Best for kids aged 3-6, these value priced (compared to other full sized museums and zoos) tickets are good for a *half* day of fun. You must buy tickets in advance for a specific day, and pray for good weather as half of the attractions are outside. Live 'events' are simple but well done by truly enthusiastic staff. Train rides on the mini open-air-seating gas-powered (pretend steam) are the biggest unique attraction for young boys and girls alike. That said, the short track is just end to end with tiny loops to turn around at each end, so to an adult the $7/person extra cost may feel like an unnecessary tax. Do head straight for the 'station' to buy tickets in advance of a scheduled run, and show up 5 minutes early to get a front row seat. Autistic kids beware, there is some screaming in a small tunnel that may necessitate hands-over-ears. The place attempts a large number of interactive exhibits which will entertain kids in the 3-6 age group but with a few notable letdowns (especially with the buggy touchscreen exhibits). There's only so much touch (and break)able options they can come up with. There aren't a huge number of living animals and cages are medium sized (not small but not big either). The big cats (and ravens) are easy to miss if you don't look for the path. Expect quite a bit of taxidermy, but at least it is well done in terms of realism. Outdoor playgrounds will entertain some kids more than the exhibits. Food options are quite limited, bring your own and you'll find both a large indoor and several outdoor seating areas. Wasn't terribly busy on a Saturday in May 2022, so I still consider this a hidden gem worth the price. That said, the majority of folks aren't wearing masks these days.

It was fun, but I don't know if it was $20/person fun. There are some cool things there. They have a Rube Goldberg-like device that cycles a half dozen or so balls around, that's fun to watch. They have otters that you can watch swim around. The train was closed, so we didn't get to use that. The mountain lion would have been cool, but he was hiding. In fact, probably the majority of the animals were hiding. Our 11 month old played in the toddler area, but the carpet was filthy and had choking hazards everywhere. It looks like nobody has vacuumed it in months. The trails and nature were very nice, but again, not $20/person nice. It seems like a place that was created by smart, conscientious people who cared, but that it is now run by people who don't care. When so many things are out of order or filthy, and nobody thinks to fix or clean them, that shows you what kind of people they are. Hopefully, someday, the Science Center (Ecotarium) will be returned to its former glory.

This venue is a haven for families with small children. The blend of indoor and outdoor exhibits ensures that there's always something to capture their attention, regardless of the weather. Each exhibit is thoughtfully designed to be both educational and engaging, providing kids with a delightful mix of learning and play. The interactive elements sprinkled throughout keep their curiosity piqued, making every visit a new adventure. It's evident that a lot of thought has gone into making this place child-friendly and stimulating. Highly recommend for a day out with the little ones!

Overall pretty amazing. I just wish there was more big cats in the big cat area as currently there is only pumas. Though, my one year old niece has a very interesting conversation with the crows and she loves them. It was also incredibly tiring for the little ones because they had so much fun with the activities inside. The otters and other animals were absolutely precious.

Fun but expensive. This was my first time. Took our 3 year old and he had a great time. Many of the educational things were above his head. But he still enjoyed it. They were working on some renovation and the playground was unusable. The place isn't very big, we spent 3 hours there and that includes going for a hour walk around the pond (we tried to get from lower lot to upper but the path was blocked due to renovation, there was no warning sign) With that said they are overpriced! Regular admission is definitely a rip off. Lucky we went to our library before hand to get a pass discount. There simply isn't enough there to warrant their prices. Also if you are going to charge high admission the train right and planetarium movie should be included. PS if you are going mid week. Beware of the massive amount of kids from field trips.

Nice place to take the family, lots to see & do. Nice little gift shop. The otters were the most enjoyable to watch! Was disappointed the train ride was closed, but enjoyed our day just the same!

Interesting place. They also have some animals, turtles, red fox and mountain cat. The most awesome part is they have train for kids. $7 for nonmember adult. $5 for members and kids under 2 is free. Mother’s Day special, mother got free. They have outdoor playground and many trails. Huge place for kids to run.

A great place for kids and teenagers. Place is has a lot of stations where kids can interacting and learn about science and nature. They also have animals and birds (rescued).

The ecotarium is a great place to spend the day with the family! They have three floors of various science topics that everyone can enjoy. Everything is interactive. There is also animals you can see like the mountain lion, owl and otters. They also have a bubble station and a playground kids can try. Definitely worth a visit when you have time!

Great space for adults and kids to spent 4 to 5 hours. . Adult - $ 19 Children above 2- $14. Extra for the train 7$ & Planetarium - 7$. Which is bummers, if you ask me. You paying almost 20$, now they they are asking your pay more money. This is my contention so the main attraction the planetarium has an added charge. WHY ? . . That is a lot of out door activities and indoor activities. Children above four years can enjoy it. . There is some animal exhibits. The big cat exhibit has two mountain cat. Quite hard to see. The otter exhibits are well done.

The ecoTarium was very fun. It's wide open, lots of exhibits, the ravens were great as well as all the other animals. Lots of educational material as well. I definitely recommend you take a day to visit. The gift shop also has good prices. - Brian

We went there last week. It is certainly a fun place for young kids. The Planetarium is another great attraction for kids to enjoy ($7). There are vending machines to get chips and drinks and outside the building there is small eating joint where you can get fries and burger. There is small train ride as well. We spent more than 3 hours there.

I was quite pleasantly surprised by this place. We went with a group of kids aged from 3 to 17 and I can honestly say that they all had a good time. The hands on exhibits were enjoyed from the oldest to the youngest, the show in the Planetarium was a hit, and the animal exhibits and playground were great.

Just went in for a quick visit and see what it was all about. Lots of great stuff for the kids and adults as well. The planetarium show was about 30 minutes and worth getting into if you've never been. You can sit outside at the picnic tables for a break and have some food and drink with a nice view. The staff was incredibly kind, professional and helpful.

A hidden adventure in Worcester! We tend to spend upwards of 5hrs here from open to close playing with the STEM exhibits, watching the animals, learning about the creatures they showcase that particular day, and enjoying the outdoor spaces. A must see for kiddos 4-12!

Great place to visit for the day need more attractions but enjoyable to walk around and friendly staff !

A great experience for kids and adults. There is so much to do and learn for all ages.

This place has a great balance of indoor and outdoor activities and exhibits. The snack store closes a little early for my family.

Loved this museum! So much to do and all of the exhibits are done well. Took a six year old, and she was completely engaged for two hours! We didn't even get to check out the planetarium, which looked awesome, too. Reasonable entrance fee and tons of fun activities for everyone. Highly recommended!

Overall it was okay. The displays themselves were pretty bland and boring other than the pond/water ones with animals. It was really dirty which was my biggest problem. There were large items of trash on the floor like plastic cups etc and everything had a coating of filth as seen in photons. This place clearly has not been cleaned in a LONG time.

Just about the best place to go in Worcester.

Took my granddaughter to Ecotarium today. She's 8 and on spring break. Thought it'd be fun to visit since I hadn't been since her mom was about 8 - 20 years ago. My how things change. I'm sure that Covid is a contributing factor but . . . The train USED TO go around the entire place! Cross the driveway entrance and create a big loop around the building. Now? Nope. A quick up and down and done. And it only accepts passengers 3 times a day! The animal enclosures? Just about all of them are empty. As are many of the standing exhibits. The lower floor experiments are still pretty cool and available but they themselves are about 20 years old and have seen better days. I've always loved the Worcester Ecotarium but was pretty disappointed in my experience today.

A great museum for young kids to explore science and nature. The exhibits are interactive and engaging and educational but kids have lots of fun exploring them all. They have some animals to see as well and the train is a kid favorite. The sweet spot for kids being interested seems to start around age 5 but there are some great things for younger and older kids as well. Easier to get to than the Museum of Science and a great option for families.

Very cool place for the grandson! Cant wait to see it in the summer!

Great place to entertain a toddler for a few hours. Plenty of exploration and activities

Wonderful place to take the kids. There are so many places to explore and see. We went near the end of winter and spent most of our time inside. Our toddler had fun running from exhibit to exhibit. Our 8 year old was more into the sciences. Our 5 year old loved building and the hands-on activities. We spent a bit of time outside before we left.and they would have loved to be there during the summer. A lot of exploring can be done outside.

Great local science center. Don't miss the river otters!

Not bad off season but lots to keep them busy

There are a lot of interactive exhibits that are both educational and entertaining for preschool and elementary school aged children.

Had a fantastic time with my whole family

Expensive but worth it! Activities for all ages & stages! Great atmosphere and extraordinary staff! So much to do & explore! Inside and outside! Only downfalls being the lack of food and the extra charges for the train ride. We're totally going back!

I came across this place when I googled where to take my nephews that was visiting me from out of state. We had such a wonderful day! There was also a science show and beautiful outdoors. We loved it and will be back.

It was a fun day, it's definitely not a full day of an adventure. But for the few hours we were there it was worth every penny. My 2 1/2 year old loved the train ride, the only thing about that is it fills up quick. We got to the ticket station 25 minutes before the ride we wanted and it was already full. So head there first and buy the tickets for the time you want.

Amazing place. Visited on our way home from NJ. Very friendly and helpful staff. Also very clean facilities. The place was a lot nicer and more fun than I expected. Great hands on activities for my boys (5 and 3 y).

Love this place, my nieces and nephew enjoyed to the max… learning, exploring and nice train ride, definitely 💯 fun.

We visited while multiple schools were field tripping but it was a great experience for our kids. We had to park in overflow, due to our dogs travelling with us, but we made the best of it. Loved the train ride and the staff were super friendly.

Endless amounts of activities and hands-on learning experiences for kids! The whole day can be spent here, and you still might now have time to explore everything. Very affordable. 100% worth a trip if you have young children

You can use an ebt or wic card to get a discount. If your paying full price it's not worth it.

I've loved going here since i was a little girl, the staff are so amazing.

My daughter and I spent the day at the Ecotarium. One of the highlights was seeing the cute otters, although I was expecting to see more animals. Hoever, there were plenty of enjoyable activities available for my kid. She particularly loved the train ride, which cost $7 per person (apart from the admission ticket) and covered most of the areas. One drawback was the limited food options available , aside from a snack bar designed for kids. It might have been due to the fact that it was a tuesday. Nevertheless , I highly recommend this place if you have a kid.

This place is amazing for kids and also adults. Lot to learn and understand for both kids and adults. My daughter enjoyed the train ride. It was pretty good experience overall.

Great place to gather with family and friends.

Not really worth the cost right now with the museum closed

Great place.

The gift shop has amazing gifts!

Great place to bring the family!

It was boring.

This is a great place for kids.The activities are so fun !

Had a lot of things closed due to Covid with no discount.

Much fun and exciting stuff to do with the grandchildren and family especially on a rainy day

Eco Tarium is super cool and for kids I think they love the train the most it is awesome and super cool. I love the awesome exhibits because you get to try them and that's just really cool.

Perfect place to bring your family

Great science/nature museum and outdoor exhibits and trails. My six year old and three year old both loved the exhibits, particularly getting to play outside. Make sure you buy your tickets to ride the train early in the day, even if you want to ride later... We missed out on it because it was sold out.

This was an amazing experience for my children. They absolutely loved it. So many different things to do, as well as learn. The staff were also polite, and what I really liked is that they walked around watching the children to make sure they were safe. Wish I could give you guys 20 stars great job and great place!!

Love bringing the kids here to explore and be creative. The outdoor space is great to keep them busy for hours. This is our first year as a memeber and have already made our investment back. Definitely renewing again!

We had a unique overnight experience at the Ecotarium and can’t wait to go back this summer to be able to explore more. It’s a mix of the Children’s Museum with the Museum of Science and very interesting sites.

What the heck is going on with the management of the EcoTarium???? It was such a great place but over the past several months, it has gone straight downhill. Nothing to do with the Covid situation, either. Their staff was always wonderful and they used to look like they were happy to be there. Now there's been so many layoffs of their best people, and it seems as if they don't trust the ones who remain, to do a good job. Please explain!

Great place to go the kids. Very educational and you get to learn alot about nature,animals, and the world we live in.

There is an endless amount of things to do here inside and out. Each floor has so much to see, touch, hear, play with, all while learning. Outside there are tons of trails and opening on April 1st there is a train that you can ride throughout the property and see everything outdoors. My 5 year old son who is typically very shy had a blast!

Dated

It's cute, great for kiddy winks. Adults will probably like some of the animals on display, especially the otters. Your lame kids will not appreciate them as much as you. The high winds simulator is pretty fun, but it'll mess up your sweet do; if you've been on a windy beach or up a mountain during a gust you've felt worse. On the plus side you can throw your annoying children in there for a few precious seconds and get them away from you. Very educational, young children will probably love it, after 12 years old I think the vast majority will feel bored quickly, which is there want, silly billys that they are.

Really nice place with great staff. Has the ability to do more but needs more funding. Is a great place check it out.

Great ace for your kids to explore and have fun

My kids had a blast. Will be going again.

Fun place to bring the kids.

One if the best place to take the kids

I wish they had another polar bear

Really great and interactive for the two year olds. Loved the otters.

This place is HUGE! Definitely perfect for all ages, extremely informative, well worth the money! The Planetarium was cool but we left with our necks hurting lol

I had more fun than my 1 year old daughter but in another year or two this will be a great place to take her to learn about science and nature. She does love the black bear stuffed animal we got her in the gift shop, she sleeps with it every night. Veterans, be sure to show your ID at the gate for FREE admission!

Put it this way, it's for children and adults equally. The animal exhibits are like none other you'll find in Worcester. It's a great learning experience for the children. I learned a ton myself! I love it.

The otters!!!!

We had so much fun here. They have so many cool attractions. My family definitely recommends taking a trip here. You will have the time of your life. You will love going back over and over. Thanks for allowing me and my kids to have so much fun!!

Nice place to visit with the family Love it going back soon

Lovely place .

Very nice

Great place to come with the kids