McWane Science Center
4.7(5.3K)google
4.1(103)yelp
ScienceFamily
Overview
The McWane Science Center is a science museum and research archive located in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, United States. The state-of-the-art hands-on science center, aquarium, and 250-seat IMAX Dome Theater is housed in the historic and refurbished Loveman's department store building. It opened to the public on July 11, 1998.
Practical Info
Mon–Fri9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Sat10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Sun12:00–5:00 PM
Best TimeA great year-round indoor destination for families. Weekday afternoons are recommended to avoid large school field trip groups.
Getting ThereLocated in downtown Birmingham, the center is easy to reach by car and offers a paid parking garage with direct access to the building.
Travel Tips
- The aquarium in the lower level is definitely worth visiting.
- The dedicated preschool area, Itty Bitty Town, is perfect for children under three.
Reviews
Positive
- This four-story interactive science museum features dinosaur fossils, physics exhibits, engineering displays, and an aquarium where visitors can touch small sharks.
- Hands-on exhibits encourage children to explore, touch, and experiment, making it an outstanding STEM learning destination.
- The IMAX theater offers immersive screenings of science documentaries and blockbuster films with impressive audiovisual quality.
Heads up
- Combined admission for the museum and IMAX can be relatively expensive for larger families.
- The center can become quite crowded and noisy on weekends or rainy days, with many children actively exploring the exhibits.