While my family was driving up from Miami to Orlando, Westley and I arrived in the city with a few hours to kill. I did some research before our trip and decided on taking him to the Orlando Science Center.
This was Westley’s first visit to a science museum, but it certainly won’t be his last! Parking and two tickets ended up being around $40. It’s $20.95 for adults and $14.95 for kids ages 3-11. If your child is 2 and under then it’s FREE! For the sheer entertainment, learning and experiences available at OSC, the price is definitely well worth it.
KidsTown
Westley led the charge, so naturally our first stop was KidsTown, which is an exhibit hall with a ton of hands-on zones designed for kids age 7 and under. From a grocery store and massive climbing station to a theater with props and costumes, this section will keep young kids entertained for a long time. W’s favorite station (no surprise) was the Drip Drop Splash, where he spent nearly 40 minutes “painting” water, creating waves and making colorful water creations.
DinoDigs
Our next stop was visiting Dinosaurs, which is W’s new obsession. The DinoDigs area is really cool with giant fossil replicas of dinosaurs including the infamous T-Rex. We probably spent a good 15 minutes in awe of Mr. T. Westley went from being a bit scared, to roaring at T-Rex to trying to get into the exhibit area and touch him. Needless to say, it was hilarious watching his reaction!
As part of the exhibit, W got to play archeologist and dig for Dino bones! They have three different areas dedicated to digging, which was very engaging and hands on. Westley was a huge fan!
NatureWorks
Our final stop was NatureWorks where we discovered different ecosystems native to Central Florida from the Cypress Swamp to Pine Flatwoods.
Westley really enjoyed this area because of all the animals from alligators and turtles to lizards and insects. They even had an animal encounter with some kind of lizard (forgive my ignorance, but identifying animals has never been a strong suit). W was super into all of it!
The Verdict
If you’re looking for a fun, engaging and educational day for your littles, the Orlando Science Center is a fabulous option! We spent a solid two hours exploring and playing in several different areas and there was still a lot left to discover.
We never made it to the CineDome, which plays different movies throughout the day and there was the Mindbender Mansion (traveling exhibit), Our Planet and so much more.
I know for many of us, visiting Orlando usually involves a beloved Mouse…but if you’re traveling there for a different experience, I highly recommend the Science Center as a solid activity!
Happy Exploring,
Ivette
Ivette Faulkner 