of the animatronic dinosaurs, even if they get a bit less realistic with every passing year.

We enjoyed our visit to the Putnam today. It was so surprising to find this museum up on the hill....and hardly a soul in sight, except for summer camp kids. The museum is very interesting: there was a special Titanic exhibit (which we did not check out), but we did go through all the natural history and history galleries. I have to say that things are a little worn out and run down here. Looks like nothing has been updated since it was built in 1963. It could do with some improvement to facilities and exhibits. Still, we learned a lot about the region because we took the time to go through all the exhibits and would recommend visitors to check it out.

Not much here. Smallest museum I have never been too. Some of the equipment is broken such as the tug a war game and swings you pull up on. We were in and out very quickly. This museum needs more exhibits!

This place has really grown since I was last here. I was impressed by the magnitude of the building and it's very modern architecture--its use of open space and rectilinear angles with an industrial feel. There is a lot here to attract both children and adults. Kids like the hands-on exhibits like the tennis ball launcher thingy in the lobby, or the pulley or the lever devices on the second floor--both excellent ways to teach about work and force and the Simple Machines. Adults may enjoy the history of the Davenport area, and the Japanese and Egyptian exhibits. And since no museum is complete without a mummy, no one will feel disappointed here. What's not to like? The IMAX theater is quite impressive. We saw "Mysteries of the Unseen World" there. Davenport is lucky to have this nice resource.

On February 17, 2008, my husband & I went to a movie to the IMAX theater for our Valentine's Day date. The facility has an awesome museum & a big screen for movies. I totally recommend going to this place for movies & to check out the museum as well. http://www.putnam.org/ We went to see "I am Legend," with Will Smith playing the star role. It's about how a "cure" for cancer was found by using active measles virus which ended up wiping out the whole nation. The people that are still alive are going crazy & aggressive, losing their hair, & cannot be out in the sunlight. Will Smith, who played a scientist, trying to find the reversal antidote to this epidemic. It was an interesting movie but had some weird & boring parts. My husband thought the ending could have been a little different & better. OH BY THE WAY, DO NOT BRING KIDS TO THIS MOVIE. THERE WAS ON PERSON WHO BROUGHT THEIR LITTLE ONE WHO CRIED DURING 45MINS OF THE SHOW. NOT APPROPRIATE FOR ANY CHILDREN UNDER 16 (AT LEAST)

Just seen Inception and it was a awesome experience. Loved how it felt as if i was right there in the movie. The Price wasnt bad. The Concessions are priced just like in a normal theater. The Seating was good. I wished the Armrests went up but no biggie. The Seat was comfortable as well. The Staff was more then friendly and helpful. Will definitely go back again.

I am an amatuer wildlife painter and woodcarver. I contacted Christine Chandler--Putnam's Curator of Natural Science to see if I could get close up time with some bird mounts and skins. She was very accomodating and friendly. Putnam has a surprisingly large collection of bird mounts. Thank you Putnam and Christine for helping me become more effective in an area of great interest for me.

The museum has gone down hill over the years. It was a lot of fun when I was little, back before every big city movie theatre had its own IMAX screen and when I was young enough to appreciate the gift shop items and interactive musuem displays. But now, the IMAX screen may be the best thing there. It, at least, was clean and looked as good as it always has. And now they have more than just the special educational/documentary films. Lots of 3D pop films; Harry Potter, Titanic, The Avengers... The museum, which is more for the kids than anyone else, has not been kept up. Some of the interactive features, particularly in the big river section about soil, wildlife, etc... are broken or missing pieces. Other displays, such as the precious gems and minerals, are not lit up as they should be. The gift shop hasn't changed at all, as far as I could tell. Not bad items, but pricey as ever and nothing new. When I last went, there were only two people staffing the concession stand - one at the register and the other handling food behind the counter - so between movies the line was terribly long and slow. I didn't bother with it. The place seemed clean for the most part. The bathrooms could be a little better kept. But the overall appearance is very drab. When the Putnam was new, the wide openess of it seemed big and excitiing, boasting the prestige of the place. Now the temporary displays and kid activities in the ticket/cafeteria area look out of place and sparse, as much of the musuem does now, as well. The layout is somewhat confusing and there's a lot of written information being thrown at you at once. Maybe good for kids with field trip assignments, but for the average patron, it's wordy. So, my conclusion is that the Putnam still has a few good aspects (especially for families with small children) and a lot of potential to better itself, but it is in need of a makeover and some more attention.

We attended the Christmas on the Hill event yesterday and were amazed at the number of things that were available for children to do. I would highly recommend the museum to everyone. However, while there we overheard someone - apparently a manager (green shirt, dark hair in a pony tail 20-30s?) berate a female custodian for apparently expressing her opinion of another worker. Very unprofessional for a manager to do this in a lobby filled with over 600 people. The custodian continued to do her job and we saw her all day long sweeping, cleaning, emptying trash while the managers did little to assist. I find it disheartening that managers treat others that way whom they perceive to be beneath them. Sad to see such a great place besmudged by power-hungry managers. The staff doesn't work as a team and mutual respect is severing lacking.

I went to see the new giant screen movie Dream Big 3D (42 mins.) this morning at the debut showing at 11:15. The lower level tables had a bus load of several grade schoolers with their teacher waiting to get in. The show promptly started at 11:15 sharp and the kids became very quiet. The Dream Big 3D movie is narrated by Jeff Bridges and covers all sorts of engineering feats from space, to solar power, to skyscrapers, bridge building, and earthquake defense technology. The whole premise of the movie is to encourage young children to get interested in engineering, architecture, and the sciences. Several college and high school engineering clubs, and young professionals were featured and some amazing camera work as you'd expect with 3D movies of soaring over mountains and down valleys, etc. I hope many, many school kids get hauled in school buses to this movie at the Putnam Giant Screen. These kids will be the builders of our future buildings, technology, and sciences. It was an excellent movie and any parent should take their child to see this movie. The Putnam does excellent work and their educational programming is well known in the area. What a view you get when you exit the theater at the top overlooking the Mississippi River. As I was walking towards the front to leave on the second level, the downstairs tables were filled again with probably 60-70 more students eating their lunches before their viewing of Dream Big 3D. Hopefully there will be some engineers come out of this movie in about 15 years. Everything at the Putnam is kept up and top quality. There is no reason Davenport residents should ever be ashamed of this top notch facility.

I remember coming here as a kid and loving it, but now as an adult I'm not as impressed. The theater is very nice, and it is a great IMAX (they are all expensive, so it's a treat). The museum itself isn't all that great however. I love the Egyptian section, and last time I was there it looked like part of it was under construction so maybe it's better now. It's pretty small, nothing like Chicago museums. But for the QCA it's pretty nice.

During one of the coldest Memorial Days in memory, we attended the Putnam with our 4 & 7 y/o daughters. We saw Flight of the Butterflies at the IMax and toured the exhibits. Overall,a positive experience. The museum is designed for children with many interactive experiences. The collection is not overly large, but interesting. Staff helpful.

The IMAX theater, while expensive (aren't they all though?) is a phenomenal experience. The technology is top of the line and movies are up to date (no delay from the box office). The museum is active on Twitter, so that's where I find out about the majority of the museum events. Families are incredible common at the museum, so content pertaining to children is certainly available. The exhibits are seasonal so it's certainly possible to go a few times a year (or more!).

Was concerned about coming to see the Diana exhibition after reading this was a children's museum, since I'd arranged to come with girlfriends sans kids. We were completely surprised by the experience and I totally don't get the 'children's museum' comment. I've taken my kids to real children's museums and this is definitely NOT one. They have some stuff for all ages and a few rooms/spaces dedicated just to kids but overall its a traditional history/science museum. First of all, Diana was stunning - got to see her wedding dress and gorgeous other items plus some cute things from her childhood. Really touching display - and made it worth the trip. But the rest of the museum was a real treat too. There are some places that are kind of worn and need updating but mostly, this is a charming museum with some pretty amazing pieces. If I'd brought the kids they would have loved the treehouse and ocean stuff but we loved the knitted coral reef (and really the real fish too!). The Egypt and Asia galleries also had great displays. We passed through a place called the Take Apart where I'm sure my husband would have spent the day. You can actually dismantle electronics there. We didn't stay for it but there was a Grease sing-along in the theater tonight, which is a huge screen I've been in before. Fun! Overall, I give the Putnam a top rating - there's tons to do and it's huge with lots of great variety. I love that they're bring these huge exhibits, even if you have to pay more, it's well worth it. We'll probably get a membership and try to win the ring they're raffling off.