x
Breaking News
More () »

Larry visits the Catawba Science Museum

The North Carolina Science Festival is a month long celebration of science every April.

HICKORY, N.C. — The Catawba Science Center is a hands-on science museum located in Hickory, North Carolina.

The Catawba Science Center was started in 1975 with the purpose being to “engage children in science activities and teach them the world around them,” according to Executive Director Tracy Hall.

The science center has exhibits for all ages. There is a naturalist center, planetarium, and aquarium.  

The museum started in an old house in downtown Hickory. It later moved to ts current building along Third Avenue Northeast. This location allowed the exhibits to expand to include hands-on activities.

Click here to sign up for the daily Wake Up Charlotte newsletter

Fifteen years ago, the planetarium and aquarium were brought to the museum. Hall said this allowed families to “see marine life even though we live in the western part of North Carolina. For many, this will be the only way to have that meaningful experience."

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum had to close for six months.

“That’s devasting not to have the revenue of admissions and exhibit sponsors," Hall explained.

During those months, museum staff took advantage of the empty museum to clean and upgrade exhibits. 

You can stream WCNC Charlotte on Roku and Amazon Fire TV, just download the free app. 

The science center is once again open at regular hours and open to the public.

April is a month of celebrating science in North Carolina. To mark the occasion, WCNC Charlotte's Larry Sprinkle visited the museum.

Credit: WCNC
Larry Sprinkle comes face-to-face with a spider at the Catawba Science Museum in Hickory.

Contact Larry Sprinkle at lsprinkle@wcnc.com and follow him on FacebookTwitter and Instagram. 

For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app. 

Before You Leave, Check This Out