Montshire Museum of Science

My 2 years old son loved it, so do I. You can entartain, explore and have fun with children (and adult) at any age. I saw many hands-​on science museum but this is one of the best science museum. You need to have time at least 2 hours for browsing around. Highly reccomended for everyone :)

I used to come here all the time as a kid and I loved it. I was recently back in the area and decided to go visit. My boyfriend and I went and we had so much fun! Some people say it’s just for kids, but that’s not true at all! There is also plenty for adults to enjoy! Lots of tricky puzzles, some really neat exhibits and the walking paths outside! Highly recommend this museum if you’re in the area. I do agree with some reviews that say admission is a bit pricey.

Nice hands-​on science museum. Its primary focus seems young children, but it has much to offer for science-​minded visitors of all ages. Exhibits are changed out regularly, so occasional visits aren’t overly repetitive. In addition to exhibits inside, there are miles of walking trails to explore outside. Adults going on their own may want to visit when school is in session (especially if you want to try the hands-​on exhibits, as they are very popular with kids). As others have noted, food options are limited, so it may be a good idea to bring a lunch. Go early and plan to spend the day, as you’ll find plenty to do.
It has plenty of parking and you can go out to your car as needed to get your lunch (or other items) and re-​enter the museum without any problem.
Admission is currently $ 14 for adults, $ 11 for ages 2 – 17, free for those under 2 ($ 16, $ 13, & $ 0 in summer), so bringing a whole family can be a bit expensive. Merchandise in the gift shop tends to be a bit overpriced as well.

I’m always happy to find places where I can take my toddler. The exhibits and activities were fun for him, even if he didn’t really understand all of the science behind it. I would say that this museum is best for pre-​teen children, although even as an adult I enjoyed it. There’s a walking nature trail around the back, but since it wasn’t very stroller friendly after a rainstorm, we didn’t see too much of it. There are also a few more exhibits and water features outside that were fun.
The bathrooms are small and crowded and there aren’t too many places to eat (even if you bring your own snacks). There are some tables outside, but if it’s raining it makes it a challenge. However, this is a learning center, not a bistro so I’m not taking any points away for that.

A must see for kids. Incredible interactive exhibits, huge park like grounds. Bring a picnic, take a hike. You can spend a whole day exploring if not a week

This is literally hours of fun for the whole family. There are walking trails and enough curiosities to poke and prod at that children will learn something before getting home. My infant son also enjoyed watching the turtles.
The staff are very friendly and approachable and can elaborate on any number of the activities and stands that are set up.

Oh my gosh, best children’s museum I’ve been to. (I’ve only been to 3 or 4, but one was the Children’s Museum of a major city, so I intend it as high praise.) We were there in wintertime, so we didn’t even get to explore the nature trails, splash area and other outdoor exhibits I’ve heard about. Indoors are excellent, imaginative exhibits for the young. (I don’t recommend it for lone adults, but since I don’t think it’s advertised for adults that doesn’t affect my rating.) I could have spent hours at the ant exhibit, which was thoughtfully laid out and featured a camera you could position to get a close up view of the ants. The kids’ running and climbing area was the most creative I’ve ever seen– it was magical for my son to crawl into a tiny, dark tunnel and view a beautiful fish tank maintained there just for kids to find. The bubble area was more creative than others I’ve seen. It is expensive, but I can see why. If I lived in the area I’d gladly pay for a yearly membership. As it is, I plan to visit the area this summer to see the outdoor parts. Bring your little kids here!

This is a nice toddler and children’s museum (for those who can afford it!). It’s a very «Upper Valley» type of place. Safe, clean, relatively small, very expensive, and child-​focused. Staff members are friendly and helpful, and tolerant of little kids running around being kids. It is much more child– and toddler-​oriented than typical science museums, with a comforting primary school vibe.
There are some hands-​on educational activities indoors. Classes for children are available if you’re willing to pay extra charges. Also an outdoor summer «water park» for toddlers and very young children to splash around. The staff is great — top-​of-​the-​line for a small town museum.
This is mainly a museum for very young children, but there are some features to keep parents and grandparents amused, including an awesome ant farm, and outdoor walking paths with excellent naturalistic garden areas.
Admission is eye-​poppingly expensive: $ 16 for adults, $ 13 for kids, with no «family admission» rates.

Great place for kids or the young at heart. Tons of interactive exhibits. Sue the trex was the centerpiece when we visited. There are also outside trails and activities.

This is a fantastic place if you have children with you as there are loads of interactive hands-​on exhibits to entertain them, including an ant farm. It’s clearly geared up for the educational market with hosting facilities for school groups and such like, with incentives like membership programmes to attract local visitors.
For passing adults without children, it’s not worth the effort. It almost felt like they weren’t equipped to handle casual visitors, and there isn’t really enough inside to maintain an adult’s interest for very long. Still, there are some nice trails in the grounds to walk around if you fancy some exercise.
The gift shop is quite small with the usual selection of ‘science-​y’ gifts, but the main reason I’m only giving it two stars is that there is no café or even the ability to get a cup of coffee. They do allegedly provide some limited snack facilities in the outside pavilion during the summer, but it wasn’t in evidence on our visit.
We were passing en route to Burlington in May 2013 and were in search of some lunch; sadly we had to go elsewhere.

We really enjoyed this museum today. There were lots of great hands on exhibits. These were both inside and out. My son is eight — so he enjoyed the trails, hands on water stuff and all the great exhibits inside. It seems like there are quite a few toddler age children early in the day but it got quieter later. A great way to spend a beautiful day!

Great interactive features, perfect for children. Also interesting for adults. Beautiful park with various hiking trails. A must-​see of northern Vermont.

Really like this place. Was better the first time, but still fun the second.

This is a GREAT facilty. My parents would take me here 10+ years ago as a older child and pre-​teen. The exhibits still hold my attention to this day.

The museum is a great place for kids & it is fun for adults too!
Tips: Try taking a nature walk on their trails. They go right by the river, are pretty, and are easy for kids.

Wonderful science museum! Exploration area for kids under 5, outdoor science (water) park in summer, trails for year-​round hiking, even an excursion train during the summer. Lots of hands-​on exhibits for kids and adults of all ages. If you have kids don’t miss it.

This is not a museum — it’s a bloody theme park.
Great place to take screaming pre-​pubescent delinquents on rainy afternoons.

Fantastic museum; small enough to do in a day with small kids, but large enough to hold the interest of older kids and adults. The water park out back is amazing! Put the kids in swimsuits and let them go wild! The staff are kind and informative. This is a great place to go winter or summer. The membership is a great deal; we definitely used ours!

A great place to go for a leisurely hike. I haven’t had the opportunity to go to the actual museum, but I have enjoyed the hike around it. Many of the trails have small informative stops about a variety of topics.
Be sure to check out the glacial erratic.