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McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center
2 Institute Dr, Concord, NH 03301, United States
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Jo
Review №1

Great staff, very friendly, super clean environment. Many cleaning supplies during the “pandemic” time to make families feel safe. A little pricey, when brining the entire family to the planetarium but it was narrated by passionate folks. We had a lot of fun and will be back!

Na
Review №2

It is a nice place with lot of information on spaceships space exploration and Mars and moon. Planatorium admission is extra. We felt admission fee is pretty high for such a small center. You may be able to get pass from library. Plenty of free parking. Just off 93.

Ar
Review №3

Very nice place to visit my daughter had so much fun. I did as well lots of interesting ways to learn about the solar system.

An
Review №4

A little pricey, when brining the entire family to the planetarium but it was narrated by passionate folks.

Je
Review №5

Really cool exhibits for all ages. Very friendly staff, lots of sanitizer and wipes available all throughout the center. Would go again.

Au
Review №6

We were pleasantly surprised! A good selection of exhibits and hands on activities. Very informational and educational. We enjoyed the planetarium and the movie on the northern lights. We spent about 2.5 hours at the museum. My son is twelve and didn’t complain once about being bored. There is a small cafeteria and gift shop.We had free passes from our local library, but paid $5.00 each for the planetarium show. It was a great experience.

Mo
Review №7

I had a great time here. It was not expensive, the exhibits were really cool, and the planetarium was great to! Spent a out 3 hours here which was plenty of time to see everything including the Planetarium.

B
Review №8

Great place for kids. Only down fall is that its kinda small so you get through the whole thing in like 2 hours. Not even.

No
Review №9

So cool for all family members!A lot of things to learn, to explore, to do, is free, parking lot available, cleaning spaces, bathrooms, cafe, souvenir store, for sure is a place to bring your kids and teach them about NASA and Concord NH History.

Ca
Review №10

I went here just to look for a squished penny machine. And I ended up staying and I liked it so much that I got a membership. I like that it has a lot of hands-on things for kids to do, even though I dont have any kids. Its good to keep kids busy in a place like a museum. And its the kind of museum thats not like a regular museum, because you can touch things. They also have a planetarium. I will say the planetarium program is very old, and they do tell you that in the beginning. So it has some glitches, but still it was awesome to just stare at the stars for a while. The best part of the presentation I saw, which was the night sky presentation, was when they flew you to the Pleiades, because it felt like being in a starship. Besides all the history that they have regarding our space history, starting with the space race with Russia, it is named after Christa McAuliffe and Alan Shepard because they both came from New Hampshire. There is an observatory but they only open it the first Friday of the month, and only if the sky is clear. It is advisable to call ahead if youre going for one of these Friday night observatory events. I had lunch in the small restaurant that they have there, and I had chicken quesadillas that were absolutely amazing. All of the staff that I interacted with while I was there were very friendly, helpful and courteous, and thats important to me.

Jo
Review №11

Always love taking my kids here to look at the exhibits and dream of the possibility of becoming a future astronaut.

Su
Review №12

Very enjoyable. Definitely add the planetarium show. Several areas need work, updating and cleaning. But otherwise, a learning experience.

Ma
Review №13

Great little museum and science center.

Al
Review №14

Very informative, easy to follow and wonderfully done!

Ha
Review №15

This is definitely more geared toward the school field trip, BUT that said, still some cool stuff to explore and learn for adults. And for the admission price, its worth it. DEFINITELY add the planetarium show to your tour That is what makes it, in my opinion

an
Review №16

While the exhibits and film are interesting, they definitely feel a little dated. Some interactive exhibits were not working and some did not have adequate instructions for kids or none at all. Our group had the full range of ages—10, 13, 15, 46, 77, 80 and everyone found something of interest. Grandma made the perceptive comment that ironically there wasn’t much for children to learn about the Challenger shuttle astronauts. While I understand the desire not to dwell on a tragic failure for NASA, it was important part of US space travel history and deserves more attention. I was in 7th grade a still have the Time magazine feature. Overall it’s a good place to learn about NH and US history related to flight and space exploration.

As
Review №17

They have plenty of hand sanitizers and disinfecting wipes through out the center.

Ch
Review №18

Wonderful facility, fun time with telescopes!

St
Review №19

Brought my son and older daughter and they both had a blast. My son doesnt really do well with crowds and the museum wasnt really crowded the day we went.

An
Review №20

Very Cool place Nice View.

Ni
Review №21

It kept my 7 year old busy for a couple hours!

Ka
Review №22

So happy we got a membership, our 3 boys love going here and especially the movie dome!

Ma
Review №23

It was not expensive, the exhibits were really cool, and the planetarium was great to!

An
Review №24

A very good space, science discovery center museum and theater with some hands on exhibits. Good for young and old. They have something for everyone.

ji
Review №25

Way overpriced for little children. There is literally nothing for them to do except a little tykes slide! Paid $30 for myself and 3 year old granddaughter to see museum and one show. Child rate $8.50 plus an additional $5 for a show!! Last time we were there, tables were set up with activities. Hardly anything two weeks ago. Should be free for the little ones. Very disappointing.

Gl
Review №26

Space geeks unite, those of the interstellar universe there is a planetarium theater, interactive displays and a variety of activities to take home from the gift shop.

Ti
Review №27

We went with a small school group. Our tour guide was amazing, did a great job keeping the kids (3rd grade) interested and actively participating. Highly recommend. And all the independent activities were thought provoking and actually worked!

La
Review №28

A fantastic hidden gem in New Hampshire. Not only a great memorial to these famous New Hampshire astronauts, but also a continuation of their mission and vision to bring space to everyone and highlight STEM education. In addition to the museum and planetarium experience, the MSDC offers a ton of programming for kids and educational institutions. Plus, you can actually rent out the facility for private events like weddings, birthday parties, and corporate get togethers. Check this place out.

Ma
Review №29

Very disappointing. Much too expensive for what is there. Some of the displays are not marked at all, like the Kitfox. It just sits there with no marker, no info. Many of the interactive displays don’t work-touch screens with no links where there should be, no magnets in a display on different size magnets, touch screen for satellite says ‘touch menu’ and no menu on it. Iced coffee and iced tea urns in cafe empty at 1pm on a Saturday. Planetarium kinda cool but the show seemed unplanned and unscripted, like a last minute thing. There’s a real opportunity here to make something great, but it needs a lot of upgrading. I feel ripped off. My $16.50 would have been much better spent elsewhere.

Ny
Review №30

This museum offer a good experience especially if you take advantage of their Planetarium. I would say this museum is great for children ages 4 and up. They have number of interactive stations including flight simulators with a Space Shuttle and Moon Landing.Do take note that Planetarium has different shows throughout the day (we didnt know this until we went in). ASTC card holders will be able to get in here free so we only paid $15 total for the Planetarium.I wish they did have more exhibits and displays towards the back room but overall its a good place to visit. I wouldve love to see actual model figures of various planets and the Sun (a lot of paintings/drawings).Upstairs theres a small section with a slide & areas for smaller children to play with blocks on the table. They do have a small cafe as well and a gift shop.I would say couple hours would be a good time to enjoy this museum.

Am
Review №31

Fun museum. Good for kids.

Da
Review №32

Broken exhibitsDamaged and rough edges on some.No discount offered at door, but listed on line for low income family or for reciprical membership.Dim - non LED lightingBurned out lightsDim planetarium projector that was fuzzy too.No food or drink allowed and no eating allowed in museam.No outside food allowed in cafeteria.Way too expensive!

Va
Review №33

A medium-sized space museum that is great for families. It also has a planetarium, observatory, gift shop and, strangely, a decent cafeteria with reasonable prices. It loses a star because it hasnt been updated in years. Literally nothing has changed since the first time I brought my youngest, which was probably 2011, and I suspect it was the same long before then as well.

Am
Review №34

Think they can have a more interactive experience for 3 year olds or at least make their age group free. Certainly was not worth the $8.50 we paid for our daughter.

Ca
Review №35

Changing shows and wonderful interactive exhibites, its a great time! Closes a little to early. Plan around there hours carefully.

Da
Review №36

An embarrassment! Does not do justice to its namesakes. Feels small inside despite the decent size of the building. Most of the exhibits are not interactive and many are broken.

Jo
Review №37

Amazing!!! many things to see and do

Pa
Review №38

Expensive

Da
Review №39

We went today and had an ok time. Our only big issue was watching the show, the whole room smelled like urine. As soon as we walked in, the smell hit us it was incredibly strong. I get that it happens, but leaving the doors closed doesn’t help. The show should have been canceled, it was nauseating.

An
Review №40

Way overpriced for such a small exhibit. Everything is outdated and almost every seat in the planetarium is taped due to the upholster being damaged. We paid nearly 50$ for 3 people for admission and planetarium show. we were through in 1 hour including the 35 min. planetarium show. Not worth the drive.

Jo
Review №41

Fun little museum for big and small kids a like.

Pa
Review №42

Loved it! Especially the show about the night sky guided by a local astronomy professor. My kids loved the flight simulator.

Sa
Review №43

Informative and fun. Wish there was more for my 3 year old to do

Da
Review №44

Great museum and science center at a great price. Theyve really improved it over the years.

Vi
Review №45

Great place to share with your grandchildren the excitement of growing up during the race to space age.

Ma
Review №46

Nice museum with a lot of information and hands-on exhibits. Was not disappointed. Admission is a bit expensive though.

bu
Review №47

Went for a field trip when I was younger, absolutely loved the place and will return so my children can find a love for it as well

Al
Review №48

Nice little museum. Planetarium shows had options for young kids and older folks. Would NOT recommend the planetarium for kids under 3 even for kid friendly programs - we had a screaming child in the show when we attended when the lights went out. Lots of Christa McAuliffe and some Alan Shephard items. Plus a few exhibits on the environment. Good for a couple hours.

Kr
Review №49

My son is doing a book report on Christa McAuliffe so what better place to come and explore some information than the Christa McAuliffe Planiterium! The shows are fun and the things to do here is just great family time as well as making learning fun! The prices are cheap as well and you cant beat that!

Ry
Review №50

Tomarrow is my field trip to this planetarium and Im so excited.

Ma
Review №51

I remember going here in elementary school and loving it. Im now a college grad and still remember this place

Al
Review №52

The planetarium machine broke after I bought a couple of tickets. The museum was nice, but lacking in the number of exhibits.

Ju
Review №53

Great place to take students!

ml
Review №54

I wish there were more activities.

Li
Review №55

A bit expensive.

Sa
Review №56

Not worth the time or money!

Sh
Review №57

Really cool place

Ma
Review №58

Smaller than I expected.

mi
Review №59

Very worthwhile

Information
100 Photos
59 Comments
4.1 Rating
  • Address:2 Institute Dr, Concord, NH 03301, United States
  • Site:http://www.starhop.com/
  • Phone:+1 603-271-7827
Categories
  • Science museum
  • Museum
  • Planetarium
  • Tourist attraction
Working hours
  • Monday:10:30am–4pm
  • Tuesday:Closed
  • Wednesday:10:30am–4pm
  • Thursday:10:30am–4pm
  • Friday:10:30am–4pm
  • Saturday:Closed
  • Sunday:Closed
Accessibility
  • Wheelchair-accessible car park:Yes
  • Wheelchair-accessible entrance:Yes
  • Wheelchair-accessible lift:Yes
  • Wheelchair-accessible toilet:Yes
  • Wheelchair rental:Yes
Amenities
  • Good for kids:Yes
  • Restaurant:Yes
  • Toilets:Yes
  • Wi-Fi:Yes
Crowd
  • Family friendly:Yes
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