This is such a wonderful place for everyone of all ages. The walking trail is beautiful, the farm is lovely and the museum is AWESOME! We are so happy that it has reopened

Such a great spot to unwind. The nature trail and the farm is so cute with all the animals. The museum is great as well. Planetarium show is awesome. Well worth a visit!

Awesome place... Definitely recomend it for the entire family!

Edit: Very few people wearing masks. No one was inforcing Covid guidelines, but as more people arrived, some of the other people put on masks. Website was confusing to purchase tickets and Farm was closed without notice. The planetarium is confusing because it is currently showing a movie about coral reefs and there is no mention of astronomy or explaination of the planetarium other than it is a movie theatre. The museum itself is very underwhelming. Lots of taxidermy animals that do not have relation of North Carolina or have any consistent theming other than Animals of North America. It seems like there was a pirate exhibit and maybe something else, but that was all closed. The best part is the dinosaur that you can see without even entering the museum exhibits.

What an awesome place! We had a fantastic time visiting from out of town with our grandchildren who live in the area.

This is a great museum! Its very family and kid friendly. This is our 2nd visit and last time the room upon entering was a science room with blocks and such. This time it was a dinosaur exhibit for kids (kids dinosaur books, some real fossils, discovery stations, etc) The animal farm is now open but most of the animals were not available (probably due to the cold weather). The staff there is very friendly and helpful. We caught a movie at the planetarium and it was very good. The screen is not the best quality but it was adequate. When the weather is nice, the nature walk is lovely! The pond, trails, and streams are beautiful. Some of the pics I posted are from last year when it was warmer out. The outdoor play area is great for the kids (again, weather permitting!) Admission is reasonable but the planetarium shows are extra but still reasonably priced.

So great to take my child here, so many memories when I was growing up made here. Now I get to make memories with him too. Such nice staff and so many things to see and learn. My son is obsessed with dinosaurs! He loves the dinosaur exhibit. The new creaky crawlers area is really AWESOME. Affordable fun!

My children liked it all but, I wasnt a fan of the dead animals. We especially liked the planetarium. Theres also things to do outside! Family of 6 was 36.00Worth it.

Great little natural history museum. My 5 and 3 y.o loved the museum. They loved the dinosaur exhibit. There is also quite a bit to do outside on the museum grounds. 2-3 hours is good. Very cheap admission.

We went to the pumpkin program at the farm, and it was fantastic! Beautiful trail too!

It was really good. We enjoyed our visit there. The prices are very reasonable and their was a lot to see.

Nice museum. Great place to go to and great place to take children that are being home schooled.

Wonderful museum! There is so much to see!

Such a cool little place to take your kids to and walk around and learn about so many different things.

Best museum around Charlotte. Covers all educative for kids. Very well maintained and most helpful staffs. I only wish it had some eat out place inside to spend more time.

We absolutely had a ball, my kids loved the exhibits and they have added a lot of extra things to do.

Super cool museum inside and out. Definitely a great place to take the little ones out for a learning adventure. Lots to see and do.

Awesome place to visit! I cant wait to go back when they reopen.

This is a hidden gem for any naturalist. Theres an emphasis on taxidermied animals and American Indians. There are some exhibits that have been closed for renovation for over a year, so there is less to see. Planetarium prices are NOT included in regular admission or even membership. The outdoor area is free to the public and has nice trails and historic structures along the way. Few things are interactive so theres not a lot for younger kids, with the exception of the pirate ship and a small puppet area.

Great place to take the kids....admission is $7 for adults and $6 for 4 and up so very affordable for a museum. The planetarium is extra. There’s a lot to see inside and also an outside trail with live animals and a pond. That’s included in admission. There’s also picnic tables outside if you want to pack a lunch! There’s no cafeteria here, just a few snacks in the gift shop. And they have pressed pennies if you collect them!

I stopped to visit the museum while I was in the area. It has many exhibits that are typical of a natural history museum such as dinosaurs, minerals/rocks, eco system displays, birds, bugs, and other animals. It had an American Indian section and a specific North Carolina area which I thought were neat. There were also live animals in some places and I wasnt expecting that. The creepy house and exhibition was very interesting to me because it was based on a real persons experience finding out what was true or false in nature. Overall I would recommend it, some of the areas just seemed small to me or a little older.

Such a cool place. Amazing for kids of all ages, and adults alike. Fascinating exhibits, most pertinent to the local North Carolina area. Highly recommend for a fun day out.

Adults tickets cost $7 (its an extra $5 for the theater) and children cost $4( I think). It was some of the $7 Ive ever spent. I found this place online and immediately wanted to visit. I had pretty high expectations for this place and it still bet them. Its aimed more towards children but adults should still get some enjoyment coming here. If youre in the Charlotte area then you should put this place on your to do list

Just a quick little heads up the interior of the museum tiles or not made of metal theyre made of wood

Love this place. Great for the family. Cute little gift shop. The planetarium is wonderful. A little sad they took down the hall of man and earth, but their new exhibit is pretty cool.

Great fun for the family. If youre local youll want a membership for planetarium discounts. They change up the sky shows every so often. This last show we went to in April was actually boring and I fell asleep but they did the Carolina sky afterwards and it was Great! They actual museum is just the right size. They have manual wheelchairs but my mother didnt feel she needed one she used her walker and it was ok. Although we didnt travel all over it was a good little tour of the facility. My child always has fun here. If youre strapped for cash every 2nd Tuesday of the month is free after 4pm. Facility closes at 5. You still have to pay for the show.

My grandson and I had a blast!!! Looking forward to going back and having time to visit the Planetarium

Great natural history museum. Wonderful trail with 18th century farm exhibit and occasional living history demonstrations.

Loved this place!! So much to see, we have to come back because we didn’t get to it all. The outdoor displays are so awesome, and it’s totally kid friendly. You won’t regret spending the day here with the fam.

Great place to take the family. Please support them. I’d hate to lose such a valuable community treasure.

This is pretty cool place. I have 3 boys between the ages of 2-8 yrs old. The dinosaur exhibits were nice, with sounds and short films. The childrens hands on vet/archiology clinic was super cool. The pirate ship was fun. We didnt get to do the planetarium because.. lets face it. My 2 year old wouldnt sit through it. They have small live animals to check out too like a possum, snakes, parie dog and turtles. On the back side of the building theres pigs and sheeps. Theres a trail with a pond and other things. Its a nice cheap family outting.IG: flake_11

We have visited the planetarium, the museum itself, the nature trail and attended the Catawba Indian festival. Weve enjoyed ourselves every single time weve been. You can push a stroller on the trail but at times its very soft and rocky and not always the best for strollers. I would not wear good shoes especially if you plan to go to the Catawba Indian Village. There is very soft black dirt in that area.

Our family enjoys every visit. Its such a quaint little museum with outdoor activities and sights to visit. Definitely a local treasure.

The planetarium is fun! Love the exhibits too!

Have gone here since I was a boy, took our kids here growing up, and have taken my little granddaughter once. Awesome exhibits that are very well done and interesting about state and local natural history. Great planetarium. Theres a very nice nature trail at the back of the property that shouldnt be missed. They offer military, senior, and student discounts off of the already reasonable prices. Great place for all ages. Would highly recommend!

Awesome place! There are of different things to see and enjoy. Ill definitely bring my family back.

Sadly under a bit of construction on our visit, but the kid really enjoyed the pirate ship to climb all over and the live animals downstairs. An expansive grounds with a colonial village to explore and a pond ripe for stone tossing for hours.

The exhibits are really cool and the live animals are awesome. The enclosures are way too small though. Creepy nature was neat but it was more of a haunted house than being educational. The planetarium was over priced for the low quality. The projector is very dark and the seats are uncomfortable. The movie being shown was 8 years old. The museum is good but the planetarium is not worth it in my opinion.

Very nice natural history museum. We plan to go back soon to see the outdoor exhibits.

Its good for the money worth...you will probably spend 2 to 3hrs easily without knowing the time...staff are friendly and knowledgeable..

Wonderful place with new exhibits and older ones. We really enjoyed our day! Lots of great memories have been made here over the years.

Excellent place to go. The price was decent, at $28 for 3 adults and 2 kids. The animals are actual stuffed animals, the insect collection is huge. The dinosaur exhibit was neat and my kids loved going through it. Outside there was a wonderful outdoor exhibit with an 18th century farm (with animals), a pond, and more.

I’ve been here before, this is an amazing place! The exhibits are very interesting, everything in there is honestly. It’s really fun, kid friendly. I’m actually going to this museum tomorrow because I loved the first experience.

Were in the area on a rainy day and stumbled upon it with two kids (5/7). Great way to spend about two hours. Kids had a great time, everything was kid friendly and clean! Would recommend! Prices were reasonable! Would love for the gift shop to have a little more (we collect christmas ornaments and would have loved to add one from here) and if we could have had lunch that would have been convenient! For a spur of the moment thing to do while visiting it was very fun!

The museum was enough for my kids to enjoy. However, if you expect exhibitions about dinosaurs or pre-historic story after seeing the symbolic T-rex, you might be disappointed. Instead, it has solar system and cute animals.

The staff r very nice my grandson love going here all the time

Been here a few times. The exhibits are cool. They change them out every now and again. I wish there was more to see. But the stuff they do have on display is awesome. A lot of people don’t know that you can go to the roof. They have a garden up there with bees and butterflies. It’s beautiful up there.A lot of fun for the family. Planetary shows always showing so if you like space, go check out the shows they have showing. I’m a regular!

I like it but its expensive and I feel you should get more for your money. A lot of the exhibits are shallow and dont lend themselves to much learning, but others are interesting and engaging. Cant wait till they open the history of man exhibit back up!

Fun for young children. Good value. Indoor & outdoor activities. Planetarium shows sold separately from museum admission.

Cheap clean very amazing

Cool spot

Fantastic, affordable place to take the family. Kids had hours of fun touring the dinosaur and animal exhibits. Throw in a show and outdoor exhibits, it’s a great place to spend a half day. Even the concessions in the gift shop are cheap. Very impressed!

Solid way to spend an afternoon. Great exhibits and loved the Creepy Nature exhibit in particular. Planetarium was also a very enjoyable experience

The outdoor area is so beautiful. It has meandering paths, lots of benches in the shade. Many areas to have picnics. Very appropriate for small children. Accessible for an outdoor stroller that works on gravel. Beautiful streams that seem safe and accommodating for small children. Lots of shade. the pond is delightful. There is a cute play village for the kids. There are all sorts of places for the kids to explore and discover and learn and play. Adorable. Great place to get family pictures. Lots of bridges, pioneer buildings, stone step ways, looping paths, gazebos, covered pavilions, ponds and creeks. Beautiful stone structures. A delightful and safe place for jogging, reading, meeting friends or having lunch. There are few trash cans, no outdoor bathroom facilities, however. There are a few water fountains, which is nice. There are habitats for frogs and birds and turtles. They have sheep and pigs there always, bit the signage discourages you from petting. which is probably smart since they dont have facilities for washing your hands. There is a pioneer village and Indian village. There is a grist mill along the creek with a water wheel. There are lots of signs to lear more about your surroundings and for identifying plants. There is an enormous rose quartz stone in the middle of a shaded stone walkway, and it is fun to run into amazing things like that all over the outdoor area. Its a special little goldmine of a location to know about and bring your family.

Very nice museum. Would recommend to anyone who would to explore with their children. Gift shop could be better but its a museum... friendly staff.

We had an amazing time at the Fossil Fair

Visits to the Schiele museum are perhaps some of my fondest childhood memories. Mineral shows on the outdoor trails were some of the best wholesome events a 5 year old could experience. Recently, I ended up booking the Schiele as a last minute wedding venue, and it was absolutely perfect for a couple of nerds in love. The place was a fantastic value. Dinosaurs are awesome, even to 33-year-old kids.I have to express my vehement disapproval of the new director when it comes to rocks.The Schiele’s mineral collection USED to be one of the most impressive in the region, and it practically took a community revolt to get a few rocks back in there (and it’s sadly only temporary). Stick to your roots Schiele, it’s what made such a tiny museum last for so many decades.

Havent got there yet. Going there on a field trip, on the bus.

The animals are in deplorable shape. It is sad when the dead animals have bigger enclosures than the living ones. The alligators enclosure is small and filthy with old food and non-filtrated standing dirty water about 10 inches and 3 feet of above water basking space, all of it littered with old food. No real room for it to move.The snapping turtle doesn’t even have room to turn around. Regardless of your claims of meeting minimum standards, you got to know this isn’t right. Egg laying hens and veal cows also meet usda standards too and we all know the conditions they are kept in. You might have minimum standards for live stock. That’s about it. The painted turtles are swimming in mucky black non-filtrated stagnant water just like the alligator. Pretty depressing. Someone needs to educate them on animal husbandry, specifically reptile husbandry. They probably don’t have the budget to keep live animals, and it clearly shows. I know they had a bear in what looked like a jail cell with a couple branches tossed in and it passed away. Other than that, it’s okay for Gastonia, it’s like a library with taxidermies. Not really worth your time. Here’s some helpful information from reptile experts, not the US agricultural department who doesn’t care about the animals actual wellbeing.Pertaining to the snapping turtle habitat:Enclosure:Juvenile snapping turtles can be housed in aquariums or plastic storage boxes. Two or three square feet of space is appropriate for a single hatchling, though they grow quickly and will require two to three times this much space by the end of their second year of life. Adult snapping turtles are big animals that require large enclosures; even the smallest adult common snapping turtles will require ponds measuring 15 to 20 square feet, while the largest alligator snapping turtles require ponds with nearly 60 square feet of space.Pertaining to the alligator:Your alligator enclosure must meet certain biological needs to maintain healthy alligators. Alligators need room to bask and they also need an area of open water area to swim, hunt and lounge in. You need a temperature control system including a water heater and possibly heat pads, plus both UVA and UVB lighting. As time passes, your alligator will need room to grow, so an enclosure that can be extended is ideal. Note that the average size for an adult alligator raised in captivity is between 4 and 7 feet, so he will eventually need an outdoor habitat.Plan ahead. Measure your alligator and measure the area you plan on using for the enclosure. According to Reptile Luv, your enclosure must include a dry basking space that is at least 1.5 times the length and width of your alligator. At minimum, the open water area should have a length thats at least three times the total length of the alligator; a width thats at least twice the alligators length and a depth thats at least twice the alligators length. You should also map out access to electricity, a water source and plan a location for water pumps and heaters thats easy for you to access safely once your alligator is fully grown. Consider the type of fencing you will want to best secure your alligator but also offer good viewing.

Very nice butterfly collection. Nice outdoor trail and a good planetarium. A bit small and not that expansive for the professional museum visitor. Good for the little ones with just enough to keep them interested and not too much to overwhelm them.

My husband and I stopped by on our honeymoon. We were traveling up from Savannah and decided to go for the heck of it, as we had time to kill. Glad we stopped! On this day, the museum was PACKED. 300 8th graders, but the staff was always pleasant and patient and engaging. It doesnt have a ton of bells and whistles, but it has great exhibits and the grounds are beautiful. We spent a good chunk of our time at the pond watching the turtles swimming around. Good stop! Well be back.

Fun place. Kids and grown ups enjoy it.

My five year old son and I truly enjoyed our time here. The exhibits provided a wealth of information and we loved that there were also live animals in many displays. There was also a great deal of interaction with the exhibits for my son. The outdoor trail with different villages and exhibits was also a great experience for us.

When we arrived and noticed school buses we expected the worse. But even with a school Field Trip the museum wasnt too crowded. Great exhibits. Staff was friendly and polite. Will return again

Started going here as a kid decades ago and always enjoyed it. Visits in recent years with my kid shows theyve really begun some great upgrades and the place continues to improve. Not a comprehensive national museum but a super local offering.

Great place to spend a saturday!

My husband and I had our wedding at the Schiele which meant a lot to us. My husband grew up in the area and went to the Schiele as a child so it has always been near to our hearts. They did a great job helping with our wedding and made sure we had everything we needed. Highly recommend!

Very nice displays and facilities, a lot of variation, interesting exhibits, natural trail is great with cool features, although the village and all buildings on trail have been locked closed both times we have gone there. We were happy with this place as well as educated and entertained. We will definitely return, you can spend hours there.

Simple museum but put together nicely. Slightly disappointed that two exhibit areas were closed during our visit.

A wonderful museum with well thought out displays and an entire section that has changing exhibits. During my most recent visit they were featuring the solar system. Using a clever trick with white spheres and hidden projectors, you are actually looking at the planets with moving atmospheres. However timing is key, and I suggest trying to get there as they open to get in before the school field trips start coming in. I slipped in ahead of 300 school kids this last visit.

Very enjoyable!? Been going there since elementary school!

This is a great place with great exhibits and I’m always satisfied when I leave. There is a new exhibit every year so they keep your experience fresh and I love the Dino exhibit

Greeting you as you enter is a T- Rex! The planetarium is a wonderful opportunity to see our planet in a different way. The exhibits on the lower levels of the native americans, are so real. The animals - elk, moose, polar bear, fox, buffalo, etc, are not stuffed, but mounted. When I asked if they were true to size, yes! An eye opener for sure. You realize then why these large animals where Hunter for food and cl I85 thing. Up close and personal. The landing on Mars - Rover is icing on a wonderful, learning experience. The staff is wonderful.

I went with my toddler(2yrs) and my eleven month old. I saw the solar system exhibit. It was all pretty cool and lots of variation with the displays. I went for the planetarium but it was closed down till March. Cant wait till it opens^____^!

Loved it! Took my four year old and enjoyed the planets exhibit and the volcano planetarium screening. Make sure you try some astronauts ice cream. I think the ice cream bar is the best!

Worst place ever we were basicly 10 min late after a hour and 45 min drive to PAY to see this and the place turned us away.. will never even consider coming here again

I wanted to like it but the animal enclosures were pathetic and inhumane. I reached out to the directer with specific issues and she blew me off. Its a sad place that needs to discontinue the live animal exhibits.

Love this museum! Both the inside and outside exhibits are great to check out. I especially loved the rock mining area out on the trail!

Love the Schiele! Wonderful displays, friendly staff. Great to visit with children and grandchildren. A true jewel.

Perfect museum for young minds, a mix of hands on, live animals, dioramas and reading for elementary and middle school students, but not so big that it outlasts their attention span.

This museum is done very well for the most part but the Big Bank Theory is on the walls of the universe and planets as if it is a fact. Children see this and are impressionable. God is totally left out of the exhibits. What a shame. I will never go back or recommend it to anyone. You are far better off in Dallas at the museum downtown at the square. Many buildings and the true history of the area with helpful staff and things for the kids to do in nearly every room.

Wonderfully presented exhibits of wildlife of North America. Also has live animal exhibits, Planetarium, Dinosafari, and American Indian exhibits. Our 3 1/2 year old and her 68 year old grandfather loved all of it!!

Great place to spend a few hours. Fairly inexpensive $7 3 and under FREE. cheaper than the movies, but lots to do!

My last visit here was awesome. Has lots of updates. Keep up the great work!

I thought it was great for learning about local history. They have a small walking trail, live animals on it and also inside the museum they have many exhibits including small, live animals. It was fun and educational.

Ive loved this place since I was a child and its only gotten better year after year!

Fun place to take the little ones. My 4 year old loved the dinosaur exhibit!

A fun museum with special rotating exhibits. They have a planetarium, a gift shop, and farm with trails. Some of the exhibits are dated.

Today was Harvest Day, a recreation of an 18th century thanksgiving festival. Great fun and history, too!

This is a very cool place to come for a show and stroll. Its fairly small and Im not sure I would visit often.

Great museum of natural history. They also have some good, freely available trails that include a historical village with farm animals.

Be going there since I was a kid. Great to take your kids to. Planetarium is a must see.

Its a beautiful museum inside and out well worth your while to go and see things and animals youll never see anywhere else.

Huge and wonderful museum. Informative and enjoyable for kids and adults as well.

Great experience for whole family. Amazing butterfly and insect collections.

Was fun. Something to do. I liked the space stuff and the outside small hike.

My son loves this place we come all the time fun for the whole family

I used to live in Gastonia and this was one of our favorite things to do. A great museum and a nice nature trail

Unique impressive museum experience! Dont miss the walking trails.

Such a great place to take the kids without spending a lot of money.