PLEASE NOTE: This post was originally published in 2019, and while it should still give you a good overview of the experience, it may also contain some outdated information. Please be sure to visit their website for the most up-to-date information, especially about things like hours & pricing.
2019 Post:
Have you ever had one (or two or three) of those places where you’ve been meaning to go forever, but you just can’t seem to get there? And then someone will remind you about it and you’ll be all fired up to visit…and then life happens. And then life happens again. And possibly again.
That’s how it was for me and the elusive EcoTarium in Worcester, MA. At about an hour and a quarter away, it was more than a quick trip. Plus we knew there would be lots to see when we got there. So it wasn’t the kind of outing we could squeeze into a Saturday afternoon.
Still, for the past several summers, we’ve made time for an extra special road trip to a destination that’s been lingering on our list. Back in 2016 we chugged over to Thomas Land at Edaville USA. In 2017 we had a mini staycation day at Sonny’s Place in Sommers. And then in 2018, we pushed the envelope with our trip to Hershey, PA.
So this year, when it came time to plan our annual summer excursion, I made sure we’d be checking the EcoTarium off the list!
As I mentioned, the EcoTarium is located in Worcester, MA, which is kind of between Hartford and Boston.
With a story that has its beginnings back in 1825 (the EcoTarium was originally called the Worcester Lyceum of Natural History and was founded in 1825 as a collection of natural history specimens), the EcoTarium boasts a proud history of, as their website says, inspiring a passion for nature and science. Situated on a 45-acre campus, this unique combo of museum and nature center has a huge variety of exhibits, everything from science experiments to a close encounter with a couple of real live wild cats. There’s an indoor bouldering challenge and an outdoor habitat for playful river otters. There are giant bubbles and a sprawling playground (with features like a mud kitchen and a rope wall). And there’s even a scale model locomotive that you can hop aboard for a ride around the grounds.
But first, you’ll need to park.
On route to the museum building you’ll pass a few of the EcoTarium’s distinguished feathered residents.
Let me pause for a moment to reiterate that this is A BIG PLACE. Like a, you could spend all day here kind of place. Because we had a toddler in tow–and a toddler who was missing her nap at that!–we weren’t sure how long we were going to last before the inevitable meltdown that would send us streaming back to our car. So we were aiming to do at least a very quick once over of most things. But we also probably missed much! So consider this an EcoTarium primer 🙂
The Museum has a combination of permanent, seasonal and temporary exhibits, so you’ll want to be sure to check out their website before you go for the most current information.
To help keep us organized as we explore, I’m going to divide this post up into three sections: The Inside; The Outdoors; and The Plaza.
Part 1: The Inside
The bulk of the activities are inside the actual EcoTarium museum building. Don’t let this front view fool you. The Museum actually has three levels!
The top level, where you enter from the parking area, has the information desk (where you can buy tickets for the separately priced activities–like the train ride; more on that later) and the gift shop.
From there, you head downstairs to view the other two levels of exhibits.
Throughout all three floors there are engaging, hands-on exhibits exploring the natural and physical sciences, as well as our New England environment. It would take me longer to write this post than it did to visit the Museum if I tried to describe to you each of the exhibits that we discovered that day. So instead I’ll just give you an overview of some of our favorites.
As I mentioned, this was just a smattering of the activities we discovered indoors. There are additional hands-on engineering experiments, visual displays, live animals, natural history specimens and even a planetarium.
The Plaza
For simplicity, I’m calling the outside area accessed via the lower level entry/exit doors “the plaza,” as it is referred to on their website. There are a variety of fun and useful installations to highlight out here.
If your children are anything like mine, they will immediately notice the life-like dinosaur on display. Turns out this guy has quite a history! (And also a name 🙂 )
But the real allure on this visit came from a variety of different bubble-making stations! (Please note: upon further investigation, this bubble exhibit appears to be temporary; visit this page for more info)
Also out this way, you’ll find another live animal exhibit.
Just beyond this area, down a walkway, is the outdoor snack bar.
There are also restrooms in this building.
And beyond the building you’ll discover…
The Outdoors
Okay, so the outdoor areas offer nearly as many experiences as the indoor areas. There is so much to do here!
The first outdoor activity we tried was the Explorer Express Train (please note that this is a seasonal activity).
You’ll need to buy tickets for the train ride. You can do that inside at the information desk, or right here at the train. The train schedule is posted both inside and outside.
The train is a 2/5 scale model of an 1860’s steam engine. I have seen steam engines up close before (like here and here), and they are HUGE. But 2/5 is smaller than you would think. LOL
The kids thought this was a hoot. It was like riding on one of their model trains 🙂
The ride is about 10-15 minutes and takes you around the park. This is an especially fun activity for your toddler or preschooler!
Another fun area for the younger members of your brood (although, it proved equally fun for my 6 and 9 year olds), is the expansive outdoor playground.
This unique area includes all kinds of fun (and messy! bring extra clothes!) adventures like two playscapes, a mud kitchen, a rope climbing wall, places for digging, building, music and more!
Now that we’re going to proceed onward down the walking trail, I feel compelled to share with you this notification:
Our next stop was the big cats.
After the cat encounter we wandered back down the path, passing the red fox den.
By this point, it was getting close to closing time. We knew we couldn’t leave without seeing the river otters (I mean, how can you go anywhere with otters and not see them??? Cutest animals ever.)
We headed back up to and through the Museum (making a pit stop at the restrooms, of course) and then across the parking lot where another walking path starts up.
This path winds past a lovely pond with a fountain.
And there they were! River otters!
The best place to view them is through the window of this covered pavilion.
After literally closing down the park–seriously, the park staff came over and told us they were putting the otters inside for the evening–we still had some adventure left in us. So we made an impromptu visit to one of our favorite novelty dining spots: The Steaming Tender in not-too-far-away Palmer, MA.
Where we all got to enjoy a delicious dinner…and the kids got to climb aboard another rail car–this one the full 5/5 size 😉
Hope you get a chance to have your own EcoTarium adventure soon! It was definitely worth the wait.
EcoTarium Museum of Science and Nature
222 Harrington Way
Worcester, MA 01604
508.929.2700
info@ecotarium.org
Hours (2019):
Open Tuesday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Sunday 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Closed most Mondays and on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Open on all holiday and vacation-week Mondays.
Please be sure to check their website for seasonal exhibit start/end dates.
Pricing (2019):
- EcoTarium Members: Free
- Adults: $18.00
- Children/Youth: $14.00, ages 2-18; Children under 2 are admitted free
- Senior Citizens: $14.00, age 65 and older
- College Students: $14.00, student ID required
- Please visit this page for additional admission information
Details:
Stroller Friendly: YES
Coffee Mug Friendly: YES
Restroom: YES
Baby Changing Station: YES
Parking: YES
Food for Sale: YES; vending machines inside and an outdoor snack bar.
Outside Food Allowed: YES
Cash Required: NO
Dress Code: There is mud and water in the outdoor play area so you might want to bring extra clothes for your playful preschoolers. Just sayin’.
Age Recommendations: All ages
Evening/Weekend Hours: YES
Discounts: Check the website for special promos–they were running half price admission for September 2019!
Birthday Party Venue: YES – Check out their birthday party page
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